,transcriber's note3 ,footnotes moved to
 end of text4     ,,the ,,atlantic      
,,monthly4  ,a ,,magazine ,,of          
,,literature1 ,,art1 ,,and ,,politics4  
,,vol4 ,,xiii4--,,may1 #ahfd4--,,no4    
,,lxxix4  ,entered according to ,act of 
,congress1 in the year #ahfd1 by        
,,ticknor ,,and ,,fields1 in the        
,clerk's ,office of the ,district ,court
 of the ,district of ,massachusetts4    
99       99       99       99       99  
,a ,,cruise ,,on ,,lake ,,ladoga4       
,dear ,q41--,the steamboat ,valamo is   
advertised to leave on ,tuesday1 the    
#bfth1 7,july #hth1 ,new ,style17 for   
,serdopol1 at the very head of ,lake    
,ladoga1 stopping on the way at         
,schluesselburg1 ,konewitz ,island1     
,kexholm1 and the island and monastery  
of ,valaam4 ,the anniversary of ,saints 
,sergius and ,herrmann1 miracle-workers1
 will be celebrated at the last-named   
place on ,thursday1 and the festival of 
the ,apostles ,peter and ,paul on       
,friday4 ,if the weather is fine1 the   

boat will take passengers to the ,holy  
,island4 ,the fare is nine rubles for   
the trip4 ,you can be back again in ,st4
 ,petersburg by six o'clock on ,saturday
 evening4 ,provisions can be had on     
board1 but 7probably7 not beds2 so1 if  
you are luxurious in this particular1   
take along your own sheets1             
pillow-cases1 and blankets4 ,i intend   
going1 and depend upon your company4    
,make up your mind by ten o'clock1 when 
,i will call for your decision4  ,yours1
  ,p4  ,i laid down the note1 looked at 
my watch1 and found that ,i had an hour 
for deliberation before ,p4's arrival4  
,lake ,ladoga8 said ,i to myself2 it is 
the largest lake in ,europe1--,i learned
 that at school4 ,it is full of fish2 it
 is stormy2 and the ,neva is its outlet4
 ,what else8 ,i took down a geographical
 dictionary1 and obtained the following 
additional particulars3 ,the name       
,lad'oga 7not ,lado'ga1 as it is        
pronounced in ,america7 is ,finnish1 and
 means new4 ,the lake lies between #fj  

deg4 and #fa deg4 #de' north latitude1  
is #age versts--about #aag miles--in    
length1 from north to south1 and #ajj   
versts in breadth2 receives the great   
river ,volkhoff on the south1 the ,svir1
 which pours into it the waters of ,lake
 ,onega1 on the east1 and the overflow  
of nearly half the lakes of ,finland1 on
 the west2 and is1 in some parts1       
fourteen hundred feet deep4  ,vainly1   
however1 did ,i ransack my memory for   
the narrative of any traveller who had  
beheld and described this lake4 ,the red
 hand-book1 beloved of tourists1 did not
 even deign to notice its existence4    
,the more ,i meditated on the subject1  
the more ,i became convinced that here  
was an untrodden corner of the world1   
lying within easy reach of a great      
capital1 yet unknown to the eyes of     
conventional sight-seers4 ,the name of  
,valaam suggested that of ,barlaam1 in  
,thessaly1 likewise a ,greek monastery2 
and though ,i had never heard of        
,sergius and ,herrmann1 the fact of     

their choosing such a spot was the      
beginning of a curious interest in their
 history4 ,the very act of poring over a
 map excites the imagination3 ,i fell   
into conjectures about the scenery1     
vegetation1 and inhabitants1 and thus1  
by the time ,p4 arrived1 was conscious  
of a violent desire to make the cruise  
with him4 ,to our care was confided an  
,american youth1 whom ,i shall call     
,r41--we three being1 as we afterwards  
discovered1 the first of our countrymen 
to visit the northern portion of the    
lake4  ,the next morning1 although it   
was cloudy and raw1 ,r4 and ,i rose     
betimes1 and were jolted on a droshky   
through the long streets to the         
,valamo's landing-place4 ,we found a    
handsome ,english-built steamer1 with   
tonnage and power enough for the        
heaviest squalls1 and an after-cabin so 
comfortable that all our anticipations  
of the primitive modes of travel were   
banished at once4 ,as men not ashamed of
 our health1 we had decided to omit the 

sheets and pillow-cases1 and let the    
tooth-brush answer as an evidence of our
 high civilization2 but the broad divans
 and velvet cushions of the cabin       
brought us back to luxury in spite of   
ourselves4 ,the captain1 smoothly shaven
 and robust1 as befitted his            
station1--,english in all but his eyes1 
which were thoroughly ,russian1--gave us
 a cordial welcome in passable ,french4 
,p4 drove up presently1 and the crowd on
 the floating pier rapidly increased1 as
 the moment of departure approached4    
,our fellow-pilgrims were mostly        
peasants and deck--passengers3 two or   
three officers1 and a score of the      
bourgeois1 were divided1 according to   
their means1 between the first and      
second cabins4 ,there were symptoms of  
crowding1 and we hastened to put in     
preemption-claims for the bench on the  
port--side1 distributing our travelling 
sacks and pouches along it1 as a guard  
against squatters4 ,the magic promise of
 na chai 7something to buy tea with7    

further inspired the waiters with a     
peculiar regard for our interest1 so    
that1 leaving our important possessions 
in their care1 we went on deck to       
witness the departure4  ,by this time   
the ,finnish sailors were hauling in the
 slack hawsers1 and the bearded         
stevedores on the floating quay tugged  
at the gangway4 ,many of our presumed   
passengers had only come to say         
good-bye1 which they were now waving and
 shouting from the shore4 ,the rain fell
 dismally1 and a black1 hopeless sky    
settled down upon the ,neva4 ,but the   
,northern summer1 we knew1 is as fickle 
as the ,southern ,april1 and we trusted 
that ,sergius and ,herrmann1 the saints 
of ,valaam1 would smooth for us the     
rugged waters of ,ladoga4 ,at last the  
barking little bell ceased to snarl at  
the tardy pilgrims4 ,the swift current  
swung our bow into the stream1 and1 as  
we moved away1 the crowd on deck        
uncovered their heads1 not to the bowing
 friends on the quay1 but to the spire  

of a church which rose to view behind   
the houses fronting the ,neva4 ,devoutly
 crossing themselves with the joined    
three fingers1 symbolical of the        
,trinity1 they doubtless murmured a     
prayer for the propitious completion of 
the pilgrimage1 to which1 ,i am sure1 we
 could have readily echoed the amen4    
,the ,valamo was particularly           
distinguished1 on this occasion1 by a   
flag at the fore1 carrying the white    
,greek cross on a red field4 ,this      
proclaimed her mission as she passed    
along1 and the bells of many a little   
church pealed ,god-speed to her and her 
passengers4 ,the latter1 in spite of the
 rain1 thronged the deck1 and           
continually repeated their devotions to 
the shrines on either bank4 ,on the     
right1 the starry domes of the ,smolnoi1
 rising from the lap of a linden--grove1
 flashed upon us2 then1 beyond the long 
front of the college of demoiselles     
nobles and the military storehouses1 we 
hailed the silver hemispheres which     

canopy the tomb and shrine of ,st4      
,alexander of the ,neva4 ,on the left1  
huge brick factories pushed back the    
gleaming groves of birch1 which flowed  
around and between them1 to dip their   
hanging boughs in the river2 but here   
and there peeped out the bright green   
cupolas of some little church1 none of  
which1 ,i was glad to see1 slipped out  
of the panorama without its share of    
reverence4  ,for some miles we sailed   
between a double row of contiguous      
villages1--a long suburb of the capital1
 which stretched on and on1 until the   
slight undulations of the shore showed  
that we had left behind us the dead     
level of the ,ingrian marshes4 ,it is   
surprising what an interest one takes in
 the slightest mole-hill1 after living  
for a short time on a plain4 ,you are   
charmed with an elevation which enables 
you to look over your neighbor's hedge4 
,i once heard a clergyman1 in his       
sermon1 assert that the world was       
perfectly smooth before the fall of     

,adam1 and the present inequalities in  
its surface were the evidences of human 
sin4 ,i was a boy at the time1 and ,i   
thought to myself1 ,how fortunate it is 
that we are sinners6 ,peter the ,great1 
however1 had no choice left him4 ,the   
piles he drove in these marshes were the
 surest foundation of his empire4  ,the 
,neva1 in its sudden and continual      
windings1 in its clear1 cold1 sweet     
water1 and its fringing groves of birch1
 maple1 and alder1 compensates1 in a    
great measure1 for the flatness of its  
shores4 ,it has not the slow            
magnificence of the ,hudson or the rush 
of the ,rhine1 but carries with it a    
sense of power1 of steady1              
straightforward force1 like that of the 
ancient warriors who disdained all      
clothing except their swords4 ,its naked
 river-god is not even crowned with     
reeds1 but the full flow of his urn     
rolls forth undiminished by summer and  
unchecked beneath its wintry lid4       
,outlets of large lakes frequently      

exhibit this characteristic1 and the    
impression they make upon the mind does 
not depend on the scenery through which 
they flow4 ,nevertheless1 we discovered 
many points the beauty of which was not 
blotted out by rain and cloud1 and would
 have shone freshly and winningly under 
the touch of the sun4 ,on the north bank
 there is a palace of ,potemkin1 7or    
,potchomkin1 as his name is pronounced  
in ,russian17 charmingly placed at a    
bend1 whence it looks both up and down  
the river4 ,the gay color of the        
building1 as of most of the datchas1 or 
country-villas1 in ,russia1 makes a     
curious impression upon the stranger4   
,until he has learned to accept it as a 
portion of the landscape1 the effect is 
that of a scenic design on the part of  
the builder4 ,these dwellings1 these    
villages and churches1 he thinks1 are   
scarcely intended to be permanent3 they 
were erected as part of some great      
dramatic spectacle1 which has been1 or  
is to be1 enacted under the open sky4   

,contrasted with the sober1             
matter-of-fact aspect of dwellings in   
other countries1 they have the effect of
 temporary decorations4 ,but when one   
has entered within these walls of green 
and blue and red arabesques1 inspected  
their thickness1 viewed the ponderous   
porcelain stores1 tasted1 perhaps1 the  
bountiful cheer of the owner1 he        
realizes their palpable comforts1 and   
begins to suspect that all the external 
adornment is merely an attempt to       
restore to ,nature that coloring of     
which she is stripped by the cold sky of
 the ,north4  ,a little farther on1     
there is a summer villa of the ,empress 
,catharine1--a small1 modest building1  
crowning a slope of green turf4 ,beyond 
this1 the banks are draped with foliage1
 and the thinly clad birches1 with their
 silver stems1 shiver above the rush of 
the waters4 ,we1 also1 began to shiver  
under the steadily falling rain1 and    
retreated to the cabin on the steward's 
first hint of dinner4 ,a table d'hote of

 four courses was promised us1 including
 the preliminary zakouski and the       
supplementary coffee1--all for sixty    
copeks1 which is about forty-five cents4
 ,the zakouski is an arrangement        
peculiar to ,northern countries1 and    
readily adopted by foreigners4 ,in      
,sweden it is called the smoergas1 or   
butter-goose but the ,american term 7if 
we had the custom7 would be the whetter4
 ,on a side-table there are various     
plates of anchovies1 cheese1 chopped    
onions1 raw salt herring1 and bread1 all
 in diminutive slices1 while glasses of 
corresponding size surround a bottle of 
kuemmel1 or cordial of caraway-seed4    
,this1 at least1 was the zakouski on    
board the ,valamo1 and to which our     
valiant captain addressed himself1 after
 first bowing and crossing himself      
towards the ,byzantine ,christ and      
,virgin in either corner of the cabin4  
,we1 of course1 followed his example1   
finding our appetites1 if not improved1 
certainly not at all injured thereby4   

,the dinner which followed far surpassed
 our expectations4 ,the national shchee1
 or cabbage-soup1 is better than the    
sound of its name2 the fish1 fresh from 
the cold ,neva1 is sure to be well      
cooked where it forms an important      
article of diet2 and the partridges were
 accompanied by those plump little      
,russian cucumbers1 which are so tender 
and flavorous that they deserve to be   
called fruit rather than vegetables4    
,when we went on deck to light our ,riga
 cigars1 the boat was approaching       
,schluesselburg1 at the outlet of the   
lake4 ,here the ,neva1 just born1 sweeps
 in two broad arms around the island    
which bears the ,key-,fortress1--the key
 by which ,peter opened this river-door 
to the ,gulf of ,finland4 ,the pretty   
town of the same name is on the south   
bank1 and in the centre of its front    
yawn the granite gates of the canal     
which1 for a hundred versts1 skirts the 
southern shore of the lake1 forming1    
with the ,volkhoff ,river and another   

canal beyond1 a summer communication    
with the vast regions watered by the    
,volga and its affluents4 ,the ,ladoga  
,canal1 by which the heavy barges laden 
with hemp from ,mid-,russia1 and wool   
from the ,ural1 and wood from the       
,valdai ,hills1 avoid the sudden storms 
of the lake1 was also the work of ,peter
 the ,great4 ,i should have gone on     
shore to inspect the locks1 but for the 
discouraging persistence of the rain4   
,huddled against the smoke-stack1 we    
could do nothing but look on the        
draggled soldiers and mujiks splashing  
through the mud1 the low yellow         
fortress1 which has long outlived its   
importance1 and the dark-gray waste of  
lake which loomed in front1 suggestive  
of rough water and kindred abominations4
  ,there it was1 at last1--,lake        
,ladoga1--and now our prow turns to     
unknown regions4 ,we steamed past the   
fort1 past a fleet of brigs1 schooners1 
and brigantines1 with huge1 rounded     
stems and sterns1 laden with wood from  

the ,wolkonskoi forests1 and boldly     
entered the gray void of fog and rain4  
,the surface of the lake was but        
slightly agitated1 as the wind gradually
 fell and a thick mist settled on the   
water4 ,hour after hour passed away1 as 
we rushed onward through the blank1 and 
we naturally turned to our              
fellow-passengers in search of some     
interest or diversion to beguile the    
time4 ,the heavy-bearded1 peasants and  
their weather-beaten wives were         
scattered around the deck in various    
attitudes1 some of the former asleep on 
their backs1 with open mouths1 beside   
the smoke-stack4 ,there were many       
picturesque figures among them1 and1 if 
,i possessed the quick pencil of        
,kaulbach1 ,i might have filled a dozen 
leaver of my sketch-book4 ,the          
bourgeoisie were huddled on the         
quarter-deck benches1 silent1 and       
fearful of sea-sickness4 ,but a very    
bright1 intelligent young officer turned
 up1 who had crossed the ,ural1 and was 

able to entertain us with an account of 
the splendid sword-blades of ,zlataoust4
 ,he was now on his way to the copper   
mines of ,pitkaranda1 on the            
northeastern shore of the lake4  ,about 
nine o'clock in the evening1 although   
still before sunset1 the fog began to   
darken1 and ,i was apprehensive that we 
should have some difficulty in finding  
the island of ,konewitz1 which was to be
 our stopping-place for the night4 ,the 
captain ordered the engine to be slowed1
 and brought forward a brass            
half-pounder1 about a foot long1 which  
was charged and fired4 ,in less than a  
minute after the report1 the sound of a 
deep1 solemn bell boomed in the mist1   
dead ahead4 ,instantly every head was   
uncovered1 and the rustle of whispered  
prayers fluttered over the deck1 as the 
pilgrims bowed and crossed themselves4  
,nothing was to be seen2 but1 stroke    
after stroke1 the hollow sounds1 muffled
 and blurred in the opaque atmosphere1  
were pealed out by the guiding bell4    

,presently a chime of smaller bells     
joined in a rapid accompaniment1 growing
 louder and clearer as we advanced4 ,the
 effect was startling4 ,after voyaging  
for hours over the blank water1 this    
sudden and solemn welcome1 sounded from 
some invisible tower1 assumed a mystic  
and marvellous character4 ,was it not   
rather the bells of a city ages ago     
submerged1 and now sending its ghostly  
summons up to the pilgrims passing over 
its crystal grave8  ,finally a tall     
mast1 its height immensely magnified by 
the fog1 could be distinguished2 then   
the dark hulk of a steamer1 a white     
gleam of sand through the fog1          
indistinct outlines of trees1 a         
fisherman's hut1 and a landing-place4   
,the bells still rang out from some high
 station near at hand1 but unseen4 ,we  
landed as soon as the steamer had made  
fast1 and followed the direction of the 
sound4 ,a few paces from the beach stood
 a little chapel1 open1 and with a lamp 
burning before its brown ,virgin and    

,child4 ,here our passengers stopped1   
and made a brief prayer before going on4
 ,two or three beggars1 whose tattered  
dresses of tow suggested the idea of    
their having clothed themselves with the
 sails of shipwrecked vessels1 bowed    
before us so profoundly and reverently  
that we at first feared they had        
mistaken us for the shrines4 ,following 
an avenue of trees1 up a gentle         
eminence1 the tall white towers and     
green domes of a stately church         
gradually detached themselves from the  
mist1 and we found ourselves at the     
portal of the monastery4 ,a group of    
monks1 in the usual black robes1 and    
high1 cylindrical caps of crape1 the    
covering of which overlapped and fell   
upon their shoulders1 were waiting1     
apparently to receive visitors4         
,recognizing us as foreigners1 they     
greeted us with great cordiality1 and   
invited us to take up our quarters for  
the night in the house appropriated to  
guests4 ,we desired1 however1 to see the

 church before the combined fog and     
twilight should make it too dark2 so a  
benevolent old monk led the way1 hand in
 hand with ,p41 across the court-yard4  
,the churches of the ,greek faith       
present a general resemblance in their  
internal decorations4 ,there is a       
glitter of gold1 silver1 and flaring    
colors in the poorest4 ,statues are not 
permitted1 but the pictures of dark     
,saviours and ,saints are generally     
covered with a drapery of silver1 with  
openings for the head and hands4        
,konewitz1 however1 boasts of a special 
sanctity1 in possessing the body of     
,saint ,arsenius1 the founder of the    
monastery4 ,his remains are inclosed in 
a large coffin of silver1 elaborately   
chased4 ,it was surrounded1 as we       
entered1 by a crowd of kneeling         
pilgrims2 the tapers burned beside it1  
and at the various altars2 the air was  
thick with incense1 and the great bell  
still boomed from the misty tower4      
,behind us came a throng of our own     

deck-passengers1 who seemed to recognize
 the proper shrines by a sort of        
devotional instinct1 and were soon      
wholly absorbed in their prayers and    
prostrations4 ,it is very evident to me 
that the ,russian race requires the     
formulas of the ,eastern ,church2 a     
fondness for symbolic ceremonies and    
observances is far more natural to its  
character than to the nations of ,latin 
or ,saxon blood4 ,in ,southern ,europe  
the peasant will exchange merry         
salutations while dipping his fingers in
 the holy water1 or turn in the midst of
 his devotions to inspect a stranger2   
but the ,russian1 at such times1 appears
 lost to the world4 ,with his serious   
eyes fixed on the shrine or picture1 or1
 maybe1 the spire of a distant church1  
his face suddenly becomes rapt and      
solemn1 and no lurking interest in      
neighboring things interferes with its  
expression4  ,one of the monks1 who     
spoke a little ,french1 took us into his
 cell4 ,he was a tall1 frail man of     

thirty-five1 with a wasted face1 and    
brown hair flowing over his shoulders1  
like most of his brethren of the same   
age4 ,in those sharp1 earnest features1 
one could see that the battle was not   
yet over4 ,the tendency to corpulence   
does not appear until after the         
rebellious passions have been either    
subdued1 or pacified by compromise4 ,the
 cell was small1 but neat and cheerful1 
on the ground-floor1 with a window      
opening on the court1 and a hard1 narrow
 pallet against the wall4 ,there was    
also a little table1 with books1 sacred 
pictures1 and a bunch of lilacs in      
water4 ,the walls were whitewashed1 and 
the floor cleanly swept4 ,the chamber   
was austere1 certainly1 but in no wise  
repulsive4  ,it was now growing late1   
and only the faint edges of the twilight
 glimmered overhead1 through the fog4   
,it was not night1 but a sort of        
eclipsed day1 not much darker than our  
winter days under an overcast sky4 ,we  
returned to the tower1 where an old monk

 took us in charge4 ,beside the         
monastery is a special building for     
guests1 a room in which was offered to  
us4 ,it was so clean and pleasant1 and  
the three broad sofa-couches with       
leather cushions looked so inviting1    
that we decided to sleep there1 in      
preference to the crowded cabin4 ,our   
supply of shawls1 moreover1 enabled us  
to enjoy the luxury of undressing4      
,before saying good-night1 the old monk 
placed his hand upon ,r4's head4 ,we    
have matins at three o'clock1 said he2  
when you hear the bell1 get up1 and come
 to the church3 it will bring blessing  
to you4 ,we were soon buried in a       
slumber which lacked darkness to make it
 profound4 ,at two o'clock1 the sky was 
so bright that ,i thought it six1 and   
fell asleep again1 determined to make   
three hours before ,i stopped4 ,but     
presently the big bell began to swing3  
stroke after stroke1 it first aroused1  
but was fast lulling me1 when the chimes
 struck in and sang all manner of       

incoherent and undevout lines4 ,the     
brain at last grew weary of this1 when1 
close to our door1 a little1 petulant1  
impatient bell commenced barking for    
dear life4 ,r4 muttered and twisted in  
his sleep1 and brushed away the sound   
several times from his upper ear1 while 
,i covered mine1--but to no purpose4    
,the sharp1 fretful jangle went through 
shawls and cushions1 and the fear of    
hearing it more distinctly prevented me 
from rising for matins4 ,our youth1     
also1 missed his promised blessing1 and 
so we slept until the sun was near five 
hours high1--that is1 seven o'clock4    
,the captain promised to leave for      
,kexholm at eight1 which left us only an
 hour for a visit to the ,konkamen1 or  
,horse-,rock1 distant a mile1 in the    
woods4 ,p4 engaged as guide a           
long-haired acolyte1 who informed us    
that he had formerly been a lithographer
 in ,st4 ,petersburg4 ,we did not       
ascertain the cause of his retirement   
from the world3 his features were too   

commonplace to suggest a romance4       
,through the mist1 which still hung     
heavy on the lake1 we plunged into the  
fir-wood1 and hurried on over its uneven
 carpet of moss and dwarf               
whortleberries4 ,small gray boulders    
then began to crop out1 and gradually   
became so thick that the trees thrust   
them aside as they grew4 ,all at once   
the wood opened on a rye-field belonging
 to the monks1 and a short turn to the  
right brought us to a huge rock1 of     
irregular shape1 about forty feet in    
diameter by twenty in height4 ,the crest
 overhung the base on all sides except  
one1 up which a wooden staircase led to 
a small square chapel perched upon the  
summit4  ,the legends attached to this  
rock are various1 but the most authentic
 seems to be1 that in the ages when the 
,carelians were still heathen1 they were
 accustomed to place their cattle upon  
this island in summer1 as a protection  
against the wolves1 first sacrificing a 
horse upon the rock4 ,whether their     

deity was the ,perun of the ancient     
,russians or the ,jumala of the ,finns  
is not stated2 the inhabitants at the   
present day say1 of course1 the ,devil4 
,the name of the rock may also be       
translated ,petrified ,horse1 and some  
have endeavored to make out a           
resemblance to that animal1 in its form4
 ,our acolyte1 for instance1 insisted   
thereupon1 and argued very              
logically--,why1 if you omit the head   
and legs1 you must see that it is       
exactly like a horse4 ,the peasants say 
that the ,devil had his residence in the
 stone1 and point to a hole which he    
made1 on being forced by the exorcisms  
of ,saint ,arsenius to take his         
departure4 ,a reference to the legend is
 also indicated in the name of the      
island1 ,konewitz1--which our friend1   
the officer1 gave to me in ,french as   
,chevalise1 or1 in literal ,english1    
,the ,horsefied4  ,the stones and bushes
 were dripping from the visitation of   
the mist1 and the mosquitoes were busy  

with my face and hands while ,i made a  
rapid drawing of the place4 ,the quick  
chimes of the monastery1 through which  
we fancied we could hear the warning    
boat-bell1 suddenly pierced through the 
forest1 recalling us4 ,the ,valamo had  
her steam up1 when we arrived1 and was  
only waiting for her rival1 the         
,letuchie 7,flyer71 to get out of our   
way4 ,as we moved from the shore1 a puff
 of wind blew away the fog1 and the     
stately white monastery1 crowned with   
its bunch of green domes1 stood for a   
moment clear and bright in the morning  
sun4 ,our pilgrims bent1 bareheaded1 in 
devotional farewell2 the golden crosses 
sparkled an answer1 and1 the fog rushed 
down again like a falling curtain4  ,we 
steered nearly due north1 making for    
,kexholm1 formerly a frontier ,swedish  
town1 at the mouth of the ,river        
,wuoxen4 ,for four hours it was a       
tantalizing struggle between mist and   
sunshine1--a fair blue sky overhead1 and
 a dense cloud sticking to the surface  

of the lake4 ,the western shore1 though 
near at hand1 was not visible2 but our  
captain1 with his usual skill1 came     
within a quarter of a mile of the       
channel leading to the landing-place4   
,the fog seemed to consolidate into the 
outline of trees2 hard land was         
gradually formed1 as we approached2 and 
as the two river-shores finally inclosed
 us1 the air cleared1 and long1 wooded  
hills arose in the distance4 ,before us 
lay a single wharf1 with three wooden   
buildings leaning against a hill of     
sand4  ,but where is ,kexholm8  ,a verst
 inland1 says the captain2 and ,i will  
give you just half an hour to see it4   
,there were a score of peasants1 with   
clumsy two-wheeled carts and shaggy     
ponies at the landing4 ,into one of     
these we clambered1 gave the word of    
command1 and were whirled off at a      
gallop4 ,there may have been some       
elasticity in the horse1 but there      
certainly was none in the cart4 ,it was 
a perfect conductor1 and the shock with 

which it passed over stones and leaped  
ruts was instantly communicated to the  
os sacrum1 passing thence along the     
vertebrae1 to discharge itself in the   
teeth4 ,our driver was a sunburnt ,finn1
 who was bent upon performing his share 
of the contract1 in order that he might 
afterwards with a better face demand a  
ruble4 ,on receiving just the half1     
however1 he put it into his pocket1     
without a word of remonstrance4  ,suomi8
 ,i asked1 calling up a ,finnish word   
with an effort4  ,suomi-lainen he       
answered1 proudly enough1 though the    
exact meaning is1 ,i am a ,swamplander4 
,kexholm1 which was founded in #abie1   
has attained since then a population of 
several hundreds4 ,grass grows between  
the cobble-stones of its broad streets1 
but the houses are altogether so bright1
 so clean1 so substantially comfortable1
 and the geraniums and roses peeping out
 between snowy curtains in almost every 
window suggested such cozy interiors1   
that ,i found myself quite attracted    

towards the plain little town4 ,here1   
said ,i to ,p41 is a nook which is      
really out of the world4 ,no need of a  
monastery1 where you have such perfect  
seclusion1 and the indispensable solace 
of natural society to make it endurable4
 ,pleasant faces occasionally looked    
out1 curiously1 at the impetuous        
strangers3 had they known our           
nationality1 ,i fancy the whole         
population would have run together4     
,reaching the last house1 nestled among 
twinkling birch-trees on a bend of the  
river beyond1 we turned about1 and made 
for the fortress1--another conquest of  
the ,great ,peter4 ,its low ramparts had
 a shabby1 neglected look2 an old       
drawbridge spanned the moat1 and there  
was no sentinel to challenge us as we   
galloped across4 ,in and out again1 and 
down the long1 quiet street1 and over   
the jolting level to the top of the     
sandhill1--we had seen ,kexholm in half 
an hour4  ,at the mouth of the river    
still lay the fog1 waiting for us1 now  

and then stretching a ghostly arm over  
the woods and then withdrawing it1 like 
a spirit of the lake1 longing and yet   
timid to embrace the land4 ,with the    
,wuoxen come down the waters of the     
,saima1 that great1 irregular lake1     
which1 with its innumerable arms1       
extends for a hundred and fifty miles   
into the heart of ,finland1 clasping the
 forests and mountains of ,savolax1     
where the altar-stones of ,jumala still 
stand in the shade of sacred oaks1 and  
the song of the ,kalewala is sung by the
 descendants of ,wainamoeinen4 ,i       
registered a vow to visit those ,finnish
 solitudes1 as we shot out upon the     
muffled lake1 heading for the holy isles
 of ,valaam4 ,this was the great point  
of interest in our cruise1 the shrine of
 our pilgrim-passengers4 ,we had heard  
so little of these islands before       
leaving ,st4 ,petersburg1 and so much   
since1 that our curiosity was keenly    
excited2 and thus1 though too well      
seasoned by experience to worry         

unnecessarily1 the continuance of the   
fog began to disgust us4 ,we shall creep
 along as yesterday1 said we1 and have  
nothing of ,valaam but the sound of its 
bells4 ,the air was intensely raw2 the  
sun had disappeared1 and the bearded    
peasants again slept1 with open mouths1 
on the deck4  ,saints ,sergius and      
,herrmann1 however1 were not indifferent
 either to them or to us4 ,about the    
middle of the afternoon we suddenly and 
unexpectedly sailed out of the fog1     
passing1 in the distance of a ship's    
length1 in to a clear atmosphere1 with a
 far1 sharp horizon6 ,the nuisance of   
the lake lay behind us1 a steep1 opaque1
 white wall4 ,before us1 rising in bold 
cliffs from the water and dark with     
pines1 were the islands of ,valaam4 ,off
 went hats and caps1 and the crowd on   
deck bent reverently towards the        
consecrated shores4 ,as we drew near1   
the granite fronts of the separate isles
 detached themselves from the plane in  
which they were blended1 and thrust     

boldly out between the dividing inlets  
of blue water2 the lighter green of     
birches and maples mingled with the     
sombre woods of coniferae2 but the      
picture1 with all its varied features1  
was silent and lonely4 ,no sail shone   
over the lake1 no boat was hauled up    
between the tumbled masses of rock1 no  
fisher's hut sat in the sheltered       
coves1--only1 at the highest point of   
the cliff1 a huge wooden cross gleamed  
white against the trees4  ,as we drew   
around to the northern shore1 point came
 out behind point1 all equally bold with
 rock1 dark with pines1 and destitute of
 any sign of habitation4 ,we were       
looking forward1 over the nearest       
headland1 when1 all at once1 a sharp    
glitter1 through the tops of the pines1 
struck our eyes4 ,a few more turns of   
the paddles1 and a bulging dome of gold 
flashed splendidly in the sun6 ,our     
voyage1 thus far1 had been one of       
surprises1 and this was not the least4  
,crowning a slender1 pointed roof1 its  

connection with the latter was not      
immediately visible3 it seemed to spring
 into the air and hang there1 like a    
marvellous meteor shot from the sun4    
,presently1 however1 the whole building 
appeared1--an hexagonal church1 of      
pale-red brick1 the architecture of     
which was an admirable reproduction of  
the older ,byzantine forms4 ,it stood   
upon a rocky islet1 on either side of   
which a narrow channel communicated with
 a deep cove1 cleft between walls of    
rock4  ,turning in towards the first of 
these channels1 we presently saw the    
inlet of darkest-blue water1 pushing its
 way into the heart of the island4      
,crowning its eastern bank1 and about   
half a mile distant1 stood an immense   
mass of buildings1 from the centre of   
which tall white towers and green       
cupolas shot up against the sky4 ,this  
was the monastery of ,valaam4 ,here1 in 
the midst of this lonely lake1 on the   
borders of the ,arctic ,zone1 in the    
solitude of unhewn forests1 was one of  

those palaces which ,religion is so fond
 of rearing1 to show her humility4 ,in  
the warm afternoon sunshine1 and the    
singular luxuriance of vegetation which 
clothed the terraces of rock on either  
hand1 we forgot the high latitude1 and1 
but for the pines in the rear1 could    
have fancied ourselves approaching some 
cove of ,athos or ,euboea4 ,the steamer 
ran so near the rocky walls that the    
trailing branches of the birch almost   
swept her deck2 every ledge traversing  
their gray1 even masonry1 was crowded   
with wild red pinks1 geranium1          
saxifrage1 and golden-flowered purslane2
 and the air1 wonderfully pure and sweet
 in itself1 was flavored with delicate  
woodland odors4 ,on the other side1     
under the monastery1 was an orchard of  
large apple-trees in full bloom1 on a   
shelf near the water2 above them grew   
huge oaks and maples1 heavy with their  
wealth of foliage2 and over the tops of 
these the level coping of the precipice1
 with a balustrade1 upon which hundreds 

of pilgrims1 who had arrived before us1 
were leaning and looking down4  ,beyond 
this point1 the inlet widened into a    
basin where the steamer had room to turn
 around4 ,here we found some forty or   
fifty boats moored to the bank1 while   
the passengers they had brought         
7principally from the eastern shore of  
the lake1 and the district lying between
 it and ,onega7 were scattered over the 
heights4 ,the captain pointed out to us 
a stately1 two-story brick edifice1 some
 three hundred feet long1 flanking the  
monastery1 as the house for guests4     
,another of less dimensions1 on the hill
 in front of the landing-place1 appeared
 to be appropriated especially to the   
use of the peasants4 ,a rich succession 
of musical chimes pealed down to us from
 the belfry1 as if in welcome1 and our  
deck-load of pilgrims crossed themselves
 in reverent congratulation as they     
stepped upon the sacred soil4  ,we had  
determined to go on with our boat to    
,serdopol1 at the head of the lake1     

returning the next morning in season for
 the solemnities of the anniversary4    
,postponing1 therefore1 a visit to the  
church and monastery1 we climbed to the 
summit of the bluff1 and beheld the     
inlet in all its length and depth1 from 
the open1 sunny expanse of the lake to  
the dark strait below us1 where the     
overhanging trees of the opposite cliffs
 almost touched above the water4 ,the   
honeyed bitter of lilac and apple       
blossoms in the garden below steeped the
 air2 and as ,i inhaled the scent1 and  
beheld the rich green crowns of the oaks
 which grew at the base of the rocks1 ,i
 appreciated the wisdom of ,sergius and 
,herrmann that led them to pick out this
 bit of privileged summer1 which seems  
to have wandered into the ,north from a 
region ten degrees nearer the sun4 ,it  
is not strange if the people attribute  
miraculous powers to them2 naturally    
mistaking the cause of their settlement 
on ,valaam for its effect4  ,the deck   
was comparatively deserted1 as we once  

more entered the lake4 ,there were two  
or three new passengers1 however1 one of
 whom inspired me with a mild interest4 
,he was a ,st4 ,petersburger1 who1      
according to his own account1 had       
devoted himself to ,art1 and1 probably  
for that reason1 felt constrained to    
speak in the language of sentiment4 ,i  
enjoy above all things1 said he to me1  
communion with ,nature4 ,my soul is     
uplifted1 when ,i find myself removed   
from the haunts of men4 ,i live an ideal
 life1 and the world grows more         
beautiful to me every year4 ,now there  
was nothing objectionable in this1      
except his saying it4 ,those are only   
shallow emotions which one imparts to   
every stranger at the slightest         
provocation4 ,your true lover of ,nature
 is as careful of betraying his passion 
as the young man who carries a first    
love in his heart4 ,but my companion    
evidently delighted in talking of his   
feelings on this point4 ,his voice was  
soft and silvery1 his eyes gentle1 and  

his air languishing2 so that1 in spite  
of a heavy beard1 the impression he made
 was remarkably smooth and unmasculine4 
,i involuntarily turned to one of the   
young ,finnish sailors1 with his        
handsome1 tanned face1 quick1 decided   
movements1 and clean1 elastic limbs1 and
 felt1 instinctively1 that what we most 
value in every man1 above even culture  
or genius1 is the stamp of sex1--the    
asserting1 self-reliant1 conquering air 
which marks the male animal4 ,wide-awake
 men 7and women1 too7 who know what this
 element is1 and means1 will agree with 
me1 and prefer the sharp twang of true  
fibre to the most exquisite softness and
 sweetness that were ever produced by   
sham refinement4  ,after some fifteen or
 twenty miles from the island1 we       
approached the rocky archipelago in     
which the lake terminates at its        
northern end1--a gradual transition from
 water to land4 ,masses of gray granite1
 wooded wherever the hardy ,northern    
firs could strike root1 rose on all     

sides1 divided by deep and narrow       
channels4 ,this is the scheer1 said our 
captain1 using a word which recalled to 
my mind1 at once1 the ,swedish skaer1   
and the ,english skerry1 used alike to  
denote a coast-group of rocky islets4   
,the rock encroached more and more as we
 advanced2 and finally1 as if sure of   
its victory over the lake1 gave place1  
here and there1 to levels of turf1      
gardens1 and cottages4 ,then followed a 
calm1 land-locked basin1 surrounded with
 harvest-fields1 and the spire of       
,serdopol arose before us4  ,of this    
town ,i may report that it is called1 in
 ,finnish1 ,sordovala1 and was founded  
about the year #afdj4 ,its history has  
no doubt been very important to its     
inhabitants1 but ,i do not presume that 
it would be interesting to the world1   
and therefore spare myself a great deal 
of laborious research4 ,small as it is1 
and so secluded that ,ladoga seems a    
world's highway in comparison with its  
quiet harbor1 it nevertheless holds     

three races and three languages in its  
modest bounds4 ,the government and ,its 
tongue are ,russian2 the people are     
mostly ,finnish1 with a very thin       
upper-crust of ,swedish tradition1      
whence the latter language is cultivated
 as a sign of aristocracy4  ,we landed  
on a broad wooden pier1 and entered the 
town through a crowd which was composed 
of all these elements4 ,there was to be 
a fair on the morrow1 and from the      
northern shore of the lake1 as well as  
the wild inland region towards the      
,saima1 the people had collected for    
trade1 gossip1 and festivity4 ,children 
in ragged garments of hemp1 bleached    
upon their bodies1 impudently begged for
 pocket-money2 women in scarlet         
kerchiefs curiously scrutinized us2     
peasants carried bundles of freshly mown
 grass to the horses which were exposed 
for sale2 ladies with ,hungarian hats   
crushed their crinolines into queer old 
cabriolets2 gentlemen with              
business-faces and an aspect of wealth  

smoked paper cigars2 and numbers of     
hucksters offered baskets of biscuit and
 cakes1 of a disagreeable yellow color  
and great apparent toughness4 ,it was a 
repetition1 with slight variations1 of a
 village-fair anywhere else1 or an      
election-day in ,america4  ,passing     
through the roughly paved and somewhat  
dirty streets1 past shops full of       
primitive hardware1 groceries which     
emitted powerful whiffs of salt fish or 
new leather1 bakeries with crisp        
padlocks of bread in the windows1       
drinking-houses plentifully supplied    
with qvass and vodki1 and1 finally1 the 
one watch-maker1 and the vender of      
paper1 pens1 and ,finnish almanacs1 we  
reached a broad suburban street1 whose  
substantial houses1 with their courts   
and gardens1 hinted at the aristocracy  
of ,serdopol4 ,the inn1 with its        
,swedish sign1 was large and            
comfortable1 and a peep into the open   
windows disclosed as pleasant quarters  
as a traveller could wish4 ,a little    

farther the town ceased1 and we found   
ourselves upon a rough1 sloping common1 
at the top of which stood the church    
with its neighboring belfry4 ,it was    
unmistakably ,lutheran in               
appearance1--very plain and massive and 
sober in color1 with a steep roof for   
shedding snow4 ,the only attempt at     
ornament was a fanciful shingle-mosaic1 
but in pattern only1 not in color4      
,across the common ran a double row of  
small booths1 which had just been       
erected for the coming fair2 and sturdy 
young fellows from the country1 with    
their rough carts and shaggy ponies1    
were gathering along the highway1 to    
skirmish a little in advance of their   
bargains4  ,the road enticed us onward1 
into the country4 ,on our left1 a long  
slope descended to an upper arm of the  
harbor1 the head of which we saw to be  
near at hand4 ,the opposite shore was   
fairly laid out in grain-fields1 through
 which cropped out1 here and there1 long
 walls of granite1 rising higher and    

higher towards the west1 until they     
culminated in the round1 hard forehead  
of a lofty hill4 ,there was no other    
point within easy reach which promised  
much of a view2 so1 rounding the head of
 the bay1 we addressed ourselves to     
climbing the rocks1 somewhat to the     
surprise of the herd-boys1 as they drove
 their cows into the town to be milked4 
,once off the cultivated land1 we found 
the hill a very garden of wild blooms4  
,every step and shelf of the rocks was  
cushioned with tricolored violets1 white
 anemones1 and a succulent1 moss-like   
plant with a golden flower4 ,higher up  
there were sheets of fire-red pinks1 and
 on the summit an unbroken carpet of the
 dwarf whortleberry1 with its waxen     
bells4 ,light exhalations seemed to rise
 from the damp hollows1 and drift       
towards us2 but they resolved themselves
 into swarms of mosquitoes1 and would   
have made the hill-top untenable1 had   
they not been dispersed by a sudden     
breeze4 ,we sat down upon a rock and    

contemplated the widespread panorama4   
,it was nine o'clock1 and the sun1 near 
his setting1 cast long gleams of pale   
light through the clouds1 softening the 
green of the fields and forests where   
they fell1 and turning the moist evening
 haze into lustrous pearl4 ,inlets of   
the lake here and there crept in between
 the rocky hills2 broad stretches of    
gently undulating grain-land were dotted
 with the houses1 barns1 and clustered  
stables of the ,finnish farmers2 in the 
distance arose the smokes of two        
villages2 and beyond all1 as we looked  
inland1 ran the sombre ridges of the    
fir-clad hills4 ,below us1 on the right1
 the yellow houses of the town shone in 
the subdued light1--the only bright spot
 in the landscape1 which elsewhere      
seemed to be overlaid with a tint of    
dark1 transparent gray4 ,it was         
wonderfully silent4 ,not a bird         
twittered2 no bleat of sheep or low of  
cattle was heard from the grassy fields2
 no shout of children1 or evening hail  

from the returning boats of the fishers4
 ,over all the land brooded an          
atmosphere of sleep1 of serene1         
perpetual peace4 ,to sit and look upon  
it was in itself a refreshment like that
 of healthy slumber4 ,the restless devil
 which lurks in the human brain was     
quieted for the time1 and we            
dreamed--knowing all the while the      
vanity of the dream--of a pastoral life 
in some such spot1 among as ignorant and
 simple-hearted a people1 ourselves as  
untroubled by the agitations of the     
world4  ,we had scarce inhaled--or1     
rather1 insuded1 to coin a paradoxical  
word for a sensation which seems to     
enter at every pore--the profound quiet 
and its suggestive fancies for the space
 of half an hour1 when the wind fell at 
the going down of the sun1 and the      
humming mist of mosquitoes arose again4 
,returning to the town1 we halted at the
 top of the common to watch the farmers 
of the neighborhood at their            
horse-dealing4 ,very hard1 keen1        

weather-browned faces had they1 eyes    
tight-set for the main chance1 mouths   
worn thin by biting farthings1 and hands
 whose hard fingers crooked with holding
 fast what they had earned4 ,faces      
almost of the ,yankee type1 many of     
them1 but relieved by the twinkling of a
 humorous faculty or the wild gleam of  
imagination4 ,the shaggy little horses1 
of a dun or dull tan-color1 seemed to   
understand that their best performance  
was required1 and rushed up and down the
 road with an amazing exhibition of     
mettle4 ,i could understand nothing of  
the ,finnish tongue except its music2   
but it was easy to perceive that the    
remarks of the crowd were shrewd1       
intelligent1 and racy4 ,one young       
fellow1 less observant1 accosted us in  
the hope that we might be purchasers4   
,the boys1 suspecting that we were as   
green as we were evidently foreign1 held
 out their hands for alms1 with a very  
unsuccessful air of distress1 but       
readily succumbed to the ,russian       

interjection proch 7be off67 the        
repetition of which1 they understood1   
was a reproach4  ,that night we slept on
 the velvet couches of the cabin1 having
 the spacious apartment to ourselves4   
,the bright young officer had left for  
the copper mines1 the pilgrims were at  
,valaam1 and our stout1 benignant       
captain looked upon us as his only      
faithful passengers4 ,the stewards1     
indeed1 carried their kindness beyond   
reasonable anticipations4 ,they brought 
us real pillows and other conveniences1 
bolted the doors against nightly        
intruders1 and in the morning conducted 
us into the pantry1 to wash our faces in
 the basin sacred to dishes4 ,after ,i  
had completed my ablutions1 ,i turned   
dumbly1 with dripping face and extended 
hands1 for a towel4 ,my steward         
understood the silent appeal1 and1      
taking a napkin from a plate of bread1  
presented it with alacrity4 ,i made use 
of it1 ,i confess1 but hastened out of  
the pantry1 lest ,i should happen to see

 it restored to its former place4 ,how  
not to observe is a faculty as necessary
 to the traveller as its reverse4 ,i was
 reminded of this truth at dinner1 when 
,i saw the same steward take a napkin   
7probably my towel67 from under his arm1
 to wipe both his face and a plate which
 he carried4 ,to speak mildly1 these    
people on ,lake ,ladoga are not         
sensitive in regard to the contact of   
individualities4 ,but the main point is 
to avoid seeing what you don't like4    
,we got off at an early hour1 and       
hastened back to ,valaam over glassy    
water and under a superb sky4 ,this time
 the lake was not so deserted1 for the  
white wings of pilgrim-boats drew in    
towards the dark island1 making for the 
golden sparkle of the chapel-dome1 which
 shone afar like a light-house of the   
daytime4 ,as we rounded to in the       
land-locked inlet1 we saw that the      
crowds on the hills had doubled since   
yesterday1 and1 although the chimes were
 pealing for some religious service1 it 

seemed prudent first to make sure of our
 quarters for the night4 ,accordingly we
 set out for the imposing house of      
guests beside the monastery1 arriving in
 company with the visitors we had       
brought with us from ,serdopol4 ,the    
entrance-hall led into a long1          
stone-paved corridor1 in which a monk1  
bewildered by many applications1        
appeared to be seeking relief by        
promises of speedy hospitality4 ,we put 
in our plea1 and also received a        
promise4 ,on either side of the corridor
 were numbered rooms1 already occupied1 
the fortunate guests passing in and out 
with a provoking air of comfort and     
unconcern4 ,we ascended to the second   
story1 which was similarly arranged1 and
 caught hold of another benevolent monk1
 willing1 but evidently powerless to    
help us4 ,dinner was just about to be   
served2 the brother in authority was not
 there2 we must be good enough to wait a
 little while2--would we not visit the  
shrines1 in the mean time8  ,the advice 

was sensible1 as well as friendly1 and  
we followed it4 ,entering the great     
quadrangle of the monastery1 we found it
 divided1 gridiron-fashion1 into long1  
narrow court-yards by inner lines of    
buildings4 ,the central court1 however1 
was broad and spacious1 the church      
occupying a rise of ground on the       
eastern side4 ,hundreds of men and      
women--,carelian peasants--thronged     
around the entrance1 crossing themselves
 in unison with the congregation4 ,the  
church1 we found1 was packed1 and the   
most zealous wedging among the blue     
caftans and shining flaxen heads brought
 us no farther than the inner door4     
,thence we looked over a tufted level of
 heads that seemed to                   
touch1--intermingled tints of gold1     
tawny1 silver-blond1 and the various    
shades of brown1 touched with dim       
glosses through the incense-smoke1 and  
occasionally bending in concert with an 
undulating movement1 like grain before  
the wind4 ,over these heads rose the    

vaulted nave1 dazzling with gold and    
colors1 and blocked up1 beyond the      
intersection of the transept1 by the    
ikonostast1 or screen before the ,holy  
of ,holies1 gorgeous with pictures of   
saints overlaid with silver4 ,in front  
of the screen the tapers burned1 the    
incense rose thick and strong1 and the  
chant of the monks gave a peculiar      
solemnity to their old ,sclavonic       
litany4 ,the only portion of it which ,i
 could understand was the recurring     
response1 as in the ,english ,church1   
of1 ,lord1 have mercy upon us6          
,extricating ourselves with some        
difficulty1 we entered a chapel-crypt1  
which contains the bodies of ,sergius   
and ,herrmann4 ,they lie together1 in a 
huge coffin of silver1 covered with     
cloth-of-gold4 ,tapers of immense size  
burned at the head and foot1 and the    
pilgrims knelt around1 bending their    
foreheads to the pavement at the close  
of their prayers4 ,among others1 a man  
had brought his insane daughter1 and it 

was touching to see the tender care with
 which he led her to the coffin and     
directed her devotions4 ,so much of     
habit still remained1 that it seemed1   
for the time being1 to restore her      
reason4 ,the quietness and regularity   
with which she went through the forms of
 prayer brought a light of hope to the  
father's face4 ,the other peasants      
looked on with an expression of pity and
 sympathy4 ,the girl1 we learned1 had   
but recently lost her reason1 and       
without any apparent cause4 ,she was    
betrothed to a young man who was        
sincerely attached to her1 and the      
pilgrimage was undertaken in the hope   
that a miracle might be wrought in her  
favor4 ,the presence of the shrine1     
indeed1 struck its accustomed awe       
through her wandering senses1 but the   
effect was only momentary4  ,i          
approached the coffin1 and deposited a  
piece of money on the offering-plate1   
for the purpose of getting a glimpse of 
the pictured faces of the saints1 in    

their silver setting4 ,their features   
were hard and regular1 flatly painted1  
as if by some forerunner of ,cimabue1   
but sufficiently modern to make the     
likeness doubtful4 ,i have not been able
 to obtain the exact date of their      
settlement on the island1 but ,i believe
 it is referred to the early part of the
 fifteenth century4 ,the common people  
believe that the island was first       
visited by ,andrew1 the ,apostle of     
,christ1 who1 according to the ,russian 
patriarch ,nestor1 made his way to ,kiev
 and ,novgorod4 ,the latter place is    
known to have been an important         
commercial city as early as the fourth  
century1 and had a regular intercourse  
with ,asia4 ,the name of ,valaam does   
not come from ,balaam1 as one might     
suppose1 but seems to be derived from   
the ,finnish varamo1 which signifies    
herring-ground4 ,the more ,i attempted  
to unravel the history of the island1   
the more it became involved in          
obscurity1 and this fact1 ,i must       

confess1 only heightened my interest in 
it4 ,i found myself ready to accept the 
tradition of ,andrew's visit1 and ,i    
accepted without a doubt the grave of   
,king ,magnus of ,sweden4  ,on issuing  
from the crypt1 we encountered a young  
monk who had evidently been sent in     
search of us4 ,the mass was over1 and   
the court-yard was nearly emptied of its
 crowd4 ,in the farther court1 however1 
we found the people more dense than     
ever1 pressing forward towards a small  
door4 ,the monk made way for us with    
some difficulty1--for1 though the poor  
fellows did their best to fall back1 the
 pressure from the outside was          
tremendous4 ,having at last run the     
gantlet1 we found ourselves in the      
refectory of the monastery1 inhaling a  
thick steam of fish and cabbage4 ,three 
long tables were filled with monks and  
pilgrims1 while the attendants brought  
in the fish on large wooden trenchers4  
,the plates were of common white ware1  
but the spoons were of wood4 ,officers  

in gay uniforms were scattered among the
 dark anchorites1 who occupied one end  
of the table1 while the bourgeoisie1    
with here and there a blue-caftaned     
peasant wedged among them1 filled the   
other end4 ,they were eating with great 
zeal1 while an old priest1 standing1    
read from a ,sclavonic ,bible4 ,all eyes
 were turned upon us as we entered1 and 
there was not a vacant chair in which we
 could hide our intrusion4 ,it was      
rather embarrassing1 especially as the  
young monk insisted that we should      
remain1 and the curious eyes of the     
eaters as constantly asked1 ,who are    
these1 and what do they want8 ,we       
preferred returning through the hungry  
crowd1 and made our way to the guests'  
house4  ,here a similar process was     
going on4 ,the corridors were thronged  
with peasants of all ages and both      
sexes1 and the good fathers1 more than  
ever distracted1 were incapable of      
helping us4 ,seeing a great crowd piled 
up against a rear basement-door1 we     

descended the stairs1 and groped our way
 through manifold steams and noises to a
 huge succession of kitchens1 where     
caldrons of cabbage were bubbling1 and  
shoals of fish went in raw and came out 
cooked4 ,in another room some hundreds  
of peasants were eating with all the    
energy of a primitive appetite4 ,soup   
leaked out of the bowls as if they had  
been sieves2 fishes gave a whisk of the 
tail and vanished2 great round boulders 
of bread went off1 layer after layer1   
and still the empty plates were held up 
for more4 ,it was grand eating1--pure   
appetite1 craving only food in a general
 sense3 no picking out of tidbits1 no   
spying here and there for a favorite    
dish1 but1 like a huge fire1 devouring  
everything that came in its way4 ,the   
stomach was here a patient1             
unquestioning serf1 not a master full of
 whims1 requiring to be petted and      
conciliated4 ,so1 ,i thought1 people    
must have eaten in the ,golden ,age3 so 
,adam and ,eve must have dined1 before  

the ,fall made them epicurean and       
dyspeptic4  ,we--degenerate through     
culture--found the steams of the strong1
 coarse dishes rather unpleasant1 and   
retreated by a back-way1 which brought  
us to a spiral staircase4 ,we ascended  
for a long time1 and finally emerged    
into the garret of the building1 hot1   
close1 and strawy as a barn-loft4 ,it   
was divided into rooms1 in which1 on the
 floors covered deep with straw1 the    
happy pilgrims who had finished their   
dinner were lying on their bellies1     
lazily talking themselves to sleep4 ,the
 grassy slope in front of the house1 and
 all the neighboring heights1 were soon 
covered in like manner4 ,men1 women1 and
 children threw themselves down1 drawing
 off their heavy boots1 and dipping     
their legs1 knee-deep1 into the sun and 
air4 ,an atmosphere of utter peace and  
satisfaction settled over them4  ,being 
the only foreign and heterodox persons  
present1 we began to feel ourselves     
deserted1 when the favor of ,sergius and

 ,herrmann was again manifested4 ,p4 was
 suddenly greeted by an acquaintance1 an
 officer connected with the ,imperial   
,court1 who had come to ,valaam for a   
week of devotion4 ,he immediately       
interested himself in our behalf1       
procured us a room with a lovely        
prospect1 transferred his bouquet of    
lilacs and peonies to our table1 and    
produced his bottle of lemon-syrup to   
flavor our tea4 ,the rules of the       
monastery are very strict1 and no       
visitor is exempt from their observance4
 ,not a fish can be caught1 not a bird  
or beast shot1 no wine or liquor of any 
kind1 nor tobacco in any form1 used on  
the island4 ,rigid as the organization  
seems1 it bears equally on every member 
of the brotherhood3 the equality upon   
which such associations were originally 
based is here preserved4 ,the monks are 
only in an ecclesiastical sense         
subordinate to the abbot4 ,otherwise1   
the fraternity seems to be about as     
complete as in the early days of        

