Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-02-19

lllt NoIlu' Every answer puIIlcu MIN,
too. by treating of such enormous lapses
of time, and of matters which ne could
not nderstand-war-Co ngress-St
Point he had no courage to ask after
any more friends. but cried out in
despair, "Does nobody here know Rip
Van Winklc?"
son, Rip Van Winkle." exclaimed two
or three. "Oh, to be sure. that's Rip
Van Wrinkle yonder, leaning against the
tree
Rip looked, and behcld precise coun-
tcrpart of himself as he went up the
mountains; apparently rs lazy, and GER
tainly as ragged. The poor fellow was
now completely COMPOUNDED. He doubt
ed his own identity, and whether he was
himself or another man. In the midst of
his bewildcrmcnt the man in the cooked
hat demanded who he was, and what was
his name?
"God knows" exclaimed he, at his
wits end: "Im not myself-I'm some
body clse-that's me vOnder-no-that :
somebody else got into my shoes was
myself last night, but | fell asleep on the
mountain, and they've changed my gun.
and cvcrything's changed, and I'm
changed, and can't tell what's my name
or who ann"
The bystanders began now to look at
each other, nod. wink Significantly. and
tap their fingers against their foreheads.
There was a whisper also, about securing
the gun, and keeping the old fellow from
doing mischief; at the very suggestion of
which, the Self-important man with the
cooked hat retired with some precipita-
| ton. At this critical moment fresh.
comely women passed through the
throng to get peep at the grey-bearded
man. She had chubby child in her
began to cry. "ITush, Rip" cried she,
''hush you little fool: the old man won't
hurt you" The name of the child, the
air of the mother, the tone of her voice
his mind.
"What is your name, my good woman?
asked he.
'Judith GARDENER"
"And your fathers Nance
"Ah, poor man. his name was Rip Van
Wrinkle; its twenty years since he went
away from home with his gun and never
has been heard of since-hiS dog came
home without him; but whether he shot
himself, or was carried away by the In
dians, nobody can tell | was then hui
little girl"
Rip had but one question more to ask
but he put it with faltering voice.
"Nhere's your mothcr:'
son, she too died but short tim,
since: she broke blood-vcSscl in Il fit OF
passion at a New England peddler."
There was drop of comfort, at least
in this intelligence. The honest mal
could contain himself no longer. ii,
caught his daughter and her child in hi
arms. II am your father" cried he
young Rip Van Wrinkle once-old Ri
Van Wrinkle now Does nobody know
poor Rip Van Winkle?"
All stood amazed until an old woman
tottering out from among the crowd pu
her hand to her brow, and, peering unde
it in his face for moment. exclaimed
! "Sure enough. it is Rip Van Winkle-i
is himself. Welcome home again, ole
neighbor. Why, where have you beer
these twenty long years.
Rips story was soon told. for the who'll
twenty years has been to him but rs ON
night. The ncighbors stared when the,
heard il; some were seen to wink AT eacl
, other, and put their tongues in thei
cheeks; and the self-mportant man il
. the cooked hat, who. when the alarm wa
over, had returned to the field. Screwe
down the corners of his mouth. and shooI
I his head-upon which there was a gen
eral shaking of the head throughout tn
, aSSemblage.
, 1t was determined, however, to tax
f the opinion of old Peter NanderdOnk, VIII
was seen slowly advancing up the road
He was IA descendant of the historian O
that name, who wrote one of the earleS
, accounts of the province. Peter was tn
= most ancient imhabitant of the village
ahd well verSed in all the wonderful
events and traditions of the neighborhood
He recollected Rip at once, and corrobo
rated his story in the most satisfactor
1 manner. lie assured the company tina
it was a fact, handed down from his an
q cestor the historian, that the kaatskil
= mountains had always been haunted b.
= strange beings. That it was atiirme
4 that the great llendrick Hudson. tn
, first diSCoverer of the river and country
. kept kind of vigil there every twent
t years with his crew of the Ilalf-MooI
q being permitted in this way to revisit tn
D scenes of his enterprise, and keep gual
dian eye upon the river and the great cit
called by his name. That his father ha
I once seen them i'm their old Dutrh drpS -