available by ,cornell ,university       
,digital ,collections74           ,,the 
,,atlantic ,,monthly4  ,a ,,magazine    
,,of ,,literature1 ,,art1 ,,and         
,,politics4  ,,vol4 ,,xiv4--,,september1
 #ahfd4--,,no4 ,,lxxxiii4   ,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   ,transcriber's ,note3 
,minor typos have been corrected and    
footnotes moved to the end of the       
article4     ,,the ,,cadmean ,,madness4 
,an old ,english divine fancied that all
 the world might go mad and nobody know 
it4 ,the conception suggests a query    
whether the standard of sanity1 as of   
fashions and prices1 be not a purely    
artificial one1 an accident of          
convention1 a law of society1 an        
arbitrary institute1 and therefore a    
possible mistake4 ,a sage and a maniac  
each thinks the other mad4 ,the decision
 is a matter of majorities4 ,should a   

whole community become insane1 it would 
nevertheless vote itself wise2 if the   
craze of ,bedlam were uniform1 its      
inmates could not distinguish it from a 
,pantheon2 and though all human history 
seemed to the gods only as a continuous 
series of mediaeval processions des sots
 et des anes1 yet the topsy-turvy       
intellect of the world would ever       
worship folly in the name of wisdom4    
,arts and sciences1 ideas and           
institutions1 laws and learning would   
still abound1 transmogrified to suit the
 reigning madness4 ,and as statistics   
reveal the late gradual and general     
increase of insanity1 it becomes a      
provident people to consider what may be
 the ultimate results1 if this increase 
should happen never to be checked4 ,and 
if sanity be1 indeed1 a glory which we  
might all lose unawares1 we may well    
betake ourselves to very solemn         
reflection as to whether we are1 at the 
present moment1 in our wits and senses1 
or not4  ,the peculiar proficiencies of 

great epochs are as astonishing as the  
exploits of individual frenzy4 ,the era 
of the ,greek rhapsodists1 when a body  
of matchless epical literature was      
handed down by memory from generation to
 generation1 and a recitation of the    
whole ,odyssey was not too much for a   
dinner-party1--the era of ,periclean    
culture1 when the ,athenian populace was
 wont to pass whole days in the theatre1
 attending with unfaltering intellectual
 keenness and aesthetic delight to three
 or four long dramas1 either of which   
would exhaust a modern audience1--the   
wild and vast systems of imaginary      
abstractions1 which the                 
,neo-,platonists1 as also the ,german   
transcendentalists1 so strangely devised
 and became enamored of1--the grotesque 
views of men and things1 the funny      
universe altogether1 which made up both 
the popular and the learned thought of  
the ,middle ,ages1--the ,buddhistic     
,orient1 with its subtile metaphysical  
illusions1 its unreal astronomical      

heavens1 its habits of repose and its   
tornadoes of passion1--such are         
instances of great diversities of       
character1 which would be hardly        
accountable to each other on the        
supposition of mutual sanity4 ,they     
suggest a difference of ideas1 moods1   
habits1 and capacities1 which in        
contemporaries and associates would     
amply justify either party that happened
 to be the majority in turning all the  
rest into insane asylums4 ,it is the    
demoniac element1 the raving of some    
particular demon1 that creates greatness
 either in men or nations4 ,power is    
maniacal4 ,a mysterious fury1 a heavenly
 inspiration1 an incomprehensible and   
irresistible impulse1 goads humanity on 
to achievements4 ,every age1 every      
person1 and every art obeys the wand of 
the enchanter4 ,history moves by        
indirections4 ,the first historic       
tendency is likely to be slightly askew2
 there follows then an historic triumph1
 then an historic eccentricity1 then an 

historic folly1 then an explosion2 and  
then the series begins again4 ,in the   
grade of folly1 hard upon an explosion1 
lies modern literature4  ,the           
characteristic mania of the last two    
centuries is reading and writing4       
,solomon discovered that much study is a
 weariness of the flesh2 ,aristophanes  
complained of the multitude and         
indignity of authors in his time2 and   
the famed preacher1 ,geyler von         
,kaisersberg1 in the age of prevalent   
monkery and ,benedictine plodding1      
mentioned erudition and madness1 on     
equal footing1 as the twin results of   
books3 ,libri quosdam ad scientiam1     
quosdam ad insaniam deduxere4 ,these    
were successive symptoms of the growing 
malady4 ,but where there was one writer 
in the time of ,geyler1 there are a     
million now4 ,he saw both health and    
disease1 and could distinguish between  
them4 ,we see only the latter4 ,skill in
 letters1 half a decade of centuries    
ago1 was a miraculous attainment1 and   

placed its possessor in the rank of     
divines and diviners2 now1 inability to 
read and write is accounted1 with       
pauperism and crime1 a ground for civil 
disfranchisement4 ,the old feudal merry 
and hearty ignorance has been everywhere
 corrupted by books and newspapers1     
learning and intelligence1 the          
cabalistic words of modern life4        
,popular poetry and music1 ballads and  
legends1 wit and originality have       
disappeared before the barbaric         
intellectuality of our ,cadmean         
idolatry4 ,even the arts of conversation
 and oratory are waning1 and may soon be
 lost2 we live only in second and silent
 thoughts3 for who will waste fame and  
fortune by giving to his friends the    
gems which will delight mankind8 and how
 can a statesman grapple eloquently with
 ,fate1 when the contest is not to be   
determined on the spot1 but by quiet and
 remote people coolly reading his speech
 several hours or days later8 ,even if  
we were vagarying into imbecility1 like 

the wildest ,neo-,platonic hierophants1 
like the monkish chroniclers of the     
,middle ,ages1 like other romantic and  
fantastic theorists who have leaped out 
of human nature into a purely artificial
 realm1 we should not know it1 because  
we are all doing it uniformly4  ,the    
universe is a veiled ,isis4 ,the human  
mind from immemorial antiquity has      
ceased to regard it4 ,a small cohort of 
alphabets has enrobed it with a wavy    
texture of letters1 beyond which we     
cannot penetrate4 ,the glamour is upon  
us1 and when we would see the facts of  
,nature1 we behold only tracts of print4
 ,the ,god of the heavens and earth has 
hidden ,himself from us since we gave   
ourselves up to the worship of the false
 divinities of ,phoenicia4 ,no longer   
can we admire the cosmos2 for the cosmos
 lies beyond a long perspective of      
theorems and propositions that cross our
 eyes1 like countless bees1 from the    
alcoves of philosophies and sciences4   
,no longer do we bask in the beauty of  

things1 as in the sunlight2 for when we 
would melt in feeling1 we hear nothing  
but the rattling of gems of verse4 ,no  
longer does the mind1 as sympathetic    
priest and interpreter1 hover amid the  
phenomena of time and space2 for the    
forms of ,nature have given place to    
volumes1 there are no objects but pages1
 and passions have been supplanted by   
paragraphs4 ,we no longer see the       
whirling universe1 or feel the pulsing  
of life4 ,thought itself has ceased to  
be a sprite1 and flows through the mind 
only in the leaden shape of printed     
sentences4 ,the symbolism of letters is 
over us all4 ,an all-pervading          
nominalism has completely masked        
whatsoever there is that is real4 ,more 
and more it is not the soul and ,nature1
 but the eye and print1 whose resultant 
is thought4 ,nature disappears and the  
mind withers4 ,no other faculty has been
 developed in man but that of the       
reader1 no other possibility but that of
 the writer4 ,the old-fashioned arts    

which used to imply human nature1 which 
used to blossom instinctively1 which    
have given joy and beauty to society1   
are fading from the face of the earth4  
,where are the ancient and mediaeval    
popular games1 those charming vital     
symptoms8 ,the people now read ,dickens 
and ,longfellow4 ,where are the         
old-fashioned instincts of worship and  
love1 consolation and mourning8 ,the    
people have since found an antidote for 
these experiences in ,blair and ,tupper1
 and other authors of renown4 ,where are
 those weird voices of the air and      
forest and stream1 those symptoms of an 
enchanted ,nature1 which used to thrill 
and bless the soul of man8 ,the duller  
ear of men has failed to hear them in   
this age of popular science4            
,literature1 using the word with a      
benevolent breadth of meaning which     
excludes no pretenders1 is the result of
 the invasion of letters4 ,it is the    
fort which they occupy1 which with too  
hasty consideration has usually been    

regarded as friendly to the human race4 
,religions1 laws1 sciences1 arts1       
theories1 and histories1 instead of     
passing ,ariel-like into the elements   
when their task is done1 are made       
perpetual prisoners in the alcoves of   
dreary libraries4 ,they have a fossil   
immortality1 surviving themselves in    
covers1 as poems have survived          
minstrels4 ,the memory of man is made   
omni-capacious2 its burden increases    
with every generation2 not even the     
ignorance and stolidity of the past are 
allowed the final grace of being        
forgotten2 and omniscience is becoming  
at once more and more impossible and    
more and more fashionable4 ,whoever     
reads only the books of his own time is 
superficial in proportion to the        
thickness of the ages4 ,but neither the 
genius of man1 nor his length of days1  
has had an increase corresponding to    
that of the realm of knowledge1 the     
requirements of reading1 and the        
conditions of intelligence4 ,the        

multiplied attractions only crowd and   
obstruct the necessarily narrow line of 
duty1 possibility1 and destiny4 ,life   
threatens to be extinguished by its own 
shadow1 by the debris kept in the       
current by countless tenacious records4 
,its essence escapes to heaven or into  
new forms1 but its ghosts still walk the
 earth in print4 ,like that mythical    
serpent which advanced only as it grew  
in length1 so knowledge spans the whole 
length of the ages4 ,some philosopher   
conceived of history as the migration   
and growth of reason throughout time1   
culminating in successive historical    
ideas4 ,he1 however1 supposed that the  
idea of every age had nothing to do with
 any preceding age2 it had passed       
through whatsoever previous stages1 had 
been somewhat modified by them1         
contained in itself all that was best in
 them1 was improved and elevated at     
every new epoch2 but it had no memory1  
never looked backward1 and was an ever  
rolling sphere1 complete in itself1     

leaving no trail behind4 ,human life1   
under the discipline of letters and     
common schools1 is not thus ,hegelian1  
but advances under the boundless        
retrospection of literature4 ,and yet   
this is probably divine philosophy4 ,it 
is probable that the faculty of memory  
belongs to man only in an immature state
 of development1 and that in some future
 and happier epoch the past will be     
known to us only as it lives in the     
present2 and then for the first time    
will ,realism in life take the place of 
,nominalism4  ,the largest library in   
the world1 the ,bibliotheque ,imperiale 
of ,paris1 7it has been successively1   
like the adventurous and versatile      
throne of ,france1 ,royale1 ,nationale1 
and ,imperiale17 contains very nearly   
one million of books1 the collected     
fruits of all time4 ,consider an average
 book in that collection3 how much human
 labor does it stand for8 ,how much     
capital was invested originally in its  
production1 and how much tribute of time

