The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-10-12
SHE WOULD HOPE.

About eighty years ago, OH the brow
of Bergen Hill, overlooking the valley
of Newark, there was fine old home
stead, belonging to the old Knicker-
booker family of the Van Cortlandts.
1t had been built by the grandfather of
the present occupant, who had brought
from Holland most of the materials for
building it.
He greatly prided himself upon this
fact, and was never so happy as when
he was pointing out to his visitors the
redness and hardness of the bricks, and
the fine designs of the porcelain fire.
places; the vanes on the top of his house
and barns had also been brought from
the old country.
Everything about the house and its
surroundings had that substantial air
which showed comfort, and no economy
had been studied when it was planned
and built. The grounds had likewise
been laid out with considerable taste.
One side of the house was quite shelter
ed by lofty trees of the most luxuriant
folia ge, while fine lawn, ornamented
with beds of rare flowers, surrounded the
rest of the building.
Mr.. Van Cortlandt and his wife were
about as pleasant specimens of American
Knickerbockers as could be found in the
New World they seemed to combine in
themselves the solid virtues of the old
land with the modern improvements of
the New. Mynheer Van Cortlandt, al
though OF moderate height, was by no
means moderate in rotundity: his hab-
its, too, were indolent, and good hearty
laugh over one of his own jokes, which
made him shake like a jelly-bag, was the
most violent exercise he ever took, for
daily perambulations around his estate
were so diversified by stoppages at his
numerous acquaintances, as hardly to
deserve the name of exercise.
His good friend, Muller, had such ex-
cellent schnapps that his feet always by
instinct led him there, while De Peyster,
who had Just returned from Amsterdam,
had so many stories to tell about the
old Burgomasters, that old Van invari-
ably halted there to smoke pipe. He
generally wound up at the homestead OF
Zabrieski, who, next to himself, was the
most considerable man in all these parts.
They used to boast that between them
they owned more land than any other
two men in the State. For many years
it had been their intention to consolidate
their possessions by investing it in one
family, which was to be accomplished by
the marriage of Van Cortlandt's only
child, Greta, to Zabrieski's only child,
Herman, who were considered by their
respective parents as the ultimate flower
of their respective families. lTIk ~
Greta Van Cortlandt was the Jeau-ideal
of Knickerbocker belle. She had the
solidity of the Netherlands, with the
grace Of the American. Her blue eyes
rivaled the summer skies, while her hair
seemed made out of the sunbeams.
Had she lived now, when blondes are
the rage, she would have driven the
Empress Eugene from the Tuileries,
and Lydia Thompson from Niblo's, She
wanted no patent palpitators to make
believe she had. o heart. Its honest beat
ings were visible to all who told her q
tale of sorrow or distress. I .goI8 -
Although inclined to emJOapoint, she
was as active and lively as fawn. She
could run up Bergen Hill without get
ting out of breath, the only evidence of
the exertion being brighter, merrier