The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-01


| and to smile, thinking the poor man
crazy Some of the more timid suggested
the propriety of securing the gun and
keeping the lunatic from harming himself
| or others-at which suggestion the inn
portant man with the cooked hat retired
with some precipitation. Just then
| fresh and comedy dame pressed through
the throng to get look at the stranger.
saying to a chubby child which she car
ried in her arms, as she drew near:
Hush Rip; hush, you little fool. The
old man won't hurt you" The name Of
the child caught the ear of Rip, as alse
did the voice of the mother. The voice
and the air of the woman were the voice
and air of Dame Van Wrinkle.
What is your name my good woman"
asked Rip. Judith GARDENER" she re-
piled. And your fathers name?' "Ah.
poor man, his name was Rip Van Wrinkle.
1t is 20 years now since he. wandered
forth with his dog and gun into the noun
| tains, and has never been seen or heard
of since. His dog came home without
him. But whether he was carried away
know-we never knew I was little girl
then" Rip asked one more question:
| Where is your mother?" ooh, she ID
dead, too" replied the woman. "she has
been dead, though, but little while. She
burst a blood vessel in quarrel with a
| New England pedlar who tried to cheat
her." Dropping his gun, Rip caught the
astonished woman and her child to his
arms, crying out through his tears: Il
am your father Young Rip Van Wrinkle
once-Od Rip Van Wrinkle now. Does
anybody know poor Rip Van Winkle?'
While the whole company stood amazed
an old woman tottered through the crowd
and going close to Rip and placing her
hand over her brow took a good look at
him. why, sure enough said she in a
feeble voice, at is Rip Van Wrinkle. Well
come home again, old neighbour
| Rip now told the whole story of his ad-
ventures in the mountains, where 20
years had seemed to him but as the pass
ing of one night. The assembly listened
with interest and establishment and were
rather inclined to give credence to the re-
markable narrative. However, to make
sure, it was agreed to take the opinion of
old Peter Vonderbonk, who was seen
slowly advancing up the road. He was
the most ancient inhabitant OF the viii
lage and we'll versed in all the wonderful
events and traditions of the region When
Rip had told Peter who he was Peter rec
ognized him at once and assured the as
sembly that Rips story was true in every
detail He said that it was fact handed
down to him from his ancestor, cele-
brated historian of the region. that the
Kaatskills were always haunted by
strange beings. That once every 20
years the great Henry Hudson and his
crew revisited the river named after the
Ediscoverer and kept sort of vigil in the
recesses of the Kaatskills His own
father had once caught glimpse of them
playing at ninepins, just as Rip described,
and he himself had once heard the rolling
of their bowls among the mountains.
This matter being satisfactorily set
tied the company went back to the af.
fairs of the election and Rips daughter
took the old man to her neat and we'll
Il kept home. She had a stout farmer for
her husband-one Of the urchins who used
to climb upon Rips knees. Young Rip
old Rips son-the counterpart of himself,
worked upon the farn-when he worked
at all. Having really nothing to do and
having arrived at that happy age when
man can loaf without reproach, Rip
quietly resumed his old habits. He
hunted up such of his old cronies as were
still alive and together passed many Z
quiet day, smoking and recalling OLD
times in a calm, slow manner. 1t took
Rip of course, some time to get used 70
the changed order of things, for many
mighty events had transpred while he
slept among the mountains, and 1t was
changed world he came back into.
Rip was never weary of telling the story
of HIS most remarkable adventure ana
nearly every one believed it implicitly.
Some few, of course, scoffed at it-but
some people will not believe the most
plausible and simple statement If 1t does
not happen to jibe with their own ideas.
or course Rip lived to be very old and
died respected.
Next weeks one-page classic will b
, "Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift.