Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-06-15
,DeAsaE,PH HEYLICDR,
Bv WASHINGTON IRVING.

Bv WAEHlNGT0N IRVING.
- Tn their arrival at ALBANY. tho sirh,
Of Dolph's companion seemed to cause
universal satisfaction. Many were the
greetings at the river side and tho salu.
tations in the streets; the dogs bounded
before him, the boys whooped as he
passed, everybody seemed to know An.
tony Wander Heytien. Dolph followed
ON In silence, admiring the neatness ol
this worthy burg; for In those days Al
bany was in all Its glory, and inhabited
almost exclusively by the descendants ol
the original Dutch settlers, for IL had moi
rs yet been discovered and colonized BY
the restless people Of New England.
Everything was quiet and orderly, every.
thing ~vas conducted calmly and leis-
urely; no hurry, no hustle, no struggling
and scrambling for existence. The grass
grew about tho unpaved streets and rc-
loved the eye by its refreshing veraurc.
Inc tall sycamorcs or pendant willows
shaded the houscs, with caterpillars
swinging by long silken strings from
their branches or moths fiuttering about
like coxcombs in Joy at their gay trans.
formation. Tho houses were built In tho
old Dutch style, with the gable ends
towards the Street The thrifty house
WHO was seated on a bench before her
doCr. I'm close crimped cap. bright flow.
cred gown and white apron, busily en-
Ployed in knitting. The husband smoked
his pipe ON tho opposite bench, and the
little pet negro girl, seated on the step
at her mistress feet, was industriously
plying her needle The swallows sported
about the caves or skinned along the
streets and brought back some rich
booty for their clamorous young, and
the little housekeeping wren flew In and
out VI a Liliputian house or an old hat
nailed against the wall. The cows were
coming home, lowing through tho
streets, to be MIXED at their owners
door; and If, perchance, there were any
ioiterers. some negro urchin with long
goad was gently urging them home
wards.
AS Dolph's companion passed on he re-
ccived a tranquil nod from the burgers,
and friendly word from their wives,
all calling him familiarly by the name Of
Antony; for 1t was the custom in this
stronghold of the patriarchs. where they
had all grown up together from child
hood, to call every one by the Christian
name. The Heer did not pause to have
his usual jokes with them, for he was
impatient to reach his home. At length
they arrived at his mansion. II -as Of
some magnitude, i'm the Dutch style, with
large iron figures on the gables that guvo
the date of its erection and showed that
It had been built in the earliest times Of
the settlement.
The news of Hccr Antony's arrival had
preceded him, and the whole household
was on the lookout. A crew of negroes,
large and small had collected In front Of
the house to receive him. The old, white
headed ones, who had grown gray In his
service. grinned for joy and made many
awkward bows and grimaces, and tho
little ones capercd about his knees. But
the most happy being in the household
was little, plump blooming lass, his
only child and the darling of his heart.
She came bounding out of the house, but
the sight of a strange young man with
her father called up, for a moment, oil
The bashfulncss of homebrcd damsel.
Dolph gazcd at her with wonder and de-
light; never had he seen, as he thought,
anything so comely in the shape Of
woman. She was dressed i'm the good
old Dutch taste, with long stays and full,
short peticcats, so admirably adapted to
show ana set of the female form. Her
hair, turned up under small round cap,
displayed tic fairness of her forehcad
she had line, blue, laughing eyes, trim,
slender waist, and soft swell--but, in a
word, she was little Dutch divinity,
anu Dolph, who never stopped half way
in new impulse, fell desperately in love
with her.
Dolph was now ushercd into the house
with hearty welcome. In the interior
was mingled display of Hccr Antony's
taste and habits aHd of the onulence of
his predecessors. The chambers were
furnished with good old mahogany, the
beaufets and lupboards glittcrsl with
embossed silver and painted china. Over
the parlor fireplace was, as usual, the
family coat of ..rms, painted and framed,
above which was u long du@k fcwIing
piece, flanked by an Indian p0rci, and
powder horn, The room was decorated
with many indian articles, such ..s pipes
OF peace, tomahawks, scalping E.lvcs,
hunting pouches and belts of Ndinpum;
aud there were various kinds f fishing
tackle and two or three iowiin,, Lieces in
the corners. The household af9pIs seemed
to be conducted, ia some mcasLnc, after
tho masters huuprs, corrected. pe.haps,
ny htue quiet management of the
daughters. There was Gegree of patri-
archal simplicity and good humored
Indulgence Tl,c pcgroes came into tho
look ut their master and hesl of his ad-
ventures they would stapd listening at
the door until he Lad Gn.shed a story,
and then go oe Gu bread grin 10 repeat
II in the kit,,l-n. A couple Of pet negro
ehiidren- wxo' playing aboi. the floor
with the dogs, and sharing with them
their Tread and butter. All the domcs-
tics locke! hearty and happy, and when
the table was set for the evening repast,
the variety apd abundance of good house
hold luxuries tore testimony TO the open
handed '!haraiity Ct the HesS and the
notable hcdsewifcry of his daughter.
In tho evening there cropped in sew
eral OF the worthless os the place--the
Van Rennsellaers anG the Gansevoorts
and the ltosebooms and others of Antony
Wander Heydcn's intimates, to hear an
account Of his eSped lon; for he was the
Sindbad Of Albany, Md his exploits and
adventures were favorite topics OF con-
versaticn among the Inhabitants. While
these sat gossiping together about the
door of the hall, and telling long twilight
stories, Dolph was cozily seated enter
tanning the daughter on a window bench.
He had already got on intimate terms,
for those were not times of false reserve
and idle ceremony; and, besides. there is
something wonderfully propitious to
lovers suit in the delightful dusk Of
long summer evening; it gives courage
to the most timid tongue and hides the
bushes of the bashful. The stars alone
twinklcd brightly, and now and then q
tircty strcamed his transient light before
the window, or, wandering into the room,
hew cleaning about the ceiling.
..s=s.l-\