Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-03-07
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
BY WASHINGTON IRVING.


large D..e bearded Dutchman, VINO iiiao
nearly taken a British frigate with an oio
iron nine FOUNDER from mud breastwork,
only that his gun burst at the sixth dlS'
charge. And there was an oldgentieman
who shall be nameless, being too rich
mynheer to be lightly mentioned, "ho' "
the battleof White Plains, being an excel
lent master of defense, parted musket
ball with a small sword, insomuch that
he absolutely felt it whiz round the
blade, and glance off at the hilt; in proof
of which he was ready at any time 70
show the sword, with the hilt little
bent. There were several more that had
been equally great in the field, not one
of whom but was persuaded that he had
a considerable hand in bringing the war
to happy termination.
But all these were nothing to the tales
of ghosts and apparitions that succeeded.
The neighborhood is rich in legendary
treasures of the kind Local tales and
superstitions thrive best In these shell
tered, long settled retreats, but are
trampled under foot by the shifting
/ throng that forms the population of most
of our country places. Besides, there Is
no encouragement for ghosts in most OF
our villages, for they have scarcely had
time to finish their first nap and turn
themselves in their graves, before their
surviving friends have Travelled away
from the neighborhood, so that when
they turn out at night to walk their
rounds, they have no acquaintance left
to call upon. This is perhaps the reason
why we SO seldom hear of ghosts except
in our long established Dutch communi-
ties.
The immediate cause, however, of the
prevalence of supernatural stories In
these parts. was doubtless owing to the
vicinity of Sleepy Hollow. There was
contagion in the very air that blew from
that haunted region; it breathed forth
an atmosphere of dreams and fancies in
fecting all the land. Several of the
Sleepy Hollow people were present at
Van Tassel's. and, as usual, were doing
out their wild and wonderful legends.
Many dismal tales were told about fu-
neral trains, and mourning cries and
wailings heard and seen about the great
tree where the unfortunate Maj. Andre
was taken, and which stood in the neigh
borhood. Some mention was made also
of the woman in white, that haunted
the dark glen at Raven Rock, and was
often heard 10 shrek on winter nights
before storm, having persisted there in
the snow. The chief part of the stories,
however, turned upon the favorite spec
ter Of Sleepy Hollow, the headless horse
man, who had been heard several times
Of late, patroling the country; and, it is
said, tethered his horse nightly among
the graves in the churchyard.
The seQuestered situation of this church
seems always TO have made it a favorite
haunt of troubled spirits. II stands ON
knoll, surrounded by locust trees and
lofty Gins, from among which its de
cent, wllitewashed walls shine modestly
forth, like Christian purity, beaming
through the shades of retirement. A
gentle slope descends from it to a
silver sheet of water, bordered by
high trees, between which peeps may
be caught at the blue hills Of the Hud-
son. To look upon this grass grown
yard, where the sunbcams seem TO sleep
so quietly. one wonld think that there at
least the dead might rest in peace. On
one side of the church extends wide
woody dell. along which raves large
brook among broken rocks and trunks of /
fallen trees. Over deep black part of /
the stream, not far from the church, was /
formerly thrown a wooden bridge; the |
road that led to it, and the bridge itself /
were thickly shaded by overhanging /
trees. which cast a gloom about it, even /
in the day time: but occasioned fearful /
darkness at night. Such was one of the |
favorite haunts Of The headless horse
man, and the place where he was most
frequently encountered. The tale was 4
told of cid Brouwer, a most heretical dis !
believer in ghosts, how he met the horse
man returning from his foray into 1
Sleepy Hollow, and was obliged TO get 4
up behind him; how they galloped over
bush and brake, over hill and swamp,
until they reached the bridge, when the |
horsernan suddenly turned into q skel-
eton, threw old Brouwer into the brook,
and sprang away over the tree tops with
a clap of thunder
This story was Immediately matched
by q thrice marvellous adventure of
Brom Bones. who made light of the gal
Looping Hes5ian as an arrant jockey. He
that on returning one night
from the neighboring village of Sing
night trooper; that he offered to race
with him for bowl of punch, and
should have won it too, for Daredevil
beat the goblin horse all hollow, but Just
rs they came to the church bridge the
Hessian bolted and vanished in flash of
FIRE
All these tales, told in that drowsy
undertone with which men talk in the
dark, the countenances of the listeners
only now and then receiving a casual
CLEAN from the glare Of pipe, sunk
deep in the mind of Ichabod. He re-
paid them in kind with large extracts
from his invaluable author, Cotton
Slather, and added many marvellous
events that had taken place in his native
state Of Connecticut, aud fearful sights
which he had seen ia his nightly walks
about Sleepy Hollow.
The revel now gradually broke up.
The old farmers gathered together their
families in their wagons, and were heard
for some time rafting along the hollow
roads, and over the distant hills. Some
Of the damsels mounted on billions be-
hind their favorite SWANS, and their light
hearted laughter, mingling with the cIat-
ter of hoofs, echoed along the silent wood
lands, sounding fainter and fainter, until
they gradually died away-and the late
scene of noise and froic was all silent