 and toil does it receive per annum8    
,regarding books as intellectual estate1
 how much does it cost mankind to       
procure and keep up an average specimen8
 ,what quantity of human resources has  
been originally and consecutively sunk  
in the ,parisian library8 ,how much of  
human time1 which is but a span1 and of 
human emotion and thought1 which are    
sacred and not to be carelessly thrown  
away1 lie latent therein8  ,the estimate
 must be highly speculative4 ,some books
 have cost a lifetime and a heartbreak2 
others have been written at leisure in a
 week1 and without an emotion4 ,some are
 born from the martyrdom of a thinker to
 fire the genius of a populace2 others  
are the coruscations of joy1 and have a 
smile for their immortal heir4 ,some    
have made but the slightest momentary   
ripple in human affairs2 others1 first  
gathering eddies about themselves1 have 
swept forward in grand currents1        
engrossing for centuries whole          
departments of human energy4 ,thousands 

publish and are forgotten before they   
die4 ,spinoza published after his death 
and is not yet understood4  ,we will    
begin with the destined bibliomacher at 
the time of his assumption of short     
clothes4 ,the alphabet is his first     
professional torture1 and that only     
ushers him upon the gigantic task of    
learning to read and write his own      
language4 ,experience shows that this   
miracle of memory and associative reason
 may be in the main accomplished by the 
time he is eight years old4 ,thus far in
 his progress towards book-making he has
 simply got his fingers hold of the pen4
 ,he has next to run the gauntlet of the
 languages1 sciences1 and arts1 to pass 
through the epoch of the scholar1 with  
satchel under his arm1 with pale cheek1 
an eremite and ascetic in the religion  
of ,cadmus4 ,at length1 at about twenty 
years of age1 he leaves the university1 
not a master1 but a bachelor of liberal 
studies4 ,but thus far he has laid only 
the foundation1 has acquired only       

rudiments and generalities1 has only    
served his apprenticeship to letters4   
,god gave mind and nature1 but art has  
furnished him a new capacity and a new  
world1--the capacity to read1 and the   
world of books4 ,he has simply acquired 
a new nature1 a psychological texture of
 letters1 but the artificial tabula rasa
 has yet to be filled4 ,twenty          
obstetrical years have at last made him 
a literary animal1 have furnished him   
the abstract conditions of authorship2  
but he has yet his life to save1 and his
 fortune to make in literature4 ,he is  
born into the mystic fraternity of      
readers and writers1 but the special    
studies and experiences which fit him   
for anything1 which make a book         
possible1 are still in the future4 ,he  
will be fortunate1 if he gets through   
with them1 and gets his first volume off
 his hands by the age of thirty4        
,authors are the shortest-lived of men4 
,their average years are less than      
fifty4 ,our bibliomacher has therefore  

twenty years left to him4 ,taking all   
time together1 since formerly authors   
wrote less abundantly than now1 he will 
not produce more than one work in five  
years1 that is1 five works in his       
lifetime of fifty years4 ,the conclusion
 to which this rather precarious        
investigation thus brings us is1 that   
the original cost of an average book is 
ten years of a human life4 ,and yet     
these ten years make but the mere       
suggestion of the book4 ,the suggestion 
must be developed by an army of         
printers1 sellers1 and librarians4 ,what
 other institution in the world is there
 but the ,bibliotheque ,imperiale1 to   
the mere suggestion of which ten        
millions of laborious years have been   
devoted8  ,startling considerations     
present themselves4 ,if there were no   
other argumentum ad absurdum to         
demonstrate some fundamental perversity 
and absurdity in literature1 it might be
 suspected from the fact that ,nature   
herself gives so little encouragement to

 it4 ,nobody is born an author4 ,the art
 of writing1 common as it is1 is not    
indigenous in man1 but is acquired by a 
nearly universal martyrdom of youth4 ,if
 it had been providentially designed    
that the function of any considerable   
portion of mankind should have been to  
write books1 we cannot suppose that an  
economical ,deity would have failed to  
create them with innate skill in        
language1 general knowledge1 and        
penmanship4 ,these accomplishments have 
to be learned by every writer1 yet      
writers are numberless4 ,they are       
mysteries which must be painfully       
encountered by every one at the         
vestibule of the temple of literature1  
which nevertheless is thronged4 ,surely1
 had this importance and prevalence been
 attached to them in the ,divine scheme1
 they would have been born in us like   
the senses1 or would blossom            
spontaneously in us1 like the corollal  
growths of ,faith and ,conscience4 ,we  
should have been created in a condition 

of literary capacity1 and thus have been
 spared the alphabetical torture of     
childhood1 and the academic depths of   
philological despair4 ,twenty-five years
 of preliminaries might have been       
avoided by changing the peg in the scale
 of creation1 and the studies of the boy
 might have begun where now they end4   
,twenty-five years in the span of life  
would thus have been saved1 had what    
must be a universal acquirement been    
incorporated into the original programme
 of human nature4  ,or had the ,deity   
appreciated literature as we do1 ,he    
would probably have written out the     
universe in some snug little volume1    
some miniature series1 or some boundless
 ,bodleian1 instead of unfolding it     
through infinite space and time1 as an  
actual1 concrete1 unwritten reality4 ,be
 creation a single act or an eternal    
process1 it would have been all a thing 
of books4 ,the ,divine ,mind would have 
revealed itself in a library1 instead of
 in the universe4 ,as for men1 they     

would have existed only in treatises on 
the mammalia4 ,there are some specimens 
which we hardly think are according to  
any anticipation of heavenly reason1 and
 therefore they would not have existed  
at all4 ,nothing would have been but    
,god and literature4 ,possibly a        
responsible creation like ours might    
have been formed1 nevertheless1 by      
making each letter a living1 thinking1  
moral agent2 and the alphabet might thus
 have written out the ,divine ideas1 as 
men now work them out4 ,if the          
conception seem to any one chilly1 if it
 have a dreary look1 if it appear to    
leave only a frosty metallic base1      
instead of the grand oceanic            
effervescence of life1 let him remember 
how often earthly authors have renounced
 living realities1 all personal         
sympathies and pleasures1 communing only
 with books1 their minds dwelling apart 
from men4 ,remember ,tasso and ,southey2
 ay1 if you have yourself written a book
 that commands admiration1 remember what

 it cost you4 ,why hesitate to transfer 
to the skies a type of life which we    
admire here below8 ,but ,god having     
wrought out instead of written out ,his 
thoughts1 does it not appear that ,he   
designed for men to do likewise8  ,and  
thus a new consideration is presented4  
,the exhibit of the original cost of the
 ,bibliotheque ,imperiale was the       
smallest item in our budget4 ,mark the  
history of a book4 ,how variously it    
engrosses the efforts of the world1 from
 the time when it first rushes into the 
arena of life6 ,the industry of printing
 embodies it1 the energy of commerce    
disperses it1 the army of critics       
announce it1 the world of readers give  
their days and nights to it generation  
after generation1 and its echoes        
uninterruptedly repeat themselves along 
the infinite procession of writers4 ,the
 process reverts with every new edition1
 and eddies mingle with eddies in the   
motley march of history4 ,its story may 
be traced in martyrdoms of the flesh1 in

 weary hours1 strange experiences1      
unhappy tempers1 restless struggles1    
unrequited triumphs1--in the glare of   
midnight lamps1 and of wild1 haggard    
eyes1--in sorrow1 want1 desolation1     
despair1 and madness4 ,born in sorrow1  
the book trails a pathway of sorrow     
through the ages4 ,and each book in the 
,parisian library stands for all        
this1--some that were produced with     
tears having been always read for       
jest1--some that were lightly written   
being now severe tasks for historians1  
antiquaries1 and source-mongers4        
,suppose an old ,egyptian1 who in       
primaeval ,hierapolis incased his       
thought in papyrus1 to be able now to   
take a stroll into the ,bibliotheque1   
and to see what has become of his       
thought so far as there represented4 ,he
 would find that it had haunted mankind 
ever since4 ,an alcove would be filled  
with commentaries on it1 and discussions
 as to where it came from and what it   
meant4 ,he would find it modifying and  

modified by the ,greeks1 and reproduced 
by them with divers                     
variations1--extinguished by            
,christianity1--revived1 with a new     
face1 among the theurgies and cabala of 
,alexandria2 he would catch the merest  
glimpse of it amid the ,christian       
legends and credulities of the ,middle  
,ages1--but the ,arabs would have kept a
 stronger hold on it2 he would see it in
 the background after the revival of    
learning1 till1 gradually1 as modern    
commerce opened the ,east1 scholars1    
also1 discovered that there were wonders
 behind the classic nations2 and finally
 he would see how modern research1      
rushing back through comparison of      
language-roots1 through geological data1
 through ethnological indications1      
through antiquarian discoveries1 has    
rooted out of the layers of ages all the
 history attendant upon its original    
production4 ,he would find the records  
of this long history in the library     
around him4 ,in every age1 the thought1 

born of pain1 has been reproduced with  
travail4 ,it did not do its mission at  
once1 penetrate like a ray of light into
 the heart of the race1 and leave a     
chemical effect which should last       
forever4 ,no1 the blood of man's spirit 
was not purified1--only an external     
application was made1 and that          
application must be repeated with       
torture upon every generation4 ,was this
 designed to be the function of thought1
 the mission of heavenly ideas8  ,this  
is the history of his thought in books4 
,but let us conceive what might have    
been its history but for the books2--how
 it might have been written in the      
fibres of the soul1 and lived in eternal
 reason1 instead of having been written 
on papyrus and involved in the realm of 
dead matter4 ,his idea1 thrilling his   
own soul1 would have revealed itself in 
every particle and movement of his body2
 for soul is form1 and doth the body    
make4 ,its first product would have been
 his own quivering1 animated1 and       

animating personality4 ,he would have   
impressed every one of his associates1  
every one of whom would in turn have    
impressed a new crowd1 and thus the     
immortal array of influences would have 
gone on4 ,not impressions on parchment1 
but impressions on the soul1 not        
letters1 but thrills1 would have been   
its result4 ,thus the magic of personal 
influence of all kinds would have       
radiated from it in omnipresent and     
colliding circlets forever1 as the      
mighty imponderable agents are believed 
to radiate from some hidden focal force4
 ,he would trace his idea in the massive
 architecture and groping science of    
,egypt1--in the elegant forms of        
worship1 thought1 institutes1 and life  
among the ,greeks1--in the martial and  
systematizing genius of ,rome1--and so  
on through the ecclesiastical life of   
the ,middle ,ages1 and the political and
 scientific ambitions of modern times4  
,its operations have everywhere been    
chemical1 not mechanical4 ,it has lived1

