“Matilda, my darling girl, you would have loved it here,” he mused as he watched the sun set at river’s edge.
The familiar voices of old friends, Crane, Knickerbocker, Van Winkle, whispered to him from the mist. “Ah, Van Winkle,” he chuckled, “I concur. It is time, indeed, for a long nap.”
The old man leaned on his cane as he ambled to the house, uttering his final words, “Well, I must arrange my pillows for another night. When will this end?”
They would lay him to rest at Sleepy Hollow; the man known as Jonathan Oldstyle, Geoffrey Crayon…Washington Irving.
~kat
100 Words for Rochelle Wisoff-Fields Friday Fictioneers Flash Fiction Challenge, inspired by the photo above by Roger Bultot.
…the rest of the story
Imagine my surprise when I opened the photo and google map popped up on my screen plopping it on the east side of the Hudson River, North of New York City. After zooming in I imagined this could very well have been the view from Washington Irving’s beloved Sunnyside home in Tarrytown on the Hudson. The Matilda referenced in my story is the name of his fiancé who died from tuberculosis at the age of 17. Some believe it was grief, as well as seeking treatment for his own health issues, that launched him across the pond where he would spend decades. He remained a bachelor to his dying day.
Of course, after discovering all of this, I knew I must write about this iconic author, historian and diplomat. If you would like to learn more about Irving, Wikipedia gives a nice summary of his life and works.
October 28th, 2017 at 7:16 am
Fascinating Kat, and the perfect place for along nap! Well done.
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October 28th, 2017 at 8:16 am
Thanks Peter. The older I get the more I love a good nap!
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October 28th, 2017 at 9:22 am
You are not alone!
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October 28th, 2017 at 7:35 am
A peaceful end, beautifully done.
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October 28th, 2017 at 11:23 am
Another Stupendous story! 😎😎😎🥀🥀🥀
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October 29th, 2017 at 11:26 am
Such a fascinating subject!
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October 28th, 2017 at 11:38 am
Thank you for the backstory on this one. I knew Irving had an interesting past, but didn’t realize he became a recluse.
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October 28th, 2017 at 12:22 pm
I read that he did share the house with his brother and his daughters, and hosted writer friends, so not entirely reclusive. He did continue to write, publishing a piece only weeks before dying from a heart attack in his room at Sunnyside. A solitary genius with words that still inspire and entertain us to this day! 😊
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October 28th, 2017 at 5:53 pm
Dear Kat,
I love the references to the characters. At first I thought it was a sequel of sorts to Rip Van Winkle. The ending lines, the reveal, made me smile with recognition. Stunning piece of historical fiction. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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October 28th, 2017 at 6:03 pm
Dear Rochelle,
Thank you. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about Mr. Irving.
Peace to you,
Kat
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October 30th, 2017 at 9:55 am
I love this. I’m a great fan of Washington Irving 🙂
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October 30th, 2017 at 10:21 am
Thanks Gran…I am intrigued all the more and will definitely add a tour of Sunnyside to my itinerary if I ever venture to the Hudson Valley. 😊
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October 31st, 2017 at 4:01 pm
Great take. Even I, person who cares little for history, enjoyed this return.
Scott
Mine: https://kindredspirit23.wordpress.com/2017/10/31/reckoning-friday-fictioneers/
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October 31st, 2017 at 4:10 pm
Thank you! The older I get, the more I love history! 😊
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November 1st, 2017 at 12:02 pm
I am starting that a bit, myself
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October 31st, 2017 at 5:27 pm
Nice. I try to find the location of the photo prompts when I can. Good job in historical fiction.
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October 31st, 2017 at 5:55 pm
Thank you James. The photographer must’ve tagged the photo, because google map zoomed right in. I’ve had to work a bit harder for other photo prompts.
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