From the moment Ichabod laid his eyes upon these regions of
delight, the peace of his mind was at an end, and his only study
was how to gain the affections of the peerless daughter of Van
Tassel. In this enterprise, however, he had more real difficulties
than generally fell to the lot of a knight-errant of yore, who
seldom had anything but giants, enchanters, fiery dragons, and such
like easily conquered adversaries, to contend with and had to make
his way merely through gates of iron and brass, and walls of
adamant to the castle keep, where the lady of his heart was
confined; all which he achieved as easily as a man would carve his
way to the centre of a Christmas pie; and then the lady gave him
her hand as a matter of course. Ichabod, on the contrary, had to
win his way to th
