The St. Landry whig., 1844-09-12

tsOu IEOm any Oh the uiu DhtCb oAtSH - " -
place, the offenders were glad to escape the q Ia .
imadversions Of the doctor Ivy q timely resumeu 4
ton of the hallowed custoni. In short, doctoF, !
Dyckrna,i was a mortal foe t6 all sorts of altegass IN
tions, good or bad. "
Time, however, who upscts in his path many e
a greater parsonage than our philosopher. came q
at length 10 trip up the heels OF his authority. p
The settlement increased in population COM &
merce poured her treasures, and with them a 9
multitude of strangers and snew-fangled notions
into the laps of the once unsophisticated inhabi- P
tants Of Manahatta. The consequences were b
soon visible. The simple burghers. loaded with 9
riches, and animated by the examples Of the a
newcomers, wandered from their ancient habits 9
and ways, rebelled against the dicta Of their y
philosopher, and sided with improvement, who (
straightway began to pull down houses, widen {
streets, aadskiok up a dust, which has not been {
laid even unto the present day.
sSome men, the doctor used to observe,
have abundance Of philosophy for others, and
but precious little for themselves; and so it was
with the doctor himself: when he saw that his
kingdom was broken to pieces, and that improve.
ment reigned in his stead, even under his very
nose, he lost oil temper. His sharp, loud voice,
no longer resounded along the Walsp il the sign
ofthe mug He would 60 theirs for weeks to-
gcther, and smoke, and quaif' his beer, without
uttering more than a few monosyllables,
Occasionally, however, he would start into a
fit ofhis quondam mood, and zealously laydown
his doctrines to his few struggling satellites, for
getful, apparently, that his glory had departed;
but the consciousness of the changes that time
had produced would suddenly strike him, and he
would relapse again into silence.
Doctor DycSman had early adopted the opin.
ion, that matrimonyw was fatal to true philosophy;
and as he prided himself upon carrying out his
theories into practice as far as conported with
his own ideas of comfort, it was not to be won
dered at that he was u bachelor. The doctor,
nevcrheless despite bis philosophy, we are
bound to say 10 means insusceptible to
the power of,e await file Dutch cupid that fgur-
ed in his day de3laph acknowledged charms Of
Mic Van Dar a l6rEEst dax Ter can amply tes-
tify. Nor ISL dEf all sing Er, for Jerusha Van
mont the mo o%e 5fFigid tc,Ssis ymcnt, and before
which all philosophy was but us snow beneath
q sun beam, a,,least so the doctor discovered.
1t is 10 be regretted that this portion Of our
sage's history is ohscnred by the clouds of time,
and that the incidents Of an affair SO much talk
f cd of at the time, should be involved in the mists
of the past. Yet, one thing is very positive, that
whsHever were the relations subsisting between
the ~yAarties, marriage was not one ofthem the
docAr, as we have already. related, living a
- bac elor, and Jerusha, about this period, becom-
ing united 10 Antony Sncdekcr.
Whether it was owing to the latter circum-
s%talce, thRt Jacobus disappeared from Mic Van
OF Dam'&hqkl, and finally from New Amsterdam
itsess ID doubtful, Hans Rotter, a faithful histo.
riairtPtf a1,at period, who takes occasion to allude
to tusesycs in very respectful terms, mentions
to that tn philosopher removed from the island 10
Did n settle lhent in the Jerseys, called Bcrgcnwitzen,
les Tor WrUcnbergen,) in consequence of certain
IN, improvements commenced in the neighborhood
ic- ofhis house. On the other hand, we find IN the
led Historical Recollections of New York, byD.K.
p. 20s,' the cause Of his retreat is alleged to be
ser an affair of the heart, with IA Miss Won Hammer
which is obviously a corruption of the name d
ear Mic Van Dams daughter. Upon balancing
these facts and authorities, there can be but liz
tch tie doubt that both the causes mentioned, contri
an huted to the exile Of the philosopher.
ar 1t was a year or two before the retreat Of Tho
my doctor was discovered. He was at length iouns
nd. inhablting a small tenement, III a small settle
mcnt at Bergenwitzen, a few miles west Of thu
vas Hudson. Here, it appears, he once more EN-
a ioyed the authority Of opinion he had lost on til,
be-. island and was regarded BY the people Of til,
.tta place with great awe and respect. No onge
pie annoyed by the presence Of improvcment-to
lire in Bergenwitzen such a tfpng was unknown
for the doctor would sit in hisoyAbbage garden, an
5 in envelopcd in a cloud Of tobflcco-smoke, serenel
NV OSAip 0NSl ih1a 1NIlo " u shS elhAtS = VAe AA 0f
course with his neighboE, give Inference I
his those profound observation which have SO JUS
,lti- ly redounded TO his fame.
ent. Now and then the smooth current OF the doc
emit. tors life would be rufIled by the visits Of his ol
friends from Manahatta, who would exasperat
If a him with accounts of the wonderful improve
nee ments in progress there.
en- You ought to come over and see us once in
at while, DOCTOR said Peter Blixen 'since 70
was there, a great many curious things hay
und come 10 pass-your old orchard is changed int
m a a public square
i in "a square I mMtcrcd the doctor.
ell Yes, and Domino Rips's church has got
stceple as tall as the mast of the trader. lfyc
lain will just go to the topof Tappan hill yonder, yc
oso- can see it,
ion; "a steeple 7 exclaimed Jacobus, putting out
the huge volume Of smoke, pray what is thatl'
the And then, too, we have got q theatre, whel
,ge- all the people go every week to see sights
hief The doctor understanding inaudibly.
d to 'And Mic Van Dams daughter has got
ing, charming little son, which she calls Jacobus.'
sHumphE grunted the doctor, dashing his PHI
,ere TO the ground, and upsetting his mug of beer in
the lap Of Peter Bligeu, What is this wor
erer coming TOT
ryed For a period of forty years, the doctor reside
ects at Bergenwitzen, without once visiting the eli
and ofhis nativity. lie would, every five years
r on so, wander TO the top Of Tappan hill, whic
Ired bounded Bergenwitzen on the east, and con
manded a full view of the isle he had abandon
ed, and having gratided his establishment at Ii
growth Of the city, the increase Of shipping, All
ctor other marks of alteration he would return