 not in the letter1 but in the spirit4  
,never dropping to the earth1 it has    
been maintained as a shuttlecock in     
spiritual regions by the dynamics of the
 soul4 ,it has wrought itself into the  
soul1 the only living and immortal      
thing1 and so the proper place for      
ideas4 ,its mode of transmission has    
been by the suffusion of the eye1 the   
cheek1 the lip1 the manner1 not by dead 
and unsymbolical letters4 ,it has had   
life1 and not merely duration4 ,it has  
been perpetuated in cordate1 not in     
dactylate characters4 ,its history must 
not be sought away from the circle of   
life1 but may be seen in the current    
generation of men4 ,the man whom you    
should meet on the street would be the  
product of all the ideas and influences 
from the foundation of the world1 and   
his slightest act would reveal them all 
vital within him4 ,the libraries1 which 
form dead recesses in the river of life1
 would thus be swept into and dissolved 
in the current1 and the waters would    

have been deepened and colored by their 
dissolution4 ,libraries are a sort of   
debris of the world1 but the spiritual  
substance of them would thus enter into 
the organism of history4 ,all the last  
results of time would come to us1 not   
through books1 but through the          
impressions of daily life4 ,whatsoever  
was unworthy to be woven into the fibres
 of the soul would be overwhelmed by    
that oblivion which chases humanity2 all
 the time wasted in the wrong-headedness
 of archaeology would be saved2 for     
there would be nothing of the past      
except its influence on the immediate   
present1 and nothing but the pure human 
ingot would finally be left of the long 
whirlings in the crucible of history4   
,some one has said that all recent      
literature is one gigantic plagiarism   
from the past4 ,why plagiarize with toil
 the toils of the past1 when all that is
 good in them lives1 necessarily and of 
its own tendency1 in the winged and     
growing spirit of man8 ,the stream flows

 in a channel1 and is colored by all the
 ores of its banks1 but it would be     
absurd for it to attempt to take the    
channel up and carry it along with      
itself out into the sea4 ,why should the
 tinted water of life attempt to carry  
along with it not only the tint1 but    
also the bank1 ages back1 from which the
 tint proceeds8  ,as the world goes on1 
the multitude of books increases4 ,they 
grow as grows the human race1--but1     
unlike the human race1 they have a      
material immortality here below4 ,fossil
 books1 unlike fossil rocks1 have a     
power of reproduction4 ,every new year  
leaves not only a new inheritance1 but  
generally a larger one than ever before4
 ,what is to be the result8 ,the        
ultimate prospect is portentous4 ,if    
,england has produced ten thousand      
volumes of fiction 7about three thousand
 new novels7 during the last forty      
years1 how many books of all kinds has  
,christendom to answer for in the same  
period8 ,if the ,british ,museum makes  

it a point to preserve a copy of        
everything that is published1 how long  
will it be before the whole world will  
not be sufficient to contain the        
multitude thereof8 ,at present all the  
collections of the ,museum1 books1 etc41
 occupy only forty acres on the soil1   
and an average of two hundred feet      
towards the sky4 ,but even these        
outlines indicate a block of space which
 under geometrical increase would in the
 shortest of geological periods make a  
more complete conquest of the earth than
 has ever been made by fire or water4   
,to say nothing of the sorrows of the   
composition of these new literary       
stores1 how is man1 whose years are     
threescore-and-ten1 going to read them8 
,surely the green earth will be         
transformed into a wilderness of books1 
and man1 reduced from the priest and    
interpreter of ,nature to a bookworm1   
will be like the beasts which perish4   
,the eye of fancy lately witnessed in a 
dream the vision of an age far in the   

future4 ,the surface of the earth was   
covered with lofty rectangles1 built up 
coral-like from small rectangles4 ,there
 was neither tree nor herb nor living   
creature4 ,walled paths1 excavated ruts1
 alone broke the desert-like prospect1  
as the burrows of life4 ,penetrating    
into these1 the eye saw men walking     
beneath the striated piles1 with heads  
bent forward and nervous fingering of   
brow4 ,there the whole world1 such as we
 have known it1 was buried beneath      
volumes1 past all enumeration4 ,there   
was neither fauna nor flora1 neither    
wilderness1 tempest1 nor any familiar   
look of ,nature1 but only one boundless 
contiguity of books4 ,there was only man
 and space and one unceasing library1   
and the men neither ate nor slept nor   
spoke4 ,nature was transformed into the 
processes and products of writing1 and  
man was now no longer lover1 friend1    
peasant1 merchant1 naturalist1          
traveller1 gourmet1 mechanic1 warrior1  
worshipper1 but only an author4 ,all    

other faculties had been lost to him1   
and all resources for anything else had 
fled from his universe4 ,anon some      
wrinkled1 fidgety1 cogitative being in  
human form would add a new volume to    
some slope or tower of the monstrous    
omni-patulent mass1 or some             
sharp-glancing youth1 with teeth set    
unevenly on edge1 would pull out a      
volume1 look greedily and               
half-believingly for a few moments1     
return it1 and slink away4 ,what is this
 world1 and what means this life8 cried 
,i1 addressing an old man1 who had just 
tossed a volume aloft4 ,where are we1   
and what about this8 ,tell me1 for ,i   
have not before seen and do not know4   
,he glanced a moment1 then spoke1 like a
 shade in hell1 as follows3--,this is   
the world1 and here is human life4 ,man 
long enjoyed it1 with wonderful fulness 
and freshness of being4 ,but a madness  
seized him2 everybody wrote books2 the  
evil grew more and more2 nought else was
 an object of pursuit2 till at last the 

earth was covered with tomes1 and for   
long ages now it has been buried beyond 
the reach of mortal4 ,all forms of life 
were exterminated4 ,man himself survives
 only as a literary shadow4 ,each one   
writes a book1 or a few books1 and dies1
 vanishing into thin air4 ,such is      
life1--a hecatomb6  ,but even if it be  
supposed that mind could survive the    
toil1 and the earth the quantity of our 
accumulating books1 there are other     
difficulties4 ,there are other          
imperative limitations1 beyond which the
 art of writing cannot go4 ,letters     
themselves limit the possibilities of   
literature4 ,for there is only a certain
 number of letters4 ,these letters are  
capable of only a certain number of     
combinations into words4 ,this limited  
number of possible words is capable only
 of a certain number of arrangements4   
,conceive the effect when all these     
capabilities shall be exhausted6 ,it    
will no longer be possible for a new    
thing to be said or written4 ,we shall  

have only to select and repeat from the 
past4 ,writing shall be reduced to the  
making of extracts1 and speaking to the 
making of quotations4 ,yet the condition
 of things would certainly be improved4 
,as there is now a great deal of writing
 without thinking1 so then thinking     
could go on without writing4 ,a man     
would be obliged to think out and up to 
his result1 as we do now2 but whether   
his processes and conclusions were wise 
or foolish1 he would find them written  
out for him in advance4 ,the process of 
selection would be all4 ,the immense    
amount of writing would cease4 ,authors 
would be extinct4 ,thinkers could find  
their ideas stated in the best possible 
way1 and the most effective arguments in
 their favor4 ,if this event seems at   
all unlikely to any one1 let him only   
reflect on the long geological ages1 and
 on the innumerable writings1 short and 
long1 now published daily1--from ,mr4   
,buckle to the newspapers4 ,estimate    
everything in type daily throughout     

,christendom4 ,if so much is done in a  
day1 how much in a few decades of       
centuries8 ,surely1 at our present rate1
 in a very conceivable length of time1  
the resources of two alphabets would be 
exhausted4 ,and this may be the reason  
and providence in the amount of writing 
now going on1--to get human language    
written up4 ,the earth is as yet not    
half explored1 and its cultivation and  
development1 in comparison with what    
shall some time be1 have scarcely begun4
 ,will not the race be blessed1 when its
 two mortal foes1 ,nature and the       
alphabet1 have been finally and forever 
subdued8  ,this necessary finiteness of 
literature may be illustrated in another
 way4 ,an ,english mathematician of the 
seventeenth century applied the         
resources of his art to an enumeration  
of human ideas4 ,he believed that he    
could calculate with rigorous exactness 
the number of ideas of which the human  
mind is susceptible4 ,this number1      
according to him1 7and he has never been

 disputed17 was #c1aee1gfj1jjj4 ,even if
 we allowed a million of words to one   
idea1 according to our present          
practice1--instead of a single word to  
an idea1 which would seem               
reasonable1--still1 all the possible    
combinations of words and ideas would   
finally be exhausted4 ,the ideas would  
give out1 to be sure1 a million of times
 before the words2 but the latter would 
meet their doom at last4 ,all possible  
ideas would then be served up in all    
possible ways for all men1 who could    
order them according to their appetites1
 and we could dispense with cooks ever  
after4 ,the written word would be the   
finished record of all possible worlds1 
in gross and in detail4  ,but the       
problem whose solution has thus been    
attempted by desperate suggestions has1 
by changing its elements1 nullified our 
calculation4 ,we have been plotting to  
cast out the demon of books2 and1 lo6   
three other kindred demons of           
quarterlies1 monthlies1 and newspapers  

have joined fellowship with it1 and our 
latter estate is worse than our first4  
,indeed1 we may anticipate the speedy   
fossilization and extinction of books1  
while these younger broods alone shall  
occupy the earth4 ,our libraries are    
already hardly more than museums1 they  
will soon be mausoleums1 while all our  
reading is of the winged words of the   
hurried contributor4 ,some of the most  
intelligent and influential men in large
 cities do not read a book once a year4 
,the ,cadmean magic has passed from the 
hands of hierophants into those of the  
people4 ,literature has fallen from the 
domain of immortal thought to that of   
ephemeral speech1 from the conditions of
 a fine to those of a mechanical art4   
,the order of genius has been abolished 
by an all-prevailing popular opinion4   
,the elegance and taste of patient      
culture have been vulgarized by forced  
contact with the unpresentable facts    
thrust upon us by the ready writer4     
,everybody now sighs for the new        

periodical1 while nobody has read the   
literature of any single age in any     
single country4  ,how like              
mountain-billows of barbarism do the    
morning journals1 reeking with unkempt  
facts1 roll in upon the peaceful thought
 of the soul6 ,how like savage hordes   
from some remote star1 some nebulous    
chaos1 that has never yet been          
recognized in the cosmical world1 do    
they trample upon the organic and divine
 growths of culture1 laying waste the   
well-ordered and fairly adorned fields  
of the mind1 demolishing the            
intellectual highways which great       
engineering thinkers have constructed   
within us1 and reducing a domain in     
which poetry and philosophy1 with their 
sacred broods1 dwelt gloriously         
together1 to an undistinguishable level 
of ruin6 ,how helpless are we before a  
newspaper6 ,we sit down to it a highly  
developed and highly civilized being2 we
 leave it a barbarian4 ,step by step1   
blow by blow1 has everything that was   