,christianity4  ,the ,valamo1 and her   
rival1 the ,letuchie1 had advertised a  
trip to the ,holy ,island1 the          
easternmost of the ,valaam group1 some  
six miles from the monastery1 and the   
weather was so fair that both boats were
 crowded1 many of the monks accompanying
 us4 ,our new-found friend was also of  
the party1 and ,i made the acquaintance 
of a ,finnish student from the ,lyceum  
at ,kuopio1 who gave me descriptions of 
the ,saima ,lake and the wilds of       
,savolax4 ,running eastward along the   
headlands1 we passed ,chernoi ,noss1    
7,black-,nose17 the name of which again 
recalled a term common in the ,orkneys  
and ,shetlands1--noss1 there1 signifying
 a headland4 ,the ,holy ,island rose    
before us1--a circular pile of rock1    
crowned with wood1 like a huge1         
unfinished tower of ,cyclopean masonry1 
built up out of the deep water4 ,far    
beyond it1 over the rim of the lake1    
glimmered the blue eastern shore4 ,as we
 drew near1 we found that the tumbled   

fragments of rock had been arranged1    
with great labor1 to form a capacious   
foot-path around the base of the island4
 ,the steamers drew up against this     
narrow quay1 upon which we landed1 under
 a granite wall which rose              
perpendicularly to the height of seventy
 or eighty feet4 ,the firs on the summit
 grew out to the very edge and stretched
 their dark arms over us4 ,every cranny 
of the rock was filled with tufts of    
white and pink flowers1 and the         
moisture1 trickling from above1 betrayed
 itself in long lines of moss and fern4 
,i followed the pilgrims around to the  
sunny side of the island1 and found a   
wooden staircase at a point where the   
wall was somewhat broken away4 ,reaching
 the top of the first ascent1 the sweet 
breath of a spring woodland breathed    
around me4 ,i looked under the broken   
roofage of the boughs upon a blossoming 
jungle of shrubs and plants which seemed
 to have been called into life by a more
 potent sun4 ,the lily of the valley1 in

 thick beds1 poured out the delicious   
sweetness of its little cups2 spikes of 
a pale-green orchis emitted a rich      
cinnamon odor2 anemones1 geraniums1     
sigillarias1 and a feathery flower1     
white1 freckled with purple1 grew in    
profusion4 ,the top of the island1 five 
or six acres in extent1 was a slanting  
plane1 looking to the south1 whence it  
received the direct rays of the sun4 ,it
 was an enchanting picture of woodland  
bloom1 lighted with sprinkled sunshine1 
in the cold blue setting of the lake1   
which was visible on all sides1 between 
the boles of the trees4 ,i hailed it as 
an idyl of the ,north1--a poetic secret1
 which the ,earth1 even where she is    
most cruelly material and cold1 still   
tenderly hides and cherishes4  ,a       
peasant1 whose scarlet shirt flashed    
through the bushes like a sudden fire1  
seeing me looking at the flowers1       
gathered a handful of lilies1 which he  
offered to me1 saying1 ,prekrasnie      
7,beautiful74 ,without waiting for      

thanks1 he climbed a second flight of   
steps and suddenly disappeared from     
view4 ,i followed1 and found myself in  
front of a narrow aperture in a rude    
wall1 which had been built up under an  
overhanging mass of rocks4 ,a lamp was  
twinkling within1 and presently several 
persons crawled out1 crossing themselves
 and muttering prayers4  ,what is this8 
asked a person who had just arrived4    
,the cave of ,alexander ,svirski1 was   
the answer4  ,alexander of the ,svir--a 
river flowing from the ,onega ,lake into
 ,ladoga--was a hermit who lived for    
twenty years on the ,holy ,island1      
inhabiting the hole before us through   
the long1 dark1 terrible winters1 in a  
solitude broken only when the monks of  
,valaam came over the ice to replenish  
his stock of provisions4 ,verily1 the   
hermits of the ,thebaid were ,sybarites1
 compared to this man6 ,there are still 
two or three hermits who have charge of 
outlying chapels on the islands1 and    
live wholly secluded from their         

brethren4 ,they wear dresses covered    
with crosses and other symbols1 and are 
considered as dead to the world4 ,the   
ceremony which consecrates them for this
 service is that for the burial of the  
dead4  ,i managed1 with some difficulty1
 to creep into ,alexander ,svirski's    
den4 ,i saw nothing1 however1 but the   
old1 smoky1 and sacred picture before   
which the lamp burned4 ,the rocky roof  
was so low that ,i could not stand      
upright1 and all the walls ,i could find
 were the bodies of pilgrims who had    
squeezed in before me4 ,a confused      
whisper surrounded me in the darkness1  
and the air was intolerably close4 ,i   
therefore made my escape and mounted to 
the chapel1 on the highest part of the  
island4 ,a little below it1 an open     
pavilion1 with seats1 has been built    
over the sacred spring from which the   
hermit drank1 and thither the pilgrims  
thronged4 ,the water was served in a    
large wooden bowl1 and each one made the
 sign of the cross before drinking4 ,by 

waiting for my turn ,i ascertained that 
the spring was icy-cold1 and very pure  
and sweet4  ,i found myself lured to the
 highest cliff1 whence ,i could look    
out1 through the trees1 on the far1     
smooth disk of the lake4 ,smooth and    
fair as the ,a,egean it lay before me1  
and the trees were silent as olives at  
noonday on the shores of ,cos4 ,but how 
different in color1 in sentiment6 ,here1
 perfect sunshine can never dust the    
water with the purple bloom of the      
,south1 can never mellow its hard1 cold 
tint of greenish-blue4 ,the distant     
hills1 whether dark or light1 are       
equally cold1 and are seen too nakedly  
through the crystal air to admit of any 
illusion4 ,bracing as is this           
atmosphere1 the gods could never breathe
 it4 ,it would revenge on the ivory     
limbs of ,apollo his treatment of       
,marsyas4 ,no foam-born ,aphrodite could
 rise warm from yonder wave2 not even   
the cold1 sleek ,nereids could breast   
its keen edge4 ,we could only imagine it

 disturbed1 temporarily1 by the         
bath-plunge of hardy ,vikings1 whom we  
can see1 red and tingling from head to  
heel1 as they emerge4  ,come6 cried ,p41
 the steamer is about to leave6  ,we all
 wandered down the steps1 ,i with my    
lilies in my hand4 ,even the rough      
peasants seemed reluctant to leave the  
spot1 and not wholly for the sake of    
,alexander ,svirski4 ,we were all safely
 embarked and carried back to ,valaam1  
leaving the island to its solitude4     
,alexis 7as ,i shall call our ,russian  
friend7 put us in charge of a native    
artist who knew every hidden beauty of  
,valaam1 and suggested an exploration of
 the inlet1 while he went back to his   
devotions4 ,we borrowed a boat from the 
monks1 and impressed a hardy fisherman  
into our service4 ,i supposed we had    
already seen the extent of the inlet1   
but on reaching its head a narrow       
side-channel disclosed itself1 passing  
away under a quaint bridge and opening  
upon an inner lake of astonishing       

beauty4 ,the rocks were disposed in     
every variety of grouping1--sometimes   
rising in even terraces1 step above     
step1 sometimes thrusting out a sheer   
wall from the summit1 or lying          
slant-wise in masses split off by the   
wedges of the ice4 ,the fairy birches1  
in their thin foliage1 stood on the edge
 of the water like ,dryads undressing   
for a bath1 while the shaggy male firs  
elbowed each other on the heights for a 
look at them4 ,other channels opened in 
the distance1 with glimpses of other and
 as beautiful harbors in the heart of   
the islands4 ,you may sail for          
seventy-five versts1 said the painter1  
without seeing them all4  ,the          
fearlessness of all wild creatures      
showed that the rules of the good monks 
had been carefully obeyed4 ,the wild    
ducks swam around our boat1 or brooded1 
in conscious security1 on their nests   
along the shore4 ,three great herons1   
fishing in a shallow1 rose slowly into  
the air and flew across the water1      

breaking the silence with their hoarse  
trumpet-note4 ,farther in the woods     
there are herds of wild reindeer1 which 
are said to have become gradually tame4 
,this familiarity of the animals took   
away from the islands all that was      
repellent in their solitude4 ,it half   
restored the broken link between man and
 the subject-forms of life4  ,the       
sunset-light was on the trees when we   
started1 but here in the ,north it is no
 fleeting glow4 ,it lingers for hours   
even1 fading so imperceptibly that you  
scarcely know when it has ceased4 ,thus1
 when we returned after a long pull1    
craving the ,lenten fare of the         
monastery1 the same soft gold tinted its
 clustering domes4 ,we were not called  
upon to visit the refectory1 but a table
 was prepared in our room4 ,the first   
dish had the appearance of a salad1 with
 the accompaniment of black bread4 ,on  
carefully tasting1 ,i discovered the    
ingredients to be raw salt fish chopped 
fine1 cucumbers1 and--beer4 ,the taste  

of the first spoonful was peculiar1 of  
the second tolerable1 of the third      
decidedly palatable4 ,beyond this ,i did
 not go1 for we had fresh fish1 boiled  
in enough water to make a soup4 ,then   
the same1 fried in its own fat1 and1 as 
salt and pepper were allowed1 we did not
 scorn our supper4 ,p4 and ,r4          
afterwards walked over to the ,skit1 a  
small church and branch of the          
monastery1 more than a mile distant2    
while ,i tried1 but all in vain1 to     
reproduce the ,holy ,island in verses4  
,the impression was too recent4  ,the   
next day was the festival of ,peter and 
,paul1 and ,alexis had advised us to    
make an excursion to a place called     
,jelesniki4 ,in the morning1 however1 we
 learned that the monastery and its     
grounds were to be consecrated in solemn
 procession4 ,the chimes pealed out     
quick and joyously1 and soon a burst of 
banners and a cloud of incense issued   
from the great gate4 ,all the           
pilgrims--nearly two thousand in        

number--thronged around the double line 
of chanting monks1 and it was found     
necessary to inclose the latter in a    
hollow square1 formed by a linked chain 
of hands4 ,as the morning sun shone on  
the bare-headed multitude1 the beauty of
 their unshorn hair struck me like a new
 revelation4 ,some of the heads1 of     
lustrous1 flossy gold1 actually shone by
 their own light4 ,it was marvellous    
that skin so hard and coarse in texture 
should produce such beautiful hair4 ,the
 beards of the men1 also1 were          
strikingly soft and rich4 ,they never   
shave1 and thus avoid bristles1 the down
 of adolescence thickening into a       
natural beard4  ,as the procession      
approached1 ,alexis1 who was walking    
behind the monks1 inside the protecting 
guard1 beckoned to us to join him4 ,the 
peasants respectfully made way1 two     
hands unlinked to admit us1 and we      
became1 unexpectedly1 participants in   
the ceremonies4 ,from the south side the
 procession moved around to the east1   

where a litany was again chanted4 ,the  
fine voices of the monks lost but little
 of their volume in the open air2 there 
was no wind1 and the tapers burned and  
the incense diffused itself1 as in the  
church4 ,a sacred picture1 which two    
monks carried on a sort of litter1 was  
regarded with particular reverence by   
the pilgrims1 numbers of whom crept     
under the line of guards to snatch a    
moment's devotion before it4 ,at every  
pause in the proceedings there was a    
rush from all sides1 and the poor       
fellows who formed the lines held each  
other's hands with all their strength4  
,yet1 flushed1 sweating1 and exhausted  
as they were1 the responsibility of     
their position made them perfectly proud
 and happy4 ,they were the guardians of 
cross and shrine1 of the holy books1 the
 monks1 and the abbot himself4  ,from   
the east side we proceeded to the north1
 where the dead monks sleep in their    
cemetery1 high over the watery gorge4   
,in one corner of this inclosure1 under 

a group of giant maples1 is the grave of
 ,king ,magnus of ,sweden1 who is said  
to have perished by shipwreck on the    
island4 ,here1 in the deep shade1 a     
solemn mass for the dead was chanted4   
,nothing could have added to the        
impressiveness of the scene4 ,the tapers
 burning under the thick-leaved boughs1 
the light smoke curling up in the shade1
 the grave voices of the monks1 the     
bending heads of the beautiful-haired   
crowd1 and the dashes of white1 pink1   
scarlet1 blue1 and gold in their        
dresses1 made a picture the solemnity of
 which was only heightened by its pomp  
of color4 ,i can do no more than give   
the features2 the reader must recombine 
them in his own mind4  ,the painter     
accompanied us to the place called      
,jelesniki1 which1 after a walk of four 
miles through the forests1 we found to  
be a deserted village1 with a chapel on 
a rocky headland4 ,there was a fine     
bridge across the dividing strait1 and  
the place may have been as picturesque  

as it was represented4 ,on that side of 
the islands1 however1 there was a dense 
fog1 and we could get no view beyond a  
hundred yards4 ,we had hoped to see     
reindeer in the woods1 and an eagle's   
nest1 and various other curiosities2 but
 where there was no fog there were      
mosquitoes1 and the search became       
discouraging4  ,on returning to the     
monastery1 a register was brought to us1
 in which1 on looking back for several  
years1 we could find but one foreign    
visitor1--a ,frenchman4 ,we judged1     
therefore1 that the abbot would possibly
 expect us to call upon him1 and1       
indeed1 the hospitality we had received 
exacted it4 ,we found him receiving     
visitors in a plain1 but comfortable    
room1 in a distant part of the building4
 ,he was a man of fifty-five1 frank and 
self-possessed in his manners1 and of an
 evident force and individuality of     
character4 ,his reception of the        
visitors1 among whom was a lady1 was at 
once courteous and kindly4 ,a younger   

monk brought us glasses of tea4         
,incidentally learning that ,i had      
visited the ,holy ,places in ,syria1 the
 abbot sent for some pictures of the    
monastery and its chosen saints1 which  
he asked me to keep as a souvenir of    
,valaam4 ,he also presented each of us  
with a cake of unleavened bread1 stamped
 with the cross1 and with a triangular  
piece cut out of the top1 to indicate   
the ,trinity4 ,on parting1 he gave his  
hand1 which the orthodox visitors       
devoutly kissed4 ,before the steamer    
sailed1 we received fresh evidence of   
his kindness1 in the present of three   
large loaves of consecrated bread1 and a
 bunch of lilacs from the garden of the 
monastery4  ,through some               
misunderstanding1 we failed to dine in  
the refectory1 as the monks desired1 and
 their hospitable regret on this account
 was the only shade on our enjoyment of 
the visit4 ,alexis remained1 in order to
 complete his devotions by partaking the
 ,communion on the following ,sabbath2  

but as the anniversary solemnities      
closed at noon1 the crowd of pilgrims   
prepared to return home4 ,the ,valamo1  
too1 sounded her warning bell1 so we    
left the monastery as friends where we  
had arrived as strangers1 and went on   
board4 ,boat after boat1 gunwale-deep   
with the gay ,carelians1 rowed down the 
inlet1 and in the space of half an hour 
but a few stragglers were left of all   
the multitude4 ,some of the monks came  
down to say another good-bye1 and the   
under-abbot1 blessing ,r41 made the sign
 of the cross upon his brow and breast4 
,when we reached the golden dome of ,st4
 ,nicholas1 at the outlet of the harbor1
 the boats had set their sails1 and the 
lake was no longer lonely4 ,scores of   
white wings gleamed in the sun1 as they 
scattered away in radii from the central
 and sacred point1 some north1 some     
east1 and some veering south around     
,holy ,island4 ,sergius and ,herrmann   
gave them smooth seas1 and light1       
favorable airs2 for the least roughness 

would have carried them1 overladen as   
they were1 to the bottom4 ,once more the
 bells of ,valaam chimed farewell1 and  
we turned the point to the westward1    
steering back to ,kexholm4  ,late that  
night we reached our old moorage at     
,konewitz1 and on ,saturday1 at the     
appointed hour1 landed in ,st4          
,petersburg4 ,we carried the white cross
 at the fore as we descended the ,neva1 
and the bells of the churches along the 
banks welcomed our return4 ,and now1 as 
,i recall those five days among the     
islands of the ,northern ,lake1 ,i see  
that it is good to go on a pilgrimage1  
even if one is not a pilgrim4         99
       99       99       99       99    
,,wet-,,weather ,,work4  ,,by ,a        
,,farmer4  ,,vi4   ,i begin my day with 
a canny ,scot1 who was born in          
,edinburgh in #agbf1 near which city his
 father conducted a large market-garden4
 ,as a youth1 aged nineteen1 ,john      
,abercrombie 7for it is of him ,i make  
companion this wet morning7 saw the     

,battle of ,preston ,pans1 at which the 
,highlanders pushed the ,king's-men in  
defeat to the very foot of his father's 
garden-wall4 ,whether he shouldered a   
matchlock for the ,castle-people and    
,sir ,john ,hope1 or merely looked over 
from the kale-beds at the victorious    
fighters for ,prince ,charley1 ,i cannot
 learn2 it is certain only that before  
,culloden1 and the final discomfiture of
 the ,pretender1 he avowed himself a    
good ,king's-man1 and in many an        
after-year1 over his pipe and his ale1  
told the story of the battle which      
surged wrathfully around his father's   
kale-garden by ,preston ,pans4  ,but he 
did not stay long in ,scotland2 he      
became gardener for ,sir ,james         
,douglas1 into whose family             
7below-stairs7 he eventually married2   
afterwards he had experience in the     
royal gardens at ,kew1 and in ,leicester
 ,fields4 ,finally he became proprietor 
of a patch of ground in the neighborhood
 of ,london2 and his success here1 added

 to his success in other service1 gave  
him such reputation that he was one day 
waited upon 7about the year #aggj7 by   
,mr4 ,davis1 a ,london bookseller1 who  
invited him to dine at an inn in        
,hackney2 and at the dinner he was      
introduced to a certain ,oliver         
,goldsmith1 an awkward man1 who had     
published four years before a book      
called ,the ,vicar of ,wakefield4 ,mr4  
,davis thought ,john ,abercrombie was   
competent to write a good practical work
 on gardening1 and the ,hackney dinner  
was intended to warm the way toward such
 a book4 ,dinners are sometimes given   
with such ends even now4 ,the shrewd    
,mr4 ,davis was a little doubtful of    
,abercrombie's style1 but not at all    
doubtful of the style of the author of  
,the ,traveller4 ,dr4 ,goldsmith was not
 a man averse to a good meal1 where he  
was to meet a straightforward1          
out-spoken ,scotch gardener2 and ,mr4   
,davis1 at a mellow stage of the dinner1
 brought forward his little plan1 which 

was that ,abercrombie should prepare a  
treatise upon gardening1 to be revised  
and put in shape by the author of ,the  
,deserted ,village4 ,the dinner at      
,hackney was1 ,i dare say1 a good one2  
the scheme looked promising to a man    
whose vegetable-carts streamed every    
morning into ,london1 and to the        
,doctor1 mindful of his farm-retirement 
at the six-mile stone on the ,edgeware  
,road2 so it was all arranged between   
them4  ,but1 like many a publisher's    
scheme1 it miscarried4 ,the ,doctor     
perhaps saw a better bargain in the     
,lives of ,bolingbroke and ,parnell2,a  
or perhaps his appointment as ,professor
 of ,history to the ,royal ,society put 
him too much upon his dignity4 ,at any  
rate1 the world has to regret a         
gardening-book in which the shrewd      
practical knowledge of ,abercrombie     
would have been refined by the grace and
 the always alluring limpidity of the   
style of ,goldsmith4  ,i know that the  
cultivators pretend to spurn graces of  

manner1 and affect only a clumsy burden 
of language1 under which1 ,i am sorry to
 say1 the best agriculturists have most 
commonly labored2 but if the transparent
 simplicity of ,goldsmith had once been 
thoroughly infused with the practical   
knowledge of ,abercrombie1 what a book  
on gardening we should have had6 ,what a
 lush verdure of vegetables would have  
tempted us6 ,what a wealth of perfume   
would have exuded from the flowers6     
,but the scheme proved abortive4        
,goldsmith said1 ,i think our friend    
,abercrombie can write better about     
plants than ,i can4 ,and so doubtless he
 could1 so far as knowledge of their    
habits went4 ,eight years after1        
,abercrombie prepared a book called     
,every ,man his own ,gardener2 but so   
doubtful was he of his own reputation1  
that he paid twenty pounds to ,mr4      
,thomas ,mawe1 the fashionable gardener 
of the ,duke of ,leeds1 to allow him to 
place his name upon the title-page4 ,i  
am sorry to record such a scurvy bit of 

hypocrisy in so competent a man4 ,the   
book sold1 however1 and sold so well1   
that1 a few years after1 the elegant    
,mr4 ,mawe begged a visit from the      
nurseryman of ,tottenham ,court1 whom he
 had never seen2 so ,abercrombie goes   
down to the seat of the ,duke of ,leeds1
 and finds his gardener so bedizened    
with powder1 and wearing such a grand   
air1 that he mistakes him for his       
,lordship2 but it is a mistake1 we may  
readily believe1 which the elegant ,mr4 
,mawe forgives1 and the two gardeners   
become capital friends4  ,abercrombie   
afterward published many works under his
 own name2,b among these was ,the       
,gardener's ,pocket ,journal1 which     
maintained an unflagging popularity as a
 standard book for a period of half a   
century4 ,this hardy ,scotchman lived to
 be eighty2 and when he could work no   
longer1 he was constantly afoot among   
the botanical gardens about ,london4 ,at
 the last it was a fall down-stairs in  
the dark that was the cause of death2   

and fifteen days after1 as his quaint   
biographers tell us1 he expired1 just as
 the clock upon ,st4 ,paul's struck     
twelve1--between ,april and ,may3 as if 
the ripe old gardener could not tell    
which of these twin garden-months he    
loved the best2 and so1 with a foot     
planted in each1 he made the leap into  
the realm of eternal spring4  ,a        
noticeable fact in regard to this       
out-of-door old gentleman is1 that he   
never took doctors'-stuff in his life1  
until the time of that fatal fall in the
 dark4 ,he was1 however1 an inveterate  
tea-drinker2 and there was another      
aromatic herb 7,i write this with my    
pipe in my mouth7 of which he was1 up to
 the very last1 a most ardent consumer4 
,in the year #agff was published for the
 first time a posthumous work by ,john  
,locke1 the great philosopher and the   
good ,christian1 entitled1 ,observations
 upon the ,growth and ,culture of ,vines
 and ,olives1--written1 very likely1    
after his return from ,france1 down in  

his pleasant ,essex home1 at the seat of
 ,sir ,francis ,masham4 ,i should love  
to give the reader a sample of the way  
in which the author of ,an ,essay       
concerning ,human ,understanding wrote  
regarding horticultural matters4 ,but1  
after some persistent search and        
inquiry1 ,i have not been able to see or
 even to hear of a copy of the book4,c  
,no one can doubt but there is wisdom in
 it4 ,i believe you think me1 he writes 
in a private letter to a friend1 too    
proud to undertake anything wherein ,i  
should acquit myself but unworthily4    
,this is a sort of pride--not very      
common in our day--which does not go    
before a fall4  ,i name a poet          
next1--not because a great poet1 for he 
was not1 nor yet because he wrote ,the  
,english ,garden1,d for there is sweeter
 garden-perfume in many another poem of 
the day that does not pique our         
curiosity by its title4 ,but the        
,reverend ,william ,mason1 if not among 
the foremost of poets1 was a man of most

 kindly and liberal sympathies4 ,he was 
a devoted ,whig1 at a time when         
,whiggism meant friendship for the      
,american ,colonists2 and the open      
expression of this friendship cost him  
his place as a ,royal ,chaplain4 ,i will
 remember this longer than ,i remember  
his ,english ,garden1--longer than ,i   
remember his best couplet of verse3--   
,while through the west1 where sinks the
 crimson day1     ,meek twilight slowly 
sails1 and waves her banners gray4  ,it 
was alleged1 indeed1 by those who loved 
to say ill-natured things1 7,horace     
,walpole among them17 that in the later 
years of his life he forgot his first   
love of ,liberalism and became          
politically conservative4 ,but it must  
be remembered that the good poet lived  
into the time when the glut and gore of 
the ,french ,revolution made people hold
 their breath1 and when every man who   
lifted a humane plaint against the      
incessant creak and crash of the        
guillotine was reckoned by all mad      

reformers a conservative4 ,i think1 if  
,i had lived in that day1 ,i should have
 been a conservative1 too1--however much
 the pretty and bloody ,desmoulins might
 have made faces at me in the           
newspapers4  ,i can find nothing in     
,mason's didactic poem to quote4 ,there 
are tasteful suggestions scattered      
through it1--better every way than his  
poetry4 ,the grounds of his vicarage at 
,aston must have offered charming       
loitering-places4 ,i will leave him     
idling there1--perhaps conning over some
 letter of his friend the poet ,gray2   
perhaps lounging in the very alcove     
where he had inscribed this verse of the
 ,elegy1--      ,here scattered oft1 the
 loveliest of the year1       ,by hands 
unseen1 are showers of violets found2   
,the redbreast loves to build and warble
 here1       ,and little footsteps      
lightly print the ground4  ,if1 indeed1 
he had known how to strew such gems     
through his ,english ,garden1 we should 
have had a poem that would have         

out-shone ,the ,seasons4  ,and this     
mention reminds me1 that1 although ,i   
have slipped past his period1 ,i have   
said no word as yet of the ,roxburgh    
poet2 but he shall be neglected no      
longer4 7,the big book1 my boy1 upon the
 third shelf1 with a worn back1 labelled
 ,,thomson47  ,this poet is not upon the
 gardeners' or the agricultural lists4  
,one can find no farm-method in         
him1--indeed1 little method of any sort2
 there is no description of a garden    
carrying half the details that belong to
 ,tasso's garden of ,armida1 or         
,rousseau's in the letter of ,st4       
,preux4,e ,and yet1 as we read1 how the 
country1 with its woods1 its valleys1   
its hillsides1 its swains1 its toiling  
cattle1 comes swooping to our vision6   
,the leaves rustle1 the birds warble1   
the rivers roar a song4 ,the sun beats  
on the plain2 the winds carry waves into
 the grain2 the clouds plant shadows on 
the mountains4 ,the minuteness and the  
accuracy of his observation are         

something wonderful2 if farmers should  
not study him1 our young poets may4 ,he 
never puts a song in the throat of a jay
 or a wood-dove2 he never makes a       
mother-bird break out in bravuras2 he   
never puts a sickle into green grain1 or
 a trout in a slimy brook2 he could     
picture no orchis growing on a hillside1
 or columbine nodding in a meadow4 ,if  
the leaves shimmer1 you may be sure the 
sun is shining2 if a primrose lightens  
on the view1 you may be sure there is   
some covert which the primroses love2   
and never by any license does a white   
flower come blushing into his poem4  ,i 
will not quote1 where so much depends   
upon the atmosphere which the poet      
himself creates1 as he waves his        
enchanter's wand4 ,over all the type his
 sweet power compels a rural heaven to  
lie reflected2 ,i go from budding spring
 to blazing summer at the turning of a  
page2 on all the meadows below me       
7though it is ,march7 ,i see ripe autumn
 brooding with golden wings2 and winter 

howls and screams in gusts1 and tosses  
tempests of snow into my eyes--out of   
the book my boy has just now brought me4
  ,one verse1 at least1 ,i will         
cite1--so full it is of all pastoral    
feeling1 so brimming over with the      
poet's passion for the country3 it is   
from ,the ,castle of ,indolence3--      
,i care not1 ,fortune1 what you me deny3
     ,you cannot rob me of free         
,nature's grace2     ,you cannot shut   
the windows of the sky1     ,through    
which ,aurora shows her brightening     
face2     ,you cannot bar my constant   
feet to trace     ,the woods and lawns1 
by living stream at eve3     ,let health
 my nerves and finer fibres brace1      
,and ,i their toys to the great children
 leave2     ,of fancy1 reason1 virtue1  
nought can me bereave4  ,another        
,scotchman1 ,lord ,kames1 7,henry ,home 
by name17 who was ,senior ,lord of      
,sessions in ,scotland about the year   
#agfj1 was best known in his own day for
 his discussion of ,the ,principles of  

,equity2 he is known to the literary    
world as the author of an elegant       
treatise upon the ,elements of          
,criticism2 ,i beg leave to introduce   
him to my readers to-day as a sturdy1   
practical farmer4 ,the book1 indeed1    
which serves for his card of            
introduction1 is called ,the ,gentleman 
,farmer2,f but we must not judge it by  
our experience of the class who wear    
that title nowadays4 ,lord ,kames       
recommends no waste of money1 no        
extravagant architecture1 no mere       
prettinesses4 ,he talks of the plough in
 a way that assures us he has held it   
some day with his own hands4 ,people are
 taught1 he says1 more by the eye than  
the ear2 show them good culture1 and    
they will follow it4  ,as for what were 
called the principles of agriculture1 he
 found them involved in obscurity2 he   
went to the book of ,nature for         
instruction1 and commenced1 like        
,descartes1 with doubting everything4   
,he condemns the ,roman husbandry as    

fettered by superstitions1 and gives a  
piquant sneer at the absurd rhetoric and
 verbosity of ,varro4,g ,nor is he any  
more tolerant of ,scotch superstitions4 
,he declares against wasteful and       
careless farming in a way that reminds  
us of our good friend ,judge ----1 at   
the last county-show4  ,he urges good   
ploughing as a primal necessity1 and    
insists upon the use of the roller for  
rendering the surface of wheatlands     
compact1 and so retaining the moisture2 
nor does he attempt to reconcile this   
declaration with the ,tull theory of    
constant trituration4 ,a great many     
excellent ,scotch farmers still hold to 
the views of his ,lordship1 and believe 
in keeping the sap in fresh-tilled land 
by heavy rolling2 and so far as regards 
a wheat or rye crop upon light lands1 ,i
 think the weight of opinion1 as well as
 of the rollers1 is with them4  ,lord   
,kames1 writing before the time of      
draining-tile1 dislikes open ditches1 by
 reason of their interference with      

tillage1 and does not trust the         
durability of brush or stone            
underdrains4 ,he relies upon ridging1   
and the proper disposition of open      
furrows1 in the old ,greek way4 ,turnips
 he commends without stint1 and the     
,tull system of their culture4 ,of      
clover he thinks as highly as the great 
,english farmer1 but does not believe in
 his notion of economizing seed3        
,idealists1 he says1 talk of four pounds
 to the acre2 but when sown for cutting 
green1 ,i would advise twenty-four      
pounds4 ,this amount will seem a little 
startling1 ,i fancy1 even to farmers of 
our day4  ,he advises strongly the use  
of oxen in place of horses for all      
farm-labor2 they cost less1 keep for    
less1 and sell for more2 and he enters  
into arithmetical calculations to       
establish his propositions4 ,he         
instances ,mr4 ,burke1 who ploughs with 
four oxen at ,beaconsfield4 ,how drolly 
it sounds to hear the author of ,letters
 on a ,regicide ,peace cited as an      

authority in practical farming6 ,he     
still further urges his ox-working      
scheme1 on grounds of public economy3 it
 will cheapen food1 forbid importation  
of oats1 and reduce wages4 ,again1 he   
recommends soiling1,h by all the        
arguments which are used1 and vainly    
used1 with us4 ,he shows the            
worthlessness of manure dropped upon a  
parched field1 compared with the same   
duly cared for in court or stable2 he   
proposes movable sheds for feeding1 and 
enters into a computation of the weight 
of green clover which will be consumed  
in a day by horses1 cows1 or oxen3 a    
horse1 ten ,dutch stone daily2 an ox or 
cow1 eight stone2 ten horses1 ten oxen1 
and six cows1 two hundred and           
twenty-eight stone per day1--involving  
constant cartage3 still he is convinced 
of the profit of the method4  ,his views
 on feeding ordinary store cattle1 or   
accustoming them to change of food1 are 
eminently practical4 ,after speaking of 
the desirableness of providing a good   

stock of vegetables1 he continues1--,and
 yet1 after all1 how many indolent      
farmers remain1 who for want of spring  
food are forced to turn their cattle out
 to grass before it is ready for        
pasture6 which not only starves the     
cattle1 but lays the grass-roots open to
 be parched by sun and wind4  ,does not 
this sound as if ,i had clipped it from 
the ,country ,gentleman of last week8   
,and yet it was written ninety-seven    
years ago1 by one of the most           
accomplished ,scotch judges1 and in his 
eightieth year1--another ,varro1 packing
 his luggage for his last voyage4  ,one 
great value of ,lord ,kames's talk lies 
in the particularity of his directions3 
he does not despise mention of those    
minutiae a neglect of which makes so    
many books of agricultural instruction  
utterly useless4 ,thus1 in so small a   
matter as the sowing of clover-seed1 he 
tells how the thumb and finger should be
 held1 for its proper distribution2 in  
stacking1 he directs how to bind the    

thatch2 he tells how mown grass should  
be raked1 and how many hours spread2,i  
and his directions for the making of    
clover-hay could not be improved upon   
this very summer4 ,stir it not the day  
it is cut4 ,turn it in the swath the    
forenoon of the next day2 and in the    
afternoon put it up in small cocks4 ,the
 third day put two cocks into one1      
enlarging every day the cocks till they 
are ready for the tramp rick temporary  
field-stack4  ,a small portion of his   
book is given up to the discussion of   
the theory of agriculture2 but he fairly
 warns his readers that he is wandering 
in the dark4 ,if all theorists were as  
honest6 ,he deplores the ignorance of   
,tull in asserting that plants feed on  
earth2 air and water alone1 in his      
opinion1 furnish the supply of          
plant-food4 ,all plants feed alike1 and 
on the same material4 ,degeneracy       
appearing only in those which are not   
native3 white clover never deteriorates 
in ,england1 nor bull-dogs4  ,but ,i    

will not linger on his theories4 ,he is 
represented to have been a kind and     
humane man2 but this did not forbid a   
hearty relish 7appearing often in his   
book7 for any scheme which promised to  
cheapen labor4 ,the people on landed    
estates1 he says1 are trusted by        
,providence to the owner's care1 and the
 proprietor is accountable for the      
management of them to the ,great ,god1  
who is the ,creator of both4 ,it does   
not seem to have occurred to the old    
gentleman that some day people might    
decline to be managed4  ,he gave the    
best proof of his practical tact1 in the
 conduct of his estate of               
,blair-,drummond1--uniting there all the
 graces of the best landscape-gardening 
with profitable returns4  ,i take leave 
of him with a single excerpt from his   
admirable chapter of ,gardening in the  
,elements of ,criticism3--,other fine   
arts may be perverted to excite         
irregular1 and even vicious emotions2   
but gardening1 which inspires the purest

 and most refined pleasures1 cannot fail
 to promote every good affection4 ,the  
gayety and harmony of mind it produceth 
inclineth the spectator to communicate  
his satisfaction to others1 and to make 
them happy as he is himself1 and tends  
naturally to establish in him a habit of
 humanity and benevolence4  ,it is      
humiliating to reflect1 that a thievish 
orator at one of our ,agricultural      
,fairs might appropriate page after page
 out of the ,gentleman ,farmer of ,lord 
,kames1 written in the middle of the    
last century1 and the county-paper1 and 
the aged directors1 in clean            
shirt-collars and dress-coats1 would be 
full of praises of the enlightened views
 of our esteemed fellow-citizen4 ,and   
yet at the very time when the critical  
,scotch judge was meditating his book1  
there was erected a land light-house1   
called ,dunston ,column1 upon ,lincoln  
,heath1 to guide night travellers over a
 great waste of land that lay a         
half-day's ride south of ,lincoln4 ,and 

when ,lady ,robert ,manners1 who had a  
seat at ,bloxholme1 wished to visit     
,lincoln1 a groom or two were sent out  
the morning before to explore a good    
path1 and families were not unfrequently
 lost for days,j together in crossing   
the heath4 ,and this same heath1 made up
 of a light fawn-colored sand1 lying on 
dry1 thirsty stone1 was1 twenty years   
since at least1 blooming all over with  
rank1 dark lines of turnips2 trim1 low  
hedges skirted the level highways2 neat 
farm-cottages were flanked with great   
saddle-backed ricks2 thousands upon     
thousands of long-woolled sheep cropped 
the luxuriant pasturage1 and the        
,dunston column was down4  ,about the   
time of ,lord ,kames's establishment at 
,blair-,drummond1 or perhaps a little   
earlier1 a certain ,master ,claridge    
published ,the ,country ,calendar2 or1  
,the ,shepherd of ,banbury's ,rules to  
know of the ,change of the ,weather4 ,it
 professed to be based upon forty years'
 experience1 and is said to have met    

with great favor4 ,i name it only       
because it embodies these old couplets1 
which still lead a vagabond life up and 
down the pages of country-almanacs3--   
,if the grass grows in ,janiveer1       
,it grows the worst for't all the year4 
,the ,welshman had rather see his dam on
 the bier4     ,than to see a fair      
,februeer4      ,when ,april blows his  
horn1     ,it's good both for hay and   
corn4      ,a cold ,may and a windy     
,makes a full barn and a findy4      ,a 
swarm of bees in ,may     ,is worth a   
load of hay2     ,but a swarm in ,july  
,is not worth a fly4  ,will any couplets
 of ,tennyson reap as large a fame8     
,about the same period1 ,john ,mills1 a 
,fellow of the ,royal ,society1         
published a work of a totally different 
character1--being very methodic1 very   
full1 very clear4 ,it was distributed   
through five volumes4 ,he enforces the  
teachings of ,evelyn and ,duhamel1 and  
is commendatory of the views of ,tull4  
,the ,rotherham plough is figured in his

 work1 as well as thirteen of the       
natural grasses4 ,he speaks of potatoes 
and turnips as established crops1 and   
enlarges upon their importance4 ,he     
clings to the ,virgilian theory of small
 farms1 and to the better theory of     
thorough tillage4  ,in #agei was issued 
the seventh edition of ,miller's        
,gardener's ,dictionary1,k in which was 
for the first time adopted 7in ,english7
 the classical system of ,linnaeus4 ,if 
,i have not before alluded to ,philip   
,miller1 it is not because he is        
undeserving4 ,he was a correspondent of 
the chiefs in science over the          
,continent of ,europe1 and united to his
 knowledge a rare practical skill4 ,he  
was superintendent of the famous        
,chelsea ,gardens of the ,apothecaries  
,company1 ,he lies buried in the        
,chelsea ,church-yard1 where the        
,fellows of the ,linnaean and           
,horticultural ,societies of ,london    
have erected a monument to his memory4  
,has the reader ever sailed up the      

,thames1 beyond ,westminster8 ,and does 
he remember a little spot of            
garden-ground1 walled in by dingy       
houses1 that lies upon the right bank of
 the river near to ,chelsea ,hospital8  
,if he can recall two gaunt1 flat-topped
 cedars which sentinel the walk leading 
to the river-gate1 he will have the spot
 in his mind1 where1 nearly two hundred 
years ago1 and a full century before the
 ,kew parterres were laid down1 the     
,chelsea ,garden of the ,apothecaries   
,company was established4 ,it was in the
 open country then2 and even ,philip    
,miller1 in #agbb1 walked to his work   
between hedge-rows1 where sparrows      
chirped in spring1 and in winter the    
fieldfare chattered3 but the town has   
swallowed it2 the city-smoke has starved
 it2 even the marble image of ,sir ,hans
 ,sloane in its centre is but the mummy 
of a statue4 ,yet in the ,physic ,garden
 there are trees struggling still which 
,philip ,miller planted2 and ,i can     
readily believe1 that1 when the old man1

 at seventy-eight1 7through some quarrel
 with the ,apothecaries17 took his last 
walk to the river-bank1 he did it with a
 sinking at the heart which kept by him 
till he died4  ,i come now to speak of  
,thomas ,whately1 to whom ,i have       
already alluded1 and of whom1 from the  
scantiness of all record of his life1 it
 is possible to say only very little4   
,he lived at ,nonsuch ,park1 in ,surrey1
 not many miles from ,london1 on the    
road to ,epsom4 ,he was engaged in      
public affairs1 being at one time       
secretary to the ,earl of ,suffolk1 and 
also a member of ,parliament4 ,but ,i   
enroll him in my wet-day service simply 
as the author of the most appreciative  
and most tasteful treatise upon         
landscape-gardening which has ever been 
written1--not excepting either ,price or
 ,repton4 ,it is entitled1 ,observations
 on ,modern ,gardening1 and was first   
published in #aggj4 ,it was the same    
year translated into ,french by         
,latapie1 and was to the ,continental   

gardeners the first revelation of the   
graces which belonged to ,english       
cultivated landscape4 ,in the course of 
the book he gives vivid descriptions of 
,blenheim1 ,hagley1 ,leasowes1          
,claremont1 and several other well-known
 ,british places4 ,he treats separately 
of ,parks1 ,water1 ,farms1 ,gardens1    
,ridings1 etc41 illustrating each with  
delicate and tender transcripts of      
natural scenes4 ,now he takes us to the 
cliffs of ,matlock1 and again to the    
farm-flats of ,woburn4 ,his criticisms  
upon the places reviewed are piquant1   
full of rare apprehension of the most   
delicate natural beauties1 and based on 
principles which every man of taste must
 accept at sight4 ,as you read him1 he  
does not seem so much a theorizer or    
expounder as he does the simple         
interpreter of graces which had escaped 
your notice4 ,his suggestions come upon 
you with such a momentum of             
truthfulness1 that you cannot stay to   
challenge them4  ,there is no           

argumentation1 and no occasion for it4  
,on such a bluff he tells us wood should
 be planted1 and we wonder that a       
hundred people had not said the same    
thing before2 on such a river-meadow the
 grassy level should lie open to the    
sun1 and we wonder who could ever have  
doubted it4 ,nor is it in matters of    
taste alone1 ,i think1 that the best    
things we hear seem always to have a    
smack of oldness in them1--as if we     
remembered their virtue4 ,capital6 we   
say2 but hasn't it been said before8 or1
 ,precisely6 ,i wonder ,i didn't do or  
say the same thing myself4 ,whenever you
 hear such criticisms upon any          
performance1 you may be sure that it has
 been directed by a sound instinct4 ,it 
is not a sort of criticism any one is   
apt to make upon flashy rhetoric1 or    
upon flash gardening4  ,whately alludes 
to the analogy between                  
landscape-painting and                  
landscape-gardening3 the true artists in
 either pursuit aim at the production of

 rich pictorial effects1 but their means
 are different4 ,does the painter seek  
to give steepness to a declivity8--then 
he may add to his shading a figure or   
two toiling up4 ,the gardener1 indeed1  
cannot plant a man there2 but a copse   
upon the summit will add to the apparent
 height1 and he may indicate the        
difficulty of ascent by a hand-rail     
running along the path4 ,the painter    
will extend his distance by the         
diminuendo of his mountains1 or of trees
 stretching toward the horizon3 the     
gardener has1 indeed1 no handling of    
successive mountains1 but he may        
increase apparent distance by leafy     
avenues leading toward the limit of     
vision2 he may even exaggerate the      
effect still further by so graduating   
the size of his trees as to make a      
counterfeit perspective4  ,when ,i read 
such a book as this of ,whately's1--so  
informed and leavened as it is by an    
elegant taste1--,i am most painfully    
impressed by the shortcomings of very   

much which is called good               
landscape-gardening with us4 ,as if     
serpentine walks1 and glimpses of       
elaborated turf-ground1 and dots of     
exotic evergreens in little circlets of 
spaded earth1 compassed at all those    
broad effects which a good designer     
should keep in mind6 ,we are gorged with
 petit-maitre-ism1 and pretty           
littlenesses of all kinds4 ,we have the 
daintiest of walks1 and the rarest of   
shrubs1 and the best of drainage2 but of
 those grand1 bold effects which at once
 seize upon the imagination1 and inspire
 it with new worship of ,nature1 we have
 great lack4 ,in private grounds we     
cannot of course command the opportunity
 which the long tenure under ,british   
privilege gives2 but the conservators of
 public parks have scope and verge2 let 
them look to it1 that their resources be
 not wasted in the niceties of mere     
gardening1 or in elaborate architectural
 devices4 ,banks of blossoming shrubs   
and tangled wild vines and labyrinthine 

walks will count for nothing in         
park-effect1 when1 fifty years hence1   
the scheme shall have ripened1 and hoary
 pines pile along the ridges1 and gaunt 
single trees spot here and there the    
glades1 to invite the noontide wayfarer4
 ,a true artist should keep these       
ultimate effects always in his          
eye1--effects that may be greatly       
impaired1 if not utterly sacrificed1 by 
an injudicious multiplication of small  
and meretricious beauties1 which in no  
way conspire to the grand and final     
poise of the scene4  ,but ,i must not   
dwell upon so enticing a topic1 or my   
wet day will run over into sunshine4    
,one word more1 however1 ,i have to say 
of the personality of the author who has
 suggested it4 ,the reader of ,sparks's 
,works and ,life of ,franklin may       
remember1 that1 in the fourth volume1   
under the head of ,hutchinson's         
,letters1 the ,doctor details           
difficulties which he fell into in      
connection with certain papers he       

obtained indirectly from one of ,his    
,majesty's officials1 and communicated  
to ,thomas ,gushing1 ,speaker of the    
,house of ,representatives of           
,massachusetts ,bay4 ,the difficulty    
involved others besides the ,doctor1 and
 a duel came of it between a certain    
,william ,whately and ,mr4 ,temple4     
,this ,william ,whately was the brother 
of ,thomas ,whately1--the author in     
question1--and secretary to ,lord       
,grenville1,l in which capacity he died 
in #aggb4,m ,the papers alluded to were 
letters from ,governor ,hutchinson and  
others1 expressing sympathy with the    
,british ,ministry in their efforts to  
enforce a grievous ,colonial taxation4  
,it was currently supposed that ,mr4    
,secretary ,whately was the recipient of
 these letters2 and upon their being    
made public after his death1 ,mr4       
,whately1 his brother and executor1     
conceived that ,mr4 ,temple was the     
instrument of their transfer4 ,hence the
 duel4 ,dr4 ,franklin1 however1 by      

public letter1 declared that this       
allegation was ill-founded1 but would   
never reveal the name of the party to   
whom he was indebted4 ,the ,doctor lost 
his place of ,postmaster-,general for   
the ,colonies1 and was egregiously      
insulted by ,wedderburn in open         
,council2 but he could console himself  
with the friendship of such men as      
,lawyer ,dunning1 7one of the suspected 
authors of ,junius17 and with the       
eulogium of ,lord ,chatham4  ,there are 
three more names belonging to this      
period which ,i shall bring under       
review1 to finish up my day4 ,these are 
,horace ,walpole1 7,lord ,orford17      
,edmund ,burke1 and ,oliver ,goldsmith4 
,walpole was the proprietor of          
,strawberry ,hill1 and wrote upon       
gardening3 ,burke was the owner of a    
noble farm at ,beaconsfield1 which he   
managed with rare sagacity3 ,goldsmith  
could never claim land enough to dig a  
grave upon1 until the day he was buried2
 but he wrote the story of ,the ,vicar  

of ,wakefield1 and the sweet poem of    
,the ,deserted ,village4  ,i take a huge
 pleasure in dipping from time to time1 
into the books of ,horace ,walpole1 and 
an almost equal pleasure in cherishing a
 hearty contempt for the man4 ,with a   
certain native cleverness1 and the tact 
of a showman1 he paraded his resources1 
whether of garden1 or villa1 or memory1 
or ingenuity1 so as to carry a          
reputation for ability that he never has
 deserved4 ,his money1 and the          
distinction of his father1 gave him an  
association with cultivated             
people1--artists1 politicians1          
poets1--which the metal of his own mind 
would never have found by reason of its 
own gravitating power4 ,he courted      
notoriety in a way that would have made 
him1 if a poorer man1 the toadying      
,boswell of some other ,johnson giant1  
and1 if very poor1 the welcome buffoon  
of some gossiping journal1 who would    
never weary of contortions1 and who     
would brutify himself at the death1 to  

kindle an admiring smile4  ,he writes   
pleasantly about painters1 and          
condescendingly of gardeners and        
gardening4 ,of the special beauties of  
,strawberry ,hill he is himself         
historiographer2 elaborate copper       
plates1 elegant paper1 and a            
particularity that is ludicrous1 set    
forth the charms of a villa which never 
supplied a single incentive to correct  
taste1 or a single scene that has the   
embalmment of genius4 ,he tells us      
grandly how this room was hung with     
crimson1 and that other with gold2 how  
the tearoom was adorned with green paper
 and prints1 444on the hearth1 a large  
green vase of ,german ware1 with a      
spread eagle1 and lizards for           
handles1--which vase 7if the observation
 be not counted disloyal by sensitive   
gentlemen7 must have been a very absurd 
bit of pottery4 ,on a shelf and brackets
 are two potpourris of ,hankin china2   
two pierced blue and white basons of old
 ,delft2 and two sceaus sic of coloured 

,seve2 a blue and white vase and cover2 
and two old ,fayence bottles4  ,when a  
man writes about his own furniture in   
this style for large type and quarto1 we
 pity him more than if he had kept to   
such fantastic nightmares as the ,castle
 of ,otranto4 ,the ,earl of ,orford     
speaks in high terms of the literary    
abilities of the ,earl of ,bath3 have   
any of my readers ever chanced to see   
any literary work of the ,earl of ,bath8
 ,if not1 ,i will supply the omission1  
in the shape of a ballad1 to the tune of
 a former song by ,george ,bubb         
,doddington4 ,it is entitled1           
,strawberry ,hill4      ,some cry up    
,gunnersbury1        ,for ,sion some    
declare2     ,and some say that with    
,chiswick ,house        ,no villa can   
compare4     ,but ask the beaux of      
,middlesex1        ,who know the country
 well1     ,if ,strawb'ry ,hill1 if     
,strawb'ry ,hill        ,don't bear away
 the bell8      ,since ,denham sung of  
,cooper's1        ,there's scarce a hill

 around     ,but what in song or ditty  
,is turned to fairy ground4     ,ah1    
peace be with their memories6        ,i 
wish them wondrous well2     ,but       
,strawb'ry ,hill1 but ,strawb'ry ,hill  
,must bear away the bell4  ,it is no way
 surprising that a noble poet capable of
 writing such a ballad should have      
admired the villa of ,horace ,walpole3  
it is no way surprising that a          
proprietor capable of admiring such a   
ballad should have printed his own      
glorification of ,strawberry ,hill4  ,i 
am not insensible to the easy grace and 
the piquancy of his letters2 no man     
could ever pour more delightful twaddle 
into the ear of a great friend2 no man  
could more delight in doing it1 if only 
the friend were really great4 ,i am     
aware that he was highly                
cultivated1--that he had observed widely
 at home and abroad1--that he was a     
welcome guest in distinguished circles2 
but he never made or had a real friend2 
and the news of the old man's death made

 no severer shock than if one of his    
,fayence pipkins had broken4  ,but what 
most irks me is the absurd dilettanteism
 and presumption of the man4 ,he writes 
a tale as if he were giving dignity to  
romance2 he applauds an artist as ,dives
 might have thrown crumbs to ,lazarus2  
vain to the last degree of all that he  
wrote or said1 he was yet too fine a    
gentleman to be called author2 if there 
had been a way of printing books1       
without recourse to the vulgar media of 
type and paper1--a way of which titled  
gentlemen could command the             
monopoly1--,i think he would have       
written more4 ,as ,i turn over the      
velvety pages of his works1 and look at 
his catalogues1 his bon-mots1 his       
drawings1 his affectations of           
magnificence1 ,i seem to see the        
fastidious old man shuffling with gouty 
step up and down1 from drawing-room to  
library1--stopping here and there to    
admire some newly arrived bit of        
pottery1--pulling out his golden        

snuff-box1 and whisking a delicate pinch
 into his old nostrils1--then dusting   
his affluent shirt--frill with the tips 
of his dainty fingers1 with an air of   
gratitude to ,providence for having     
created so fine a gentleman as ,horace  
,walpole1 and of gratitude to ,horace   
,walpole for having created so fine a   
place as ,strawberry ,hill4  ,i turn    
from this ancient specimen of titled    
elegance to a consideration of ,mr4     
,burke1 with much the same relief with  
which ,i would go out from a perfumed   
drawing-room into the breezy air of a   
,june morning4 ,lord ,kames has told us 
that ,mr4 ,burke preferred oxen to      
horses for field-labor2 and we have     
,burke's letters to his bailiff1 showing
 a nice attention to the economies of   
farming1 and a complete mastery of its  
working details4 ,but more than anywhere
 else does his agricultural sagacity    
declare itself in his ,thoughts and     
,details on ,scarcity4,n  ,will the     
reader pardon me the transcript of a    

passage or two8 ,it is a perilous thing 
to try experiments on the farmer4 ,the  
farmer's capital 7except in a few       
persons1 and in a very few places7 is   
far more feeble than is commonly        
imagined4 ,the trade is a very poor     
trade2 it is subject to great risks and 
losses4 ,the capital1 such as it is1 is 
turned but once in the year2 in some    
branches it requires three years before 
the money is paid2 ,i believe never less
 than three in the turnip and grass-land
 course 444,it is very rare that the    
most prosperous farmer1 counting the    
value of his quick and dead stock1 the  
interest of the money he turns1 together
 with his own wages as a bailiff or     
overseer1 ever does make twelve or      
fifteen per centum by the year on his   
capital4 ,in most parts of ,england     
which have fallen within my observation1
 ,i have rarely known a farmer who to   
his own trade has not added some other  
employment traffic1 that1 after a course
 of the most remitting parsimony and    

labor1 and persevering in his business  
for a long course of years1 died worth  
more than paid his debts1 leaving his   
posterity to continue in nearly the same
 equal conflict between industry and    
want in which the last predecessor1 and 
a long line of predecessors before him1 
lived and died4  ,in confirmation of    
this last statement1 ,i may mention that
 ,samuel ,ireland1 writing in #agib1    
7,picturesque ,views on the ,river      
,thames17 speaks of a farmer named      
,wapshote1 near ,chertsey1 whose        
ancestors had resided on the place ever 
since the time of ,alfred the ,great2   
and amid all the chances and changes of 
centuries1 not one of the descendants   
had either bettered or marred his       
fortunes4 ,the truthfulness of the story
 is confirmed in a number of the        
,monthly ,review for the same year4     
,mr4 ,burke commends the excellent and  
most useful works of his friend ,arthur 
,young1 7of whom ,i shall have somewhat 
to say another time17 but regrets that  

he should intimate the largeness of a   
farmer's profits4 ,he discusses the     
drill-culture1 7for wheat17 which1 he   
says1 is well1 provided the soil is not 
excessively heavy1 or encumbered with   
large1 loose stones1 and provided the   
most vigilant superintendence1 the most 
prompt activity1 which has no such day  
as to-morrow in its calendar1,o combine 
to speed the plough2 in this case ,i    
admit1 he says1 its superiority over the
 old and general methods4 ,and again he 
says1--,it requires ten times more of   
labor1 of vigilance1 of attention1 of   
skill1 and1 let me add1 of good fortune 
also1 to carry on the business of a     
farmer with success1 than what belongs  
to any other trade4  ,may not ,a ,farmer
 take a little pride in such testimony  
as this8  ,one of his biographers tells 
us1 that1 in his later years1 the       
neighbors saw him on one occasion1 at   
his home of ,beaconsfield1 leaning upon 
the shoulder of a favorite old horse1   
7which had the privilege of the lawn17  

and sobbing4 ,whereupon the gossiping   
villagers reported the great man crazed4
 ,ay1 crazed1--broken by the memory of  
his only and lost son ,richard1 with    
whom this aged saddle-horse had been a  
special favorite1--crazed1 no doubt1 at 
thought of the strong young hand whose  
touch the old beast waited for in       
vain1--crazed and broken1--an oak1      
ruined and blasted by storms4 ,the great
 mind in this man was married to a great
 heart4  ,it is almost with a feeling of
 awe that ,i enter upon my wet-day      
studies the name of ,oliver ,goldsmith3 
,i love so much his tender story of the 
good ,vicar2 ,i love so much his poems4 
,the world is accustomed to regard that 
little novel1 which ,dr4 ,johnson       
bargained away for sixty guineas1 as a  
rural tale3 it is so quiet2 it is so    
simple2 its atmosphere is altogether so 
redolent of the country4 ,and yet all1  
save some few critical readers1 will be 
surprised to learn that there is not a  
picture of natural scenery in the book  

of any length2 and wherever an allusion 
of the kind appears1 it does not bear   
the impress of a mind familiar with the 
country1 and practically at home there4 
,the ,doctor used to go out upon the    
,edgeware road1--not for his love of    
trees1 but to escape noise and duns4    
,yet we overlook literalness1 charmed as
 we are by the development of his       
characters and by the sweet burden of   
his story4 ,the statement may seem      
extraordinary1 but ,i could transcribe  
every rural1 out-of-door scene in the   
,vicar of ,wakefield upon a single      
half-page of foolscap4 ,of the first    
home of the ,vicar we have only this    
account3--,we had an elegant house1     
situated in a fine country and a good   
neighborhood4 ,of his second home there 
is this more full description3--,our    
little habitation was situated at the   
foot of a sloping hill1 sheltered with a
 beautiful underwood behind1 and a      
prattling river before3 on one side a   
meadow1 on the other a green4 ,my farm  

consisted of about twenty acres of      
excellent land1 having given a hundred  
pounds for my predecessor's good-will4  
,nothing could exceed the neatness of my
 little inclosures3 the elms and        
hedge-rows appearing with inexpressible 
beauty4 ,my house consisted of but one  
story1 and was covered with thatch1     
which gave it an air of great snugness4 
,it is quite certain that an author     
familiar with the country1 and with a   
memory stocked with a multitude of      
kindred scenes1 would have given a more 
determinate outline to this picture4    
,but whether he would have given to his 
definite outline the fascination that   
belongs to the vagueness of ,goldsmith1 
is wholly another question4  ,again1 in 
the sixth chapter1 ,mr4 ,burchell is    
called upon to assist the ,vicar and his
 family in saving an after-growth of    
hay4 ,our labors1 he says1 went on      
lightly2 we turned the swath to the     
wind4 ,it is plain that ,goldsmith never
 saved much hay2 turning a swath to the 

wind may be a good way of making it1 but
 it is a slow way of gathering it4 ,in  
the eighth chapter of this charming     
story1 the ,doctor says1--,our family   
dined in the field1 and we sat1 or      
rather reclined1 round a temperate      
repast1 our cloth spread upon the hay4  
,to heighten our satisfaction1 the      
blackbirds answered each other from     
opposite hedges1 the familiar redbreast 
came and pecked the crumbs from our     
hands1 and every sound seemed but the   
echo of tranquillity4 ,this is very     
fascinating2 but it is the veriest      
romanticism of country-life4 ,such      
sensible girls as ,olivia and ,sophia   
would1 ,i am quite sure1 never have     
spread the dinner-cloth upon hay1 which 
would most surely have set all the gravy
 aflow1 if the platters had not been    
fairly overturned2 and as for the       
redbreasts1 7with that rollicking boy   
,moses in my mind17 ,i think they must  
have been terribly tame birds4  ,but    
this is only a farmer's criticism1--a   

,crispin feeling the bunions on some    
,phidian statue4 ,and do ,i think the   
less of ,goldsmith1 because he wantoned 
with the literalism of the country1 and 
laid on his prismatic colors of romance 
where only white light lay8 ,not one    
whit4 ,it only shows how ,genius may    
discard utter faithfulness to detail1 if
 only its song is charged with a general
 simplicity and truthfulness that fill  
our ears and our hearts4  ,as for       
,goldsmith's verse1 who does not love   
it8 ,it is wicked to consume the pages  
of a magazine with extracts from a poem 
that is our daily food1 else ,i would   
string them all down this column and the
 next1 and every one should have a      
breezy reminder of the country in it4   
,not all the arts of all the            
modernists1--not ,maud1 with its        
garden-song1--not the caged birds of    
,killingworth1 singing up and down the  
village-street1--not the heather-bells  
out of which the springy step of ,jean  
,ingelow crushes perfume1--shall make me

 forget the old1 sweet1 even flow of the
 ,deserted ,village4  ,down with it1 my 
boy1 from the third shelf6              
,g-,o-,l-,d-,s-,m-,i-,t-,h--a worker in 
gold--is on the back4  ,and ,i sit      
reading it to myself1 as a fog comes    
weltering in from the sea1 covering all 
the landscape1 save some half-dozen of  
the city-spires1 which peer above the   
drift-like beacons4         99       99 
99       99       99  ,,the ,,reaper',s 
,,dream4       ,the road was lone2 the  
grass was dank     ,with night-dews on  
the briery bank     ,whereon a weary    
reaper sank4     ,his garb was old1--his
 visage tanned2     ,the rusty sickle in
 his hand     ,could find no work in all
 the land4      ,he saw the evening's   
chilly star     ,above his native vale  
afar2     ,a moment on the horizon's bar
     ,it hung1--then sank as with a     
sigh3     ,and there the crescent moon  
went by1     ,an empty sickle down the  
sky4      ,to soothe his pain1 ,sleep's 
tender palm     ,laid on his brow its   

touch of balm1--     ,his brain received
 the slumberous calm2     ,and soon1    
that angel without name1     ,her robe a
 dream1 her face the same1     ,the     
giver of sweet visions1 came4      ,she 
touched his eyes3 no longer sealed1     
,they saw a troop of reapers wield      
,their swift blades in a ripened field3 
,at each thrust of their snowy sleeves1 
,a thrill ran through the future        
sheaves1     ,bustling like rain on     
forest-leaves4      ,they were not      
brawny men who bowed     ,with          
harvest-voices rough and loud1     ,but 
spirits moving as a cloud3     ,like    
little lightnings in their hold1        
,the silver sickles manifold     ,slid  
musically through the gold4      ,oh1   
bid the morning-stars combine     ,to   
match the chorus clear and fine         
,that rippled lightly down the line1--  
,a cadence of celestial rhyme1     ,the 
language of that cloudless clime1       
,to which their shining hands kept time6
      ,behind them lay the gleaming     

rows1     ,like those long clouds the   
sunset shows     ,on amber meadows of   
repose3     ,but like a wind the binders
 bright     ,soon followed in their     
mirthful might1     ,and swept them into
 sheaves of light4      ,doubling the   
splendor of the plain1     ,there rolled
 the great celestial wain     ,to gather
 in the fallen grain3     ,its frame was
 built of golden bars1     ,its glowing 
wheels were lit with stars1     ,the    
royal ,harvest's car of cars4      ,the 
snowy yoke that drew the load     ,on   
gleaming hoofs of silver trode1     ,and
 music was its only goad3     ,to no    
command of word or beck     ,it moved1  
and felt no other check     ,than one   
white arm laid on the neck1--      ,the 
neck whose light was overwound     ,with
 bells of lilies1 ringing round         
,their odors till the air was drowned3  
,the starry foreheads meekly borne1     
,with garlands looped from horn to horn1
     ,shone like the many-colored morn4 
,the field was cleared4 ,home went the  

bands1     ,like children linking happy 
hands     ,while singing through their  
father's lands2     ,or1 arms about each
 other thrown1     ,with amber tresses  
backward blown1     ,they moved as they 
were ,music's own4      ,the vision     
brightening more and more1     ,he saw  
the garner's glowing door1     ,and     
sheaves1 like sunshine1 strew the       
floor1--     ,the floor was             
jasper1--golden flails1     ,swift      
sailing as a whirlwind sails1           
,throbbed mellow music down the vales4  
,he saw the mansion1--all repose1--     
,great corridors and porticos           
,propped with the columns' shining rows2
     ,and these--for beauty was the     
rule--     ,the polished pavements1 hard
 and cool1     ,redoubled1 like a       
crystal pool4      ,and there the       
odorous feast was spread3     ,the      
fruity fragrance widely shed     ,seemed
 to the floating music wed4     ,seven  
angels1 like the ,pleiad ,seven1        
,their lips to silver clarions given1   

,blew welcome round the walls of heaven4
      ,in skyey garments1 silky thin1   
,the glad retainers floated in1--     ,a
 thousand forms1 and yet no din3        
,and from the visage of the ,lord1      
,like splendor from the ,orient poured1 
,a smile illumined all the board4       
,far flew the music's circling sound1   
,then floated back with soft rebound1   
,to join1 not mar1 the converse round1--
     ,sweet notes that melting still    
increased1     ,such as ne'er cheered   
the bridal feast     ,of king in the    
enchanted ,east4      ,did any great    
door ope or close1     ,it seemed the   
birth-time of repose1--     ,the faint  
sound died where it arose2     ,and they
 who passed from door to door1          
,their soft feet on the polished floor  
,met their soft shadows1--nothing more4 
,then once again the groups were drawn  
,through corridors1 or down the lawn1   
,which bloomed in beauty like a dawn3   
,where countless fountains leap alway1  
,veiling their silver heights in spray1 

,the choral people held their way4      
,there1 'mid the brightest1 brightly    
shone     ,dear forms he loved in years 
agone1--     ,the earliest loved1--the  
earliest flown3     ,he heard a mother's
 sainted tongue1     ,a sister's voice  
who vanished young1     ,while one still
 dearer sweetly sung6      ,no further  
might the scene unfold1     ,the gazer's
 voice could not withhold1     ,the very
 rapture made him bold3     ,he cried   
aloud1 with clasped hands1     ,o happy 
fields6 ,o happy bands1     ,who reap   
the never-failing lands6      ,o master 
of these broad estates1     ,behold1    
before your very gates     ,a worn and  
wanting laborer waits6     ,let me but  
toil amid your grain1     ,or be a      
gleaner on the plain1     ,so ,i may    
leave these fields of pain6      ,a     
gleaner1 ,i will follow far1     ,with  
never look or word to mar1     ,behind  
the ,harvest's yellow car3     ,all day 
my hand shall constant be1     ,and     
every happy eve shall see     ,the      

precious burden borne to ,thee6      ,at
 morn some reapers neared the place1    
,strong men1 whose feet recoiled        
apace1--     ,then gathering round the  
upturned face1     ,they saw the lines  
of pain and care1     ,yet read in the  
expression there     ,the look as of an 
answered prayer4         99       99    
99       99       99  ,,the             
,,new-,,england ,,revolution ,,of ,,the 
,,seventeenth ,,century4   ,in the first
 week of ,march1 #afhi1 ,sir ,edmund    
,andros returned to ,boston from an     
expedition against the ,indians of      
,maine4 ,he had now governed ,new       
,england more than two years for ,king  
,james ,,ii41 imitating1 in his narrow  
sphere1 the insolent despotism of his   
master4  ,the people had no share in the
 government1 which was conducted by     
,andros with the aid of ,counsellors    
appointed by the ,king4 ,some of these  
were the ,governor's                    
creatures1--,english adventurers1 who   
came to make their fortunes4 ,their     

associates of a different character were
 so treated that they absented          
themselves from the ,council-,board1 and
 at length not even formal meetings were
 held4 ,heavy taxes were arbitrarily    
imposed on the inhabitants4 ,excessive  
fees were demanded for the transaction  
of business in the courts and public    
offices4 ,town-meetings were forbidden1 
except one to be held in each year for  
the choice of assessing-officers4 ,the  
ancient titles to land in the ,colony   
were declared to be worthless1 and      
proprietors were required to secure     
themselves by taking out new patents    
from the ,governor1 for which high      
prices were extorted4 ,complaint of     
these usurpations was severely punished 
by fine and imprisonment4 ,an order that
 no man should remove out of the country
 without the ,governor's leave cut off  
whatever small chance existed of        
obtaining redress in ,england4 ,the     
religious feelings of the people were   
outraged4 ,the ,governor directed the   

opening of the ,old ,south ,church in   
,boston for worship according to the    
,english ritual4 ,if the demand had been
 for the use of the building for a mass1
 or for a carriage-house for            
,juggernaut1 it would scarcely have     
given greater displeasure4  ,late in the
 autumn of #afhh1 the ,governor had led 
a thousand ,new-,england soldiers into  
,maine against the ,indians4 ,his       
operations there were unfortunate4 ,the 
weather was cold and stormy4 ,the       
fatigue of long marches through an      
unsettled country was excessive4        
,sickness spread among the companies4   
,shelter and hospital-stores had been   
insufficiently provided4 ,the ,indians  
fled to the woods1 and there laughed at 
the invader4  ,the costliness1          
discomforts1 and miserable ill-success  
of this expedition1 while they          
occasioned clamor in the camp1 sharpened
 the discontents existing at the        
capital4 ,suspicions prevailed of       
treachery on the ,governor's part1 for  

he was well known to be without the     
excuse of incompetence4 ,plausible      
stories were told of his being in       
friendly relations with the murderous   
,indians4 ,an apprehension that he was  
instructed by his ,popish master to turn
 ,new ,england over to the ,french1 in  
the contingency of a popular outbreak in
 ,england1 was confirmed by reports of  
,french men-of-war hovering along the   
coast for the consummation of that      
object4 ,when1 in mid-winter1 ,andros   
was informed of the fears entertained at
 ,court of a movement of the ,prince of 
,orange1 he issued a proclamation1      
commanding ,his ,majesty's subjects in  
,new ,england1 and especially all       
officers1 civil and military1 to be on  
the alert1 should any foreign fleet     
approach1 to resist such landing or     
invasion as might be attempted4 ,not    
causelessly1 even if unjustly1 the      
,governor's object was understood to be 
to hold ,new ,england for ,king ,james1 
if possible1 should the parent-country  

reassert its rights4  ,of course1 no    
friendly welcome met him1 when1 on the  
heels of his proclamation1 he returned  
to ,boston from the ,eastern ,country4  
,he was himself so out of humor as to be
 hasty and imprudent1 and one of his    
first acts quickened the popular        
resentment4 ,the gloomy and jealous     
state of men's minds had gained some    
degree of credit for a story that he had
 furnished the hostile natives with     
ammunition for the destruction of the   
force under his command4 ,an ,indian    
declared1 in the hearing of some        
inhabitants of ,sudbury1 that he knew   
this to be true4 ,two of the townsmen   
took the babbler to ,boston1 ostensibly 
to be punished for his license of       
speech4 ,the ,governor treated the      
informers with great harshness1 put them
 under heavy bonds1 and sent one of them
 to jail4 ,the comment of the time was  
not unnatural nor uncandid3--,although  
no man does accuse ,sir ,edmund merely  
upon ,indian testimony1 yet let it be   

duly weighed whether it might not create
 suspicion and an astonishment in the   
people of ,new ,england1 in that he did 
not punish the ,indians who thus charged
 him1 but the ,english who complained of
 them for it4  ,the nine-days' wonder of
 this transaction was not over1 when    
tidings of far more serious import      
claimed the public ear4 ,on the fourth  
day of ,april1 a young man named ,john  
,winslow arrived at ,boston from the    
,island of ,nevis1 bringing a copy of   
the ,declarations issued by the ,prince 
of ,orange on his landing in ,england4  
,winslow's story is best told in the    
words of an affidavit made by him some  
months after4  ,being at ,nevis1 he     
says1 there came in a ship from some    
part of ,england with the ,prince of    
,orange's ,declarations1 and brought    
news also of his happy proceedings in   
,england1 with his entrance there1 which
 was very welcome news to me1 and ,i    
knew it would be so to the rest of the  
people in ,new ,england2 and ,i1 being  

bound thither1 and very willing to      
convey such good news with me1 gave four
 shillings sixpence for the said        
,declarations1 on purpose to let the    
people in ,new ,england understand what 
a speedy deliverance they might expect  
from arbitrary power4 ,we arrived at    
,boston harbor the fourth day of ,april 
following2 and as soon as ,i came home  
to my house1 ,sir ,edmund ,andros1      
understanding ,i brought the ,prince's  
,declarations with me1 sent the ,sheriff
 to me4 ,so ,i went along with him to   
the ,governor's house1 and1 as soon as  
,i came in1 he asked me why ,i did not  
come and tell him the news4 ,i told him 
,i thought it not my duty1 neither was  
it customary for any passenger to go to 
the ,governor1 when the master of the   
ship had been with him before1 and told 
him the news4 ,he asked me where the    
,declarations ,i brought with me were4  
,i told him ,i could not tell1 being    
afraid to let him have them1 because he 
would not let the people know any news4 

,he told me ,i was a saucy-fellow1 and  
bid the ,sheriff carry me away to the   
,justices of the ,peace2 and as we were 
going1 ,i told the ,sheriff ,i would    
choose my ,justice4 ,he told me1 ,no1 ,i
 must go before ,dr4 ,bullivant1 one    
picked on purpose 7as ,i judged7 for the
 business4 ,well1 ,i told him1 ,i did   
not care who ,i went before1 for ,i knew
 my cause was good4 ,so soon as ,i came 
in1 two more of the ,justices dropped   
in1 ,charles ,lidgett and ,francis      
,foxcroft1 such as the former1 fit for  
the purpose4 ,so they asked me for my   
papers4 ,i told them ,i would not let   
them have them1 by reason they kept all 
the news from the people4 ,so when they 
saw they could not get what ,i bought   
with my money1 they sent me to prison   
for bringing traitorous and treasonable 
libels and papers of news1              
notwithstanding ,i offered them security
 to the value of two thousand pounds4   
,the intelligence which reached ,winslow
 at ,nevis1 and was brought thence by   

him to ,boston1 could scarcely have     
embraced transactions in ,england of a  
later date than the first month after   
the landing of the ,prince of ,orange4  
,within that time1 the result of the    
expedition was extremely doubtful4      
,there had been no extensive rising     
against the ,king1 and every day of     
delay was in his favor4 ,he had a       
powerful army and fleet1 and it had been
 repeatedly shown how insecure were any 
calculations upon popular discontent in 
,england1 when an occasion arose for    
putting ,english loyalty to the last    
proof4 ,should the clergy1 after all1 be
 true to their assertions of the        
obligation of unqualified               
obedience1--should the army be          
faithful1--should the ,king1 by artifice
 or by victory1 attract to his side the 
wavering mass of his subjects1 and expel
 the ,dutch invader1--there would be an 
awful reckoning for all who had taken   
part against the ,court4 ,the           
proceedings after the insurrection under

 ,monmouth had not entirely shown how   
cruel ,james could be4 ,his position    
then had been far less critical than    
now4 ,then he enjoyed some degree of    
popular esteem1 and the preparations    
against him were not on a formidable    
scale4 ,now he was thoroughly           
frightened4 ,in proportion to his       
present alarm would be his fury1 if he  
should come off victorious4 ,the last   
chance was pending4 ,if now resisted in 
vain1 he would be henceforward          
irresistible4 ,englishmen who should now
 oppose their king must be sure to      
conquer him1 or they lost all security  
for property1 liberty1 and life4 ,was it
 any way prudent for the feeble1 colony 
of ,massachusetts1 divided by parties1  
and with its administration in the hands
 of a tool of the tyrant1 to attempt to 
throw itself into the contest at this   
doubtful stage8  ,it is unavoidable to  
suppose that these considerations were  
anxiously weighed by the patriots of    
,massachusetts after the reception of   

the intelligence from ,england4 ,it is  
natural to believe1 that1 during the    
fortnight which followed1 there were    
earnest arguments between the more and  
the less sanguine portions of the       
people4 ,it seems probable that the     
leaders1 who had most to fear from      
rashness1 if it should be followed by   
defeat1 pleaded for forbearance1 or at  
least for delay4 ,if any of them took a 
different part1 they took it warily1 and
 so as not to be publicly committed4    
,but the people's blood was up4 ,though 
any day now might bring tidings which   
would assure them whether a movement of 
theirs would be safe or disastrous1     
their impatience could not be           
controlled4 ,if the leaders would not   
lead1 some of the followers must take   
their places4 ,massachusetts must at all
 events have her share in the           
struggle1--and her share1 if ,king      
,james should conquer1 in the ruin4  ,it
 may be presumed that ,andros saw       
threatening signs1 as1 when next heard  

of1 he was within the walls of the work 
on ,fort ,hill4 ,two weeks had passed   
after ,winslow came with his news1 when 
suddenly1 at an early hour of the day1  
without any note of preparation1 ,boston
 was all astir4 ,at the ,south end of   
the town a rumor spread that armed men  
were collecting at the ,north end4 ,at  
the ,north it was told that there was a 
bustle and a rising at the ,south2 and a
 party having found ,captain ,george1 of
 the ,rose frigate1 on shore1 laid hands
 on him1 and put him under a guard4     
,about nine of the clock the drums beat 
through the town1 and an ensign was set 
up upon the beacon4 ,presently ,captain 
,hill marched his company up ,king      
,state ,street1 escorting ,bradstreet1  
,danforth1 ,richards1 ,cooke1           
,addington1 and others of the old       
,magistrates1 who proceeded together to 
the ,council-,chamber4 ,meantime1       
,secretary ,randolph1 ,counsellor       
,bullivant1 ,sheriff ,sherlock1 and many
 more of the ,governor's party1 were    

apprehended and put in gaol4 ,the gaoler
 was added to their company1 and his    
function was intrusted to ,scates1 the  
bricklayer4  ,about noon1 the gentlemen 
who had been conferring together in the 
,council-,chamber appeared in the       
eastern gallery of the ,town-,house in  
,king ,street1 and there read to the    
assembled people what was entitled a    
,declaration of the ,gentlemen1         
,merchants1 and ,inhabitants of ,boston1
 and the ,country ,adjacent4 ,the       
document contains a brief narrative of  
the oppressions that had been suffered  
by the ,colony1 under the recent        
maladministration4 ,towards the end it  
refers in a few words to the noble      
undertaking of the ,prince of ,orange1  
to preserve the three kingdoms from the 
horrible brinks of ,popery and ,slavery1
 and to bring to a condign punishment   
those worst of men by whom ,english     
liberties have been destroyed4 ,one     
point was delicate2 for among the recent
 ,counsellors of the ,governor had been 

considerable men1 who1 it was hoped1    
would hereafter act with the people4 ,it
 is thus disposed of3--,all the ,council
 were not engaged in these ill actions1 
but those of them which were true lovers
 of their country were seldom admitted  
to1 and seldomer consulted at1 the      
debates which produced these unrighteous
 things4 ,care was taken to keep them   
under disadvantages1 and the ,governor1 
with five or six more1 did what they    
would4 ,the ,declaration concludes as   
follows3--  ,we do therefore seize upon 
the persons of those few ill men which  
have been 7next to our sins7 the grand  
authors of our miseries2 resolving to   
secure them1 for what justice1 orders   
from his ,highness1 with the ,english   
,parliament1 shall direct1 lest1 ere we 
are aware1 we find 7what we may fear1   
being on all sides in danger7 ourselves 
to be by them given away to a foreign   
power before such orders can reach unto 
us2 for which orders we now humbly wait4
 ,in the mean time1 firmly believing    

that we have endeavored nothing but what
 mere duty to ,god and our country calls
 for at our hands1 we commit our        
enterprise unto the blessing of ,him who
 hears the cry of the oppressed1 and    
advise all our neighbors1 for whom we   
have thus ventured ourselves1 to join   
with us in prayers and all just actions 
for the defence of the land4  ,andros   
sent the son of the ,chief ,justice with
 a message to the ministers1 and to two 
or three other considerable citizens1   
inviting them to the ,fort for a        
conference1 which they declined4        
,meanwhile the signal on ,beacon ,hill  
had done its office1 and by two o'clock 
in the afternoon1 in addition to twenty 
companies in ,boston under arms1 several
 hundred soldiers were seen on the      
,charlestown side1 ready to cross over4 
,fifteen principal gentlemen1 some of   
them lately ,counsellors1 and others    
,assistants under the old ,charter1     
signed a summons to ,andros4 ,we judge  
it necessary1 they wrote1 you forthwith 

surrender and deliver up the government 
and fortification1 to be preserved and  
disposed according to order and         
direction from the ,crown of ,england1  
which suddenly is expected may arrive1  
promising all security from violence to 
yourself or any of your gentlemen or    
soldiers in person or estate4 ,otherwise
 we are assured they will endeavor the  
taking of the fortification by storm1 if
 any opposition be made4  ,the frigate1 
upon the news1 put out all her flags and
 pendants1 and opened all her ports1 and
 with all speed made ready for fight1   
under the command of the lieutenant1 he 
swearing that he would die before she   
should be taken4 ,he sent a boat to     
bring off ,andros and his attendants2   
but it had scarcely touched the beach   
when the crew were encountered and      
overpowered by the party from the       
,town-,house1 which1 under the command  
of ,mr4 ,john ,nelson1 was bearing the  
summons to the ,governor4 ,the boat was 
kept1 with the sailors manning it1 who  

were disarmed4 ,andros and his friends  
withdrew again within the ,port1 from   
which they had come down to go on board 
the frigate4 ,nelson disposed his party 
on two sides of the ,fort1 and getting  
possession of some cannon in an outwork1
 pointed them against the walls4 ,the   
soldiers within were daunted4 ,the      
,governor asked a suspension of the     
attack till he should send ,west and    
another person to confer with the       
,provisional ,council at the            
,town-,house4 ,the reply1 whatever it   
was1 decided him how to proceed1 and he 
and his party came forth from the ,fort1
 and went disarmed to the ,town-,house1 
and from thence1 some to the close gaol1
 and the ,governor1 under a guard1 to   
,mr4 ,usher's house4  ,so ended the     
first day of the insurrection4 ,the     
,castle and the frigate were still      
defiant in the harbor4 ,the nineteenth  
of ,april is a red-letter day in        
,massachusetts4 ,on the nineteenth of   
,april1 #ahfa1 ,massachusetts fought her

 way through ,baltimore to the rescue of
 the imperilled capital of the ,united  
,states4 ,on the nineteenth of ,april1  
#agge1 she began at ,lexington the war  
of ,american ,independence4 ,on the     
nineteenth of ,april1 #afhi1 ,king      
,james's ,governor was brought to yield 
the ,castle of ,boston by a threat1     
that1 if he would not give it presently1
 under his hand and seal1 he would be   
exposed to the rage of the people4 ,a   
party of ,colonial militia then went    
down1 and it was surrendered to them    
with cursings1 and they brought the men 
away1 and made ,captain ,fairweather    
commander in it4 ,now1 by the time the  
men came back from the ,castle1 all the 
guns1 both in ships and batteries1 were 
brought to bear against the frigate1    
which were enough to have shattered her 
in pieces at once1 resolving to have    
her4  ,captain ,george1 who had long    
nursed a private quarrel with the       
arch-disturber of ,massachusetts1 and   
chief adviser of the ,governor1 cast all

 the blame now upon that devil1         
,randolph2 for1 had it not been for him1
 he had never troubled this good        
people2--earnestly soliciting that he   
might not be constrained to surrender   
the ship1 for by so doing both himself  
and all his men would lose their wages1 
which otherwise would be recovered in   
,england2 giving leave to go on board1  
and strike the top-masts1 and bring the 
sails on shore4 ,the arrangement was    
made1 and the necessity for firing on a 
ship of the royal navy was escaped4 ,the
 sails were brought on shore1 and there 
put away1 and the vessel swung to her   
anchors off ,long ,wharf1 a harmless and
 a ridiculous hulk4 ,the country-people 
came armed into the town1 in the        
afternoon1 in such rage and heat that it
 made all tremble to think what would   
follow2 for nothing would satisfy them1 
but that the ,governor should be bound  
in chains or cords1 and put in a more   
secure place1 and that they would see   
done before they went away2 and to      

satisfy them1 he was guarded by them to 
the ,fort4  ,the ,fort had been given in
 charge to ,nelson1 and ,colonel        
,lidgett shared the ,governor's         
captivity4 ,west1 ,graham1 ,palmer1 and 
others of his set1 were placed in       
,fairweather's custody at the ,castle4  
,randolph was taken care of at the      
common gaol1 by the new keeper1 ,scates1
 the bricklayer4 ,andros came near      
effecting his escape4 ,disguised in     
woman's clothes1 he had safely passed   
two sentries1 but was stopped by a      
third1 who observed his shoes1 which he 
had neglected to change4 ,dudley1 the   
,chief ,justice1 was absent on the      
circuit at ,long ,island4 ,returning    
homeward1 he heard the great news at    
,newport4 ,he crossed into the          
,narragansett ,country1 where he hoped  
to keep secret at ,major ,smith's house2
 but a party got upon his track1 and    
took him to his home at ,roxbury4 ,to   
secure him against violence1 as the     
order expresses it1 a guard was placed  

about his house4 ,dudley's host1 ,smith1
 was lodged in gaol at ,bristol4  ,to   
secure ,dudley against popular violence 
might well be an occasion of anxious    
care to those who had formerly been his 
associates in public trusts4 ,among the 
oppressors1 he it was whom the people   
found hardest to forgive4 ,if ,andros1  
,randolph1 ,west1 and others1 were      
tyrants and extortioners1 at all events 
they were strangers2 they had not been  
preying on their own kinsmen4 ,but this 
man was son of a brave old emigrant     
,governor2 he had been bred by the      
bounty of ,harvard ,college2 he had been
 welcomed at the earliest hour to the   
offices of the ,commonwealth1 and       
promoted in them with a promptness out  
of proportion to the claims of his      
years4 ,confided in1 enriched1 caressed1
 from youth to middle life by his native
 ,colony beyond any other man of his    
time1 he had been pampered into a power 
which1 as soon as the opportunity was   
presented1 he used for the grievous     

humiliation and distress of his generous
 friends4 ,that he had not brought them 
to utter ruin seemed to have been owing 
to no want of resolute purpose on his   
part to advance himself as the congenial
 instrument of a despot4  ,a revolution 
had been consummated1 and the government
 of the ,king of ,england over          
,massachusetts was dissolved4 ,the day  
after ,andros was led to prison1 the    
persons who had been put forward in the 
movement assembled again to deliberate  
on the state of affairs4 ,the result    
was1 that several of them1 with         
twenty-two others whom they now         
associated1 formed themselves into a    
provisional government1 which took the  
name of a ,council for the ,safety of   
the ,people and ,conservation of the    
,peace4 ,they elected ,simon            
,bradstreet1 the last ,charter          
,governor1 now eighty-seven years of    
age1 to be their ,president1 and ,wait  
,winthrop1 grandson of the first        
,governor1 to command the ,militia4     

,among the orders passed on the first   
day of this new administration was one  
addressed to ,colonel ,tyng1 ,major     
,savage1 and ,captains ,davis and       
,willard1 serving in the ,eastern       
,country1 to send certain officers to   
,boston1 and dismiss a portion of their 
force4 ,there was probably a threefold  
purpose in this order3 to get possession
 of the persons of some distrusted      
officers2 to gratify a prevailing       
opinion that the exposures of the       
campaign had been needless as well as   
cruel2 and to obtain a reinforcement of 
skilled troops at the centre of affairs4
  ,the ,council felt the weakness of    
their position4 ,they held their place  
neither by deputation from the          
sovereign1 nor by election of the       
people4 ,they hesitated to set up the   
,colonial ,charter again1 for it had    
been formally condemned in the ,king's  
courts1 and there was a large party     
about them who bore it no good-will2 nor
 was it to be expected that their       

,president1 the timid ,bradstreet1      
whatever were his own wishes1 could be  
brought to consent to so bold a measure4
 ,naturally and not improperly desirous 
to escape from such a responsibility1   
they decided to summon a ,convention of 
delegates from the towns4  ,on the      
appointed day1 sixty-six delegates came 
together4 ,they brought from their      
homes1 or speedily reached1 the         
conclusion that of right the old        
,charter was still in force2 and they   
addressed a communication to that effect
 to the ,magistrates who had been chosen
 just before the ,charter government was
 superseded1 desiring them to resume    
their functions1 and to constitute1 with
 the delegates just now sent from the   
towns1 the ,general ,court of the       
,colony1 according to ancient law and   
practice4 ,their request was denied4    
,either the wisdom or the timidity of   
the ,magistrates held them back from so 
bold a venture4 ,the delegates then     
desired the ,council to continue to act 

as a ,committee of ,public ,safety till 
another ,convention might assemble1 of  
delegates bringing express instructions 
from their towns4  ,fifty-four towns    
were represented in the new ,convention4
 ,all but fourteen of them had          
instructed their delegates to insist on 
the resumption of the ,charter4 ,in the 
,council1 the majority was opposed to   
that scheme4 ,after a debate of two     
days1 the popular policy prevailed1 and 
the ,governor and ,magistrates chosen at
 the last election under the ,charter   
consented to assume the trusts then     
committed to them1 and1 in concert with 
the delegates recently elected1 to form 
a ,general ,court1 and administer the   
,colony for the present according to the
 ancient forms4 ,they desired that the  
other gentlemen lately associated with  
them in the ,council should continue to 
hold that relation4 ,but this the       
delegates would not allow2 and          
accordingly those gentlemen1 among whom 
were ,wait ,winthrop1 the newly         

appointed commander-in-chief1 and       
,stoughton1 whom the people could not   
yet forgive for his recent subserviency1
 relinquished their part in the conduct 
of affairs4 ,they did so with prudence  
and magnanimity1 engaging to exert      
themselves to allay the dissatisfaction 
of their friends1 and only avowing their
 expectation that the state-prisoners   
would be well treated1 and that there   
should be no encouragement to popular   
manifestations of hostility to ,england4
  ,scarcely had this arrangement been   
made1 when it became known1 that1 if    
dangers still existed1 at least the     
chief danger was over4 ,on the          
twenty-sixth of ,may a ship arrived from
 ,england with an order to the          
authorities on the spot to proclaim     
,king ,william and ,queen ,mary4 ,never1
 since the ,mayflower groped her way    
into ,plymouth harbor1 had a message    
from the parent-country been received in
 ,new ,england with such joy4 ,never had
 such a pageant as1 three days after1   

expressed the prevailing happiness been 
seen in ,massachusetts4 ,from far and   
near the people flocked into ,boston2   
the ,government1 attended by the        
principal gentlemen of the capital and  
the towns around1 passed in procession  
on horseback through the thoroughfares2 
the regiment of the town1 and companies 
and troops of horse and foot from the   
country1 lent their pomp and noise to   
the show2 there was a great dinner at   
the ,town-,house for the better sort2   
wine was served out in the streets2 and 
the evening was made noisy with         
acclamations till the bell rang at nine 
o'clock1 and families met to thank ,god 
at the domestic altar for causing the   
great sorrow to pass away1 and giving a 
,protestant ,king and ,queen to         
,england4  ,the revolution in           
,massachusetts determined the           
proceedings in the other ,colonies of   
,new ,england4 ,on learning what had    
been done in ,boston1 the people of     
,plymouth seized the person of their    

townsman1 ,nathaniel ,clark1 one of     
,andros's ,counsellors and tools1 and1  
recalling ,governor ,hinckley1 set up   
again the ancient government4 ,when the 
news reached ,rhode ,island1 a summons  
was issued to the several towns1        
inviting them to send their principal   
persons to ,newport before the day of   
usual election by ,charter1 444 there to
 consult of some suitable way in this   
present juncture4 ,accordingly1 at a    
meeting held on the day appointed by the
 ancient ,charter for annual elections1 
it was determined to reassume the       
government according to the ,charter1   
and that the former ,governor1          
,deputy-,governor1 and ,assistants that 
were in place 444 before the coming over
 of ,sir ,edmund ,andros1 the late      
,governor1 should be established in     
their respective places for the year    
ensuing1 or further order from ,england4
 ,walter ,clarke was the ,governor who  
had been superseded by ,andros4 ,but he 
had no mind for the hazardous honor     

which was now thrust upon him1 and      
,rhode ,island remained without a       
,governor4  ,on the arrival in          
,connecticut of the news of the         
deposition of ,andros1 the plan of      
resuming the ,charter of that ,colony1  
and reestablishing the government under 
it1 was immediately canvassed in all the
 settlements4 ,agreeably to some general
 understanding1 a number of principal   
men1 most of them elected as ,deputies  
by their respective towns1 assembled1 on
 the eighth of ,may1 at ,hartford1 to   
consult together on the expediency of   
taking that step4 ,they determined to   
submit1 the next day1 to the decision of
 the assembled freemen three questions1 
namely3 #a4 ,whether they would that    
those in place and power when ,sir      
,edmund ,andros took the government     
should resume their place and power as  
they were then2 or1 #b4 ,whether they   
would continue the present government2  
or1 #c4 ,whether they would choose a    
,committee of ,safety4  ,the adoption of

 any one of these proposals disposed of 
the others4 ,the first of them was first
 submitted to a vote1 and prevailed4 ,a 
,general ,court after the ancient       
pattern was constituted accordingly4    
,the persons just deputed from the towns
 made the ,lower ,house4 ,governor      
,treat and ,lieutenant-,governor ,bishop
 resumed their functions1 with ten      
,magistrates elected with them two years
 before1 besides others now chosen to   
fill the places of ,magistrates who had 
died meanwhile4  ,the first measure of  
the ,court was1 to order that all the   
laws of this ,colony formerly made      
according to ,charter1 and courts       
constituted in this ,colony for         
administration of justice1 as they were 
before the late interruption1 should be 
of full force and virtue for the future1
 and till the ,court should see cause to
 make further and other alteration and  
provision according to ,charter4 ,the   
second vote was1 to confirm all the     
present military officers4 ,justices of 

the ,peace were appointed for the towns4
 ,the armament of the fort at ,saybrook 
was provided for4 ,the ,governor was    
charged to convene the ,general ,court1 
in case any occasion should come on in  
reference to the ,charter or            
,government4 ,it was soon convened      
accordingly1 in consequence of the      
arrival of intelligence of the accession
 of ,william and ,mary to the throne2 a 
day of ,thanksgiving was appointed2 and 
the ,king and ,queen were proclaimed    
with all solemnity4  ,again ,englishmen 
were free and self-governed in all the  
settlements of ,new ,england4         99
       99       99       99       99    
,,some ,,account ,,of ,,the ,,early     
,,life ,,of ,,an ,,old ,,bachelor4      
,allusion was made in ,the              
,schoolmaster's ,story1 told in these   
pages last month1 to two old bachelors4 
,i am one of them4 ,early this morning1 
while taking my walk1 ,i saw1 growing   
about a rock1 some little blue flowers1 
such as ,i used to pick when a child4 ,i

 had broken off a few1 and was stooping 
for more1 when some one near said1 ,good
 morning1 ,captain ,joseph6  ,it was    
,mrs4 ,maylie1 the minister's wife1     
going home from watching4 ,after a      
little talk1 she told me1 in her        
pleasant way1 that ,i had two things to 
do1 of which1 by the doing1 ,i should   
make but one3 ,i was to write a story1  
and to show good reason for keeping     
myself all to myself4  ,mrs4 ,maylie1   
said ,i1 do ,i look like a person who   
has had a story8 ,i am a lonely old     
man1--a hard old man4 ,a story should   
have warmth4 ,don't you see ,i'm an     
icicle8  ,not quite1 said she4 ,i know  
of two warm spots4 ,i see you every day 
watching the children go past2 and then1
 what have you there8 ,icicles never    
cling to flowers6  ,after she had gone1 
,i began thinking what a beautiful story
 mine might have been1 if things had    
been different1--if ,i had been         
different4 ,and at last it occurred to  
me that a relation of some parts of it  

might be useful reading for young men2  
also1 that it might cause our whole     
class to be more kindly looked upon4    
,suppose it is not a pleasant story4    
,life is not all brightness4 ,see how   
the shadows chase each other across our 
path6 ,to-day our friend weeps with us2 
to-morrow we weep with our friend4 ,the 
hearse is a carriage which stops at     
every door4  ,no picture is without its 
shading4 ,we have before us the happy   
experiences of my two friends4 ,by those
 smiling groups let there stand one     
dark1 solitary figure1 pointing out the 
moral of the whole4  ,there is one      
thing1 however1 in the story of my      
neighbor ,browne1 pleasant as it is1    
which reminds me of a habit of my own4  
,i mean1 his liking to watch pretty     
faces4 ,i do1 when they belong to       
children4  ,this practice of mine1 which
 ,i find has been noticed by my valued  
friend1 ,mrs4 ,maylie1 is partly owing  
to the memories of my own childhood4    
,when the past was so suddenly recalled1

 on that stormy day1--as mentioned by my
 friend ,allen1--,i felt as ,i have     
often felt upon the sea1 when1 after    
hours of dull sailing1 through mist and 
darkness1 ,i have looked back upon the  
lights of the town we were leaving4  ,my
 life began in brightness4 ,and now1    
amid that brightness1 appear fresh1     
happy little faces1 which haunt me more 
and more1 as ,i become isolated from the
 humanity about me1 until at times it is
 those only which are real1 while living
 forms seem but shadows4  ,i see whole  
rows of these young faces in an old     
school-house1 far from here1 close by   
the sea1--can see the little girls      
running in1 when the schoolma'am        
knocked1 and settling down in their     
forms1 panting for breath4  ,one of     
these the boys called my girl4 ,i liked 
her1 because she had curls and two rows 
of cunning teeth1 and because she never 
laughed when the boys called me ,spunky 
,joe4 ,for ,i was wilful1 and of a hasty
 temper4 ,her name was ,margaret4 ,my   

father took me a long voyage with him1  
and while ,i was gone she moved down    
,east4 ,i never saw her afterwards4 ,if 
living1 it must have been a score of    
years since she bought her first        
glasses4  ,no doubt ,i should have been 
of a pleasanter disposition1 had ,i not 
been the only boy and the youngest      
child4 ,i was made too much of4 ,aunt   
,chloe1 who was aunt to the             
neighborhood1 and did its washing1 said 
,i was humored to death4  ,we had a     
great family of girls1 but ,mary was the
 one ,i loved best4 ,she was a saint4   
,her face made you think of ,peace on   
earth1 and good-will to men4 ,aunt      
,chloe used to say that ,mary ,bond was 
pretty to look at1 and facultied2 pity  
she hadn't the 'one thing needful4' ,for
 ,mary was not a professor4  ,i went    
pretty steadily to school until about   
sixteen4 ,at that time ,i had a         
misunderstanding with father4 ,i got the
 idea that he looked upon me as an      
incumbrance1 and declared ,i would go to

 sea4  ,mother and the girls were full  
of trouble1 but ,i wasn't used to being 
crossed1 and to sea ,i went4 ,i knew    
afterwards that father had set his heart
 upon my getting learning4  ,he said    
going to sea was a dog's life4 ,but ,i  
liked it1 and followed it up4 ,i think  
it was in my twentieth year that ,i     
shipped on board the ,eliza ,ann1       
,captain4 ,saunders1 bound from ,boston 
to ,calcutta4 ,this was my first long   
voyage as a sailor4 ,among the crew was 
one they called ,jamie1 as smart as a   
steel-trap1 and handsome as a picture4  
,he was not our countryman4 ,i think he 
was part ,scotch4 ,the passengers were  
always noticing him4 ,one day1 when he  
stood leaning against the foremast1 with
 his black hair blowing out in the wind1
 a young man with a portfolio got me to 
keep him there1 still1 for a while3 he  
was an artist1 and wanted to make a     
drawing of him4 ,the sailors all liked  
him because he was so clever1 and so    
lively1 and knew so many songs1 and     

could hop about the rigging1 light as a 
bird4 ,only a few knew him4 ,they said  
he had no home but the sea4  ,he        
afterwards told me this himself1 one    
dark night1 when we were leaning        
together over the rail1 as if listening 
to the splash of the water4 ,he began   
his sea-life by running away4 ,he said  
but little1 and that in a mournful way  
that made me pity him1 and wonder he    
could be so lively4 ,i didn't know then 
that sometimes people have to laugh to  
keep from crying4 ,i was all she had1   
said he2 and ,i left her4 ,i never      
thought how much she cared for me until 
,i got among all strangers2 then ,i     
wanted my mother4 ,at another time he   
told me about his return home and       
finding no mother4 ,and ,i told him of  
my own home and my great flock of       
sisters4  ,after this he rather clung to
 me4 ,and thus it happened1 from my     
liking ,jamie's handsome face1 and from 
,jamie's telling me his trouble1 that we
 became fast friends4  ,when the ship   

arrived in ,boston1 ,i took him home    
with me4 ,father had left off going to  
sea2 but some of the girls were married1
 and mother called her family small4 ,i 
knew she would take the homeless boy    
into her great motherly heart1 along    
with the rest of us4  ,we couldn't have 
arrived at a better time4 ,thanksgiving 
was just at hand1 work was plenty1 and  
,jamie soon in the thickest of it4      
',twas so good to him1 being in a home1 
though none of his4 ,the girls were glad
 enough of his help and his company2 for
 he was full of his fun1 and never at a 
loss for a word4 ,we never had so much  
light talk in the house before4 ,mother 
was rather serious1 and father did his  
laughing at the stores4  ,when          
,thanksgiving-,day came1 however1 and   
the married ones began to flock in with 
their families1 he spoke of going1--of  
not belonging4 ,but we persuaded him1   
and the girls did all they could to take
 up his mind1 knowing what his feelings 
must be4  ,the ,thanksgiving dinner was 

a beautiful sight to see4 ,i mean1 of   
course1 the people round it4 ,father    
talked away1 and could eat4 ,but mother 
sat in her frilled cap1 looking mildly  
about1 with the tears in her eyes1      
making believe eat1 helping everybody1  
giving the children two pieces of pie1  
and letting them talk at table4 ,this   
last1 when we were little1 was          
forbidden4 ,mother never scolded4 ,she  
had a placid1 saintly face1 something   
like ,mary's4 ,but if we ever giggled at
 table1 she used to say1 ,sho6 girls6   
,don't laugh over your victuals4  ,at   
sunset we missed ,jamie4 ,i found him in
 the hay-mow1 crying as if his heart    
would break4 ,oh1 ,joseph1 said he1 she 
was just as pleasant as your mother6 ,it
 was sunset when he first ran away1 and 
sunset when he returned to find his     
mother dead4 ,he told me that ,god      
brought him home at that hour to make   
him feel4  ,our ship was a long while   
repairing4 ,then freights were dull1 and
 so it lingered along1 week after week4 

,jamie often spoke of going1 but nobody 
would let him4 ,father said he had      
always wanted another boy4 ,mother told 
him ,i should be lonesome without him4  
,the girls said as much as they thought 
it would do for girls to say1 and he    
stayed on4 ,i knew he wanted to badly   
enough1 for ,i saw he liked ,mary4 ,i   
thought1 too1 that she liked him1       
because she said so little about his    
staying4 ,to be sure1 they were in      
nothing alike2 but then1 as ,aunt ,chloe
 said1 ,opposites are more harmonious4  
,my sister ,cynthia was going to be     
published soon1 and all the rest were   
helping her make her fix4 ,coverlets    
were being got into the loom1 and the   
great wheel and little wheel going all  
day ,jamie liked to help them quill4    
,but the best of all1 both for him and  
me1 were the quiltings2 for these       
brought all the young folks together4   
,our nearest neighbor was a large1      
stout-looking man1 by the name of       
,wilbur4 ,he was called ,mr4 ,nathaniel1

 to distinguish him from his brother4   
,his house was next ours1 with a hill   
between4 ,he was a good1 jolly soul1 had
 no children of his own1 and was always 
begging mother for a few of her girls4  
,nothing suited him better than a good  
time4 ,if there was anything going on at
 our house1 he was always on the spot4  
,one ,december evening1 our kitchen was 
full of young people4 ,the best         
bed-quilt had been quilted1 and ,jamie  
and ,i had been helping roll over1 all  
the afternoon4 ,in the evening1 as soon 
as the young men came1 we hung over the 
molasses1 and set ,mr4 ,nathaniel       
stirring it4 ,we all sat around1 naming 
apples4 ,all at once he called out1     
,which of you chaps has got pluck enough
 to ride over to ,swampsey ,village     
to-morrow1 after a young woman he never 
saw8  ,they all looked up1 especially   
the girls who had beaux present4 ,then  
came questions1--,who is she8 ,give her 
name2 ,good-looking8 and many others4   
,be thinking it over awhile1 said he1   

and kept on stirring4 ,but when he was  
pulling the candy1 he explained1        
dropping a few words at every pull4     
,the girl1 said he1 is a nice girl1 and 
,i'll be bound she's handsome4 ,i used  
to have dealings with her father1 while 
he kept store in ,boston4 ,we've never  
let the acquaintance die out4 ,when he  
wrote me that he was going to take his  
wife a journey ,south1 and inquired if  
,i knew of a safe1 quiet family where he
 could leave his daughter1 wifey and ,i 
concluded to take her ourselves4 ,we    
couldn't think of a quieter family1 or  
one where daughters were more needed4 ,i
 promised to meet her at ,swampsey      
,village2 but if any of you young men   
want the chance1 you can have it4       
,there was one fellow in the company who
 hardly ever spoke4 ,he was looked upon 
as a sort of crooked stick4 ,as he sat  
in the corner1 paring his apple1 he said
 in a drawling voice1 without looking   
up1--  ,better send ,joe4  ,oh1 he won't
 go1 ,i'll bet anything1 said two or    

three at once4  ,what'll you bet8 said  
,i4  ,bet a kiss from the prettiest girl
 in the room6  ,done6 said ,i1 and      
jumped up as if to pick out the girl4   
,but they all cried out1 ,wait till     
you've done it4  ,they thought ,i       
wouldn't go1 because ,i'd never been    
particular to any girl4  ,after we went 
to bed that night1 ,jamie offered to go 
in my stead4 ,but ,i had made up my     
mind1 and was not so easily turned4     
,early next morning1 ,mr4 ,nathaniel    
drove up to the door in his             
yellow-bottomed chaise4 ,the wheeling   
was better than the sleighing1 except in
 the woods4  ,here1 he said1 ,i've      
ballasted your craft1 and made out your 
papers4 ,you go in ballast1 but'll have 
good freight back4 ,when you get to     
,swampsey-,village meeting-house1 turn  
off to the left1 and it's the second    
house4 ,the roof behind slants almost to
 the ground4  ,the ballast was heated   
stones4 ,the papers consisted of a      
letter1 addressed to ,miss ,margaret    

,holden1 at the house of ,mr4 ,oliver   
,barrows4  ,the road to ,swampsey       
,village1 after running a few miles     
along by the sea1 branched off to the   
southwest1 over a range of high1 wooded 
hills1 called ,the ,mountains4 ',twas a 
long ride1 and ,i couldn't help guessing
 what manner of girl would in a few     
hours be sitting by my side4 ,would she 
be sober1 or sociable8 pretty1 or       
homely8 ,i hoped she wouldn't be        
citified1 all pride and politeness4 ,and
 of all things1 ,i hoped she would not  
be bashful4 ,two dummies1 one in each   
corner1 riding along in the cold6  ,any 
way1 ,i thought at last1 it's no affair 
of mine4 ,i'm only sent of an errand4   
,it's all the same as going for a sheep 
or a bag of corn4 ,and with this idea1  
,i whipped up4 ,but the sight of the    
slanting roof made me slacken the reins2
 and when ,i found myself really        
hitching my horse1 ,i was sorry ,i came4
  ,before ,i reached the door1 it       
opened1 and there stood a white-haired  

old man1 leaning upon two canes4 ,he    
wanted to see who had come4 ,i told my  
errand4 ,he asked me into the kitchen4  
,as ,i entered1 ,i looked slyly about1  
to see what ,i could see4 ,but there was
 only a short old woman4 ,she was       
running candles4 ,she looked straight in
 my face4 ,the old man stooped down and 
shouted in her ear1--  ,he's come arter 
,peggy6 where is she8  ,denno1 said she1
 toddling along to the window1 and      
looking up and down the road4 ,denno4   
,mile off1 mebbe4 ,master critter to be 
on the go6  ,there she is6 cried ,mr4   
,barrows1 from a back-window1--in the   
parster1 slidin' down-hill on her       
jumper4 ,guess you'll have to go look   
her1 young man2 the old woman's poorly1 
an' so be ,i4  ,but the old woman told  
me to sit up to the fire and warm my    
feet2 said she would hang out a cloth1  
and ,peggy would be in directly4 ,i     
would have gone very willingly2 for1    
after expecting to be introduced to     
,miss ,margaret ,holden1 being sent out 

after ,peggy was just nothing4  ',twas  
but a little while before we heard the  
jumper rattling along1 and then a       
stamping in the porch4 ,then we heard   
her hand upon the latch4  ,she's a      
little young thing1 said the old man1   
almost in a whisper2 but she's          
knowin'4--,peggy1 he continued1 as she  
entered1 you'm sent for4  ,that was the 
first time ,i ever saw ,margaret4 ,she  
had on some little child's hood1 and an 
old josey-coat1 which covered her all   
over4 ,the hood was red1 and ruffled    
about the border1 which made her face   
look like a little girl's4  ,to go to   
,mr4 ,wilbur's8 she asked1 looking      
towards me4  ,i rose to explain1 and    
handed the letter4  ,she threw off her  
things1 opened it1 and began reading4   
,when ,i saw the smile spreading over   
her face1 ,i knew ,mr4 ,nathaniel had   
been writing some of his nonsense4      
,perhaps1 said ,i1 as she was folding it
 up1 you don't know ,mr4 ,nathaniel4 ,he
 says anything4 ,i don't know what he's 

been writing1 but--  ,oh1 nothing bad1  
said she1 laughing4 ,he only says you   
are a nice young man4  ,ah6 ,i replied4 
,well1 he does sometimes speak the      
truth4  ,then we both laughed1 and1 for 
new acquaintances1 seemed on pretty good
 terms4  ,there was something about her 
face which made me think of the little  
,margaret who had moved away4 ,she had  
the same pretty laugh1 the same         
innocent-looking mouth1--only the child 
,margaret was not so fair-complexioned4 
,her figure1 and the way of carrying her
 head1 reminded me of the ,west-,india  
girls1 as ,i had seen them riding out in
 their volantes4 ,i decided that ,i was 
pleased with her4 ,when she was ready to
 go1 with her blue silk pelisse and the 
plumes in her hat1 ,i was glad ,i came1 
and thought1 ,how much better is a girl 
than a sheep6  ,the old man made us stay
 to dinner2 but then he hurried us off1 
that we might be over ,the ,mountains   
before dark4  ,the air was chilly when  
we started1 and a few snow-flakes were  

flying4 ,but we had everything to make  
us comfortable4 ,the old horse always   
stepped quick1 going home2 the wind was 
in our favor2 our chaise had a boot     
which came up1 and a top which tipped   
down4 ,we should soon be home4 ,there is
 nothing very bad1 after all1 in being  
sent for a girl you never saw6  ,and we 
were not two dummies4 ,she was willing  
to do her part in talking1 and ,i could 
always hold my own1 if no more4  ,she   
seemed1 in conversation1 not at all like
 a little young thing1--so that ,i kept 
turning round to see if the look of the 
child ,margaret was still in her face4  
,oh1 how that face played the mischief  
with me6 ,and in more ways than one4    
,we were speaking of large families2 ,i 
had told her about ours4 ,all at once   
she exclaimed at a big rock ahead1 which
 overhung the road4  ,the moment ,i     
placed my eye on it1 ,i turned the      
horse's head4  ,wrong road1 said ,i4    
,the horse had turned off1 when ,i      
wasn't minding1 and was taking us to    

,cutler's ,mills4 ,we tried several ways
 to set ourselves right by a short cut1 
but were finally obliged to go all the  
way back to where we turned off4 ,in a  
summer day this would only have been    
lengthening out a pleasant ride4 ,but   
the days were at the shortest4          
,snow-flakes fell thicker1 and1 what was
 worse1 the wind changed1 and blew them 
straight into our faces4 ,by the time we
 reached the foot of ,the ,mountains it 
was nearly dark1 and snowing furiously4 
,i never knew a storm come on faster4   
',twas a regular1 old-fashioned1 driving
 snow-storm1 with the wind to the       
eastward4  ,margaret seemed noways      
down-hearted4 ,but ,i feared she would  
suffer4 ,i shook the snow from the      
blanket and wrapped her in it4 ,i drew  
it over her head1 pinned it under her   
chin1 and tucked it all about her4      
',twas hard pulling for the old horse1  
but he did well4 ,i felt uneasy1        
thinking about the blind roads1 which   
led nowhere but to wood-lots4 ',twas    

quite likely that the horse would turn  
into one of these1 and if he did1 we    
should be taken into the very middle of 
the woods4  ,it seemed to me we were    
hours creeping on in the dark1 right in 
the teeth of the storm4 ',twas an awful 
night2 terribly cold2 seemed as if it   
was window-glass beating against our    
faces4  ,by the time ,i judged we had   
reached the top of ,the ,mountains1 the 
wind blew a hurricane4 ,powerful gusts  
came tearing through the trees1 whirling
 the snow upon us in great smothering   
heaps4 ,the chaise was full4 ,my hands  
grew numb1 and ,i began slapping them   
upon my knees4 ,margaret threw off the  
blanket with a jerk1 and seized the     
reins4  ,stupid6 said she1 to be sitting
 here wrapped up1 letting you freeze6   
,but the horse felt a woman's hand upon 
the reins1 and stopped short4  ,i urged 
him on a few yards1 but we were in a    
cleared place1 and the snow had drifted4
 ',twas no use4 ,he was tired out4      
,take him out6 cried ,margaret2 we can  

ride horseback4  ,i sprang out1 knowing 
that no time should be lost4 ,margaret  
had not complained4 ,but ,i was chilled 
through4 ,my feet were like blocks of   
wood4 ,i knew she must be half frozen4  
,it seemed as if ,i never should do     
anything with the tackling4 ,my fingers 
were numb1 and ,i could hardly stand up1
 the wind blew so4  ,with the help of my
 jack-knife ,i cleared the horse4 ,i    
rode him round to the chaise1 and took  
,margaret up in front of me1 then let   
him take his own course4  ,i asked      
,margaret if she was cold4 ,she said1   
,yes1 in a whisper4 ,throwing open the  
blanket had let in the snow upon her1   
and the sharp wind4 ,the horse          
floundered about in the drifts4 ,every  
minute ,i expected to be thrown off4    
,time never seemed so long before4  ,all
 at once it occurred to me that         
,margaret was very quiet4 ,i asked again
 if she was cold4 ,she said1 ,no2 only  
sleepy4 ,i knew in a minute what that   
meant4 ,that was a terrible moment4     

,freezing as ,i was1 the sweat started  
out at every pore4 ,the pretty1 delicate
 thing would die6 ,and ,i1 great strong 
man1 couldn't save her6  ,but ,i        
wouldn't despair4 ,i made her talk4     
,kept asking her questions3 ,if the wind
 had not gone down8 ,if she heard the   
surf upon the beach8 ,if she saw a      
light8  ,yes1 said she at last1--,i see 
a light4  ,at first ,i was frightened1  
thinking her mind wandered4 ,but        
directly ,i saw that towards the right1 
and a little in advance of us1 was a    
misty spot of light4  ,when we were near
 enough to see where it came from1 it   
seemed as if all my strength left me at 
once1--the relief was so sudden4  ',twas
 a squaw's hut4 ,i knew then just where 
we were4 ,i climbed up the bank1 with   
,margaret in my arms1 and pounded with  
all my might upon the side of the hut1  
calling out1 ,for ,god's sake1 open the 
door6 ,a latch rattled close to my ears1
 and a door flew open4 ',twas ,old      
,suke4 ,i had1 many a time1 when a boy1 

called out to her1 ,black clouds        
arising6--for we always would torment   
the colored folks1 when they came down  
with their brooms4  ,i pushed past her  
into the hut1--into the midst of rushes1
 brooms1 and baskets1--into a shelter4  
,i never knew before what the word      
meant4  ,the fireplace was full of      
blazing pine-knots1 which made the room 
as light as day4 ,old ,suke showed      
herself a ,christian4 ,she told me where
 to find a shed for my horse2 and while 
,i was gone1 she took the wet things off
 ,margaret1 and rubbed her hands and    
feet with snow4 ,she took red peppers   
from a string over the fireplace1 boiled
 them in milk1 and made us drink it4 ,i 
thought of heaping coals of fire4 ,she  
dipped up hulled corn from a pot on the 
hearth1 and made us eat4 ,i felt like   
singing the song of ,mungo ,park4       
,margaret kept pretty still4 ,i knew the
 reason4 ,the warm blood was rushing    
back to her fingers and toes1 and they  
ached like the toothache4 ,mine did4    

',twas a long while before ,old ,suke   
would let us come nearer the fire4 ,her 
old mother was squatting upon the       
hearth4 ,she looked to be a hundred and 
fifty4 ,her face was like a baked       
apple1--for she was part ,indian1 not   
very black4 ,she had a                  
check-handkerchief tied round her head1 
and an old pea-jacket over her          
shoulders1 with the sleeves hanging4    
,she hardly noticed us1 but sat smoking 
her pipe1 looking at the coals4 ',twas  
curious to see ,margaret's face by hers 
in the firelight4  ,a little after      
midnight the storm abated1 and by four  
o'clock the stars were out4 ,i asked    
,margaret if she would be afraid to stay
 there1 while ,i went home to tell the  
folks what had become of us4  ,oh1 no1  
she said4 ',twas just what she'd been   
thinking about4 ,she would be making    
baskets4--,some girls would never have  
dared stay in such a place4  ,i promised
 to be back as soon as possible1 and    
left her there by the old woman4  ',twas

 just about daylight when ,i came in    
sight of father's4 ,mr4 ,nathaniel was  
walking about the yard1 looking up the  
road at every turn4 ,he hurried towards 
me4  ,all safe6 ,i called out4  ,thank  
,god6 he cried4 ,it has been a dreadful 
night4  ,jamie was in the house4 ,they  
two had been sitting up4 ,they wouldn't 
hear of my going back1 but put me into  
bed1 almost by main strength4 ,then they
 started with fresh horses4 ,they took a
 pillion for ,margaret1 and a shovel to 
dig through the drifts when they        
couldn't go round4  ,mother gave me warm
 drinks1 and piled on the bed-clothes4  
,but ,i couldn't sleep for worrying     
about ,margaret4 ,i was afraid the      
exposure would be the death of her4     
,about noon ,mary came running up to    
tell me they had just gone past4 ,the   
window was near my bed4 ,i pulled aside 
the curtain1 and looked out4 ,they were 
just going over the hill1--,jamie1 with 
,margaret on the pillion1 and ,mr4      
,nathaniel along-side4  ,i often think  

what a mysterious ,providence it was    
that made me the means of bringing      
together the two persons who1 as it     
turned1 controlled my whole life4 ,in   
fact1 it seems as if it were only then  
that my real life began4         99     
99       99       99       99  ,nobody  
could have been more pleased with a     
bright1 beautiful1 grown-up daughter    
than was ,mr4 ,nathaniel4 ,he was always
 bragging about her4 ,and well he       
might1--for never was a                 
better-dispositioned girl1 or a         
livelier4 ,she entered right into our   
country-life1 was merry with the young  
folks and wise with the old ones4 ,aunt 
,chloe said she was good company for    
anybody4  ,she was a real godsend to our
 neighborhood1 especially at the        
merry-makings2 for she could make fun   
for a roomful1 and tell us what they    
played at the ,boston parties4  ,of     
course1 that long ride with her in the  
snow-storm had given me an advantage    
over the other young men4 ,it seemed to 

be taken for granted by them1 that1 as  
,i brought her to town1 ,i should be the
 one privileged to wait upon her about4 
',twas a privilege ,i was glad enough to
 claim1 and she never objected4 ,many   
would have been glad to be in my place1 
but they never tried to cut me out4     
,margaret was sociable enough with      
them1--sometimes ,i thought too much so4
 ,but then ,i knew 'twas only her       
pleasant way4 ,when we two were walking 
home together1 she dropped her fun1 and 
seemed like another person4 ,i felt     
pleased that she kept the best part of  
herself for me4  ,i was pleased1 too1 to
 see that she took to ,mary1 and ,mary  
to her4 ,the women were hurried with    
their sewing1 and ,margaret used to be  
often at our house helping4 ,cynthia was
 glad enough of her help1 because she   
knew the fashions1 and told how weddings
 were carried on in ,boston4 ,thus it   
happened that she and ,mary were brought
 much together2 and before winter was   
over they were like two sisters4  ,and  

before winter was over1 what was ,i8    
,certainly not the same ,joseph who went
 to ,swampsey ,village4 ,my eagerness to
 be on the sea1 my pride1 my temper1    
were gone2 and all ,i cared for was to  
see the face and hear the voice of      
,margaret ,holden4  ,at first1 ,i would 
not believe this thing of myself2 said  
it was folly to be so led about by a    
woman4 ,but the very next moment1 her   
sitting down by my side would set me    
trembling1 ,i didn't know myself2 it    
seemed as if ,i were wrong side up1 and 
all my good feelings had come to the    
top4  ,our names were always called     
together1 but ,i felt noways sure4 ,i   
couldn't think that a girl every way so 
desirable as ,margaret should take up   
with a fellow so undesirable as myself4 
,i felt that she was too good for me4 ,i
 thought then that this was peculiar to 
our case4 ,but ,i have since observed1  
that1 as a general thing1 all women are 
too good for all men4 ,i am very sure ,i
 have seen something of the kind in     

print4  ,then there was another feeling 
which worked itself in by degrees1--one 
which would come back as often as ,i    
drove it away4 ,and once admitted1 it   
gained strength4 ',twas not a pleasant  
feeling1 and it had to do with ,jamie4  
,i had all along felt sure that he was  
attached to ,mary4 ,i had therefore     
never thought anything of his being on  
pretty good terms with ,margaret4 ,they 
were both of a lively turn1 and thrown  
much together4 ,but by degrees the idea 
got possession of me that there was a   
secret understanding between them about 
something4 ,they had long talks and     
walks together4 ,and1 in fact1 ,i       
observed many little things1 trifling in
 themselves1 but much to me after my    
thoughts were once turned that way4     
,sometimes ,i think1 that1 if ,i had    
never gone to sea1 or had never met     
,jamie1 or had not brought him home1 my 
life might have been very different4    
,but then1 if we once begin upon the    
ifs1 we might as well go back to the    

beginning1 and say1 ,if we had never    
been born4  ,jealousy4 ,and my proud1   
flashy temper4 ,that was it4  ,jamie was
 like a brother to me4 ,he was a noble  
fellow1 with a pleasant word and smile  
for everybody4 ,not a family in the     
place but was glad to see him enter     
their doors4 ,it looks strange now that 
,i could have distrusted him so4 ,still1
 ,i must say1 there seemed some cause4  
,but it's not pleasant dwelling on this4
 ,the daily events which stirred me up  
so then seem too trifling to mention4 ,i
 don't like to call up all those dead   
feelings1 now ,i'm an old man1 and      
ashamed of them4  ,jamie and ,margaret  
became a mystery to me4 ,and ,i was by  
no means one to puzzle it out1 as ,i    
would a sum in the rule-of-three4 ',twas
 not all head-work4 ,however1 ,i said   
nothing4 ,i was mean enough to watch1   
and too proud to question4  ,at last ,i 
began to ask myself what ,i really knew 
about ,jamie4 ,he was only a poor       
sailor-boy1 whom ,i had picked up and   

befriended4 ,and1 once put upon thought1
 what did ,i know of ,margaret8 ,what   
did anybody in the place8 ,even ,mr4    
,nathaniel only knew her father4 ,her   
simple1 childish ways might be all put  
on4 ,for she could act4 ,i had seen her1
 one evening1 for our entertainment1    
imitate the actresses upon the stage4   
,first1 she was a little girl1 in a     
white frock1 with a string of coral     
about her neck1 and curls hanging over  
her pretty shoulders4 ,she said a little
 hymn1 and her voice sounded just like a
 child's4 ,afterwards1 she was a proud  
princess1 in laces and jewels1 a long   
train1 and a bright crown4 ,dressed in  
this way1 with her head thrown back1 her
 bosom heaving1 and reciting something  
she had heard on the stage1 we hardly   
knew our ,margaret4  ,it was at our     
house1 one stormy evening4 ,mother would
 never allow it again4 ,she said it was 
countenancing the theatre4 ,besides1 ,i 
thought she'd rather not have me look at
 ,margaret when under the excitement of 

acting1 for the next day she cautioned  
me against earthly idols4 ,but ,margaret
 was my idol4  ,it was because she was  
so bewitching to me that ,i thought it  
could not be but that ,jamie must be    
bewitched as well4 ,and it was because  
he was so taking in his manner that ,i  
felt certain she must be taken with him4
 ,thus ,i puzzled on from day to day1   
drifting about among my doubts and      
fears1 like a ship in a fog4  ,i knew   
that ,margaret thought my conduct       
strange4 ,sometimes ,i seemed scarcely  
to live away from her2 then ,i would    
change about1 and not go near her for   
days4 ,to ,jamie1 too1 ,i was often     
unfriendly1 for it maddened me to think 
he might be playing a double game4 ,mary
 seemed just as she always did4 ,but    
then she was simple-minded1 and would   
never suspect anything or anybody4 ,it  
was astonishing1 the state of excitement
 ,i finally worked myself into4 ,that   
was my make4 ,once started upon a road1 
,i would run its whole length4          

99       99       99       99       99  
,february and ,march passed1 and still  
we were not sent for to join our ship4  
,jamie was getting uneasy1 living1 as he
 said1 so long upon strangers4 ,besides1
 ,i knew my manner troubled him4  ,one  
evening1 as we were sitting around our  
kitchen-fire1 ,margaret with the rest1  
,mr4 ,nathaniel came in1 all of a       
breeze1 scolding away about his         
fishermen4 ,his schooner was all ready  
for ,the ,banks1 and two of his men had 
run off1 with all their fitting-out4    
,come1 you two lazy chaps1 said he1 you 
will just do to fill their places4      
,agreed6 said ,jamie4 ,i'll go1 if      
,joseph will4  ,i'll go1 said ,i4 ,for  
,i thought in a minute that he would    
rather not leave me behind1 and ,i knew 
he needed the chance4  ,the women all   
began to exclaim against it1--all but   
,margaret4 ,she turned pale1 and kept   
silence4 ,that was ,friday4 ,the vessel 
would sail ,monday4 ,mother was greatly 
troubled1 but said1 if ,i would go1 she 

must make me comfortable2 and all night 
,i could hear her opening and shutting  
the bureau-drawers4 ,margaret stopped   
with ,mary3 ,i think they sewed till    
near morning4  ,the next evening the    
singers met in the vestry1 to practise  
the tunes for the ,sabbath4 ,we all sat 
in the singing-seats4 ,i played the     
small bass-viol4 ,jamie sang counter1   
and the girls treble4 ,margaret had a   
sweet voice1--not very powerful4 ,she   
sat in the seats because the other girls
 did4  ,i went home with her that night4
 ,she seemed so sad1 so tender in her   
manner1 that ,i came near               
speaking1--came near telling her how    
much she was to me1 and owning my       
feeling about ,jamie4 ,but ,i didn't    
quite4 ,something kept me from it4 ,if  
there is such a thing as fate1 'twas    
that4  ,going home1 however1 ,i made a  
resolution that the next night ,i would 
certainly know1 from her own lips1      
whether it was me she liked1 or ,jamie4 
,i walked slowly home1 and directly     

up-stairs to bed4 ,i lay awake a long   
time1 heard father and mother go to     
their chamber1 then ,mary and ,sophy to 
theirs4 ,at last ,i wondered what had   
become of ,jamie4  ,i pushed aside the  
window-curtain and looked out4 ',twas   
bright moonlight4 ,i saw ,jamie coming  
over the hill from ,mr4 ,nathaniel's4   
,he came in softly4 ,i pretended sleep4 
,he was still so long that ,i looked up 
to see what he could be doing4 ,he was  
leaning his elbow on the desk1 looking  
straight at the floor1 thinking4  ,all  
that night ,i lay awake1 staring at the 
moonlight on the curtains4 ,i was again 
on the old track1 for ,i could not      
possibly imagine what he should have to 
say to ,margaret at that hour4  ,towards
 morning ,i fell asleep1 and never woke 
till the people were getting ready for  
meeting4 ,i hurried1 for the instruments
 met before the rest to practise4       
,nearly all the young folks sat in the  
seats4 ,jamie stood at the head of the  
back row1 on the men's side4 ,his voice 

was worth all the rest4 ,margaret came  
in late4 ,she looked like a beauty that 
day4 ,her place was at the head of the  
first row of girls4 ,i1 with my         
bass-viol1 was behind all4  ,the        
minister read the hymn beginning with   
this verse1--      ,we are a garden     
walled around1     ,chosen and made     
peculiar ground2     ,a little spot     
inclosed by grace1     ,out of the      
world's wide wilderness4  ,while he was 
reading it1 ,i saw her write a little   
note1 and hand it across the alley to   
,jamie4 ,he smiled1 and wrote another   
back4 ,after meeting1 they had a talk4  
,these things sound small enough now4   
,but now ,i am neither young1 nor in    
love1 nor jealous4  ,that night was our 
last at home4 ,after supper1 ,i strolled
 off towards the meeting-house4 ',twas  
about sundown4 ,i walked awhile in the  
graveyard1 and then followed the path   
into the wood at the back of it4  ,i see
 that ,i have been telling my story in a
 way to favor myself1--that even now ,i 

am unwilling wholly to expose my folly4 
,i could not1 if ,i tried1 tell how that
 night in the wood ,i was beset at once 
by jealousy1 pride1 love1 and anger1 and
 so well-nigh driven mad4  ,i passed    
from the wood to the open field1 and    
reached the shore4 ,the vessel lay at   
the wharf4 ,i climbed the rigging1 and  
watched the moon rising over the water4 
,it must have been near midnight when ,i
 reached home4  ,the vessel sailed early
 in the morning4 ,i did not see         
,margaret1--never bid her good-bye4     
,after we were under way1 and were out  
of the windings of the channel1 ,jamie  
came and leaned with me against the     
rail4 ,and there in silence we stood    
until the homes of those we loved so    
well had faded from our sight4  ,poor   
,jamie6 ,i knew afterwards how troubled 
he was at the way ,i treated him that   
summer4 ,he wanted to be friendly1 but  
,i stood off4 ,he wanted to speak of the
 folks at home1 but ,i would never join 
him4 ,at last he left off trying4  ,if  

he had not met with an accident1 maybe  
,i should never have spoken another kind
 word to him4 ,it happened towards the  
end of the voyage4 ,the schooner had wet
 her salt1 and all hands were thinking  
of home4 ,i was down in the cabin4 ,i   
was marking a piece of meat to          
boil1--for then each fisherman carried  
his own provisions4 ,all at once ,i     
heard something fall upon the deck4     
,then a great trampling4 ,i hurried up1 
and saw them lifting up ,jamie4 ,he had 
fallen from the rigging4 ,it was old and
 rotten4 ,they carried him down1 and    
laid him in his berth4 ,he wouldn't have
 known1 if they had dropped him into the
 sea4  ,when ,i saw him stretched out   
there1 every unkind feeling left me4 ,my
 old love for him came back4 ,all ,i    
could think of was what he said in our  
first talk1--,then ,i wanted my mother4 
,none of us could say whether he would  
live or die4 ,we feared for his head1   
because he took no notice1 but seemed   
inclined to sleep4 ,i wanted to do      

everything for him myself4 ,i had borne 
him ill-will1 but now my strong feelings
 all set towards him4  ,it was in the   
middle of the night that he first came  
to himself4 ',twas a blowy night1 and   
most of the crew were on deck4 ,a couple
 of men were sleeping in their berths4  
,the cabin of a fishing-schooner is a   
dark1 stifled place1 with everything    
crowded into it4 ,the berths were like a
 double row of shelves along the sides4 
,in one of these1 with his face not far 
from the beams overhead1 was stretched  
my poor1 ill-treated ,jamie4 ,i was so  
afraid he would die6 ,i had no pride    
then4  ,on this night ,i stood holding  
by the side of his berth1 to steady     
myself4 ,i turned away a moment to snuff
 the candle1 and when ,i stepped back he
 looked up in my face and smiled4 ,i    
couldn't help throwing my arms around   
his neck and kissing him4 ,i never      
kissed a man before1--nor since4        
,joseph has come back1 said he1 with a  
smile4  ,i thought he was wandering1 and

 made no answer4 ,after that he         
frequently roused from his stupor and   
seemed inclined to talk4  ,one stormy   
night1 when all hands were upon deck1 he
 seemed like himself1 only very sad1 and
 began of his own accord to talk of what
 was always in my mind4 ,he spoke low1  
being weak4  ,joseph1 said he1 there is 
one question ,i want to ask you4  ,hush6
 said ,i1--you mustn't talk1 you must be
 quiet4 ,for ,i dreaded his coming to   
the point4  ,i can't be quiet1 said he1 
and ,i must talk4 ,you've something     
against me4 ,what is it8  ,i made no    
answer4  ,but ,i know1 he continued4 ,i 
have known all along4 ,you've heard     
something about my old life4 ,you think 
,mary is too good for me4 ,and she is4  
,but she is willing to take me just as  
,i am4 ,i'm not what ,i was4 ,she has   
changed me4 ,she will keep me from harm4
  ,jamie1 said ,i1 ,i don't know what   
you mean4 ,i've heard nothing4 ,i'm     
willing you should have ,mary1--want you
 to4  ,he looked perplexed4  ,then what 

is it8 he asked4  ,i turned my head     
away1 hardly knowing how to begin4 ,at  
last ,i said1--  ,i wasn't sure1 ,jamie1
 that you wanted ,mary4 ,you know there 
was some one else you were often with4  
,he lay for some time without speaking4 
,at last he said1 slowly1--,i see1--,i  
see1--,i see1--three times4 ,then1      
turning his eyes away from me1 he kept  
on1--,what should you think1 ,joseph1 if
 ,i were to tell you that ,i had seen   
,margaret before she came to your place8
  ,seen ,margaret8 ,i repeated4  ,yes1  
he replied2 and ,i will tell you where4 
,you see1 when ,i found mother was dead1
 and nobody cared whether ,i went up or 
down in the world1 that ,i turned       
downwards4 ,i got with a bad            
set1--learned to drink and gamble4 ,one 
night1 in the streets of ,boston1 ,i got
 into a quarrel with a young man1 a     
stranger4 ,we were both drunk4 ,i don't 
remember doing it1 but they told me     
afterwards that ,i stabbed him4 ,this   
sobered us both4 ,he was laid on a bed  

in an upper room in the ,lamb ,tavern4  
,i was awfully frightened1 thinking he  
would die4 ,that was about two months   
before ,i shipped aboard the ,eliza     
,ann4  ,after his wound was dressed1 he 
begged me to go for his sister1 and gave
 me the street and number4 ,his name was
 ,arthur ,holden4 ,his sister was your  
,margaret4 ,our acquaintance began at   
his bedside4 ,we took turns in the care 
of him4  ,they were a family well off in
 the world1 with nothing to trouble them
 but his wickedness4 ,he would not be   
respectable1 would go with bad company4 
,after he was well enough to be taken   
home1 ,i never saw ,margaret until that 
morning after the snow-storm4 ,i was    
very eager to go for her1 for ,i felt   
sure1 from what ,mr4 ,nathaniel had said
 during the night1 that she was the     
same4  ,riding along1 she told me all   
about ,arthur's course1 and the grief he
 had caused them ever since4 ,it had    
made her mother ill4 ,he was roaming    
about the country1 always in trouble1   

and it was on his account that she      
stayed behind1 when her father and      
mother went ,south4 ,she said he must   
have some one to befriend him in case of
 need4  ,and here1 continued he1 was    
where ,i took a wrong step4 ,i begged   
,margaret not to speak of our former    
acquaintance4 ,i could not bear to have 
you all know4 ,i was afraid ,mary would 
despise me1 she was so pure4  ,margaret 
was willing to keep silence about it1   
for she would rather not have the people
 know of her brother4 ,he would have    
been the talk of the neighborhood4      
,everybody would have been pitying her4 
,she used to like to speak of him to me1
 because ,i was the only one who knew   
the circumstances4  ,but don't think1 he
 continued1 earnestly1 that ,i would    
have married ,mary and never told her4  
,we had a long1 beautiful talk the last 
evening4 ,i had never before spoken     
quite freely of my feelings1 though she 
must have seen what they were4 ,but that
 night ,i told everything1--my past     

life1 and all4 ,and she forgave all1    
because she loved me4  ,i meant to tell 
you as soon as we were off2 but you     
turned the cold shoulder1--you would not
 talk about home4  ,here he stopped4 ,i 
hoped he would say no more1 for every   
word he spoke made me feel ashamed4 ,but
 he went on4  ,the day before we agreed 
to go this voyage1 ,margaret told me    
that ,arthur was concealed somewhere in 
the neighborhood4 ,she didn't know what 
he had done1 but only that he was       
running away from an officer4 ,i found  
him out1 and went every night to carry  
him something to eat4  ,why didn't she  
tell me8 ,i exclaimed4 ,i would have    
done the same4  ,she would1 perhaps1    
said he1 only that for some time you had
 acted so strangely4 ,she never said a  
word1 but ,i knew it troubled her4 ,if  
,i had only known of your feeling so1 ,i
 would have told everything4 ,but ,i    
thought you must see how much ,i cared  
for ,mary4 ,everybody else was sure who 
,margaret loved1 if you were not4  ,oh1 

,joseph1 he continued1 clasping my hand1
 how beautiful it will be1 when we get  
home1 now that everything is cleared up6
 ,but ,i haven't quite finished4        
,sunday1 if you remember1 ,margaret came
 in late to meeting4 ,while the hymn was
 being read1 she wrote me on a slip of  
paper that ,arthur was gone4 ,i wrote   
her back1 ',good news4' ,afterwards she 
told me that he came in the night to her
 bedroom-window to bid her              
good-bye1--that he had promised her he  
certainly would do better4 ,margaret was
 in better spirits that day than ,i had 
seen her for a long while4 ,i thought   
there had been an explanation between   
you two4 ,never fear1 ,joseph1 but that 
she loves you4  ,jamie seemed tired     
after talking so much1 and soon after   
fell asleep4 ,i crept into the berth    
underneath him4 ,i felt like creeping   
somewhere4 ,sleep was long coming1 and  
no sooner was ,i unconscious of things  
about me than ,i began to dream bad     
dreams4 ,i thought ,i was stumbling     

along in the dark1 ',twas over graves4  
,i fell over a heap of earth1 and heard 
the stones drop down into one newly     
made4 ,as ,i was trying to walk away1   
,margaret came to meet me4 ,you didn't  
bid me good-bye1 said she1 smiling2 but 
it's not too late now4 ,then she held   
out her hand4 ,i took it1 but the touch 
waked me4 ',twas just like a dead hand4 
,i kept sleeping and waking2 and every  
time ,i slept1 the same dream came to   
me1--exactly the same4 ,at last ,i      
rushed upon deck1 sent a man below1 and 
took his place4 ,he was glad to go1 and 
,i was glad to be where the wind was    
blowing and everything in commotion4    
,the next day ,i told ,jamie my dream4  
,he said it was a lucky one1 and he     
hoped it meant two weddings4 ,so ,i     
thought no more of it4 ,i was never     
superstitious3 my mother had taught me  
better4  ,we had just started for home1 
but this gale blew us off our course4   
,soon after1 however1 the wind shifted  
to the eastward1 and so kept1 for the   

biggest part of the time1 until we      
sighted ,boston ,lights4 ,jamie was     
nearly well4 ,still he could not walk   
much4 ,he was quite lame4 ,the skipper  
thought some of the small bones of the  
foot were put out4 ,but ,jamie didn't   
seem to care anything about his feet4   
,he was just as gay as a lark1 singing  
all day4  ,as soon as we caught sight of
 ,the ,mountains1 we ran up our flag4   
,it was about noon1 and the skipper     
calculated on dropping anchor in the    
channel by sundown1 at the farthest4    
,and so we should1 but the wind hauled1 
and we couldn't lay our course4 ,tacking
 is slow work1 especially all in sight  
of home4 ,about ten o'clock in the      
evening we made ,wimple's ,creek4 ,then 
we had the tide in our favor1 and so    
drifted into the channel4 ,our bounty   
wasn't quite out1 or we should have gone
 straight in to the wharf1 over         
everything4  ,when things were made     
snug1 we pulled ashore in the boat4 ,it 
being in the night1 we went just as we  

were1 in fishermen's rig4 ',twas a wet1 
drizzly1 chilly night1 so dark we could 
hardly make out the landing4 ,we coaxed 
,jamie to stop under a shed while ,i    
went for a horse4 ,i was the only one of
 the crew who lived beyond the          
meeting-house4 ,but ,i had so much to   
think of1 was so happy1 thinking ,i was 
home again1 and that everything would be
 right1 that ,i never minded being      
alone4 ,passing by the graveyard made me
 remember my dream4 ,joseph1 said ,i to 
myself1 you don't dare walk through     
there6 ',twas only a post-and-rail      
fence1 and ,i sprang over1 to show      
myself ,i dared do it4 ,i felt noways   
agitated until ,i found1 that1 on       
account of its being so dark1 ,i was    
stumbling just as ,i had dreamed4 ,i    
kept on1 however2 for1 by going that    
way1 ,i could reach home by a short cut4
 ,when ,i got behind the meeting-house  
,i nearly fell down over a heap of      
earth4 ,my fall started a few stones1   
and ,i could hear them drop4 ,then my   

courage left me4 ,i shook with fear4 ,i 
hardly had strength to reach the road4  
,that was the first time it occurred to 
me that ,i might not find all as ,i left
 them4  ,as ,i came to dwelling--houses1
 however1 ,i grew calm again1 and even  
smiled at my foolishness1--or tried to4 
,mr4 ,nathaniel's house came before     
ours4 ,i saw there was a light in the   
kitchen1 and stepped softly through the 
back-yard1 thinking some one might be   
sick4 ,the windows were small and high4 
,the curtains were made of house-paper4 
,one of them was not quite let down4 ,i 
looked in underneath it1 and saw two old
 women sitting by the fire4 ,something  
to eat was set out on a table1 and the  
teapot was on the hearth4 ,one stick had
 broken in two4 ,the smoking brands     
stood up in the corners4 ,there was just
 a flicker of flame in the candlestick4 
,it went out while ,i was looking4 ,i   
saw that the old women were dozing4 ,i  
opened the outside-door softly1 and     
stood in the porch4 ,there was a        

latch-string to the inner one4 ,as soon 
as ,i pulled it the door opened4 ,in my 
agitation ,i forgot there was a step up1
 and so stumbled forward into the room4 
,they both started to their feet1       
holding on by the pommels of the chairs4
 ,they were frightened4  ,what are you  
here for8 ,i gasped out4  ,watching with
 the dead6 whispered one of them4  ,who8
  ,they looked at each other2 they knew 
me then4  ,i remember their eyes turning
 towards the front-room door1 of placing
 my hand on the latch1 of standing by a 
table between the front-windows1 of a   
coffin resting on the white cloth1 of   
people crowding about me1--but nothing  
more that night4 ,nothing distinctly for
 weeks and months4 ,some confused idea  
,i have of being led about at a funeral1
 of being told ,i must sit with the     
mourners1 of the bearers taking off     
their hats1 of being held back from the 
grave4 ,but a black cloud rests over    
all4 ,i cannot pierce it4 ,i have no    
wish to4 ,i can't even tell whether ,i  

really took her cold hand in mine1 and  
bid her good-bye1 or whether that was   
one of the terrible dreams which came to
 me every night4 ,i know that at last ,i
 refused to go to bed1 but walked all   
night in the fields and woods4  ,i      
believe that insane people always know  
the feelings and the plans of those     
about them4 ,i knew they were thinking  
of taking me to an asylum4 ,i knew1 too1
 that ,i was the means of ,jamie's being
 sick1 and that they tried to keep it   
from me4 ,i read in their faces1--,jamie
 got a fever that wet night at the      
shore2 but don't tell ,joseph4  ,as ,i  
look back upon that long gloom1 a       
shadowy remembrance comes to me of      
standing in the door-way of a darkened  
chamber4 ,a minister in white bands     
stood at the foot of the bed1 performing
 the marriage-ceremony4 ,i remember     
,jamie's paleness1 and the heavenly look
 in ,mary's face1 as she stood at the   
bedside1 holding his right hand in hers4
 ,mother passed her hand over my head1  

and whispered to me that ,mary wanted to
 take care of him4  ,one of my fancies  
was1 that a dark bird1 like a vulture1  
constantly pursued me4 ,all day ,i was  
trying to escape him1 and all the while 
,i slept he was at my pillow4  ,as ,i   
came to myself ,i found this to be a    
form given by my excited imagination to 
a dark thought which would give me no   
rest4 ,it was the idea that my conduct  
had been the means of ,margaret's death4
 ,i never dared question4 ,they said it 
was fever1--that others died of the     
same4 ,if ,i could but have spoken to   
her1--could but have seen1 once more1   
the same old look and smile6 ,this was  
an ever-present thought4  ,but ,i did   
afterwards4 ,i told her everything4 ,she
 knows my folly and my grief4  ,it was  
in the night-time4 ,i was walking       
through the woods1 on the road to       
,swampsey ,village4 ,margaret walked    
beside me for a long way4 ,just before  
she left me1 she said1--  ,do you hear  
the surf on the beach8  ,i said1 ,yes1  

,i hear the surf4  ,and what is it      
saying8  ,i listened a moment1 then     
answered1--  ,it says1 ',woe6 woe6 woe6'
  ,she said1 ,listen again4  ,while ,i  
was listening1 she disappeared4 ,but a  
moment afterwards ,i heard a voice      
speaking in the midst of the surfs      
roaring4 ,it was just as plain and      
distinct as the minister's from the     
pulpit4 ,it said1 ,endure6 endure6      
endure4  ,i might think that all this1  
even my seeing ,margaret1 was only a    
creation of my disordered mind1 were it 
not for something happening afterwards  
which proved itself4  ,one evening1     
about twilight1 ,i walked through the   
graveyard1 and stood leaning against her
 tombstone4 ,i soon knew that she was   
coming1 for ,i heard the ringing sound  
in the air which always came before her4
 ,a moment after1 she stood beside me4  
,she placed her hand on my heart1 and   
said1 ,joseph1 all is right here1--then 
upon my forehead1 and said1 ,but here   
all is wrong4  ,then she told me there  

was a ship ready to sail from ,boston1  
and that ,i must go in her1--said it    
troubled her that ,i wasted my life so4 
,she gave me the name of the ship and of
 the captain1 and told me when to go4   
,i did exactly as she said4 ,and it all 
came true4 ,when the captain saw me1 he 
started back and exclaimed1--,what sent 
you here8  ,i said1 ,an angel4  ,and an 
angel told me you were coming1 he       
replied4  ,active work saved me4 ,for   
years ,i never dared rest4 ,i shrank    
back from a leisure hour as from a dark 
chasm4  ,the greater part of my life has
 been passed upon the sea4 ,as ,i       
approached middle age1 people would joke
 me upon my single life4 ,they could    
never know what a painful chord they    
struck1 and ,i could never tell them4   
,beautiful girls were pointed out to me4
 ,i could not see them4 ,margaret's face
 always came between4  ,this bantering a
 single man is very common4 ,i often    
wonder that people dare do it4 ,how does
 the world know what early              

disappointment he may be mourning over8 
,is it anything to laugh about1 that he 
has nobody to love him1--nobody he may  
call his own1--no home8 ,seated in your 
pleasant family-circle1 the bright faces
 about him fade away1 and he sees only a
 vision of what might have been4 ,yet   
nobody supposes we have feeling4 ,no    
mother1 dressing up her little boy for a
 walk1 thinks of our noticing how       
cunning he looks1 with the feather in   
his hat4 ,no mother1 weeping over the   
coffin of her child1 dreams that we have
 pity and sorrow in our hearts for her4 
,thus the world shuts us out from all   
sympathy with its joys or afflictions4  
,but the world doesn't know             
everything1--least of all what is       
passing in the heart of an old bachelor4
         99       99       99       99  
99  ,jamie and ,mary are old folks now4 
,he never went to sea after his         
marriage4 ,father set him up in a store4
 ,i should make it my home with them1   
but they live at the old place1 and ,i  

am always better away from there4  ,mrs4
 ,maylie was right about my noticing    
children4 ,i like to sit on the stone   
wall and talk with them4 ,no face comes 
between theirs and mine1--unless it's   
the little girl's who moved away4       
,farmer ,hill's is a pleasant family4   
,his grandchildren call me ,captain     
,joseph4 ,i humor them almost as much as
 he does4 ,when huckleberries come1 they
 wonder why ,i won't let them take that 
little rough-looking basket that hangs  
over the looking-glass4 ',tis the one   
,margaret made that night in the hut on 
,the ,mountains4         99       99    
99       99       99  ,,the             
,,snow-,,man4       ,the fields are     
white with the glittering snow1         
,save down by the brook1 where the      
alders grow1     ,and hang their        
branches1 black and bare1     ,o'er the 
stream that wanders darkly there2       
,or where the dry stalks of the summer  
past     ,stand shivering now in the    
winter blast2     ,or where the naked   

woodlands lie1     ,bearded and brown   
against the sky3     ,but over the      
pasture1 and meadow1 and hill1     ,the 
snow is lying1 all white and still4     
,but a loud and merry shout ,i hear1    
,ringing and joyous1 fresh and clear1   
,where a troop of rosy boys at play     
,awaken the echoes far away4     ,they  
have moulded the snow with hand and     
spade1     ,and a strange1 misshapen    
image made3     ,a ,caliban in fiendish 
guise1     ,with mouth agape and staring
 eyes1     ,and monstrous limbs1 that   
might uphold     ,the weight that ,atlas
 bore1 of old2     ,like shapes that our
 troubled dreams distress1              
,ghost-like and grim in their ugliness2 
,a huge and hideous human form1         
,born of the howling wind and storm3    
,and yet those boyish sculptors glow    
,with the pride of a ,phidias or        
,angelo4      ,come hither and listen to
 me1 my son1     ,and a lesson of life  
,i'll read thereon4     ,you have made a
 man of the snow-bank there2     ,he    

stands up yet in the frosty air3     ,go
 out from your home1 so bright and warm1
     ,and throw yourself on his frozen  
form2     ,wind him around with your    
soft caress2     ,tenderly up to his    
bosom press2     ,ask him for sympathy1 
love1 and cheer2     ,plead for yourself
 with prayer and tear2     ,tell him you
 hope and dream and grieve2     ,beg him
 to comfort and relieve3     ,the form  
that you press will be icy cold2     ,a 
frozen heart to your breast you hold1   
,that turns into stone the tears you    
weep2     ,and the chill of his touch   
through your soul will creep4     ,so   
over the field of life are spread       
,men who have hearts as cold and dead1--
     ,who nothing of sympathy know1 nor 
love1--     ,to whom your prayers would 
as fruitless prove     ,as those that   
you now might go and say     ,to the    
grim snow-man that you made to-day4     
,but soon the soft and gentle spring    
,the balmy southern breeze will bring2  
,the snow1 that shrouds the landscape   

o'er1     ,will melt away1 and be seen  
no more2     ,the gladsome brook shall  
rippling run1     ',neath the alders    
greening in the sun2     ,the grass     
shall spring1 and the birds shall come1 
,in the verdant woodlands to find a     
home2     ,and the softened heart of    
your man of snow     ,shall bid the blue
 violets blossom below4     ,oh1 let us 
hope that time may bring     ,to earth  
some sweet and gentle spring1     ,when 
human hearts shall thaw1 and when       
,the ice shall melt away from men2      
,and where the hearts now frozen stand1 
,love then shall blossom o'er all the   
land6         99       99       99      
99       99  ,,the ,,gold-,,fields ,,of 
,,nova ,,scotia4   ,it will probably be 
thought a startling statement1 by the   
good people of our staid ,northern      
metropolis1--certainly by those of them 
whose attention has not been called to  
the recent developments on this         
subject1--that within thirty-six hours' 
travel from their own doors1 by         

conveyance as safe and even luxurious as
 any in the world1 there exist veins of 
auriferous quartz1 practically          
inexhaustible in extent1 teeming        
throughout with virgin gold of a        
standard of almost absolute purity1 and 
yielding a return to the labors of the  
scientific miner1 rivalling1 if not     
fairly surpassing1 in their comparative 
results1 the richest deposits of        
,california1 ,colorado1 and ,australia4 
,but then1 if one has a startling fact  
to tell1 why is it not best to tell it  
out1 all at once1 and in a startling    
manner8 ,if the house-maid of our modest
 menage should on a sudden discover that
 ,aladdin's lamp had come home from the 
auction-room among some chance purchases
 of her mistress1 and that the slave or 
genie thereof was actually standing in  
the middle of our own kitchen-floor at  
the moment1 and grumbling audibly at    
lack of employment in fetching home     
diamonds and such like delicacies by the
 bale for the whole household1 could we 

reasonably expect the girl to announce  
the fact1 in the parlor above1 in the   
same tone in which she ordinarily states
 that the butcher has called for his    
orders8 ,aesop1 in his very first fable1
 7as arranged by good ,archdeacon       
,croxall17 has inculcated but a mean    
opinion of the cock who forbore to crow 
lustily when he turned up a jewel of    
surpassing richness1 in the course of   
his ordinary scratching1 and under his  
own very beak2 why1 then1 should we     
render ourselves liable to the same     
depreciatory moral8 ,something1 at      
least1 must be pardoned to the          
certaminis gaudia of this new-found     
contest with the secrets of             
,nature1--and though the fact we have   
stated be a startling one1 the          
statements and authorities which go to  
support it will1 perhaps1 in the end1   
surprise us still more4 ,we shall give  
them1 at any rate1 in such a form as to 
challenge investigation and to defy     
scrutiny4 ,how far they will bear out   

our sensational opening paragraph1 then1
 the readers of the ,atlantic cannot    
choose but judge4  ,but let us hasten1  
in the very outset1 to warn the         
individual gold-hunter that he1 at      
least1 will get no crumb of comfort from
 these pages4 ,that the precious metal  
is there1--to use ,dr4 ,johnson's       
expression1 the potentiality of growing 
rich beyond the dreams of avarice1--no  
one1 we think1 after reading what we    
have now to offer1 will be inclined to  
deny4 ,but it is to be sought           
successfully1 as we shall show1 only by 
the expenditure of capital1 and under   
the direction of science and the most   
experienced skill4 ,the solitary        
adventurer may tickle the stern ribs of 
,acadia with his paltry hoe and pick in 
vain1--she will laugh for him and such  
as he with no sign of a golden harvest4 
,failure and vexation1 disappointment1  
loss1 and ruin1 will be again1 as they  
have already been1 his only reward4     
,with this full disclaimer1 therefore1  

at the commencement of our remarks1 we  
trust that we shall1 at least1 have no  
sin of enticement laid at our door4 ,if 
any one chooses to go there and try it  
on his own individual responsibility1   
and in the face of this energetic       
protest and solemn warning1 it must     
surely be no further affair of ours4    
99       99       99       99       99  
,the authorities1 official1 statistical1
 and scientific1 from which our         
knowledge of the ,gold-,fields of ,nova 
,scotia is mainly derived1 are as       
follows3--  #a4 ,report of a ,personal  
,inspection of the ,gold-,fields of     
,nova ,scotia1 in the ,consecutive      
,order in which they were visited4 ,made
 by ,lord ,mulgrave to ,his ,grace the  
,duke of ,newcastle1 and dated at       
,government ,house1 ,halifax1 ,n4,s41   
#bast ,june1 #ahfb4  #b4 ,report of the 
,chief ,gold-,commissioner for the      
,province of ,nova ,scotia for the ,year
 #ahfb4 ,made to the ,honorable the     
,provincial ,secretary1 and dated at    

,halifax1 ,january #bc1 #ahfc4  #c4     
,report of the ,provincial ,geologist1  
,mr4 ,campbell4 ,made to the ,honorable 
,joseph ,howe1 ,provincial ,secretary1  
at ,halifax1 ,n4,s41 #beth ,february1   
#ahfc4 ,accompanied by a ,section across
 the ,gold-bearing ,rocks of the        
,atlantic ,coast of ,nova ,scotia4  #d4 
,report on the ,gold-,districts of the  
,province of ,nova ,scotia4 ,made to the
 ,president and ,directors of the       
,oldham ,gold-,mining ,company1         
,december #bh1 #ahfc1 by ,george ,i4    
,chace1 ,professor of ,chemistry in     
,brown ,university1 ,providence1 ,r4,i4 
,manuscript4  #e4 ,introductory ,remarks
 on the ,gold-,region of ,nova ,scotia4 
,prefixed to a ,report made to the      
,president and ,directors of the        
,atlantic ,mining ,company1 ,december   
#ca1 #ahfc4 ,by ,benjamin ,silliman1    
,jr41 ,professor of ,general and        
,applied ,chemistry in ,yale ,college1  
,new ,haven1 ,ct4 ,manuscript4  #f4     
,report on the ,montague ,gold-,field1  

near ,halifax1 ,n4,s41 by the ,same1 and
 on the ,gold-,fields of the ,waverley  
,district1 by the ,same4 ,manuscript4   
#g4 ,quarterly ,report of the ,chief    
,gold-,commissioner of the ,province of 
,nova ,scotia4 ,made to the ,provincial 
,secretary at ,halifax1 ,october #a1    
#ahfc4  #h4 ,the ,royal ,gazette1 issued
 by the ,chief ,gold-,commissioner1     
,halifax1 ,january #bj1 #ahfc4          
,published by ,authority4         99    
99       99       99       99  ,in      
confirmation of these documents1 we     
shall only need to add the testimony of 
the rocks themselves1 as shown in more  
than sixty specimens of the gold-bearing
 quartz of these remarkable mines4 ,some
 of these were brought to ,boston by    
,professors ,chace and ,silliman1 on    
their return a few weeks since from     
exploring the rich leads of the         
,provinces1--but by far the larger      
number were forwarded by some of the    
resident superintendents of the mines1  
by the ,cunard steamer ,africa1 arriving

 in ,boston1 ,sunday1 ,january #aj1     
#ahfd1 to the care of ,captain ,field1  
then residing at the ,tremont ,house4   
,we may add that the eight finest of    
these specimens are now lying on the    
table before us1 their mottled sides    
thickly crusted with arsenical pyrites  
and streaked through and through with   
veins and splashes of twenty-two-carat  
gold4 ,incredulity1 when raised to its  
highest pitch1 might perhaps discredit  
all written testimony1 whether official 
or scientific2 but we have as yet seen  
no case so confirmed that the sight of  
these extraordinary fragments did not   
compel belief4  ,in drawing our         
narrative from the authorities above    
cited1 we shall prefer to follow as     
closely as possible the precise         
statements of the documents             
themselves1--interspersed only with such
 remarks of our own as may be necessary 
best to preserve an intelligible        
connection between the different        
portions4 ,the agreement between all the

 authorities is so substantial1 and in  
fact entire1 that we shall experience   
none of the usual difficulties in the   
reconciling of contradictions or the    
balancing of conflicting theories or    
statements4         99       99       99
       99       99  ,the gold-fields of 
,nova ,scotia consist of some ten or    
twelve districts of quite limited area  
in themselves1 but lying scattered along
 almost the whole southeastern coast of 
the ,province4 ,the whole of this coast1
 from ,cape ,sable on the west to ,cape 
,canso on the east1 a distance of about 
two hundred and fifty miles1 is bordered
 by a fringe of hard1 slaty             
rocks1--slate and sandstone in irregular
 alternations1--sometimes argillaceous1 
and occasionally granitic4 ,these rocks1
 originally deposited on the grandest   
scale of ,nature1 are always1 when      
stratified1 found standing at a high    
angle1--sometimes almost vertical1--and 
with a course1 in the main1 very nearly 
due east and west4 ,they seldom rise to 

any great elevation1--the promontory of 
,aspatogon1 about five hundred feet     
high1 being the highest land on the     
,atlantic coast of the ,province4 ,the  
general aspect of the shore is low1     
rocky1 and desolate1 strewn often with  
huge boulders of granite or             
quartzite1--and where not bleak and     
rocky1 it is covered with thick forests 
of spruce and white birch4  ,the picture
 is not enticing1--but this is1         
nevertheless1 the true arida nutrix of  
the splendid masses before us4 ,the zone
 of metamorphic rocks which lines this  
inhospitable coast varies in width from 
six or eight miles at its eastern       
extremity to forty or fifty at its      
widest points1--presenting in its       
northern boundary only a rude           
parallelism with its southern           
margin1--and comprising1 over about six 
thousand square miles of surface1 the   
general outline of what may1            
geologically speaking1 be called the    
,gold-,region of ,nova ,scotia4  ,it    

will be most interesting hereafter to   
mark the gradual changes already        
beginning to take place in this rich1   
but limited district4 ,it is destined   
throughout1 we may be sure1 to very     
thorough and systematic exploration4    
,for1 although it is true that gold is  
not to be found in all parts of it1     
still it is not unreasonable to search  
for the precious metal throughout this  
whole region1 wherever the occurrence of
 true quartz-veins--the almost sole     
matrix of the gold--is shown by boulders
 on the surface4 ,back from the         
coast-line1 a large part of the district
 named is now little better than an     
unexplored wilderness2 and the fact that
 the remarkable discoveries which have  
been made are in a majority of cases    
almost on the sea-shore1 and where the  
country is open and the search easy1 by 
no means diminishes the probabilities   
that continued exploration in the less  
frequented parts of the district will be
 rewarded with new discoveries as       

important as any which have yet been    
made4  ,the earliest discovery of gold  
in the ,province1 yet made known to the 
public1 occurred during the summer of   
#ahfj1 at a spot about twelve miles     
north from the head of ,tangier ,harbor1
 on the northeast branch of the ,tangier
 ,river1--shown on ,mc,kinley's         
excellent map of ,nova ,scotia as about 
fifty-eight miles east from ,halifax4   
,subsequent discoveries at ,wine        
,harbor1 ,sherbrooke1 ,ovens1 ,oldham1  
,waverley1 ,hammond's ,plains1 and at   
,lake ,loon1--a small lake only five    
miles distant from ,halifax1--have fully
 determined the auriferous character of 
particular and defined localities       
throughout the district already         
described1 and abundantly justify the   
early opinion of ,lord ,mulgrave1 that  
there is now little or no doubt that    
this ,colony will soon rank as one of   
the gold-producing countries of the     
world4  ,as a specimen of one of the    
most interesting mineral veins of this  

region1 it may answer to select the     
,montague lode at ,lake ,loon for a     
specific description4 ,the course of    
this vein is ,e4 #aj deg4 ,n41 that     
being the strike of the rocks by the    
compass in that particular district4 ,it
 has been traced by surface-digging a   
long distance1--not less1 probably1 than
 half a mile4 ,at one point on this line
 there is a shift or fault in the rocks 
which has heaved the most productive    
portion of the vein about thirty-five   
feet to the north2 but for the rest of  
the distance1 so far as yet open1 the   
whole lead remains true and undisturbed4
  ,its dip1 with the rocks around it1 is
 almost vertical1--say from #he deg4 to 
#hj deg4 south4 ,the vein is contained  
between walls of slate on both sides1   
and is a double or composite vein1 being
 formed1 #ast1 of the main leader2 #b;d1
 of a smaller vein on the other side1   
with a thin slate partition-wall between
 the two2 and1 #c;d1 of a strongly      
mineralized slate foot-wall1 which is in

 itself really a most valuable portion  
of the ore-channel4  ,the quartz which  
composes these interposed sheets1 thus  
separated1 yet combined1 is crystallized
 throughout1 and highly                 
mineralized1--belonging1 in fact1 to the
 first class of quartz lodes recognized 
in all the general descriptions of the  
veins of this region4 ,the associated   
minerals are1 here1 cuprite or yellow   
copper1 green malachite or carbonate of 
copper1 mispickel or arsenical pyrites1 
zinc blende1 sesquioxyde of iron1 rich  
in gold1 and also frequent sights or    
visible masses of gold itself4 ,the gold
 is also often visible to the naked eye 
in all the associated minerals1 and     
particularly in the mispickel and       
blende4  ,the main quartz vein of this  
interesting lead varies from three to   
ten inches in thickness at different    
points on the surface-level1 but is     
reported as increasing to twenty inches 
thick at the bottom of the shaft1       
already carried down to a depth of forty

 feet4 ,this very considerable variation
 in thickness will be found to be owing 
to the folds or plications of the vein1 
to which we shall hereafter make more   
particular allusion4  ,the minerals     
associated with the quartz in this vein1
 especially the cuprite and mispickel1  
are found most abundantly upon the      
foot-wall side1 or underside of the     
quartz itself4 ,the smaller accompanying
 vein before alluded to appears to be   
but a repetition of the larger one in   
all its essential characteristics1 and  
is believed by the scientific examiners 
to be fully as well charged with gold4  
,that this is likely to come up to a    
very remarkable standard of             
productiveness1 perhaps more so than any
 known vein in the world1 is to be      
inferred from the official statement in 
the ,royal ,gazette of ,wednesday1      
,january #bj1 #ahfd1 published by       
authority1 at the ,chief                
,gold-,commissioner's office in         
,halifax1 in which the average yield of 

the ,montague vein for the month of     
,october1 #ahfc1 is given as #c oz4 #c  
dwt4 #d gr41 for ,november as #c oz4 #aj
 dwt4 #ac gr41 and for ,december as #e  
oz4 #i dwt4 #h gr41 to the ton of quartz
 crushed during those months            
respectively4 ,nor is the quartz of this
 vein the only trustworthy source of    
yield4 ,the underlying slate is filled  
with bunches of mispickel1 not          
distributed in a sheet1 or in any       
particular order1 so far as yet         
observed1 but developed throughout the  
slate1 and varying in size from that of 
small nuts to many pounds in weight1    
masses of over fifty pounds having been 
frequently taken out4 ,this peculiar    
mineral has always proved highly        
auriferous in this locality1 and a      
careful search will rarely fail to      
detect sights of the precious metal     
imbedded in its folds1 or lying hidden  
between its crystalline plates4  ,nor is
 the surrounding mass of slate in which 
this vein is inclosed without abundant  

evidences of a highly auriferous        
character4 ,scales of gold are          
everywhere to be seen between its       
laminae1 and1 when removed and subjected
 to the processes of dressing1 there can
 be little doubt of its also yielding a 
very handsome return4 ,in fact1 the     
entire mass of material which is known  
to be auriferous is not less than twelve
 to fifteen inches at the surface1 and  
will doubtless be found1 as all         
experience and analogy in the district  
have hitherto shown to be the case1 to  
increase very considerably with the     
increased depth to which the shafts will
 soon be carried4 ,no difficulties      
whatever are apprehended here in going  
to a very considerable depth1 as the    
slate is not hard1 and easily permits   
the miner in his progress to bear in    
upon it without drilling upon the closer
 and more tenacious quartz4  ,the open  
cut1 made by the original owners of the 
,montague property1 and by which the    
veins have been in some degree exposed1 

absurd and culpable as it is as a mode  
of mining1 has yet served a good purpose
 in showing in a very distinct manner   
the structure of these veins1--a        
structure which is found to be on the   
whole very general in the ,province4    
,the quartz is not found1 as might      
naturally be supposed from its position 
among sedimentary rocks1 lying in       
anything like a plain1 even sheet of    
equal thickness4 ,on the contrary1 it is
 seen to be marked by folds or          
plications1 occurring at tolerably      
regular intervals1 and crossing the vein
 at an angle of #dj deg4 or #de deg4 to 
the west4 ,similar folds may be produced
 in a sheet which is hung on a line and 
then drawn at one of the lower corners4 
,the cross-section of the vein is thus  
made to resemble somewhat the appearance
 of a chain of long links1 the rolls or 
swells alternating with plain spaces    
through its whole extent4 ,perhaps a    
better comparison is that of ripples or 
gentle waves1 as seen following each    

other on the ebbtide in a still time1 on
 the beach4  ,the distribution of the   
gold in the mass of the quartz appears  
to be highly influenced by this peculiar
 wavy or folded structure4 ,all the     
miners are agreed in the statement that 
the gold abounds most at the swells1 or 
highest points of the waves of rock1 and
 that the scarcely less valuable        
mispickel appears to follow the same    
law4 ,the spaces between are not found  
to be so rich as these points of        
undulation2 and this structure must     
explain the signal contrast in thickness
 and productiveness which is everywhere 
seen in sinking a shaft in this         
district4 ,as the cutting passes through
 one of these original swells1 the      
thickness of the vein at once increases1
 and again diminishes with equal        
certainty as the work proceeds1--below  
this point destined again to go through 
with similar alternations in its mass4  
,there can be no fear1 however1 says    
,mr4 ,silliman1 7,report1 p4 #aj17 that 

there will be any failure in depth      
7i4e41 at an increased depth of         
excavation7 on these veins1 either in   
gold product or in strength4 ,the       
formation of the country is on too grand
 a scale1 geologically1 to admit of a   
doubt on this point1 so vital to mining 
success4 ,mr4 ,campbell1 whose masterly 
survey and analysis of the whole        
gold-region forms1 with the colored     
section accompanying it1 the basis for a
 general and thorough understanding of  
the whole subject1 adds 7,report1 p4 #e7
 that the yield per ton of such quartz  
when crushed cannot fail to prove highly
 satisfactory4 ,and ,mr4 ,chace1 in the 
,preface to his ,report on the ,oldham  
,district1 7p4 #f17 remarks1 that1 if1  
as there are reasons for believing1 the 
gold-bearing quartz of ,nova ,scotia is 
of sedimentary origin1 in that case ,i  
see no reason why depth should cause any
 decline in the richness of the ore4 ,as
 yet1 none of the shafts have been      
carried down sufficiently far to test   

this question practically1--he must1 we 
think1 mean to its fullest extent1 since
 he adds immediately after1 that1 as far
 as they have gone1 the ore is very     
generally believed to have improved with
 increase of depth4  ,such1 then1 is a  
brief and imperfect description of the  
general character of one of the         
representative veins or leads of the    
gold-fields of ,nova ,scotia4 ,of the   
extent and number of similar deposits it
 is scarcely possible at present to give
 any definite idea4 ,the line along     
which ,mr4 ,campbell's section is made  
out extends from the sea-shore at the   
south-east entrance of ,halifax ,harbor 
to the ,renfrew ,gold-,field1 a distance
 a little over thirty miles to the      
northeast1 intersecting in that distance
 no less than six great anticlinal      
folds4 ,the points at which the east and
 west anticlinal lines are intersected  
by north and south lines of upheaval    
form the localities in which the        
quartzite group of gold-bearing rocks   

are brought to the surface1 and it is   
here that their outcroppings form the   
surface of the country4 ,the official   
,gazette for ,january1 #ahfd1 enumerates
 nine of these districts as already     
under a course of active exploration1   
namely1 ,stormont1 ,wine ,harbor1       
,sherbrooke1 ,tangier1 ,montague1       
,waverley1 ,oldham1 ,renfrew1 and       
,ovens4 ,when we add1 in the words of   
,mr4 ,silliman's second conclusion to   
his ,report on the ,atlantic            
,gold-,field at ,tangier1 that the      
gold-bearing veins already explored on  
this estate alone are in number not less
 than thirty1 and that there is every   
reason to expect more discoveries of    
importance1 as the results of future    
explorations1 already foreshadowed by   
facts which have been stated1 enough1 we
 think1 will have been deduced1 on the  
highest kind of scientific testimony1 to
 bear out our opening statement1 that   
there exist in ,nova ,scotia veins of   
auriferous quartz practically           

inexhaustible1 by any known methods of  
mining1 at least for the next two       
hundred years4  ,one very remarkable    
characteristic of all the gold hitherto 
produced in ,nova ,scotia is its        
exceeding purity1 it being on the       
average twenty-two carats fine1 as shown
 by repeated assay4 ,in this respect it 
possesses an advantage of about         
twenty-five per cent4 of superior       
fineness1 and consequently of value1    
over most of the yield of ,california1  
much of which latter reaches a standard 
of only sixteen or seventeen carats'    
fineness1 and is therefore inferior by  
five or six carats in twenty-four to the
 standard of the gold of ,nova ,scotia4 
,the gold from all the districts named  
is sold commonly in ,halifax in bars or 
ingots1 at about #bj the ounce4         
,professor ,silliman states the value of
 some of this gold1 assayed under his   
direction at the ,sheffield ,laboratory 
in ,new ,haven1 ,connecticut1 at #ai4ig 
per ounce1 while the standard of another

 lot1 from the ,atlantic ,mine in the   
,tangier ,district1 is fixed by him as  
high as #bj4be per ounce4 ,the ,official
 ,report of the ,provincial             
,gold-,commissioner for the year #ahfb  
assumes the sum of #ai4ej1 ,nova-,scotia
 currency1 as the basis upon which his  
calculations of gold-value of the yield 
of all the mines is made up4 ,a quantity
 of gold from the ,boston and           
,nova-,scotia mines in the ,waverley    
,district1 just coined into eagles at   
the ,united-,states ,mint1 and the      
results of which process are officially 
returned to the ,president of that      
,company1 required a considerable amount
 of alloy to the ore as received from   
the mines1 in order to bring it down to 
the standard fineness of the            
,united-,states gold-currency4 ,all the 
,nova-,scotia gold is uncommonly bright 
and beautiful to the eye1 and it has    
often been remarked by jewellers and    
other experts to whom it has been shown1
 that it more nearly resembles the      

appearance of the gold of the old       
,venetian ducats--coined mostly1 it is  
supposed1 from the sands of             
,guinea--than any other bullion for many
 years brought into the gold-market4    
,in regard to the most important point  
of the whole subject1 namely1 the       
average yield per ton of quartz crushed 
at the various mills1 we are fortunately
 enabled to give the official returns of
 the ,deputy ,gold-,commissioners for   
the several districts1 as made to the   
,chief ,commissioner at ,halifax4 ,a few
 words of explanation as to the definite
 and statistical character of these     
returns may be of value here1 in order  
to prevent or to correct much           
misconception and want of knowledge with
 regard to their absolute reliability4  
,in the first place1 then1 every miner1 
or the agent or chief superintendent of 
each mine1 is required by law to make a 
quarterly return of the amount of days' 
labor expended at his mine1 the number  
of tons of quartz raised and crushed1   

and the quantity of gold obtained from  
the whole1--neglecting to do which1 he  
forfeits his entire claim1 and the      
,gold-,commissioner is then empowered to
 grant it to another purchaser4  ,these 
returns are therefore made with the     
utmost regularity and with the greatest 
care4 ,but as the royalty of three per  
cent4 to the ,government is exacted on  
the amount of this return1 whatever it  
may be1 it is obvious that there exists 
no motive on the part of the miner to   
exaggerate the amount in making his     
statement4 ,we may be as sure that his  
exhibit of the gold admitted to have    
been extracted by him does not1 at any  
rate1 exceed the amount obtained1 as    
that the invoices of importations       
entered at the ,custom-,house in ,boston
 do not overstate the value of the goods
 to which they refer4 ,the practice is  
generally suspected1 at least1 to tend  
in quite the opposite direction4  ,as   
the next step for ascertaining the yield
 of the mines1 there comes in a form of 

scrutiny which it would be still more   
difficult to evade4 ,all owners of      
quartz-mills are also required to render
 official returns under oath1 and in a  
form minutely prescribed by the         
,provincial law1 of all quartz crushed  
by them during the month1 stating       
particularly from what mine it was      
raised1 for whose account it has been   
crushed1 and what was the exact quantity
 in ounces1 pennyweights1 and grains4   
,and this is designed also as a check on
 the miner1 as the two statements1 if   
correct1 will be found1 of course1 to   
balance each other4  ,the ,chief        
,gold-,commissioner resides in ,halifax1
 and has his deputy in each             
gold-district1 whose duty it is1 as a   
sworn officer of the ,government1 to see
 that the provisions of the law are     
carried out2 and the returns1 as        
collected1 are duly made by him each    
month1 accompanied by a general report  
on the industrial condition of the      
district represented4 ,it is from these 

returns1 thus collected1 that the       
,gold-,commissioner-in-,chief prepares a
 quarterly exhibit1 which he issues on a
 broad sheet in a so-called ,royal      
,gazette4 ,the last of these documents  
issued was published by authority at    
,halifax1 ,wednesday1 ,january #bjth1   
#ahfd1 and a copy thereof1 ornamented at
 the head with the familiar lion and    
unicorn1 is now lying with several of   
its predecessors on the table before us4
 ,if skeptics desire any better         
authority than this for the average     
yield of these mines1 they must seek it 
elsewhere for themselves4 ,by the       
majority of persons capable of judging  
of the value and weight of testimony1 we
 presume it will be regarded as amply   
sufficient4  ,after this explanation of 
the official character of these returns1
 a transcript of the figures given in   
the last exhibit as the average yield of
 gold per ton of quartz crushed will be 
all we think necessary in answer to the 
inquiry we have proposed4 ,we give them 

just as they stand in the returns for   
,december1 #ahfc1 only premising that   
the relative yield of the several mines 
is found to vary very considerably from 
month to month1 being at one time       
higher1 and at other times again        
somewhat lower1 and this from natural   
causes which have already been          
explained1 while the total amounts1 when
 taken together1 exhibit a steady       
increase in the general yield of the    
whole4 ,the figures stand as follows3-- 
,,december1 #ahfc4  ,district4          
,yield of ,gold                         
per ,ton of ,quartz4  ,stormont         
7,isaac's ,harbor7      #b oz4 #aj dwt4 
#j gr4 ,wine ,harbor                    
#aj     #f  ,sherbrooke                 
#a     #g     #j  ,tangier              
#ad    #ab  ,montague                   
#e     #i     #h  ,waverley             
#i    #aa  ,oldham                      
#ae    #ab  ,renfrew                    
#a     #b     #j  ,ovens,p              
#ah     #i   ,the difference in yield   

between the districts is here very      
considerable1 as it happens1--yet in the
 month of ,october the average yield at 
,oldham was #a oz4 #af dwt1 #bj gr41 and
 at ,renfrew #b oz42 while for ,november
 it was at ,stormont #c oz4 #b dwt4 #ab 
gr41 at ,tangier #a oz4 #aj dwt1 at     
,waverley ,i oz4 #c dwt4 #ab gr41 and at
 ,oldham #a oz4 #h dwt4 ,the maximum    
yield per ton was #ej oz4 at ,wine      
,harbor1 #ab oz4 at ,sherbrooke1 #aa oz4
 #ab dwt4 at ,oldham1 and #e oz4 #ae    
dwt4 at ,stormont1 for the same period4 
,the average yield1 says ,professor     
,chace1 per ton of quartz1 of the       
gold-fields of ,nova ,scotia will1 it is
 believed1 compare favorably with that  
of either ,australia or ,california1    
while some of the maximum yields        
indicate ores of unsurpassed richness4  
,in regard to the best and most         
effectual methods of dressing and       
amalgamating these rich ores1 it seems  
to be conceded that the modes hitherto  
in use in ,nova ,scotia have been very  

defective4 ,much larger returns of gold 
are to be expected from the introduction
 of the new processes1 which scientific 
research is every day bringing to a     
greater degree of efficiency in         
,colorado and ,california4 ,the         
promoters of the ,nova-,scotia          
mining-enterprises1 thanks to the skill 
and pains of their scientific advisers1 
are fully awake to the importance of    
this vital point4 ,pyrites--the mineral 
mixture so universally found with the   
gold of this region--is well known to   
escape1 or rather to resist1 the        
attraction of the mercury used in the   
amalgamating process1 and it has        
hitherto been allowed to pass away with 
the tailings1 or refuse from the mills4 
,when we state that it has been         
repeatedly shown to be from ten to      
twelve per cent4 of the components of   
the ore1 and that by test of the        
,united-,states ,assay-,office its      
average yield is one hundred and        
twenty-eight dollars to the ton1--and by

 the careful experiments of ,professor  
,silliman1 at the ,sheffield ,laboratory
 in ,new ,haven1 it has yielded even as 
high as two hundred and seventy-six     
dollars and forty-nine cents to the     
ton1--the oversight and bad economy of  
its waste will be sufficiently apparent4
 ,it may safely be estimated1 therefore1
 that the process of ,dr4 ,keith1 or    
some other equally simple and           
efficacious method of extracting this   
hitherto wasted portion of the precious 
metal from the accompanying sulphurets1 
will produce an amount quite equal1 at  
least1 to the previous minimum yield4   
,the effect of such an increase in the  
returns will readily be appreciated by  
others besides the merely scientific    
reader4  ,in regard to the capacity of  
the various mines for the regular supply
 of quartz to the mills1 it may be      
stated that ten tons daily is the       
average amount fixed upon1 by the       
different experts1 as a reasonable      
quantity to be expected from either of  

the well-conducted properties4 ,works of
 exploration and of construction1 such  
as will hereafter be pointed out1 must1 
it is true1 always precede those of     
extraction2 but a very moderate         
quartz-mill will easily dress ten tons  
of quartz daily1 or three thousand tons 
per annum1 requiring the constant labor 
of thirty men1 as shown by the large    
experience already gained throughout the
 ,province4 ,and this1 says ,professor  
,silliman1 is not a very formidable     
force for a profitable                  
mine1--particularly when we consider    
that the price of miners' labor in ,nova
 ,scotia rarely rises above the moderate
 sum of ninety cents per day4  ,if the  
quartz cost1 to turn its product into   
gold bars1 as high as twenty dollars a  
ton1 there would be1 says the same      
eminent authority1 a deduction of       
one-fourth as expense from the gross    
gold-product4 ,the gold is about        
nine-hundred-and-sixty thousandths fine1
 and is worth1 as already shown1 over   

twenty dollars per ounce4 ,but the cost 
of the quartz cannot be so much by      
one-half as that named above2 and there 
is the additional value of gold from the
 pyrites and mispickel1 as well as      
probably fifteen per cent1 saving on the
 total amount of gold produced by       
improved methods of working4  ,the      
reason why so little alluvial gold is to
 be found throughout this district may  
be very simply and concisely stated4 ,it
 will be observed1 that the length of   
the gold-field lies mainly from east to 
west1 while its width from north to     
south is over a much less distance1 and 
therefore lies almost at right angles to
 the scouring and grinding action of the
 glacial period4 ,no long ,sacramento   
,valley1 stretching away to the south   
and west of the quartzite upheavals1 has
 here retained and preserved the spoils 
of those long ages of attrition and     
denudation4 ,the alluvial gold has      
mostly been carried1 by the action      
alluded to1 into the sands and beneath  

the waves of the ,atlantic ,ocean2 and  
it is only at the bottom of the numerous
 little lakes which dot the surface of  
the country1 that the precious metal1 in
 this1 its most obvious and attractive  
form1 has ever been found in any        
remunerative quantity in ,nova ,scotia4 
,this statement brings us naturally to  
the consideration of another of our     
opening positions1 namely1 that the gold
 of ,nova ,scotia is to be successfully 
sought only under the application of the
 most scientific and systematic methods 
of deep quartz-mining4 ,that no pains   
nor expense has been spared by the      
present promoters of these important    
enterprises1 in the very commencement of
 their mining-works1 will perhaps be    
sufficiently evident from the fact that 
no step has been taken without the full 
advice and concurrence of the eminent   
mining authorities already cited4 ,a    
summary of the methods now employed for 
developing the rich yield of these      
deposits may not be out of place in this

 connection4  ,the ill-considered system
 of allotting small individual claims1  
at first adopted by the ,colonial       
,government1 was founded1 probably1 on a
 want of exact knowledge of the peculiar
 nature of the gold-district1 and the   
consequent expectation that the         
experiences of ,california and          
,australia1 in panning and washing1 were
 to be repeated here4 ,this totally     
inapplicable system in a manner         
compelled the early single adventurers  
to abandon their claims1 as soon as the 
surface-water began to accumulate in    
their little open pits or shallow       
levels1 beyond the control of a single  
bucket1 or other such primitive         
contrivance for bailing4 ,even the more 
active and industrious digger soon found
 his own difficulties to accumulate just
 in proportion to his own superior      
measure of activity2 since1 as soon as  
he carried his own excavation a foot or 
two deeper than his neighbor's1 he found
 that it only gave him the privilege of 

draining for the whole of the less      
enterprising diggers1 whose pits had not
 been sunk to the same level as his own4
 ,thus the adventurers who should       
ordinarily have been the most successful
 were soon drowned out by the           
accumulated waters from the adjacent1   
and sometimes abandoned1 claims4 ,nearly
 all of these early efforts at          
individual mining are now discontinued1 
and the claims1 thus shown to be        
worthless in single hands1 have been    
consolidated in the large companies1 who
 alone possess the means to work them   
with unity and success4  ,the present   
methods of working the lodes1 as now    
practised in ,nova ,scotia1 proceed on a
 very different plan4 ,shafts are sunk  
at intervals of about three hundred feet
 on the course of the lodes which it is 
proposed to work1--as these are         
distinctly traced on the surface of the 
ground4 ,when these shafts have been    
carried down to the depth of sixty      
feet1--or1 in miners' language1 ten     

fathoms1--horizontal drifts or levels   
are pushed out from them1 below the     
ground1 and in either direction1 still  
keeping on the course of the lode4      
,whilst these subterranean levels are   
being thus extended1 the shafts are     
again to be continued downwards1 until  
the depth of twenty fathoms1 or one     
hundred and twenty feet1 has been       
attained4 ,a second and lower set of    
levels are then pushed out beneath and  
parallel to the first named4 ,at the    
depth of thirty fathoms1 a third and    
still lower set of levels will extend   
beneath and parallel to the second4     
,this work of sinking vertical shafts1  
and excavating horizontal levels to     
connect them1 belongs to what is        
denominated the construction of the     
mine1 and it is only after this has been
 completed that the work of mining      
proper can be said to begin4  ,the      
removal of the ore1 as conducted from   
the levels by which access to it has    
thus been gained1 may be carried on     

either by direct or by inverted         
grades1--that is1 either by breaking it 
up from underneath1 or down from        
overhead1 in each of the levels which   
have now been described1--or1 as it is  
more commonly called in mining language1
 by understoping or by overstoping4     
,when the breadth of the lode is equal  
to that of the level1 it is perhaps not 
very material which plan be adopted4    
,but when1 as at ,oldham1 ,montague1 or 
,tangier1 the lodes are only of         
moderate-width1 and much barren rock1   
however soft and yielding1 has1 of      
necessity1 to be removed along with the 
ore1 so as to give a free passage for   
the miner through the whole extent of   
the drifts1 we shall easily understand  
that the working by inverted grades1 or 
overstoping1 is the only proper or      
feasible method4 ,in this case1 the     
blasts being all made from the roof1 or 
back1 as it is called1 of the drift1 the
 barren or dead rock containing no gold 
is left on the floor of the drift1 and  

there is then only the labor and expense
 of bringing the valuable quartz itself1
 a much less amount in bulk1 to the     
surface of the ground4 ,the accumulating
 mass of the dead rock underfoot1 will  
then be constantly raising the floor of 
the drift1 and as constantly bringing   
the miners within convenient            
working-distance of the receding roof4  
,in the case of understoping1 however1  
in which the blasts are made from the   
floor of the drift1 it will be perceived
 that all the rock which is moved1 of   
whatever kind1 must equally be brought  
to the surface1 which entails a much    
greater labor and expense in the        
hoisting2 and gravity1 moreover1 instead
 of cooperating with1 counteracts1 it   
will easily be understood1 the effective
 force of the powder4  ,such is a       
necessarily brief and condensed account 
of the novel and interesting branch of  
industry which has thus been opened     
almost at our very doors4 ,the          
enterprise is as yet merely in its      

infancy1 and will doubtless for some    
time be regarded with incredulity and   
even distrust4 ,but if there be any     
weight to be attached to the clearest1  
most explicit scientific and practical  
testimony1 we must henceforth learn to  
look upon ,nova ,scotia with an         
increased interest1 and1 perhaps a      
somewhat heightened respect4 ,the spies 
that came out of ,canaan were not1 at   
any rate1 more completely unanimous in  
their reports of the richness of the    
land than the eminent persons who have  
been sent to examine the auriferous     
lodes of our ,acadian neighbors4 ,if    
gold does not really exist there1 and in
 very remunerative quantities1 it will  
be hard for us henceforth to believe in 
the calculations of even a spring-tide1 
a comet1 or an eclipse4  ,up to the     
present time1 7,june1 #ahfb17 says ,lord
 ,mulgrave1 there has been no great     
influx of persons from abroad2 and the  
gradual development of the richness of  
the gold-fields is chiefly due to the   

inhabitants of the country4 ,some few   
have arrived from the ,united ,states1  
and from the neighboring ,provinces2 but
 they are chiefly persons destitute of  
capital1 and without any practical      
knowledge of mining-operations4 ,this1  
,i fear1 is likely to produce some      
discouragement1 as many of them will    
undoubtedly prove unsuccessful2 and1    
returning to their homes1 will spread   
unfavorable reports of the gold-fields1 
while their failure should more properly
 be ascribed to their own want of       
capital and skill4  ,in contrast with   
this sensible prediction1 and to show   
the very different results of associated
 capital and labor noticed in the outset
 of our remarks1 we give the following  
on the authority of the ,commercial     
,bulletin of ,february #ac1 #ahfd3--    
,at a meeting of the ,directors of the  
,st4 ,croix ,mining ,company1 held on   
the #adth ult41 a dividend of sixty per 
cent41 payable in gold1 was declared1   
and1 in addition to this1 a sum         

sufficient to work the claim during the 
winter was reserved for that purpose4   
,the latest information from this highly
 interesting region is contained in the 
,annual ,report of the ,chief           
,gold-,commissioner for the year #ahfc1 
issued at ,halifax on the #bfth of      
,january1 #ahfd4 ,the present incumbent 
of this responsible office is ,mr4      
,p4,s4 ,hamilton1 of ,halifax1--the     
former ,commissioner1 ,mr4 ,creelman1   
having gone out of service in           
consequence of the change of ,ministry  
which occurred in the early part of last
 year4 ,mr4 ,hamilton's ,report is      
singularly clear and concise1 and       
exhibits throughout a highly flattering 
prospect in all the ,districts now being
 worked1 except that of ,ovens1--the    
reasons for this exception being1       
however1 fully explained by the         
,commissioner4 ,taking the average yield
 at what it appears by these official   
tables1 says ,mr4 ,hamilton1 these mines
 show1 a higher average productiveness  

than those of almost any other          
gold-producing country1 if1 indeed1 they
 are not1 in this respect1 the very     
first now being worked in the world4 ,i 
may here mention one fact affording     
increased hopes for the future1 which   
although unquestionably a fact1 the     
exact measure of its importance cannot  
well be shown1 as yet1 by any           
statistical returns4 ,excavations have  
not yet1 it is true1 been carried to any
 great depth4 ,few mining-shafts upon   
any of the gold-fields exceed one       
hundred feet in depth2 but1 as a general
 rule1--indeed1 in nearly every         
instance1--the quartz seams actually    
worked have been found to increase in   
richness as they descend4 ,the yield of 
gold to each man engaged during the year
 is very much higher than has yet been  
attained in quartz-mining in any other  
country4  ,wine ,harbor1 almost at the  
eastern extremity of the peninsula1 has1
 it appears from this official          
statement1 the distinction of having    

produced a larger amount of gold during 
#ahfc than any other district in the    
,province4 ,during each one of five out 
of the last six months of the year1 it  
showed the highest maximum yield of gold
 per ton of quartz2,q and on the whole  
year's operations it ranks next to      
,sherbrooke in the average amount       
produced per man engaged in mining4 ,in 
the table giving the entire returns of  
gold for the year1 the whole yield of   
the ,wine-,harbor mines is set down as  
#c1gah oz4 #b dwt4 #ai gr41--equal1 at  
the present price of gold in ,new ,york 
and ,boston1 to about #abe1jjj for the  
twelve months1--certainly a very hopeful
 return for a first year's operations4  
,it is evident that the ,commissioner   
regards this district and the           
neighboring one of ,sherbrooke1 as      
specially entitled to his consideration1
 for he continues1--,here1 as at        
,sherbrooke1 gold-mining has become a   
settled business2 and the prospects of  
the district are of a highly            

satisfactory character4 ,but he adds1   
7p4 #g17--;,from every one of the       
gold-districts1 without exception1 the  
accounts received from the most reliable
 sources represent the mining-prospects 
to be good1 and the men engaged in      
mining to be in good spirits1--content  
with their present success and future   
prospects4 ,to those who consider the   
accounts of ,nova-,scotia gold as mere  
myths we commend the attentive study of 
these ,government returns4 ,miners'     
stories are one thing1--but a certified 
royalty from a staff of ,british        
officials1 in ounces1 pennyweights1 and 
grains1 on the first day of each month1 
is1 in our modest opinion1 quite        
another4 ,they have a way of putting    
things1 as ,sydney ,smith expressed it1 
which is apt to be rather convincing4   
,it would not be surprising1 if so      
marked an addition to the resources of a
 small1 and not an eminently wealthy    
,province1 had been productive1 in some 
degree1 of excitement1 idleness1 and    

disorder4 ,but we have reason to believe
 that hitherto this has not been found  
to be the case4 ,lord ,mulgrave bears   
willing testimony to the exemplary      
conduct of the miners1 and ,mr4         
,creelman1 the late                     
,chief-,commissioner1 is still more     
explicit4 ,it affords me the highest    
satisfaction1 he concludes1 to be able  
to bear testimony to the orderly conduct
 and good behavior of those who have    
hitherto undertaken to develop the      
resources of our gold-fields4 ,i have   
visited every gold-district in the      
,province twice1 and1 with one or two   
exceptions1 oftener1 during the past    
season2 ,i have seen the miners at work 
in the shafts and trenches2 ,i have     
noticed them in going to and returning  
from their work1 at morning1 noon1 and  
night2 ,i have witnessed their sports   
after the labors of the day were over2  
and ,i have never heard an uncivil word 
nor observed an unseemly action amongst 
them4 ,and although the ',act relating  

to the ,gold-,fields' authorized the    
appointment of a bailiff in every       
gold-district1 it has not been deemed   
necessary to make more than three such  
appointments1 and1 with one single      
exception1 no service from any of these 
officers has been required4444 ,it may  
be said1 in general1 that the respect   
for law and order1 the honest condition1
 and the moral sentiment which pervade  
our gold-district1 are not surpassed in 
many of the rural villages of the       
country4         99       99       99   
99       99  ,,life ,,on ,,the ,,sea    
,,islands4      ,to ,,the ,,editor ,,of 
,,the ,,atlantic ,,monthly4--,the       
following graceful     and picturesque  
description of the new condition of     
things on the     ,sea ,islands of      
,south ,carolina1 originally written for
 private     perusal1 seems to me worthy
 of a place in the ,atlantic4 ,its      
young author--herself akin to the       
long-suffering race whose ,exodus       
she so pleasantly describes--is still   

engaged in her labor of love     on ,st4
 ,helena ,island4--,j4,g4,w4   ,,part   
,i4  ,it was on the afternoon of a warm1
 murky day late in ,october that our    
steamer1 the ,united ,states1 touched   
the landing at ,hilton ,head4 ,a motley 
assemblage had collected on the         
wharf1--officers1 soldiers1 and         
contrabands of every size and hue3 black
 was1 however1 the prevailing color4    
,the first view of ,hilton ,head is     
desolate enough1--a long1 low1 sandy    
point1 stretching out into the sea1 with
 no visible dwellings upon it1 except   
the rows of small white-roofed houses   
which have lately been built for the    
freed people4  ,after signing a paper   
wherein we declared ourselves loyal to  
the ,government1 and wherein1 also1 were
 set forth fearful penalties1 should we 
ever be found guilty of treason1 we were
 allowed to land1 and immediately took  
,general ,saxton's boat1 the ,flora1 for
 ,beaufort4 ,the ,general was on board1 
and we were presented to him4 ,he is    

handsome1 courteous1 and affable1 and   
looks--as he is--the gentleman and the  
soldier4  ,from ,hilton ,head to        
,beaufort the same long1 low line of    
sandy coast1 bordered by trees2         
formidable gunboats in the distance1 and
 the gray ruins of an old fort1 said to 
have been built by the ,huguenots more  
than two hundred years ago4 ,arrived at 
,beaufort1 we found that we had not yet 
reached our journey's end4 ,while       
waiting for the boat which was to take  
us to our island of ,st4 ,helena1 we had
 a little time to observe the ancient   
town4 ,the houses in the main street1   
which fronts the ,bay1 are large and    
handsome1 built of wood1 in the usual   
,southern style1 with spacious piazzas1 
and surrounded by fine trees4 ,we       
noticed in one yard a magnolia1 as high 
as some of our largest shade-maples1    
with rich1 dark1 shining foliage4 ,a    
large building which was once the       
,public ,library is now a shelter for   
freed people from ,fernandina4 ,did the 

,rebels know it1 they would doubtless   
upturn their aristocratic noses1 and    
exclaim in disgust1 ,to what base uses1 
etc4 ,we confess that it was highly     
satisfactory to us to see how the tables
 are turned1 now that the whirligig of  
time has brought about its revenges4 ,we
 saw the market-place1 in which slaves  
were sometimes sold2 but we were told   
that the buying and selling at auction  
were usually done in ,charleston4 ,the  
arsenal1 a large stone structure1 was   
guarded by cannon and sentinels4 ,the   
houses in the smaller streets had1      
mostly1 a dismantled1 desolate look4 ,we
 saw no one in the streets but soldiers 
and freed people4 ,there were           
indications that already ,northern      
improvements had reached this ,southern 
town4 ,among them was a wharf1 a        
convenience that one wonders how the    
,southerners could so long have existed 
without4 ,the more we know of their mode
 of life1 the more are we inclined to   
marvel at its utter shiftlessness4      

,little colored children of every hue   
were playing about the streets1 looking 
as merry and happy as children ought to 
look1--now that the evil shadow of      
,slavery no longer hangs over them4     
,some of the officers we met did not    
impress us favorably4 ,they talked      
flippantly1 and sneeringly of the       
negroes1 whom they found we had come    
down to teach1 using an epithet more    
offensive than gentlemanly4 ,they       
assured us that there was great danger  
of ,rebel attacks1 that the yellow fever
 prevailed to an alarming extent1 and   
that1 indeed1 the manufacture of coffins
 was the only business that was at all  
flourishing at present4 ,although by no 
means daunted by these alarming stories1
 we were glad when the announcement of  
our boat relieved us from their edifying
 conversation4  ,we rowed across to     
,ladies ,island1 which adjoins ,st4     
,helena1 through the splendors of a     
grand ,southern sunset4 ,the gorgeous   
clouds of crimson and gold were         

reflected as in a mirror in the smooth1 
clear waters below4 ,as we glided along1
 the rich tones of the negro boatmen    
broke upon the evening                  
stillness1--sweet1 strange1 and         
solemn3--      ,jesus make de blind to  
see1     ,jesus make de cripple walk1   
,jesus make de deaf to hear4       ,walk
 in1 kind ,jesus6         ,no man can   
hender me4  ,it was nearly dark when we 
reached the island1 and then we had a   
three-miles' drive through the lonely   
roads to the house of the               
superintendent4 ,we thought how easy it 
would be for a band of guerrillas1 had  
they chanced that way1 to seize and hang
 us2 but we were in that excited1       
jubilant state of mind which makes fear 
impossible1 and sang ,john ,brown with a
 will1 as we drove through the pines and
 palmettos4 ,oh1 it was good to sing    
that song in the very heart of          
,rebeldom6 ,harry1 our driver1 amused us
 much4 ,he was surprised to find that we
 had not heard of him before4 ,why1 ,i  

thought eberybody at de ,nort had heard 
o' me6 he said1 very innocently4 ,we    
learned afterward that ,mrs4 ,f41 who   
made the tour of the islands last       
summer1 had publicly mentioned ,harry4  
,some one had told him of it1 and he of 
course imagined that he had become quite
 famous4 ,notwithstanding this little   
touch of vanity1 ,harry is one of the   
best and smartest men on the island4    
,gates occurred1 it seemed to us1 at    
every few yards' distance1 made in the  
oddest fashion1--opening in the middle1 
like folding-doors1 for the             
accommodation of horsemen4 ,the little  
boy who accompanied us as gate-opener   
answered to the name of ,cupid4 ,arrived
 at the headquarters of the general     
superintendent1 ,mr4 ,s41 we were kindly
 received by him and the ladies1 and    
shown into a large parlor1 where a      
cheerful wood-fire glowed in the grate4 
,it had a home-like look2 but still     
there was a sense of unreality about    
everything1 and ,i felt that nothing    

less than a vigorous shaking-up1 such as
 ,grandfather ,smallweed daily          
experienced1 would arouse me thoroughly 
to the fact that ,i was in ,south       
,carolina4  ,the next morning ,l4 and ,i
 were awakened by the cheerful voices of
 men and women1 children and chickens1  
in the yard below4 ,we ran to the       
window1 and looked out4 ,women in       
bright-colored handkerchiefs1 some      
carrying pails on their heads1 were     
crossing the yard1 busy with their      
morning work2 children were playing and 
tumbling around them4 ,on every face    
there was a look of serenity and        
cheerfulness4 ,my heart gave a great    
throb of happiness as ,i looked at them1
 and thought1 ,they are free6 so long   
down-trodden1 so long crushed to the    
earth1 but now in their old homes1      
forever free6 ,and ,i thanked ,god that 
,i had lived to see this day4  ,after   
breakfast ,miss ,t4 drove us to         
,oaklands1 our future home4 ,the road   
leading to the house was nearly choked  

with weeds4 ,the house itself was in a  
dilapidated condition1 and the yard and 
garden had a sadly neglected look4 ,but 
there were roses in bloom2 we plucked   
handfuls of feathery1 fragrant          
acacia-blossoms2 ivy crept along the    
ground and under the house4 ,the freed  
people on the place seemed glad to see  
us4 ,after talking with them1 and giving
 some directions for cleaning the house1
 we drove to the school1 in which ,i was
 to teach4 ,it is kept in the ,baptist  
,church1--a brick building1 beautifully 
situated in a grove of live-oaks4 ,these
 trees are the first objects that       
attract one's attention here3 not that  
they are finer than our ,northern oaks1 
but because of the singular gray moss   
with which every branch is heavily      
draped4 ,this hanging moss grows on     
nearly all the trees1 but on none so    
luxuriantly as on the live-oak4 ,the    
pendants are often four or five feet    
long1 very graceful and beautiful1 but  
giving the trees a solemn1 almost       

funereal look4 ,the school was opened in
 ,september4 ,many of the children had1 
however1 received instruction during the
 summer4 ,it was evident that they had  
made very rapid improvement1 and we     
noticed with pleasure how bright and    
eager to learn many of them seemed4     
,they sang in rich1 sweet tones1 and    
with a peculiar swaying motion of the   
body1 which made their singing the more 
effective4 ,they sang ,marching ,along1 
with great spirit1 and then one of their
 own hymns1 the air of which is         
beautiful and touching3--      ,my      
sister1 you want to git religion1       
,go down in de ,lonesome ,valley1       
,my brudder1 you want to git religion1  
,go down in de ,lonesome ,valley4       
,,chorus4      ,go down in de ,lonesome 
,valley1     ,go down in de ,lonesome   
,valley1 my ,lord1     ,go down in de   
,lonesome ,valley1         ,to meet my  
,jesus dere6      ,oh1 feed on milk and 
honey1     ,oh1 feed on milk and honey1 
my ,lord1     ,oh1 feed on milk and     

honey1         ,meet my ,jesus dere6    
,oh1 ,john he brought a letter1     ,oh1
 ,john he brought a letter1 my ,lord1   
,oh1 ,mary and ,marta read 'em1         
,meet my ,jesus dere6      ,,chorus4    
,go down in de ,lonesome ,valley1 etc4  
,they repeat their hymns several times1 
and while singing keep perfect time with
 their hands and feet4  ,on our way     
homeward we noticed that a few of the   
trees were beginning to turn1 but we    
looked in vain for the glowing autumnal 
hues of our ,northern forests4 ,some    
brilliant scarlet berries--the          
cassena--were growing along the         
roadside1 and on every hand we saw the  
live-oak with its moss-drapery4 ,the    
palmettos disappointed me2 stiff and    
ungraceful1 they have a bristling1      
defiant look1 suggestive of ,rebels     
starting up and defying everybody4 ,the 
land is low and level1--not the         
slightest approach to a hill1 not a     
rock1 nor even a stone to be seen4 ,it  
would have a desolate look1 were it not 

for the trees1 and the hanging moss and 
numberless vines which festoon them4    
,these vines overrun the hedges1 form   
graceful arches between the trees1      
encircle their trunks1 and sometimes    
climb to the topmost branches4 ,in      
,february they begin to bloom1 and then 
throughout the spring and summer we have
 a succession of beautiful flowers4     
,first comes the yellow jessamine1 with 
its perfect1 gold-colored1 and          
deliciously fragrant blossoms4 ,it      
lights up the hedges1 and completely    
canopies some of the trees4 ,of all the 
wild-flowers this seems to me the most  
beautiful and fragrant4 ,then we have   
the snow-white1 but scentless ,cherokee 
rose1 with its lovely1 shining leaves4  
,later in the season come the brilliant 
trumpet-flower1 the passion-flower1 and 
innumerable others4  ,the ,sunday after 
our arrival we attended service at the  
,baptist ,church4 ,the people came in   
slowly2 for they have no way of knowing 
the hour1 except by the sun4 ,by eleven 

they had all assembled1 and the church  
was well filled4 ,they were neatly      
dressed in their ,sunday-attire1 the    
women1 mostly wearing clean1 dark       
frocks1 with white aprons and           
bright-colored head-handkerchiefs4 ,some
 had attained to the dignity of straw   
hats with gay feathers1 but these were  
not nearly as becoming nor as           
picturesque as the handkerchiefs4 ,the  
day was warm1 and the windows were      
thrown open as if it were summer1       
although it was the second day of       
,november4 ,it was very pleasant to     
listen to the beautiful hymns1 and look 
from the crowd of dark1 earnest faces   
within1 upon the grove of noble oaks    
without4 ,the people sang1 ,roll1       
,jordan1 roll1 the grandest of all their
 hymns4 ,there is a great1 rolling wave 
of sound through it all4      ,mr4      
,fuller settin' on de ,tree ob ,life1   
,fur to hear de ven ,jordan roll4       
,oh1 roll1 ,jordan6 roll1 ,jordan6 roll1
 ,jordan roll6      ,,chorus4      ,oh1 

roll1 ,jordan1 roll6 oh1 roll1 ,jordan1 
roll6     ,my soul arise in heab'n1     
,lord1     ,fur to hear de ven ,jordan  
roll6      ,little chil'en1 learn to    
fear de ,lord1     ,and let your days be
 long4     ,oh1 roll1 ,jordan6 roll1    
,jordan6 roll1 ,jordan1     roll6       
,,chorus4      ,oh1 march1 de angel1    
march6 oh1 march1 de     angel1 march6  
,my soul arise in heab'n1 ,lord1        
,fur to hear de ven ,jordan roll6  ,the 
,mr4 ,fuller referred to was their      
former minister1 to whom they seem to   
have been much attached4 ,he is a       
,southerner1 but loyal1 and is now1 ,i  
believe1 living in ,baltimore4 ,after   
the sermon the minister called upon one 
of the elders1 a gray-headed old man1 to
 pray4 ,his manner was very fervent and 
impressive1 but his language was so     
broken that to our unaccustomed ears it 
was quite unintelligible4 ,after the    
services the people gathered in groups  
outside1 talking among themselves1 and  
exchanging kindly greetings with the    

superintendents and teachers4 ,in their 
bright handkerchiefs and white aprons   
they made a striking picture under the  
gray-mossed trees4 ,we drove afterward a
 mile farther1 to the ,episcopal        
,church1 in which the aristocracy of the
 island used to worship4 ,it is a small 
white building1 situated in a fine grove
 of live-oaks1 at the junction of       
several roads4 ,on one of the tombstones
 in the yard is the touching inscription
 in memory of two children1--,blessed   
little lambs1 and art thou gathered into
 the fold of the only true shepherd8    
,sweet lillies of the valley1 and art   
thou removed to a more congenial soil8  
,the floor of the church is of stone1   
the pews of polished oak4 ,it has an    
organ1 which is not so entirely out of  
tune as are the pianos on the island4   
,one of the ladies played1 while the    
gentlemen sang1--old-fashioned          
,new-,england church-music1 which it was
 pleasant to hear1 but it did not thrill
 us as the singing of the people had    

done4  ,during the week we moved to     
,oaklands1 our future home4 ,the house  
was of one story1 with a low-roofed     
piazza running the whole length4 ,the   
interior had been thoroughly scrubbed   
and whitewashed2 the exterior was       
guiltless of whitewash or paint4 ,there 
were five rooms1 all quite small1 and   
several dark little entries1 in one of  
which we found shelves lined with old   
medicine-bottles4 ,these were a part of 
the possessions of the former owner1 a  
,rebel physician1 ,dr4 ,sams by name4   
,some of them were still filled with his
 nostrums4 ,our furniture consisted of a
 bedstead1 two bureaus1 three small pine
 tables1 and two chairs1 one of which   
had a broken back4 ,these were lent to  
us by the people4 ,the masters1 in their
 hasty flight from the islands1 left    
nearly all their furniture2 but much of 
it was destroyed or taken by the        
soldiers who came first1 and what they  
left was removed by the people to their 
own houses4 ,certainly1 they have the   

best right to it4 ,we had made up our   
minds to dispense with all luxuries and 
even many conveniences2 but it was      
rather distressing to have no fire1 and 
nothing to eat4 ,mr4 ,h4 had already    
appropriated a room for the store which 
he was going to open for the benefit of 
the freed people1 and was superintending
 the removal of his goods4 ,so ,l4 and  
,i were left to our own resources4 ,but 
,cupid the elder came to the            
rescue1--,cupid1 who1 we were told1 was 
to be our right-hand man1 and who very  
graciously informed us that he would    
take care of us2 which he at once       
proceeded to do by bringing in some     
wood1 and busying himself in making a   
fire in the open fireplace4 ,while he is
 thus engaged1 ,i will try to describe  
him4 ,a small1 wiry figure1             
stockingless1 shoeless1 out at the knees
 and elbows1 and wearing the remnant of 
an old straw hat1 which looked as if it 
might have done good service in scaring 
the crows from a cornfield4 ,the face   

nearly black1 very ugly1 but with the   
shrewdest expression ,i ever saw1 and   
the brightest1 most humorous twinkle in 
the eyes4 ,one glance at ,cupid's face  
showed that he was not a person to be   
imposed upon1 and that he was abundantly
 able to take care of himself1 as well  
as of us4 ,the chimney obstinately      
refused to draw1 in spite of the        
original and very uncomplimentary       
epithets which ,cupid heaped upon       
it1--while we stood by1 listening to him
 in amusement1 although nearly          
suffocated by the smoke4 ,at last1      
perseverance conquered1 and the fire    
began to burn cheerily4 ,then ,amaretta1
 our cook1--a neat-looking black woman1 
adorned with the gayest of              
head-handkerchiefs1--made her appearance
 with some eggs and hominy1 after       
partaking of which we proceeded to      
arrange our scanty furniture1 which was 
soon done4 ,in a few days we began to   
look civilized1 having made a           
table-cover of some red and yellow      

handkerchiefs which we found among the  
store-goods1--a carpet of red and black 
woollen plaid1 originally intended for  
frocks and shirts1--a cushion1 stuffed  
with corn-husks and covered with calico1
 for a lounge1 which ,ben1 the          
carpenter1 had made for us of pine      
boards1--and lastly some corn-husk beds1
 which were an unspeakable luxury1 after
 having endured agonies for several     
nights1 sleeping on the slats of a      
bedstead4 ,it is true1 the said slats   
were covered with blankets1 but these   
might as well have been sheets of paper 
for all the good they did us4 ,what a   
resting-place it was6 ,compared to it1  
the gridiron of ,st4 ,lawrence--fire    
excepted--was as a bed of roses4  ,the  
first day at school was rather trying4  
,most of my children were very small1   
and consequently restless4 ,some were   
too young to learn the alphabet4 ,these 
little ones were brought to school      
because the older children--in whose    
care their parents leave them while at  

work--could not come without them4 ,we  
were therefore willing to have them     
come1 although they seemed to have      
discovered the secret of perpetual      
motion1 and tried one's patience sadly4 
,but after some days of positive1 though
 not severe treatment1 order was brought
 out of chaos1 and ,i found but little  
difficulty in managing and quieting the 
tiniest and most restless spirits4 ,i   
never before saw children so eager to   
learn1 although ,i had had several      
years' experience in ,new-,england      
schools4 ,coming to school is a constant
 delight and recreation to them4 ,they  
come here as other children go to play4 
,the older ones1 during the summer1 work
 in the fields from early morning until 
eleven or twelve o'clock1 and then come 
into school1 after their hard toil in   
the hot sun1 as bright and as anxious to
 learn as ever4  ,of course there are   
some stupid ones1 but these are the     
minority4 ,the majority learn with      
wonderful rapidity4 ,many of the grown  

people are desirous of learning to read4
 ,it is wonderful how a people who have 
been so long crushed to the earth1 so   
imbruted as these have been1--and they  
are said to be among the most degraded  
negroes of the ,south1--can have so     
great a desire for knowledge1 and such a
 capability for attaining it4 ,one      
cannot believe that the haughty         
,anglo-,saxon race1 after centuries of  
such an experience as these people have 
had1 would be very much superior to     
them4 ,and one's indignation increases  
against those who1 ,north as well as    
,south1 taunt the colored race with     
inferiority while they themselves use   
every means in their power to crush and 
degrade them1 denying them every right  
and privilege1 closing against them     
every avenue of elevation and           
improvement4 ,were they1 under such     
circumstances1 intellectual and refined1
 they would certainly be vastly superior
 to any other race that ever existed4   
,after the lessons1 we used to talk     

freely to the children1 often giving    
them slight sketches of some of the     
great and good men4 ,before teaching    
them the ,john ,brown song1 which they  
learned to sing with great spirit1 ,miss
 ,t4 told them the story of the brave   
old man who had died for them4 ,i told  
them about ,toussaint1 thinking it well 
they should know what one of their own  
color had done for his race4 ,they      
listened attentively1 and seemed to     
understand4 ,we found it rather hard to 
keep their attention in school4 ,it is  
not strange1 as they have been so       
entirely unused to intellectual         
concentration4 ,it is necessary to      
interest them every moment1 in order to 
keep their thoughts from wandering4     
,teaching here is consequently far more 
fatiguing than at the ,north4 ,in the   
church1 we had of course but one room in
 which to hear all the children2 and to 
make one's self heard1 when there were  
often as many as a hundred and forty    
reciting at once1 it was necessary to   

tax the lungs very severely4  ,my walk  
to school1 of about a mile1 was part of 
the way through a road lined with       
trees1--on one side stately pines1 on   
the other noble live-oaks1 hung with    
moss and canopied with vines4 ,the      
ground was carpeted with brown1 fragrant
 pine-leaves2 and as ,i passed through  
in the morning1 the woods were enlivened
 by the delicious songs of              
mocking-birds1 which abound here1 making
 one realize the truthful felicity of   
the description in ,evangeline1--       
,the mocking-bird1 wildest of singers1  
,shook from his little throat such      
floods of delirious music   ,that the   
whole air and the woods and the waves   
seemed silent to listen4  ,the hedges   
were all aglow with the brilliant       
scarlet berries of the cassena1 and on  
some of the oaks we observed the        
mistletoe1 laden with its pure white1   
pearl-like berries4 ,out of the woods   
the roads are generally bad1 and we     
found it hard work plodding through the 

deep sand4  ,mr4 ,h4's store was usually
 crowded1 and ,cupid was his most       
valuable assistant4 ,gay handkerchiefs  
for turbans1 pots and kettles1 and      
molasses1 were principally in demand1   
especially the last4 ,it was necessary  
to keep the molasses-barrel in the yard1
 where ,cupid presided over it1 and     
harangued and scolded the eager1 noisy  
crowd1 collected around1 to his heart's 
content2 while up the road leading to   
the house came constantly processions of
 men1 women1 and children1 carrying on  
their heads cans1 jugs1 pitchers1 and   
even bottles1--anything1 indeed1 that   
was capable of containing molasses4 ,it 
is wonderful with what ease they carry  
all sorts of things on their            
heads1--heavy bundles of wood1 hoes and 
rakes1 everything1 heavy or light1 that 
can be carried in the hands2 and ,i have
 seen a woman1 with a bucketful of water
 on her head1 stoop down and take up    
another in her hand1 without spilling a 
drop from either4  ,we noticed that the 

people had much better taste in         
selecting materials for dresses than we 
had supposed4 ,they do not generally    
like gaudy colors1 but prefer neat1     
quiet patterns4 ,they are1 however1 very
 fond of all kinds of jewelry4 ,i once  
asked the children in school what their 
ears were for4 ,to put ring in1 promptly
 replied one of the little girls4       
,these people are exceedingly polite in 
their manner towards each other1 each   
new arrival bowing1 scraping his feet1  
and shaking hands with the others1 while
 there are constant greetings1 such as1 
,huddy8 ,how's yer lady8 7,how d' ye do8
 ,how's your wife87 ,the hand-shaking is
 performed with the greatest possible   
solemnity4 ,there is never the faintest 
shadow of a smile on anybody's face     
during this performance4 ,the children1 
too1 are taught to be very polite to    
their elders1 and it is the rarest thing
 to hear a disrespectful word from a    
child to his parent1 or to any grown    
person4 ,they have really what the      

,new-,englanders call beautiful manners4
  ,we made daily visits to the quarters1
 which were a few rods from the house4  
,the negro-houses1 on this as on most of
 the other plantations1 were miserable  
little huts1 with nothing comfortable or
 home-like about them1 consisting       
generally of but two very small         
rooms1--the only way of lighting them1  
no matter what the state of the weather1
 being to leave the doors and windows   
open4 ,the windows1 of course1 have no  
glass in them4 ,in such a place1 a      
father and mother with a large family of
 children are often obliged to live4 ,it
 is almost impossible to teach them     
habits of neatness and order1 when they 
are so crowded4 ,we look forward        
anxiously to the day when better houses 
shall increase their comfort and pride  
of appearance4  ,oaklands is a very     
small plantation4 ,there were not more  
than eight or nine families living on   
it4 ,some of the people interested us   
much4 ,celia1 one of the best1 is a     

cripple4 ,her master1 she told us1 was  
too mean to give his slaves clothes     
enough to protect them1 and her feet and
 legs were so badly frozen that they    
required amputation4 ,she has a lovely  
face1--well-featured and singularly     
gentle4 ,in every household where there 
was illness or trouble1 ,celia's kind1  
sympathizing face was the first to be   
seen1 and her services were always the  
most acceptable4  ,harry1 the foreman on
 the plantation1 a man of a good deal of
 natural intelligence1 was most desirous
 of learning to read4 ,he came in at    
night to be taught1 and learned very    
rapidly4 ,i never saw any one more      
determined to learn4 ,we enjoyed hearing
 him talk about the gun-shoot1--so the  
people call the capture of ,bay ,point  
and ,hilton ,head4 ,they never weary of 
telling you how ,massa run when he hear 
de fust gun4  ,why didn't you go with   
him1 ,harry8 ,i asked4  ,oh1 ,miss1 't  
wasn't 'cause ,massa didn't try to      
'suade me4 ,he tell we dat de ,yankees  

would shoot we1 or would sell we to     
,cuba1 an' do all de wust tings to we1  
when dey come4 ',bery well1 ,sar1' says 
,i4 ',if ,i go wid you1 ,i be good as   
dead4 ,if ,i stay here1 ,i can't be no  
wust2 so if ,i got to dead1 ,i might's  
well dead here as anywhere4 ,so ,i'll   
stay here an' wait for de dam ,yankees4'
 ,lor'1 ,miss1 ,i knowed he wasn't      
tellin' de truth all de time4  ,but why 
didn't you believe him1 ,harry8  ,dunno1
 ,miss2 somehow we hear de ,yankees was 
our friends1 an' dat we'd be free when  
dey come1 an' 'pears like we believe    
dat4  ,i found this to be true of nearly
 all the people ,i talked with1 and ,i  
thought it strange they should have had 
so much faith in the ,northerners4      
,truly1 for years past1 they had had but
 little cause to think them very        
friendly4 ,cupid told us that his master
 was so daring as to come back1 after he
 had fled from the island1 at the risk  
of being taken prisoner by our soldiers2
 and that he ordered the people to get  

all the furniture together and take it  
to a plantation on the opposite side of 
the creek1 and to stay on that side     
themselves4 ,so1 said ,cupid1 dey could 
jus' sweep us all up in a heap1 an' put 
us in de boat4 ,an' he telled me to take
 ,patience--dat's my wife--an' de       
chil'en down to a certain pint1 an' den 
,i could come back1 if ,i choose4 ,jus' 
as if ,i was gwine to be sich a goat6   
added he1 with a look and gesture of    
ineffable contempt4 ,he and the rest of 
the people1 instead of obeying their    
master1 left the place and hid          
themselves in the woods2 and when he    
came to look for them1 not one of all   
his faithful servants was to be found4  
,a few1 principally house-servants1 had 
previously been carried away4  ,in the  
evenings1 the children frequently came  
in to sing and shout for us4 ,these     
shouts are very strange1--in truth1     
almost indescribable4 ,it is necessary  
to hear and see in order to have any    
clear idea of them4 ,the children form a

 ring1 and move around in a kind of     
shuffling dance1 singing all the time4  
,four or five stand apart1 and sing very
 energetically1 clapping their hands1   
stamping their feet1 and rocking their  
bodies to and fro4 ,these are the       
musicians1 to whose performance the     
shouters keep perfect time4 ,the grown  
people on this plantation did not shout1
 but they do on some of the other       
plantations4 ,it is very comical to see 
little children1 not more than three or 
four years old1 entering into the       
performance with all their might4 ,but  
the shouting of the grown people is     
rather solemn and impressive than       
otherwise4 ,we cannot determine whether 
it has a religious character or not4    
,some of the people tell us that it has1
 others that it has not4 ,but as the    
shouts of the grown people are always in
 connection with their religious        
meetings1 it is probable that they are  
the barbarous expression of religion1   
handed down to them from their ,african 

ancestors1 and destined to pass away    
under the influence of ,christian       
teachings4 ,the people on this island   
have no songs4 ,they sing only hymns1   
and most of these are sad4 ,prince1 a   
large black boy from a neighboring      
plantation1 was the principal shouter   
among the children4 ,it seemed          
impossible for him to keep still for a  
moment4 ,his performances were most     
amusing specimens of ,ethiopian         
gymnastics4 ,amaretta the younger1 a    
cunning1 kittenish little creature of   
only six years old1 had a remarkably    
sweet voice4 ,her favorite hymn1 which  
we used to hear her singing to herself  
as she walked through the yard1 is one  
of the oddest we have heard3--          
,what makes old ,satan follow me so8    
,satan got nuttin' 't all fur to do wid 
me4      ,,chorus4      ,tiddy ,rosa1   
hold your light6     ,brudder ,tony1    
hold your light6     ,all de member1    
hold bright light     ,on ,canaan's     
shore6  ,this is one of the most        

spirited shouting-tunes4 ,tiddy is their
 word for sister4  ,a very queer-looking
 old man came into the store one day4   
,he was dressed in a complete suit of   
brilliant ,brussels carpeting4 ,probably
 it had been taken from his master's    
house after the gun-shoot2 but he looked
 so very dignified that we did not like 
to question him about it4 ,the people   
called him ,doctor ,crofts1--which was1 
,i believe1 his master's name1 his own  
being ,scipio4 ,he was very jubilant    
over the new state of things1 and said  
to ,mr4 ,h41--,don't hab me feelins hurt
 now4 ,used to hab me feelins hurt all  
de time4 ,but don't hab 'em hurt now no 
more4 ,poor old soul6 ,we rejoiced with 
him that he and his brethren no longer  
have their feelins hurt1 as in the old  
time4         99       99       99      
99       99  ,on the ,sunday before     
,thanksgiving1 ,general ,saxton's noble 
,proclamation was read at church4 ,we   
could not listen to it without emotion4 
,the people listened with the deepest   

attention1 and seemed to understand and 
appreciate it4 ,whittier has said of it 
and its writer1--,it is the most        
beautiful and touching official document
 ,i ever read4 ,god bless him6 ',the    
bravest are the tenderest4'  ,general   
,saxton is truly worthy of the gratitude
 and admiration with which the people   
regard him4 ,his unfailing kindness and 
consideration for them--so different    
from the treatment they have sometimes  
received at the hands of other          
officers--have caused them to have      
unbounded confidence in ,general ,saxby1
 as they call him4  ,after the service1 
there were six couples married4 ,some of
 the dresses were unique4 ,one was      
particularly fine1--doubtless a cast-off
 dress of the bride's former mistress4  
,the silk and lace1 ribbons1 feathers   
and flowers1 were in a rather faded and 
decayed condition4 ,but1 comical as the 
costumes were1 we were not disposed to  
laugh at them4 ,we were too glad to see 
the poor creatures trying to lead right 

and virtuous lives4 ,the legal ceremony1
 which was formerly scarcely known among
 them1 is now everywhere consecrated4   
,the constant and earnest advice of the 
minister and teachers has not been given
 in vain2 nearly every ,sunday there are
 several couples married in church4     
,some of them are people who have grown 
old together4  ,thanksgiving-,day was   
observed as a general holiday4          
,according to ,general ,saxton's orders1
 an ox had been killed on each          
plantation1 that the people might that  
day have fresh meat1 which was a great  
luxury to them1 and1 indeed1 to all of  
us4 ,in the morning1 a large            
number--superintendents1 teachers1 and  
freed people--assembled in the ,baptist 
,church4 ,it was a sight not soon to be 
forgotten1--that crowd of eager1 happy  
black faces1 from which the shadow of   
,slavery had forever passed4 ,forever   
free6 forever free6 those magical words 
of the ,proclamation were constantly    
singing themselves in my soul4 ,after an

 appropriate prayer and sermon by ,mr4  
,p41 and singing by the people1 ,general
 ,saxton made a short1 but spirited     
speech1 urging the young men to enlist  
in the regiment then forming under      
,colonel ,higginson4 ,mrs4 ,gage told   
the people how the slaves in ,santa     
,cruz had secured their liberty4 ,it was
 something entirely new and strange to  
them to hear a woman speak in public2   
but they listened with great attention1 
and seemed much interested4 ,before     
dispersing1 they sang ,marching ,along1 
which is an especial favorite with them4
 ,it was a very happy ,thanksgiving-,day
 for all of us4 ,the weather was        
delightful2 oranges and figs were       
hanging on the trees2 roses1 oleanders1 
and japonicas were blooming             
out-of-doors2 the sun was warm and      
bright2 and over all shone gloriously   
the blessed light of ,freedom1--,freedom
 forevermore6  ,one night1 ,l4 and ,i   
were roused from our slumbers by what   
seemed to us loud and most distressing  

shrieks1 proceeding from the direction  
of the negro-houses4 ,having heard of   
one or two attempts which the ,rebels   
had recently made to land on the island1
 our first thought was1 naturally1 that 
they had forced a landing1 and were     
trying to carry off some of the people4 
,every moment we expected to hear them  
at our doors2 and knowing that they had 
sworn vengeance against all the         
superintendents and teachers1 we        
prepared ourselves for the worst4 ,after
 a little reflection1 we persuaded      
ourselves that it could not be the      
,rebels2 for the people had always      
assured us1 that1 in case of a ,rebel   
attack1 they would come to us at        
once1--evidently thinking that we should
 be able to protect them4 ,but what     
could the shrieks mean8 ,they ceased2   
then1 a few moments afterwards1 began   
again1 louder1 more fearful than before2
 then again they ceased1 and all was    
silent4 ,i am ashamed to confess that we
 had not the courage to go out and      

inquire into the cause of the alarm4    
,mr4 ,h4's room was in another part of  
the house1 too far for him to give us   
any aid4 ,we hailed the dawn of day     
gladly enough1 and eagerly sought       
,cupid1--who was sure to know           
everything1--to obtain from him a       
solution of the mystery4 ,why1 you      
wasn't scared at dat8 he exclaimed1 in  
great amusement2 'twasn't nuttin' but de
 black sogers dat comed up to see der   
folks on t' oder side ob de creek4 ,dar 
wasn't no boat fur 'em on dis side1 so  
dey jus' blowed de whistle dey hab1 so  
de folks might bring one ober fur 'em4  
,dat was all 't was4 ,and ,cupid laughed
 so heartily that we felt not a little  
ashamed of our fears4 ,nevertheless1 we 
both maintained that we had never seen a
 whistle from which could be produced   
sounds so startling1 so distressing1 so 
perfectly like the shrieks of a human   
being4  ,another night1 while staying at
 a house some miles distant from ours1  
,i was awakened by hearing1 as ,i       

thought1 some one trying to open the    
door from without4 ,the door was locked2
 ,i lay perfectly still1 and listened   
intently4 ,a few moments elapsed1 and   
the sound was repeated2 whereupon ,i    
rose1 and woke ,miss ,w41 who slept in  
the adjoining room4 ,we lighted a       
candle1 took our revolvers1 and seated  
ourselves on the bed1 keeping our       
weapons1 so formidable in practised male
 hands1 steadily pointed towards the    
door1 and uttering dire threats against 
the intruders1--presumed to be ,rebels1 
of course4 ,having maintained this      
tragical position for some time1 and    
hearing no further noise2 we began to   
grow sleepy1 and extinguished our       
candle1 returned to bed1 and slept      
soundly till morning4 ,but that mystery 
remained unexplained4 ,i was sure that  
the door had been tried1--there could be
 no mistaking it4 ,there was not the    
least probability that any of the people
 had entered the house1 burglars are    
unknown on these islands1 and there is  

nobody to be feared but the ,rebels4    
,the last and greatest alarm we had was 
after we had removed from ,oaklands to  
another plantation4 ,i woke about two   
o'clock in the morning1 hearing the     
tramp of many feet in the yard          
below1--the steady tramp of soldiers'   
feet4 ,the ,rebels6 they have come at   
last6 all is over with us now6 ,i       
thought at once1 with a desperate kind  
of resignation4 ,and ,i lay still1      
waiting and listening4 ,soon ,i heard   
footsteps on the piazza2 then the       
hall-door was opened1 and steps were    
heard distinctly in the hall beneath2   
finally1 ,i heard some one coming up the
 stairs4 ,then ,i grasped my revolver1  
rose1 and woke the other ladies4  ,there
 are soldiers in the yard6 ,somebody has
 opened the hall-door1 and is coming    
up-stairs6  ,poor ,l41 but half         
awakened1 stared at me in speechless    
terror4 ,the same thought filled our    
minds4 ,but ,mrs4 ,b41 after listening  
for a moment1 exclaimed1--  ,why1 that  

is my husband6 ,i know his footsteps4   
,he is coming up-stairs to call me4     
,and so it proved4 ,her husband1 who was
 a lieutenant in ,colonel ,montgomery's 
regiment1 had come up from camp with    
some of his men to look after deserters4
 ,the door had been unfastened by a     
servant who on that night happened to   
sleep in the house4 ,i shall never      
forget the delightful sensation of      
relief that came over me when the whole 
matter was explained4 ,it was almost    
overpowering2 for1 although ,i had made 
up my mind to bear the worst1 and bear  
it bravely1 the thought of falling into 
the hands of the ,rebels was horrible in
 the extreme4 ,a year of intense mental 
suffering seemed to have been compressed
 into those few moments4         99     
99       99       99       99  ,,gold   
,,hair4  ,a ,,legend ,,of ,,pornic4     
,oh1 the beautiful girl1 too white1     
,who lived at ,pornic1 down by the sea1 
,just where the sea and the ,loire      
unite6         ,and a boasted name in   

,brittany     ,she bore1 which ,i will  
not write4      ,too white1 for the     
flower of life is red2         ,her     
flesh was the soft1 seraphic screen     
,of a soul that is meant 7her parents   
said7         ,to just see earth1 and   
hardly be seen1     ,and blossom in     
heaven instead4      ,yet earth saw one 
thing1 one how fair6         ,one grace 
that grew to its full on earth3         
,smiles might be sparse on her cheek so 
spare1         ,and her waist want half 
a girdle's girth1     ,but she had her  
great gold hair3      ,hair1 such a     
wonder of flix and floss1               
,freshness and fragrance1--floods of it1
 too6     ,gold did ,i say8 ,nay1 gold's
 mere dross4         ,here ,life smiled1
 ,think what ,i meant to do6     ,and   
,love sighed1 ,fancy my loss6      ,so1 
when she died1 it was scarce more       
strange         ,than that1 when some   
delicate evening dies1     ,and you     
follow its spent sun's pallid range1    
,there's a shoot of color startles the  

skies     ,with sudden1 violent         
change1--      ,that1 while the breath  
was nearly to seek1         ,as they put
 the little cross to her lips1     ,she 
changed2 a spot came out on her cheek1  
,a spark from her eye in mid-eclipse1   
,and she broke forth1 ,i must speak6    
,not my hair6 made the girl her moan2-- 
,all the rest is gone1 or to go2        
,but the last1 last grace1 my all1 my   
own1         ,let it stay in the grave1 
that the ghosts may know6     ,leave my 
poor gold hair alone6      ,the passion 
thus vented1 dead lay she4         ,her 
parents sobbed their worst on that2     
,all friends joined in1 nor observed    
degree3         ,for1 indeed1 the hair  
was to wonder at1     ,as it            
spread1--not flowing free1      ,but    
curled around her brow1 like a crown1   
,and coiled beside her cheeks1 like a   
cap1     ,and calmed about her          
neck1--ay1 down         ,to her breast1 
pressed flat1 without a gap     ,i' the 
gold1 it reached her gown4      ,all    

kissed that face1 like a silver wedge   
',mid the yellow wealth1 nor disturbed  
its hair2     ,e'en the priest allowed  
death's privilege1         ,as he       
planted the crucifix with care     ,on  
her breast1 'twixt edge and edge4       
,and thus was she buried1 inviolate     
,of body and soul1 in the very space    
,by the altar1--keeping saintly state   
,in ,pornic church1 for her pride of    
race1     ,pure life1 and piteous fate4 
,and in after-time would your fresh tear
 fall1         ,though your mouth might 
twitch with a dubious smile1     ,as    
they told you of gold both robe and     
pall1         ,how she prayed them leave
 it alone awhile1     ,so it never was  
touched at all4      ,years flew2 this  
legend grew at last         ,the life of
 the lady2 all she had done1     ,all   
been1 in the memories fading fast       
,of lover and friend1 was summed in one 
,sentence survivors passed3      ,to    
wit1 she was meant for heaven1 not      
earth2         ,had turned an' angel    

before the time3     ,yet1 since she was
 mortal1 in such dearth         ,of     
frailty1 all you could count a crime    
,was--she knew her gold hair's worth4   
99       99       99       99       99  
,at little pleasant ,pornic church1     
,it chanced1 the pavement wanted repair1
     ,was taken to pieces3 left in the  
lurch1         ,a certain sacred space  
lay bare1     ,and the boys began       
research4      ',t was the space where  
our sires would lay a saint1         ,a 
benefactor1--a bishop1 suppose2     ,a  
baron with armor-adornments quaint2     
,a dame with chased ring and jewelled   
rose1     ,things sanctity saves from   
taint3      ,so we come to find them in 
after-days1         ,when the corpse is 
presumed to have done with gauds1       
,of use to the living1 in many ways2    
,for the boys get pelf1 and the town    
applauds1     ,and the church deserves  
the praise4      ,they grubbed with a   
will3 and at length--,o cor             
,humanum1 pectora coeca1 and the rest6--

     ,they found--no gauds they were    
prying for1         ,no ring1 no rose1  
but--who would have guessed8--     ,a   
double ,louis-d'or6      ,here was a    
case for the priest3 he heard1          
,marked1 inwardly digested1 laid        
,finger on nose1 smiled1 ,a little bird 
,chirps in my ear6--then1 ,bring a      
spade1     ,dig deeper6 he gave the     
word4      ,and lo6 when they came to   
the coffin-lid1         ,or the rotten  
planks which composed it once1     ,why1
 there lay the girl's skull wedged amid 
,a mint of money1 it served for the     
nonce     ,to hold in its hair-heaps    
hid3      ,louis-d'ors1 some six times  
five2         ,and duly double1 every   
piece4     ,now do you see8 ,with the   
priest to shrive1--         ,with       
parents preventing her soul's release   
,by kisses that keep alive1--      ,with
 heaven's gold gates about to ope1--    
,with friends' praise1 gold-like1       
lingering still1--     ,what instinct   
had bidden the girl's hand grope        

,for gold1 the true sort8--,gold in     
heaven1 ,i hope2     ,but ,i keep       
earth's1 if ,god will6      ,enough6    
,the priest took the grave's grim yield2
         ,the parents1 they eyed that   
price of sin     ,as if thirty pieces   
lay revealed         ,on the place to   
bury strangers in1     ,the hideous     
,potter's ,field4      ,but the priest  
bethought him3 ',milk that's spilt'     
--,you know the adage6 ,watch and pray6 
,saints tumble to earth with so slight a
 tilt6         ,it would build a new    
altar2 that we may6     ,and the altar  
therewith was built4             99     
99       99       99       99      ,why 
,i deliver this horrible verse8         
,as the text of a sermon1 which now ,i  
preach3     ,evil or good may be better 
or worse         ,in the human heart1   
but the mixture of each     ,is a marvel
 and a curse4      ,the candid incline  
to surmise of late         ,that the    
,christian faith may be false1 ,i find2 
,for our ,essays-and-,reviews' debate   

,begins to tell on the public mind1     
,and ,colenso's words have weight3      
,i still to suppose it true1 for my     
part1         ,see reasons and reasons2 
this1 to begin3     ',t is the faith    
that launched point-blank her dart      
,at the head of a lie1--taught ,original
 ,sin1     ,the ,corruption of ,man's   
,heart4         99       99       99    
99       99  ,,california ,,as ,a       
,,vineland4   ,it has been reserved for 
,california1 from the plenitude of her  
capacities1 to give to us a truly great 
boon in her light and delicate-wines4   
,our ,pacific sister1 from whose        
generous hand has flowed an             
uninterrupted stream of golden gifts1   
has announced the fact that henceforth  
we are to be a wine-growing people4     
,from the sparkling juices of her       
luscious grapes1 rich with the breath of
 an unrivalled climate1 is to come in   
future the drink of our people4 ,by     
means of her capacity in this respect we
 are to convert the vast tracts of her  

yet untilled soil into blooming         
vineyards1 which will give employment to
 thousands of men and women1--we are to 
make wine as common an article of       
consumption in ,america as upon the     
,rhine1 and to break one more of the    
links which bind us unwilling slaves to 
foreign lands4  ,it is a little         
singular1 that1 in a country so         
particularly adapted to the culture of  
the grape1 no species is indigenous to  
the soil4 ,the earliest record of the   
grape in ,california is about #aggj1 at 
which time the ,spanish ,jesuits brought
 to ,los ,angeles what are supposed to  
have been cuttings from the ,malaga4    
,there is a difference of opinion as to 
what stock they originally came from2   
but one thing is certain1--from that    
stock has sprung what is now known all  
over the ,state as the ,mission or ,los 
,angeles grape1 and from which is made  
all the wine at present in the market4  
,the berry is round1 reddish-brown while
 ripening1 turning nearly black when    

fully ripe4 ,it is very juicy and sweet1
 and a delicious table-grape4  ,three   
prominent reasons maybe given in support
 of the claims of ,california to be     
considered a wine-producing ,state4     
,first1 her soil possesses a large      
amount of magnesia and lime1 or chalk4  
,specimens of it1 taken from various    
localities1 and carried to ,europe1 when
 chemically tested and submitted to the 
judgment of competent men1 have been    
pronounced to be admirably adapted to   
the purposes of wine-culture4 ,then1 the
 climate is all that could possibly be  
desired1--as during the growth and      
ripening of the grapes they are never   
exposed to storms of rain or hail1 which
 often destroy the entire crop in many  
parts of ,europe4 ,as an evidence of the
 great superiority enjoyed by           
,california in this respect1 it may be  
remarked1 that1 while the grape-crop    
here is a certainty1 the oldest         
inhabitant not remembering a year that  
has failed of a good yield1--in ,europe1

 on the contrary1 in a period of #dcb   
years1 from #adbj to #aheb1 the         
statistics exhibit only #aa years which 
can be pronounced eminently good1 and   
but #bh very good1--#aib being simply   
what may be called pretty good and      
middling1 and #bja1 or nearly one-half1 
having proved total failures1 not paying
 the expenses4 ,again1 the enormous     
productiveness of the soil is an immense
 advantage4 ,we make on an average from 
five hundred and fifty to six hundred   
and fifty gallons of wine to the acre4  
,the four most productive of the        
wine-growing districts of ,europe are-- 
,italy1 giving to the acre   #dda #a-b  
gallons ,austria and her provinces1     
#bfe #e-f    ,france1                   
#agf #b-g    ,nassau1                   
#bcg #a-b     ,of these1 it will be     
perceived1 that ,italy1 the most        
prolific1 falls fully one hundred and   
fifty gallons short of the average yield
 per acre in ,california4--,in this     
connection the following account of a   

grape-vine in ,santa ,barbara may be    
interesting3--  ,four miles south of the
 town there is a vine which was planted 
more than a quarter of a century since1 
and has a stalk now about ten inches    
thick4 ,the branches are supported by a 
train or arbor1 and extend out about    
fifty feet on all sides4 ,the annual    
crop of grapes upon this one vine is    
from six to ten thousand pounds1 as much
 as the yield of half an acre of common 
vines4 ,it is of the ,los ,angeles      
variety4 ,there is a similar vine1 but  
not so large1 in the vineyard of ,andres
 ,pico1 at ,san ,fernando4  ,it is well 
known that ,california has within her   
borders five million acres of land      
suitable for vine-culture4 ,suppose it  
to average no larger yield than that of 
,italy1 yet1 at #be cents a gallon1 it  
would give an income of #eea1hge1jjj4   
,that this may not seem an entirely     
chimerical estimate1 it may be remarked 
that trustworthy statistics show that in
 ,france five millions of acres are     

planted in vines1 producing seven       
hundred and fifty millions of gallons1  
while ,hungary has three millions of    
acres1 yielding three hundred and sixty 
millions of gallons4 ,if it is asked1   
,supposing ,california capable of       
producing the amount claimed for her1   
what could be done with this enormous   
quantity of wine8 the answer may be     
found in the experience of ,france1     
where1 notwithstanding the immense      
native production1 there is a large     
importation from foreign countries1     
besides a very considerable consumption 
of purely artificial wines4  ,small     
quantities of wine have been made in    
,california for over half a century1 by 
the ,spanish residents1 not1 however1 as
 a commercial commodity1 but for        
home-consumption1 and there are wines   
now in the cellars of some of the       
wealthy ,spanish families which money   
could not purchase4 ,but it remained for
 ,american enterprise1 aided by         
,european experience1 to develop the    

wonderful capacity which had so long    
slumbered in the bosom of this most     
favored land4  ,the following statistics
 exhibit the total number of vines in   
#ahfb1 and the great increase in the    
last five or six years will show the    
opinion entertained as to the success of
 the business4  ,the number of          
grape-vines set out in vineyards in the 
,state1 according to the ,report of the 
,county ,assessors1 as compiled in the  
,surveyor-,general's ,report for #ahfb1 
is #aj1eib1fhh1 of which number ,los    
,angeles has #b1egj1jjj1 and ,sonoma    
#a1gja1ffa4  ,the rate of increase in   
the number and size of vineyards is     
large4 ,all the vines of the ,state did 
not number #a1jjj1jjj seven years ago4  
,los ,angeles1 which had three times as 
many vines surviving from the time of   
the ,mexican domain as all the other    
counties together1 had #eib1jjj bearing 
vines and #acd1jjj young vines in #ahef4
 ,the annual increase in the ,state has 
been about #a1ejj1jjj since then2 and   

though less hereafter1 it will still be 
large4  ,the wine made in #ahfa is      
reported1 very incorrectly1 by the      
,county ,assessors1 as amounting to     
#cdc1jjj gallons4 ,the amount made in   
#ahfb was about #gjj1jjj gallons4 ,the  
total amount made in all other ,states  
of the ,union in #ahei1 according to the
 ,united ,states census1 was #a1cej1jjj 
gallons2 and the same authority puts    
down ,california's wine-yield for that  
year at #did1jjj gallons1 which is very 
nearly correct4 ,in ,los ,angeles       
,county most of the vineyards have      
#a1jjj vines to the acre4 ,in ,sonoma   
the number varies from #fhj to #a1jjj4  
,the average number may be estimated at 
#ijj2 and the #aj1jjj1jjj vines of the  
,state cover about #aa1ejj acres4 ,an   
acre of ,california vineyard in full    
bearing produces at least #ejj gallons  
annually1 and at that rate the produce  
of the #aa1ejj acres would be #e1gej1jjj
 gallons4 ,strike off1 however1         
one-third for grapes lost1 wasted1 and  

gathered for the table1 and we have an  
annual produce of #c1hjj1jjj gallons4   
,the reason why the present product is  
so far below this amount is that most of
 the vines are still very young1 and    
will not be in full bearing for several 
years yet4  ,the cost of planting a     
vineyard will of course vary with the   
situation1 price of labor1 quality of   
soil1 etc41 but may be estimated at not 
far from fifty dollars an acre4 ,this   
includes everything except the cost of  
the land1 and brings the vines up to the
 third year1 when they are in fair      
bearing condition4 ,there are thousands 
of acres of land scattered over the     
,state1 admirably adapted to            
vine-culture1 which may be purchased at 
from one to two dollars per acre4 ,no   
enterprise holds out more encouragement 
for the investment of labor and capital 
than this1 and the attention of some of 
the most intelligent capitalists of the 
country is being given to it4 ,in this  
connection ,i cannot forbear referring  

to the action of the ,government in     
regard to our native wines4 ,by the     
,national ,excise ,law of #ahfb a tax of
 five cents a gallon was laid upon all  
wine made in the country4 ,no tax has   
yet been laid upon agricultural         
productions generally1 and only three   
per cent1 upon manufactures4 ,now wine  
certainly falls properly under the head 
of agricultural productions4 ,upon this 
ground it might justly claim exemption  
from taxation4 ,the wine-growers of     
,california allege that the tax is      
oppressive and impolitic3 oppressive1   
because it is equal to one-fourth of the
 original value of the wine1 and because
 no other article of production or      
manufacture is taxed in anything like   
this proportion2 impolitic1 because the 
business is now in its infancy1         
struggling against enormous             
difficulties1 among which may be        
mentioned the high price of labor1 rate 
of interest1 and cost of packages1      
making it difficult to compete with the 

wines of ,europe1 which have already    
established themselves in the country1  
and which are produced where interest is
 only three per cent4 per annum1 and the
 price of labor one-quarter of what it  
is in ,california4 ,in addition to this 
there is the prejudice which exists     
against ,american wines1 but which1     
happily1 is passing away4 ,the vintners 
ask only to be put upon the same footing
 as manufacturers1 namely1 an ad valorem
 tax of three per cent42 and they say   
that the ,government will derive a      
greater revenue from such a tax than    
from the one now in force1 as they      
cannot pay the present tax1 and1 unless 
it is abated1 they will be obliged to   
abandon the business4 ,efforts are being
 made to induce ,congress to modify it1 
and it is to be hoped they will be      
successful4  ,in #ahfa ,california sent 
a commissioner to ,europe1 to procure   
the best varieties of vines cultivated  
there1 and also to report upon the      
,european culture generally4 ,the       

gentleman selected for the mission was  
,colonel ,haraszthy1 to whom ,i am      
indebted for many of my statistics1 and 
who has given us a very interesting book
 on the subject4 ,he brought back a     
hundred thousand vines1 embracing about 
fourteen hundred varieties4 ,these were 
to have been planted and experimented   
upon under the auspices of the ,state4  
,what the result has been ,i am unable  
to say2 but we are informed upon good   
authority that over two hundred foreign 
varieties are now successfully          
cultivated4 ,such being the fact1 it is 
a fair presumption that we are soon to  
make wines in sufficient variety to suit
 all tastes4  ,los ,angeles is at       
present the largest wine-growing county 
in the ,state1 and ,sonoma the second4  
,many other portions of the ,state1     
however1 are fast becoming planted with 
vineyards1 and some of them are already 
giving promise of furnishing superb     
wines4 ,as usual in wine-growing        
countries1 in the southern part of the  

