San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-01-24
So that he ,oas rafn to draw of his forces.


dog Wolf, who wns as much hen pecked
as his master; for Dame Van Winkle re-
garded them as companions In idleness,
and even looked upon Wolf with an evil
eve os the cause Of his masters going 80
often astray. True It Is In all
points OF spirit befltting an honorable
dog, he was as courageous on animal as
ever secured the wooas--but what cour-
age can Withstand tho ever during and
all besetting terrors Of woman's tonguef
The moment Wolf entered the house his
crest fell, his tail drooped TO tho ground
or curled between his legs, he sneaked
about with u gallows air, casting many
q s!deiong glance at Dame Van Winklo,
and at the least flourish OF a broomstick
or ladle he would fly to the door with
yelping precipitation
Times grew worse and worse with Rip
Van Winkle, az years Of matrimony
rolled on. A tart temper never mellows
with age, and sharp tongue Is the only
edge tool that grows keener with con-
slant use. For q long while he used to
console himself, when driven from home,
by freauenting kind Of perpetual club
Of the sages, philosophers and other idle
personages Of the village, which held its
sessions on bench before o small Inn.
designated by q rubicund portrait of his
majesty George III. Here they used to
sit In the shade, Of long, lazy sum
mer's day, talking listlessly over
village gossip or telling endless
sleepy stories about nothing. But 1t
would have bsen worth any statesman's
money to have heard the profound dis
cussions which sometimes took place,
when by chance ON old newspaper fell
into their hands from some passing trav-
eler. How solemnly they would listen
to the contents, as drawled out by Der
rick Van Bummel, the schoolmaster, o
dapper learned little man, who was not
to be dauntod by tho most gigantic word
In the dictionary and how eagely they
would deliberate upon public events
some months after they had taken place.
Tho opinions Of this junta were com
pletely controlled by Nicholas Vodder, o
patriarch Of tho village and landlord Of
the inn, at tho door Of which he took his
seat from morning TIL night, just moving
sufficiently to avoid the sun and keep In
tho shade Of large tree, go that the
neighbors could tell the hour by his
movements as accurately as by sun
dial. It Is true, he was rarely heard to
speak, but smoked his pipe incessantly.
His edherents, however for every great
man has his adherents), perfectly under
stood him end knew how to gather his
opinions. WbeIi anything that was read
or related displeased him, no was OBJ
served to smoke his pipe vehemently and
TO send forth short, frequent and angry
puffs; but when pleased no would inhale
tho smoke slowly and TRANQUILITY and
emit it In light and placid clouds, and
sometimes taking the pipo from his
mouth, and letting tho fragrant vapor
curl about his nose, would gravely nod
bis head In token Of perfect appreciation.
From even this strong hold tho unlucky
Rip was Mt length routed by his terlna-
CANT wife, who would suddenly break In
upon tho tranquility Of the assemblage
and coll the members oil to nought; nor
wcs that august parsonage, Nicholas
Vedler himself, sacred from the daring
tongue Of this terrible virago, who
charged him outright with encouraging
her husband In habits Of idleness.
Poor Rip wus at last reduced almost TO
des,sair, and his only alternative 10 es-
cape from the labor Of the farm and the
claInor Of his wife was TO tako gun In
hand and stroll away into tho woods.
Here he would sometimes scat himself nj
the foot of O treo and share the contents
of IDS wallet with Wolf, with whom he
sympathized as fellow sufferer Ia per-
eecution. "Poor Wolf" be would cay,
"thy mistress loads thee dogs life Of It;
but never mind, my lad, whilst / live
thou shalt never want q friend TO etand
by theer Wolf would wag his tail, look
witfully tn bis masters face, and II
dogs can feel pity verify believe he re
ciprocated the sentiment with ell his
hear.
In long ramble Of tho Kind, on q fine
cuturnHal day, Rip lad unconsciotsiy
ecrs.l,bIad " one Oh the highest parts OF
the KaatslIiu mountainS lie wo9 aiszr
his favorite sport Of Squirrel shooting,
and the stin solitudos had echoed and re-
echoed with tho reports Of his gun.
Painting and fatigued, be threw hulSelt
late In the afternoon On green knoll
covered with mountain hCrbasse tia;
cruwned tho brow Of . prec!picc. From
an oDenkng between the uoes he could
overlook afl the lower country foT many
a mile q rich woodland lie saw az
distance the Lrdly Hudson, far, far be
low him, moving On its Silent but ma
jezzlc oOurse, With tho retlection of 9
purple cloud O. the Ezl of lagl5iag LARK
here and there slocpins On its glassy
boom, and at Ia. io.tng itsef In IL
blue hlghlaodA
On lie othar side lie looEed down intc
n deep mountain gle1, vild. lonely and
rllagEed tie bottom Gl,od with frag
inents from the impending cltfs, an1
scarcely Lighted ~ the REJECTED rays a
Z the set-tng eua- For soCns tine ZIP laJ
nsusnz On tbs sceac; oycutrg Wa frad
,zlly aIvaocing; the Tnounts1rls ieg1n q
til-or tiaeir lo-g bl1e Ehadcz7s over -.
vzus7s; be EaW that g sTolld - czTk
Lax batore he oo1i ry1ch tsc lll-1gc
rnd Re hazved q Lozvy Egh uir1 b.
fhouztt q e1cozn.zf-g lie toxso-s q
Dznse Van Wi1kle-
A. Re zz.s abo1f 70 6esoend he hsard
\ voEcx fr1l q t.felucc ha..oo-
IL ~R7 w Nt-flt Et7 va