, 1859-12-09
For the Press and T1it'.ne.

nous gathering at Mynbeer Van Tasse1s-aud |
vas in due time set down at the porch Of Sun
nysidc, pleasantly situated on the banks OF tho
river where its owner thanked God be was born. |
bnation Of the English cottage and Dutch farm
house, covered with ivy brought from Aetrose |
Abbey aud enlbovered omid trees md shrpb-
berry. 4 venerable wcathercock Of portly di~
which once covered the Stadt.Hoast |
of New Amsterdam, in the time OF worthy Peter |
tile cdiiice, aud gildcd horse iu full gxlt7p, |
whilom the weathercock Of valiant burGomas- |
ter Of Albany, glitters in the. sunshioe on ! |
peaked turrct over the portal.
From the tranquil and seclued abode is yisi- |
bic the Tappaan Zee and the picturesque Pa!is-
ades, and various paths lead through shadowy |
walks or to points commanding fine riews Of |
riser scenery. Near By muralurs musical
stream. moro chaTm5ug retreat for q poets
old age it would be difficult to find, independent
Of the thousand delightful associations that en-
HANGED its beauties to tho mind Of Washington
Irving.
The simplicity Of the interior arrangement
struck me as characteristic Of the simple and
uuperrerted tastes Of its owuer, and its cottage
ornaments were suggestive OF his delightful
pictures Of English country life. Entering by
rustic doorway, covered with climbing roses,
and passing through tiled ball, you euter the
drawing.room, low rooted apartment, on The
when Mr. Ir7iug was twcaty-sescn years Of ugc,
al engraving OF Ford's picture Of Scott and lis
friends at Abbottsford, together with several
others, and well filled with parior furniture,
piano, and tables covered With books md maya
zines of the day.
Tie fu1ni!y consisted Of tic bachelor author
who had "no termagent wife to dispute The sov-
ereignty of the koost" with him, his eldest
brother Ehenezer, ten Years lis senior, a neph-
ew, Pierre II. Irving and his vile, and two
nieces, daughters Of the gentleman above men
toned, who were ever mInlstcring to the slight
est wish Of their honoIed uncle. Children could
not hare been more kind and cons'derate TO n
parent, nor q father to his daughters than was
The warm hearted old man to his nieces.
As sat at lis board in the dining room from
which is scen the majestic Hudson with its N =
Rad Of sailing vessels aud steamers, passingup
and down, and heard him dilate upon the BY
gorc days aud tie glants that we're in the earth
then-af his friends, Scott and Byron, Of Moore
aud LSckhnrt, Of Prof Wilson aud the Ettick
Shep&d, and Us the old man pledged the health
Of kiAsfolk and guest, it seemed as if realm
Of romance were suddenly opened before me.
lie told us Of bis first meeting With Sir Walter
Scott, so graphically described III his charming
essay CD abbottsford, und his last, il London,
when the great Scotc1.n,an was on his way 10
the continent with the vain hope OF restoring
his health, broken down by his gigantic efforts
| to leave m untn.nishea name and q fantastic
! it to long line of Scotts Of Abbotsford, WITH
various ancestors Of those above mentioned,
| md other nosabillties Of bygone days.
In reply to my inquiry as 10 his opinion Of the
poetry Of the present dag, he snid he "isnored
them all: He read no poetry, written since By
terms Of the highest admiration to Mo,1ey's His
tory Of the Dutch Republic. aud in the same
| conversation complained that there were o great
deal loo many books written nowadays abont
Creation, and places, and people, TINT when he
was rounE no one knew, or wanted to have amy
knowledge Of it wiatever," mud that it was NOR
ully impossible for any mortal TO read or digest
onc.haif Of them
Allu1ing to q Journey he had made the previ-
GUS season, during which he passed HYDE Park,
the residence Ut nephew and other relatives,
without stopping, he remarked TINT "his haste
to sit under his own roof-tree again orercauc
hll natural feelings OF affection, and alluded to
an event that occurred nearly half u ce:;tury
since rs having taken place ''but handful of
| years ago"
Returning to the drawing room, Ar. Irving
sat down in his tayoriie seat, large well cush:
ioncd and capacious arm chair. aud as called
his attention to Faed's picture Of many Of his old
friends, and asked bis opinion Of it and its cor.
