Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-06-22
The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow
By WASHINGTON IRVING.

kTouED AMoNo THE PAPERS o. THE LATE
e.sralcH KN1CKERBoCKER.l
IN tnu way matters went ON Tor some
time, without producing any material
effect on the relative situations Of the
contending powers. On . fine autumnal
afternoon, Ichabod, In pensive mood, sat
enthroned ON the lofty stool from whence
he usually watched all the concerns Of
his little literary realm. In his hand he
power; the birch Of jusf1ce repoeed on
three nails. behind the throne, . constant
terror to evil doers; while on the desk
before him might be seen sundry contra
band articles and prohibited. weapons,
detected upon the persons OF idle urchins;
. such as half munched apples, popguns.
whirligigs, fly cages, and whole legions
Of rampant little paper gamecocks. Ap-
parently there had been some. appalling
act Of Justice recently infit< a., for his
scholars were all busily intenS Upon their
books, or slyly whispering behind them
with one eye kept upon the master; and q
kind OF buzzing stiffness reigned
throughout the school room. It was
suddenly interrupted by the appearance
OF negro In tow cloth jacket and trous-
ers, round crowned fragment Of Q
naG, nke the cap OF Mercury, an
mounted on the back Of a ragged, wild,
half broken. colt, which he managed
Gathering up to the school door with an
invitation to Ichabod to attend a merry
making, or quilting frolic," to be held
that evening at Mynheer Van Tassels;
and having delivered his message with
that air of Importance and effort at fine
language which q, negro Is apt TO dis.
play on petty embassies Of the kind, no
dashed over the brook, and was seen
scampering away up the hollow, full Of
the importance and hurry of his mission.
AL was now hustle and hubbub In the
late quiet school room, The scholars
were hurled through their lessons With.
out stopping at trifles; those who were
nimble skipped over half with impunity,
and those who were tardy had q smart
application now and then in the rear. to
tall word. Books were flung aside with
out being put away on the shelves, ink
stands were overturned, benches thrown
down and the whole school was turned
loose an hour before the the usual times
bursting forth like q legion of young
imps, yelping and racketing about the
green in joy at their early emancipation.
The gallant Ichabod now spent at least
an extra half hour at his toilet, brushing
and furnishing up his best and indeed
only suit of rusty black, and arranging
his locks by bit of broken looking glass
that hung up in the school house. That
he might make his appearance before his
mistress in the true style of a cavalier, he
borrowed horse from the farmer with
whom he was domiciliated,' "a choleric old
Dutchman of the name of Hans Van Rip
per. and thus gallantly mounted, issued
forth like knight errant in quest of ad-
ventures. But it is meet should, in the
true spirit of romantic story, give some
account of the looks and equipments Of
my hero and his steed. The animal he
bestrode was broken down plow horse
that had outlived almost every thing but
his viciousness He was gaunt and
shaggy, with a eve neck and head like
a hammer; his rusty name and tail were
tangled and knotted with burrs; one eye
had lost its pupil, and was glaring and
spectral. but the other had the CLEAN Of
genuine devil In it. Still he must have
had fire and mettle in his day, If we may
judge from his name, which was Gun
powder. He had, in fact, been favor
ite steed of his masters, the choleric Van
Ripper, who was furious rider, and had
infused, very probably, some of his own
spirit into the animal; for, old and
pIohtII uoWH dS IIc Ipbkeu, WaS
more of the lurking devil in him than in
any young filly in the country.
Ichabod was suitable figure for such
steed He rode with short stirrups,
which brought his knees nearly up to the
pommel of the saddle; his sharp elbows
stuck out like grasshoppcrs'; he carried
his whip perpendicularly in his hand,
like sccpter, and as the horse logged on
the motion of his arms was not unlike
the Tapping Of pair of wings. A small
wool hat rested OH tho top of his nose,
for so his scanty strip of forehead might
be called, and the skirts Of hts black coat
fluttered out almost to tho horses tail.
Such was the appearance Of lchabod and
his steed as they shambled out of the
gate of Hans Van Ripper, and it was al
together such an apparition as is seldom
to be met with in broad daylight.
1t was, as have said, a fine autumna
day; the sky was clear and serene
and nature wore 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 the tcndcrer Kind had beer
nipped by the frosts into brilliant dyes OF
orange, purple and scarlet. Streaming
files of wild ducks began to make theil
appearance high In the air; the bark OF
the squirrel might be heard from The
groves of beech and hickory nuts, nnt
the pcnsive whistle Of the quail at inter
walls from the neighboring stubble field
The small birds were taking their fare
well banguets. In the fullness Of theil
revelry they fiuttered, chirping ant
frolicking, from bush to bush and tire,
to tree, capricious from the very pro
fusion and variety around them
There was the honest cock robin
the favorite game Of STRIPPING sportsmen
with its loud querulous note, and tn,
twittering blackbirds flying in sabl,
clouds; and the golden winged wood
pecker, with his crimson crest, his broat
black gorget, and splendid plumage; anC
tho cedar bird, with its red tipt wing
and yellow tipt tail, and its little mon
teiro cap of feathers; and the bluejay
that noisy coxcomb, iii his gay light Blu,
coat and white underclothes, screaming
and chattering, nodding and bobbing
and bowing, and pretending to be oi
good terms with every songster of tn
grove.
As Ichabod logged slowly on his wa,
his eye, ever open to every symptom o
culinary abundance, ranged with deligh
over the treasures Of jolly autumn. o.
all sides he beheld vast store Of apples
some hanging in oppressive opulence ol
the trees; some gathered into basket
and barrels for the market; other
heaped up in rich piles for the eide
press. Farther ON he beheld great field
of Indian corn, with its golden ears peer
ing from their leafy coverts, and holding
out the promise of cakes and hasty pud
ding; and the yellow pumpkins lying be
Meath them, turning up their fair roun
bellies to the sun, and giving ample pros
poets of the most luxurious of pies; an
anon he passed the fragrant buckwhea
fields, breathing the odor Of the bee hive
and as he beheld them, soft anticipa
tions stole over his mind of dainty slaI
Jacks, well buttcred and garnished wit