New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-02-13
Ntip3 lork Da1u Gbnape
NEW PUBLICATIONS
WASHINGTON IRvING's NEW WORK.


woLEElrs noosT, AND oraER PAPERS. NOV NOW
~. SIS r Putnam Co.
A grateful welcome from al the lovers Of Geof
frey Crayon to another volume Of sketches from
bis horeyed pen. Although these papers do not
low see the light for the first time-hsving aP-
Peared a. fugitive pieces in various periodicals.
they will be new to large number Of the younger
clMs Of readers, while those who cherish an
ancient attachment to the author, will rejoice to
meet With familiar fsvOiites in this compact form
The opening piece in tie volume called "Wol-
fert's RooG"is humorous description Of 1.-The
little old fashioned stone mansion all made up OF
gable ends, and ss full OF angles aud corners 1.
an old cooked hat" which has become we'll
known to fame a. the Sunny Side" residence Of
the genial author. How it i! came to be selected
- the abode Of the immortal "Diedrich" is re-
counted in quaint chronicle:
Years and years passed ever the time honored lit
lie mansion. The honeysuckle and the sweetorier
crept up lie walls; the wren and the Phoebe bird built
under the caves; it gradually became almost hidden
among trees, through which II looked FORTH a. with
balfthut eyes, upon the Tappan Sea- The Indian
spring. famous in the Gays of the wizard sachem,
still welled up at the bottom of the green bank and
the lid brook. wild a. ever, came baoong down
the rsvDe and threw itself into the little cove where
of yore the water. guard harbored their whaebOsts.
Such was the state of the Roo.t many years since,
at the time when Diedroh Knickerbocker came into
this beghborhood, in the course OF his researches
among the Dutch families for materials for his immor-
tai history. The exterior Of the eventul little pile
seemed to him fun Of promise The Gro step gables
were Of the primitive architecture OF the province.
The weathercocks which surmounted them had
crowded in the glorious days Of the New'Netber-
lands The one above the porch had actually gilt
81 tha AZ Heyteu
Albany,
promise. Here were records OF old times; documents
of the Dutch dypssty rescued from the profaue hands
Of the Epglish By Wolf-rt Acker when he reiterated
from New. Amsterdam. Here he hsd treasured them
up like buried gold, and here they had been mracu-
ously preserved by ST. Nicholas, at the time OF the
cophagration Of the Rooet
Here then did old Diedrich Knickerbocksr take up
his abode for Tine and set TO work with antiquarian
zeal 10 decipher these precious documents, which,
like the lost books Of Lvy, had bailed the research
of former historians; and it ia the facts drawn from
these sources which give his work the preference, Ia
point Of accuracy. over every other history.
II was during his soourn In this eventual neigh6or-
hood that the historian is supposed TO have picked up
many of those legends, which have since been given
by him 10 the world, or found among his papers.
Such was the legend connected with the Old Du1eh
church of Sleepy Hollow.
With regard TO the sensation produced in that
slumberous region by the advent OF the historian,
listen to the characteristic story Of the present
narrator:
And now q word or two about Sleepy Hollow
which many have rsshly deemed fanciful creation
ike the I.ubberland Of mariners Ii was prooaoiy
tLe nv ,tic and dreamy sound Of the name which fret
tempted the historian OF the Manhit oes into It's spell
bound mazes. As be entered, all nature seemed Tor
he moment TO awake from its slumbers and bresk
forth IN CALCULATIONS. The quail whistled welcome
4 Al L.. Aafh 9yd No - N
bush to bush with restless wing prociamlng his ap-
proach perked nqusitivey into his lace, as II 20
get knowledge of his physiognomy. TIE WOOD,
pecker tapped tattoo on the hollow appie-uee, sna
then peertd round the trunk as If sskns how he rel
isbtd the saluaiion; while the squirrel scampered
along the fence, vhsking his tail over MS head ny
way Of buzza u. =;
Here reigned the golden mean exsolled 6y poets IN
xbcb no cold was 10 be found and very little silver
Tha inhabitants OF the Hollow Of the primitive
stock bad intermsrried and bred in and in from
the earliest time Of the province never swarmipg far
fiom the parent hive, but dividing and sub-divding
their paternal acres as they swarmed.
Here were email farms each having its little por-
ton of meadow and corn field its orchard Of gnarled
and sprawlipg apple trees its gardt In which the
rore, the margold and holly hook, grew socially with
the cabbage, the pea, and the pumpkin each hsd its
low eaved MANSION redundant with whlte-headed chill
dren; with old hat nailed against the wall for the
bouseb wren the coop on the grass plot, where
the moiberly hen CLICKED round with her vagrant
brood; each had il, stone well, with moss covered
bucket suspended TO the long balancing POLE accord
ing TO antediluvisn hydraulics while within doors re-
sounded the eternal hum Of the spinning wheel.
Many were the grea; historical facts which the
worthy Diedrich collected in these lowly mansions,
and patiently would he sit by The old Dutch house.
wives with a child his knee, or purriug grimsl
Kin on his lap listing to endless ghost Stories spun
forth TO the tumming accompaniment OF the wheel.
The delighted historian pursued his explor ons far
into the foloipgs Of the bills where the Pocantico
winds it, wizard stream among the mazes Of its old
la; rpsas lnlGa ly in
woodland beneath balancing sprays of beech and
chestnut; sometimes sparkling between grassy bor-
ders in fresh green intervals here and there recev
ipg the tributes Of silver rills which whmperng
down the hill sides from their patent springs.
We have few brief hints-soO brief, indeed,
and quite unsatisfactory, about the present 'ondi'
ton of the RoOst.
Reader the Roost still exists. Time which changes
ell things, is slow in its operations on Dutchman's
dwelling. The stout Jacob Van Tassel, /. Is true,
sleeps with his fathers; and his great gOosegun with
him yet his stronghold still bears the impress OF its
Dutch origin Odd rumoIs have gathere about IT. as
thew are apt 10 do abou. old mansions like and
westhe en- stains. The shade Of Wolfert Acker still
walks his uDquet rounds at night in ths orchMd and
white figure has Dow and then been seen seated q.
WINDOW anc gazing at the moon, from room in which
Young LADY is said to have died Of love and green
apples.
are still cherished at the R0ost. His elbowchair and
antique ~rtpe'Cesk msintan ineh pisce IN the ROOM
he occupied, and bis old cocked. hat still hangs
peg sgalnst the wall.
In the remainder Of the volume we are treated
TO q miscellaneous collection OF sketches on top
les coDeenial with the observant spiri! Of the
writer, and suited to inspire the mos: felicitou'
efforts of bis pen. From a delightful essay on
1.-THE Binds of SPRING" We are tempted to copy
the brilliant portraiture of the 'BObolink," the
merriest sopg ster of the American meadow