San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-01-31

| lnb NtIl NlIitfC WINS thttttN
Il was larger and moro populous. There
were rows Of houses which he had never
seen before and those which had been
his familiar haunts had disappeared.
| Strange names were over the doors
strange faces at the windows-every-
thing was strange. His mind now mis-
gave him; he began to doubt whether
| both he and the world around him were
not bewitched. Surely this was his ma
tive village, which he had left but q
day before. There stood the Knatskill
mountains-thero ran the silver Hudson
ut distance-there was every hill and
dale precisely as 1t had always been-Rip
was sorely perplexed-"That flagon last
night" thought he, "has added my poor
head sadlyT
It was with some difficulty that he
| found the way to his own house, which
he approached with silent awe, expect
| ing every moment to hear tho shrill voice
of Dame Van Wrinkle. Ho found the
house gone to decay-the roof fallen
in, the windows shattered and the
doors off the hinges. A half
starved dog, that looked like Wolf,
was skulking about 1t. Rip called
him by name, but the cur snarled,
showed his teeth and passed on. This
was an mbind cut indeed. "My very
dog" sighed poor Rip, "has forgotten
me''
He entered the house, which, to tell
the truth, Dam Van Wrinkle had always
kept i'm neat order. It was empty, for
lorn and apparently abandoned. This
desolateness overcame all his connubial
fears-he called loudly for his wife and
childran-the lonely chambers ranu for
q moment with his voice, and then all
again was silence,
He now hurried forth, and hastened
to his old resort, the village inn--but 1t
too was gone. A large. rickety, wooden
building stood In its place, with great,
GAPING Windows. some of them broken,
md mended with old hats and petticoats,
and over the door was painted, "The
Union Hotel, by Jonathan Doolittle." !"
Instead of the great tree that used to
shelter the quiet little Dutch Inn Of yore,
there now was reared tall, naked pole,
with something on the top that looked
like n red night cap, and from 1t was
nntterinr a fag. on which was a Sin
p1llar ossemblaro of stars and stripes
all this was strange and inconpre-
hensible. He recognized on the sign,
however, the ruby face Of King George,
under which he had smoked SO
many q peaceful pipo, but even this was
sin1Ilariv metamorphosed. The red
coat was changed for one Of blue and
buff. a sword was held in the hand in
stead of n scepter, the head was deco
rated With n cooked hat. and underneath
was painted in large Characters, Gen.
washington.
There was, as usual, crowd Of folk
about the door. but none that Rip recol-
lected. The very character of the people
seemed changed. There was busy,
bustline. dispntatious tone about 1t, In
stead Of the accustomed phlegm and
drowsv tranquility. He looked In vain
for the sage Nicholas Vedder, with his
broad face. double chin and fair long
nine uttering clouds of tobacco smoke,
instead of Idle speeches, or Van Bummel,
the schoolmaster, doing forth the con-
tents of nm ancient nc Tspaper. In place
of these. a lean. bilious looking fellow,
with his pockets full of handbills, was
harang11ing vehemently about rights Of
citizens-election- Of congress
-liberty-Bunker's Hill-heroes Of 70
and other words that were q perfect
Babylonish iargon to the bewildered Van
Winkle.
The onnearance Of Rip. with his long.
prizzied beard. his rusty fowling piece,
Ris uncouth dress. and the army of
women and children that had gathered
at his heels. soon attracted the at
tcntion of the tavern politicians. They
crowded round him, eyeing him from
head to foot, with great curiosity. The
orator hustled up to him. end drawing
him partly aside, INQUIRED, ION which
side he yotedY" Rip stared in vacant STU
piditv. Another short, but busy little
Fellow nnlIed him bv tho arm. and rising
IN tintoe. injured In his ear, "whether
he was Federal or Democrat. Rip was
enualIv Mt n Ioss to conprebend the uues-
tion: when a knowing. self important
old gentleman. in a sharp, cooked hat,
made his wav through the crowd. put
tino them 70 The rigbt and left with his
elhowa no he nassed. and planting him.
seIf before Van Wrinkle. with one arm
oLi,nho the other resting on his cane.
lie Laen eves and sbarn hat nenetratinp
% n yere into hid very soul de-
,1,onJod In an austere tome "what
hro,,aht hin, 70 the olection with n o1In
~, bis ebomIder and a mob at hIs heels
ia H., ,,,ta,har ho ,,,oant 70 brood q riot In
tLo ua y ;,ionnS" 0 ~
the Viliager .,o,o,,r o-,od Din son,o
,,,hot d;s,i67a,,oJ 1J onn nodr n,,iet
@ ' at;I:a ~ .ho ,,ioca pand 1oval
s,,hioot n,i-;, a ,, 20 H. tino CD bIess bimip
H. q genera shout hurst from the
h,,etarda-so go Tor,,, n TorvI n snvi n
n9f,'o,noI ~ S'' b,,s,Ia hiy,i a,yov With bimfn
IL Y,as 18th 18th ~ a,raat difiicultv that the
lie i,,,r,or+ont nan n, fine cocked bat re-
ELI s.n p.i o,.s o,1d h,,;r@r ose,,rood q ten.
SoII soJieu ~ as - doroonJod AGAIN
i4iu nS ia .Ii.9y,,',, - -,,inri, Srbat be coma
.I,o-n ~ w e. 80 ,,Ldr, bo ,vos seekino
1T'a 49,, Io ,, a h,,,nbit, asa,,rod him that
tno It IOoI ni.,li on iiJ LaJ - ,,,or.iv ca,,,a
~ iS, e -, 80 tJs ,,,I,lLnrs
elieie ~ "a. ~ I, " I,,, a. .o 80