The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-06-22

realliles with my own wDiuls anu iihasih"5s'
which has sometimes made lie a hp,e ,oo
much like an Arabian tale TO me, ana u''s
. working day world" rather like region u
romance. M
The great gathering place OF SLEEPY MOI,
low. in those days, was the cnhfcn' - se1a
outside of the Hollow, near the great hisn-
way. on green bank, shaded by trees, WIN
the Pocaniico sweeping round II, and emp
wing itself into spacious millPond. Al 'ha'
lime the Sleepy Hollow church was the only
place OF worship for a wide neighborhood.--
! il was venerable edifice. partly OF stone
and partly Of brick, the latter having oeen
brought from Holland in the early days OF
the province, before the arts in the New
/ Netherlands could aspire to such iaorica-
tion. On stone above the porch were in'
scribed the names of the founders, Frederic
Felipsen, mighty PATRON OF the olden ume'
who reigned over wide extent OF this neigh-
borhood, and held his seat OF power at fon-
| kers. aud his wife, Katrina Van Courtlandi,
of the no less potent line of the Van Court
landts. of Croun, who lorded II over great
part of the Highlands
The capacious pulpit, with its wide spread
ing sounding board, were likewise early I'M
portations om Holland, as also the commu-
MON fable, of massive form and curious la
brio. The same might be said OF weather.
cock, perched on the top OF the beliry, and
which was considered orthodox in all windy
matters, until small praemaical rival was
set up on The other end Of the church above
the chancel. This latter bore, and still bears,
the initials of Frederick Felipsen, and as.
sumed great airs in consequence. The usual
contradiction ensued that always exists among
I church weathercocks, which can never be
brought TO agree as 10 the point. FROM which
the wind blows, having doubtless acquired,
from their position, the Christian propensity
to schsm and controversy.
| Behind the church, and slipping up gentle
decliviy, was its capacions burying- ground,
in which slept the earliest fathers of this ru-
raj neiehborhood. Here were tombstones OF
the rudest sculpture, on which were inscribed,
in Dutch, the names and virtues of many of
the first settlers, with their portrai,ures Gu
riously carved in simiitude OF cherubs. Long
rows of gravestones. side by side, of similar
names, but various dates, showed that gene
ration after generation of the same families
had followed each other and been garnered
together in this last gathering place OF kin
dred.
| Let me speak Of this quiet graveyard with
all due reverence, for owe 1t amends for
the heedlessness Of my boyish days. blush
to acknowledge the lhoughtless frolic with
which, In company with other whipsters,
| have spurted within its sacred bounds, daring
the Intervals of worship; chasing butterflies,
plucking Wild flowers, or vieing with each
other who could leap over the tallest tomb
stones. until checked by the stern voice of
the sexton.
The congregation was, in those days, OF
really rural character. City fashions were as
yet unknown, or unregarled, by the coun-
try people of the neighborhood. Steamboats,
had not as yet conlounded town with coun-
try. a weekly market boat from Tarrytown,
the Farmers Daughter" navigated by the
worthy Gabriel Requa, was the only COM
municalion between all these parts and the
metropolis. rustic belle in those DAYS
considered visit to the city in much the
same light as one of our modern fashionable
ladies' regards visit to Europe, an event that
may possibly take place once in the course
of lille time. but to be hoped FOR rather than
expected. Hence the array Of the congre-
cation was chiefly after the primitive fashions
existing in Sleepy Hollow; or if, by chance,
there was departure from the Dutch sun.
q
lowered calico, it caused quite sensation
throughout the church. AS the dominic
generally preached by the hour, bucket Of
water was providenlly placed on bench near
the door, iii summer, with "a tin cup beside it,
for the solace of those who might be athirst
either from the heat Of the weather or the
drouth of the sermon.
Around the pulpit and behind the commu-
mon table sat the elders of the church, re-
verend gray-headed, lea,hern-v isaged men,
whom regarded with awe, as SO many apos-
ties. They were stern i'll their sanctl,y, kept
a vigllant eye upon my giggling companions
and myself and shook rebuklng finger at
any boysh device to relieve the tediousness
of compulsory devotion. Vain, however,
We're all their efforts at vigilance. Scarcely
had the preacher held forth Tor half an hour,
on one of his inerminable sermons, than it
seemed as if tie drowsy influence of Sleepy
Hollow breahed into the place; one by one
the congregation sank into slumber; the
sancttied elders leaned back in their pews,
spreading their handkerchiefs over their faces,
as if to keep off the flies while the locuss
III the neighboring trees would spin out their
suitry summer notes, as if in imitation Of the
provoking tones of the dominic.
have thus underworld to give ain idea Of
Sleepy Hollow and its church, as recollect
them TO have been in the days of my boy
hood. |. was in my stripping days, when
lew years had passed over my head, that
revisited them, IN company with the venera.
bic Diedrlth. | shall never forget the anti.
quarlan reverence with which that sage and
excellent man contemplated the church. 1t
seemed as II all his Fious enthusiasm for the
ancient Dutch dynasty swelled within his
bosom at the sight The tears stood in his