Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-02-05

opinion is well worth having; particularly by |
certain biscuit bakers, who have gone so far
rs to imprint his likeness on their new-year |
cakes and have thus given him IL chance for
Immortality almost equal to the being stamp. |
ed on a Waterloo medal, or n Queen Anne's !
farthing.
Whoever has made a voyage up the
Hudson must remember the Kaatskill
mountains. They are a dismembered
branch of the great Appalachian family,
and are seen away to the west of the river,
swelling up to a noble height, and lording
it over the surrounding country. Every
change of season, every change of wealth
err indeed every hour of the day, pro-
duces some change in the magical hues
and shapes of these mountains; and they
are regarded by all the good wives, far
and near, as perfect barometers. When
the weather is fair and settled, they are
clothed in blue and purple, and print their
bold outlines on the clear evening sky;
but sometimes, when the rest of the land
scape is cloudless, they will gather hood
of gray vapors about their SUBMITS,
which, in the last rays of the setting sun.
will glow and light up like crown of
glory.
At the foot of these fairy mountains,
the vcyager may have deserted the light
smoke curling up from village, whose
single roofs CLEAN among the trees, just
where the blue tints of the upland melt
away into the fresh green of the nearer
landscape. 1t is little village of great
antiquity, having been founded by some
of the Dutch colonists, in the early times
of the province, just about the beginning
of the government of the good Peter Stuy-
vesant (may he rest in peace y, and there
were some of the houses of the original
settlers standing within a few years, built
of small yellow bricks brought from IIol-
land, having latticed windows and abelg
fronts, surmOunted with weathercocks.
In that same village, and in one of
these very houses (Which, to tell the pre-
else truth, was sadly time-worn and
weather-beaten), there lived many years
since, while the country was yet pro-
vince of Great Britain, simple, good
natured fellow of the name of Rip Var
Wrinkle. He was descendant of the
Van Wrinkles who figured so gallantly
in the chivalrous days of Peter Stuyve
SAINT, and accompanied him to the siege
] of Fort Christina. He inherited, how
1 ever, but little of the martial character
I, I nhsnrH-n1 ha
g he was simple, good-natured man; h'
r was. moreover. kind neighbor, and al
e obedient henpecked husband. Indeed, t
; the latter circumstance might be owing
such universal popularity; for those mel
;, are most apt to be obsequious and con
e cilating abroad who are under the dis
y cipline of shrews mt home. Their TEN
II pers, doubtless. are rendered plant ant
:, mallcable in the fiery furnace of dOmes
e tic tribulation. and a curtain lecture
II worth all the sermons in the world 70
teaching the virtues of patience and long
e suffering. \ termagant wife may, there
q fore. in some respects. be considered
Y tolerable blessing; and if so, Rip Va
e Wrinkle was thriced blessed.
n Certain it is that he was great favor
+ tie among all the good wives of the vi
IS LACE. who,as usual with the amiable sen
At took his part in all family squabbles, an
y never failed, whenever they talked thos
l. matters over in their evening gossipngi
To- II ho 10, np
n The children of the village, too, woul
4 shout with joy whenever he approached
20 He assisted at their sports, made the
playthings, taught them to fly their kite
W and shoot marbles, and told them Ion
At stories of ghosts, witches, and Indian
t. Whenever he went lodging about II
he village. he was surrounded by a troop {
W them hanging on his skirts, clamberin
:, on his back, and playing thousar
IN tricks on him with impunty; and not
to dog would bark at him throughout Il
le neighborhOod.
= The great error in Rips composite
was an insuperable aversion to all kim
of profitable labor. 1t could not be fro
~ the want of assiduity perseverance; f
he would sit on a wet rock with Il rod
NJ. long and heavy As Il Tartar's lance, al
fish all day without a murmur, ev'
though he should not be encouraged by
single nibble He would carry towlin
piece on his shoulder for hours togetht
he trudging through woods and Swamps,a l
an up hill and down dale to shoot fe
ny squirrels or wild pigeons. He would ne
~ er refuse to assist a neighhor even in t
es. toughest toll, and was foremost man
as all country frolics for husking lndl
NY corn or building stone fences. The W
ne men of the village, too, used to empl
ma him to run their errandS. and to do su
ed little odd jobs rs their less obliging hi
up bands would not do for them;-in
IL" word, Rip was ready to attend to an
, =, body's business but his own; but as
IL