San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-01-10

Ito steed Of his masters, the choleric Van
Ripper, who was u furious rider, and had
infused, very probably, some Of his own
spirit into tho animal; for, old and
broken down as he looked, there was
more Of the lurking devil In him than In
any young filly In tho country.
1chabod was suitable figure for such
o steed. Ho rode with short stirrups,
which brought his knees nearly up to tho
pommel Of the saddle; his sharp elbows
stuck out like grasshoppers'; he carried
his whip perpendicularly In his hand,
like scepter, and Us tho horse logged on
the motion of his arms was not unlike
the Tapping Of pair Of wings. A small
wool hat rested on the top Of his nose,
for so his scanty strip Of forehead might
DO called, and the skirts Of his black cont
fluttered out almost to tho horses tail.
Such was the appearance Of Iohabod and
his steed as they shambled out of the
gate Of Hans Van Ripper, and 1t was al
together such an apparition as Is seldom
to DO met with in broad daylight.
1t was, as have said, fine autumnal
day; tho sky was clear and serene,
and nature woro that rich and golden
livery which we always associate with the
idea Of abundance. The forests had put
on their sober brown and yellow, while
some trees of tho tenderer kind had been
nippod by the frosts into brilliant dyes Of
orange, purple and scarlet. Streaming
files of wild ducks began to make their
appearance high In the air; the bark Of
tho squirrel might be heard from the
groves of beech and hickory nuts, and
the pensive whistle Of the quail ut inter-
walls from the neighboring stubble field.
The small birds were taking their fare
we'll banquets. In tho fullness of their
revelry they fluttered, chirping and
froicking, from bush to bush and tree
to tree, capricious from tho very pro-
fusion and variety around them.
There was tho honest cock robin,
the favorite game Of STRIPPING sportsmen,
with It's loud querulous note, and the
twittering blackbirds flying In sable
clouds; and tho golden winged wood
pecker, with his crimson crest, his broad
black gorget, and splendid plumage; and
the cedar bird, with Its red tpt wings
and yellow tipt toll, and its little mon
teiro cap of feathers; and tho bluejay,
that noisy coxcomb, In his gay light blue
coat and white underclothes, screaming
and chattering, nodding and bobbing,
and bowling, and pretending to be on
good terms with every songstar OF the
grove.
AS Ichabod logged slowly on his wny
his eye, ever open to every symptom Of
culinary abundance, ranged with delight
over the treasures OF jolly autumn. On
all sides he beheld vnst store Of apples,
somo hanging In oppressive opulence on
the trees; some gathered. into baskets
and barrels for tho market; others
heaped up In rich piles for the cider
press. Farther on he beheld great fields
Of Indian corn, with its golden ears peep
ing from their leafy coverts, and holding
out the promise Of cakes and hasty pud-
ding; and tho yellow pumpkins lying be-
meath them, turning UP their fair round
bellies to the sun, and giving ample pros
poets of the most luxurious of pies; md
anon he passed the fragrant buckwheat
fields, breathing the odor Of the bee hive,
and as he beheld them, soft anticipa-
tions stole over his mind of dainty slap
Jacks, well buttered and garnished with
honey or treacle by the delicate little
dimpled hand Of Katrina Van Tassel.
Thus feeding his mind with many
sweet thoughts and "sugared supposi-
tions," he iourneyed along tho sides of a
range Of hills which look out upon some
of the goodliest scenes of the mighty
Hudson. The sun gradually wheeled his
broad disk down into the west The wide
bosom of the Tappaan Zeo lay motionless
and CLASSY, excepting that here and there
q gentle undulation waved and prolonged
the blue shadow Of the distant mountain.
A few amber clouds foated In the sky,
without breath Of air to move them.
The horizon was Of fine golden tint,
changing gradually into pure apple
green, and from that into the deep blue
Of the mid heaven. A slantlng ray lin
gered on the woody crests of the preci-
pices that overhung some parts OF the
river, giving greater depth 10 the dark
gray and purple Of their rocky sides. A
sloop was lettering In the distance, drop
ping slowly down with the tide, her sail
hanging uselessly against the mast; and
Us the reflection Of the sky CLEANED along
tho still water it seemed as il tho vessel
was suspended In the air.
II was toward evening that Ichabod
arrived at tho castle of tho Heer Van
Tassel, which he found thronged with
tho pride and flower Of the adjacent
Old farmers, spare, leathern
faced race, In homespun coats and
Dreeches, blue stockings, hugo shoes and
pewter buckles. Their brtsk,
little danes, In close crimped
caps, long wasted gowns, homespun
petticoats, with scissors and pin cush-
IONS and gay calico pockets hanging on
The outside. Buxom lasses, almost rs
lntiquated as their mothers, excepting
where O straw hat, q fine riband, or per-
haps q white frock, gave symptoms Of
city innovations. The sons, In short
square skirted coats, with rows Of stu
pendous brass buttons, and their hair
queued In the fashion Of the
times, especially II they could procure
IN eelskin for the purpose, 1t being es-
.eemed throughout tho country as a po- |
.ent nourisher and Btrengthener Of the
hair.
Brom Bones, however, was tho hero |
1f tho scene, having come 10 tho gather |
ng, having come 10 the gathering on his |
'avorite steed Daredevil, a creature, like |
himself, full of metal and mischief, and |
which no one but himself could manage. |
he was, In fact, noted for prefeTTing vic- |
Gus animals, given TO all Kinds Of tricks |
which kept tho rider in constant risk Of
ais neck, for he held a tractsble, vol /
Jroken horse as unworthy Of q lad OF
pirit
Fain would pause 20 dwell upon the |
World Of charms that burst upon the en-
gao of my hero a. he entered /
he state parlor Of Van Tassel's mansion /
Not those Of the bevy Of buxom lasses,
With their luxurious display Of red and /
rhite; but the ample charms Of geuu-
ne Dutch country tea table In the sump- /
nous time Of autumn. Such heaped up /
ilatters Of CAKES Of various and almost |
kinds, known only 10 ex- |
,eTienoed Dutch housewivesi There was
he doughty dOughnut, tho tender oly- /
,oek and the crisp and crumbling cr1l- |
eT; sweet cakes and short cakes, ginger .
axes and honey cakes and the whole .
anily q cakes And then there were .
Pple pes and peach PIES and pumpkin