nobly formed within us been knocked     
down1 and we are made illustrations of  
the atomic theory of the soul1 every    
atom being a separate savage1 after the 
social theory of ,hobbes4 ,we are crazed
 by a multitudinousness of details1 till
 the eye sees no picture1 the ear hears 
no music1 the taste finds no beauty1 and
 the reason grasps no system4 ,the only 
wonder is that the diabolical invention 
of ,faust or ,gutenberg has not already 
transformed the growths of the mind into
 a fauna and flora of perdition4  ,it   
was a sad barbarism when men ran wild   
with their own impulses1 unable to      
control the fierceness of instinct4 ,it 
is a sadder barbarism when men yield to 
every impulse from without1 with no     
imperial dignity in the soul1 which     
closes the apartments against the       
violence of the world and frowns away   
unseemly intruders4 ,we have no         
spontaneous enthusiasm1 no spiritual    
independence1 no inner being1 obedient  
only to its own law4 ,we do not plough  

the billows of time with true beak and  
steady weight1 but float1 a tossed cork1
 now one side up and now the other4 ,we 
live the life of an insect accidentally 
caught within a drum4 ,every steamer    
that comes hits the drum a beat2 every  
telegram taps it2 it echoes with every  
representative's speech1 reverberates   
with every senator's more portly effort1
 screams at every accident4 ,everything 
that is done in the universe seems to be
 done only to make a noise upon it4     
,every morning1 whatsoever thing has    
been changed1 and whatsoever thing has  
been unchanged1 during the night1 comes 
up to batter its report on the          
omni-audient tympanum of the universe1  
the drum-head of the press4 ,and then we
 are inside of it4 ,it may be music to  
the gods who dwell beyond the blue      
ether1 but it is terrible confusion to  
us4  ,virgil exhausted the resources of 
his genius in his portraiture of        
,fame3--      ,fama1 malum1 quo non     
aliud velocius ullum3     ,mobilitate   

viget1 viresque acquirit eundo3         
,parva metu primo2 mox sese attollit in 
auras1     ,ingrediturque solo1 et caput
 inter nubila condit4       999999      
999999 999999 999999      ,tot linguae1 
totidem ora sonant1 tot subrigit aures4 
,nocte volat coeli medio terraeque per  
umbram     ,stridens1 nec dulci declinat
 lumina somno4  ,what would he have     
done1 had he known our modern monster1  
the alphabet-tongued1 steel-sinewed1    
kettle-lunged ,rumor8 ,it is a sevenfold
 horror4 ,the ,virgilian ,fame was not a
 mechanical1 but a living thing2 it grew
 as it ran2 it at least gave a poetical 
impression4 ,its story grew as legends  
grow1 full to the brim of the instincts 
of the popular genius4 ,it left its     
traces as it passed1 and the minds of   
all who saw and heard rested in         
delightful wonder till something new    
happened4 ,but the fact which printed   
,rumor throws through the atmosphere is 
coupled not with1 the beauty of poetry1 
but with the madness of dissertation4   

,everybody is not only informed that the
 ,jackats defeated the ,magnats on the  
banks of the ,kaiger on the last day of 
last week1 but this news is conveyed to 
them in connection with a series of     
revelations about the relations of said 
fact to the universe4 ,the primordial   
germ is not poetical1 but               
dissertational4 ,it tends to no organic 
creation1 but to any abnormal and       
multitudinous display of suggestions1   
hypotheses1 and prophecies4 ,the item is
 shaped as it passes1 not by the hopes  
and fears of the soul1 but grows by     
accumulation of the dull details of     
prose4 ,we have neither the splendid    
bewilderments of the twelfth1 nor the   
cold illumination of the eighteenth     
century1 but bewilderments without      
splendor1 and coldness without          
illumination4 ,the world is too         
wide-awake for thought1--the atmosphere 
is too bright for intellectual          
achievements4 ,we have the wonders and  
sensations of a day2 but where are the  

fathomless profundities1 the long       
contemplations1 and the silent          
solemnities of life8 ,the newspapers are
 marvels of mental industry4 ,they show 
how much work can be done in a day1 but 
they never last more than a day4 ,sad   
will it be when the genius of           
ephemerality has invaded all departments
 of human actions and human motives6    
,farewell then to deep thoughts1 to     
sublime self-sacrifice1 to heroic labors
 for lasting results6 ,time is turned   
into a day1 the mind knows only         
momentary impressions1 the weary way of 
art is made as short as a turnpike1 and 
the products of genius last only about  
as long as any mood of the weather4     
,bleak and changeable ,march will rule  
the year in the intellectual heavens4   
,what symbol could represent this       
matchless embodiment of all the         
activities1 this tremendous success1    
this frenzied public interest8 ,a       
monster so large1 and yet so quick1--so 
much bulk combined with so much         

readiness1--reaching so far1 and yet    
striking so often6 ,who can conceive    
that productive state of mind in which  
some current fact is all the time       
whirling the universe about it8 ,who can
 understand the mania of the            
leader-writer1 who never thinks of a    
subject without discovering the         
possibility of a column concerning      
it1--who never looks upon his plate of  
soup without mentally reviewing in      
elaborate periods the whole vegetable1  
animal1 and mineral kingdoms8  ,but what
 is the advantage of newspapers8        
,forsooth1 popular intelligence4 ,the   
newspaper is1 in the first place1 the   
legitimate and improved successor of the
 fiery cross1 beacon-light1             
signal-smoking summit1 hieroglyphic     
mark1 and bulletin-board4 ,it is1 in    
addition to this1 a popular daily       
edition and application of the works of 
,aristotle1 ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas1 ,lord
 ,bacon1 ,vattel1 and ,thomas           
,jefferson4 ,on one page it records     

items1 on the other it shows the        
relations between those items and the   
highest thought4 ,yet the whole circle  
is accomplished daily4 ,the journal is  
thus the synopticized1 personified1     
incarnate madness of the day1--for      
to-day is always mad1 and becomes a     
thing of reason only when it becomes    
yesterday4 ,a proper historical fact is 
one of the rarest shots in the          
journalist's bag1 as time is sure to    
prove4 ,if we had newspaper-accounts of 
the age of ,augustus1 the chances are   
that no other epoch in history would be 
so absolutely problematical1 and        
,augustus himself would be lucky1 if he 
were not resolved into a myth1 and the  
journal into sibylline oracles4 ,the    
dissertational department is equally    
faulty2 for to first impressions        
everything on earth is chameleon-like4  
,the ,scandinavian ,divinities1 the     
,past1 the ,present1 and the ,future1   
could look upon each other1 but neither 
of them upon herself4 ,but in the       

journal the ,present is trying to behold
 itself2 the same priestess utters and  
explains the oracle4 ,thus the journal  
is the immortal reproduction of the jour
 des dupes4 ,the editors are like the   
newsboys1 shouting the news which they  
do not understand4  ,the public mind has
 given itself up to it4 ,it claims the  
right to pronounce all the newspapers   
very bad1 but has renounced the         
privilege of not reading them4 ,every   
one is made particeps criminis in the   
course of events4 ,nothing takes place  
in any quarter of the globe without our 
assistance4 ,we have to connive at omne 
scibile4 ,about everything natural and  
human1 infernal and divine1 there is a  
general consultation of mankind1 and we 
are all made responsible for the result4
 ,yet this constant interruption of our 
private intellectual habits and         
interests is both an impertinence and a 
nuisance4 ,why send us all the          
crudities8 ,why call upon us till you   
know what you want8 ,why speak till you 

have got your brain and your mouth      
clear8 ,why may we not take the universe
 for granted when we get up in the      
morning1 instead of proceeding directly 
to measure it over again8 ,once a year  
is often enough for anybody but the     
government to hear anything about       
,india1 ,china1 ,patagonia1 and the     
other flaps and coat-tails of the world4
 ,let the ,north ,pole never be         
mentioned again till we can melt the    
icebergs by a burning mirror before we  
start4 ,don't report another asteroid   
till the number reaches a thousand2 that
 will be time enough for us to change   
our peg4 ,let us hear nothing of the    
small speeches1 but ,congress may       
publish once a week a bulletin of what  
it has done4 ,the ,president and        
,cabinet may publish a bulletin1 not to 
exceed five lines1 twice a week1 or on  
rare occasions and in a public emergency
 once a day4 ,the right1 however1 shall 
be reserved to the people to prohibit   
the ,cabinet from saying anything more  

aloud on a particular public question1  
till they have settled it4 ,let no      
mail-steamer pass between here and      
,europe oftener than once a month1--let 
all other steamers be forbidden to bring
 news1 and the utterance of news by     
passengers be treated either as a public
 libel or nuisance1 or as high treason4 
,leave the awful accidents to the       
parties whom they concern1 and don't    
trouble us1 unless they have the merit  
of novelty as well as of horror4 ,tell  
us only the highest facts1 the boldest  
strokes1 the critical moments of daily  
chaos1 and save us from multitudinous   
nonsense4  ,there are some things which 
we like to keep out of the              
newspapers1--whose dignity is rather    
increased by being saved from them4     
,there are certain momentary and local  
interests which have become shy of the  
horn of the reporter4 ,the leading      
movements in politics1 the advanced     
guard of scientific and artistic        
achievement1 the most interesting social

 phenomena rather increase than diminish
 their importance by currency in certain
 circles instead of in the press4 ,the  
prestige of some events in metropolitan 
cities1 a marriage or a party1 depends  
on their social repute1 and they are    
ambitiously kept out of the journalist's
 range4 ,moreover1 in politics1 a few   
leading men meet together for           
consultation1 and----but the mysteries  
of political strategy are unknown here4 
,certainly the journalist has great     
influence in them1 but the clubs are    
centres of information and discussions  
of a character and interest to which all
 that newspapers do is second-rate4     
,science has never been popularized     
directly by the newspapers1 but the     
erudition of a savant reaches to the    
people by creating an atmospheric       
change1 in which task the journals may  
have their influence4 ,rightly or       
wrongly1 the administration in civil    
affairs at ,washington has not listened 
to the press much1 but it may be        

different when a new election           
approaches4 ,the social1 political1     
scientific1 and military ,dii ,majores  
all depend on the journal for a part of 
their daily breakfast1 but all soar     
above it4  ,a well-known and rather     
startling story describes a being1 which
 seems to have been neither fish1 flesh1
 nor fowl1 which a man made out of the  
elements1 by the use of his hands1 and  
by the processes of chemistry1 and which
 at the last galvanic touch rushed forth
 from the laboratory1 and from the      
horrified eyes of its creator1 an       
independent1 scoffing1 remorseless1 and 
inevitable enemy of him to whose rash   
ingenuity it owed its origin4  ,such a  
creature symbolizes some of our human   
arts and initiations4 ,once organized by
 genius and consecrated by precedent1   
they become mighty elements in history1 
revelling amid the wealthy energy of    
life1 exhausting the forces of the      
intellect1 clipping the tendrils of     
affection1 becoming colossal in the     

