The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-10-30

lchlld, the air Of the mother, the tone
Of bcr voice, al awakened q train Of
reeollections in his mind. What IS
your name. my good woman , asked
/ he.
judith GARDENER
"And your fathers name?r
"Ah, poor man, Rip Van Winkle
was his name, but it's twenty years
since be went away from home with
! his gun, and never has been heard Of
since-his dog came home without
him, whether he shot himself or was
carried away By the Indians, no one
can tell was then but little girl -
Rip had but one more question 70
ask; but he put it with a falte-ing
voice:
Where's your mother :"
"Ob. she too bad died but a short
i time since; she broke a blood vessel
in a ft Of passion with a New Eng
land pedlern
There was a drop Of comfort az
least, in this intelligence. The bon
est man could contain himself no
longer He caught his daughter and
her child in bis arms. Il am your
father :" cried he-"Young Rip Van
Winkie once-old Rip Van Winkle
now;-Does nobody know poor Rip
Van Wrinkle
All stood amazed, until an old
woman, tottering out Of the crowd,
put her hand 70 her brow, and peer
ing under It into his face for no
ment. exclaimed: Sure enough It i
Rip Van Winkle-it Is himself. Wei
come home again, old neighbor,
Why, where have you been these
twenty long vearsf'
Rips story was soon told, how the
whole twenty years had been 10 him
as but one night The neighbOrs
stared when they heard It; some were
seen TO wink at each other, and pat
their tongues in their cheeks and the
I selfimp0rtant man in the cooked bat.
who, when the alarm was over, and
returned TO the field, screwed down
Itbe corners Of his mouth. and shook
his head-upon which there was z
/ general shaking Of headsr Throughout
I the assemblage.
1t was determined however. 70 take
the opinion Of old Peter Yanderdonk,
who was seen slowly advancing along
the road. He was a descendant Of
the historian Of that name, who wrote
( one. Of the earliest accounts Of The
province. Peter was the most an
eient inhabitant OF the village, and
well versed IN all wonderful events
and traditions Of the nsighborhood
He recollected Rip at once, and cor
roborated his story in the most sat
isfaetorv manner. He assured the
company that it was a fact. handed
down from his ancestor. the historian
that the kaatskill mountains had a.
WAYS been inhabited by strange be
ings.
That Il was affirmed that the great
Hendrick Hudson the first discover
er Of the river and country, kept a
kind Of vigil there for twenty years.
with his crew Of the HalfmOon: be-
ing permitted in this way 70 revisit
the scene Of his enterprise, and keep
a guardian eve upon the river and
the great city called by his name.
That his father had once seen them
in their old Dutch dresses playing
nine-pins in a hollow Of the noun
tain; and that be himself had heard
one summer afternoon the sound Of
balls, Ike the distant peals Of thur
der
To make & long story short, the
company broke up, and returned 70
the more important concerns Of the
election Rips daughter took him
home 10 live with her; she hada snug,
well-furnished house, and a stout
CHEEKY farmer for a husband. whom
Rip recoIleeted as one Of the urchins
that used 10 climb upon his back
As TO Rips son and heir, who was
the ditto Of himself. seen leaning
against tree. be was employed 70
work on the farm; but evineed an
hereditary disposition 70 attend 10
any thing else but his business.
Rip now resumed MS old walks
and habits; be soon found many Of
his former er0uies, though al rather
the worse for the wear and tear Of
time; and preferred making friends
amog the rising generation, with
whom be soon grew into great favor.
Having nothing 10 do at home.
and being arrived at that age when a
man can be idle with impunitv, be
took his place once more on the bench
al the inn door. and was reverenced
as one Of the patriarchs Of the village,
and q chronicle Of the olden time
before the war" Ii was some tine
before be could get into the regular
track Of gossip, OF could be made 20
comprehend the strange events that
had taken place during his torpor
How that there had been a revolu-
tionary war-thar the country had
thrown offthe yoke Of old England
and that instead Of being a subject
Of his Majesty George the Third. he
was now a free citizen Of the United
States. Rip, in fact, was DO poll
tician; the changes Of States and En-
pires made but little impression
upon him: but there was one species
Of despotism under which be had
groaned, and that petticoat gov
erument Happily that was at an
end; lie had got his neck out Of the
yoke Of mstrimony, and could 20 in
and out whenever be pleased. with
out dreading the tyranny Of Dame Van
Winkle Whenever her name was
mentioned, however, be shook his
head, shrugged his shoulders. and
cast up his eyes; which might pass
either for expression Of resignation 20
his fate, or JOY at bis deliveranee.
He used TO tell his story TO every
stranger that arrived at Mr.. Doolitile's
hotel He was observed, az first, 70
vary on some points every time be
told 1t. which was doubtless, owing
to his having so recently awaked. II
al last settled down to precisely the
tale / have related, and not a man,
woman or child in the neighborhoOd.
but knew il by heart. Some always
pra-an1aS - Iorfb. H. -o,I-.- = :.