Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-06-15


equally by his anecdotes Of witchcraft,
and Of tho direful omens and portento,is
sights and sounds In the air, which pre-
vailed In the earlier times " Connecticut;
and would frightcn them wofully with
spcctilations upon comets and shooting
stars. and with the alarming fact that tho
world did absolutely turn round. and
that they were half the time topsy tIrvyi
But II there was pleasure In nll this,
while snugly. cuddling In tho chimney
corner of n chamber that was all of q
ruddy glow from the cracking wood fire,
and where, Of course, no spectcr dared
10 show its face, Il was dearly purchased
by the terrors OF his subsequent walk
homcwards. What fearful shapes and
shadows l,csct his path, amidst tho dim
and ghastly glare Of n snowy night
With what wistful look did he eve every
trembling ray Of light streaming across
the waste fields from some distant win
dowi How often was he appalled, by
some shrub covered with snow, which
like sheeted specter bcsct his very pathi
How often did he shrink with curdling
awe at the sound of his own steps ON the
frosty crust beneath his feet, and dread
TO look over his shoulder, lest ho should
behold some uncouth being trnmping
close behind himl And how often was
rushing blast, bowling among the trees,
In the idea that II was the galloping Hes.
sian on one Of his nightly scourings!
All these. however, wcro mere terrors
Of the night, phantoms Of tho mind, that
walk In darkness; md though ho lud
seen many spccters In his time. and been
moro than once bcsct by Satan In divers
shapes, In his lonely pcrambulations, vet
daylight put an end 10 oil these cvils
and no would have passed pleas
ant life Of 1t. In despite Of
tho devil and oil his works,
II his path had not been crossed by be-
ing that causes more perplexity to mortal
man, than ghosts, goblins and tho whole
race of witches put together; and that
was--a woman.
scmbled ono evening In each week to re-
ceivo his Instructions in psnlmody was
Katrina Van Tassol, tho daughter and
only child Of substantial Dutch farmer.
She was "A blooming lass OF fresh 10;
plump as partridge; ripe and melting
and rosy checked as ono Of her fathers
peaches, and universally famed, not
merely for her beauty, but her vast cx-
pcctations. She was withal q little OF n
coquctic, as might bc perceived even in
her dress, which was IA mixture of
ancient and modern fashions, as most
suited to set Oft her charms. She wore
the ornaments Of pure yellow gold,
% %"n..n ne' g'ca, s'eat G,aruiiio'ner tiau
,no"h'it o'I' ron, pa''uthii ,iic 'eihpt,
M honicner oi ,he oideh ume, ana
W,.',aI PioVohinBiy snort petticoat, 10
uIsP'oy 'no hettieAt ioot ana ankle In
ny Io1y .ou";
.pou IIa,o hhu soit ana iooiish
,na. 'oM"u .i .ie ecA' anu ~ Is not 10 oe
soon found favor in his eycs, moro caue-
ciDlly after he Ind yiaited hpr In hor ,,,ta,
n,I mnny;on olJ I,a,n,a " r.,
was perfect picture of n thriving, con
tented, liberal hearted farmer. lie sell
dom, IL is true, sent either his eyes or his
thoughts beyond the boundaries of his
own farm; but within these, everything
was snug, happy. and well conditioned.
lie was satisfied with his wealth, but not
proud of II; and piqucd himself upon the
hearty abundance, rather than the style
In which he lived. His stronghold was
situated ON the banks of the Hudson. in
one of those green. sheltered, fertile
nooks in which tho Dutch farmers arc so
fond of nesting. "A great elm tree spread
its broad branches over it, at the foot of
which dubbed up u spring of tho softest
and sweetest water, in little well,
formed of barrel, and then stole spark
ling away through the grass To u neigh
boring brook, that babblcd along among
nldcrs and dwarf Willows. Hard by the
farmhouse was vast barn, that might
havo served for IA church, every window
md crevicc OF which seemed bursting
forth with the treasures of the farm; the
tlaii was busily rcsoupding within it
morning TO night; swallows and martins
skimmcd twittering about the caves. and
heard n, rl r,v,.. Is q o,,u ~, % Which Is op,y
nol.s, which IL thought To resemble tLoe words
.oWS "' P'Scotis' Some WIN one eye
turnen up as u watching IN" weather,
Souie WIN !ne,, hcaus uhuer 'he,' wings,
y, "' w ,"''' 'oso''"' anu o'i"is'
an,"''E, anu 'ooiliB ail" BOVINE
, .i''" "''.io' w 'nlpsn sn'S tnc
nu,'sl',"o oh uic ioo' s'ech' uii'
m"''y Fo'hc's were G'uhtilS IN
we '.Io5e anu aooiiuanCe oi their
lcnS, rom whence saiiieu ,pr'h' now
uIn' s'ei, uooIS o' sucking pigs aa u To-
snu'' 'he hir' slate'y squadron o'
h''uHS EecSo were 'io,'S w an ADJOINING
l''o'' ''''oS ny "'"'' "'c's Oh uuthh'
.'E'h'c,'S o' turkeys were g"bbiiiIS
rn'ouGh 'no 'aih, S"iu aho guinea loWis
s ,iv'''"s u,p". u nho III tempered mouse,
MNoe' ns'n nv, p"'NiS'i' ulacnit'lted
wy; r'o,e .,e barn ""or strutlcd the
6'iian, 'oeh' ''it Pa''cri o' hnshai'a'
= Mai.loi a'',' a nheGen,iehlah, caPplng
'ls p'u h',h,u WIVES nhl Growing III tle
!,iuo ! aiu h''uilc., ol ms near', 6oihe-
a,i'iee ,oal"'S VI 'no e"i'', WIN ms 'eet,
n,u .'',i' Er''t,"usly 'al'lhg nis ever
n"nsi ian',S " wives ahI Shi,'r,h 10
."!os ','o ~" "io'se' "ih'h he III" us
'o,,''"' ~,
ine lauagoSue mouth Wa'ercu' as ne
iopheu upon 'his shihptuous pr"'nlSc of
.unur'ous ",'l'er iu'e' IN nus denour'hS
,,,su rnnS,;s eye ne pictured 10 himself every