New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-13
HAWKS LEDGE.
rorrlc FANCIES THAT ARE WOVEN ABOUT
EVOLUTIONARY HOMESTEAD


.,,. Ledge. West Milford y. j.. Feb 7.-iawk's
ma" -, old colonia! manor. ami across lis threshold
LeOsV 81 those who fought in The campaigns OF the
VEN .,, There formerly hung over ia" manic!
keNV" u ,,,rmount, the wide. deep chimney sword
reV tA tecn carried by one OF these brave pi'rots,
VIZ ,nc,,b wa, q device worked In hair showing
Nu tree overhangns tombstone; ana beside The
oP 90. = weeping female figure. her tears. also IL
'a'e' .,r droppinr to the ground. II was IN such
i' ,ho, our rrvcrrd grandmOihcrS and great grand
H A"', .ooc,Imes concentrated their bereavement
mO" sicnlfcd that tie bearer OF the sword whom
IH, ,d Mars had spared had been cut down by
Iy,he o, Old Father Time. who y indeed an enemy
wv 81 he feared than either OF them Tie weeping
~ Genre Wa, sign that his afflicted oonSort sur
'. a him Tia: WIS long ago AMI other devices IN
NTH other mourning attendants have III all llkoh-
n' e,,c, been embroidered In memory Of her. For
row. rruarv establishment could well spare it hut
tHo ~ Che sword wcrr again in It's place ] would
:, ,her, always m honor and vencra,ion, rcmcm-
Nr tho conse I'm wlich II had been drawn. All Its
ps'He ho,,lc would hav" been blazonilcS cf the
,orts nj tlle house and its rusty belt golden
|.,. ,nNinc il with its Revolutionary memories.
ei,r tho freight flicker, on the old hearth in the
.n,nc and a mellow dusk fingers in the recesScs Of
ri1o drawingroom | Ike 10 build the fancy that
~ rho great Washington had some time sat by thai
80 will, IN, war gear upon him. his military cloak
-. Nj long holscmans boots. and his coat with the
- ncinc,: everybody knows them. and knows like
80 how in majesty OF presence. in valor and vir
- ha surpassed MiliiadcS and Epaminondas. and Cato
-. censor rolled into one. like, say. TO nurture
~ ,cv that he once sat there. for OF his great
...nelas sre near by and the road which runs past
"a ,be bridge which spans the creek are the pathways
o. ,,sm and along them must have rumbled the cannon
,a ,ranped the sodicry that won these historic fields
IN bc dim half light shed by The wnkinS fire on wanS-
ont ard tapestry and ceiling and wall on the ranks OF
,hs IN their cases standing i'm file like the soldiers
hom he commanded. seem to trace a shadOwy image
=, ,his immortal man and to people these old walls
18th his memory know not if in truth he drew
d,c here as he passed AMI shed the momcntary grace
A. his presence on the house: but the surmsc violates
m historical probability. When the war was over and
Cornwsl, had delivered mp his sword ut Yorktown ana
the men.at-arns came home, we may imagine that the
od house was bright with the light and musical with
the sound of festival. These were the days OF the
borpschorl and the spinet and the mlnue OF stately
WAYS and manners. the image whereof may sometimes
vel be seen in pictures Of that period, but winch mas
elsewhere almo, faded from the world. don't doubt
that peach brandy and honey flowed in oceans 10 vel
come these returning braves nor that the smiles Of
b,auty and all the other rewards winch greet valor
when comes back wearing the Iiband of victory were
theirs All are gone now. the gallant men-at-arms
and the stately danes with their soft voices of cnchan
meDt and their bright eyes OF welcoming. New foot
sieps are on the floor faces at the door only the
Ghosts of It's old jewellers fit through its shadOwy apart
ments and fling upon it in ftful CLEANS the light of
vanished time"
The old house has worn the same outward aspect
during all these changing years and fashions. Its red
emneys have lowered bravely into the air above the
foliage Of lis surrounding trees for now century OF
seasons and more. and worn ike plumeS the rudy
beams Of morning and evening as they yet wear them
The old porch has looked forth with like aspect on the
waters mirroring their groves of willow and alder and
their waving reeds with blue flag flowers, on which.
buer than they. the dragon fly alghs ana the marsh
wren sways and swings. For like period the old
stone terrace overlooking the garden has stood exhibit
Ing no sign OF decrepitude decay. that stone
Is here and there fallen from its old messy paIape 1t
Is a mellow cheerful age which descends like golden
autumnal mist the venerable habitation and seems
10 enveOp il In robe Of pleasant and sunny memories
The lake is large enough for journeys Of discovery
and emprse and preserve for some Of its boundaries
On atmosphere Of obscurity II ii flowed against the
stars have yet explored all its bays and head
lands sailed around all its islands. But from each
Journey bring back province of faryland to annex
10 my visible and bounded territories We are not here
entirely shut In By geographical lines and circumscrp
TONS Our pathways open and spread through the
dominion Of wonderland and the spaces OF the sky.
When come back from visit to the grove or groto,
fountain in the wilderness, or waterfall / lament
those days of happy pety and fond belief in which all
these pcOped. the tree with Its dryad. and the
fountain with Its nymph, and the cave with It's sby
For the mystical maiden under dwelling genius OF
this mere would like to the clear hyaline cloven
BY her uprise would like 70 her With attendant
reinues walk the wave in beauty as she was wont TO
DO in the days when the world younger, when the
fancy the faith OF the children Of men remained yet
unbenumbed i would like TO see Robin GoodfellOw
seated the cowslps rim, and Ariel sliding down the
slanting mOonbeam, and field and brake and brae
peOped again with the lost creations OF wonder and
love. But ii is late for the fond believing Tyre"
Gone these days when
Holy the haunted forest boughs
Holy the ait. the water ana the IRE.
They have vanished from wave and woodland as
from the faith OF man. and OF all these spreading groves
OF laurel there is haunting dryad, and Of all the
sleering oaks no sibyl TO utter forth her oracle.
OF these old Revolutionary or colonial manses not
many are left and their number diminishes with the
advancing II VIII not be long before their sur
Nyal will be merely pictorial and legendary. Their
stately and venerable shapes will fade into images OF
air, and then into dreams and memories. AS time
sadly overcometh all things such must be the fate In
store for this cheerful. sturdy abode which yet wears
It's burden Of years like flower and Is folded in It's
crclet Of traditions like garland. Come when II
may the completed history Of the house Is Of grace
and modest distinction without the stain the Of
higher heroic or romantic renOwn, and II Is worthy
that the amber OF clearer art than mine should melt
around II preserve forever its outlines from decay