It was all in vain. The house was sacked and plundered, fire was set to each corner, and, in a few moments, its blaze shed a baleful light far over the Tappan Sea. The invaders then pounded upon the blooming Laucy van Tassel, the beauty of the Roost, and endeavored.to bear her off to the boat. But here was the real tug of war. The mother, the aunt, and the strapping negro wench, all flew to the rescue. The struggle continued down to the very water's edge, when a voice from the armed vessel at anchor ordered the spoilers to let go their hold. They relinquished the prize, jumped into their boats, and pulled off, and the heroine of the Roost escaped with a mere rumpling of the feathers."

" Shortly after the catastrophe of the Roost, Jacob van Tassel, in the course of one of his forays, fell into the hands of the British, was .sent prisoner to New York, and was detained in captivity for the greater part of the war."*

The present owners of Sunny Side are the daughters of Peter Ebenezer Irving, Esq., eldest brother of the late Honorable Washington Irving.

The family of Irving is from Scotland, in the northern part of which kingdom it was (as an ancient record quoted by Chambers the historian, and by Sir Walter Scott, observes.) " an ancient and principal family." Very frequent mention is made of them in the early annals of that country ; and in several instances they are spoken of by the above named writers as possessing a distinguished position and great influence among the baronial families of the north-east counties.