Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • Rip Van Winkle

    Uploaded by

    Irene María Caballano Infantes
    22 views11 pages

    Original Title

    RipVanWinkle

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    22 views11 pages

    Rip Van Winkle

    Uploaded by

    Irene María Caballano Infantes

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 11
    WASHINGTON IRVING THE SKETCH BOOK OF GEOFFREY CRAYON, GENT. With an Introduction by William L. Hedges Penguin Books los York AB RIP VAN WINKLE “The following Tale was found among the papers of the late Diedrich ‘Knickerbocker, an old gentleman of New York, who was vey curious ia the Dutch history of the provine, and the manners of the descendants ‘vom is primitive ster, Tis historical researches, however, did ot Be 0 much among books, ae among men; for the former are Jamentably Scanty on his favourite topes; whereas he found the old borghers, and Still more, their wives, rich in that legendary lore so invaluable to true history, Whenever, thesefre, he happened upon a genuine Dstch Family, snugly shut up ii low roofed farm house, under a spreading syentnore, be looked upon it ara Tite clasped volume of black letter, tnd studied it withthe real of a bookworm. “The result ofall these researches was history of the provine, dur- Ing the reign of the Dutch governors, which he published some years since. There have been various opinions as tothe literary character of his work and, to tell the truth, # jr not a whR better than it should ‘be: Its chief merit i ts serupalous accuracy, which indeed was a litle ‘questioned on its fast appearance, but has since been completely tablished; and itis now admitted into all historical collections a8 3 book of wniquestionable author. "The old gentloman died shorty after the publiction of his work, and now that he is dead and gone, it cannot do moch harm to his memory to say that his Une might have beon much better employed In weightir labours. He, however, was apt to ride his hobby his own ‘vay; and thongh it did now and then Kick up the dust litle in the tyes of his neighbours, and grieve the spirit of some frends for whom fe fet the truest deference snd affection; yet his erors and follies st remembered “more ia sorrow than in anger,” and it begins to be se jected that be never intended to fajure or offend. But however his Tremor) mey be appreciated by criticks, tis sil held dear by many Folk whose good opinion is well worth having: particularly by certain biscuit bakers, who bave gone s0 far esto imprint his likeness on their new year eakes, and have thus given him a chance for immorality, Simos! equal to being stamped ‘on a Watedloo medal, or a Queen ‘Annes farthing RIP VAN WINKLE A Pashanovs Wrting of Dsdch Knckrbcter By Woden, God of Saxons, From whence comes Weneday, that ie Wodensday, ‘Truth i a thing that ever I wil keep Unto thylke day in which I creep into My sepalehre= (Caen Whoever has made « voyage up the Hudson must remember the Kautsil mountains. They are a dismembered branch of the grest Ap- pilachian family, and are seen away to the west of the river swelling up to noble height and lording it over the surrounding. countsy. Every change of season, every change of weather, indeed every hour ofthe dy, produces some change in the magical hues and shapes of these moun tains, and they are regarded by all the good wives far and near as per fect barometers. When the weather is far and settled they are clothed in bine and purple, and print their bold outlines on the clear evening sky; bat sometimes, when tho rest of the landscape is cloudless, they will gather a hood of grey vapours about thei summits, which, in the last rys of the setting sun, will glow and light up like a crown of lory. [A the foot of thee fairy mountaine the voyager may have descried ‘he light smoke curling wp from a village, whose shingle rofs gleam among the trees, ast where the blue tints of the upland melt away {nto the fresh green of the nearer landscape, Iti @ litle village of reat antiquity, having been founded by some of the Dutch colonists in fhe early times of the province, just about the beginning of the gov: cement of the good Peter Stuyvesant, (may he rest in peacel) and there were some of the houses of the original setlrs standing within afew years; built of small yellow bricks brought from Holland, having latticed windows and guble fronts, surmounted with weathercocks In that same village, and in one of these very houses (which to tell ‘he preciso truth was sadly time worn and weather besten} there lived many years sine, while the country was Yet a province of Great Britain, 2 simple good natured fellow of the name of Rip Van Winkle. He was 1 descendant of the Van Winkler who fgured so gallantly in the ‘chivalrous days of Poter Stuyvesant, and accompeniod him to the Siege of Fort Christina. He inherited, however, but litle ofthe martial character