. Modern stories. e but his business. Rip now resumed his old walks and habits; he soonfound many of his former cronies, though all ratherthe worse for the wear and tear of time; and preferredmaking friends among the rising generation, with whomhe soon grew into great favor. Having nothing to do at home, and being arrived atthat happy age when a man can be idle with impunity,he took his place once more on the bench at the inndoor, and was reverenced as one of the patriarchs ofthe village, and a chronicle of the old times before thewar. It was some time before he could get into theregular track
. Modern stories. e but his business. Rip now resumed his old walks and habits; he soonfound many of his former cronies, though all ratherthe worse for the wear and tear of time; and preferredmaking friends among the rising generation, with whomhe soon grew into great favor. Having nothing to do at home, and being arrived atthat happy age when a man can be idle with impunity,he took his place once more on the bench at the inndoor, and was reverenced as one of the patriarchs ofthe village, and a chronicle of the old times before thewar. It was some time before he could get into theregular track of gossip, or could be made to compre-hend the strange events that had taken place duringhis torpor. How that there had been a revolutionarywar — that the country had thrown off the yoke of oldEngland — and that, instead of being a subject of hisMajesty George the Third, he was now a free citizen ofthe United States. Rip, in fact, was no politician; thechanges of states and empires made but little impres- 206. RIP VAN WINKLE sion on him; but there was one species of despotismunder which he had long groaned, and that was —petticoat government. Happily that was at an end;he had got his neck out of the yoke of matrimony,and could go in and out whenever he pleased, withoutdreading the tyranny of Dame Van Winkle. Wheneverher name was mentioned, however, he shook his head,shrugged his shoulders, and cast up his eyes, whichmight pass either for an expression of resignation tohis fate, or joy at his deliverance. He used to tell his story to every stranger that arrivedat Mr. Doolittles hotel. He was observed, at first, tovary on some points every time he told it, which was,doubtless, owing to his having so recently awaked. Itat last settled down precisely to the tale I have related,and not a man, woman, or child in the neighborhoodbut knew it by heart. Some always pretended to doubtthe reality of it, and insisted that Rip had been outof his head, and that this was one point on wh
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