architecture of society and dorsal in   
its traditions1 and tyrannizing with the
 heedless power of an element1 to the   
horror of the pious soul which called it
 into existence1 over all departments of
 human activity4 ,such an art1 having   
passed a period of tameless and         
extravagant dominance1 at length becomes
 a fossil1 and is regarded only as an   
evidence of social upheaving in a remote
 and unaccountable age4  ,to charge such
 a creature with monstrosity during the 
period of its power is simply to expose 
one's self to popular jeers4 ,having    
immense respect for majorities in this  
country1 we only venture obscurely to   
hint1 that1 of all arts1 none before has
 ever been so threatening1 curious1 and 
fascinating a monster as that of        
printing4 ,we merely suggest the        
hypothesis1 novel since some centuries1 
that old ,faustus and ,gutenberg were as
 much inspired by the ,evil ,one as they
 have been fabled to be1 when they      
carved out of a mountain of ore the     

instrument yclept type1 to completely   
exhaust the possibilities of which is of
 late announced as the sum of human     
destiny4 ,they lived under the          
hallucination of dawning literature1    
when printed books implied sacred and   
classical perfection2 and they could by 
no means have foreseen the royal folios 
of the ,new ,york ,herald and ,tribune1 
or the marvellous inanities about the   
past1 present1 and future1 which figure 
in an indescribable list of duodecimo   
fiction1 theology1 and popular science4 
,but there is nothing so useless as to  
protest against a universal fashion4    
,every epoch must work out its own      
problem in its own way2 and it may be   
that it is appointed unto mankind to    
work through all possible mistakes as   
the condition of finally attaining the  
truth4 ,the only way is1 to encourage   
the spirit of every age1 to hurry on the
 climax4 ,the practical reductio ad     
absurdum and consequent explosion will  
soon accomplish themselves4  ,but a more

 palpable reason against protesting is1 
that literature in its different        
branches1 now as ever1 commands the     
services of the finest minds4 ,it is the
 literary character1 of which the elder 
,disraeli has written the natural       
history1 which now as ever creates the  
books1 the magazines1 the newspapers4   
,that sanctified bookworm was the first 
to codify the laws1 customs1 habits1 and
 idiosyncrasies of literary men4 ,he was
 the ,justinian of the life of genius4  
,he wandered in abstraction through the 
deserted alcoves of libraries1 studying 
and creating the political economy of   
thought4 ,what long diversities of      
character1 what mysterious realms of    
experience1 what wild waywardness of    
heavenly endowments1 what heroism of    
inward struggle1 what shyness towards   
society1 what devotion to the beckoning 
ideal of art1 what defeats and what     
triumphs1 what sufferings and joys1 both
 in excess1 were revealed by him1 the   
great political economist of genius6 ,in

 his apostolic view1 genius alone       
consecrated literature1 and made a      
literary life sacred4 ,genius was to him
 that peculiar and spontaneous devotion 
to letters which made its possessor     
indifferent to everything else4 ,for a  
man without this heavenly stamp to      
engage in literature was simply for him 
to rush upon his fate1 and become a     
public nuisance4 ,literature in its very
 nature is precarious1 and must be      
plucked from the brink of fate1 from the
 mouth of the dragon4 ,the literary man 
runs the risk of being destroyed in a   
thousand ways4 ,he has no track laid1 no
 instituted aids1 no specified course of
 action4 ,the machineries of life are   
not for him4 ,he enters into no one of  
the departments of human routine4 ,he   
has no relations with the course of the 
dull world2 he is not quite a man1 as   
the world goes1 and not at all an angel1
 as the celestials see4 ,he must be his 
own motive1 path1 and guide1 his own    
priest1 king1 and law4 ,the world may be

 his footstool1 and may be his slough of
 despond1 but is never his final end4   
,his aims are transcendental1 his realm 
is art1 his interests ideal1 his life   
divine1 his destiny immortal4 ,all the  
old theories of saintship are revived in
 him4 ,he is in the world1 but not of   
it4 ,shadows of infinitude are his      
realities4 ,he sees only the starry     
universe1 and the radiant depths of the 
soul4 ,martyrdom may desolate1 but      
cannot terrify him4 ,if he be a genius1 
if his soul crave only his idea1 and his
 body fare unconsciously well on bread  
and water1 then his lot is happy1 and   
fortune can present no ills which will  
not shrink before his burning eye4 ,but 
if he be less than this1 he is lost1 the
 sport of devouring elements4 ,as he    
fights fate on the border of ruin1 so   
much the more should he be animated by  
courage1 ambition1 pride1 purpose1 and  
faith4 ,to him literature is a high     
adventure1 and impossible as a          
profession4 ,a profession is an         

instituted department of action1 resting
 upon universal and constant needs1 and 
paying regular dividends4 ,but the fine 
arts must in their nature be lawless4   
,appointments cannot be made for them   
any more than for the thunder-storms    
which sweep the sky4 ,they die when they
 cease to be wild4 ,literary life1 at   
its best1 is a desperate play1 but it is
 with guineas1 and not with coppers1 to 
all who truly play it4 ,its elements    
would not be finer1 were they the golden
 and potent stars of alchemistic and    
astrological dreams4  ,such was genius1 
and such was literature1 in the         
representation of their first great     
lawgiver4 ,but the world has changed4   
,the sad story of the calamities of     
authors need not be repeated4 ,we live  
in the age of authors triumphant4 ,by   
swiftly succeeding and countless        
publications they occupy the eye of the 
world1 and achieve happiness before     
their death4 ,the stratagems of         
literature mark no longer a struggle    

between genius and the bailiffs4 ,what  
was once a desperate venture is now a   
lucrative business4 ,what was once a    
martyrdom is now its own reward4 ,what  
once had saintly unearthliness is now a 
powerful motor among worldly interests4 
,what was once the fatality of genius is
 now the aspiration of fools4 ,the      
people have turned to reading1 and have 
become a more liberal patron than even  
the ,athenian ,state1 monastic order1 or
 noble lord4 ,no longer does the        
literary class wander about the streets1
 gingerbread in its coat-pockets1 and   
rhymes written on scraps of paper from  
the gutter in its waistcoat-pockets4 ,no
 longer does it unequally compete with  
clowns and jockeys for lordly           
recognition4 ,no longer are the poet and
 the fool court-rivals4 ,no longer does 
it look forward to the jail as an       
occasional natural resting-place and    
paradise4 ,no longer must the author    
renounce the rank and robe of a         
gentleman to fall from airy regions far 

below the mechanical artists to the     
level of clodhoppers1 even whose leaden 
existence was a less precarious matter4 
,the order of scholars has ceased to be 
mendicant1 vagabond1 and eremite4 ,it no
 longer cultivates blossoms of the soul1
 but manufactures objects of barter4    
,now is the happy literary epoch1 when  
to be intellectual and omniscient is the
 public and private duty of every man4  
,to read newspapers by the billion and  
books by the million is now the common  
law4 ,we can conceive of ,disraeli      
moaning that the ,titan interests of the
 earth have overthrown the celestial    
hierarchy1--that the realm of genius has
 been stormed by worldly workers1--that 
literature1 like the angels1 has fallen 
from its first estate1--and that        
authors1 no longer the disinterested and
 suffering apostles1 of art1 have chosen
 rather to bear the wand of power and   
luxury than to be inspired4 ,we can     
imagine his horror at the sacrilegious  
vulgarization of print1 that people     

without taste rush into angelic metre1  
that dunces and sages thrive together on
 the public indiscrimination4 ,how would
 he marvel to see literary reputations  
born1 grow old1 and die within a season1
 the owners thereof content to be damned
 or forgotten eternally for a moment's  
incense or an equally fugitive shilling4
 ,nectar and ambrosia mean to them only 
meanness1 larceny1 sacrilege1 and bread 
and butter4  ,and yet1 notwithstanding  
the imaginary reproaches of our great   
literary church-father1 the most        
preciously endowed minds are still      
toiling in letters4 ,the sad and        
tortured devotion of genius still works 
itself out in them4 ,writing is now a   
marvellous craft and industry4 ,the     
books which last1 the books of a season1
 the quarterlies1 monthlies1 weeklies1  
dailies1 and even the hourlies1 are     
among the institutions of its fostering4
 ,nor should that vehicle1 partly of    
intelligence1 but chiefly of sentiment1 
the postal system1 be unmentioned1 which

 men and women both patronize1 each     
after their kind4 ,altogether1 perhaps1 
in some way or other1 seven-eighths of  
the life of man is taken up by the      
,cadmean ,art4 ,the whole fair domain of
 learning belongs to it2 for nowhere    
now1 in garden1 grove1 or ,stoical      
,porch1 with only the living voices of  
man and ,nature1 do students acquaint   
themselves with the joyous solemnities1 
the mysterious certainties of thought4  
,the mind lives in a universe of type4  
,there is no other art in which so      
desperate adventures are made4 ,indeed1 
the normal mental state of the abundant 
writer is a marvellous phenomenon4 ,the 
literary faculty is born of the marriage
 of chronic desperation with chronic    
trust4 ,this may account in part for    
that peculiar condition of mind which is
 both engendered and required by        
abundant writing4 ,a bold abandon1 a    
desperate guidance1 a thoughtless       
ratiocination1 a mechanical swaying of  
rhetoric1 are the grounds of            

dissertation4 ,a pause for a few days1 a
 visit to the country1 anything that    
would seem designed to restore the mind 
to its normal state1 destroys the       
faculty4 ,the weary penman1 who wishes  
his chaotic head could be relieved by   
being transformed even as by ,puck1     
knows that very whirling chaos is the   
condition of his multitudinous periods4 
,it seems as if some special sluices of 
the soul must be opened to force the    
pen4 ,one man1 on returning to his desk 
from a four weeks' vacation1 took up an 
unfinished article which he had left1   
and marvelled that such writing should  
ever have proceeded from him4 ,he could 
hardly understand it1 still less could  
he conceive of the mental process by    
which he had once created it4 ,that     
process was a sort of madness1 and the  
discipline of newspapers is inflicting  
it alike upon writers and readers4      
,demoralization is the result of a      
life-long devotion to the maddening     
rumors of the day4 ,it takes many a day 

to recall that fierce caprice1 as of an 
,oriental despot1 with which he watches 
the tiger-fights of ideas1 and strikes  
off periods1 as the tyrant strikes off  
heads4  ,and while no other art commands
 so universal homage1 no other is so    
purely artificial1 so absolutely        
unsymbolical4 ,the untutored mind sees  
nothing in a printed column4 ,a library 
has no natural impressiveness4 ,it is   
not in the shape of anything in this    
world of infinite beauty4 ,the          
barbarians of ,omri destroyed one       
without a qualm4 ,they have occupied    
apartments in seraglios1 but the        
beauties have never feared them as      
rivals4 ,of all human employments1      
writing is the farthest removed from any
 touch of ,nature4 ,it is at most a     
symbolism twice dead and buried4 ,the   
poetry in it lies back of a double      
hypothesis4 ,supposing the original     
sounds to have once been imitations of  
the voices of ,nature1 those sounds have
 now run completely away from what they 

