Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-02-28

tIIIRDlSllCu W q lW zap
with a Haunting fox's tail; and when the
folks at a country gathering deserted this
well known crest at a distance, whlsk-
ing about among a squad of hard riders,
they always stood by for a squalL Some
times his crew would be heard dashlng
along past the farm houses at midnight,
with whoop and halloo, like a troop OF
Don Cossacks, and the old danes. start
led out of their sleep, would listen for a
moment till the hurry scurry had clat-
tered by. and then exclaim; Jay, there
goes Brom Bones and his gangi' The
neighbors looked upon him with a mix
ture of awe, admiration and good Will;
and when any madcap prank OF rustic
brawl occurred in the vicinity, always
shook their heads, and warranted Brom
Bones was at the bottom of it.
This rantipole hero had for some time
singled out the blooming Katrina for the
object of his uncouth gallantries,
and though his amorous toy
ings were something like the gentle
caresses and endearments of a bear, yet
it was whispered that she did not alto
gether discourage his hopes. Certain it
is, his advances were signals for rival
candidates to retire, who felt no inclina-
ton to cross a lion in his amours; inso-
much, that when his horse was seen tied
to Van Tassel's paling, on a Sunday
night, a sure sign that his master was
counting, or, as it Is termed. Sparkling,
within, all other suitors passed by in
despair, and carried the war into other
quarters
Such was the formidable rival with
whom Ichabod Crane had to contend,
and considering all things a stouter man
than he would have shrunk from the
competition, and a wiser man would
have despaired. He had, however, a
happy mixture of pliability and perse-
verance in his nature; he was in form
and spirit like a supple bodybuilding,
but tough; though he bent, he never
broke; and though he bowed beneath
the slightest pressure. yet the moment it
was away-ierk!-he was erect. and car
ried his head as high as ever.
To have taken the field openly against
his rival would have been madness; for
he was not a mar to be thwarted in his
amours any more than that stormy lover
Achilles. Ichabod. therefore, made his
advances in a quiet and gently insinuat-
ing manner. Under cover of his charac-
ter of singing master he made frequent
visits at the farm house; not that he had
anything to apprehend from the meddle-
some interference of parents, which is so
often a stumbling block in the path OF
lovers. Bait Van Tassol was an easy. in
dulgent soul: he loved his daughter better
even than his pipe, and, like a reasonable
man and m excellent father, let her have
her way in everything. His notable little
wife, too, had enough TO do to attend 10
her housekeeping and manage the poul-
try; for, as she sagely observed. ducks
and geese are foolish things and must be
looked after, but girls q take care of
themselves, Thus, while the busy dame
hustled about the house or piled her spin
ming wheel at one end Of the piazza hon
est Bait would sit smoking his evening
pipe at the other. watching the. achieve
ments of a little wooden warrior, who, |
armed with q sword in each hand. was
valiantly fighting the wind on the pima
Gle of the barn. In the mean time lcha-
bod would carry on his suit with the
daughter by the side of the spring under
the great elm OF sauntering along in the
twilight. that hour 70 favorable to the
lovers eloquence.
| profess not TO know how women's
hearts are wooed and won. To me they
have always been matters Of riddle and
admiration. Some seem TO have but one
vulnerable point. or door Of access:
while Others have a thousand avenues,
and may be captured in a thousand diff
ferent ways. II is a great triumph of
TO gain the former, but still q
greater proof Of generalship TO maintain
possession Of the latter. for a man must
battle for his fortress at every door and
window. lie that wins a thousand COM
hearts is therefore entitled TO some
renown; but he who keeps u~ndisputed
over the heart of a coQuette Is in
deed a hero. Certain it is. this was not
tho case with the redoubtable Brom
and from the moment Ichabod
Crane made his advances, the interests
If the former evidently declined; his
was no longer seen tied at the pal
OF Sunday nights, and n deadly
feud gradually arose between him and
the preceptor of Sleepy Hollow.
Brom, who had a degree Of rough
chivalry in his nature, would fain have
carried matters TO open warfare, and
their ~pretensions to the lady
according TO the mode of those
most concise and simple ~reasoncrs. the
Grant of yore-by single com
bat: but lchabod twas too conscious of the
superior might Of his adversary to enter
ne HstS dHNlnhl MN, ne ilau overheard
he boast of Bones that he would double
schoolmaster Up and put him on n
and he was too wary to give him
IN opportunity. There was something
extremely provoking in this obstinately
system; it left Brom no alternative
put to draw upon the funds of rustic wag-
gerry in his disposition, and TO play Off
ooorish practical jokes upon his rival.
Ichabod became the object of whimsical
persecution to Bones and his gang OF
riders. They harried his hitherto
peaceful domains; smoked out his sing
school by stopping up the chimney:
into the school house at night, in
ipite of his formidable ~fastenings Of
and window stakes. and turned
everything topsy turvy; SO that the poor
'choolmaster began to think all the
in the country held their meet
ngs there. But what was still more an
Brom took all opportunities OF
him into ridicule in presence of
his mistress, and had a scoundrel dog
whom he taught Il whine in the most
udicrous ann and introduced as a