Tales of a Traveller Section 22 - The Strolling Manager

Tales of a Traveller Section 35 - Wolfert Webber; or, Golden Dreams, Part Two

In which a company of old acquaintances gathers in a rural tavern to exchange spirited tales of buried treasures, Dutch ancestors, and pirate legends that set the imagination awhirl with dreams of wealth. Meanwhile, poor Wolfert Webber becomes possessed by these visions, obsessively digging his once-prosperous garden through many seasons, as hopes of sudden fortune gradually wane into the harsh realities of want and solitude.

Tales of a Traveller Section 36 - Wolfert Webber; or, Golden Dreams, Part Three

In which an enigmatic and imperious mariner, newly arrived with an air of authority and exotic wealth, takes dominion over an established inn and captivates—or intimidates—its accustomed patrons with his vivid tales of piracy and seaborne adventures. The local company, drawn to and yet fearful of this strange visitor, finds themselves mesmerised by stories of buried treasure and buccaneer exploits that imbue the quiet setting with a restless, thrilling air.

Tales of a Traveller Section 34 - Wolfert Webber; or, Golden Dreams, Part One

In which the industrious and ancient Webber family, long devoted to the cultivation of cabbages in the midst of a growing city, maintains their tranquil rural existence under the shadow of a mighty button-wood tree, whilst contending with the encroachments and changes brought by urban expansion. Amidst this peaceful yet subtly shifting world, the gentle blooming of young Amy and the quiet attentions of a suitor unfold with the tender delicacy of domestic garden blooms, all observed through the prudent and care-worn eyes of Wolfert Webber.

Tales of a Traveller Section 33 - The Devil and Tom Walker, Part Two

In which a miserly man strikes a sinister bargain that trades his integrity for wealth, navigating the treacherous tides of usury and religious hypocrisy with a wary eye toward the inevitable reckoning. The tale unfolds amidst the echoes of colonial superstition and the haunting landscapes of New England, where fortunes and fates are as easily lost as the treasures buried beneath ancient oaks.

Tales of a Traveller Section 32 - The Devil and Tom Walker, Part One

In which a miserly husband and wife, dwelling near a desolate swamp reputedly haunted by the devil’s deeds, harbour a mutual distrust as grim as their poverty, leading the husband into a mysterious and uncanny encounter with a dark and formidable stranger amid the gloomy old Indian fort. This revelation stirs the embers of avarice and discord, as elements of old superstition and shadowy commerce intertwine beneath the towering pines and whispering marshes of a remote Massachusetts inlet.