once represented2 and supposing that    
letters were once imitations of natural 
signs1 they have long since lost the    
resemblance1 and have become independent
 entities4 ,whatever else is done by    
human artifice has in it some relic of  
,nature1 some touch of life4 ,painting  
copies to the eye1 music charms the ear1
 and all the useful arts have something 
of the aboriginal way of doing things   
about them4 ,even speech has a living   
grace and power1 by the play of the     
voice and eye1 and by the billowy       
flushes of the countenance4 ,mental     
energy culminates in its modulations1   
while the finest physical features      
combine to make them a consummate work  
of art4 ,but all the musical1 ocular1   
and facial beauties are absent from     
writing4 ,the savage knows1 or could    
quickly guess1 the use of the brush or  
chisel1 the shuttle or locomotive1 but  
not of the pen4 ,writing is the only    
dead art1 the only institute of either  
gods or men so artificial that the      

natural mind can discover nothing       
significant in it4  ,for instance1 take 
one of the disputed statements of the   
,nicene ,creed1 examine it by the nicest
 powers of the senses1 study it upwards1
 downwards1 and crosswise1 experiment to
 learn if it has any mysterious chemical
 forces in it1 consider its figures in  
relation to any astrological positions1 
to any natural signs of whirlwinds1     
tempests1 plagues1 famine1 or           
earthquakes1 try long to discover some  
hidden symbolism in it1 and confess     
finally that no man unregenerate to     
letters1 by any a priori or empirical   
knowledge1 could have at all suspected  
that a bit of dirty parchment1 with an  
ecclesiastical scrawl upon it1 would    
have power to drive the currents of     
history1 inspire great national         
passions1 and impel the wars and direct 
the ideas of an epoch4 ,the conflicts of
 the iconoclasts can be understood even 
by a child in its first meditations over
 a picture-book2 hieroglyphics may      

represent or suggest their objects by   
some natural association2 but the       
literary scrawl has a meaning only to   
the initiated4 ,a book is the prince of 
witch-work4 ,everything is contained in 
it2 but even a superior intelligence    
would have to go to school to get the   
key to its mysterious treasures4  ,and  
as the art is thus removed from ,nature1
 so its devotees withdraw themselves    
from life4 ,of no other class so truly  
as of writers can it be said that they  
sacrifice the real to the ideal1 life to
 fame4 ,they conquer the world by       
renouncing it4 ,its fleeting pleasures1 
its enchantment of business or          
listlessness1 its social enjoyments1 the
 vexations and health-giving bliss of   
domestic life1 and all wandering tastes1
 must be forsaken4 ,a power which       
pierces1 and an ambition which enjoys   
the future1 accepts the martyrdom of the
 present4 ,they feel loneliness in their
 own age1 while with universal survey   
viewing the beacon-lights of history    

across the peaks of generations4 ,their 
seat of life is the literary faculty1   
and they prune and torture themselves   
only to maintain in this the highest    
intensity and capacity4 ,they are in    
some sort rebels battling against time1 
not the humble well-doer content simply 
to live and bless ,god4 ,between them   
and living men there is the difference  
which exists between analytical and     
geometrical mathematics3 the former has 
to do with signs1 the latter with       
realities4 ,the former contains the laws
 of the physical world1 but a man may   
know and use them like an adept1 and yet
 be ignorant of physics4 ,he may know   
all there is of algebra1 without seeing 
that the universe is masked in it4 ,the 
signs would be not means1 but ultimates 
to it4 ,so a writer may never penetrate 
through the veil of language to the     
realities behind1--may know only the    
mechanism1 and not the spirit of        
learning and literature4 ,his mind is   
then skeleton-like1--his thought is the 

shadow of a shade4  ,and yet is not life
 greater than art8 ,why transform real  
ideas and sentiments into typographical 
fossils8 ,why have we forgotten the     
theory of human life as a divine        
vegetation8 ,why not make our hearts the
 focus of the lights which we strive to 
catch in books8 ,why should the wealthy 
passivity of the ,oriental genius be so 
little known among us8 ,why conceive of 
success only as an outward fruit plucked
 by conscious struggle8 ,banish books1  
banish reading1 and how much time and   
strength would be improvised in which to
 benefit each other6 ,we might become   
ourselves embodiments of all the truth  
and beauty and goodness now stagnant in 
libraries1 and might spread their aroma 
through the social atmosphere4 ,the     
dynamics would supplant the mechanics of
 the soul4 ,in the volume of life the   
literary man knows only the indexes2 but
 he would then be introduced to the     
radiant1 fragrant1 and buoyant contents1
 to the beauty and the mystery1 to the  

great passions and long contemplations4 
,the eternal spicy breeze would         
transform the leaden atmosphere of his  
thought4 ,an outlaw of the universe for 
his sins1 he would then be restored to  
the realities of the heart and mind4 ,he
 would then for the first time discover 
the difference between skill and        
knowledge4 ,readers and writers would   
then be succeeded by human beings4 ,the 
golden ante-,cadmean age would come     
again4 ,literary sanctity having become 
a tradition1 there would be an end of   
its pretentious counterfeits4 ,the      
alphabet1 decrepit with its long and    
vast labors1 would at last be released4 
,the whole army of writers would take   
their place among the curiosities of    
history4 ,the ,alexandrian              
thaumaturgists1 the ,byzantine          
historians1 the scholastic              
dialecticians1 the serial novelists1 and
 the daily dissertationists1 strung     
together1 would make a glittering chain 
of monomaniacs4 ,social life is a mutual

 joy2 reading may be rarely indulged    
without danger to sanity2 but writing1  
unless the man have genius1 is but      
creating new rubbish1 the nucleus of new
 deltas of obstruction1 till the river  
of life shall lose its way to the ocean1
 and the ,infinite be shut out          
altogether4 ,the old bibliopole ,de     
,bury flattered himself that he admired 
wisdom because it purchaseth such vast  
delight4 ,he had in mind the luxury of  
reading1 and did not think that in this 
world wisdom always hides its head or   
goes to the stake4 ,even if literature  
were not to be abolished altogether1 it 
is safe to think that the world would be
 better off1 if there were less writing4
 ,there should be a division of labor2  
some should read and write1 as some     
ordain laws1 create philosophies1 tend  
shops1 make chairs1--but why should     
everybody dabble with literature8  ,in  
all hypotheses as to the more remote    
destiny of literature1 we can but be    
struck by the precariousness of its     

existence4 ,it is art imperishable and  
ever-changing material4 ,a fire once    
extinguished perhaps half the world's   
literature1 and struck thousands from   
the list of authors4 ,the forgetfulness 
of mankind in the mysterious mediaeval  
age2 diminished by more than half the   
world of books4 ,there are many books   
which surely1 and either rapidly or     
slowly1 resolve themselves into the     
elements1 but the process cannot be     
seen4 ,a whole army of books perishes   
with every revolution of taste4 ,and yet
 the amount of current writing surpasses
 the strength of man's intellect or the 
length of his years4 ,surely1 the press 
is very much of a nuisance as well as a 
blessing4 ,its products are getting very
 much in the way1 and the impulse of the
 world is too strong to allow itself to 
be clogged by them4 ,something must be  
done4  ,among possibilities1 let the    
following be suggested4 ,the world may  
perhaps return from unsymbolical to     
symbolical writing4 ,there is a science 

older than anything but shadowy         
traditions1 and immemorially linked with
 religion1 poetry1 and art4 ,it is the  
almost forgotten science of symbolism4  
,symbols1 as compared with letters1 are 
a higher and more potent style of       
expression4 ,they are the earthly       
shadows of eternal truth4 ,it is the    
language of the fine arts1 of painting1 
sculpture1 the stage1--it will be the   
language of life1 when1 rising in the   
scale of being1 we shall return from the
 dead sea of literature to the more     
energetic algebra of symbolical         
meanings4 ,in these1 the forms of the   
reason and of ,nature come into visible 
harmony2 the hopes of man find their    
shadows in the struggles of the         
universe1 and the lights of the spirit  
cluster myriad-fold around the objects  
of ,nature4 ,let ,phoenician language be
 vivified into the universal poetry of  
symbolism1 and thought would then become
 life1 instead of the ghost of life4    
,current literature would give way to a 

new and true mythology2 authors and     
editors would suffer a transformation   
similar to that of type-setters into    
artists1 and of newsboys into           
connoisseurs2 and the figures of a noble
 humanity would fill the public mind1 no
 longer confused and degraded by the    
perpetual vision of leaden and          
unsuggestive letters4 ,from that time   
prose would be extinct1 and poetry would
 be all in all4 ,history would renew its
 youth1--would find1 after the          
struggles1 attainments1 and developments
 of its manhood1 that there is after all
 nothing wiser in thought1 no truer law1
 than the instincts of childhood4  ,or1 
again3 improvements have already been   
made which promise as an ultimate result
 to transform the largest library into a
 miniature for the pocket4 ,stenography 
may yet reach to a degree that it will  
be able to write folios on the          
thumb-nail1 and dispose all the         
literature of the world comfortably in a
 gentleman's pocket1 before he sets out 

on his summer excursion4 ,the contents  
of vast tomes1 bodies of history and of 
science1 may be so reduced that the eye 
can cover them at a glance1 and the     
process of reading be as rapid as that  
of thought ,the mind1 instead of        
wearying of slow perusal1 would have to 
spur its lightning to keep pace with the
 eye4 ,many books are born of mere      
vagueness and cloudiness of thought4    
,all such1 when thus compressed into    
their reality1 would go out in eternal  
night4 ,there is something overpowering 
in the conception of the high pressure  
to which life in all its departments may
 some time be brought4 ,the mechanism of
 reading and writing would be slight4   
,the mental labor of comprehending would
 be immense4 ,the mind1 instead of being
 subdued1 would be spurred1 by what it  
works in4 ,we are now cramped and       
checked by the overwhelming amount of   
linguistic red-tape in which we have to 
operate2 but then men1 freed from these 
bonds1 the husks of thought almost all  

thrown away1 would be purer1 live       
faster1 do greater1 die younger4 ,what  
magnificent physical improvements1 we   
may suppose1 will then aid the powers of
 the soul6 ,the old world would then be 
subdued1 nevermore to strike a blow at  
its lithe conqueror1 man4 ,the          
department of the newspaper1 with       
inconceivable photographic and          
telegraphic resources1 may then be      
extended to the solar or the stellar    
systems1 and the turmoils of all        
creation would be reported at our       
breakfast-tables4 ,men would rise every 
morning to take an intelligible account 
of the aspects and the prospects of the 
universe4  ,or1 once more3 shall we     
venture into the speculative domain of  
the philosophy of history1 and give the 
rationale of our times8 ,what is the    
divine mission of the great marvel of   
our age1 namely1 its periodical and     
fugitive literature8 ,the intellectual  
and moral world of mankind reforms      
itself at the outset of new             

