Title: Walter Pieterse: A Story of Holland
Author: Multatuli
Translator: Hubert Evans
Release date: September 29, 2009 [eBook #30135]
Most recently updated: October 24, 2024
Language: English
Credits: The Online Distributed Proofreading Team
Most of us know that The Hague is somewhere in Holland; and we all know that Queen Wilhelmina takes a beautiful picture; but to how many of us has it occurred that the land of Spinoza and Rembrandt is still running a literary shop?
How many of us have ever heard of Eduard Douwes Dekker? Very few, I fear, except professional critics. And yet, the man who, forty years ago, became famous as Multatuli (I have borne much), was not only the greatest figure in the modern literature of the Netherlands, but one of the most powerful and original writers in the literature of the world. An English critic has called him the Heine of Holland; Anatole France calls him the Voltaire of the Netherlands.
Eduard Douwes Dekker was born in 1820, at Amsterdam, his father being the captain of a merchantman trading in the Dutch colonies. At the age of eighteen Dekker sailed on his father’s vessel for the East Indies, determined to abandon the business career that had been mapped out for him and enter the colonial service. In 1839 he received a clerkship in the civil service at Batavia. He now remained in the employ of the government for seventeen years, being promoted from one grade to another until he was made Assistant Resident of Lebak in 1856.
In this important position he used his influence to better the condition of the natives; but, to his sorrow, he soon found that he did not have the support of his superiors. What he conceived to be right clashed with the line of conduct he was expected to follow. In a rash moment of “righteous indignation” he handed in his resignation; and it was accepted.
This hasty step put an end to a brilliant political career and entailed upon Dekker years of disappointment and hardship. Seeing that he was pursuing the wrong method to help either the Javanese, or himself, he immediately tried to get reinstated, but without success. In 1857 he returned to Holland and applied to the home government, hoping to be vindicated and restored to his post. Again he was disappointed. The government offered him another desirable position; but, as it was a matter of principle with Dekker, he declined it.
When he saw that it was useless to importune the government further, Dekker made his appeal to the people in “Max Havelaar” (1860). The book was an instant success and made the name of Multatuli famous. Through the perfidy of a supposed friend, however, Dekker failed to get very substantial material rewards from this work. For ten years yet he was struggling with poverty.
The Bohemian life that Dekker was now compelled to live—his family was on the sufferance of friends—estranged him from his wife and strengthened what some might call an unfortunate—or, at least, an untimely—literary friendship that Dekker had formed with a certain Miss Mimi Schepel, of The Hague. The spiritual affinity between the two soon developed a passion that neither could resist. This estimable lady, who afterwards became Dekker’s second wife, is still living, and has edited Dekker’s letters in nine volumes. Dekker died in February, 1887, at his home in Nieder-Ingelheim, where he had lived for several years.
The “Woutertje Pieterse” story was first published in Dekker’s seven volume work entitled “Ideen.” Here it is sandwiched in between miscellaneous sketches, essays and treatises, being scattered all the way from Vol. I to Vol. VII. The story falls naturally into two parts, of which the present volume is the first part. The second part, written in a different key, deals with “Walter’s Apprenticeship.”
A good deal of the flax, or silk, of his Chinaman’s pigtail, to use Dekker’s form of expression, I have unraveled as being extraneous matter. However, despite these omissions, it is quite possible that some very sensitive person may still find objectionable allusions in the book. If so, I must refer that one to the shade of Multatuli. From his own admission his shoulders were evidently broad; and, no doubt, they will be able to bear the additional strain.
Hubert Evans.
New York City,
Page
The origin of the story: regarding poetry, incurable love, false hair, and the hero of the story—The dangers of fame and the advantage of the upper shelf—The Chinaman’s pigtail, and the collar of humanity 1
An Italian robber on the “Buitensingel” in Amsterdam—The bitter suffering of the virtuous Amalia—Wax candles, the palisades of morality—The cunning of the little Hallemans—The limitations of space 9
The difference between a sugar bowl and a Bible—Leentje’s virtues and defects—An unfounded suspicion against Pennewip’s honor 18
The profound silence of Juffrouw Laps—Stoffel’s sermon—Walter’s fidelity to Glorioso—The last king of Athens—Ruined stomachs and bursted ear-drums 24
How one may become a great man—The cleverness of M’sieu Millaire—Versifying and the art of classifying everything—Hobby-horses 27
Preparations for a party—The assignment of rôles—The conflict between wishing and being—Some tricks of fancy—The two sawmills—Amalia and the ducks 34
Poetry and wigs—The vexation and despair of the latter 42
A tea-evening, and how it began—Some gaps in the author’s knowledge—Stoffel’s zoölogical joke—The cause of the last Punic war—And the advantage of smoking 48
Echoes of the last Punic war—The defeat of Hannibal (Laps) by Scipio (Pennewip) 61
Causes of the tedious peace in Europe, showing the value of a “tea-evening” as a study—Specimens of school-verse concluded—Suitable for society poets and clever children 68
Report on the condition of the leading characters after the catastrophe—Walter again: a character-study 75
Leentje as a comforter and questioner—Prince Walter and his dominions 80
Convincing proofs of Walter’s improvement—His first invitation—A study in love—Paradise and Peri 87
Great changes in the Pieterse family—Walter becomes poet-laureate at the court of Juffrouw Laps—The mountains of Asia—The bridge, Glorioso, and love—again 102
Walter’s dream—A swell coachman—Juffrouw Laps’s difficulties 117
Femke hunts for Walter, and finds him under peculiar circumstances—Her adventures by the way 125
The widower’s birthday—Klaasje’s poem, and how a surprise may involve further surprises 132
Walter’s recovery—The doctor’s pictures—Amsterdam dramaturgy 138
Pastors, sermons, and Juffrouw Laps—Chocolate, timidity, and love—The fire that didn’t break out—Some details of religious belief 150
Our hero calls on the doctor—Some strange happenings—How Walter delivered his present 161
Ophelia reaches her destination, and Femke becomes a queen—Walter’s first experience “proposing”—Choosing a profession 170
Walter enters the real world—The firm Motto, Business & Co.—The technique of the novel—And the snuff of the Romans 180
How one may become a “prodigal” by studying the story of the Prodigal Son 194
Why Walter did not see Femke—The worldliness of a servant of the church—The secret of Father Jansen’s deafness in his left ear 201
Kings and doughnuts—How the masses soar and fall—Walter’s cowardice and remorse of conscience—A good remedy for the blues 211
Our hero retires thinking of Princess Erika, to be aroused by robbers and murderers, who are in collusion with Juffrouw Laps 225
Walter alone with a pious lady, or Juffrouw Laps on the war-path 240
A midnight kiss—A wonderful statue in the “Juniper Berry”—Republicans and True Dutch hearts—A sailor with—Femke? 245
Sunrise on the “Dam”—An exciting encounter with a water-nymph—A letter from heaven—America, a haven for prodigal sons 260
A message from Femke, which Walter fails to understand—Dr. Holsma to the rescue—Femke and family portraits—Femke, and once more Femke 270
Stoffel’s view of the matter—Juffrouw Laps’s distress, and Juffrouw Pieterse’s elation—Elephants and butterflies, and Kaatje’s conception of heredity 279
A theatrical performance under difficulties—The contest between Napoleon and King Minos of Crete—A Goddess on Mt. Olympus—Kisses and rosebuds 286
Conclusion 298