,state the wines are richer in          
saccharine properties1 and              
heavier-bodied1 than those of the more  
northern sections1 but are deficient in 
flavor and bouquet4 ,we shall get a     
lighter and tarter wine from the ,sonoma
 and other northern vineyards1 which    
will please many tastes better than the 
southern wines4 ,the two largest        
vineyards in the ,state are owned by    
,colonel ,haraszthy1 of ,sonoma1 and    
,john ,rains1 of ,san ,gabriel4 ,the    
former has two hundred and ninety       
thousand vines1 and the latter one      
hundred and sixty-five thousand4 ,it is 
probable that from one of these         
vineyards at least will come a good     
,champagne wine4  ,a large tract of     
land1 to which has been given the name  
of ,anaheim1 has been recently purchased
 by a ,german company4 ,it is sold to   
actual settlers in lots of twenty acres1
 affording room for twenty thousand     
vines4 ,there are now planted nearly    
three hundred thousand1 which are in a  

very flourishing condition4 ,the wines  
from this district will soon be in the  
market4  ,the wines now made in         
,california are known under the         
following names3 ,white or ,hock ,wine1 
,angelica1 ,port1 ,muscatel1 ,sparkling 
,california1 and ,piquet4 ,the character
 of the first-named wine is much like   
that of the ,rhine wines of ,germany4   
,it is not unlike the ,capri bianco of  
,naples1 or the white wines of the      
,south of ,france4 ,it is richer and    
fuller-bodied than the ,german wines1   
without the tartness which is strongly  
developed in nearly all the ,rhenish    
varieties4 ,it is a fine wine1 and meets
 the approval of many of our best       
connoisseurs4 ,specimens of it have been
 sent to some of the wine-districts of  
,germany1 and the most flattering       
expressions in its favor have come from 
the ,rhine4 ,the ,angelica and ,muscatel
 are both naturally sweet1 intended as  
dessert-wines1 and to suit the taste of 
those who do not like a dry wine4 ,they 

are both of a most excellent quality1   
and are very popular4 ,the ,port is a   
rich1 deep-colored1 high-flavored wine1 
not unlike the ,burgundies of ,france1  
yet not so dry4 ,the ,sparkling         
,california and ,piquet are as yet but  
little known4 ,the latter is made from  
the lees of the grape1 is a sour1 very  
light wine1 and not suitable for        
shipment4 ,messrs4 ,sainsivain ,brothers
 have up to the present time been the   
principal house engaged in the          
manufacture of ,champagne4 ,so far1 they
 have not been particularly successful4 
,this wine has a certain bitter taste1  
which is not agreeable2 yet it is a much
 better wine than some kinds of the     
foreign article sold in our markets4    
,the makers are still experimenting1 and
 will1 no doubt1 improve4 ,it is        
probable that most of the good sparkling
 wine which we shall get from           
,california will be made in the northern
 part of the ,state2 the grapes grown   
there seem to be better adapted to the  

purpose than those raised in ,los       
,angeles4 ,there is no doubt1 too1 that 
the foreign grape will be used for this 
branch of the business1 rather than the 
,los ,angeles variety4 ,all that is     
required to obtain many other varieties 
of wine1 including brands similar to    
,sherry and ,claret1 is time to find a  
proper grape1 and to select a suitable  
soil for its culture4 ,considering the  
short time which has elapsed since the  
business was commenced1 wonders have    
been accomplished4 ,it has taken ,ohio  
thirty years to furnish us two varieties
 of wine1 while in less than one-third  
that time ,california has produced six  
varieties1 four of which are of a very  
superior quality1 and have already taken
 a prominent position in the estimation 
of the best tastes in the country4  ,in 
#ahed1 ,messrs4 ,koehler and ,froehling 
commenced business in ,los ,angeles1 and
 shortly after opened a house in ,san   
,francisco4 ,they were assisted by      
,charles ,stern1 who had enjoyed a long 

and valuable experience in the          
wine-business upon the ,rhine4 ,the     
vintage was very small and inferior in  
quality1 as they had had no experience  
in making wine from such a grape as     
,california produced4 ,numberless       
difficulties were met with1 and it was  
only the indomitable energy of the      
gentlemen engaged in the enterprise1    
sustained by a firm faith in its        
ultimate success1 which brought them    
triumphantly out of the slough of       
despond that seemed at times almost to  
overwhelm them4 ,they have to-day the   
satisfaction of being the pioneers in   
what is soon to be one of the most      
important branches of industry in       
,california4 ,they own one of the finest
 vineyards in the ,state1 from which    
some magnificent wine has been produced4
 ,they have contracts with owners of    
other vineyards2 and after making the   
wine in their own1 the men and machinery
 are moved into these1 the grapes       
pressed1 and the juice at once conveyed 

to their cellars1 they paying the       
producers of the grapes a stipulated    
price per ton on the vines4 ,the vintage
 commences about the first of ,october1 
and generally continues into ,november4 
,the labor employed in gathering the    
grapes and in the work of the press is  
mostly performed by ,indians4 ,it is a  
novel and interesting sight to see them 
filing up to the press1 each one bearing
 on his head about fifty pounds of the  
delicious fruit1 which is soon to be    
reduced to an unseemly mass1 and yield  
up its purple life-blood for the benefit
 of man4 ,some of the best wine made in 
the ,state is from the ,asuza and ,sunny
 ,slope vineyards1 both of which lie    
directly at the foot of the ,sierra     
,nevada ,mountains4 ,from a small       
beginning ,messrs4 ,koehler and         
,froehling have steadily progressed1    
till at this time their position is a   
very enviable one4 ,their cellars1      
occupying the basement of ,montgomery   
,block1 excite the admiration of all who

 visit them1 and their wines are more   
favorably known than those of any other 
vintners4 ,agencies have been           
established in ,new ,york and other     
cities1 under the supervision of ,mr4   
,stern1 and the favor with which they   
have been received has settled the fact 
that the wines of ,california are a     
success4 ,it only remains for the       
vintners to keep their wines pure1 and  
always up to the highest standard1 and  
to take such measures as shall insure   
their delivery in a like condition to   
the consumers1 to build up a business   
which shall eclipse that of any of the  
great houses of ,europe4 ,thus will the 
,state and nation be benefited1 by      
keeping at home the money which we      
annually pay for wine to foreign        
countries1 and the people will be led   
away from the use of strong1 fiery      
drinks1 to accept instead the light     
wines of their native land4         99  
99       99       99       99  ,,to ,a  
,,young ,,girl ,,dying3  ,,with ,a      

,,gift ,,of ,,fresh ,,palm-,,leaves4    
,this is ,palm-,sunday3 mindful of the  
day1     ,i bring palm-branches1 found  
upon my way3     ,but these will wither2
 thine shall never die1--     ,the      
sacred palms thou bearest to the sky6   
,dear little saint1 though but a child  
in years1     ,older in wisdom than my  
gray compeers6     ,we doubt and        
tremble1--we with 'bated breath         
,talk of this mystery of life and death3
     ,thou1 strong in faith1 art gifted 
to conceive     ,beyond thy years1 and  
teach us to believe6      ,then take my 
palms1 triumphal1 to thy home1          
,gentle white palmer1 never more to     
roam6     ,only1 sweet sister1 give me1 
ere thou go'st1     ,thy                
benediction1--for my love thou know'st6 
,we1 too1 are pilgrims1 travelling      
towards the shrine3     ,pray that our  
pilgrimage may end like thine6          
99       99       99       99       99  
,,the ,,rim4  ,,part ,i4   ,there are   
women at whom1 after the first meeting1 

you forget to glance a second time1 they
 seem to be such indifferent creations1 
such imperfect sketches of an idea to be
 fulfilled farther on in a clearer type1
 but who1 met once more and yet again1  
suddenly take you captive in bonds4 ,you
 find the sallow cheek to be but        
polished ivory1 the heavy eye loaded    
with fire1 the irregular features chords
 of a harmony whose whole is perfect2   
you find that this is the type itself2  
while in every gesture1 every word1     
every look1 the soul is shed abroad1 and
 the fascination is what neither        
,campaspe1 nor ,jocasta1 nor even       
,aspasia herself held in fee4 ,for you1 
she has blossomed into the one beauty of
 the world2 you hear her1 and the       
,sirens sing in vain2 she touches you1  
and makes you the slave beneath her     
feet4  ,such a one was ,eloise          
,changarnier4  ,there was iron of the   
old ,huguenot blood in her veins2 late  
,american admixture had shot a racy     
sparkle through it2 convent-care from   

her tenth to her sixteenth year had     
softened and toned the whole into a     
warm1 generous life2 and underneath all 
there slumbered that one atom of        
integral individuality that was nothing 
at all but a spark3 as yet1 its fire had
 never flashed2 if it ever should do so1
 one might be safe in prophesying a     
strange wayward blaze4  ,in one of her  
earliest summers her widowed mother had 
died and bequeathed her sole legacy1 a  
penniless orphan1 to the care of the    
survivor in an imperishable friendship1 
,disbrowe ,erne4 ,a childless1          
thriftless1 melancholy man1 ,mr4 ,erne  
had adopted her into his inmost heart1  
but out of respect to his friend had    
suffered her to retain her father's     
name1 and had thoughtlessly delayed     
rendering the adoption legal4 ,one day  
it was found too late to remedy this    
delay2 for ,mr4 ,erne died1 just a year 
after ,eloise's return from the distant 
,northern convent whither at ten years  
old she had been despatched1 when1 wild 

and witching as a wood-brier1 there had 
been found nothing else to do with her4 
,there her adopted father had visited   
her twice a year in all her exile1 as   
she deemed it1 sometimes taking up his  
residence for several months in the     
neighborhood of the nunnery2 and a long 
vacation of many weeks she had every    
winter spent at home with him on the    
rich and beautiful plantation poetically
 known as ,the ,rim1 because1 seen from 
several of the adjacent places1 it      
occupied the whole southern horizon4    
,the last vacation1 however1 she had    
passed with her adopted father          
travelling in ,france1 whither some     
affairs called him2 but1 of all the     
splendid monuments and records of       
civilization that she saw1 almost the   
only thing that had impressed itself    
distinctly upon her memory1 through the 
chicanery of chances1 was that once in a
 cathedral-choir she had seen the       
handsome1 blonde-hued1 ,vandyck face of 
a gentleman with dreaming eyes looking  

at her from a gallery-niche with the    
most singular earnestness4 ,so at       
sixteen she found that the nuns had     
exhausted their slender lore1 and had   
nothing more to teach her2 and after her
 brief travels1 she returned home for a 
finality1 and there had dallied a       
twelvemonth1 lapped in the ,elysium of  
freedom and youth4 ,every want          
anticipated1 every whim gratified1      
servants prostrate before her1 father   
adoring her1--the year sped on wings of 
silent joy1 and left her a shade more   
imperious than it met her4 ,launched    
into society1 wealthy and winning1      
,eloise counted1 too1 her lovers2 but   
she spurned them so gayly that her hard 
heart became a proverb through all the  
region round1 wherever the rejected     
travelled4 ,it is true that ,mr4 ,erne  
had often expressed his film of         
dissatisfaction with the conventual     
results1 and had planned an attack on   
matters of more solid learning2 but1    
tricksy as a sprite1 ,eloise had escaped

 his designs1 broken through his        
regulations1 implored1 just out of      
shackles1 a year's gambol in liberty1   
and had made herself too charming to be 
resisted in her plea2 and if1 feeling   
his health fail1 he had at first        
insisted1--in the fear that there might 
be left but brief opportunity for him to
 make her pleasure1 he yielded4         
,nevertheless1 with the best outlay in  
the world1 plantation-life is not all a 
gala1 and there were1 it must be        
confessed1 certain ennuisome moments in 
which ,eloise made inroads on her       
father's library1 chiefly in wild       
out-of-the-way veins1 all which1        
however1 romantic1 unsystematic1 and    
undigested1 did nothing towards         
rendering her one whit more independent 
of the world in time of future trial4   
,one afternoon1 just reentering the     
house from some gay farewell of friends1
 she found her father sitting in the    
hall1 and she stood tiptoing in the     
door-way while smiling at him1 with a   

fragrant vine half twisted in her dark  
drooping hair1 the heat making her cheek
 yet paler1 and the great blue-green    
eyes shining at him from under the black
 straight brows1 like aquamarine jewels4
 ,mr4 ,erne leaned forward in the chair1
 with hands clasped upon his knees1 and 
eyes upbent4  ,eloise6 ,eloise6 he cried
 in a piercing voice1 then grew white1  
and fell back in the cushions4  ,the    
girl flew to him1 took the head upon her
 shoulder1 caressed the deathly face1   
warmed the mouth with her own4  ,child6 
he murmured1 ,i thought it was your     
mother6  ,and by midnight1 alone1 and in
 the dark1 he died1 and went to find    
that mother4  ,as for ,eloise1 she was  
like some one made dumb by a            
thunderbolt4 ,her garden had become a   
desert4 ,ice had fallen in her summer4  
,death was too large a fact for her to  
comprehend4 ,she had seen the ,medusa's 
head in its terror1 but not in its      
loveliness1 and been stricken to stone4 
,at length in the heart of that stone   

the inner fountains broke1--broke in    
rains of tempestuous tears1 such gusts  
and gushes of grief as threatened to    
wash away life itself2 and when ,eloise 
issued from this stormy deep1 the warmth
 and the wealth of being obscured1 the  
effervescence and bubble of the child   
destroyed1 feeling like a flower sodden 
with showers1 if she had been capable of
 finding herself at all1 she would have 
found herself a woman4  ,among ,mr4     
,erne's disorderly papers1 full of      
incipient schemes1 sketches1 and        
schedules of gold-mining1               
steam-companies1 and railways to the    
nebulae in ,orion1 was discovered after 
his death a scrap witnessed by two      
signatures4 ,the owner of one of these  
signatures was already dead1 and there  
were no means to prove its genuineness4 
,the other was that of a young man who  
had just enough of that remote taint in 
his descent which incapacitates one1 in 
certain regions1 from bearing witness4  
,it was supposed that ,mr4 ,erne had    

some day hurriedly executed this paper  
in the absence of his lawyer1 as being1 
possibly1 better than no paper at all1  
and he had certainly intended to have   
the whole matter arranged legitimately2 
but these are among the things which1   
with a superstitious loitering1 some men
 linger long before doing1 lest they    
prove to be1 themselves1 a              
death-warrant4  ,by this paper1 in so   
many words1 ,disbrowe ,erne left to     
,eloise ,changarnier all the property of
 which he died possessed4 ,an old friend
 of her father's in the neighborhood    
assured her that the only relatives were
 both distant1 distinguished1 and       
wealthy1 unlikely to present any claims1
 and that she would be justified in     
fulfilling her father's desire4 ,and so1
 without other forms1 ,eloise           
administered the affairs of ,the        
,rim1--waiting until the autumn to      
consult the usual lawyer1 who was at    
present in ,england4  ,there had reigned
 over the domestic department of ,the   

,rim1 for many years1 a person who was  
the widow of a maternal cousin of ,mr4  
,erne's1 and who1 when left destitute by
 the death of this young cousin1 had    
found shelter1 support1 and generous    
courtesy beneath the roof of her late   
husband's kinsman4 ,it was on the       
accession of this person1 who was not a 
saint1 that ,eloise had become so       
ungovernable as to require the          
constraint of a nunnery4 ,mrs4 ,arles   
was a dark and quiet little lady1 with  
some of the elements of beauty which her
 name suggested1 and with a perfectly   
,andalusian foot and ankle4 ,these being
 her sole wealth1 it was1 perhaps1 from 
economy of her charms that she hid the  
ankle in such flowing sables1 that she  
bound the black locks straightly under a
 little widow's-cap1 seldom parted the  
fine lips above the treasured pearls    
beneath1 disdained to distort the       
classic features1 and graved no wrinkles
 on the smooth1 rich skin with any      
lavish smiling4 ,she went about the     

house1 a self-contained1 silent1        
unpleasant little vial of wrath1 and    
there was ever between her and ,eloise a
 tacit feud1 waiting1 perhaps1 only for 
occasion to fling down the gage in order
 to become open war4 ,mrs4 ,arles       
expected1 therefore1 that1 so soon      
,eloise should take the reins in hand   
herself1 she would be lightly1 but      
decisively shaken off1--for the old     
friend had mentioned to ,mrs4 ,arles    
that ,mr4 ,erne's will left ,eloise     
heir1 as she had always supposed it     
would4 ,she was1 accordingly1 silently  
amazed1 when ,eloise1 softened by       
suffering1 hoped she would always find  
it convenient to make a home with       
herself1 and informed her that a certain
 section of the farm had been measured  
off and allotted to her1 with its       
laborers1 as the source of a yearly     
income4 ,this delicacy1 that endeavored 
to prevent her feeling the perpetual    
recurrence of benefits conferred1       
touched the speechless ,mrs4 ,arles     

almost to the point of positive         
friendliness4  ,the plantation was one  
of those high and healthy spots that are
 ever visited by land- and sea-breezes1 
and there ,eloise determined to stay    
that spring and summer2 for this ground 
that her father had so often trod1 this 
air that had given and received his last
 breath1 were dear to her1 and just now 
parting with them1 for ever so short a  
time1 would be but a renewal of her     
loss4 ,as she became able to turn her   
energy to the business requiring        
attention1 she discovered at last her   
sad ignorance4 ,dancing1 drawing1 music1
 and languages were of small avail in   
managing the interior concerns and the  
vexatious finance of a great estate4    
,the neighbors complained that her      
spoiled and neglected servants infected 
theirs1 and that her laxity of          
discipline was more ruinous in its      
effects than the rigor of ,blue ,bluffs4
 ,but she just held out to them her     
helpless little hands in so piteous and 

charming a way that they could not      
cherish an instant's enmity4 ,if she    
tried to remedy the evil complained of1 
she fell into some fresh error2 take    
what advice she would1 it invariably    
twisted itself round and worked the     
other way4 ,the plantation1 always      
slackly managed1 saw itself now on the  
high road to destruction4 ,let her do   
the very best in her power1 she found it
 impossible to plan her season's        
campaign1 to carry it out1 to audit her 
accounts1 to study agricultural         
directions1 to preserve the peace1 to   
keep her fences in order1 to attend to  
the sick1 to rule her household and her 
spirit1 to dispose of her harvest1 and  
to bring either end of the thread out of
 the tangled skein of her affairs4      
,perhaps there could have been really no
 better thing for ,eloise than the      
diversion from her sorrow which all this
 perplexity necessarily in some degree  
occasioned4  ,as for ,mrs4 ,arles1 so   
soon as ,eloise had begun to move about 

again1 she had taken herself off on a   
long-promised visit to the ,west1 and   
was but just returning with the ,october
 weather4  ,eloise1 worn and thin1 and  
looking nearly forty1 as she had        
remarked to herself that morning in the 
brief moment she could snatch for her   
toilet1 welcomed the cool and quiet     
little ,mrs4 ,arles1 who might be forty1
 but looked any age between twenty and  
thirty1 with affectionate warmth1 and   
made all the world bestir themselves for
 her comfort4 ,it is only justice to the
 owner of the little ,andalusian foot to
 say that in her specific domain things 
immediately changed for the better4 ,but
 that was merely within-doors1 and      
because she tightened the reins and used
 the whip in a manner which ,eloise     
could not have done1 if the whole       
equipage tumbled to pieces about her    
ears4  ,mrs4 ,arles had been at home a  
week or so2 the evening was chilly with 
rain1 and a little fire flickered on the
 hearth4 ,mrs4 ,arles sat on one side of

 the hearth1 with her tatting in hand2  
,eloise bent above the papers scattered 
over a small table4  ,see what it is to 
go away6 said ,eloise1 cheerily4 ,it's  
like light in a painting1 as the        
,sisters used to say1--brings out all   
the shadows4  ,nobody knew how          
indispensable ,i was1 said the other    
lady1 with the fragment of expression in
 the phantom of a smile4  ,how pleasant 
it is to be missed6 ,i did miss you     
so1--it seemed as if one of the four    
sides of the walls were gone4 ,now we   
stand--what is that word of             
,aristotle's8--four-square again4 ,now  
our universe is on wheels4 ,just tell me
 how you tamed ,hazel so4 ,she has      
conducted like a little wild gorilla all
 summer1--and here1 in the twinkling of 
an eye1 she goes about soberly1 like a  
baptized ,christian4 ,how8  ,by a       
process of induction4  ,you don't mean--
  ,oh1 no4 ,nothing of the kind4 ,i     
didn't touch her4 ,i sent her into my   
room1 and told her to take down that    

little riding-switch hanging over the   
mantel--  ,what1--the ebony and gold8   
,yes4 ,and to whip all the flies out of 
the air with it4 ,it makes a monstrous  
whizzing4 ,there's no such thing as     
actual experience for these imps of the 
vivid nerves4 ,and when she came down ,i
 looked at her1 and asked her how she   
liked the singing4 ,her conduct now     
leads me to believe that she has no     
desire to hear the tune again4  ,the    
hearer winced a trifle before lightly   
replying1--  ,well1 ,i might have sent  
her forever1 and all the result would   
have been the switch singing about my   
own shoulders1 probably4  ,that is      
because she knows you would never use   
it4 ,as for me1--,hazel has a good      
memory4  ,eloise gave a                 
half-imperceptible shiver and frown2    
but1 clearing her brow1 said1--  ,if    
,hazel had my accounts here1 they would 
tame her4 ,i will put all my malcontents
 through a course of mathematics4 ,you  
do so well everywhere else1 ,mrs4       

,arles1 that ,i've half the mind to ask 
you to advise me here4 ,little          
,arlesian1 come over into ,macedonia6   
,what is the matter8  ,oh1 it's only an 
inversion of the old problem1 ,if the   
ton of coal cost ten dollars1 what will 
the cord of wood come to8 ,now1 if one  
bale--  ,but coal doesn't cost ten      
dollars1 replied ,mrs4 ,arles1 with     
admirable simplicity4  ,now1 if one bale
 of ,sea-,island--  ,oh1 my dear1 ,i    
know nothing at all about it4 ,pray1    
don't ask me4  ,well1 said ,eloise1     
after a moment's wondering pause1 in    
which she had taken time to reflect that
 ,mrs4 ,arles's corner of the estate was
 carried on faultlessly1 it is too bad  
to vex you with my matters1 when you    
have as much as you can do in the house1
 yourself1--and relapsed into what she  
called her ,pythagorean errors4  ,did   
you know1 said ,mrs4 ,arles1 after a    
half-hour's silence1 that ,marlboro' has
 returned8  ,marlboro'8 repeated        
,eloise1 hesitatingly4  ,marlboro' of   

,blue ,bluffs4  ,oh1 yes4 ,and five's   
eleven4 ,no1 said ,eloise1 absently and 
with half a sigh4 ,i've never seen him1 
you know1--he's been in ,kamtschatka and
 the ,moon so long4 ,how did you know8  
,hazel told me4 ,hazel wants to marry   
his ,vane4  ,his what8  ,not his        
weathercock4 ,vane1 his butler4  ,that  
is why she behaved so4 ,dancing         
quicksilver4 ,then1 perhaps1 he'll buy  
her4 ,what a relief it would be6        
,marlboro' is a master6 said ,mrs4      
,arles1 emphatically4  ,there was a good
 deal in the ensuing pause4 ,for        
,eloise1 in her single year1 had not    
half learned the neighborhood's gossip4 
,a cruel man4 ,then it's not to be      
thought of4 ,we shall have to buy ,vane4
 ,though how it's to be done--  ,i      
didn't say he was a cruel man4 ,he      
wouldn't think of interfering with an   
ordinance of his overseers4 ,i esteem   
his thoroughness4 ,he has ideas4 ,but ,i
 might have said that he is a remarkable
 man4  ,there'll be some pulling of caps

 soon1 ,hazel said to-day1 in her       
gibberish4 ,i couldn't think what she   
meant4  ,blue ,bluffs is a place to be  
mistress of4 ,he's a woman-hater1       
though1 ,mr4 ,marlboro'1--believes in no
 woman capable of resisting him when he 
flings the handkerchief1 should he      
choose1 but believes in none worth      
choosing4  ,we shall have to invite him 
here1 ,mrs4 ,arles1 said ,eloise1       
mischievously1 and show him that there  
are two of us4  ,that would never do6   
,oh1 ,i didn't mean so4 ,of course1 ,i  
didn't mean so4 ,how could ,i see any   
one else sitting in--,and there were    
tears in her eyes and on her trembling  
tones4  ,my dear1 said ,mrs4 ,arles1 ,i 
am afraid1 apropos of nothing at all1   
that you have isolated yourself from all
 society for too long a time already4   
,just here ,hazel entered and           
replenished the hearth1 stopping        
half-way1 with her armful of brush1 to  
coquet an instant in the mirror1 and    
adjust the scarlet love-knot in her     

curls4  ,there's a carriage coming up   
the avenue1 ,miss1 said she1 demurely4  
,one of the boys--  ,what one8 asked    
,mrs4 ,arles4  ,vane1 answered          
,hazel1--carmine staining her pretty    
olive cheek4 ,he ran before it4  ,who   
can it be1 at this hour8 said ,eloise1  
half rising1 with the pen in her hand1  
and looking at ,mrs4 ,arles1 who did not
 stir4  ,as she spoke1 there was a      
bustle in the hall1 a slamming door1 a  
voice of command1 the door opened1 and a
 stranger stood among them1 surveying   
the long antique room with its diamonded
 windows flickering in every pane1 and  
the quaint hearth1 whose leaping1       
crackling1 fragrant blaze lighted the   
sombre little person sitting beside it1 
and sparkled on the half-bending form of
 that strange dark-haired girl1 with her
 aquamarine eyes bent full on his4 ,he  
was wrapped1 from head to foot1 in a    
great sweeping brigand's cloak1 and a   
black1 wide-brimmed hat1 that had for an
 instant slouched its shadow down his   

face1 hung now in his gloved hand4      
,dropping cloak and hat upon a chair    
with an invisible motion1 he advanced1  
an air of surprise lifting the heavy    
eyebrows so that they strongly accented 
the contrast in hue between the lower   
half of his face1 tanned with wind and  
sun1 and the wide1 low brow1 smooth as  
marble itself1 and above which swept one
 great wave of dark-brown hair4         
,altogether1 it was an odd1 fiery       
impression that he made1--whether from  
that golden-brown tint of skin that     
always seems full of slumbering light1  
or from the teeth that flashed so       
beneath the triste moustache whenever   
the haughty lips parted and unbent their
 curve1 or whether it were a habit the  
eyes seemed to have of accompanying all 
his thoughts with a play of flame4      
,really1 said he1--and it may have been 
a subtile inner musical trait of his    
tone that took everybody's will         
captive1--,i was not aware--making a    
long step into the room1 with a certain 

lordly bearing1 yet almost at a loss to 
whom he should address himself4 ,i am   
,earl ,st4 ,george ,erne4 ,may ,i       
inquire--  ,my name is ,eloise          
,changarnier1 said its owner1 drawing   
herself up1 it being incumbent on her to
 receive him4  ,he bowed1 and advanced4 
,mrs4 ,arles1 then1 ,i presume1--my     
cousin ,disbrowe ,erne's cousin4 ,i     
expected to find you here4  ,mrs4       
,arles1 after a hurried acknowledgment1 
slipped over to ,eloise4  ,i have heard 
your father speak of him1 she murmured4 
,they had business-relations4 ,he is    
,mr4 ,erne's legal heir1 in default of  
sufficient testament1 ,i believe4 ,he   
must have come to claim the property4   
,he6 said ,eloise1 with sublime scorn4  
,the property is mine6 ,my father left  
such commands6  ,but he can have no     
other reason for being here4 ,strange   
the lawyer didn't write6 ,he is         
certainly at home again4  ,i have not   
had time to open the mail to-day2 it    
lies in the hall4 ,hazel6 the mail-bag4 

,and directly afterward its contents    
were before her4  ,she hurriedly shifted
 and reshifted the letters of factors   
and agents1 and broke the seal of one1  
while ,earl ,st4 ,george ,erne          
deliberately warmed his long white hands
 at the blaze1 and1 supposing ,eloise   
,changarnier to be a guest of the lonely
 ,mrs4 ,arles1 wondered with some angry 
amusement at her singular deportment4   
,mrs4 ,arles was right4 ,the letter in  
,eloise's hand1 which had been intended 
to reach her earlier1 was from their old
 lawyer1 but lately returned from       
,england4 ,in it he informed her that   
the scrap of paper on the authority of  
which she had assumed control of the    
property was worthless1--and that not   
only was ,earl ,st4 ,george ,erne the   
heir of his cousin1 but that some three 
years previously he had lent that cousin
 a sum of money sufficient to cover much
 more than the whole value of ,the ,rim1
 taking in payment only promissory      
notes1 whose indorser was since         

insolvent4 ,this sum--as ,mr4 ,erne the 
elder had been already unfortunate in   
several rash speculations--had been     
applied towards lifting a heavy         
mortgage1 and instituting improvements  
that would enable the farm soon to repay
 the debt in yearly instalments4 ,added 
to this was the fact that ,earl ,st4    
,george ,erne1 who had passed many years
 away from home upon ,congressional     
duties1 had lately met with a severe    
reverse himself1 and had now nothing in 
the world except this lucky inheritance 
from his cousin1 and into this he had   
been inducted by all legal forms4 ,this 
had transpired during the lawyer's      
absence1 7that person wrote17 as        
otherwise some provision might have been
 made for ,miss ,changarnier1--and not  
being able to meet with ,mr4 ,st4       
,george ,erne1 he had learned the facts 
from others4 ,meantime she would see1   
that1 even if her father left to her all
 he died possessed of1 he died possessed
 of nothing4  ,the idea that anybody    

should dare to controvert her father's  
will flared for a moment behind         
,eloise's facial mask1 and illumined    
every feature4 ,then her eye fell upon  
the mass of papers with the inextricable
 confusion of their figures4 ,an        
exquisitely ludicrous sense of          
retributive justice seized her1         
heightened1 perhaps1 by some surprise   
and nervous excitement2 she fairly      
laughed1--a little1 low bubble of a     
laugh1--swept her letters into her      
apron1 and1 with the end of it hanging  
over her arm1 stepped towards ,mr4 ,st4 
,george1 and offered him her hand4 ,he  
thought she was a crazy girl4 ,but there
 was the hand2 he took it1 and1 looking 
at her a moment1 forgot to drop it1--an 
error which she rectified4  ,it seems1  
then1 that you are the owner of ,the    
,rim1 said she4 ,i had been dreaming    
myself to be that very unfortunate      
person1--a nightmare from which you wake
 me4 ,the steward will show you over it 
to-morrow4 ,you will find your exchequer

 in the escritoire-drawer in the cabinet
 across the hall4 ,you will find the    
papers and accounts on that table1 and  
,i wish you joy of them6  ,so saying1   
after her succinct statement1 she       
vanished4  ,mrs4 ,arles lingered a      
moment to wind up her tatting4 ,st4     
,george1 who had at first stood like a  
golden bronze cast immovably in an irate
 surprise1 then shook his shoulders1 and
 stepped towards the table and          
carelessly parted the papers4           
,remarkable manuscript1 said he1 as if  
just then he could find nothing else to 
say4 ,plainer than type4 ,a purely      
,american hand4 ,is it that of the young
 lady8  ,miss ,changarnier8 ,yes4  ,she 
was apparent heiress8  ,yes4  ,what does
 she expect to become of her8  ,how can 
,i tell8  ,you can conjecture4  ,she has
 not yet begun to consider1 herself1 you
 see4  ,she has other property8  ,none4 
,ah6 ,a fine thing1 usurping6  ,mrs4    
,arles did not reply4  ,and then1 in a  
half-angry justification1 he            

exclaimed1--  ,i didn't know there was  
such a person in the world6 ,i could not
 come immediately on ,erne's death4 ,i  
was ill1 and ,i was busy1 and ,i let    
things wait for me4 ,why did no one     
write8  ,no one knew there was such a   
person as you4 ,at least1 no one        
supposed it signified4  ,signified6 ,the
 ,rim was my father's as much as it was 
,disbrowe ,erne's father's4 ,disbrowe   
,erne's father entrapped mine1 and got  
the other half4 ,it was the old story of
 ,esau's pottage1 with thrice the       
villany4 ,my father made me promise him 
on his death-bed1 that1 come fair means1
 ,the ,rim should be mine again4 ,i was 
twenty1 ,erne was fifty4 ,fair means    
came4 ,nevertheless1 if ,i had known how
 things stood1 ,i might have broken the 
promise1--who knows8--if at that moment 
,i had happened to possess anything else
 in the world but my wardrobe1 and      
sundry debts1 and this6  ,he opened1 as 
he spoke1 a purse that had seen service1
 and from his lordly height and supreme 

indifference1 scattered its contents on 
the projecting top of the fireplace4    
,they were two old pieces of ringing    
,spanish silver1 a tiny golden coin of  
,hindostan1 a dime1 and a pine-tree     
shilling4  ,marlboro' won my last       
dollar1 said he4  ,marlboro'8 said ,mrs4
 ,arles4  ,what do you know of          
,marlboro'8  ,he lives over here at     
,blue ,bluffs4  ,the ,devil he does6    
,mr4 ,st4 ,george ,erne glanced at the  
dark little woman sitting before him4   
,no smile softened her face1 no ray had 
lighted it2 she only intelligently      
observed1 and monosyllabically answered 
him4 ,she was a study1--might also be   
convenient2 the place would be          
ennuisome2 somebody must sit at the head
 of his table4 ,he threw his purse into 
the fire4  ,mrs4 ,arles1 he said1 it is 
decidedly necessary1 that1 to conduct my
 house1 there should be in it a female  
relative1--an article ,i do not possess4
 ,will you take the part1 and remain    
with me on the same terms as with my    

,cousin ,erne8  ,mrs4 ,arles had        
intended to propose such an arrangement 
herself1 and1 after a brief pause for   
apparent consideration1 replied         
affirmatively1 not thinking it worth    
while to tell him that the section of   
the farm1 with its laborers1 set apart  
for her benefit1 was a device of        
,eloise's1 and not one of anterior date4
  ,thank you1 said ,mr4 ,st4 ,george    
,erne2 that being settled1 will you have
 the kindness to order rooms prepared   
for me and my traps8  ,which ,mrs4      
,arles disappeared to do4  ,it was early
 the next morning that ,eloise knocked  
at ,mrs4 ,arles's door4  ,good bye6 said
 she1 looking in4 ,and good bye to ,the 
,rim6 ,i don't suppose his              
,arch-,imperial ,highness1 ,mr4 ,earl   
,st4 ,george ,erne1 will want to see my 
face immediately4 ,i've only taken my   
clothes1 as they'd be of no use to him1 
and--  ,where are you going8 inquired   
,mrs4 ,arles from among her pillows1 as 
quietly as if such an exodus were an    

every-day affair4  ,to the              
,murrays'1--till ,i can find something  
to do4  ,what can you find to do8  ,i   
haven't the least idea1 said ,eloise1   
coming in and sitting down4 ,i've       
thought all night4 ,i can't do anything4
 ,i can't teach2 ,i can't sew2 ,i can't 
play4 ,i can starve2 can't ,i1 ,mrs4    
,arles8  ,you don't know that6  ,well1  
,i can be a nursery-governess1 or ,i can
 sing in a chorus2 ,i should make a very
 decent figurante1 or ,i could go round 
with baskets4 ,perhaps ,i can get       
writing4 ,there's one comfort3 ,i       
sha'n't have anything more to do with   
,arabic numerals till the latest day ,i 
live1 and needn't know whether two and  
two make four or five4 ,i may remember1 
though1 that two from two leave nothing6
  ,yes1--we are all equal to            
subtraction4  ,so1 good bye1 ,mrs4      
,arles1 said ,eloise1 rising4 ,we've had
 pleasant times together1 first and     
last4 ,i dare say1 ,i've tried you to   
death4 ,you'll forgive me1 and only     

remember the peaceful part4 ,if ,i      
succeed1 ,i'll write you4 ,and if ,i    
don't1 you needn't bother4 ,i'm well and
 strong1 and seventeen4  ,mrs4 ,arles   
elaborated a faint smile1 kissed        
,eloise's cheek1 told her she would help
 her look about for something1 rang for 
,hazel to close the door the careless   
girl left ajar as she went springing    
down-stairs1 and arranged herself anew  
in the laced pillows that singularly    
became with their setting the creamy hue
 of her tranquil face4  ,but ,eloise was
 keeping up her spirits by an artificial
 process that she meant should last at  
least as far as the ,murrays'4 ,passing1
 on her way1 the door of her father's   
cozy cabinet1 the attraction overcame   
her1 she turned the handle1 only for a  
moment1 and looked in4 ,the place was   
too full of memories3 yonder he had     
stood1 and she remembered what he said2 
there he had sat and stroked her hair2  
here he had every night kissed her two  
eyes for pleasant dreams4 ,the door     

banged behind her1 and she was sitting  
on the floor sobbing with all her soul4 
,when the tornado had passed1 ,eloise   
rose1 smoothed her dress1 opened the    
window that the morning air might cool  
her burning eyes1 then at length went to
 find a servant who would take her trunk
 to the ,murrays'1 and passed down the  
hall4  ,as she reached the door of the  
long1 antique room where last night's   
scene had passed1 it opened1 and ,mr4   
,st4 ,george ,erne came out4  ,good     
morning1 ,miss ,changarnier1 said he4   
,may ,i speak with you a moment8  ,very 
briefly1 said ,eloise1 loftily1 for she 
was in an entirely different mood from  
that in which she had left him the night
 before4  ,the corner of a smile curled 
,mr4 ,st4 ,george ,erne's mouth and the 
brown moustache above it4 ,eloise saw   
it1 and was an inch taller4 ,then ,st4  
,george did not smile again1 but was    
quite as regnantly cool and distant as  
the ,khan of ,tartary could be4  ,i     
glanced at the papers to which you      

referred me last evening1 said he4 ,as  
you intimated1 ,i perceive the snarl is 
hopeless4 ,were it for nothing else1 he 
added1 casting down the orbs that had   
just now too tremulous a light in them1 
,i should ask you to remain and assist  
me in unravelling affairs1 for a few    
days4 ,i intend1 so soon as the way     
shall be clear1 to set off half of the  
estate to you--  ,sir1 ,i do not accept 
gifts from strangers4 ,i will be under  
no obligations4 ,i hope to earn my own  
livelihood4 ,the estate is yours2 ,i    
will not receive a penny of it6  ,pardon
 me1 if ,i say that this is a rash and  
ill-considered statement4 ,there is no  
reason why you should be unwilling1 in  
the first place1 to see justice done1   
and1 after that1 to respect your        
,adopted father's wish4  ,my father     
could have wished nothing dishonest4 ,he
 is best pleased with me as ,i am4      
,will it make any difference1 if ,i     
assure you that the half of the estate  
under my plan of management will yield  

larger receipts than the whole of it did
 under your proprietorship8  ,not the   
least1 said ,eloise1 with a scornful and
 incredulous smile4  ,you make me very  
uncomfortable4 ,let me beg you to take  
the matter into consideration4 ,after a 
few days of coolness1 you will perhaps  
think otherwise4  ,after a thousand     
years ,i should think the same4 ,i do   
not want your money1 ,sir4 ,i thank you4
 ,and so1 good bye4  ,where are you     
going8  ,out into the world4  ,what are 
you going to do8  ,that is certainly no 
affair of yours4  ,how much money have  
you in that little purse8  ,she poured  
its contents down where he had emptied  
his own purse on the previous evening1  
adding to those still remaining there   
some four or five small gold-pieces4    
,of course they are yours1 ,sir4 ,i have
 no right to them6  ,he brushed them    
indignantly all down together in a heap 
upon the hearth4  ,you sha'n't have     
them1 then6 said he1 and ground them    
with his heel into the ashes4  ,i can   

sell my mother's jewels6 said she1      
defiantly4  ,i can confiscate them for  
the balance of the half-year's income of
 the estate6  ,eloise turned pale with  
pride and anger and fear and mastery4   
,we are talking very idly1 said ,st4    
,george1 then1 softening his falcon's   
glance4 ,pray excuse such savage        
jesting4 ,i should like to share my     
grandfather's estate with you1 the      
adopted child of his elder grandson4 ,it
 looks fairly enough1 ,i think4         
,talking very idly4 ,i have assured you 
that ,i never will touch it4 ,and if you
 want more1 here ,i swear it6  ,hush6   
hush6  ,it's done6 said ,eloise1        
exultantly1 and almost restored to      
good-humor by the little triumph4  ,and 
you won't reconsider8 you won't break   
it8 you will not let me beg you--       
,never6 ,if that is all you had to say1 
,i shall bid you good-morning4  ,mr4    
,st4 ,george was silent for a moment or 
two4  ,i am greatly grieved1 said he    
then4 ,i have done an evil thing        

unconsciously enough1 and one for which 
there is no remedy1 it seems4 ,until you
 mentioned your name last night1 ,i was 
innocent of your existence4 ,i had1     
indeed1 originally heard of my cousin's 
educating some child1 but our           
intercourse was so fragmentary that it  
made no impression upon me4 ,i had      
entirely forgotten that there was such a
 person in the world1 ungallant as it   
sounds4 ,afterwards1--last night1 this  
morning1--,i was so selfish as to       
imagine that we could each of us be very
 happy upon the half of such a property1
 until1 at least1 my affairs should     
right themselves4 ,i was wrong4         
,whatever legal steps have been taken   
shall be recalled1 and ,i leave you in  
full possession to-day and forever4     
',the ,king sall ha' his ain again4'    
,folderol6 said ,eloise1 turning her    
shoulder4  ,i beg your pardon8  ,you may
 go where you please1 and let all ,the  
,rim do the same1--go to dust and ashes1
 if it will6 ,as for me1 my hands are   

washed of it2 if it isn't mine1 ,i will 
not have it4 ,now let the thing rest6   
,besides1 ,sir1 said ,eloise1 with a    
more gracious air1 and forgetting her   
wicked temper1 you don't know the relief
 ,i feel6 how free ,i am6 no more       
figures6 such a sad weight off me that  
,i could fly6 ,you would be silly to be 
such a ,don ,quixote as you threaten2 it
 would do nobody any good1 and would    
prove the ruin of all these poor        
creatures for whom you are now          
responsible4 ,don't you see8 said       
,eloise1 taking a step nearer1 and      
positively smiling upon him4 ,it isn't  
now just as you like1--you have a duty  
in the case4 ,and as for me1 good       
morning6  ,and ,eloise actually offered 
him her hand4  ,one moment4 ,let me     
think4  ,and after her white flag of    
truce1 there came a short cessation of  
hostilities4  ,very well1 said ,mr4 ,st4
 ,george ,erne at last1 looking up1 and 
shaking his strong shoulders like a     
,newfoundland dog coming out of the     

water4 ,let it be4 ,i have1 then1 one   
other idea1--in fact1 one other         
condition4 ,if ,i yield one thing1 it is
 only right that you should yield       
another4 ,it is this4 ,i am entirely    
unaccustomed to doing my own writing4   
,my script is illegible1 even to myself4
 ,my amanuenses1 my copyists1 in        
,washington1 have cost me a mint of     
money4 ,i find there are none of the    
servants1 of course1 who write their    
names4 ,i cannot afford1 either1 at     
present1 to buy a clerk from            
,charleston4 ,and on the whole1 if it   
would be agreeable to you1 ,i should be 
very glad if you would accept a         
salary1--such salary as ,i find         
convenient1--and remain as my           
accountant4 ,you will1 perhaps1 receive 
this proposal with the more ease1 as    
,mrs4 ,arles agrees to occupy the same  
position as formerly in the house4      
,those horrible accounts6 ,and a master6
 ,who said ,marlboro' was a master8     
,what thing was ,earl ,st4 ,george      

,erne8--,yet too untaught to teach1 too 
finely bred to sew1 too delicate to     
labor1 perhaps not good enough to       
starve1--  ,a quarter of an hour elapsed
 in dead silence4  ,eloise threw back   
her head1 and grew just a trifle more   
queenly1 as she answered1--  ,i thank   
you4 ,i will stay1 ,mr4 ,erne4  ,the    
last word had tripped on her tongue2 it 
had been almost impossible for her to   
give to another person her father's     
name1 which she had never been allowed  
to wear herself4  ,he noticed her       
hesitation1 and said1--  ,you can call  
me ,st4 ,george4 ,everybody does1--,mrs4
 ,arles1 the servants will4 ,we have    
always been the ,st4 ,georges and the   
,disbrowes1 for generations4 ,besides1  
if you had really been my cousin's      
child1 you would naturally have called  
me so4  ,if ,i had really been your     
cousin's child1 ,sir1 said ,eloise1 with
 a flash1 ,i should not have been       
obliged to call you at all6  ,this      
finished the business4 ,mr4 ,st4        

,george1 who felt1 that1 in reality1 he 
had only got his right again1 who would 
gladly have given her back hers1 who had
 only1 in completest innocence and      
ignorance1 made it impossible for her1  
in pride and honor1 to accept it1 who1  
moreover1 very naturally considered his 
treatment of this handsome1 disagreeable
 girl rather generous1 and who had      
sacrificed much of his usually          
dictatorial manner in the conversation1 
felt also now that there was nothing    
more to do till she chose her ice should
 melt2 and so he straightway let a      
frosty mood build itself up on his part 
into the very counterpart of hers4 ,the 
resolution which he had just made1      
boyishly to abstract himself in secret1 
and leave her to fate and necessity and 
duty1 faded4 ,she deserved to lose4 ,a  
haughty1 ungovernable hussy6 ,he would  
keep it in spite of her6 ,how1 under the
 sun1 had his ,cousin ,disbrowe got     
along with her8 ,nevertheless1 the      
salary which ,mr4 ,st4 ,george had      

privately allotted to his accountant    
covered exactly one-half of his yearly  
income1 whatever that contingent fund   
might prove to be2 and1 meantime1 he did
 not intend to pay her a copper of it   
until they should become so much better 
friends that it would be impossible for 
her1 with all her waywardness1 to refuse
 it4  ,a bell sounded4 ,hazel came1 and 
murmured something to ,eloise4 ,and     
thereupon1 in this sweet and cordial    
frame of mind1 they entered the         
breakfast-room1 where ,mrs4 ,arles      
awaited them behind a hissing urn1--and 
a cheery meal they had of it6  ,mr4 ,st4
 ,george passed a week in finding firm  
footing upon all the circumference of   
his property2 by that time1 clear and   
far-sighted as an eagle1 he had seized  
on every speck of error throughout its  
wide mismanagement1 and had initiated   
,eloise into a new way of performing old
 duties1 as coolly as if no indignant   
word or thought had ever passed between 
them4 ,and meanwhile1 in place of their 

ancient warfare1 but with no later      
friendship1 ,eloise and ,mrs4 ,arles had
 tacitly instituted an offensive and    
defensive alliance against the common   
enemy4 ,this the common enemy soon      
perceived1 laughed at it a little grimly
 at first1 then accepted it1 as a kind  
of martyrdom expiatory of all previous  
sins1 that a man must have against his  
grain two hostile women in the house1   
neither of whom had anything but the    
shadow of a claim upon him4 ,still1     
,earl ,st4 ,george had his own plans2   
and by degrees it dimly dawned on his   
flattered intelligence that one of these
 women used her hostility merely as a   
feint towards the other4         99     
99       99       99       99  ,,types4 
,mr4 ,samuel ,weller1 of facetious      
memory1 has told us of the girl who1    
having learned the alphabet1 concluded  
that it was not worth going through so  
much to get so little4 ,this1 to say the
 least of it1 was disrespectful to      
,cadmus1 and should be condemned        

accordingly4 ,authors have feelings1    
which even scholastic young maidens     
cannot be permitted to lacerate4 ,i     
therefore warn the reader of this       
article against any inclination toward  
sympathy with the critical mood of that 
obnoxious female4 ,my theme is not as   
lively as ,punch used to be2 but1 on the
 other hand1 it is not as dull as a     
religious novel4 ,patient investigation 
may find it really agreeable3           
good-nature will not find it a bore4  ,i
 propose1 then1 a half-hour's gossip    
concerning ,types1 ,type-,setting1 and  
the machinery connected with ,printing1 
at the present time4 ,it would1 perhaps1
 be interesting to review in detail the 
printing-devices of the past2 but that  
would be to extend unwarrantably the    
limits of this article4 ,enough that any
 sketch of the invention1 manufacture1  
and use of types would illustrate the   
triumph of the labor-saving instinct in 
man1 and thus confirm the scientific    
lesson of to-day1--that machinery must  

entirely supersede the necessarily slow 
processes of labor by hand4 ,that it    
will at no distant day supersede those  
processes in the art of printing is1 as 
you will presently see1 a fixed fact4   
,machinery now does nearly every sort of
 labor1--economizing health1 strength1  
time1 and money1 in all that it does4   
,we tread upon beautifully figured      
carpets that are woven by machinery from
 single threads4 ,we wear clothes that  
are made by machinery at the rate of two
 thousand stitches a minute4 ,we hear in
 every direction the whistle of the     
locomotive1 which saves us almost       
incalculable time1 in the safe and      
convenient transportation of our persons
 and our property4 ,we read in our      
newspapers messages that are brought    
instantaneously1 from points far as well
 as near1 by a simple electric current1 
governed by machinery1 which prints its 
thought in plain ,roman characters1 at a
 rate of speed defying the emulation of 
the most expert penman4 ,these1 among   

many illustrations of scientific        
progress1 occur in our daily experience4
 ,manufacture1 agriculture1 and commerce
 would yield us others quite as         
impressive4 ,in all this we see that man
 is finding out and applying the economy
 of ,nature1 and thus that the world is 
advancing1 by well-directed effort1     
toward a more natural1 and therefore a  
happier civilization4  ,the labor-saving
 processes of mechanism as applied to   
,printing are in the highest degree     
advantageous and admirable4 ,once types 
were cast in moulds1 such as boys use   
for casting bullets4 ,now they are      
turned out1 with inconceivable rapidity1
 from a casting-machine worked by steam4
 ,ink and paper1 too1 are made by       
machinery2 and when the types are set1  
we invoke the aid of the ,steam-,press1 
and so print off at least fifty         
impressions to each one produced under  
the old process of press-work by hand4  
,machinery1 moreover1 folds the printed 
sheets1--trims the rough edges of       

books1--directs the newspaper1--and     
does1 in short1 the bulk of the drudgery
 that used to be done by operatives1 at 
great expense of time and trouble1 and  
with anything but commensurate profit4  
,these are facts of familiar knowledge4 
,they indicate remarkable scientific    
progress4 ,but the great fact--by no    
means so well known--remains to be      
stated4 ,it is only of late that        
machinery has been successfully employed
 in the most laborious and expensive    
process connected with the art of       
printing1--that1 namely1 of             
,composition4 ,in this process1 however1
 iron fingers have proved so much better
 than fingers of flesh1 that it is      
perfectly safe to predict the speedy    
discontinuance1 by all sensible         
printers1 of composition by hand4       
,composition--as probably the reader    
knows--is the method of arranging types 
in the proper form for use4 ,this1 ever 
since the invention of movable          
types1--made by ,laurentius ,coster1 in 

#adcj1--;has been done by hand4 ,a      
movement toward economy in this respect 
was1 indeed1 made some sixty years ago1 
by ,charles1 the third ,earl ,stanhope1 
inventor of the ,stanhope ,press1 and of
 the process of stereotyping which is   
still in use4 ,his plan was to make the 
type-shank thicker than usual1 and cast 
two or more letters upon its face       
instead of one4 ,this1 his ,lordship    
rightly considered1 would save labor1 if
 only available combinations could be   
determined2 since1 using such types1 it 
would frequently happen that the        
compositor would need to make but one   
movement for two or three or even four  
letters4 ,the desired economy1 however1 
was not secured4 ,subsequent attempts at
 combinations were made in ,england1 but
 all proved abortive4 ,in the office of 
the ,london ,times1 castings of entire  
words--devised1 ,i think1 by            
,sterling--were used1 to a limited      
extent4 ,it remained1 however1 for a    
,new-,york mechanic to make the idea of 

combination-type a practical success4   
,mr4 ,john ,h4 ,tobitt1 being a         
stenographer as well as a compositor1   
was enabled to make a systematic        
selection of the syllables most         
frequently occurring in our language2   
and thus it happens that his            
combinations have stood a practical     
test4 ,his improved cases1 with         
combination-type1 were shown at the     
,london ,exhibition1 in #ahea1 when a   
medal was awarded to the inventor4      
,these cases have now been in use       
upwards of ten years1 and have          
demonstrated a gain of twenty per cent  
over the ordinary method of composition4
 ,it should be mentioned that ,mr4      
,tobitt's invention was entirely        
original with himself4 ,when he made it1
 he had never heard of ,earl ,stanhope1 
nor of any previous attempt at this     
improvement4  ,it is evident1 when we   
reflect upon the intricate construction 
of language1 that this method of saving 
labor1 though it may be made still more 

useful than at present1 must always be  
restricted within a limited circle of   
operations4 ,nor would any number of    
combination-letters obviate the         
necessity of composition by hand4 ,the  
printer would still be obliged to stand 
at the case1 picking up type after type1
 turning each one around and over1 and  
so arranging the words in his stick4    
,every one knows this process1--a       
painfully slow one in view of results1  
although individual compositors are     
sometimes wonderfully expert4 ,but it is
 only when a great many men labor       
actively during more hours than ought to
 be spent in toil1 that any considerable
 work is accomplished by this method4   
,the composing-room of a large daily    
paper1 for instance1 presents1 day and  
night1 a spectacle of the almost        
ceaseless industry of jaded operatives4 
,the need of relief in this respect was 
long ago recognized4 ,the attempt at    
combination-letters was not less a      
precursor of reform than an             

acknowledgment of its necessity4 ,it    
remained for ,american inventive genius1
 in this generation1 to conceive and    
perfect the greatest labor-saving device
 that has ever been applied to the art  
of printing1--the last need of the      
operative1--the ,type-,setting ,machine4
  ,it was inevitable that this should   
come4 ,the only wonder is that it did   
not come before4 ,perhaps1 indeed1 the  
idea was often conceived in the minds of
 skilful1 though dreamy and timorous    
inventors1 but not developed1 for fear  
of opposition4 ,and opposition enough it
 has encountered1--alike from inertia1  
suspicion1 and conservative             
hostility1--since first it assumed a    
practical position among ,american      
ideas1 some ten years ago4 ,but ,i do   
not care to dwell upon the shadows4     
,turn we to the sunshine4 ,there are two
 strong points in favor of the          
invention1 which1 since they cover the  
whole ground of argument1 deserve at    
least to be stated4 ,i assert1 then1    

without the fear of contradiction before
 my eyes1 that the ,type-,setting       
,machine1 besides being a universal     
benefactor1 is1 in a double sense1 a    
blessing to the mechanic4 ,it spares his
 physical health1 and it stimulates his 
mental and moral activity4 ,the first   
truth appears by sanitary statistics1   
which prove that the health of such     
artisans as the type-founder and such   
craftsmen as the printer has been       
materially improved by the introduction 
of mechanical aids to their toil4 ,the  
second is self-evident1--seeing that    
there is a moral instructor ever at work
 in the mazes of ingenious and          
highly-wrought machinery4 ,those        
philosophers are not far wrong1 if at   
all1 who assert that the rectitude of   
the human race has gained strength1 as  
by a tonic1 from the contemplation of   
the severe1 arrowy railroad1--iron      
emblem of punctuality1 directness1 and  
despatch4  ,in the interest1 therefore1 
of education no less than health1 it    

becomes imperative that machinery should
 be substituted for hand-labor in       
composition4 ,at present1 our           
printing-offices are by no means the    
sources whence to draw inspirations of  
order1 fitness1 and wholesome toil4 ,on 
the contrary1 they are frequently badly 
lighted and worse ventilated rooms1     
wherein workmen elbow each other at the 
closely set cases1 and grow dyspeptic   
under the combined pressure of foul air 
and irritating and long-protracted      
labor4 ,all this should be changed4     
,with the composing-machine would come  
an atmosphere of order and cleanliness  
and activity1 making work rapid and     
agreeable1 and lessening the period of  
its duration4 ,i know that working-men  
are suspicious of scientific devices4   
,but surely the compositor need not fear
 that the iron-handed automaton will    
snatch the bread out of his mouth4 ,to  
diminish the cost of any article        
produced--which is the almost immediate 
result of substituting machinery for    

hand-labor--is to expand the market for 
that article4 ,the ,sewing-,machine has 
not injured the sempstress4 ,the        
,power-,press has not injured the       
pressman4 ,the ,type-,setting ,machine  
will not injure the compositor4 ,skilled
 labor1 which must always be combined   
with the inventor's appliances for      
aiding it1 so far from dreading harm in 
such association1 may safely anticipate1
 in the far-reaching economy of science1
 ampler reward and better health1 an    
increase of prosperity1 and a longer and
 happier life in which to enjoy it4     
,let me now briefly sketch the history  
of type-setting machinery4 ,this must   
necessarily be done somewhat in the     
manner of ,mr4 ,gradgrind4 ,i am sorry  
thus to tax the reader's patience2 but  
facts1 which enjoy quite a reputation   
for stubbornness1 cannot easily be      
wrought into fancies4 ,color the map as 
you will1 it is but a prosy picture     
after all4  ,charles ,babbage1 of       
,london1 the inventor of the            

,calculating-,engine1 first essayed the 
application of machinery to composition4
 ,his calculator was so contrived that  
it would record in type the results of  
its own computations4 ,this was over    
forty years ago4 ,at about the same time
 ,professor ,treadwell of ,cambridge1   
,massachusetts1 who was bred a practical
 mechanic1 turned his attention to this 
improvement1 and ascertained by         
experiment the feasibility of the       
type-setting machine4 ,but mechanical   
enterprise was then comparatively       
inactive in ,america1 and nothing of    
immediate practical importance resulted 
from the ,professor's experiments4 ,nor 
did greater success attend the efforts  
of ,dr4 ,william ,church1 of ,vermont1 a
 contemporary inventor1 who constructed 
an apparatus for setting types1 but     
failed to provide for their             
distribution4 ,subsequently1 for a long 
time1 the idea slumbered4  ,at length1  
about the year #ahdj1 ,mr4 ,timothy     
,alden1 a printer1 and a native of      

,massachusetts1 conceived a plan for    
setting and distributing type1 which has
 since been put into successful         
operation4 ,mr4 ,alden's workshop was1  
,i believe1 situated at the corner of   
,canal and ,centre ,streets1 in ,new    
,york city4 ,there he labored in        
privacy1 year after year1 encountering  
all manner of difficulty and            
discouragement1 till his great work was 
substantially completed4 ,his invention 
was patented in #aheg1 but the studious 
and persevering inventor did not live to
 reap the fruits of the seed he had     
sown4 ,worn out with care and toil and  
long-suffering patience1 he died in     
#ahei1 a martyr to scientific progress4 
,his patent passed into the hands of his
 cousin1 ,mr4 ,henry ,w4 ,alden1 who has
 since organized a company for the      
manufacture and sale of the ,alden      
,machine4  ,in appearance1 this machine 
resembles a circular table1 having in   
its centre a wheel1 placed horizontally1
 from the outer edge of which lines of  

type radiate1 like spokes from an axle1 
to the distance of about one foot4      
,three-quarters of the circle is filled 
up by these lines4 ,in front is a       
key-board1 containing one hundred and   
fifty-four keys1 by which the operator  
governs the action of the machine4 ,the 
central wheel controls some forty       
conveyors1 half of which compose the    
types into language1 while the other    
half distribute them1 guided by certain 
nicks cut upon their sides1 to their    
proper places1 when no longer needed4   
,both operations may go on at the same  
time4 ,the types1 as they are composed1 
are fed out in a continuous line1 at the
 left of the key-board4 ,the operator   
then divides this line into proper      
lengths1 and justifies it by hand4      
,justifying1 it should be stated1       
consists in placing spaces between the  
words1 and making the lines of equal    
length4 ,this machine is a very         
ingenious invention1 and marks the first
 great step towards successful          

improvement in the method of            
,type-,setting4  ,another machine1      
originated by ,mr4 ,william ,h4         
,mitchell1 of ,brooklyn1 ,new ,york1 was
 patented in #ahec4 ,in appearance it   
suggests a harp placed horizontally4 ,in
 front is a key-board1 in shape and     
arrangement not unlike that of a piano4 
,each key indicates a certain letter4   
,the types employed are arranged in     
columns1 nearly perpendicular4 ,the     
touching of a key throws out a type upon
 one of a series of endless belts1      
graduated in length1 from six inches up 
to three feet1 which move horizontally  
towards the farther side of the machine1
 depositing the types in due order upon 
a single belt4 ,this latter carries     
them1 in uninterrupted succession1 to a 
brass receiver1 on which they stand     
ranged in one long line4 ,this line is  
then cut into lengths and justified by  
hand4 ,mr4 ,mitchell's                  
,distributing-,apparatus--which is      
entirely distinct from the              