of his ancestor, I have observed that he was « simple good ratared man; he was moreover a kind neighbour, and an obedient, » THE SKETCH ROOK OF GEOFFREY CRAYON, GENT. hrenpecked husband, Indeed to the lator circumstance might be ‘owing that mesknes of spirit which gained him such universal popular~ ity; for those men are most pt t© be obsequious and. conclating broad, who are under the dlseipline of shrews at home. Their tempers oubiless are rendered pliant and malleable In ehe fry farnaco of ‘domestic tibolation, and 2 curtain lecture is worth all the sermons ln the world for aching the virtues of petionce and long suifering. A termagant wife may therefore in some respects be considered « tolerable Dlessingand i so, Bip Van Winkle as thrice blesed Certain it that he wae a great favourite among all the good wives of the village, who as usual with the amiable sex, took his part in all family squabble, and never filed, whenever they talked those mat ters over in their evening gossippings, to ley all the blame on Dame Van Winkle. The clildren of the village too would shout with joy whenever he approached. He assisted at thir sports, made their play things, taught them to fy Kites and shoot marbles, and told them long Sores of ghosts, witches and Indians. Whenever he went dodging about the village be war surounded by a troop of them hanging on his skits, clambering on his back and playing a thousand tricks on him ‘with impunity; and not a dog would bark at him throughout the nei bourkood, "The great error in Ripls composition was an insuperable aversion toall kinds of profitable labour. Tt could not be fom the want of assiduity for perseverance; for he would ston a wet rock, with a rod as long and Iheavy at Tartar lance, and fish all day without & murmur, even though hhe should nat be encouraged by 2 single nibble. He would cacry a fowiing. piece on hit shoulder for hours together, trudging, through woods, and revamps and wp hill and down dale, to shoot a few squires for wild pigeons, he would never refuse to assist « neighbour even in the roughest tol, and wat ¢ foremost man st all country flicks for Inushing Indian corn, of bulding. stone fences; the women of the village too wsed to employ him to run their erands and to do such Intle odd jobe as thir les obliging husbands would not do for them— in a word Rip was ready to altend to any bodys busines bot his own bat as to doing farily duty, and keeping hit farm in oder, he found it impossible Tn fact he declared it was of no use to work on his fam; it was the most pesilent litle piece of ground in the whole country: every thing about it went wrong snd would go wrong in spite of hin. Fs fences were continually falling 10 pieces; his cow would either go antay or get among the cabbages, weeds were sure to grow quicker in his felds than any where else; the rain always made a point of siting {in just ashe ad some outdoor work to do, So thet though his patsimonial [MP VAN WINKLE a tate had dovindled away under his management, acre by sere unt there was Ite more left than a mere patch of Indian coen and potatos, yet it was the worst conditioned farm in the neighbourhood His children too were as ragged and wild at if they belonged to nobody, His son Rip, an urchin bogoten in his own likeness, promised to inherit the habits with the old clothes of his Ether. He was generally seen trooping like a colt at his mother’s heels, equipped in a pair of his fathers east of galligaskins, which he rd much ado to hold up with, fone hand, as a fine lady dows her train in bad weather, Rip Van Winkle, however, was ane of those happy mortals of foolish, well oled dispositions, who take the world easy, eat white bresd of Iowa, whichever can be got with least thought or trouble, and would ther strve on a penny than work for a pound. If lft to himself, he ‘would have whistled life away in perfect contentment, but his wife kept continually dinning in his ears sbout hie idleness, hie carelessness and the ruin he was bringing on his family. Morning noon and night her tongue wat incestanty going, and every thing be said or did was sure to produce a torrent of household eloquence, Rip had but one way of replying to all lectures ofthe kind, and that by frequent use had grown Into’ habit. He shrugged his shoulders, shook his head, cast up his yes, but sald nothing. This, however, always provoked a fresh volley from his wife, so that he was fain to dave off his forces and take tothe ‘ontside of the houso-tho only side which in trth belongs to s ene pecked husband. Tips sole domestic adherent was hie dog. Wolf who was as much Ihenpecked as his master, for Dame Van Winkle regarded them as com anions in idleness, and even looked upon Wolf with an evil eye as the fnuse of his master’s going ro often astray. True i, im all points of spirit befiting an honourable dog, he was as courageous an animal as fever scoured the woods-bet whet courage ean