civilizations1 as ,nature reforms itself
 at every new geological epoch4 ,the    
first step toward a reform1 as toward a 
crystallization1 is a solution4 ,there  
was a solvent period between the unknown
 ,orient and the greatness of ,greece1  
between the ,classic and the ,middle    
,ages1--and now humanity is again       
solvent1 in the transition from the     
traditions which issued out of feudalism
 to the novelty of democratic           
crystallization4 ,but as the youth of   
all animals is prolonged in proportion  
to their dignity in the scale of being1 
so is it with the children of history4  
,destiny is the longest-lived of all    
things4 ,we are not going to accomplish 
it all at once4 ,we have got to fight   
for it1 to endure the newspapers in     
behalf of it4 ,we are in a place where  
gravitation changing goes the other way4
 ,for the first time1 all reigning ideas
 now find their focus in the popular    
mind4 ,the giant touches the earth to   
recover his strength4 ,history returns  

to the people4 ,after two thousand      
years1 popular intelligence is again to 
be revived4 ,and under what new         
conditions8 ,we live in a telescopic1   
microscopic1 telegraphic universe1 all  
the elements of which are brought       
together under the combined operation of
 fire and water1 as erst1 in primitive  
,nature1 vulcanic and plutonic forces   
struggled together in the face of heaven
 and hell to form the earth4 ,the long  
ranges of history have left with us one 
definite idea3 it is that of progress1  
the intellectual passion of our time4   
,all our science demonstrates it1 all   
our poetry sings it4 ,democracy is the  
last term of political progress4        
,popular intelligence and virtue are the
 conditions of democracy4 ,to produce   
these is the mission of periodical      
literature4 ,the vast complexities of   
the world1 all knowledge and all        
purpose1 are being reduced in the       
crucible of the popular mind to a common
 product4 ,knowledge lives neither in   

libraries nor in rare minds1 but in the 
general heart4 ,great men are already   
mythical1 and great ideas are admitted  
only so far as we1 the people1 can see  
something in them4 ,by no great books or
 long treatises1 but by a ceaseless flow
 of brevities and repetitions1 is the   
pulverized thought of the world wrought 
into the soul4 ,it is amazing how many  
significant passages in history and in  
literature are reproduced in the essays 
of magazines and the leaders of         
newspapers by allusion and illustration1
 and by constant iteration beaten into  
the heads of the people4 ,the popular   
mind is now feeding upon and deriving   
tone from the best things that literary 
commerce can produce from the whole     
world1 past and present4 ,there is no   
finer example of the popularization of  
science than ,agassiz addressing the    
,american people through the columns of 
a monthly magazine4 ,of the popular     
heart which used to rumble only about   
once in a century the newspapers are now

 the daily organs4 ,they are creating an
 organic general mind1 the soil for     
future grand ideas and institutes4 ,as  
the soul reaches a higher stage in its  
destiny than ever before1 the           
scaffolding by which it has risen is to 
be thrown aside4 ,the quality of        
libraries is to be transferred to the   
soul4 ,spiritual life is now to exert   
its influence directly1 without the     
mechanism of letters1--is going to exert
 itself through the social              
atmosphere1--and all history and thought
 are to be perpetuated and to grow1 not 
in books1 but in minds4  ,and yet1      
though we thus justify contemporary     
writing1 we can but think1 that1 after  
long ages of piecemeal and bon-mot      
literature1 we shall at length return to
 serious studies1 vast syntheses1 great 
works4 ,the nebulous world of letters   
shall be again concentred into stars4   
,the epoch of the printing-press has run
 itself nearly through2 but a new epoch 
and a new art shall arise1 by which the 

achievements and the succession of      
genius shall be perpetuated4     ,,the  
,,bridge ,,of ,,cloud4       ,burn1 ,o  
evening hearth1 and waken               
,pleasant visions1 as of old6           
,though the house by winds be shaken1   
,safe ,i keep this room of gold6        
,ah1 no longer wizard ,fancy            
,builds its castles in the air1         
,luring me by necromancy       ,up the  
never-ending stair6      ,but1 instead1 
it builds me bridges       ,over many a 
dark ravine1     ,where beneath the     
gusty ridges       ,cataracts dash and  
roar unseen4      ,and ,i cross them1   
little heeding       ,blast of wind or  
torrent's roar1     ,as ,i follow the   
receding       ,footsteps that have gone
 before4      ,nought avails the        
imploring gesture1       ,nought avails 
the cry of pain6     ,when ,i touch the 
flying vesture1       ',tis the gray    
robe of the rain4      ,baffled ,i      
return1 and1 leaning       ,o'er the    
parapets of cloud1     ,watch the mist  

that intervening       ,wraps the valley
 in its shroud4      ,and the sounds of 
life ascending       ,faintly1 vaguely1 
meet the ear1     ,murmur of bells and  
voices blending       ,with the rush of 
waters near4      ,well ,i know what    
there lies hidden1       ,every tower   
and town and farm1     ,and again the   
land forbidden       ,reassumes its     
vanished charm4      ,well ,i know the  
secret places1       ,and the nests in  
hedge and tree2     ,at what doors are  
friendly faces1       ,in what hearts a 
thought of me4      ,through the mist   
and darkness sinking1       ,blown by   
wind and beaten by shower1     ,down ,i 
fling the thought ,i'm thinking1        
,down ,i toss this ,alpine flower4      
,,the ,,electric ,,girl ,,of ,,la       
,,perriere4   ,eighteen years ago there 
occurred in one of the provinces of     
,france a case of an abnormal character1
 marked by extraordinary                
phenomena1--interesting to the          
scientific1 and especially to the       

medical world4 ,the authentic documents 
in this case are rare2 and though the   
case itself is often alluded to1 its    
details have never1 so far as ,i know1  
been reproduced from these documents in 
an ,english dress1 or presented in      
trustworthy form to the ,american       
public4 ,it occurred in the ,commune of 
,la ,perriere1 situated in the          
,department of ,orne1 in ,january1      
#ahdf4  ,it was critically observed1 at 
the time1 by ,dr4 ,verger1 an           
intelligent physician of ,bellesme1 a   
neighboring town4 ,he details the result
 of his observations in two letters     
addressed to the ,journal du            
,magnetisme1--one dated ,january #bi1   
the other ,february #b1 #ahdf4a ,the    
editor of that journal1 ,m4 ,hebert1 7de
 ,garny17 himself repaired to the spot1 
made the most minute researches into the
 matter1 and gives us the result of his 
observations and inquiries in a report1 
also published in the ,journal du       
,magnetisme4#b ,a neighboring           

proprietor1 ,m4 ,jules de ,faremont1    
followed up the case with care1 from its
 very commencement1 and has left on     
record a detailed report of his         
observations4#c ,finally1 after the     
girl's arrival in ,paris1 ,dr4 ,tanchon 
carefully studied the phenomena1 and has
 given the results in a pamphlet        
published at the time4#d ,he it was1    
also1 who addressed to ,m4 ,arago a note
 on the subject1 which was laid before  
the ,academy by that distinguished man1 
at their session of ,february #af1      
#ahdf4e ,arago himself had then seen the
 girl only a few minutes1 but even in   
that brief time had verified a portion  
of the phenomena4  ,dr4 ,tanchon's      
pamphlet contains fourteen letters1     
chiefly from medical men and persons    
holding official positions in ,bellesme1
 ,mortagne1 and other neighboring towns1
 given at length and signed by the      
writers1 all of whom examined the girl1 
while yet in the country4 ,their        
testimony is so circumstantial1 so      

strictly concurrent in regard to all the
 main phenomena1 and so clearly         
indicative of the care and              
discrimination with which the various   
observations were made1 that there seems
 no good reason1 unless we find such in 
the nature of the phenomena themselves1 
for refusing to give it credence4       
,several of the writers expressly affirm
 the accuracy of ,m4 ,hebert's          
narrative1 and all of them1 by the      
details they furnish1 corroborate it4   
,mainly from that narrative1 aided by   
some of the observations of ,m4 de      
,faremont1 ,i compile the following     
brief statement of the chief facts in   
this remarkable case4  ,angelique       
,cottin1 a peasant-girl fourteen years  
of age1 robust and in good health1 but  
very imperfectly educated and of limited
 intelligence1 lived with her aunt1 the 
widow ,loisnard1 in a cottage with an   
earthen floor1 close to the ,chateau of 
,monti-,mer1 inhabited by its           
proprietor1 already mentioned1 ,m4 de   

,faremont4  ,the weather1 for eight days
 previous to the fifteenth of ,january1 
#ahdf1 had been heavy and tempestuous1  
with constantly recurring storms of     
thunder and lightning4 ,the atmosphere  
was charged with electricity4  ,on the  
evening of that fifteenth of ,january1  
at eight o'clock1 while ,angelique1 in  
company with three other young girls1   
was at work1 as usual1 in her aunt's    
cottage1 weaving ladies' silk-net       
gloves1 the frame1 made of rough oak and
 weighing about twenty-five pounds1 to  
which was attached the end of the warp1 
was upset1 and the candlestick on it    
thrown to the ground4 ,the girls1       
blaming each other as having caused the 
accident1 replaced the frame1 relighted 
the candle1 and went to work again4 ,a  
second time the frame was thrown down4  
,thereupon the children ran away1 afraid
 of a thing so strange1 and1 with the   
superstition common to their class1     
dreaming of witchcraft4 ,the neighbors1 
attracted by their cries1 refused to    

credit their story4 ,so1 returning1 but 
with fear and trembling1 two of them at 
first1 afterwards a third1 resumed their
 occupation1 without the recurrence of  
the alarming phenomenon4 ,but as soon as
 the girl ,cottin1 imitating her        
companions1 had touched her warp1 the   
frame was agitated again1 moved about1  
was upset1 and then thrown violently    
back4 ,the girl was drawn irresistibly  
after it2 but as soon as she touched it1
 it moved still farther away4  ,upon    
this the aunt1 thinking1 like the       
children1 that there must be sorcery in 
the case1 took her niece to the         
parsonage of ,la ,perriere1 demanding   
exorcism4 ,the curate1 an enlightened   
man1 at first laughed at her story2 but 
the girl had brought her glove with her1
 and fixing it to a kitchen-chair1 the  
chair1 like the frame1 was repulsed and 
upset1 without being touched by         
,angelique4 ,the curate then sat down on
 the chair2 but both chair and he were  
thrown to the ground in like manner4    