,composing-,machine--is1 substantially1 
a circular wheel armed with feelers1    
which latter distribute according to the
 nicks cut in the types4  ,these        
machines require very considerable      
external aid in the labor they          
accomplish1 while1 like the ,alden      
,machine1 they neither justify nor lead 
the matter that is set4 ,they have1     
however1 stood a practical test1--having
 been in use several years4 ,it may     
interest the reader to know that the    
matter for the ,continental ,monthly is 
set up and distributed by them1 in the  
office of ,mr4 ,john ,f4 ,trow1 of ,new 
,york4 ,they are also known1 and to some
 extent employed1 in printing-houses in 
,london1 and are found to be economical4
  ,but1 as remarked by ,macbeth1 the    
greatest is behind4 ,i touch now upon   
the most comprehensive and effectual    
invention for labor-saving in this      
respect1--namely1 the ,felt ,machine4   
,this ingenious creation1 which is1 in  
all particulars1 original1 and quite    

distinct from those already mentioned1  
performs1 with accuracy and speed1 all  
the work of composing1 justifying1      
leading1 and distributing types4 ,it was
 invented by ,mr4 ,charles ,w4 ,felt1 of
 ,salem1 ,massachusetts1 a man of       
superior genius1 whose energy in        
overcoming obstacles and working out the
 practical success of his idea is       
scarcely less remarkable than the idea  
itself4 ,i shall dwell briefly upon his 
career1 since it teaches the old1 but   
never tiresome lesson of patient        
perseverance4 ,he began the business of 
life in his native town1 though not in  
mechanical pursuits4 ,his mind1 however1
 tended naturally toward mechanical     
science1 and he improved every          
opportunity of increasing his knowledge 
in that department of study4 ,the       
processes of ,printing especially       
attracted his attention1 and the idea of
 applying machinery to the work of      
composition haunted him from an early   
period of youth4 ,he read1 doubtless1 of

 the various experiments that had been  
made in this direction1 and observed1 as
 far as possible1 the results achieved  
by contemporary inventors4 ,but it does 
not appear1 that1 in the original       
conception of his wonderful machine1 he 
was indebted to any source for even a   
single suggestion4 ,i have seen his     
first wooden model1--made at the age of 
eighteen1--crude and clumsy indeed1     
compared with the machine in its present
 shape1 but containing the main features
 and principles4 ,this was the first    
step4 ,he began with the earnings of his
 boyhood4 ,then a few friends1 fired by 
his spirit and courage1 contributed     
money1 and enabled him to prosecute his 
enterprise during several years4 ,in    
this way it became the one purpose of   
his life4 ,in time the number of his    
liberal patrons increased to nearly one 
hundred1 and a considerable fund was    
placed at his disposal4 ,thus1 genius1  
energy1 and patience1 aided by capital1 
carried the work bravely forward4 ,it is

 a pleasure to record that a worthy     
design was thus generously nurtured4    
,mr4 ,felt's fund was subsequently      
increased by additional loans1 from     
several of the same patrons4 ,one of    
these gentlemen--,dr4 ,g4 ,henry ,lodge1
 of ,swamscott1                         
,massachusetts--contributed with such   
generous liberality that he may justly  
be said to share with the inventor the  
honor of having introduced this noble   
improvement in the art of printing4 ,i  
take off my hat to ,maecenas4 ,dr4      
,lodge was led to appreciate the need of
 such an improvement by personal        
experience in publishing a large work1  
copies of which were gratuitously       
distributed among various libraries in  
the ,republic4 ,acquainted with the toil
 of a printer's life1 impelled by       
earnest love of real progress1 and      
guided by a sound1 practical judgment1  
he was peculiarly well fitted for the   
difficult province of directing the     
labors of an enthusiastic inventor4 ,his

 duty has been well performed4 ,the     
success of ,mr4 ,felt's undertaking is  
due scarcely less to the pecuniary aid  
of all his patrons than to the counsel  
and encouragement of this wise1 liberal1
 and steadfast friend4 ,thus aided1 he  
has triumphed over all obstacles4       
,proceeding in a most unostentatious    
manner1 he has submitted his device to  
the inspection of practical printers1   
and men of science1 in various cities of
 the ,united ,states and ,great         
,britain1 and has everywhere won        
approval4 ,his first patent was issued  
in #ahed1--proceedings to obtain it     
having been commenced in the preceding  
year4 ,meanwhile he has organized a     
wealthy and influential company1 for the
 purpose of manufacturing the machines  
and bringing them into general use4 ,one
 of them has been built at ,providence1 
,rhode ,island1 but the manufactory will
 be in ,salem1 ,massachusetts1 where the
 company has been formed4  ,the merits  
of ,mr4 ,felt's machine are manifold4   

,it is comparatively simple in          
construction1 it is strongly made and   
durable1 it cannot easily get out of    
order1 and it does its work thoroughly4 
,all that is required of the operator is
 to read the copy and touch the keys4   
,the processes proceed1 then1 as of     
their own accord4 ,but the supreme      
excellence of the machine is that it    
justifies the matter which it sets4 ,the
 possibility of doing this by machinery 
has always been doubted1 if not entirely
 disbelieved1 from an erroneous idea    
that the process must be directed by    
immediate intelligence4 ,mr4 ,felt's    
invention demonstrates that this        
operation is clearly within the scope of
 machinery2 that there is no need of a  
machine with brains1 for setting or     
justifying type2 that such a machine    
need not be able to think1 read1 or     
spell2 but that1 guided in its processes
 by an intelligent mind1 a machine can  
perform operations which1 as in this    
case1 are purely mechanical1 much more  

rapidly and cheaply than they can be    
performed by hand4  ,i cannot pretend to
 convey a technically accurate idea of  
this elaborate1 though compact piece of 
machinery2 but such a sketch as ,i can  
give--from memory of a pleasant hour    
spent in looking at it--shall here be   
given as briefly as possible4  ,the     
machine stands in a substantial iron    
framework1 five feet by four1 within    
which the mechanism is nicely disposed1 
so that there may be ample room for the 
four operations of setting1 justifying1 
leading1 and distributing4 ,in front is 
a key-board of forty keys1 which        
correspond to two hundred and fifty-six 
characters1 arranged in eight cases4 ,a 
single case consists of thirty-two flat 
brass tubes1 standing perpendicularly1  
side by side1 each one being filled with
 a certain denomination of type4 ,seven 
of the keys determine from which case   
the desired letter shall be taken4      
,thus1 the small letter a is set by     
touching the a key2 the capital ,a by   

touching the capital key in connection  
with the a key2 the capital ,b by       
touching the capital key in connection  
with the b key2 and so on with every    
letter4 ,there are also keys called the 
small capital1 the ,italic1 and the     
,italic capital2 so that the machine    
contains all the characters known to the
 compositor4 ,the operation of these    
capital and small-capital keys is       
similar to that of an organ-stop in     
modifying the effect of other keys4     
,when the machine is in motion1--and ,i 
should here mention that it is worked by
 steam1--a curious piece of mechanism1  
called the stick1--which is about as    
large as a man's hand1 and quite as     
adroit1--plays to and fro beneath the   
cases1 and acts obediently to the       
operator's touch4 ,the spectacle of this
 little metallic intelligence is        
amusing4 ,it is armed with pincers1     
which it uses much as the elephant does 
his trunk1 though with infinite         
celerity4 ,every time a key is touched1 

these pincers seize a type from one of  
the tubes1 turn downward1 and1 as it    
were1 put it into the mouth of the      
stick4 ,and so voracious is the appetite
 of this little creature1 that in a few 
seconds its stomach is full1--in other  
words1 the line is set4 ,a tiny bell    
gives warning of this fact1 and the     
operator finishes the word or syllabic4 
,he then touches the justifying-key1 and
 the spacer seizes the line and draws it
 into another part of the machine1 to be
 justified1 while the empty stick       
resumes its feeding4 ,no time is lost2  
for1 while the stick is setting a second
 line2 the spacer is justifying the     
first2 so that1 in a few moments after  
starting1 the processes are going       
forward simultaneously4 ,that of        
justifying is1 perhaps1 the most        
ingenious4 ,it is accomplished in this  
wise4 ,the stick never sets a full line1
 but leaves room for spaces1 and with   
the last letter of each word inserts a  
piece of steel1 to separate the words4  

,when the line has been drawn into the  
spacer1 the pieces of steel1 which are  
furnished with nicked heads for the     
purpose1 are withdrawn1 and ordinary    
spaces are substituted4 ,all this       
requires no attention whatever from the 
operator4 ,the matter1 thus set and     
justified1 is now leaded by the machine1
 and deposited upon a galley ready for  
the press4  ,in this machine1           
distribution is the reverse of          
composition1 and is effected by simply  
reversing the motion of the shaft4 ,by  
duplicating certain parts of the        
machine1 both operations are performed  
at the same time4 ,the process of       
distributing1 and also that of resetting
 the same matter1 may be made automatic 
by means of the ,register4 ,this device1
 although an original invention with    
,mr4 ,felt1 is an application of the    
principle of the ,jacquard loom4 ,it    
consists of a narrow strip of card or   
paper1 in which holes are punched as the
 types are taken1 forming a substitute  

for the troublesome nicking of the type1
 which has heretofore been thought      
indispensable to automatic distribution4
 ,by this means the type can be changed 
in resetting1 if desired1 so that       
different editions of the same work can 
be printed in different sizes of type4  
,the machine is adapted to the use of   
combination-types as well as single     
letters4 ,for this purpose ,mr4 ,felt   
has developed a new system1 based upon  
an elaborate analysis of the language4  
,in a number of examples of printed     
matter1 embracing a wide range of       
literature1 the frequency of the single 
and combined letters has been           
ascertained by careful and accurate     
computation1 and reduced to a           
percentage4 ,it may interest the reader 
to know that e is the letter of most    
frequent occurrence1 constituting       
one-eighth of the language4 ,the1 as a  
word or syllable1 is found to be six per
 cent42 and1 four per cent42 in1 three  
per cent41 etc4  ,i have not pretended1 

in this description of ,mr4 ,felt's     
machine1 to explain every technicality1 
or to raise and answer possible         
objections4 ,the great point is1 that   
the labor of setting1 justifying1       
leading1 and distributing types by      
machinery is actually done1 by means of 
his invention4 ,thus the aspiration of  
inventive genius1 in this department of 
art1 is nobly fulfilled4 ,thus the links
 in the chain of progress are complete1 
from ,laurentius ,coster1 walking in the
 woods of ,holland1 in #adcj1 and       
winning1 from an accidental shower-bath1
 the art of making movable types1 down  
to the wide-awake ,massachusetts        
,yankee1 whose genius will make printing
 as cheap as writing1 and therefore a   
thousand times more available for all   
purposes of civilization1--besides      
lightening the burdens of toil1 and     
blessing the jaded worker with a bright 
prospect of health1 competence1 and     
ease4         99       99       99      
99       99   ,,house ,,and ,,home      

,,papers4  ,,by ,,christopher           
,,crowfield4   ,v4  ,,raking ,,up ,,the 
,,fire4   ,we have a custom at our house
 which we call raking up the fire4 ,that
 is to say1 the last half-hour before   
bed-time1 we draw in1 shoulder to       
shoulder1 around the last brands and    
embers of our hearth1 which we prick up 
and brighten1 and dispose for a few     
farewell flickers and glimmers4 ,this is
 a grand time for discussion4 ,then we  
talk over parties1 if the young people  
have been out of an evening1--a book1 if
 we have been reading one2 we discuss   
and analyze characters1--give our views 
on all subjects1 aesthetic1 theological1
 and scientific1 in a way most wonderful
 to hear2 and1 in fact1 we sometimes get
 so engaged in our discussions that     
every spark of the fire burns out1 and  
we begin to feel ourselves shivering    
around the shoulders1 before we can     
remember that it is bed-time4  ,so1     
after the reading of my last article1 we
 had a raking-up talk1--to wit1 ,jennie1

 ,marianne1 and ,i1 with ,bob           
,stephens2--my wife1 still busy at her  
work-basket1 sat at the table a little  
behind us4 ,jennie1 of course1 opened   
the ball in her usual incisive manner4  
,but now1 papa1 after all you say in    
your piece there1 ,i cannot help        
feeling1 that1 if ,i had the taste and  
the money too1 it would be better than  
the taste alone with no money4 ,i like  
the nice arrangements and the books and 
the drawings2 but ,i think all these    
would appear better still with really   
elegant furniture4  ,who doubts that8   
said ,i4 ,give me a large tub of gold   
coin to dip into1 and the furnishing and
 beautifying of a house is a simple     
affair4 ,the same taste that could make 
beauty out of cents and dimes could make
 it more abundantly out of dollars and  
eagles4 ,but ,i have been speaking for  
those who have not1 and cannot get1     
riches1 and who wish to have agreeable  
houses2 and ,i begin in the outset by   
saying that beauty is a thing to be     

respected1 reverenced1 and devoutly     
cared for1--and then ,i say that        
,,beauty ,,is ,,cheap1 nay1 to put it so
 that the shrewdest ,yankee will        
understand it1 ,,beauty ,,is ,,the      
,,cheapest ,,thing ,,you ,,can ,,have1  
because in many ways it is a substitute 
for expense4 ,a few vases of flowers in 
a room1 a few blooming1 well-kept       
plants1 a few prints framed in fanciful 
frames of cheap domestic fabric1 a      
statuette1 a bracket1 an engraving1 a   
pencil-sketch1 above all1 a few choice  
books1--all these arranged by a woman   
who has the gift in her finger-ends     
often produce such an illusion on the   
mind's eye that one goes away without   
once having noticed that the cushion of 
the arm-chair was worn out1 and that    
some veneering had fallen off the       
centre-table4  ,i have a friend1 a      
school-mistress1 who lives in a poor    
little cottage enough1 which1 let alone 
of the ,graces1 might seem mean and     
sordid1 but a few flower-seeds and a    

little weeding in the spring make it1   
all summer1 an object which everybody   
stops to look at4 ,her aesthetic soul   
was at first greatly tried with the     
water-barrel which stood under the      
eaves-spout1--a most necessary evil1    
since only thus could her scanty supply 
of soft water for domestic purposes be  
secured4 ,one of the ,graces1 however1  
suggested to her a happy thought4 ,she  
planted a row of morning-glories round  
the bottom of her barrel1 and drove a   
row of tacks around the top1 and strung 
her water-butt with twine1 like a great 
harpsichord4 ,a few weeks covered the   
twine with blossoming plants1 which     
every morning were a mass of            
many-colored airy blooms1 waving in     
graceful sprays1 and looking at         
themselves in the water4 ,the           
water-barrel1 in fact1 became a         
celebrated stroke of ornamental         
gardening1 which the neighbors came to  
look at4  ,well1 but1 said ,jennie1     
everybody hasn't mamma's faculty with   

flowers4 ,flowers will grow for some    
people1 and for some they won't4 ,nobody
 can see what mamma does so very much1  
but her plants always look fresh and    
thriving and healthy1--her things       
blossom just when she wants them1 and do
 anything else she wishes them to2 and  
there are other people that fume and    
fuss and try1 and their things won't do 
anything at all4 ,there's ,aunt ,easygo 
has plant after plant brought from the  
greenhouse1 and hanging-baskets1 and all
 sorts of things2 but her plants grow   
yellow and drop their leaves1 and her   
hanging-baskets get dusty and           
poverty-stricken1 while mamma's go on   
flourishing as heart could desire4  ,i  
can tell you what your mother puts into 
her plants1 said ,i1--just what she has 
put into her children1 and all her other
 home-things1--her heart4 ,she loves    
them2 she lives in them2 she has in     
herself a plant-life and a              
plant-sympathy4 ,she feels for them as  
if she herself were a plant2 she        

anticipates their wants1--always        
remembers them without an effort1 and so
 the care flows to them daily and       
hourly4 ,she hardly knows when she does 
the things that make them grow1--but she
 gives them a minute a hundred times a  
day4 ,she moves this nearer the         
glass1--draws that back1--detects some  
thief of a worm on one1--digs at the    
root of another1 to see why it          
droops1--washes these leaves1 and       
sprinkles those1--waters1 and refrains  
from watering1 all with the habitual    
care of love4 ,your mother herself      
doesn't know why her plants grow2 it    
takes a philosopher and a writer for the
 ',atlantic' to tell her what the cause 
is4  ,here ,i saw my wife laughing over 
her work-basket as she answered1--      
,girls1 one of these days1 ,i will write
 an article for the ',atlantic1' that   
your papa need not have all the say to  
himself3 however1 ,i believe he has hit 
the nail on the head this time4  ,of    
course he has1 said ,marianne4 ,but1    

mamma1 ,i am afraid to begin to depend  
much on plants for the beauty of my     
rooms1 for fear ,i should not have your 
gift1--and of all forlorn and hopeless  
things in a room1 ill-kept plants are   
the most so4  ,i would not recommend1   
said ,i1 a young housekeeper1 just      
beginning1 to rest much for her         
home-ornament on plant-keeping1 unless  
she has an experience of her own love   
and talent in this line1 which makes her
 sure of success2 for plants will not   
thrive1 if they are forgotten or        
overlooked1 and only tended in          
occasional intervals2 and1 as ,marianne 
says1 neglected plants are the most     
forlorn of all things4  ,but1 papa1 said
 ,marianne1 anxiously1 there1 in those  
patent parlors of ,john's that you wrote
 of1 flowers acted a great part4  ,the  
charm of those parlors of ,john's may be
 chemically analyzed1 ,i said4 ,in the  
first place1 there is sunshine1 a thing 
that always affects the human nerves of 
happiness4 ,why else is it that people  

are always so glad to see the sun after 
a long storm8 why are bright days       
matters of such congratulation8         
,sunshine fills a house with a thousand 
beautiful and fanciful effects of light 
and shade1--with soft1 luminous1        
reflected radiances1 that give          
picturesque effects to the pictures1    
books1 statuettes of an interior4 ,john1
 happily1 had no money to buy brocatelle
 curtains1--and besides this1 he loved  
sunshine too much to buy them1 if he    
could4 ,he had been enough with artists 
to know that heavy damask curtains      
darken precisely that part of the window
 where the light proper for pictures and
 statuary should come in1 namely1 the   
upper part4 ,the fashionable system of  
curtains lights only the legs of the    
chairs and the carpets1 and leaves all  
the upper portion of the room in shadow4
 ,john's windows have shades which can  
at pleasure be drawn down from the top  
or up from the bottom1 so that the best 
light to be had may always be arranged  

for his little interior4  ,well1 papa1  
said ,marianne1 in your chemical        
analysis of ,john's rooms1 what is the  
next thing to the sunshine8  ,the next1 
said ,i1 is harmony of color4 ,the      
wall-paper1 the furniture1 the carpets1 
are of tints that harmonize with one    
another4 ,this is a grace in rooms      
always1 and one often neglected4 ,the   
,french have an expressive phrase with  
reference to articles which are out of  
accord1--they say that they swear at    
each other4 ,i have been in rooms where 
,i seemed to hear the wall-paper        
swearing at the carpet1 and the carpet  
swearing back at the wall-paper1 and    
each article of furniture swearing at   
the rest4 ,these appointments may all of
 them be of the most expensive kind1 but
 with such disharmony no arrangement can
 ever produce anything but a vulgar and 
disagreeable effect4 ,on the other hand1
 ,i have been in rooms where all the    
material was cheap1 and the furniture   
poor1 but where1 from some instinctive  

knowledge of the reciprocal effect of   
,colors1 everything was harmonious1 and 
produced a sense of elegance4  ,i       
recollect once travelling on a ,western 
canal through a long stretch of         
wilderness1 and stopping to spend the   
night at an obscure settlement of a     
dozen houses4 ,we were directed to      
lodgings in a common frame-house at a   
little distance1 where1 it seemed1 the  
only hotel was kept4 ,when we entered   
the parlor1 we were struck with utter   
amazement at its prettiness1 which      
affected us before we began to ask      
ourselves how it came to be pretty4 ,it 
was1 in fact1 only one of the miracles  
of harmonious color working with very   
simple materials4 ,some woman had been  
busy there1 who had both eyes and       
fingers4 ,the sofa1 the common wooden   
rocking-chairs1 and some ottomans1      
probably made of old soap-boxes1 were   
all covered with ,american nankeen of a 
soft yellowish-brown1 with a bordering  
of blue print4 ,the window-shades1 the  

table-cover1 and the piano-cloth1 all   
repeated the same colors1 in the same   
cheap material4 ,a simple straw matting 
was laid over the floor1 and1 with a few
 books1 a vase of flowers1 and one or   
two prints1 the room had a home-like1   
and even elegant air1 that struck us all
 the more forcibly from its contrast    
with the usual tawdry1 slovenly style of
 such parlors4  ,the means used for     
getting up this effect were the most    
inexpensive possible1--simply the       
following-out1 in cheap material1 a law 
of uniformity and harmony1 which always 
will produce beauty4 ,in the same       
manner1 ,i have seen a room furnished1  
whose effect was really gorgeous in     
color1 where the only materials used    
were ,turkey-red cotton and a simple    
ingrain carpet of corresponding color4  
,now1 you girls have been busy lately in
 schemes for buying a velvet carpet for 
the new parlor that is to be1 and the   
only points that have seemed to weigh in
 the council were that it was velvet1   

that it was cheaper than velvets usually
 are1 and that it was a genteel pattern4
  ,now1 papa1 said ,jennie1 what ears   
you have6 ,we thought you were reading  
all the time6  ,i see what you are going
 to say1 said ,marianne4 ,you think that
 we have not once mentioned the         
consideration which should determine the
 carpet1--whether it will harmonize with
 our other things4 ,but1 you see1 papa1 
we don't really know what our other     
things are to be4 ,yes1 said ,jennie1   
and ,aunt ,easygo said it was an        
unusually good chance to get a velvet   
carpet4  ,yet1 good as the chance is1 it
 costs just twice as much as an ingrain4
  ,yes1 papa1 it does4  ,and you are not
 sure that the effect of it1 after you  
get it down1 will be as good as a       
well-chosen ingrain one4  ,that's true1 
said ,marianne1 reflectively4  ,but1    
then1 papa1 said ,jennie1 ,aunt ,easygo 
said she never heard of such a bargain2 
only think1 two dollars a yard for a    
velvet6  ,and why is it two dollars a   

yard8 ,is the man a personal friend1    
that he wishes to make you a present of 
a dollar on the yard8 or is there some  
reason why it is undesirable8 said ,i4  
,well1 you know1 papa1 he said those    
large patterns were not so salable4  ,to
 tell the truth1 said ,marianne1 ,i     
never did like the pattern exactly2 as  
to uniformity of tint1 it might match   
with anything1 for there's every color  
of the rainbow in it4  ,you see1 papa1  
it's a gorgeous flower-pattern1 said    
,jennie4  ,well1 ,marianne1 how many    
yards of this wonderfully cheap carpet  
do you want8  ,we want sixty yards for  
both rooms1 said ,jennie1 always primed 
with statistics4  ,that will be a       
hundred and twenty dollars1 ,i said4    
,yes1 said ,jennie2 and we went over the
 figures together1 and thought we could 
make it out by economizing in other     
things4 ,aunt ,easygo said that the     
carpet was half the battle1--that it    
gave the air to everything else4  ,well1
 ,marianne1 if you want a man's advice  

in the case1 mine is at your service4   
,that is just what ,i want1 papa4       
,well1 then1 my dear1 choose your       
wall-papers and borderings1 and1 when   
they are up1 choose an ingrain carpet to
 harmonize with them1 and adapt your    
furniture to the same idea4 ,the sixty  
dollars that you save on your carpet    
spend on engravings1 chromo-lithographs1
 or photographs of some really good     
works of ,art1 to adorn your walls4     
,papa1 ,i'll do it1 said ,marianne4  ,my
 little dear1 said ,i1 your papa may    
seem to be a sleepy old book-worm1 yet  
he has his eyes open4 ,do you think ,i  
don't know why my girls have the credit 
of being the best-dressed girls on the  
street8  ,oh1 papa6 cried out both girls
 in a breath4  ,fact1 that6 said ,bob1  
with energy1 pulling at his moustache4  
,everybody talks about your dress1 and  
wonders how you make it out4  ,well1    
said ,i1 ,i presume you do not go into a
 shop and buy a yard of ribbon because  
it is selling at half-price1 and put it 

on without considering complexion1 eyes1
 hair1 and shade of the dress1 do you8  
,of course we don't6 chimed in the duo1 
with energy4  ,of course you don't4     
,haven't ,i seen you mincing            
down-stairs1 with all your colors       
harmonized1 even to your gloves and     
gaiters8 ,now1 a room must be dressed as
 carefully as a lady4  ,well1 ,i'm      
convinced1 said ,jennie1 that papa knows
 how to make rooms prettier than ,aunt  
,easygo2 but then she said this was     
cheap1 because it would outlast two     
common carpets4  ,but1 as you pay double
 price1 said ,i1 ,i don't see that4     
,besides1 ,i would rather1 in the course
 of twenty years1 have two nice1 fresh  
ingrain carpets1 of just the color and  
pattern that suited my rooms1 than labor
 along with one ill-chosen velvet that  
harmonized with nothing4  ,i give it up1
 said ,jennie2 ,i give it up4  ,now1    
understand me1 said ,i2 ,i am not       
traducing velvet or ,brussels or        
,axminster4 ,i admit that more beautiful

 effects can be found in those goods    
than in the humbler fabrics of the      
carpet-rooms4 ,nothing would delight me 
more than to put an unlimited credit to 
,marianne's account1 and let her work   
out the problems of harmonious color in 
velvet and damask4 ,all ,i have to say  
is1 that certain unities of color1      
certain general arrangements1 will      
secure very nearly as good general      
effects in either material4 ,a library  
with a neat1 mossy green carpet on the  
floor1 harmonizing with wall-paper and  
furniture1 looks generally as well1     
whether the mossy green is made in      
,brussels or in ingrain4 ,in the        
carpet-stores1 these two materials stand
 side by side in the very same pattern1 
and one is often as good for the purpose
 as the other4 ,a lady of my            
acquaintance1 some years since1 employed
 an artist to decorate her parlors4 ,the
 walls being frescoed and tinted to suit
 his ideal1 he immediately issued his   
decree that her splendid velvet carpets 

must be sent to auction1 and others     
bought of certain colors1 harmonizing   
with the walls4 ,unable to find exactly 
the color and pattern he wanted1 he at  
last had the carpets woven in a         
neighboring factory1 where1 as yet1 they
 had only the art of weaving ingrains4  
,thus was the material sacrificed at    
once to the harmony4  ,i remarked1 in   
passing1 that this was before ,bigelow's
 mechanical genius had unlocked for     
,america the higher secrets of          
carpet-weaving1 and made it possible to 
have one's desires accomplished in      
,brussels or velvet4 ,in those days1    
,english carpet-weavers did not send to 
,america for their looms1 as they now   
do4  ,but now to return to my analysis  
of ,john's rooms4  ,another thing which 
goes a great way towards giving them    
their agreeable air is the books in     
them4 ,some people are fond of treating 
books as others do children4 ,one room  
in the house is selected1 and every book
 driven into it and kept there4 ,yet    

nothing makes a room so home-like1 so   
companionable1 and gives it such an air 
of refinement1 as the presence of books4
 ,they change the aspect of a parlor    
from that of a mere reception-room1     
where visitors perch for a transient    
call1 and give it the air of a room     
where one feels like taking off one's   
things to stay4 ,it gives the appearance
 of permanence and repose and quiet     
fellowship2 and next to pictures on the 
walls1 the many-colored bindings and    
gildings of books are the most agreeable
 adornment of a room4  ,then1 ,marianne1
 said ,bob1 we have something to start  
with1 at all events4 ,there are my      
,english ,classics and ,english ,poets1 
and my uniform editions of ,scott and   
,thackeray and ,macaulay and ,prescott  
and ,irving and ,longfellow and ,lowell 
and ,hawthorne and ,holmes and a host   
more4 ,we really have something pretty  
there4  ,you are a lucky girl1 ,i said1 
to have so much secured4 ,a girl brought
 up in a house full of books1 always    

able to turn to this or that author and 
look for any passage or poem when she   
thinks of it1 doesn't know what a blank 
a house without books might be4  ,well1 
said ,marianne1 mamma and ,i were       
counting over my treasures the other    
day4 ,do you know1 ,i have one really   
fine old engraving1 that ,bob says is   
quite a genuine thing2 and then there is
 that pencil-sketch that poor ,schoene  
made for me the month before he         
died1--it is truly artistic4  ,and ,i   
have a couple of capital things of      
,landseer's1 said ,bob4  ,there's no    
danger that your rooms will not be      
pretty1 said ,i1 now you are fairly on  
the right track4  ,but1 papa1 said      
,marianne1 ,i am troubled about one     
thing4 ,my love of beauty runs into     
everything4 ,i want pretty things for my
 table1--and yet1 as you say1 servants  
are so careless1 one cannot use such    
things freely without great waste4  ,for
 my part1 said my wife1 ,i believe in   
best china1 to be kept carefully on an  

upper-shelf1 and taken down for         
high-days and holidays2 it may be a     
superstition1 but ,i believe in it4 ,it 
must never be taken out except when the 
mistress herself can see that it is     
safely cared for4 ,my mother always     
washed her china herself2 and it was a  
very pretty social ceremony1 after tea  
was over1 while she sat among us washing
 her pretty cups1 and wiping them on a  
fine damask towel4  ,with all my heart1 
said ,i2 have your best china1 and      
venerate it1--it is one of the loveliest
 of domestic superstitions2 only do not 
make it a bar to hospitality1 and shrink
 from having a friend to tea with you1  
unless you feel equal to getting up to  
the high shelf where you keep it1       
getting it down1 washing1 and putting it
 up again4  ,but in serving a table1 ,i 
say1 as ,i said of a house1 beauty is a 
necessity1 and beauty is cheap4 ,because
 you cannot afford beauty in one form1  
it does not follow that you cannot have 
it in another4 ,because one cannot      

afford to keep up a perennial supply of 
delicate china and crystal1 subject to  
the accidents of raw1 untrained         
servants1 it does not follow that the   
every-day table need present a sordid   
assortment of articles chosen simply for
 cheapness1 while the whole capacity of 
the purse is given to the set forever   
locked away for state-occasions4  ,a    
table-service1 all of simple white1 of  
graceful forms1 even though not of      
china1 if arranged with care1 with      
snowy1 well-kept table-linen1 clear     
glasses1 and bright ,american plate in  
place of solid silver1 may be made to   
look inviting2 add a glass of flowers   
every day1 and your table may look      
pretty2--and it is far more important   
that it should look pretty for the      
family every day than for company once  
in two weeks4  ,i tell my girls1 said my
 wife1 as the result of my experience1  
you may have your pretty china and your 
lovely fanciful articles for the table  
only so long as you can take all the    

care of them yourselves4 ,as soon as you
 get tired of doing this1 and put them  
into the hands of the trustiest         
servants1 some good1 well-meaning       
creature is sure to break her heart and 
your own and your very pet1 darling     
china pitcher all in one and the same   
minute2 and then her frantic despair    
leaves you not even the relief of       
scolding4  ,i have become perfectly     
sure1 said ,i1 that there are spiteful  
little brownies1 intent on seducing good
 women to sin1 who mount guard over the 
special idols of the china-closet4 ,if  
you hear a crash1 and a loud ,irish wail
 from the inner depths1 you never think 
of its being a yellow pie-plate1 or that
 dreadful one-handled tureen that you   
have been wishing were broken these five
 years2 no1 indeed1--it is sure to be   
the lovely painted china bowl1 wreathed 
with morning-glories and sweet-peas1 or 
the engraved glass goblet1 with quaint  
old-,english initials4 ,china sacrificed
 must be a great means of saintship to  

women4 ,pope1 ,i think1 puts it as the  
crowning grace of his perfect woman1    
that she is      ',mistress of herself1 
though china fall4'  ,i ought to be a   
saint by this time1 then1 said mamma2   
for in the course of my days ,i have    
lost so many idols by breakage1 and     
peculiar accidents that seemed by a     
special fatality to befall my prettiest 
and most irreplaceable things1 that in  
fact it has come to be a superstitious  
feeling now with which ,i regard        
anything particularly pretty of a       
breakable nature4  ,well1 said          
,marianne1 unless one has a great deal  
of money1 it seems to me that the       
investment in these pretty fragilities  
is rather a poor one4  ,yet1 said ,i1   
the principle of beauty is never so     
captivating as when it presides over the
 hour of daily meals4 ,i would have the 
room where they are served one of the   
pleasantest and sunniest in the house4  
,i would have its coloring cheerful1 and
 there should be companionable pictures 

and engravings on the walls4 ,of all    
things1 ,i dislike a room that seems to 
be kept like a restaurant1 merely to eat
 in4 ,i like to see in a dining-room    
something that betokens a pleasant      
sitting-room at other hours4 ,i like    
there some books1 a comfortable sofa or 
lounge1 and all that should make it cozy
 and inviting4 ,the custom in some      
families1 of adopting for the daily     
meals one of the two parlors which a    
city-house furnishes1 has often seemed  
to me a particularly happy one4 ,you    
take your meals1 then1 in an agreeable  
place1 surrounded by the little         
agreeable arrangements of your daily    
sitting-room2 and after the meal1 if the
 lady of the house does the honors of   
her own pretty china herself1 the office
 may be a pleasant and social one4  ,but
 in regard to your table-service ,i have
 my advice at hand4 ,invest in pretty   
table-linen1 in delicate napkins1 have  
your vase of flowers1 and be guided by  
the eye of taste in the choice and      

arrangement of even the every-day       
table-articles1 and have no ugly things 
when you can have pretty ones by taking 
a little thought4 ,if you are sore      
tempted with lovely china and crystal1  
too fragile to last1 too expensive to be
 renewed1 turn away to a print-shop and 
comfort yourself by hanging around the  
walls of your dining-room beauty that   
will not break or fade1 that will meet  
your eye from year to year1 though      
plates1 tumblers1 and tea-sets          
successively vanish4 ,there is my advice
 for you1 ,marianne4  ,at the same time1
 let me say1 in parenthesis1 that my    
wife1 whose weakness is china1 informed 
me that night1 when we were by          
ourselves1 that she was ordering        
secretly a tea-set as a bridal gift for 
,marianne1 every cup of which was to be 
exquisitely painted with the            
wild-flowers of ,america1 from designs  
of her own1--a thing1 by-the-by1 that   
can now be very nicely executed in our  
country4 ,it will last her all her life1

 she said1 and always be such a pleasure
 to look at1--and a pretty tea-table is 
such a pretty sight6 ,so spoke ,mrs4    
,crowfield1 unweaned from china by a    
thousand falls4 ,she spoke even with    
tears in her eyes4 ,verily1 these women 
are harps of a thousand strings6  ,but  
to return to my subject4  ,finally and  
lastly1 ,i said1 in my analysis and     
explication of the agreeableness of     
those same parlors1 comes the crowning  
grace1--their homeliness4 ,by homeliness
 ,i mean not ugliness1 as the word is   
apt to be used1 but the air that is     
given to a room by being really at home 
in it4 ,not the most skilful arrangement
 can impart this charm4  ,it is said    
that a king of ,france once             
remarked1--',my son1 you must seem to   
love your people4'  ',father1 how shall 
,i seem to love them8'  ',my son1 you   
must love them4'  ,so to make rooms seem
 home-like you must be at home in them4 
,human light and warmth are so wanting  
in some rooms1 it is so evident that    

they are never used1 that you can never 
be at ease there4 ,in vain the          
house-maid is taught to wheel the sofa  
and turn chair towards chair2 in vain it
 is attempted to imitate a negligent    
arrangement of the centre-table4  ,books
 that have really been read and laid    
down1 chairs that have really been moved
 here and there in the animation of     
social contact1 have a sort of human    
vitality in them2 and a room in which   
people really live and enjoy is as      
different from a shut-up apartment as a 
live woman from a wax image4  ,even     
rooms furnished without taste often     
become charming from this one grace1    
that they seem to let you into the      
home-life and home-current4 ,you seem to
 understand in a moment that you are    
taken into the family1 and are moving in
 its inner circles1 and not revolving at
 a distance in some outer court of the  
gentiles4  ,how many people do we call  
on from year to year and know no more of
 their feelings1 habits1 tastes1 family 

ideas and ways1 than if they lived in   
,kamtschatka6 ,and why8 ,because the    
room which they call a front-parlor is  
made expressly so that you never shall  
know4 ,they sit in a back-room1--work1  
talk1 read1 perhaps4 ,after the servant 
has let you in and opened a crack of the
 shutters1 and while you sit waiting for
 them to change their dress and come in1
 you speculate as to what they may be   
doing4 ,from some distant region1 the   
laugh of a child1 the song of a         
canary-bird1 reaches you1 and then a    
door claps hastily to4 ,do they love    
plants8 ,do they write letters1 sew1    
embroider1 crochet8 ,do they ever romp  
and frolic8 ,what books do they read8   
,do they sketch or paint8 ,of all these 
possibilities the mute and muffled room 
says nothing4 ,a sofa and six chairs1   
two ottomans fresh from the             
upholsterer's1 a ,brussels carpet1 a    
centre-table with four gilt ,books of   
,beauty on it1 a mantel-clock from      
,paris1 and two bronze vases1--all these

 tell you only in frigid tones1 ',this  
is the best room1'--only that1 and      
nothing more1--and soon she trips in in 
her best clothes1 and apologizes for    
keeping you waiting1 asks how your      
mother is1 and you remark that it is a  
pleasant day1--and thus the acquaintance
 progresses from year to year4 ,one hour
 in the little back-room1 where the     
plants and canary-bird and children are1
 might have made you fast friends for   
life2 but as it is1 you care no more for
 them than for the gilt clock on the    
mantel4  ,and now1 girls1 said ,i1      
pulling a paper out of my pocket1 you   
must know that your father is getting to
 be famous by means of these ',house and
 ,home ,papers4' ,here is a letter ,i   
have just received3--      ',,most      
,,excellent ,,mr4 ,,crowfield1--,your   
thoughts have lighted into     our      
family-circle1 and echoed from our      
fireside4 ,we all feel the     force of 
them1 and are delighted with the        
felicity of your     treatment of the   

topic you have chosen4 ,you have taken  
hold of a     subject that lies deep in 
our hearts1 in a genial1 temperate1 and 
convincing spirit4 ,all must acknowledge
 the power of your     sentiments upon  
their imaginations2--if they could only 
trust to     them in actual life6 ,there
 is the rub4      ',omitting further    
upon these points1 there is a special   
feature     of your articles upon which 
we wish to address you4 ,you seem as    
yet 7we do not know1 of course1 what you
 may hereafter do7 to     speak only of 
homes whose conduct depends upon the    
help of     servants4 ,now your         
principles apply1 as some of us well    
conceive1     to nearly all classes of  
society2 yet most people1 to take an    
impressive hint1 must have their        
portraits drawn out more exactly4       
,we therefore hope that you will give a 
reasonable share of your     attention  
to us who do not employ servants1 so    
that you may ease     us of some of our 
burdens1 which1 in spite of common      

sense1 we     dare not throw off4 ,for  
instance1 we have company1--a friend    
from     afar1 7perhaps wealthy17 or a  
minister1 or some other man of note4    
,what do we do8 ,sit down and receive   
our visitor with all good-will     and  
the freedom of a home8 ,no2 we 7the lady
 of the house7 flutter     about to     
clear up things1 apologizing about this1
 that1 and the     other condition of   
unpreparedness1 and1 having settled the 
visitor     in the parlor1 set about    
marshalling the elements of a grand     
dinner or supper1 such as no person but 
a gourmand wants to sit     down to1    
when at home and comfortable2 and in    
getting up this     meal1 clearing away1
 and washing the dishes1 we use up a    
good half     of the time which our     
guest spends with us4 ,we have spread   
ourselves1 and shown him what we could  
do2 but what a paltry1                  
heart-sickening achievement6 ,now1 good 
,mr4 ,crowfield1 thou friend     of the 
robbed and despairing1 wilt thou not    

descend into our     purgatorial circle1
 and tell the world what thou hast seen 
there     of doleful remembrance8 ,tell 
us how we1 who must do and desire to    
do our own work1 can show forth in our  
homes a homely1 yet genial              
hospitality1 and entertain our guests   
without making a fuss and               
hurly-burly1 and seeming to be anxious  
for their sake about many     things1   
and spending too much time getting      
meals1 as if eating     were the chief  
social pleasure4 ,won't you do this1    
,mr4     ,crowfield8      ',yours       
beseechingly1      ',r4,h4,a4'  ,that's 
a good letter1 said ,jennie4  ,to be    
sure it is1 said ,i4  ,and shall you    
answer it1 papa8  ,in the very next     
',atlantic1' you may be sure ,i shall4  
,the class that do their own work are   
the strongest1 the most numerous1 and1  
taking one thing with another1 quite as 
well cultivated a class as any other4   
,they are the anomaly of our            
country1--the distinctive feature of the

 new society that we are building up    
here2 and if we are to accomplish our   
national destiny1 that class must       
increase rather than diminish4 ,i shall 
certainly do my best to answer the very 
sensible and pregnant questions of that 
letter4  ,here ,marianne shivered and   
drew up a shawl1 and ,jennie gaped2 my  
wife folded up the garment in which she 
had set the last stitch1 and the clock  
struck twelve4  ,bob gave a low whistle4
 ,who knew it was so late8  ,we have    
talked the fire fairly out1 said        
,jennie4         99       99       99   
99       99  ,,reenlisted4     ,oh1 did 
you see him in the street1 dressed up in
 army-blue1   ,when drums and trumpets  
into town their storm of music threw1-- 
,a louder tune than all the winds could 
muster in the air1   ,the ,rebel winds1 
that tried so hard our flag in strips to
 tear8    ,you didn't mind him8 ,oh1 you
 looked beyond him1 then1 perhaps1   ,to
 see the mounted officers rigged out    
with trooper-caps1   ,and shiny clothes1

 and sashes red1 and epaulets and all2--
   ,it wasn't for such things as these  
he heard his country call4    ,she asked
 for men2 and up he spoke1 my handsome1 
hearty ,sam1--   ,i'll die for the dear 
old ,union1 if she'll take me as ,i am4 
,and if a better man than he there's    
mother that can show1   ,from ,maine to 
,minnesota1 then let the nation know4   
,you would not pick him from the rest by
 eagles or by stars1   ,by straps upon  
his coat-sleeve1 or gold or silver bars1
   ,nor a corporal's strip of worsted1  
but there's something in his face1      
,and something in his even step1        
a-marching in his place1    ,that       
couldn't be improved by all the badges  
in the land3   ,a patriot1 and a good1  
strong man2 are generals much more      
grand8   ,we rest our pride on that big 
heart wrapped up in army-blue1   ,the   
girl he loves1 ,mehitabel1 and ,i1 who  
love him too4    ,he's never shirked a  
battle yet1 though frightful risks he's 
run1   ,since treason flooded           

,baltimore1 the spring of 'sixty-one2   
,through blood and storm he's held out  
firm1 nor fretted once1 my ,sam1   ,at  
swamps of ,chickahominy1 or fields of   
,antietam3    ,though many a time1 he's 
told us1 when he saw them lying dead1   
,the boys that came from ,newburyport1  
and ,lynn1 and ,marblehead1   ,stretched
 out upon the trampled turf1 and wept on
 by the sky1   ,it seemed to him the    
,commonwealth had drained her life-blood
 dry4    ,but then1 he said1 the more's 
the need the country has of me3   ,to   
live and fight the war all through1 what
 glory it would be6   ,the ,rebel balls 
don't hit me1 and1 mother1 if they      
should1   ,you'll know ,i've fallen in  
my place1 where ,i have always stood4   
,he's taken out his furlough1 and short 
enough it seemed3   ,i often tell       
,mehitabel he'll think he only dreamed  
,of walking with her nights so bright   
you couldn't see a star1   ,and hearing 
the swift tide come in across the       
harbor-bar4    ,the stars that shine    

above the stripes1 they light him       
southward now2   ,the tide of war has   
swept him back2 he's made a solemn vow  
,to build himself no home-nest till his 
country's work is done3   ,god bless the
 vow1 and speed the work1 my patriot1 my
 son6    ,and yet it is a pretty place  
where his new house might be2   ,an     
orchard-road that leads your eye        
straight out upon the sea3--   ,the boy 
not work his father's farm8 it seems    
almost a shame2   ,but any selfish plan 
for him he'd never let me name4    ,he's
 reenlisted for the war1 for victory or 
for death2   ,a soldier's grave1        
perhaps1--the thought has half-way      
stopped my breath1   ,and driven a cloud
 across the sun2--my boy1 it will not   
be6   ,the war will soon be over2 home  
again you'll come to me6    ,he's       
reenlisted2 and ,i smiled to see him    
going1 too3   ,there's nothing that     
becomes him half so well as army-blue4  
,only a private in the ranks2 but sure  
,i am1 indeed1   ,if all the privates   

were like him1 they 'd scarcely captains
 need6    ,and ,i and ,massachusetts    
share the honor of his birth1--   ,the  
grand old ,state6 to me the best in all 
the peopled earth6   ,i cannot hold a   
musket1 but ,i have a son who can2      
,and ,i'm proud for ,freedom's sake to  
be the mother of a man6         99      
99       99       99       99  ,,the    
,,presidential ,,election4   ,for the   
first time since the ,american          
,presidency was created1 the ,american  
people have entered upon a ,presidential
 election in time of great war4 ,even   
the election of #ahab forms no exception
 to this assertion1 as the second       
contest with ,england did not begin     
until the summer of that year1 when the 
conditions of the political contest were
 already understood1 and it was known   
that ,mr4 ,madison would be reelected1  
in spite of the opposition of the       
,federalists1 and notwithstanding the   
disaffection of those ,democrats who    
took ,de ,witt ,clinton for their       

leader4 ,mr4 ,madison1 indeed1 is       
supposed to have turned war man1 against
 his own convictions1 in order to       
conciliate the ,young ,democracy of     
#ahab1 who had resolved upon having a   
fight with ,england1--and in that way to
 have secured for supporters men who    
would have prevented his reelection1 had
 he defied them4 ,the trouble that we   
had with ,france at the close of the    
last century undoubtedly had some effect
 in deciding the fourth ,presidential   
contest adversely to the ,federalists2  
but though it was illustrated by some   
excellent naval fighting1 it can hardly 
be spoken of as a war3 certainly1 it was
 not a great war4 ,the ,mexican ,war had
 been brought to a triumphant close     
before the election of #ahdh was opened4
 ,of the nineteen ,presidential         
elections which the country has known1  
sixteen were held in times of profound  
peace1--as ,indian wars went for        
nothing2 and the other three were not   
affected as to their decision by the    

contests we had had with ,france or     
,mexico1 or by that with ,england1 which
 was in its first stage when ,mr4       
,madison was reelected4 ,every          
,presidential election1 from that of    
#aghh to that of #ahfj1 found us a      
united people1 with every ,state taking 
some part in the canvas4 ,even ,south   
,carolina in #ahfj was not clearly      
counted out of the fight until after    
,mr4 ,lincoln's success had been        
announced1 and rebellion had been       
resolved upon4  ,but all is now changed4
 ,the twentieth ,presidential election  
finds us not only at war1 but engaged in
 a civil war of such magnitude that even
 the most martial nations of ,europe are
 surprised at the numbers who take part 
in it1 and at its cost4 ,the election is
 to be carried1 and perhaps decided1    
amid the din of arms1 with a million of 
voters in the land and sea forces of the
 two parties4 ,this is so new to us1    
that it would seem more like a dream    
than a reality1 but that losses of life 

and high prices render the matter most  
painfully real4 ,how to act under such  
circumstances might well puzzle us1 were
 it not that the path of duty is pointed
 out by the spirit of patriotism4 ,the  
election will have much effect on the   
operations of war1 and those operations 
in their turn will have no light effect 
on the election4 ,our political action  
should be such as to strengthen the arm 
of ,government2 and the military action 
of ,government should be such as to     
strengthen those who shall be engaged in
 affording it political support4        
,failure in the field would not lead to 
defeat at the polls1 but it might so    
lessen the loyal majority that the      
public sentiment of the country would be
 but feebly represented by the country's
 political action4 ,what happened in    
#ahfb might happen again in #ahfd1 and  
with much more disastrous effect on the 
fortunes of the ,republic4 ,in #ahfb    
there was much discontent1 because of   
the belief that ,government had not done

 all it could have done to bring about  
the overthrow of the ,rebels4 ,irritated
 by the reverses which had befallen our 
arms in ,virginia1 and knowing that     
nothing had been withheld that was      
necessary to the effective waging of the
 war1 thousands of men refrained from   
voting1 half-inclined as they were to   
see if the ,democrats could not do that 
which others had failed to do4 ,we are  
not discussing the justice of the       
opinion which then prevailed1 but simply
 state a fact2 and the consequence of   
the discontent that existed was that the
 ,democrats came very near obtaining    
control of the popular branch of        
,congress4 ,they made heavy gains in    
,new ,york1 ,pennsylvania1 ,ohio1 and   
other ,states2 but that this result was 
not the effect of hostility to the      
national cause was made clearly apparent
 a year later1 when the supporters of   
that cause won a series of brilliant    
political victories in the very ,states 
which had either pronounced for the     

,democrats in '#fb1 or had given but    
small ,republican majorities4 ,the loyal
 majority in ,ohio in #ahfc was         
something that approached to the        
fabulous1 because then the violent      
members of the ,opposition1 encouraged  
by what had taken place a year earlier1 
had the audacity to place ,mr4          
,vallandigham in nomination for the     
office of ,governor4 ,had that          
individual been elevated to the post for
 which he was nominated1 ,ohio must have
 been arrayed in open opposition to the 
,federal ,government1 almost as         
decisively so as ,south ,carolina or    
,virginia4 ,had he been defeated by a   
small majority1 his party would have    
taken arms against the ,state           
,government1 and ,ohio1 compelled to    
fight for the maintenance of social     
order at home1 would have done nothing  
for the national cause4 ,but the        
majority against ,mr4 ,vallandigham was 
upward of one hundred thousand2 and to  
attempt resistance to a ,government so  

potently supported as that of which ,mr4
 ,brough was the head was something that
 surpassed even the audacity of the men 
who had had the bad courage to select   
,mr4 ,vallandigham for their leader1 in 
the hope of being able to make him the  
head of the ,state4 ,that which was done
 in ,ohio1 not seven months since1      
should be done in the nation not seven  
months hence1 if we would have peace    
preserved at home1 and all our available
 means directed to the work of          
destroying the armies of the ,southern  
,confederacy1 and to the seizure of its 
ports and principal towns4 ,the national
 popular majority should be so great in 
support of the war as to prevent any    
faction from thinking of resistance to  
the people's will as a possibility4 ,the
 moral effect of a mighty political     
victory in ,november would be almost    
incalculable1 both at home and in       
,europe2 and in the ,confederacy it     
would put an end to all such hopes of   
ultimate success as may rest upon the   

belief that we are a divided people4    
,the ,democratic party should not be    
restored to power1 happen what may in   
the course of the present campaign4     
,this we say1 not because we believe the
 ,democratic masses wanting in loyalty  
or patriotism1 but because we are of    
opinion that there should be no change  
either in the position of parties or in 
the personnel of the ,government4 ,there
 ought to be no doubt as to the         
soundness of the views that are held by 
most ,democrats4 ,they love their       
country1 and they desire to see the     
,rebels subdued4 ,they have the same    
interest1 considered as citizens1 in the
 triumph of the ,federal cause that we  
all have4 ,they have contributed their  
share of men to the fleets and armies of
 the ,republic1 and to the rolls on     
which are inscribed the names of the    
gallant dead4 ,many of our best generals
 formerly belonged to the ,democratic   
organization1 and they may still hold   
,democratic opinions on common politics4

 ,why1 then1 object to the ,democratic  
party being replaced in power8 ,because 
that would be a restoration1 and it is a
 truism that a restoration is of all    
things the worst thing that can befall a
 country in times of civil commotion4   
,if it could be settled beyond          
controversy that the ,democratic party1 
should it be restored1 would be governed
 by those of its members who have done  
their duty to their country in every    
way1 no objection could be made to its  
coming again into possession of the     
,national ,government4 ,but we know that
 nothing of the kind would take place4  
,the most violent members of the        
,democratic party would govern that     
party1 and dictate its policy and course
 of action1 were it to triumph in the   
pending political contest4 ,we wish for 
no better proof of this than is afforded
 by the conduct of ,democratic          
conventions for some time past4 ,the    
last convention of the ,new-,hampshire  
,democracy gave utterance to sentiments 

not essentially differing from those    
which were proclaimed by the supporters 
of ,mr4 ,vallandigham in ,ohio4         
,unwarned by the fate of the ,ohio      
,democrats1 the representatives of the  
,new-,hampshire ,democracy assumed a    
position that virtually pledged their   
,state to make war on the ,federal      
,government1 should they succeed in     
electing ,mr4 ,harrington1 their        
candidate for ,governor4 ,the issue was 
distinctly made1 and the people of ,new 
,hampshire1 by a much larger majority   
than has usually marked the result of   
their ,state elections since the ,civil 
,war began1 reelected ,mr4 ,gillmore1   
who owed his first term of office to the
 ,legislature's action3 so great was the
 change wrought in one year4 ,this shows
 that some of the ,democratic voters are
 not prepared to follow their leaders to
 destruction4 ,so was it in             
,connecticut4 ,the ,democratic          
convention in that ,state exhibited a   
very strong feeling of disloyalty1 but  

the people rebuked its members by       
reelecting ,governor ,buckingham by a   
majority twice as large as that which he
 received last year4 ,here we have      
proofs1 that1 while the men who manage  
the ,democratic party are prepared to go
 all lengths in opposition to the       
,federal ,government1 they cannot carry 
all their ordinary followers with them1 
when they unhesitatingly avow their     
principles and purpose4 ,if they are so 
rabid1 when engaged in action that is   
simply preliminary to local elections1  
what might not be expected from them1   
should they find themselves intrusted   
with the charge of the ,national        
,government8 ,they would then behave in 
the most intolerant manner1 and would   
introduce into this country a system of 
proscription quite as bad as anything of
 the kind that was known to the ,romans 
as one of the most frightful            
consequences of their great civil       
contests4 ,this would lead to reaction1 
and every ,presidential election might  

be followed by deeds that would make our
 country a by-word1 a hissing1 and a    
reproach among the nations4 ,there would
 be an end to all those fine hopes that 
are entertained that we shall speedily  
recover from the effects of the war1 let
 peace once be restored4 ,prosperity    
would never return to the land1 or would
 return only under the rule of some     
military despot1 whose ascendency would 
gladly be seen and supported by a people
 weary of uncertainty and danger1 and   
craving order above all things1--as the 
,french people submitted to the rule of 
,napoleon ,,iii41 because they believed 
him to be the man best qualified to     
protect themselves and their property   
against the designs of the ,socialists4 
,our constitutional polity would give   
way to a cannonarchy1 as every quietly  
disposed person would prefer the        
arbitrary government of one man to the  
organization of anarchy4 ,if we should  
escape from both despotism and anarchy1 
it would be at the price of national    

destruction4 ,every great ,state would  
set up for itself1 while smaller ,states
 that are neighbors would form          
themselves into confederacies4 ,there   
would come to exist a dozen nations     
where but one now exists1--for we leave 
the ,southern ,confederacy aside in this
 consideration4 ,that ,confederacy1     
however1 would become the greatest power
 in ,north ,america4 ,not only would it 
hold together1 but it would at once     
acquire the ,border ,states1 where      
slavery would be more than restored1 for
 there it would be made as powerful an  
interest as it was in ,south ,carolina  
and ,mississippi but four years ago4    
,war has welded the ,southern           
,confederacy together1 and in face of   
our breaking-up its rulers would have   
the strongest possible inducement to    
keep their ,republic united1 because    
they would then hope to conquer most of 
the ,free ,states1 and to confer upon   
them the blessings of the servile system
 of labor4  ,it is sometimes said1 that1

 if the ,democratic party should resume 
the rule of this nation1 the            
,confederates1 or ,rebels1 would signify
 their readiness to return into the     
,union1 on the simple condition that    
things should be allowed to assume the  
forms they bore prior to ,mr4 ,lincoln's
 election4 ,they rebelled against the   
men who came into power through the     
political decision that was made in     
#ahfj2 and1 the ,american people having 
reversed that decision by restoring the 
,democracy1 the cause of their rebellion
 having been removed1 rebellion itself  
would cease as of course4 ,were this    
view of the subject indisputably sound1 
it would ill become the ,american to    
surrender to the men who assume that the
 decision of an election1 this way or   
that1 affords sufficient reason for a   
resort to arms4 ,we should hold our     
existence as a nation by the basest of  
tenures1 were we to admit the monstrous 
doctrine that only one party is         
competent to govern the ,republic1 and  

that there is an appeal from the        
decision of the ballot to that of the   
bayonet4 ,there never existed a great   
people so craven as to make such an     
admission2 and were we to set the       
example of making it1 we should justify 
all that has been said adversely to us  
by domestic traitors and foreign foes4  
,we should prove that we were unfit to  
enjoy that greatest of all public       
blessings1 constitutional freedom1 by   
surrendering it at the demand of a      
faction1 merely that we might live in   
security1 and enjoy the property we had 
accumulated4 ,ancient history mentions a
 people who were so fond of their ease  
that they placed all power in the hands 
of their slaves1 on condition that the  
latter should not meddle with those     
pleasures to the unbroken pursuit of    
which they purposed devoting all their  
means and time4 ,the slaves soon became 
masters1 and the masters slaves4 ,we    
should fare as badly as the ,volsinians1
 were we to place all power in the hands

 of slaveholders1 who then would own    
some millions of white bondmen1 far     
inferior in every manly quality to those
 dark-faced chattels from among whom the
 ,union has recruited some of its       
bravest and most unselfish champions4   
,but there is no ground1 none whatever1 
for believing that the ,rebels would    
cease to be ,rebels1 if there should be 
a ,democratic restoration effected4 ,not
 even the election of ,mr4 ,buchanan to 
a second ,presidential term would lead  
them to abandon their purpose3 and he   
was their most useful tool in #ahfj1 and
 without his assistance they could not  
have made one step in the road to       
rebellion1 or ruin4 ,their purpose is to
 found a new nation1 as they have never 
hesitated to avow1 with a frankness that
 is as commendable as the cause in which
 it is evinced is abominable4 ,they     
would be glad to see a ,democrat chosen 
our next ,president1 because they would 
expect from him an acknowledgment of    
their independence2 but they would no   

more lay down their arms at his entreaty
 than they would at the command of a    
,president of ,republican opinions4     
,their arms can be forced from their    
hands1 but there exists no man who      
could1 from any position1 induce them to
 surrender1 or come back into the ,union
 on any terms4 ,they mean to abide the  
wager of battle1 and are more likely to 
be moved from their purpose by the bold 
actions of ,general ,grant than by the  
blandest words of the smoothest-tongued 
,democrat in ,america4 ,to any mere     
persuader1 no matter what his place or  
his opinions1 they would turn an ear as 
deaf as that of the adder1--refusing to 
listen to the voice of the charmer1     
charm he never so wisely4  ,as there    
should be no change made in the         
political character of the ,government1 
so there should be none in the men who  
compose it4 ,to place power in new      
hands1 at a time like the present1 would
 be as unwise as it would be to raise a 
new army for the purpose of fighting the

 numerous1 well-trained1 and zealous    
force which the ,rebels have organized  
with the intention of making a desperate
 effort to reestablish their affairs4   
,there is no reason for supposing that a
 change would give us wiser or better   
men1 and it is certain that they would  
be inexperienced men1 should they all be
 as many ,solomons or ,solons4 ,as we   
are situated1 it is men of experience   
that we require to administer the       
,government2 and out of the present     
,administration it is impossible to find
 men of the kind of experience that is  
needed at this crisis of the nation's   
career4 ,the errors into which we fell  
in the early days of the contest were   
the effect of want of experience2 and it
 would be but to provide for their      
repetition1 were we to call a new       
,administration into existence4 ,the    
people understand this1 and hence the   
very general expression of opinion in   
favor of the reelection of ,president   
,lincoln1 whose training through four   

most terrible years--years such as no   
other ,president ever knew--will have   
qualified him to carry on the           
,government during a second term to the 
satisfaction of all unselfish men4 ,mr4 
,lincoln's honesty is beyond question1  
and we need an honest man at the head of
 the nation now more than ever4 ,that   
the ,rebels object to him is a          
recommendation in the eyes of loyal men4
 ,the substitution of a new man would   
not dispose them to submission1 and they
 would expect to profit from that       
inevitable change of policy which would 
follow from a change of men4 ,as to the 
one-term principle1 we never held it in 
much regard2 and we are less disposed to
 approve it now than we should have     
been1 had peace been maintained4 ,were  
the ,president elected for six or eight 
years1 it might be wise to amend the    
,constitution so as to prevent the      
reelection of any man2 but while the    
present arrangement shall exist1 it     
would not be wise to insist upon a      

complete change of ,government every    
four years4 ,to hold out the ,presidency
 as a prize to be struggled for by new  
men at every national election is to    
increase the troubles of the country4   
,among the causes of the ,civil ,war the
 ambition to be made ,president must be 
reckoned4 ,every politician has carried 
a term at the ,white ,house in his      
portfolio1 as every ,french conscript   
carries a marshal's baton in his        
knapsack2 and the disappointments of so 
many aspirants swelled the number of the
 disaffected to the proportions of an   
army1 counting all who expected office  
as the consequence of this man's or that
 man's elevation to the ,presidency4    
,were there no other reason for desiring
 the reelection of ,president ,lincoln1 
the fact that it would be the first step
 toward a return to the rule that       
obtained during the first half-century  
of our national existence under the     
existing ,constitution should suffice to
 make us all advocates of his nomination

 for a second term4 ,that the ,baltimore
 ,convention will meet next month1 and  
that it will place ,mr4 ,lincoln once   
more before the ,american people as a   
candidate for their suffrages1 are facts
 now as fully established as anything   
well can be that depends upon the       
future2 and that he will be reelected   
admits of no doubt4 ,the popular voice  
designates him as the man of the time   
and the occasion1 and the action of the 
,convention will be nothing beyond a    
formal process1 that shall give regular 
expression to a public sentiment which  
is too strong to be denied1 and which   
will be found of irresistible force4    
99       99       99       99       99  
,,reviews ,,and ,,literary ,,notices4   
,industrial ,biography3 ,iron-,workers  
and ,tool-,makers4 ,by ,,samuel         
,,smiles1 ,author of ,self-,help1 ,brief
 ,biographies1 and ,life of ,george     
,stephenson4 ,boston3 ,ticknor  ,fields4
  ,the history of iron is the history of
 civilization4 ,the rough1 shapeless ore

 that lies hidden in the earth folds in 
its unlovely bosom such fate and fortune
 as the haughtier sheen of silver1 gleam
 of gold1 and sparkle of diamond may    
illustrate1 but are wholly impotent to  
create4 ,rising from his undisturbed    
repose of ages1 the giant1 unwieldy1    
swart1 and huge of limb1 bends slowly   
his brawny neck to the yoke of man1 and 
at his bidding becomes a nimble servitor
 to do his will4 ,subtile as thought1   
rejoicing in power1 no touch is too     
delicate for his perception1 no service 
too mighty for his strength4 ,tales of  
faerie1 feats of magic1 pale before the 
simple story of his every-day labor1 or 
find in his deeds the facts which they  
but faintly shadowed forth4 ,and waiting
 upon his transformation1 a tribe       
becomes a nation1 a race of savages     
rises up philosophers1 artists1         
gentlemen4  ,commerce1 science1 warfare 
have their progress and their           
vicissitudes2 but underneath them all1  
unnoted1 it may be1 or treated to a     

superficial and perhaps supercilious    
glance1 yet mainspring and regulator of 
all1 runs an iron thread1 true thread of
 ,fate1 coiling around the limbs of man1
 and impeding all progress1 till he     
shall have untwisted its ,gordian knot1 
but bidding him forward from strength to
 strength with each successive release4 
,no romance of court or camp surpasses  
the romance of the forge4 ,a blacksmith 
at his anvil seems to us a respectable1 
but not an eminently heroic person2 yet1
 walking backward along the past by the 
light which he strikes from the glowing 
metal beneath his hand1 we shall fancy  
ourselves to be walking in the true     
heroic age4 ,kings and warriors have    
brandished their swords right royally1  
and such splendor has flashed from      
,excalibur and ,morglay that our dazzled
 eyes have scarcely discerned the brawny
 smith who not only stood in the        
twilight of the background and fashioned
 with skilful hand the blade which      
radiates such light1 but passed through 

all the land1 changing huts into houses1
 houses into homes1 and transforming    
into a garden by his skill the          
wilderness which had been rescued by the
 sword4 ,vigorous brains1 clear eyes1   
sturdy arms have wrought out1 not       
without blood1 victories more potent1   
more permanent1 more heroic1 than those 
of the battle-field4  ,such books as    
this under consideration give us only   
materials for the great epic of iron1   
but with such materials we can make our 
own rhythm and harmony4 ,from the feeble
 beginning of the savage1 rejoicing in  
the fortunate possession of two old     
nails1 and deriving a sufficient income 
from letting them out to his neighbors  
for the purpose of boring holes1 down to
 the true ,thor's hammer1 so tractable  
to the master's hand that it can chip   
without breaking the end of an egg in a 
glass on the anvil1 crack a nut without 
touching the kernel1 or strike a blow of
 ten tons eighty times in a minute1 we  
have a steady onward movement4          