withstend the ever ‘during and all besetting terrors of « womans tongue? The moment Wolf entered the hovse his eres fel, his tall draoped to the grownd or curled between his legs, he sneaked about with a gallows at, casting: many 4 sidolong glance at Dame Van Winkle, and atthe least fourkth of @ broomstick or ladle he would Ay to the door with yelping precptstion Times grew worse and. worse with Rip Van Winkle as years of matrimony rolled on, a tart temper never mellows witha, and «sharp tongue isthe only edged tool that grows Keener vith constant wee. For Tong while he used to console himeelf when driven from home, by frequenting a kind of perpetual ub ofthe sages, pilorophers and other ‘dle personages of the village which hold its sessions on a bench before a small inn, designated by a rubicund portrait of his majesty George the Third. Here they used to sit in the shade, through along lazy sun a “THe SKETOH ROOK OF GEOFFREY CRAYON, GENT. mer’ day, talking litesly over village gossip, or telling endless sleepy Tories about nothing, But wonld have been worth any statesman's ‘Honey to have heard the profound discussions that sometimes took Blnce when by chance an old newspaper fell into their ands from core pasa traveller. How solemnly they would listen to the contents sevtiawled out by Derrick Van Bommel the schoolmaster, dappe Tamed litle man, wo was not to be daunted by the most gigantic Nord in the dictionary; and how sagely they would deliberate upon Dubie events some months after they had taken place. "Phe plinions of this junto were completely controlled by Nicholas Velden patriarch ofthe village, and landlord of the in, atthe door ‘f which he took ie seat fom morning till night, just moving suficioty {Davoid the sun and Keepin the shade ofa Targe tree; so thatthe meigh- ours cul tll the hour by his movements as accurately as by a sun ‘Sul, Tr tive he-was rarely heard to speak, but snokod is pipe Jncessantly, His adherents, however (for every great man his his ad ents), perfectly understood him and knew how to gather his opinions ‘When say thing that was read or related displeased him, be was observed 1b smoke hit pipe vehemently snd to send forth short, frequent and finery pas, but when plessed he would inhale the sooke slowy and anguilla emit tin light nd plaid clouds, and sometimes taking the Dips from his mouth and letting the fragrant vapour curl about his nose, Mould gravely nod his head in token of perfect approbation, rom even this stong hold the unfucky Rip was at length routed by ths termagant wife who would suddenly break in upon the tranquility Of the assemblage and call the members all fo naughts nor was that ogust personage Nicholaus Vedder himself sacred from the daring augue of thi terrible virago, who charged him outright with encouras- {ng her husband in habits of idleness “Foor Rip was st last reduced almost to despalr; and his only alternative to oeape ftom the labour ofthe farm and the clamour of his wife, was to take gun in band and stroll away into the woods. Here he would Sometimes seat himself at the foot of «tree and share the contents of fis wallet with Wolf, with whom he sympatised asa fellow suferer in erection, “Poor Wolt” he would say, “thy mistres leads thee a Gogs life of st, bot never mind my lad, whilst T ive thou shalt never at a frond fo stand by thet” Wolf would wag hist, lok wistfully In his masters face, and if dogs can feel pty T verily believe he se Ciprocated the sentiment with all his hear Tre long ramble of the kind on a fine autumnal day, Rip bad un consciously scrambled to one ofthe highest parts of the Kanskill moon tains He was after is favourite sport of squirrel shooting and the stil ‘Etudes had echoed and re-ecoed with the reports of his gun. Pasting IP VAN WINKLE, 7 ‘and fatigued he threw himsel, late in the afternoon, on a green knoll, toveted with mountain herbage, that crowned the brow of a precipice [From an opening between the trees he could overlook all the lower country for many # mile of rich woodland. He saw at a distance the lordly Hodson, far, far below him, moving on it silent but majestic ‘cue, with the reflection of « purple cloud, or the sail of a lagging bark here and there sleping on its glassy bosom, and at last losing itself {in the blue highlands, ‘On the other side he looked down into ¢ deep mountain glen, wild, lonely and shagged, the bottom filled with fragments from the impending cliffs and searely lighted by the reflected rays ofthe setting sun. For Some time Tip lay musing on this soene, evening was gradually ad- vaneing, the mountains began to throw ther long blue shadows over the valleys, he sor that # would be dark, long before ho could reach ‘the village, and he heaved a heavy sigh when be thought of encounter ing the terors of Dame Van Winkle “As he was about to descend he heard voice from a distance halloing “Rip Van Winkle! Rip Van Winkle™ He looked around, but