The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-01-25
vHrRr TIE DEED MS done.

port, and before railroads were even
dreamed OF on that remote part of Long
Island. there were dotted along the east
ern shore only few quaint little villages.
already old, with small population scat
tered in their vicinity, consisting most
entirely of hardy race. who, though pro-
fessediv eultvators OF the soil. in reality
drew most OF their subsistence from ar
duous and often perilous toll upon the
sea Among the curiOusiy inscribed
tombstones in the graveyards, where even
then six generations were lying, were not
ct all unfrequent those that bore the le-
gend "killed by whale" OF the young
er men in the community. there were few
who did not aspire to 90 abroad as whal-
ers. and their elders. though settled agri-
culturists nominslly, or even petty trades
men, had generally been a-whaling."
loved 10 spin warns about their cruises,
and were sti more than semi-nsutical IN
speech. manners and Industries They
naturally spoke OF "the bow" of q horse,
or his "port-quarter," as occasion might
require; belonged to shore whaling COM
panies; fished for the New York market
10 a limited extent, and perhaps did some
Bmugg ing; as shoTe-hving people. IN
those days. generally seemed 10 think
thsy had an inherent right to. In their
little "sitting-rooms" were many curious
and interesting things. brought from far
distant lands. such as broad branches of
fan coral, stuffed birds of brilliant plum
age. strange shells and sperm whales
teeth adorned with queer rude pictures
scratched upon them by sailors whose
thoughts OF loved ones at home had
prompted them 10 such artistic endeavor.
Between the villages were long reaches
of woodland, or perhaps 1t would be more
correct to say thick t-broken here and
there, where the sandy soil seemed to
give most promise. by titled fields. Fierce
gales, through the long hard winter
months, dealt cruelty with the scrubby
cedars and knotty little oaks in those
woods, gnariiDg their boughs, twisting
their trunks. and stunting their growth,
50 that not all the genial breath of spring
nor the ardent summers sun could quite
repair the damage wrought them in the
eeason OF ice and storm. Bat the n ardV
trees stood close together as If seeking
support and consolation IRON each other
IN their hours of trial when they creaked
and ground complaint to one another; so
close that their inter!aced foliage kept al
ways damp the leafstEeWn ground be-
meath. where the fragrant trailing srbutus
blOomed In earliest spring, and the tangled
whoEtleberry bushes later bore their clus-
ters of bluish-purple fruit Here and there
the dwarfep forest sIoped gently down to
broad expenses OF salt meadow, where
snipe and plOver found their iayorile feed
ing grounds among the rank rushes and
LONG grass, or tile soft mArshy slime, ex-
cept when the full noon tides came rush
ing through the little inlets between the
white round sand dunes on the beach
and, whelming the lowland, snatched
brown-leaf trophies from the very edges
OF the wood. On the knobs between these
meadows were favorils places for the lCca-
ton of the homes OF the earlier settlers,
among whom were the Van Deusts.
The Van Deust homestead was one of
the Oldest dwellings on that portion of the
island, and those who at this time inhab-
tied il were the direct descendants of
other Van Deusis, whose remote existence
and remarkable longevity were alike at
tested by the quantity craven tombslones
In the ancient graveyard of the village,
mile away.
1t was rambling one-story house, built
OF small loGs covered with boards now
warped and rusty from age, but both
ToOmY and comfortable as well as pic
turesque. Those by whom it was erected
loved better the sea than the land, for
they hid not only sought out this, the
most commanding site they could obtain
for It's location, but had turned its back
upon the forest and the lane, and reared
Its broad porch upon the side facing the
ocean Here. IN the ample shade the
two old bachelor brothers, its present oc.
cupAnts, inherlting as we'll the feeling as
the property of their ancestors, loved to
hnger. The ceaselees roar OF the waves
was 10 their ears a wild, tumultuous mu-
Eie, and their eyes were never weary of
the ever-changing beauty and glory of the
word OF pillows blushing with the dawn
laughing with the noon, and frowning be-
meath storm and night. Three broad aud
rugged elm trees sha led the porch, aud
one gable OF the house was rasped bv the
boughs OF the nearest tree IF thicslY
grown anu badly cared for little orchard
Bats and swallows fitted undisturbed in
the summer evenings TO AMI from the low
lott Of the old homestead, through it's vari-
Gus chinks and refts; native song-birds
build their nests and reared their young
under the caves, and in the swinging
branches OF the venerable ems, bees
buZzed among the thick honeysuckle, and
elematIs vines that twined about the pillar
OF the porch, and threw their long SPRAYS
In fowery festoons between; and when
the busy hum of those industrious little
tollers ceased az nIghtfall, the cricksts'
CHEEKY chirp, from arong the rough
stones OF the old-fashioned fireplace with
10, took up the refrain of insect melody.
Neither insect, bird, nor beast feared the
two kindly old men who inhabited that
home. One o. the brothers loved all liv-
Ing things. and was at peace with all, and
The other was like unto him, with the sole
exception that he liked not women, nor
was willing to be at peace with them.
Yet he had never been married
Peter, the elder b. a couple of wears,
was the woman hater and 10 such an ex-
tent did he carry his sntipathy toward the
sex that be would tolerate no other female
servant about the house than old black
Betsy, who was the daughter OF a couple
of slaves his grandfather had owned and
who thoroughly considered herself one OF
the family. as indeed her indulgent mas
ters regarded her. The three old people
occupied the house alone. Brother Jacob
once limited TO Peter that perhaps ii nigh.
be as well TO get yonng woman TO assist
Did Betsy in her work, and his so doing
brought on what was more like q quarrel
between him and Peter than anything
that bad disturbed the monotony of their
unevsntful lives up to that time. A COM
promise wac finally effected. by virtue of
which a neighbor was engaged 70 come
over for couple OF hours daily to do such
chores about the house a. the brothers felt
NEAar