The Cecil Whig., 1873-10-18

unate lchabod, and close beside IL snat-
tered pumpkin.
The brook was searched, but the body
of the schoolmaster was not to be discov-
cred. Hans Van Ripper, as executor of
his estate, examined the bundle which con-
tained all his worldly effects. They con-
sisted of two shirts and half; two stocks
for the neck; pair or two of worsted
stockings and an old pair of corduroy
small clothes; a rusty razor; book of
psalm-tunes, full of dogs ears, and brok-
en- pitchpipe. AS to the books and furni-
ture of the school-house, they belonged to
the community, excepting Cotton Mather's
"History of Witchchraft," "New Eng
land Almanac" and book of dreams and
fortune telling; in which last was sheet
of foolscap much scribbled and blotted in
several fruitless attempts to make copy
of verses in honor of the heiress of Van
Tassel. These magic books and the poetic
scrawl were forthwith consigned to the
flames by Hans Van Rippe,; who from
that time forward determined to send his
that he never knew any good come of this
same reading and writing. Whatever
money the schoolmaster possessed, and he
had received his quarters pay but day
or two before, he must have had about his
person at the time of his disappearance.
The mysterious event caused much spec
ulation at the church on the following
Sunday. Knots of gazers and gossips
were collected in the churchyard, at the
bridge, and at the spot where the hat and
pumpkin had been found. The stories of
Brouwer, of Bones, and a whole budget of
others, were called to mind; and when
and compared them with the symptoms of
the present case, they shook their heads,
and came to the conclusion that Ichabod
had been carried off by the Galloping Hes
debt, nobody troubled his head any more
about him. The school was removed to a
different quarter of the Hollow, and anoth-
er pedagogue reigned in his stead.
1t is true, an old farmer, who had been
down to New York on visit several years
after, and from whom this account of the
ghostly adventure was received, brought
home the intelligence that Ichabod Crane
was still alive; that he had left the neigh
borhood, partly through fear of the goblin
and Hans Van Ripper, and partly in morti-
tication at having been dismissed by the
heiress; that he had changed his quarters
to distant part of the country; had kept
school and studied law at the same time,
had been admitted to the bar, turned poll
tician, electioneered, written for the news
papers, and finally had been made JUS
tice of the Ten Pound Court. Brom Bones
too, who shortly after his rivals disap-
pearance conducted the blooming Katrina
in triumph to the altar, was observed to
look exceeding knowing whenever the
story of Ichabod was related, aud always
burst into hearty laugh at the mention
of the pumpkin; which led some to sus-
pect that he knew more about the matter
than he chose to tell.
The old country wives, however, who
are the best judges of these matters, main
tain to this day that Ichabod was spirited
away by supernatural means; and it is a
favorte story often told about the neigh
borhood round the winter evening fire.
The bridge became more than ever an
object of superstitious awe, and that may
be the reason why the road has been alter
ed of late years, SO as to approach the
church by the border of the mill-pond.
The school-house, being deserted, soon fell
to decay, and was reported to be haunted
by the ghost of the unfortunate pedagogue;
and the plough boy, lettering homeward of
still summer evening, has often fancied
his voice at a distance, chanting melan-
choly psalm-tune among the tranquil soli-
tudes of Sleepy Hollow.