could see nothing but a crow singing iis solitary fight across the mountain ‘He thought his fancy must have deceived him and tomed again to descend, when he heard the same ery ring through the still evening air: “Rip Van Winkle! Rip Van Wiakletat the same time Wolf bristled ‘op his back and giving a low growl, skalked to his master’ side, looking Fearflly down ito the glen. Rip now felt a vague apprehension steling tver him, he looked anxiously in the same direction and perceived a Strange figure slowly tolling up the racks and bending under the weight fof something be carried on his back. He was surprived to see any human being in this lonely and unfrequented place, bat supposing it to be some ‘one ofthe neighbourhood in need of his assistance he hastened down to yield it ‘On nearer approach he was ail more surprisad at the singularly of ‘the stanger’s appearance, He was a shor, square bail od fellow, with thick bushy har and a gizaled beard. His dress was of the antique Date fashion, loth ferkinrtrpped round the waist, several pair of breeches the outer one of ample volume decorated with rows of buttons down the sides and bunches at the knees. He bore on his shoulder a ‘out eg that seemed full of lique, and made signs for Rip to approach fad assist him with the load, Though rather shy and dstrsful of this pew acquaintance Rip complied with his usual alacrty, and mutually felieving each other they clambered wp a aarow gully apparently the ‘iy bed of a mountain torent. As they ascondod Rip every now and then heard Tong rolling pesls like distant thunder, that seemed to issue font of a deep ravine or rather cleft between Toty rocks, toward which ou {THE SEETCH BOOK OF GEOFFREY CRAYON, GENT, thee sugged path condvcted. He paused for an instant, but supposing t to be the muttering of one of those transient thunder showers which ‘often take place in mountain heights, he proceeded. Passing through the ravine they came to hollow like « small amphitheatre, surounded by perpendicalar precipces, over the brinks of which impending tres shot their branches, s0 that you only eeught glimpses of the azare sky and the bright evening cloud. During the whole tne Rip end his companion had laboured on in silence, for though the former marveled. greatly ‘what could be the abject of carrying a keg of liquor up this wild moun- fain, yet there was something stange and incomprehensible about the ‘unknown, that inspired awe and checked familias ‘On entering the amphitheatre new objects of wonder presented themselves On level spat in the centre svas a company of ode Joking personages playing at ninepins, They were dressed in a quaint ou Tad fashlon~some wore short doublets, others erkns with long knives in thelr belts and most of thom had enormous breeches of similar style with that of the guides, Their visages too were poculia. One had a large head, broad face and small piggish eyes. The faco of enother seemed to consist ently of nose, and was sumounted by e white Sugarloaf hat set off with a Title red cocks tall. They all had beards ‘of various shapes and colour. There was one who seemed to be the Commander. He was + stout old gentleman, with a weatherbeaten ‘countenance. He wore a laced doublet, broad belt and hanger, high ‘owned hat and feather, red stockings and high heet shoes with roses ln them The whole group reminded Rip ofthe figures in an old Flemish ‘ainting, in the parlour of Dominie Van Schaic the vlge parson, and ‘hich had been brought over from Holland atthe time ofthe settlement. ‘What seemed particulary odd to Rip was, that though these folks ‘were evidently amusing themselves, yet they maintained the gravest aces, the most mysterious silence, and were, witha, the most melaicholy party of pleasure he had ever witnessed. Nothing interrupted the stil fess of the scene, but the noize of the bills, which, whenever they ‘were rolled, echoed along the mountsne ike rumbling peals of thunder. “AS Rip and his companion approached them they suddenly desist from thei play and stared at him with such Sted statue lke guze, and such strange uncouth, Tack Torre countenance, that his heart turned tvthin hin, and his Knees smote together. His companion now emptied the contents of the keg into large lagons and made signs to him to walt tapon the company. He obeyed with fear and trembling; they quatfed the liquor in profound slence and then returned to thelr game By degrees Rips awe and apprehension subsided. He even ventured, ‘when no eye was fixed upon him, to taste the Beverage, which he found Ihad such of the favour of excellent hollands. He ovas naturally a IP VAN WINKLE s thisty soul and was soon tempted to repeat the draught. One tate pro voked another, and he reitersted his visits to the dagon so often that at length his senses were overpowered, his eyes swam in his head~ Tis head gradually declined and he fell ito a deep sleep. (On awaking he found himself on the green