San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-01-31

Van wlnklo yonider, leaning against tho

Van Winkle yonder, leaning against the
trco."
Rip looked and beheld precise counter
part of himself Us he went up tho noun
tain; apparently ma lazy and certainly as
ragged. The poor fellow was now CON-
pletely confounded. He doubted his own
identity, and whether he was himself OF
another man. In tho midst OF his be-
wildcrment the man In the cooked hat
demanded who he was, and what was
his namey
"God knows" exclaimed ho ut his
wits end; "Im not myself = I'm
somebody else--thnt's me yonder-no-
that's somebody else, got into my shoes
/ was myself last night, but fell asleep
on tho mountain, and they've changed
my gun, md everything's changed, and
I'm changed, and l can't tell what's my
name or who amW
The bystanders began now to look at
each other, nod, wink significantly, and
tap their fingers against their foreheads.
There was whisper, also, about secur-
ing tho gun, and keeping the old fellow
from doing mischief; ut tho very sug-
gestion Of which, the self important man
with tho cooked hat retired with some
precipitation. At this critical moment a
fresh comely woman passed through the
throng to get peep ut the gray bearded
man. She had q chubby child In her
arms, which, frightened at his looks, be-
gan to cry. "Hush, Rip" cried she,
"hush, you little fool, the old man won't
hurt YOU" The name Of the child, the
air Of tho mother, the tone of her voice,
all awakened a train Of recollections In
his mind.
"What is your name, my good wo-
manr' asked he.
"Judith GARDENER"
''And your fathers nameY'
"Ah, poor man, his name was Rip Van
Wrinkle; it's twenty years sinco he went
away from home with his gun and never
has been heard of since-his dog came
home without him; but whether he shot
himself, or was carried away by the
Indians, nobody can tell. Twas then but
a little girl"
Rip had but one question more to AJAX;
but ne put 1t with a faltering voice;
"Where's your mother"
Oh, she too had died but short time
since; she broke blood vessel In fit of
passion at New England peddler.
There was drop Of comfort, ut least,
In this intelligence. The honest man
could contain himself no longer. He
caught his daughter and her child In his
arms. "I'm your fatherw cried he
"Young Rip Van Winkle once--old Rip
Van Wrinkle nowl Does nobody know
poor Rip Van Winkle"
All stood amazed, until an old woman,
tottering out from among the crowd, put
her hand to her brow, and peering under
II In his face for moment, exclaimed:
"Sure enoughl it Is Rip Van Winkle-it
Is himself. Welcome home again, old
neighbor. Why, where have you been
these twenty long yea,sf"
Rips story was soon told, for tho whole
twenty years had been TO him but as one
night. The neighbors stared when they
heard It; some were seen to wink at each
other, and put their tongues In their
checks; and the self important man In
tho cooked hat, who, when the alarm was
over, had returned to tho field, screwed
down the corners of his mouth, and shook
his head--upon which there was u gen.
eral shaking Of the head throughout the
assemblage.
It was determined, however, to take
the opinion Of old Peter Vanderdonk,
who was seen slowly advancing up the
road. He was descendant OF the his
torian of that name, who wrote one OF
the earliest accounts of tho province.
Peter was tho most ancient inhabitant OF
the village, and well versed In oil the
wonderful events and traditions OF the
He recollected Rip at
once, and corroborated his story In the
most satisfactory manner. He assured
the company that 1t was a fact, handed
down from his ancestor the historian,
that the Kaatskill mountains had always
been haunted by strange beings. That It
was affirmed that the great Hendrick
Hudson, the first discoverer Of the river
and country, kept O kind Of vigil there
every twenty years, with his crew OF the
Half-moon, being permitted In this way
to revisit the scenes Of his enterprise and
keep guardian eye upon the river and
the great city called by his name. That
his father had once seen them In their
old Dutch dresses playing at nine pins In
a hollow Of tho mountain; and that he
himself had heard, one summer after
noon, the sound Of their balls, like distant
peals Of thunder.
To make Q long story short, the
company broke up, and returned to
tho more important concerns OF the
election, Rips daughter took him home
to live with her; she had a snug,
veil furnished house, and stout cheery
Turner for husband, whom Rip recol-
lected for one of the urchins that Csed to
climb upon his back. AS to Rips son
and heir, who was the ditto of himself,
seen leaning against the tree, he was EN-.
pIoycd 10 work on tho farm, but evinoed
q hereditary disposition to attend TO any
thing else but his business.
Rip now resumed his old walks ana
habits; he soon found many Of his for
mer cronies, though all rather the worse
for the wear and tear Of time, and pre-
ferred making friends among the rising
generation, with whom he soon grew
Into great favor.
Having nothing TO do at home, and be-
ing arrived at that happy age when a
man can do nothing with impunity, he
took his place once more on the bench
at the inn door and wns revereDced as
one Of the patriarchs Of the village and
a chronicle Of the old times "before the
war" II was some time before he could
get into the regular track of gossip, OF
could be made TO comprehend the strange
events that had taken place during his
torpor. How that there had been o
revolutionary war-that the country had
thrown of the yoke Of old England-and
that, instead of being subject OF his
majesty George the Third, he was now a
free citizen Of the United States Rip, In
fact, was no politician; the changes OF
Of states and empires made but little Inn
prgs,sion on him; but there was one species
OF despotfsm under which he had long
Rroaned, and that was-petticcat gov
eminent Happily, that was az an end
be had got his neck out of the yoke Of
n1atrimony. and could go IN and out
Whenever he pleaged. without dresding
the tyranny q Dame Van Winkle.
WheneveT her name u1s mentioned. how
ever, be shook his bead. shrugged hts
sho-,iaorz ard rsra1 m hfs cres: which