Old Vanderhaven's Will by Mary E. Penn — The Argosy

"Old Vanderhaven's Will" by Mary E. Penn is a domestic drama set in fifteenth-century Bruges. The story centers on Bernhardt Vanderhaven, a young artist who has been permitted by his elderly grandfather, Nicolas Vanderhaven, a retired merchant, to pursue painting until his twenty-first birthday. When that deadline arrives, Bernhardt must choose between art and joining the family commerce business, which his grandfather hopes will remain within the Vanderhaven name across generations. The grandfather, learning of Bernhardt's attachment to Annette van Elven—a young woman of respectable but impoverished background who supports herself and her mother through lacemaking—warns that artistic pursuit will prevent him from supporting a wife. The narrative explores Bernhardt's internal conflict between artistic ambition and love, complicated by family obligation and economic reality. The story concludes with Bernhardt's resolution to sacrifice his artistic aspirations for Annette, meeting her at sunset on the Pont du Béguinage to discuss his decision.