The North-Carolinian. [volume] (Fayetteville [N.C.]) 1839-1861, 1850-04-06
FAYETTEVILLE n c., APRIL g. 1850

and to do such little odd jobs as their less
oo''g'ns husbands would not do for them.
In word, Rip was ready to attend to any
0ody's business but his own; but as to do
ing family duty, and keeping his farm in
order, he found it impossible.
In fact, he declared It was of no use to
work on his farm; it was the most pesti-
lent little piece of ground in the whole
country; every thing about it went wrong,
and would go wrong, in spite of him. His
fences were continually falling to pieces;
his COW would either go astray, or get
among the cabbaSes; weeds were sure to
grow quicker in his fields than any where
else; the rain always made point Of set
ting IN just as he had some out door work
to do; SO that though his patrimonial estate
had dw'ndletl awav under his management.
acre by acre, until there was little more
potatoes. yet it was the worst conditioned
farm in the neighborhood
HIS, children, too, were as ragged and
Wild as If they belonged to nobody. His
son Rip. and urchin begotton in his own
likeness, promises to inherit the habits,
with the old clotches of his father. lie
was generally seen trooping like a colt at
his mothers heels. equipped in pair Of
his fathers cast-off galligaskins which he
had much ado to hold up with one hand. as
fine lady does her train in bad weather.
Rip Van WinkIe, however, was one of
those happy mortals, Of foolish. well-oiled
who take the world easy, eat
white bread or brown. whichever can be
got with least though ght or trouble. and would
rather starve OF a penny than to work for
a pound. Ifleft to himself, he would have
whistled life away in perfect contentment;
but his wife kept continually dinning in
his ears about idIeness, his carelessness,
and the ruin he was bringing on his fami-
ly. Morning, noon, and night, her tongue
wa. incessantly going, and every thing he
said or did was sure to produce a torrent
of household eloquence. Rip had but one
way Of replying to all lectures of the kind,
and that, by frequent use, had grown into
a habit. lie shrugged his shoulders, shook
his head, cast up his eyes, but said nothing.
This, however, always provoked a fresh
volley from his wife SD that he was fain
to draw of his forces, and take to the out
side 81 the house-the onlv side which. in
truth, belongs to hen-pecked husband.
Rips sole domestic adherent was his dog,
Wolf, who was as much hen-pecked as his
master for Dame Van Winkle regarded
Them as companions in iileness. and even
looked upon Wolf with an evil eye, as the
cause ofhis masters going so often astray.
True it is, in all points Of spirit BETTING
an honorable dog, he was as courageous an
animal as ever secured the woods but
what courage can withstand the ever-dur-
ing and all-besetting tcrrors of a woman's
tongue The moment Wolf entered the
house his crest fell, his tail dropped to the
ground or cur!ed between his legs, he
sneaked about with a gaIIows air, casting
many a sidelons glance at Dame Van
Wiukle, and at the least flourish ola broom
stick or ladle, he would fly to the door
with yeIPing precipitation.
Times grew worse and worse with Rip
Van WinkIe as years of matrimony rolled
Oh: tart temper never meilows with aye.
and sharp tongue is the only edged tool
that grows keener with constant use. For
long while he used to console himself,
when driven from home, by frequenting
kind of perpetual club Of the sages, phlIo-
sophers. and other idle personages Of the
village; which held its sessions OH bench
before small inn. designated by a rubi-
cund portrait of His ajesty George the
Third. Here they used to sit in the shade
through long lazy summers day, talking
listIessly over village gossip, or telling
it would have been worth any statesman's
money to have heard the profound discus
sions that sometimes took place. when by
chance an old newspaper fell into their
hands from some passing traveller. How
solemniy they would listen to the contents
as drawled out by Derrick Van Bummel,
the sch"olmaster, a dapper learned little
man, who was not to be daunted by the
most gigantic word in the Dictionary; and
how sagely they would deliberate upon
public events some months after they had
taken place.
The opinions of this junto were COM
pletely controlled by Nicholas Vedder, ii
patriarch of the village and landlord of the
inn, at the door Of which he took his seat
from morning till night, just moving suf-
ficently to avoid the sun and keep in the
shade Of large tree; SO that the neishbors
could tell the hour by his movements as ac
curately as bv sun dial. 1t is true he
was rarel heard to speak. but smoked his
pipe necessarily. His adherents, how
ever, for every great man has his adher-
ents.l perfectly understood him. aud knew
how to gather his opinions. When any
thing that was read or related displeased
him, he was observed to smoke his pipe
vehcmently. and to send forth short. ire
quent, and angry puffs; but when pleased,
he would inI,ale the smoke slowly and
TRANQUILITY. and emit it in light and placid
clouds; and sometimes, taking the pipe
from his mouth, and letting the fragrant
vapor curl about his nose, would gravely
,oH k1S hoa.i IN nj q n nf DprfpCt aODrOlla-