knoll from whence he tha fst Seon the old’ man of the glen. He rubbed his eyesit was 2 bright, sunny moraing. The birds were hopping and twittering among the Dashes, and the cagle was whocling sloft and reasting. the pure mountain breeze. “Surely,” thought Rip, “T have not slept here all right.” He recalled the occurrences before he fell aslep. The stange rman with a keg of liquoe-the mountain ravine—the wild retreat among the rocks-the woe hegone party at alnepins~the lagon"ah! that ago that wicked agon!” thought Rip—"what excuse shall I make to Dame Van Winkle?” eo looked round for his gum, but in place of the clean well fled {owing poor he found an old Brelock Ing by him, the bare encrusted swith rust the Tock falling off and the stock worm eaten, He now sus pected that the grave toysters of the mountain had put a tick upon fim, and having dosed him with iquor, had robbed him of his gun. Wolf too hed disappeared, but he might have stayed away after a squirel or partridge. He whistled after him and shouted his name— but all in vain, the echoes repeated his whistle and shout, but no dog was to be seen. He determined to revisit the scene ofthe last evening's gambol, and if he met with any of the party, t0 domand his dog and gun.’ As hi arose to walk he found himself sf in the ints and wanting in his usu activity, “These mountain beds do not agree with me,” thought Rip, “and if this frolick should lay me up with a &t of the rheumatism, T shall have a Blessed time with Dame Van Wiakle” With some difculty he got down into the glen; he found the gully up which he and his com- pinion had ascended the preceding evening, but to his astonishment Trountaa steam was now foaming down i Teaping from rock to rock, tnd Bling the glen with babbling murmurs. He, however, mide shift to scramble up its sides working his toilsome way through thickets of bisch,sasafas and witeh hazel, and sometimes tipped up or entangled by the wild grape vines that twisted their coils and tendrils from tee to tee, and spread a kind of net work in his pat. ‘At length he reached to where the ravine had opened through the life to the amphithestre~buat no traces of such opening remained. The rocks presented a high impenetrable wall over which the torrent came tumbling in a sheet of feathery fonm, and fll into a broad deep basin ‘lack from the shadows of the surrounding forest, Here then poor Rip ‘was brought to a stand, He again called and whistled after his dog o® “THE SEETCH BOOK OF GEOFFREY CRAYON, GENT, the was only answered by the eawing of a Hock of ile crows, sporting high in air about a dry tee that overhung a sunny precipice; and who, secure in their elevation seemed to look down and sco at the poor ‘man's perplesitis ‘What was to he done? The moming was passing away and Rip felt Famished for want of his breakfast, He grieved to give up his dog and fun; he dreaded to meet his wife, but would not do to starve among the mountains. He shook bis heed, shouldered the rusty fre Tock and ‘vith a heart fll of trouble and anxiety, turned his steps homeward. 'As he approsched the village he met « number of people, but none whom he fnew, which somewhat surprised him, for he had thought Iimself sequainted with every one inthe country round. Their dres t0 ‘vas of eiferent fashion fora that to which he was accustomed. They AM stared at him with equal marks of surprise, and. whenever they ‘est their eyes upon him, invariably stoked their chins. The constant recurrence of thir gertore induced Rip involuntarily to do the same, Wwen to his astonishment he found his board had grown » foot long! Hie had now entered the skirts of the village. A troop of strange liken ran at hi heels, hooting ater him and pointing at his rey beard. ‘The dogs too, not one of which he recognized for an old cqusitance, barked at him as he passed. The very village was altered i was larger and more popilous. There were rows of houses which Ihe had never seen before, and those which had been his familiar Inaunts had dsappesred. Strange names wore over the doors-strange faces at the windows—every thing was strange. His mind now misgave him he began to doubt whether both he snd the world around him were not bewitched. Surely this was his native village which he. had left ‘ut the day before. There stood the Kaatskill mountains—there ran the silver Hodson at a distance-there was every Ill and dale preisely as lt had always been—Rip was sorely perplexed—"That fan last aight” thought he, “has addled my poor bead sadly” Twas with some difculty that he found the way to his own house, which he approached with silent awe, expecting every. moment hear the shail voice of Dane Van Winkle. He found the house gone to decay-the roof fallen in, the windows shattered and the doors off the hinges. A half starved dog that looked like Wolf was skulking about i. Rip called him by name but the cur snarled, showed his teeth and passed on. This wae an