The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1862-02-05
CHAPTER Ill

II was the wear 81; Peace again rei,nel
over the hnl. The sword hal been exchanged
for the p'oughsha-e, and the Long T,land farm
or once more TILED ,hoir lands and sat down 10
ca Of the fruit without fear Of ANNOYANCE from
foreign invasion. Again tho Knickerbockers
smoked their pipes IN ,himney.cornors and do.
zed away TO their hearts content. And again
the good house wives baked and brcwed, and
had ten.partes tina, would del ght the ewes Of
the poor hai s'a we'd fauionibles Of the pres.
cit time.
Again II was Chri"maq eve, and In the low
tooied parlou- Of the homestead wore Ross Van
dcryCort, his wife and eldest daughter, aud her
Ndmiicr "a 81 yo'c, bu added to she group were
O hers whose faces were now. In eight yo,r
children grow to ho men AID women There wors
they who isht years before were sent to bod
e'ily 10 dream Of soma Claus, and now but on
olitary stocking was suspended from tho chin
new piece by rs owner, a hoyden of lively
years, the infant Of the f,mily, who still porsi,-
ted IN keeping up the old custom.
In that time each had changed for better or
worse. The father was moro loved; the mo Iher
moro fragile; the old admirer, Paul Suydam,
whom Nick had always vindicltod, more sun.
burnt and manipulating, and Catherine moro
beautiful and amiahlo than ever. Time writ,
no wrinkles" on a placid brow--it is with the
faces Of the passionate or pctulaut that he plays
the deuce.
Let no ono imagine shat tho early dislppoint-
nicnt Of our heroine had cast q shade Of sadnes.
over her countenanco, or that sott melancholy
had dimmed the brightness Of her eyes. Moth
ing of the kind, on tho contrary, she was moro
charming at twontyseycn than at sevent cen
She bSi seen the wlrll-'hlt ia, 4 specimen of
il, which IA sufficient Cor any one, ard sho came
back 70 her quiet snug homo frightol'd
bird to its native neat, and TO her former rustic
associates as to kindred soul. upon whose afTec
ton she might depend whose lshte3t word was
the truth, and whose merit she more approcii-
tod, whom contras'ed with the exaggerated com.
pliments and courtesy Of tho false hut fascina-
ting Msjor.
She had no further desire TO make now friends
or now copquosts; and 10 Paul, her former play.
fellow ard presen' lover who had received her
with open arms at her return she turned with
moro than usual kindGess. Those arms thai
then encirclvd her in welcome shs well knew
had al ways been ready to defend her and work
for her when she required the aid; and that be-
som upon which her weary form had then re-
clined bounded with generous honest heart
that beat for her alone.
Who would not have forgotten grief and cha.
gIia in such pleasant surroundipgs Moreover
rho wSs true daughter Of the people from
which she sprang, none of whom were ever
Known 20 have become victims to tho tender
pSssior. Therefore II our Catherine lost the rep
utation Of being sentimental Young lady, she
gained the character of senrible lovely woman
On this night ofthe year, At all events, she
seemed to have only pleasant memories and
happy thoughts. She wa setting oat the table
for the evening meal, and Paul was assisting
her. Whether / was really necessary for b h of
them to run back and forth oller She' her IL
required two persons; and four hands to 'otch in
n jug Of milk-whether they couldn't fad what
they were looking for in tina, pantry dont
pretend to know; but this do assert that there
was kind of SMASH among the crockcry. wave
and great deal Of tittering, at which the old
folks, who had forgotten how foolish thoy la !
once been under ks circumstances, looked W
with grave and astonishod faces; but the young
or part Of the household understood all abou /,
and eI jcyed the nofsense.
Aud why shOuld they no. be lighthaar'od
chldrcn L. was the eve Of a merry Chrihmas
and Of IA wedding diy. Eight year Of courtship
would behoriblein lh,ss ii mes, when men hurry
through existence, and die " oh aga and ennui
at frty uiue Du. in the day, OF tho Revolution
people did thing, ltisualy aud Paul would not
lave considered his whole lite 90 long To- WOO
lis OIL, low, while Catherine Wa only too
harry In me thought tina. she h,i inspired such
true ait elton
But, above NJ, satiscction gloam5 I'D "a the
ebony face OF Nick, sto b "A moro TO say about
their wedding AID ia'ore housekeeping arrange
ments than any ole cs Aul, TO make a long
story short she woull MT be separated from
her darling white child but lived aud l,ed with
her, and her performance and speeches bs.
came tradtionary in the famliea Of the Van.
dervorts and Suydams. J.W.F.
THE END