,prejudice builds its solid breakwaters2
 ignorance1 inability1 clumsiness1 and  
awkwardness raise such obstacles as they
 can2 but the delay of a century is but 
a moment4 ,slowly and surely the waters 
rise till they sweep away all obstacles1
 overtop all barriers1 and plunge       
forward again with ever accelerating    
force4 ,the record of iron is at once a 
record of our glory and of our          
humiliation1--a record of marvellous1   
inborn1 ,god-given genius1 reaching     
forth in manifold directions to compass 
most beneficent ends1 but baffled1      
thwarted1 fiercely and persistently     
resisted by obstinacy1 blindness1 and   
stupidity1 and gaining its ends1 if it  
gain them at all1 only by address the   
most sagacious1 courage the most        
invincible1 and perseverance the most   
untiring4 ,every great advance in       
mechanical skill has been met by the    
determined hostility of men who fancied 
their craft to be in danger4 ,an        
invention which enabled a hand of iron  

to do the work of fifty hands of flesh  
and blood was considered guilty of      
taking the bread from the thrice fifty  
mouths that depended on those hands'    
labor1 and was not unfrequently visited 
with the punishment due to such guilt4  
,no demonstrated fruitlessness of       
similar fears in the past served to     
allay fears for the future2 no          
inefficiency of brute force permanently 
to stay the enterprise of the mind      
prevented brute force from making its   
futile and sometimes fatal attempts4 ,it
 is no matter that increased facility of
 production has been attended by an     
increased demand for the product2 it is 
no matter that ingenuity has never been 
held permanently back from its carefully
 conned plans2 there have not been      
wanting men1 numerous1 ignorant1 and    
ignoble enough to collect in mobs1 raze 
workshops1 destroy machinery1 chase away
 inventors1 and fancy1 that1 so         
employed1 they have been engaged in the 
work of self-protection4  ,it is such   

indirect lessons as may be learned from 
these and other statements that give    
this book its chief value4 ,the         
interesting historical and mechanical   
information contained in its pages makes
 it indeed well worthy of perusal2 yet  
for that alone we should not take       
especial pains to set it before the     
people4 ,but its incidental teachings   
ought to be taken to heart by every man1
 and especially every mechanic1 who has 
any ambition or conscience beyond the   
exigencies of bread and butter4 ,lack of
 ambition is not an ,american fault1 but
 it is too often an ambition that       
regards irrelevant and factitious honors
 rather than those to which it may      
legitimately and laudably aspire4 ,a    
mechanic should find in the excellence  
of his mechanism a greater reward and   
satisfaction than in the wearing of a   
badge of office which any fifth-rate    
lawyer or broken-down man-of-business   
with influential friends may obtain1 and
 whose petty duties they may discharge  

quite as well as the first-rate         
mechanic4 ,the mechanic who is master of
 his calling need yield to none4 ,we    
would not have him like the ironmongers 
denounced by the old religious writer as
 heathenish in their manners1 puffed up 
with pride1 and inflated with worldly   
prosperity2 but we would have him       
mindful of his true dignity4 ,in the    
importance of the results which he      
achieves1 in the magnitude of the honors
 he may win1 in the genius he may employ
 and the skill he may attain1 no        
profession or occupation presents a more
 inviting field than his2 but it will   
yield fruits only to the good           
husbandman4 ,science and art give up    
their treasures only to him who is      
capable of enthusiasm and devotion4 ,he 
alone who magnifies his office makes it 
honorable4 ,whether he work in marble1  
canvas1 or iron1 the man who is content 
simply to follow his occupation1 and is 
not possessed by it1 may be an          
artificer1 but will not be an artist1   

nor ever wear the laurel on his brow4   
,he should be so enamored of his calling
 as to court it for its own charms4     
,invention is a capricious mistress1 and
 does not always bestow her favors on   
the most worthy4 ,men not a few have    
died in poverty1 and left a golden      
harvest to their successors2 yet the    
race is often enough to the swift1 and  
the battle to the strong1 to justify men
 in striving after strength and         
swiftness1 as well for the guerdon which
 they bring as for the jubilant         
consciousness which they impart4 ,and   
this1 at least1 is sure3 though merit   
may1 by some rare mischance1 be         
overlooked1 demerit has no opportunity  
whatever to gain distinction4 ,sleight  
of hand cannot long pass muster for     
skill of hand4 ,unswerving integrity1   
unimpeachable sincerity1 is the lesson  
constantly taught by the lives of these 
renowned mechanics4 ,the great secret1  
says one1 is to have the courage to be  
honest1--a spirit to purchase the best  

material1 and the means and disposition 
to do justice to it in the manufacture4 
,another1 remonstrated with for his high
 charges1 which were declared to be six 
times more than the price his employers 
had before been paying for the same     
articles1 could safely say1 ,that may   
be1 but mine are more than six times    
better4 ,a master of his profession is  
master of his employers4 ,maudslay's    
works1 we are told1 came to be regarded 
as a first-class school for mechanical  
engineers1 the ,oxford and ,cambridge of
 mechanics2 nor can ,oxford and         
,cambridge men be any prouder of their  
connection with their colleges than     
distinguished engineers of their        
connection with this famous school of   
,maudslay4 ,with such an esprit de corps
 what excellence have we not a right to 
expect8  ,we cannot forbear pointing out
 the ,aids to ,humility collected in    
this book from various quarters1 and    
presented to the consideration of the   
nineteenth century4 ,our boasted age of 

invention turns out1 after all1 to have 
been only gathering up what antiquity   
has let fall1--rediscovering and putting
 to practical account what the past     
discovered1 but could not1 or1 with     
miscalled dignity1 would not1 turn to   
the uses of common life4                
,steam-carriages1 hydraulic engines1    
diving-bells1 which we have regarded    
with so much complacency as our peculiar
 property1 worked their wonders in the  
teeming brain of an old monk who lived  
six hundred years ago4 ,printing1       
stereotypes1 lithography1 gunpowder1    
,colt's revolvers and ,armstrong guns1  
,congreve rockets1 coal-gas and         
chloroform1 daguerreotypes1             
reaping-machines1 and the electric      
telegraph are nothing new under the sun4
 ,hundreds of years ago the idea was    
born1 but the world was too young to    
know its character or prize its service1
 and so the poor little bantling was    
left to shiver itself to death while the
 world stumbled on as aforetime4 ,how   

many eras of birth there may have been  
we do not know1 but it was reserved for 
our later age to receive the young      
stranger with open arms1 and nourish his
 infant limbs to manly strength4 ,richly
 are we rewarded in the precision and   
power with which he performs our tasks1 
in the comfort with which he enriches1  
the beauty with which he adorns1 and the
 knowledge with which he ennobles our   
daily life4   ,the ,life and ,times of  
,john ,huss2 or1 ,the ,bohemian         
,reformation of the ,fifteenth ,century4
 ,by ,e4,h4 ,,gillett4 #b vols4 ,second 
,edition4 ,boston3 ,gould  ,lincoln4    
,the style of ,mr4 ,gillett is clear1   
manly1 and discriminating4 ,if1 in      
respect of show1 sparkle1 nervous       
energy1 verbal felicity1 and            
picturesqueness1 it is not equal to that
 of our chief ,american historians1 yet 
it is not deficient in ease1 grace1 or  
vigor4 ,he is almost always careful1    
always unambitious1 always in good      
taste4 ,to complain that the style is   

not equal to ,mr4 ,motley's1 simply on  
the ground that the book is large and   
the subject historical1 is grossly      
unfair4 ,mr4 ,gillett has not been eager
 for a place as a writer2 his story has 
more merit in the thing told than in the
 telling4 ,even with his want of ,german
 he has been thorough in the            
investigation of authorities2 and if he 
writes without enthusiasm1 his judgment 
carries the greater weight4 ,as a       
scholar and an historian1 as a man of   
candor and resources1 his name is an    
ornament to the ,presbyterian ministry1 
of which he is a member4  ,and yet the  
life of ,huss is not adapted to produce 
popular effect1 to show to striking     
advantage the charm of elaborate style1 
or to lift the hero himself into that   
upper light where his commonest deeds   
are dazzling and fascinating4 ,he had   
not the acumen1 the weight1 the         
learning1 the logical irresistibleness  
of ,calvin2 nor had he the great human  
sympathies1 the touch of earthiness1 yet

 not grossness1 which made ,luther so   
dear to his countrymen1 and which have  
imprinted a cordial geniality on the    
whole ,lutheran ,church4 ,john ,huss1   
though a man of learning1 the ,rector of
 a great and powerful ,university1      
though a true friend1 though a man of   
wide sympathies1 though an eloquent     
preacher1 and a most formidable enemy to
 the corruptions of the ,romish ,church1
 was yet a colorless character in       
comparison with some men who have become
 the objects of hero-worship4 ,there are
 few of those grand bursts which will   
always justify ,luther's reputation1    
nothing of that rich poetical vein of   
,luther's1 finding its twofold course in
 music and in poetry3 ,huss was         
comparatively dry1 and unenriched by    
those overflowings of a deep inner      
nature4 ,he is1 therefore1 rather the   
exponent of an age than a brilliant     
mark1--rather a type than a great1      
restless1 creative power4 ,his life was 
almost too saintly to be interesting in 

the popular sense2 and although he does 
emerge above his age1 yet it is not as  
the advocate of an idea1 as ,luther was1
 nor of a great system1 as ,calvin was1 
nor as a man fearless of kings and      
queens1 as ,knox was2 his life1 rather1 
was a continued protest against sin in  
the high places of the ,church4 ,though 
in him there appear glimpses of a       
clearer doctrine than that of his age1  
yet they do not come to a full          
expression2 it is the pride of pontiffs1
 the debaucheries of priests1 the grasp 
after place and power and wealth by     
those who claim to follow the meek and  
holy ,one1 which provoke his fiercest   
invective4  ,mr4 ,gillett has1          
therefore1 done a good service in       
subordinating the story of ,john ,huss  
to the history of his age4 ,his work is 
strictly entitled1 ,the ,bohemian       
,reformation of the ,fifteenth ,century4
 ,that period has heretofore been almost
 a blank in our ecclesiastical records4 
,the blank is now filled4 ,it was a     

period of great beginnings4 ,germany was
 silent then2 but ,wycliffe in ,england1
 and ,huss1 with his predecessors1      
,waldhauser1 ,milicz1 and ,peter of     
,dresden1 in ,bohemia1 were even then   
causing the ,papal power1 rent as it was
 with its internal dissensions1 to      
tremble as before approaching death4    
,the story of that impotent rage which  
sought to purchase life and safety for  
the ,romish ,church by the murder of    
,huss and of ,jerome of ,prague is      
instructive1 if it is not pleasing4 ,the
 truth was too true to be spoken4 ,never
 has the ,church of ,rome1 in its       
inquisitorial madness1 been so blinded  
with fury and passion as then4 ,weakened
 by internal feuds1 with two ,popes     
struggling and hurling anathemas at each
 other1 and with a priesthood at its    
lowest point1 not of ignorance1 but of  
carnality1 it seemed in peril of utter  
extinction4 ,its own boldest and ablest 
men were among its most outspoken       
accusers2 and no words stronger or more 

cutting were spoken by ,huss than by    
,gerson and ,clemangis4 ,but ,huss      
committed the common mistake of         
reformers4 ,he put himself outside of   
the body to be reformed4 ,he allowed his
 spirit to fret against the evils of his
 times so madly that he would fain have 
put himself outside of the circumstances
 of his age4 ,this wiser men than he1   
men no loss ardent1 but more            
calculating1 never would do4 ,in the    
city of ,constance itself1 during the   
sittings of the great ,council which    
condemned ,huss to death1 sermons were  
preached more bitterly reproachful of   
the pride of the ,pontiffs and the      
corruption of the ,church than the words
 of any of the men who put themselves   
beyond its pale1 and addressed it as    
your ,church1 instead of speaking of it 
as ours4 ,and while the dignitaries of  
that corrupt body dared not lay a finger
 upon their more pure1 prophetic1 and   
sharply accusing brethren1 they made men
 like ,huss and ,jerome of ,prague the  

doubly burdened and tortured victims of 
their rage4  ,much of the interest of   
these volumes is owing to the prominence
 given to ,wycliffe1 and his            
contemporaneous work in ,england4 ,it is
 strange1 indeed1 that in those early   
days1 before ,europe was crossed with   
its net-works1 not of railways1 but of  
post-roads even1 the land which inclosed
 the fountains that fed the ,elbe1 eight
 hundred miles above ,hamburg1 was      
closely bound to that distant island1   
four hundred miles beyond ,hamburg1 on  
the western side of the ,german ,ocean4 
,but a royal marriage in ,england had   
united that kingdom to ,bohemia1 and    
,wycliffe's name was a household word in
 the lecture-rooms of ,prague1 and      
,wycliffe's books were well worn in its 
libraries4 ,the great work of           
preparation1 the preliminary stirring-up
 of men's minds1 by both of these great 
reformers1 is hardly realized by us4    
,but words had been spoken which could  
not die in a hundred years1 and the     

public temper had been thrown into a    
glow which could not cool in a century4 
,the ,morning ,star of the ,reformation 
found its twin lighting up the dark     
ravines of ,bohemia1 and when they twain
 arose the day had begun to break4 ,the 
,reformation did not begin with ,luther4
 ,the elements had been made plastic to 
his touch2 all was ready for his skilful
 hand to mould them into the symmetry of
 the ,great ,reformation4 ,the armies of
 the ,lord had enlisted man by man      
before he came2 it was for his clarion  
blast to marshal them in companies and  
battalions1 and lead them to the battle4
 ,we must again thank ,mr4 ,gillett for 
his timely1 serviceable book4 ,it is    
never unprofitable to look back and see 
who have kept the sacred fire of        
,christianity burning when it seemed in 
danger of extinguishment4 ,and in that  
fifteenth century its flames certainly  
burned low4 ,whenever the ,church is on 
the side of aristocratic power1 whenever
 it is a conservative and not a radical 

and progressive force in an evil age1   
when the forces of ,satan are in power1 
the men are truly worthy of immortality 
who go out to meet death in behalf of   
,christ and the religion of meekness and
 purity and universal love4 ,such was   
,john ,huss4 ,he ought never to have    
suffered himself to be driven from the  
,church1 and when he did so1 he         
committed the unceasing mistake of      
reformers1 among whom ,wesley and       
,zinzendorf stand as the two marked     
exceptions2 but for rectitude1 zeal1 and
 a thorough consecration to the great   
interests of ,christ1 he merits an even 
more sumptuous memorial than this       
excellent book4   ,sordello1 ,strafford1
 ,christmas-,eve and ,easter-,day4 ,by  
,,robert ,,browning4 ,boston3 ,ticknor  
,fields4  ,in his dedication to the new 
edition of ,sordello1 ,mr4 ,browning    
says1--,i lately gave time and pains to 
turn my work into what the many         
might--instead of what the few          
must--like2 but1 after all1 ,i imagined 

another thing at first1 and therefore   
leave as ,i find it4  ,this1 on the     
whole1 he has done2 for1 though a prose 
heading runs before every page1 with a  
knowing wink to the reader1 the mystery 
is not cleared up4 ,as the view         
dissolves with every turn of a leaf1 the
 showman says1 confidentially1--,now you
 shall see how a poet's soul comes into 
play1--how he succeeds a little1 but    
fails more1--tries again1 is no better  
satisfied1--      ,because perceptions  
whole1 like that he sought     ,to      
clothe1 reject so pure a work of thought
     ,as language3 thought may take     
perception's place1     ,but hardly     
coexist in any case1     ,being its mere
 presentment1--of the whole     ,by     
parts1 the simultaneous and the sole    
,by the successive and the many4 ,lacks 
,the crowd perception8  ,we fear so2 at 
any rate1 the exhibition fails1 because 
the showman cannot furnish brains to his
 commentary4 ,the man who can read      
,sordello is little helped by these     

headings1 and the man who cannot is soon
 distracted by continual disappointment4
 ,we think he will end by reading only  
the headings4 ,and they doubtless are   
the best for him4 ,otherwise1 under the 
cerebral struggle to perceive how the   
prose interprets the poetry1 he might   
become the idiot that ,douglas ,jerrold 
exclaimed that he was at his first trial
 of ,sordello4  ,there has been a       
careful overhauling of the punctuation1 
with benefit to the text4 ,many lines   
have been altered1 sometimes to the     
comfort of the reader2 and about a      
hundred fresh lines have been           
interpolated here and there1 to the     
weakening1 we think1 of the dramatic    
vigor of nearly every place that is thus
 handled4 ,many readers will1 however1  
find this compensated by an increased   
clearness of the sense4 ,on page #aca   
7page #aeb1 first edition7 there is an  
improved manipulation of the simile of  
the dwarf palm2 and four lines before   
the last one on page #adg 7page #aga1   

first edition7 lighten up the thought4  
,so there are eight lines placed to     
advantage after ,sordello1 wake6 on page
 #aeb 7page #agf74 ,but1 on the whole1  
what ,mr4 ,browning first imagined      
cannot be tampered with1 and he must    
generously trust the elements of his own
 fine genius to do justice to his       
thought with all people who would not   
thank him to furnish an interpreter4    
,one day we argued earnestly for        
,browning with a man who said it was    
fatal to the poetry that it needed an   
argument1 and that he did not want to   
earn the quickening of his imagination  
by the sweat of his brow1--he could     
gather the same thought and beauty in   
less break-neck places1--all the profit 
was expended in mental gymnastics1--in  
short1      ,the man can't stoop     ,to
 sing us out1 quoth he1 a mere romance2 
,he'd fain do better than the best1     
enhance     ,the subjects' rarity1 work 
problems out     ,therewith3 now1 you're
 a bard1 a bard past doubt1     ,and no 

philosopher2 why introduce              
,crotchets like these8 fine1 surely1 but
 no use     ,in poetry1--which still    
must be1 to strike1     ,eased upon     
common sense2 there's nothing like      
,appealing to our nature6  ,find the    
rest of ,mr4 ,average's argument on page
 #fg4  ,these objections to the poetry  
of ,mr4 ,browning1 which the dense1     
involved1 and metaphysical treatment of 
,sordello first suggested to the public1
 are made to apply to all his subsequent
 writings4 ,we concede that ,sordello   
over-refines1 and that1 after reading   
it1 who would has heard ,sordello's     
story told1 but who would not and could 
not has probably not heard it4 ,the very
 time of the poem1 which is put several 
centuries back amid the scenery of the  
,guelph and ,ghibelline feuds1 as if to 
make the struggle of a humane and poetic
 soul to grow1 to become recognized1 to 
find a place and purpose1 seem still    
more premature1 puzzles the reader with 
remote allusions1 with names that belong

 to obscure ,italian narrative1 with    
motives and events that require         
historical analysis4 ,the poem is       
impatient with those very things which  
make the environment of the bard        
,sordello1 and treats them in curt      
lines4 ,a character is jammed into a    
sentence1 like a witch into a snuff-box1
 the didactic parts grow metaphysical1  
and the life of ,sordello does not fuse 
the events of the poem into one long    
rhythm4 ,he thinks and dreams apart1 and
 ,palma's ambition for him is an aside1 
and the events swing their arms and     
strike fiery and cruel blows with       
,sordello absent4 ,considering ,mr4     
,browning's intent1 there is a fine     
poetic success in this very fault of the
 poem1 but it is not a plain one1 and is
 an after-thought of the critic4 ,the   
numerous splendid pages in ,sordello do 
nothing towards making one complete     
impression which cannot be evaded4      
,naddo1 the genius-haunter1 would       
complain1 that1 in struggling out       

towards these aisles of beauty1 he had  
seriously compromised his clothing in   
the underbrush4  ,but the faults which  
characterize ,sordello are not prevalent
 in the subsequent writings which are   
loosely accused of them4 ,they become   
afterwards exceptional1 they vein here  
and there the surface1 and ,mr4 ,average
 stumbles over them and proceeds no     
farther4 ,still1 ,mr4 ,browning's verse 
is not easy reading4 ,he is economical  
of words to the point of harmony2 but   
what a hypocrite he would be1 if he used
 more6 ,he brings you meaning1 if you   
bring him mind2 and there is ,tupper    
outside1 if you don't care to trouble   
yourself4 ,in saying this we are not    
arrogant at all1 for there is a large   
and widening sympathy with ,mr4         
,browning's thought4 ,perhaps a whole   
generation of readers will fretfully    
break itself upon his style1 and pass   
away1 before the mind hails with ease   
his merits4 ,but is ,shakspeare's verse 
easy reading8 ,not to this day1 in spite

 of his level of common sense1 the      
artlessness of his passion1 and the     
broad simplicity of a great imagination1
 that causeth its sun to shine on the   
evil and the good4 ,it was easy reading 
to ,ben ,jonson1 to ,milton1 and to     
,chapman2 it took ,eliza and our ,james2
 it had more theatrical success than the
 scholarly plays of ,jonson3 but two or 
three centuries have exhausted neither  
his commentators nor the subtile parts  
that need a comment4 ,a good deal of    
,shakspeare is read1 but the rest is    
caviare to the multitude4 ,we need not  
comfort ourselves on the facility with  
which we take his name in vain4 ,we     
venture to say that the whole of        
,shakspeare's thought is inwardly tasted
 by as many people as enjoy the subtilty
 of ,robert ,browning4 ,shakspeare has  
broader places over which the waters    
lie1 sweet and warm1 to tempt disporting
 crowds1 and places deep as human       
nature1 upon whose brink the            
pleasure-seekers peer and shudder4 ,but 

if ,mr4 ,browning had a theatrical      
ability equal to his dramatic1 and were 
content to exhibit a greater number of  
the stock-figures of humanity1 men would
 say that here again they had love that 
maddened and grief that shattered1      
murdering ambition1 humorous weakness1  
and imagination that remarries man and  
,nature4  ,mr4 ,browning's literary and 
artistic allusions prevent a ready      
appreciation of his genius4 ,sordello   
needs a key4 ,how many friends1 elect   
chiefly for love1 have spent time       
burrowing in encyclopaedias1 manuals of 
history1 old biographies1 dictionaries  
of painting1 and the like1 for          
explanations of the remote knowledge    
which ,mr4 ,browning uses as if it had  
been left at the door with the morning  
paper6 ,on the very first page1 who is  
,pentapolin1 named o' the ,naked ,arm8  
,if a man had just read ,don ,quixote1  
he might single out ,pentapolin4        
,taurello and ,ecelin were not          
familiar1--nor the politics of ,verona1 

,padua1 ,ferrara1 six hundred years ago4
 ,there was not a lively sympathy with  
,sordello himself4 ,who were the ,pisan 
pair8 ,lanzi's pages were turned up to  
discover4 ,and ,greek scholars          
recognized the ,loxian4 ,but any reader 
might be pardoned for not at once       
divining that the double rillet of      
minstrelsy1 on page #cg1 was the        
,troubadour and the ,trouvere1 nor for  
refusing to read pages #aee and #aef    
without a tolerable outfit of           
information upon the historical points  
and personages there catalogued4  ,there
 are not a few pages that appear like a 
long stretch of prose suddenly broken up
 and jammed in the current2 some of the 
ends stick out1 some have gone under1   
the sense has grown hummocky1 and the   
reader's whole faculty turns to picking 
his way4 ,take1 for instance1 page #ie1 
of which we have prepared a translation1
 but considerately withhold it4  ,but   
turn now to the famous marble font1     
sculptured afresh in those perfect lines

 which begin at the middle of page #af1 
with the picture of the ,castle ,goito  
and the maple-panelled room4 ,here the  
boy ,sordello comes every eve1 to visit 
the marble standing in the midst1 to    
watch the mute penance of the           
,caryatides1 who flush with the dawn of 
his imagination4 ,read the description  
of his childhood1 from page #be1 and the
 delights of his opening fancy3--       
,he e'er-festooning every interval1     
,as the adventurous spider1 making light
     ,of distance1 shoots her threads   
from depth to height1     ,from barbican
 to battlement2 so flung     ,fantasies 
forth and in their centre swung     ,our
 architect1--the breezy morning fresh   
,above1 and merry1--all his waving mesh 
,laughing with lucid dew-drops          
rainbow-edged4  ,all these pages are    
filled with poetry2 the reflective      
element does not dominate severely4     
,bordello's youthful genius craves      
sympathy1 and he finds it by investing  
,nature with fanciful forms and         

attributes4 ,he is ,apollo1--that shall 
be the name4 ,how he ransacks the world 
for his youth's outfit1 as he climbs the
 ravine in the ,june weather1 and       
emerges into the forest1 which tries old
 surprises on him1 amid which he        
lingers1 deep in the stratagems of his  
own fancy1 till      aloft would hang   
,white summer-lightnings2 as it sank and
 sprang     ,to measure1 that whole     
palpitating breast     ,of heaven1 't   
was ,apollo1 ,nature prest     ,at eve  
to worship4  ,then comes a portrait of  
,palma1 done with ,titian's brush and   
manner4 ,as we turn the leaves where    
favorite passages lie brilliantly       
athwart the faded politics of an old    
story1 we are tempted to try spinning   
its thread again for the sake of holding
 up these lines1 which are among the    
most delicate and sumptuous that ,mr4   
,browning ever wrote4 ,but room is at   
present dear as paper4 ,only turn1 for  
instance1 to pages #ci-de1 #gb-gd1 the  
picturesque scenes on pages #hd1 #he1   

the opening of ,book ,,iv41             
,salinguerra's portrait1 like an old    
picture of ,florence1 on page #abg1 and 
lines single and by the half-dozen      
everywhere4  ,the tragedy of ,strafford 
is one of ,mr4 ,browning's earliest     
compositions4 ,it was once placed upon  
the stage by ,mr4 ,macready1 but it is  
no more of an acting play than all the  
other pieces of ,mr4 ,browning1 and is  
too political to be good reading4 ,the  
characters seem to be merely reporting  
the condition of parties under ,charles 
,i42 this and the struggle of the ,king 
with the ,parliament are told1 but are  
not represented1 the passions of the    
piece belong too exclusively to the     
caucus and the council-chamber1 and even
 the way in which the ,king sacrifices  
,strafford does not dramatically appear4
 ,in the last act1 there is much        
tenderness in the contrast of           
,stratford's doom with the              
unconsciousness of his children1 and    
pathos in his confidence to the last    

moment that the ,king will protect him4 
,the dialogue is generally too abrupt   
and exclamatory4 ,vane speaks well on   
page #bbb1 and ,hampden on page #bca1   
and there are two good scenes between   
,charles and ,strafford1 where the      
,king's irresolution appears against the
 ,earl's devotedness4 ,the closing scene
 of ,act ,,iv4 has the dramatic form1   
but it is interfused with mere civil    
commotion instead of color1 and the     
motive is a transient one1 important    
only to the historian4 ,but we need not 
multiply words over that one of all his 
compositions which ,mr4 ,browning       
probably now respects the least4        
,christmas-,eve and ,easter-,day is a   
beautiful poem1 filled with thought1    
humor1 and imagination4 ,the mythical   
theory of ,strauss was never so well    
analyzed as in the tilting lines from   
page #cec to #cfa4 ,and there is good   
theology in this3--      ,take all in a 
word3 the truth in ,god's breast        
,lies trace for trace upon ours         

impressed2     ,though ,he is so bright 
and we so dim1     ,we are made in ,his 
image to witness ,him2     ,and were no 
eye in us to tell1     ,instructed by no
 inner sense1     ,the light of heaven  
from the dark of hell1     ,that light  
would want its evidence1 etc4  ,naddo   
will doubtless tell us that this poem is
 not built broadly on the human heart2  
there is too much discussion about the  
difficulty of becoming a ,christian1 and
 the subtile genius flits so quickly    
through the lines that an ordinary      
butterfly-net does not catch it4 ,that  
is well for the genius4 ,but we are of  
opinion that the human heart will always
 find in this great poem the solemn and 
glorious things that belong to it1 and  
more and more so as new and clearer     
thought is born into the world to read  
it4 ,it is no more difficult to read    
than ,paradise ,lost1 while its scenery 
is less conventional1 and the longings  
of a religious heart are taken by a bold
 imagination into serene and starry     

skies4   ,a ,history of the             
,intellectual ,development of ,europe4  
,by ,,john ,,william ,,draper1 ,m4,d41  
,,ll4,d4 ,new ,york3 ,harper  ,brothers4
  ,water and the science of ,physiology 
are both good things4 ,but water is one 
thing to drink1 and another to be       
drowned in4 ,in like manner1 though     
,physiology is a large and noble science
 and a yet larger symbol1 furnishing    
analogies to the thinker quite as often 
as uses to the medical doctor1          
nevertheless1 ,physiology in the form of
 a deluge1 overflowing1 swamping1       
drowning almost everything else1 and    
leaving only ,body1 the sole ark1       
afloat1--this is a gift which we are    
able to receive with a gratitude not by 
any means unspeakable4 ,and such1 very  
nearly1 is the contribution to modern   
thought which the author of the above   
work endeavors to make4 ,he holds       
,physiology to be coextensive with ,man1
 and would prove the fact by including  
,history in its laws4  ,in truth1       

however1 it is a pretty thin sort of    
,physiology to which this extension is  
to be given1--resembling water in this  
respect also4 ,our physiological        
philosopher seeks to prove 7in #fca     
octavo pages7 that there are in history 
five perpetually recurring epochs1      
answering--the reader will please       
consider--to the ,infancy1 ,childhood1  
,youth1 ,maturity1 and ,old ,age of the 
individual body4 ,so much1 therefore1 as
 one would know concerning ,physiology  
in its application to the individual    
body1 in virtue of being aware that men 
pass from infancy to age1 thus much does
 ,dr4 ,draper propose to teach his      
readers concerning the said science in  
its application to ,history4 ,add now   
that his induction rests almost wholly  
on two main instances1 of which one is  
yet incomplete6 ,should one1 therefore1 
say that his logic is somewhat          
precipitate1 and his science somewhat   
lacking in matter1 he would appear not  
to prefer a wholly groundless charge4   

,were ,dr4 ,draper simply giving a      
,history of the ,intellectual           
,development of ,europe1 he could1 of   
course1 relate only such facts as exist2
 and should it appear that this history 
has but two cycles1 one of them         
incomplete1 he would be under no        
obligation to make more4 ,but such is   
not the case4 ,his history is purely a  
piece of polemic4 ,his aim is to        
establish a formula for all history1    
past1 present1 and to come2 and1 in this
 view1 the paucity of instances on which
 his induction rests becomes worthy of  
comment4  ,and this disproportion       
between induction and conclusion becomes
 still more glaring1 when it is observed
 that he expects his formula for all    
history to carry an inference much      
larger than itself4 ,dr4 ,draper is     
devoted to a materialistic philosophy1  
and his moving purpose is to propagate  
this4 ,he holds that ,psychology must be
 an inference from ,physiology1--that   
the whole science of ,man is included in

 a science of his body4 ,his two        
perpetual aims are1 first1 to absorb all
 physical science in theoretical        
materialism1--second1 to absorb all     
history in physical science4 ,and beside
 the ambition of his aims one must say  
that his logic has an air of            
slenderness4  ,this work1 then1 may be  
described as a review of ,european      
history1 written in obedience to two    
primary and two secondary assumptions1  
as follows3--  ,primary ,assumptions3   
,first1 that man is fully determined by 
his corporeal organization2 second1 that
 all corporeal organizations1 with their
 whole variety and character1 are due   
solely to external situations4          
,secondary ,assumptions3 ,first1 that   
physical science 7under submission to   
materialistic interpretations7 is the   
only satisfactory intellectual result in
 history1 being the only pure product of
 reason2 second1 that reason alone      
represents the adult stage of the human 
mind1--faith being simply immature      

mental action1 and inquiry belonging to 
a stage of intellect still less         
mature1--in fact1 to its mere           
childishness4  ,the position thus       
assigned to inquiry is very significant 
of the theoretic precipitancy which is  
one of ,dr4 ,draper's prominent         
characteristics4 ,his mind is afflicted 
with that disease which physicians call 
premature digestion4 ,inquiry1 which is 
the perpetual tap-root of science1 he   
separates wholly from science1          
stigmatizes it as the mere token of     
intellectual childhood2 and this not in 
the haste of an epithet or heat of a    
paragraph1 but as a fixed part of his   
scheme of history and of mind4 ,the     
reason is found in his own intellectual 
habits4 ,and the savage fury with which 
he plies his critical bludgeon upon     
,lord ,bacon is due1 not so much to that
 great man's infirmities1 nor even to   
his possession of intellectual qualities
 which our author cannot appreciate and 
must therefore disparage1 as to the     

profound consecration of ,inquiry1 which
 it was one grand aim of his life to    
make4  ,his assumptions made1 ,dr4      
,draper proceeds to break and train     
history into their service1 much after  
the old fashion of breaking colts4      
,first1 he mounts the history of        
,greece4 ,and now what a dust6 ,what are
 centaurs to a savant on his hobby8 ,to 
see him among the mythic imaginations of
 the sweet old land6 ,he goes butting   
and plunging through them with the      
headiness of a he-goat1 another monster 
added to those of which antique fancy   
had prattled4  ,he has collected many   
facts respecting ancient thought1 7for  
his industry is laudable17 but the evil 
is that he has no real use for his facts
 when obtained4 ,think of finding in an 
elaborate ,history of the ,intellectual 
,development of ,europe no use for the  
,iliad and ,odyssey but that of         
bolstering up the proposition that there
 was in ,greece an age of unreasoning   
credulity6 ,it is like employing ,jove  

to turn a spit or to set up tenpins4    
,everywhere1 save in a single direction1
 and that of secondary importance with  
respect to antique thought1 he practises
 the same enormous waste of material4   
,socrates is a mere block in his way1   
which he treats with nothing finer than 
a crow-bar4 ,socrates had set a higher  
value on ethical philosophy1 derived    
from the consciousness of man1 than on  
physical science2 consequently1 ,dr4    
,draper's choice must be between        
treating him weakly and treating him    
brutally2 he chooses the latter1 and    
plays his role with vigor1--talks of his
 lecherous countenance1 and calls him   
infidel and hypocrite4 ,plato he treats 
with more respect1 but scarcely with    
more intelligence4 ,he makes an         
inventory of ,plato's opinions1 as a    
shopman might of his goods2 and does it 
with an air which says1 ,he who buys    
these gets cheated1 while occasionally  
be cannot help breaking out into an     
expression of impatience4 ,indeed1 not  

only ,plato1 but ,athens itself1        
represents to ,dr4 ,draper's mind the   
mere raw youth1 the mere ambitious      
immaturity of ,grecian intellect1       
amusing itself with faith because       
incapable of reason4 ,he finds its      
higher and only rational stage at       
,alexandria1 at ,syracuse1 or wherever  
results in physical science were        
attained4 ,in ,aristotle1 indeed1 he is 
able to have some complacency1 since the
 ,stagirite is in a degree              
physiological4 ,but this pleasure is    
partial1 for ,aristotle has the trick of
 eminent intelligences1 and must needs  
presently spread his pinions and launch 
forth into the great skies of           
speculation2 whereupon1 albeit he flies 
low1 almost touching the earth with the 
tips of his wings1 our physiological    
philosopher begins to pish and pshaw4   
,in his treatment of modern or          
post-,roman history1 ,dr4 ,draper goes  
over new ground in much the same spirit4
 ,he seems1 indeed1 nearer to his facts1

 deals more with actual life1 is more   
lively1 graphic1 engaging1 and has not  
that air of an intellectual shopman     
making an inventory4 ,considered as a   
general review of the history of        
,europe1 written chiefly in the interest
 of physical science1 but also in marked
 opposition to ,roman ,catholicism1 it  
might pass unchallenged and not without 
praise4 ,but considered as a final      
scientific interpretation of the last   
fifteen centuries1 its shortcomings are 
simply immeasurable4 ,the history of    
,europe1 from the fusion of the         
,christian ,impulse with ,roman         
imperialism to the time of ,columbus1   
,copernicus1 and ,luther1 is the history
 of a grand religious idealism          
established over men's heads in the form
 of an institution1 because too great to
 be held in solution by their thoughts4 
,of such a matter the writer in question
 could give no other than a very        
inadequate account4 ,wanting that which 
is highest in the reason of man1 namely1

 imaginative intellect1 he has no       
natural fitness for explaining such a   
fact2 while his unconsciousness of any  
such deficiency1 his persuasion that an 
imagination and a delusion are one and  
the same1 and his extreme dogmatic      
momentum cause him to handle it with all
 the confidence of commanding power4    
,considered1 again1 as a polemic to the 
point that history revolves forever     
through five recurring epochs1 and that1
 as our civilization has been now four  
centuries in the age of reason1 it must 
next 7and probably soon7 pass into the  
fifth stage1 that of decrepitude1 and   
thence into infantile credulity and     
imbecility once more1--as a             
demonstration that history is such a    
,sisyphus1 his induction is weak even to
 flimsiness4  ,but on approaching times 
yet more modern1 the dominating         
predilection of the writer no longer    
misleads him2 it guides him1 on the     
contrary1 to the truth4 ,for of the last
 four centuries the grand affirmative   

fact is the rise of physical science4   
,or rather1 perhaps1 one should say that
 it was the grand fact until some fifty 
years ago4 ,science is still making     
progress2 indeed1 leaving out of sight  
one or two great ,newtonian steps1 we   
may say that it is advancing more       
rapidly than ever4 ,but now at length   
its spiritual correlative begins to     
emerge1 and a new epoch forms itself1 as
 we fully believe1 in the history of    
humanity4  ,in celebrating this birth   
and growth of science1 in treating it as
 the central and commanding fact of     
modern times1 and in suggesting the vast
 modification of beliefs and habits of  
thought which this must effect1 ,dr4    
,draper has a large theme1 and he treats
 it con amore4 ,in this respect1 his    
book has value1 and is worth its cost to
 himself and his readers4 ,in some      
branches of science1 moreover1 as in    
,physiology1 and in questions of vital  
organization generally1 he is to be     
named among the authorities1 and we     

gladly attend when he raises his voice4 
,yet even in respect to this feature1   
his work cannot be praised without      
reserve4 ,though a man of scientific    
eminence1 yet in the pure and open      
spirit of science it is impossible for  
him to write4 ,he is a dogmatist1 a     
controversialist1 a propagandist4 ,no   
matter of what science he treats1 his   
exposition ever has an aim beyond       
itself4 ,it is always a means to an end2
 and that end is always a dogma4 ,for   
example1 he has written a work on ,human
 ,physiology2 and in the present volume 
he avows that his main object therein   
was to enforce the doctrine of the      
absolute dominion of physical agents    
over organic forms as the fundamental   
principle in all the sciences of        
organization4 ,this main object is no   
less dear to him in the work immediately
 under consideration4 ,he still teaches 
that the primitive cell1 with which1 it 
is supposed1 all organisms begin1 is in 
all the same1 but1 being placed in      

different situations1 is developed here 
into a man1 and there into a mushroom4  
,the offspring1 he says1 not without    
oracular twang1 is like its parent1 not 
because it includes an immortal typical 
form1 but because it is exposed in      
development to the same conditions as   
was its parent4 ,behold a cheap         
explanation of the mystery of life6 ,if 
one inquire how the vast variety of     
parental conditions was obtained1 ,dr4  
,draper is ready with his answer3--,a   
suitableness of external situation      
called them forth1 quoth he4 ,an        
explanation nebulous enough to be sage6 
,behold1 therefore1 a whole universe of 
life constructed by ,situations6        
,situations are the new ,elohim4 ,they  
say to each other1 ,let us make man2 and
 they do it6 ,but they cannot say1 ,let 
us make man in our own image2 for they  
have no image4 ,no matter3 they succeed 
all the same in giving one to man6      
,wonderful ,situations6 ,who will set up
 an altar to almighty ,situations8  ,we 

have ourselves a somewhat ,benjamite    
tongue for pronouncing the popular      
shibboleths1 but1 verily1 we would      
sooner try the crookedest of them all   
than endeavor to persuade ourselves that
 in a universe wherein no creative idea 
lives and acts external situations can  
call forth life and all its forms4 ,we  
can understand that a divine1 creative  
idea may develop itself under fixed     
conditions1 as the reproductive element 
in opposite sexes may1 under fixed      
conditions1 prove its resources2 but    
how1 in a universe devoid of any        
productive thought1 external situations 
can produce definite and animate forms1 
is1 to our feeble minds1                
incomprehensible4 ,verily1 therefore1 we
 will have nothing to do with these new 
gods4 ,the materialistic savans may cry 
,pagani at us1 if they will2 but we     
shall surely continue to kneel at the   
old altars1 unless something other than 
the said ,situations can be offered us  
in exchange4  ,we complain of ,dr4      

,draper that he does not write in the   
spirit of science1 but in the spirit of 
dogmatism4 ,we complain of him1 that1   
when he ostensibly attempts a piece of  
pure scientific exposition1 his thought 
always has a squint1 a boomerang        
obliquity2 it is afflicted with         
strabismus1 and never looks where it    
seems to look4 ,he approaches history   
only to subject it to the service of    
certain pet opinions already formed     
before his inspection of history began4 
,he seeks only to make it an instrument 
for the propagation of these4 ,he is a  
philosophical historian in the same     
sense that ,bossuet was a philosophical 
historian4 ,each of these seeks to      
subject history to a dogma4 ,the dogma  
of ,bossuet is ,papal ,catholicism2 that
 of ,dr4 ,draper is the creative        
supremacy of ,situations and the        
insignificance of man in the universe4  
,it is quite proper for ,dr4 ,draper to 
appear as a polemic in science1 if he   
will4 ,it is not advocacy per se of     

which we complain2 it is advocacy with a
 squint1 advocacy round a corner4 ,if he
 wishes to prove the creative efficacy  
of ,situations1 let him do so2 but let  
him not in doing so seem to be offering 
an impartial exposition of ,human       
,physiology4 ,if he wishes to prove that
 physical science is the only rational  
thing in the world1 he may try2 but let 
him not assume to be writing a history  
of intellectual development4 ,if he     
would convince us that history has      
epochs corresponding to those of        
individual life1 we will listen2 but we 
shall listen with impatience1 if it     
appear after all that he is merely      
seeking1 under cover of this            
proposition1 to further a low           
materialistic dogma1 and convince us of 
man's insignificance in the universe4   
,we are open to all reasonings4 ,any    
decent man1 who has honorably gone      
through with his ,pythagorean lustrum of
 silence and thought1 shall1 by our     
voice1 have his turn on the world's     

tribune2 and if he be honest1 he shall  
lose nothing by it4 ,but we hate        
indirections4 ,we hate the pretension   
implied in assuming to be an            
authoritative expounder1 when one is    
only an advocate4 ,and1 still further1  
we shall always resist any man's attempt
 to make his facts go for a great deal  
more than they are worth4 ,let him call 
his ten ten1 and it shall pass for ten2 
but if he insist on calling it a        
thousand1 we shall not acquiesce4 ,the  
science of ,physiology is just out of   
its babyhood4 ,of the nervous system in 
particular--of its physiology and       
pathology alike--our knowledge is       
extremely immature4 ,we are just        
beginning1 indeed1 to know anything     
scientifically on that subject4 ,the    
attempt in behalf of that little to     
banish spiritual philosophy out of the  
world1 and to silence forever the voice 
of ,human ,consciousness1 is a piece of 
pretension on behalf of which we decline
 to strain our hospitality4  ,our notice

 of this work would1 however1 be both   
incomplete and unjust1 did we forbear to
 say1 that1 in its avowed idea1 the     
author has got hold of a genuine        
analogy4 ,not that we approve the       
details of his scheme2 the details1 we  
verily believe1 are as nearly all wrong 
as an able and studious man could make  
them4 ,but the general idea of a        
correspondence between individual and   
social life1 of an organic existence in 
civilizations and a consequent          
subjection to the law of organisms1 is a
 rich mine1 and one that will sooner or 
later be worked to profit4 ,and the     
definite1 emphatic announcement of it in
 ,dr4 ,draper's work1 however awkwardly 
done1 suffices to make the work one of  
grave importance4  ,every system of     
civilization is in some degree special4 
,none is universal2 none represents     
purely the spirit of humanity2 none     
contains all the possibilities of       
society4 ,not being universal1 none can 
be1 in its form1 perpetual4 ,the        

universal asserts its supremacy2 all    
that is partial must be temporary4 ,the 
human spirit takes back1 as it were1    
into its bosom each sally of            
civilization before pulsing anew4 ,thus1
 even on their ideal side1 civilizations
 have their law of limitation2 and to   
know what this law of limitation        
definitely is constitutes now one of the
 great desiderata of the world4 ,we     
believe1 that1 ceteris paribus1 the     
duration of a civilization is           
proportioned to its depth and           
breadth1--that is1 to the degree in     
which it represents the total resource  
and possibility of the human spirit4    
,again1 every system of civilization has
 a body1 an institution1 an established 
and outward interpretation of social    
relationship4 ,in respect to this it is 
mortal4 ,in respect to this it has a law
 of growth and decay4 ,in respect to    
this1 moreover1 it is subject to what we
 call accident1 the chances of the      
world4 ,in fine1 the bodies of          

individuals and of civilizations1 the   
fixed forms1 that is1 in which they are 
instituted1 serve the same uses and obey
 the same law4  ,now a work which should
 deal in a really great and profound way
 with this corpus of civilizations1--not
 spending itself in a mere tedious1     
endless demonstration that such corpus  
exists1 and has therefore its youth and 
its age1 but really explaining its      
physiology and pathology1--such a work  
would be no less than a benefaction to  
the human race4 ,and in such a work one 
of the easiest and most obvious points  
would be this1--that the spirit of      
civilizations has a certain power of    
changing the form of its body by        
successive partial rejections and       
remouldings2 and the degree in which    
they prove capable of this continuous   
palingenesia is one important measure of
 their depth and determinant of their   
duration4  ,for writing such a work we  
do not think ,dr4 ,draper perfectly     
qualified4 ,for this we find in him no  

tokens of an intelligence sufficiently  
subtile1 penetrating1 and profound4 ,he 
is1 moreover1 too heady and too well    
cased in his materialistic              
strait-waistcoat4 ,nevertheless1 his    
book carries in it a certain large      
suggestion2 it contains many excellent  
observations2 its tone is               
unexceptionable2 the style is firm and  
clear1 though heavy and disfigured by   
such intolerable barbarisms as commence 
to walk1 talk1 or the like1--the use of 
the infinitive instead of the participle
 after commence4 ,dr4 ,draper is an able
 man1 a scholar in science1 a           
well-informed1 studious gentleman in    
other provinces2 but he tries to be a   
legislator in thought1 and fails4   ,de 
l',origine du ,langage4 ,par ,,ernest   
,,renan1 ,membre de l',institut4        
,quatrieme ,edition1 augmentee4 ,paris4 
,it seems to be the law of ,french      
thought1 that it shall never be         
exhaustive of any profound matter1 and  
also that 7,auguste ,comte always       

excepted7 it shall never be exhausting  
to the reader4 ,german thought may be   
both2 ,french is neither2 ,english      
thought--but the ,english do not think1 
they dogmatize4 ,magnificent dogmatism  
it may be1 but dogmatism4 ,exceptions of
 course1 but these are equally          
exceptions to the characteristic spirit 
of the nation4  ,m4 ,renan is thoroughly
 ,french4 ,the power of coming after the
 great synthetic products of the human  
spirit and distributing them by analysis
 into special categories1 eminent in his
 country1 is pre-eminent in him4 ,the   
facility at slipping over hard points1  
and at coming to unity of               
representation1 partly by the solving   
force of an interior principle1 and     
partly by ingenious accommodations1     
characteristic of ,french thought1      
characterizes his thinking in           
particular4 ,that supremacy of the      
critical spirit in the man which secures
 to it the loyalty of all the faculties 
is alike peculiar to ,france among      

nations1 and to this writer among       
,frenchmen4 ,in ,germany the imagination
 dominates1 or at least contends with1  
the critical spirit2 the ,french ,ariel 
not only gives magic service to the     
critical ,prospero1 but seeks no        
emancipation1 desires nothing better4   
,hence an admirable clearness and       
shapeliness in the criticism of ,france4
 ,hence1 also1 in its best criticism a  
high degree of imaginative subtilty and 
penetration1 without prejudice either to
 the dominion of common sense in the    
thought or to clearness in the          
statement4  ,m4 ,renan's essay on ,the  
,origin of ,language is typical of his  
quality4 ,treating of an abstruse1      
though enticing problem1--almost        
profound1 and that in comparison with   
the soundest and sincerest thinking of  
our time1--it is yet so clear and broad1
 its details are so perfectly held in   
solution by the thought1 the thought    
itself moves with such ease1 grace1 and 
vigor1 and in its style there is such   

crystal perspicuity and precision1 that 
one must he proof against good thinking 
and excellent writing not to feel its   
charm4  ,the main propositions of the   
work--whose force and significance1 of  
course1 cannot be felt in this dry      
enumeration--are that language issues   
from the spontaneity of the human       
spirit1--spontaneity1 which is both     
divine and human2 that its origin is    
simultaneous with the opening of        
consciousness in the human race2 that it
 preserves a constant parallel with     
consciousness1 that is1 with the        
developed spirit of man1 in its nature  
and growth2 and that1 by consequence1   
its first form is not one of analytic   
simplicity1 but of a high synthesis and 
a rich complexity4 ,the whole mind1 he  
says1 acts from the first1 only not with
 the power of defining1 distinguishing1 
separating1 which characterizes the     
intellect of civilized man2 his objects 
are groups2 he grasps totalities2 sees  
objects and their relationships as one  

fact2 tends to connect his whole        
consciousness with all he sees1 making  
the stone a man or a god3 and language1 
in virtue of its perpetual parallelism  
with consciousness1 must be equally     
synthetic and complex from the start4   
,he finds himself opposed1 therefore1   
first1 to those1 like ,m4 ,bonald1 who  
attribute language to a purely          
extraneous1 not an interior1 revelation2
 secondly1 to the philosophers of the   
eighteenth century1 who made it a       
product of free and reflective reason2  
thirdly1 to the ,german school1 who     
trace it back to a few hundred          
monosyllabic roots1 each expressing with
 analytic precision some definite       
material object1 from which roots the   
whole subsequent must be derived by     
etymologic spinning-out1 by             
agglutination1 and by figurative        
heightening of meaning4  ,his work1     
accordingly1 should be read by all      
sincere students of the question of     
,language in connection with the        

statements of ,professor ,mueller1 as he
 represents another and a typical aspect
 of the case4 ,he denies the existence  
of a ,turanian family of tongues1 such  
as ,mueller sought to constitute in     
,bunsen's ,outlines2 pronouncing with   
great decision1 and on grounds both     
philosophical and linguistic1 against   
that notion of monosyllabic origin which
 assumes the ,chinese as truest of all  
tongues to the original form and genius 
of language1 he is even more decided    
that not the faintest trace can be found
 of the derivation of all existing      
languages from a single primitive       
tongue4 ,from general principles1       
therefore1 and equally from inspection  
of language1 he infers with confidence  
that each great family of languages has 
come forth independently from the genius
 of man4  ,his results in ,philology    
correspond1 thus1 with those of ,mr4    
,agassiz in ,natural ,history4 ,they    
suggest multiplicity of human origins4  
,from this result ,m4 ,renan does not   

recoil1 and he takes care to state with 
great precision and vigor the entire    
independence of the spiritual upon the  
physical unity of man1--as ,mr4 ,agassiz
 also did in that jewel which he set in 
the head of ,nott and ,gliddon's toad4  
,but here he pauses4 ,his results bear  
him no farther4 ,the philological and   
physiological classifications of        
mankind1 he says1 do not correspond2    
their lines cross2 nothing can be       
concluded from one to the other4 ,the   
question of unity or diversity of       
physical origins he leaves to the       
naturalist2 upon that he has no right to
 raise his voice4 ,spiritual unity he   
asserts firmly2 linguistic unity he     
firmly denies2 on the question of       
physical unity he remains modestly and  
candidly silent1 not finding in his     
peculiar studies data for a rational    
opinion4  ,m4 ,renan is not a ,newton in
 his science4 ,he satisfies1 and he     
disappoints4 ,the ,newtonian depth1     
centrality1 and poise1--well1 one may   

still be a superior scholar and writer  
without these4 ,and such he is4 ,his    
tendency to central principles is       
decided1 but with this there is a       
wavering1 an unsteadiness1 and you get  
only agility and good writing1 it may   
be1 where you had begun to look for a   
final word4 ,sometimes1 too1 in his     
desire of precision1 he gives you       
precision indeed1 but of a cheap kind1  
which is worse than any thoughtful      
vagueness4 ,thus1 he opens his sixth    
section by naming l'onomatopee1 the     
imitation of natural sounds1 as the law 
of primitive language4 ,he knew better2 
for he has hardly named this law before 
he slips away from it2 and his whole    
work was pitched upon a much profounder 
key4 ,why must he seize upon this       
ready-made word8 ,why could he not have 
taken upon himself to say deliberately  
and truly1 that the law of primitive    
language1 and in the measure of its life
 of all language1 is the symbolization  
of mental impression by sounds1 just as 

man's spirit is symbolized in his body1 
and absolute spirit in the universe8    
,but this is vague1 and ,m4 ,renan      
writes in ,paris4  ,and in ,paris he has
 written an able and in many respects   
admirable treatise1--almost profound1 as
 we have said1 and creditable to him and
 to ,france4 ,it must be reckoned1 we   
think1 a foundation-stone in the        
literature of the problem of ,language4 
,in five or six pages the theological   
peculiarities of ,m4 ,renan appear4 ,the
 reader1 however1 who is most rigidly   
indisposed to open question on such     
matters will find these six pages which 
do not please him a feeble              
counterbalance to the two hundred and   
fifty which do4  ,,footnotes3  ,a       
,published #aggj-ga4  ,b ,johnson       
enumerates fifteen4  ,c ,many of the    
bibliographers1 even1 have omitted      
mention of it4  ,d ,of which the first  
book was published in #aggb4 ,this      
author is to be distinguished from      
,george ,mason1 who in #agfh published  

,an ,essay on ,design in ,gardening4  ,e
 ,lettre ,,xi ,liv4 ,,iv4 ,nouvelle     
,heloise4  ,f ,first published in #agff4
  ,g ,citing1 in confirmation1 that     
passage commencing1--,nunc dicam agri   
quibus rebus colantur1 etc4  ,h ,pp4    
#agg-agi1 edition of #ahjb1 ,edinburgh4 
,i ,pp4 #aff1 #afg4  ,j ,see ,article of
 ,philip ,pussy1 ,m4,p41 in             
,transactions of the ,royal ,society1   
,vol4 ,,xiv4  ,k ,first published in    
#agbd4  ,l ,i find him named1 in        
,dodsley's ,annual ,register for #agga1 
,keeper of ,his ,majesty's ,private     
,roads4  ,m ,loudon makes an error in   
giving #aghj as the year of his death4  
,n ,presented to ,william ,pitt1 #agie4 
,o ,at that day1 horse-hoeing1 at       
regular intervals1 was understood to    
form part of what was counted           
drill-culture4  ,p ,returns incomplete4 
,q ,in the ,quarterly ,tables of ,mr4   
,hamilton's office1 as quoted by        
,professor ,chace1 the maximum yield at 
,wine ,harbor during the month of       

,september1 #ahfc1 reached the almost   
incredible figure of sixty-six ounces to
 the ton4