unkind ext indeed~"My very dog.” sighed poor Rip, “has forgotten mol” "He entered the house, whic, to tel the tuth, Dame Van Winkle ad slays kept in neat order. It sas empty, flora end apparently aban- oned. This deslateness overcame all his connubial fesrs—he. called [IP VAN WINKLE = lowly for his wife and chldren-the lonely chambers rung for & moment swith his voice, and then all again was silence. He now hurried forth and hastened to his old resort, the village {nnbut it too was gone. A large, rickety wooden building stood in its place, with great gaping windows, some of them broken, and mended ‘with old hats and petticoats, and over the door was printed “The Union Hotel, by Jonathan Doolittle.” Iostend of the great tree, that ased 0 Shelter the quiet litle Dutch inn of yore, dee now was reared a tall naked pole with something on top that looked lke « red night ap, and from i was futering a flag on which was a singular assemblage Of stars and stripeall this was strango and incomprehensible. He recognized on the sign, however, the ruby face of King George under ‘which he Bad smoked so many « peaceful pipe, but even this was tingularly metamorphosed. The red. coat was changed far one of blue tnd buff « sword was held inthe hand instead of a sceptre; the head ‘was decorated with a cocked hat, and underneath was printed in lege ‘haracters GENERAL WASHINGTON "There was as usual a crowd of folk about the doors but none that Rip recollected The very character of the people serned changed. There was a busy, bustling diputatioos tone about Instead of the accustomed phlegm and drowsy tranquility. He looked In van forthe sage Nicholas Vedder with his broad face, double chin and fair long pipe, uttering clouds of tobacco smoke instead of idle specches. Or Van Bummol the Schoolmastr doling forth the contents ofan ancient newspaper. In place of these a Tean billows looking fllow with his pockets fall of and bills, was haranguing vehemently about rights of eltizensclections— members of Congress—berty—Dunker’ hill-beroes of seventy six—and fther words which were a perfect babylonish jargon to the bewildered Van Winke “The appearance of Rip with his log grated beard, hs rusty fowling pisce his uncouth dresr and an army of women and children at his hel son atracted the attention ofthe trver politeans. They crowded round him eying him from bead to foot, with great curiosity. The trator busted up to him, and drawing him party aside, enquired “on which side be voted?”—Rip stared in vacant stupldty. Another short but busy litle fellow, pulled him by the arm and rising on tiptoe, tenuied in his ear "whether he was Federal or Democrat”—Rip was fequally at a loss to comprehend the question-when a knowing, self limportant old gentleman, in a sharp cocked hat, made his way through the crowd, putting them to the right and Tet with his elbows es he passed, nnd planting himself before Van Winkle, with one arm akimbo, the other resting on his cane, his Koen eves and sharp hat penetrating as it were into his very soul, demanded in an austere fonc—“what brought = ‘THE SKETCH BOOK OF GEOFFREY CRAYON, GENT. him to the clection with « gun on his shoulder and mob at his heels tnd whether he meant to reed a rot in the vilage?~"Alas gentlemen, tried Rip, somewhat dismayed, "Tm poor quiet man, a native of the ‘place, and a loyal subjct of the KingGod bless him” Here a general shout burst from the byestanders~"A tory! a tory! a spy! Refugee! hustle him! away with hint"—Te was with great dificlty that the self important man in the cocked hat restored order; and having assumed 4 ten fold austerity of brow demanded ageln of the uunkzown culprit, what he etme there for and whom he was seeking. ‘The poor man humbly asured him that he meant no harm; but merely came there in search of some of his neighbours, who wed to keep about the tavern, “-Well-who are they?-name them.” Rip hethought himself a moment and enquired, “Where's Nicholaus Vedder “There was a silence for a litle while, when an old man replied, in 4 thin, piping voice, “Nicholaus Vedder? why he is dead and. gone these cighteen years! There was « wooden tombstone in the church yard ‘that used to tll all about him, But thats rotted and gone to.” “Wheres Brom Dutcher?” “Oh he went of tothe army in the oginning ofthe war; some say he ‘was killed a the storming of Stoney Pointothers sy he was dovened 4 squall at the foot of Antony's Nose=I don't Know-he never cathe back again” “Where's Van Bummel the schoolmaster?” “Fle went off tothe wars too—was 4 great militia general, and fs now fn Congres.” Rip's heart died away at hearing of these std changes in his home and friends, and Snding himself thus lone in the world—cvery answer puzzled him too by treating of such enormous lapses of time and of ‘matters which he could not understandwar-Congves, Stoney Point he had no courage to atk after any more fiends, but cred out in

    You might also like