rectness, be 1eancd his head on one hand, Il.
represented In the admirable portrait prefxed
to the illustrated edition Of the Sketch Book, y
and with the same dreamy look, surveying il
miliar faces, and some Of them well done
Scott's, Wilson's and Campbell's being tht
best, ," md spoke Of Prot. Wilson being "a nobls
looking man, will considerable resemblance
to our Audubon
His sanctum sauctorum Was small room
well filled with books, neatly arranged on ths
shelves, that extend completely around til.
rtom. In the centre stood q table, With rea
writing desk, on which, seated in the vel. .linet
! easy elbow-chais, Geotirr Crayon had wristel
many Of his modern works, including his Lifi
Of Washington" His hours for literary lnbo
we're in the morning, :. but,' said he, untik
| Scott. can do no work until get breakfast
aud it is between breakfast uud dinner that
do aIl my writing" he appeared much graft
fed at my al'usiou to the fact TINT Niagara au'
| Irving were the two topics connected with thl
| country in which found intelligent English
men, or rather Dritons, most interested durini
. my sojouru there the previous season, and ais
!, ! to MY alusion to letter written by Scott Il
t | his friend John Richardson, Of London, date'
Sept. es, lsl7, a few days after 1rving'a visit t
Abbolssford, in which Scott says: When yo'
: see Tom Campbell, tell him, with my best lore
to Mr. Washington 1rring, who is one Of tl
best and pleasantest acquaintances have mad
this many day"
: In strolling over his charming grounds, "
) came upon those Of his princely neighboF, Nj
. Moses Il. Griuuel, who married niece OF Iii
Q order, when he remarked that" My place in il
o | rough and uubrokeu condition sets oil finely III
e nelShboH Grinnel's;" and on my replying tha
$ thought il wus precisely the reverse, he iu
a dulged in quiet laugh, and looked very muc
!. as Il he quite agreed With me.
4 On our return We found . party Of Eve ladie
t and gentlemen, under the escort Of relative
L who had come up from New York to see Diet
rich Knickerbocke er nnd his loved dotnain. Upo
;. returning from ramble orer the grounds an
G those Of lii. Grinpe1 with the Southern part
It and the Misses 1rving, found Mr. Irving upo
:, the front porch gain orer the riyer and th
distant hills, at the setting sun, the tout enstn
s 1le presenting fue scene for pninter. Isha
d ncver forget i: The mild. dreamy, mud happ
{ expression Of that old mans countenance as h
e sat with his shawl around him looking over th
g broad Tappaan Bay as tho suns departing ray
e pescr SAW him again.
Among few precious souvenirs receive
) from authors whose friendship it has been m
: privilege to enjoy, there is one that possesss
e more value in my eyes than any-than al I'll
. Book" on fy-leaf Of which is written: II
70 J. g. W, Esq, from his friend Washingto
II Irving. September IS, 1857
'c On beautiful spot overlooking the fnmot
J. *'Sieepy Hollow" audcommanding lovely vie
;, Of tue river and seenerry be lored so well,
o. mains Of Washington Irving. It will be tt
le | Strastprd and Dry huger Abbey OF Amerca, ar
a. to that spot the grave Of the Morning Star
re- American literature, who more prope'y than II
10 great Man'uan might hare assumed the prof
q derice Primus ego in RItrtam, will uany p
Of grim foot wend It's way in the years md ages
Dr come. J. G. ".
re
D. The Kidnapping Bualncss-A Case l
in Washington County.
st TFsou the Nashville GILL; Dsmoesat.l
r. No little excitement, as we are informed, v
b. created nt Richriew, in this county, on Aond.
" last, By the arrest and subsequent releas
r. / through the interference Of little knot Of A