and love of domestic life, won the admiration of all who knew her. Dominie Vannist's room was on the south side of Paul's house, which was entirely secluded. The city of Poughkeepsie had not extended outside of Main street; not a habitation could be seen from his window, and when he rested from his studies, nothing greeted his eye beyond Paul's little farm, but a monotonous view of forest scenery.

A century and a quarter ago, the time to which we refer, education was confined to a few. A large class of the inhabitants could not read nor write; schools and books were scarce. The board of Supervisors, which then sat in Poughkeepsie, some of them in signing documents had to make their marks. No newspapers were printed in the county until after the Revolution. The first was printed in Poughkeepsie in 1785. Nicholas Power was editor. The education of women was thought to be of little consequence, and but a few were instructed beyond reading and writing. Many could not write their names. Rebekah's opportunities were as good as the times would admit; she was perfectly versed in Dutch writing and reading, and often she would spend hours with the Dominie in his room, trying her skill with her pen and reading aloud to him from books taken from his library. Her mother often remonstrated with her for spending so much time in his room. "Why, Rebekah," she would say, "you will hinder him from studying; he will not be prepared on Sunday," and one day at dinner she mentioned to Mr. Vannist that she was afraid that Rebekah was trespassing on time which he wished to devote to study, and if that was the case, she would not allow her to

visit his room so frequently. Mr. Vannist replied that Rebekah did not often interfere, and when he wished to be alone in his room, Rebekah immediately left. But Rebekah's visits continued, and sometimes were prolonged, and the Dominie in his leisure hours would instruct her in various branches-reading, writing, and arithmetic, and her improvement was rapid, and it pleased him to see her so apt a scholar. Often when Mr. Vannist had hours of recreation, he would ask Rebekah to take a walk through the village and call on some of his congregation. Sometimes they would stroll to the river and take a sail to the opposite side, and there sit on the river's bank, secluded and alone. Rebekah would assist in rowing the boat. Again they would take a walk to where the Morgan House is now, which then was an open field, and wend their way to the woods near by, gathering wild flowers; and then they would take a circuitous route home, crossing ravines; anon they would cross lots, until they arrived on Main street, and on their way home they would stop at her father's store, who was pleased to see his Dominie pay so much attention to his daughter, perhaps thinking that it would be the forerunner of a closer union that could only be severed by death.

The communion season was now approaching, and Mr. Vannist was making preparations for that solemn event. He had held his last commemorative service at his church in Fishkill, and now it was his turn to administer the sacraments at Poughkeepsie, and on the Sabbath preceeding the communion he invited those who wished to connect themselves with the church of Christ to meet him and the elders of the church at the

house of Mr. Paul Schank, at two o'clock. The preparatory lecture was to commence at three o'clock, and he sincerely hoped that there would be some that would feel the necessity of a preparation for death, as life is so uncertain. Among the number that presented themselves to unite with the church, was Rebekah Schank. Oh, how it gladdened the hearts of her parents when their daughter made a public profession of religion, when she renounced the world and gave her. heart to God, and the joy of her parents on that Sabbath noon, when they were all seated around that sacramental table to commemorate the Saviour's dying love, can better be imagined than described. Mr. Vannist was encouraged, for his labors at Poughkeepsie and Fishkill had been blest during the brief time he had been with this people. Besides preaching alternate Sabbaths at Poughkeepsie and Fishkill, he had stations at New Hackensack and Hopewell, and as the county was becoming more thickly populated, his congregations multiplied and their numbers increased. Mr. Vannist now confined himself more closely to his room, and with close application to study left little time for leisure. He often had to ride miles to visit the sick and the afflicted, and with no way of traveling but on horseback, for the country would not admit of wheel vehicles, for the by-roads were so rough and uneven that if the traveler had to deviate from the main road, fallen trees would often obstruct his passage, and on horseback this difficulty could be avoided by finding an opening through the woods of sufficient width for his horse to pass through. Mr. Vannist often met with this difficulty, and he always could find a way in which

to avoid sunken holes and fallen trees. The pioneers, when they traveled in their lumber wagons, took their axes with them, and in traveling through the woods, if they met with any obstruction caused by trees falling across the road, which had blown down by violent storms of wind, they would fall to work with their axes and remove the obstruction, but this could be avoided by traveling on horseback; and Mr. Vannist always traveled over his parish on horseback, then extending over a circuit of some twenty miles.

A strong attachment now existed between Mr. Vannist and Rebekah, and it created a great deal of gossip in the village. The matrons would meet at each other's houses and talk the matter over, wondering if their Dominie would marry Rebekah Schank. The young ladies, too, would collect together and tell how they had seen them at different times walk out, engaged in close conversation. Such circumstances strengthened their belief that they would soon be married. "But then," said Mrs. L., "he is such a fine young minister, so dignified, so engaging in his manners, one cannot but help admire him." "Yes," said Miss V., "and Rebekah Schank is a lucky girl." Rebekah was spotless to a fault, and she now might be described as a model of beauty and loveliness. Her figure was tall and graceful, her hair a light auburn, soft and lustrous, which flowed in silken ringlets over her neck and shoulders; her ardent love for the church and her devotion. to religious duties, particularly in the prayer meeting, all conspired to elevate her in the esteem of those who were the followers of the meek and lowly Saviour.

On the week preceeding the Sabbath that Mr. Van

nist was to preach at Fishkill, he invited Rebekah to accompany him, which invitation she readily accepted. As provinder was very cheap in those days, Paul volunteered to keep the Dominie's horse gratis. He supplied him with hay and meal, and whatever else he wished. Sanco was ordered to give the Dominie's horse a thorough brushing on the morning they were to set out for Fishkill, and Paul saddled his horse and fastened a pillion on behind, and then led him to the front of the house in Main street, and after the Dominie helping Rebekah on the pillion, he placed himself in the saddle, and then bidding her parents good-bye, they moved slowly out of the village on their way to Fishkill. Their course lay through New Hackensack. It was the latter part of June, and the country wore a beautiful aspect, for nature was decking herself in her most brilliant garments. The purple willows had on their full dress, and the wild ivy was clambering the forest trees, whose giant arms stretched across the highway and often interlocking each other, shutting out the sun's rays, presenting a scene wild and picturesque. Again the sunbeams would be streaming through every crevice, and pouring a flood of light through intervening forests; anon they would emerge into open fields, where the Dutch pioneers had erected substantial dwelling houses and barns, and many of them had their farms enclosed, and cattle and sheep were feeding in luxuriant pastures that lay on either side of the highway where they passed. Arriving at New Hackensack, they concluded to stop and refresh themselves and horse, and alighted at Mr.Van Benschoten's, who was a large landholder. He had just returned from the field