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


with the old clothes of his father. He
was generally seen trooping like colt
at his mothers heels, equipped in pair
of his fathers cast-off galligaskins, which
he had much ado to hold up with one
hand, as fine lady does her train in bad
weather.
Rip Van Wrinkle, however, was one of
those happy mortals, of foolish, well-oil-
ed dispositions, who take the world easy,
eat white bread or brown. whichever can
be got with the least thought or trouble,
and would rather starve on penny than
work for a pound. If left to himself, he
would have whistled life away in perfect
contcntment; but his wife kept contin-
ually dining in his ears about his idle
ness. his carelessness, and the ruin he
was bringing on his family.
Morning, noon and night, her tongue
was necessarily going, and everything
he said or did was sure to produce tor
rent of household eloquence. Rip had but
one way of replying to all lectures of the
kind, and that by frequent use, had
grown into habit He shrugged his
shoulders, shook his head, cast up his
eyes, but said nothing. This, however.
always provoked a fresh vOlley from his
wife, so that he was fain to draw off his
: forces. and take to the outside of the
hOuse-the only side which in truth.
[ belongs to a henpecked husband.
r Rips sole domestic adhcrent was his
t dog Wolf, who was as much henpecked
9 as his master; for Dame Van Wrinkle re-
5 garded them as companions in idleness,
: and even looked upon Wolf with an evil
= eye, as the cause of his masters going so
e often astray. True it is, in all points of
! spirit BETTING an honorable dog, he was
t as courageous an animal as ever secured
: the woods-but what courage can with
2 stand the ever-during and all-besetting
terrors of a womans tongue? The
f moment Wolf entered the house, his crest
: fell, his tail dropped to the ground or
d curled between his legs he sneaked about
: with gallows air casting many side
= long glance at Dame Van Wrinkle, and at
l. the least flourish of broomstick or ladle
n he would fly to the door with yelping
e precipitation.
'. Times grew worse and worse with Rip
Van Wrinkle, as years of matrimony roll
~ ed on a tart temper never mellows with
age, and a sharp tongue is the only edge
- tool that grows keener with constant use.
- For long while he used to console him
N self when driven from home, frequenting
;, a kind of perpetual club of the sages. phil
~ osophers, and other idle personages of the
=. village, which heldits sessions on bench
=, before a small inn, designated by rub-
-, cund portrait of his majesty George the
, Third. Here they used to sit in the
= shade of along, lazy summers day talking
~ listlessly over village gossip, or telling
NJ endless sleepy stories about nothing.
= But it would have been worth any states
:, mans money to have heard the profound
u discussions which sometimes took place,
r. when by chance an old newspaper fell
a. into their hands from some passing trav-
. eler. How solemnly they would listen to
nm the contents. as drawled out by Derrick
Van Bummel. the school master. dap
- per- learned little man. who was not to
H. be daunted by the most gigantic word in
y the dictionary; and how sagely they
nj would deliberate upon public events some
90 months after they had taken place.
= The opinions of this junto were com
10 pletely controlled by Nicholas Nedder, q
la patriarch of the village, and landlord
ri of the inn, at the door of which he tool
air his seat from morning till night, just NOV
as ing sufficiently to avoid the sun, and keel
mo- in the shade of large tree; so that the
- neighbors could tell the hour by hi
lo movements as accurately as by sun-dial
of 1t is true. he was rarely heard to speak
rr but smoke his pipe necessarily. His adj
nd herents, however(for every great MAJ
- has his adherents), perfectly understood
Ina him, and knew how to gather his opin
ions. When anything was read or relat
on ed that dspleased him, he was observed
,ds to smoke his pipe vehemently. and t.
an send forth short, frequent and angr!
For pufl's but when pleased he would inhal
a. the smoke slowly and TRANQUILITY. AM
nj emit it in light and placid clouds, am
IAN sometimes taking the pipe from his moutl
!. , and letting the fragrant vapor curl abou
mr. his nose, would gravely nod his head il
~ token of perfect appreciation.
From even this stronghold the unluck
NV Rip was at lengthrouted by his termagan
y" wife. who would suddenly break in upo
, the tranquility of the aSsemblage. an
Wv call the members all to nought; nor wa
that august parsonage. Nicholas Nedde
'' himself. sacred from the daring tongue c
this terrible virago, who charged hil
outright with encouraging her husban
in habits of idlcneSs.
us -
POETRY.
ny \ lady has called for the "Charge OF I'll
. IN Light Brigade" by Tennyson.