,thus practically convinced of the      
reality of a phenomenon which he could  
not explain1 the good man reassured the 
terrified aunt by telling her it was    
some bodily disease1 and1 very sensibly1
 referred the matter to the physicians4 
,the next day the aunt related the above
 particulars to ,m4 de ,faremont2 but   
for the time the effects had ceased4    
,three days later1 at nine o'clock1 that
 gentleman was summoned to the cottage1 
where he verified the fact that the     
frame was at intervals thrown back from 
,angelique with such force1 that1 when  
exerting his utmost strength and holding
 it with both hands1 he was unable to   
prevent its motion4 ,he observed that   
the motion was partly rotary1 from left 
to right4 ,he particularly noticed that 
the girl's feet did not touch the frame1
 and that1 when it was repulsed1 she    
seemed drawn irresistibly after it1     
stretching out her hands1 as if         
instinctively1 towards it4 ,it was      
afterwards remarked1 that1 when a piece 

of furniture or other object1 thus acted
 upon by ,angelique1 was too heavy to be
 moved1 she herself was thrown back1 as 
if by the reaction of the force upon her
 person4  ,by this time the cry of      
witchcraft was raised in the            
neighborhood1 and public opinion had    
even designated by name the sorcerer who
 had cast the spell4 ,on the            
twenty-first of ,january the phenomena  
increased in violence and in variety4 ,a
 chair on which the girl attempted to   
sit down1 though held by three strong   
men1 was thrown off1 in spite of their  
efforts1 to several yards' distance4    
,shovels1 tongs1 lighted firewood1      
brushes1 books1 were all set in motion  
when the girl approached them4 ,a pair  
of scissors fastened to her girdle was  
detached1 and thrown into the air4  ,on 
the twenty-fourth of ,january1 ,m4 de   
,faremont took the child and her aunt in
 his carriage to the small neighboring  
town of ,mamers4 ,there1 before two     
physicians and several ladies and       

gentlemen1 articles of furniture moved  
about on her approach4 ,and there1 also1
 the following conclusive experiment was
 tried by ,m4 de ,faremont4  ,into one  
end of a ponderous wooden block1        
weighing upwards of a hundred and fifty 
pounds1 he caused a small hook to be    
driven4 ,to this he made ,angelique fix 
her silk4 ,as soon as she sat down and  
her frock touched the block1 the latter 
was instantly raised three or four      
inches from the ground2 and this was    
repeated as much as forty times in a    
minute4 ,then1 after suffering the girl 
to rest1 ,m4 de ,faremont seated himself
 on the block1 and was elevated in the  
same way4 ,then three men placed        
themselves upon it1 and were raised     
also1 only not quite so high4 ,it is    
certain1 says ,m4 de ,faremont1 that ,i 
and one of the most athletic porters of 
the ,halle could not have lifted that   
block with the three persons seated on  
it4#f  ,dr4 ,verger came to ,mamers to  
see ,angelique1 whom1 as well as her    

family1 he had previously known4 ,on the
 twenty-eighth of ,january1 in the      
presence of the curate of ,saint ,martin
 and of the chaplain of the ,bellesme   
hospital1 the following incident        
occurred4 ,as the child could not sew   
without pricking herself with the       
needle1 nor use scissors without        
wounding her hands1 they set her to     
shelling peas1 placing a large basket   
before her4 ,as soon as her dress       
touched the basket1 and she reached her 
hand to begin work1 the basket was      
violently repulsed1 and the peas        
projected upwards and scattered over the
 room4 ,this was twice repeated1 under  
the same circumstances4 ,dr4 ,lemonnier1
 of ,saint ,maurice1 testifies to the   
same phenomenon1 as occurring in his    
presence and in that of the ,procurator 
,royal of ,mortagne2#g he noticed that  
the left hand produced the greater      
effect4 ,he adds1 that1 he and another1 
gentleman having endeavored1 with all   
their strength1 to hold a chair on which

 ,angelique sat down1 it was violently  
forced from them1 and one of its legs   
broken4  ,on the thirtieth of ,january1 
,m4 de ,faremont tried the effect of    
isolation4 ,when1 by means of dry glass1
 he isolated the child's feet and the   
chair on which she sat1 the chair ceased
 to move1 and she remained perfectly    
quiet4 ,m4 ,olivier1 government         
engineer1 tried a similar experiment1   
with the same results4#h ,a week later1 
,m4 ,hebert1 repeating this experiment1 
discovered that isolation of the chair  
was unnecessary2 it sufficed to isolate 
the girl4#i ,dr4 ,beaumont1 vicar of    
,pin-la-,garenne1 noticed a fact1       
insignificant in appearance1 yet quite  
as conclusive as were the more violent  
manifestations1 as to the reality of the
 phenomena4 ,having moistened with      
saliva the scattered hairs on his own   
arm1 so that they lay flattened1        
attached to the epidermis1 when he      
approached his arm to the left arm of   
the girl1 the hairs instantly erected   

themselves4 ,m4 ,hebert repeated the    
same experiment several times1 always   
with a similar result4#aj  ,m4 ,olivier 
also tried the following4 ,with a stick 
of sealing-wax1 which he had subjected  
to friction1 he touched the girl's arm1 
and it gave her a considerable shock2   
but touching her with another similar   
stick1 that had not been rubbed1 she    
experienced no effect whatever4#aa ,yet 
when ,m4 de ,faremont1 on the nineteenth
 of ,january1 tried the same experiment 
with a stick of sealing-wax and a glass 
tube1 well prepared by rubbing1 he      
obtained no effect whatever4 ,so also a 
pendulum of light pith1 brought into    
close proximity to her person at various
 points1 was neither attracted nor      
repulsed1 in the slightest degree4#ab   
,towards the beginning of ,february1    
,angelique was obliged1 for several     
days1 to eat standing2 she could not sit
 down on a chair4 ,this fact ,dr4       
,verger repeatedly verified4 ,holding   
her by the arm to prevent accident1 the 

moment she touched the chair it was     
projected from under her1 and she would 
have fallen but for his support4 ,at    
such times1 to take rest1 she had to    
seat herself on the floor1 or on a stone
 provided for the purpose4  ,on one such
 occasion1 she approached1 says ,m4 de  
,faremont1 one of those rough1 heavy    
bedsteads used by the peasantry1        
weighing1 with the coarse bedclothes1   
some three hundred pounds1 and sought to
 lie down on it4 ,the bed shook and     
oscillated in an incredible manner2 no  
force that ,i know of is capable of     
communicating to it such a movement4    
,then she went to another bed1 which was
 raised from the ground on wooden       
rollers1 six inches in diameter2 and it 
was immediately thrown off the rollers4 
,all this ,m4 de ,faremont personally   
witnessed4#ac  ,on the evening of the   
second of ,february1 ,dr4 ,verger       
received ,angelique into his house4 ,on 
that day and the next1 upwards of one   
thousand persons came to see her4 ,the  

constant experiments1 which on that     
occasion were continued into the night1 
so fatigued the poor girl that the      
effects were sensibly diminished4 ,yet  
even then a small table brought near to 
her was thrown down so violently that it
 broke to pieces4 ,it was of cherry-wood
 and varnished4  ,in a general way1 says
 ,dr4 ,beaumont-,chardon1 ,i think the  
effects were more marked with me than   
with others1 because ,i never evinced   
suspicion1 and spared her all suffering2
 and ,i thought ,i could observe1 that1 
although her powers were not under the  
control of her will1 yet they were      
greatest when her mind was at ease1 and 
she was in good spirits4#ad ,it         
appeared1 also1 that on waxed1 or even  
tiled floors1 but more especially on    
carpets1 the effects were much less than
 on an earthen floor like that of the   
cottage where they originally showed    
themselves4  ,at first wooden furniture 
seemed exclusively affected2 but at a   
later period metal also1 as tongs and   

shovels1 though in a less degree1       
appeared to be subjected to this        
extraordinary influence4 ,when the      
child's powers were the most active1    
actual contact was not necessary4       
,articles of furniture and other small  
objects moved1 if she accidentally      
approached them4  ,up to the sixth of   
,february she had been visited by more  
than two thousand persons1 including    
distinguished physicians from the towns 
of ,bellesme and ,mortagne1 and from all
 the neighborhood1 magistrates1 lawyers1
 ecclesiastics1 and others4 ,some gave  
her money4  ,then1 in an evil hour1     
listening to mercenary suggestion1 the  
parents conceived the idea that the poor
 girl might be made a source of         
pecuniary gain2 and notwithstanding the 
advice and remonstrance of her true     
friends1 ,m4 de ,faremont1 ,dr4 ,verger1
 ,m4 ,hebert1 and others1 her father    
resolved to exhibit her in ,paris and   
elsewhere4  ,on the road they were      
occasionally subjected to serious       

annoyances4 ,the report of the marvels  
above narrated had spread far and wide2 
and the populace1 by hundreds1 followed 
the carriage1 hooting and abusing the   
sorceress4  ,arrived at the ,french     
metropolis1 they put up at the ,hotel de
 ,rennes1 ,no4 #bc1 ,rue des            
,deux-,ecus4 ,there1 on the evening of  
the twelfth of ,february1 ,dr4 ,tanchon 
saw ,angelique for the first time4      
,this gentleman soon verified1 among    
other phenomena1 the following4 ,a      
chair1 which he held firmly with both   
hands1 was forced back as soon as she   
attempted to sit down2 a middle-sized   
dining-table was displaced and repulsed 
by the touch of her dress2 a large sofa1
 on which ,dr4 ,tanchon was sitting1 was
 pushed violently to the wall1 as soon  
as the child sat down beside him4 ,the  
,doctor remarked1 that1 when a chair was
 thrown back from under her1 her clothes
 seemed attracted by it1 and adhered to 
it1 until it was repulsed beyond their  
reach2 that the power was greater from  

the left hand than from the right1 and  
that the former was warmer than the     
latter1 and often trembled1 agitated by 
unusual contractions2 that the influence
 emanating from the girl was            
intermittent1 not permanent1 being      
usually most powerful from seven till   
nine o'clock in the evening1 possibly   
influenced by the principal meal of the 
day1 dinner1 taken at six o'clock2 that1
 if the girl was cut off from contact   
with the earth1 either by placing her   
feet on a non-conductor or merely by    
keeping them raised from the ground1 the
 power ceased1 and she could remain     
seated quietly2 that1 during the        
paroxysm1 if her left hand touched any  
object1 she threw it from her as if it  
burned her1 complaining that it pricked 
her1 especially on the wrist2 that1     
happening one day to touch accidentally 
the nape of her neck1 the girl ran from 
him1 crying out with pain2 and that     
repeated observation assured him of the 
fact that there was1 in the region of   

the cerebellum1 and at the point where  
the superior muscles of the neck are    
inserted in the cranium1 a point so     
acutely sensitive that the child would  
not suffer there the lightest touch2    
and1 finally1 that the girl's pulse1    
often irregular1 usually varied from one
 hundred and five to one hundred and    
twenty beats a minute4  ,a curious      
observation made by this physician was1 
that1 at the moment of greatest action1 
a cool breeze1 or gaseous current1      
seemed to flow from her person4 ,this he
 felt on his hand1 as distinctly as one 
feels the breath during an ordinary     
expiration4#ae  ,he remarked1 also1 that
 the intermittence of the child's power 
seemed to depend in a measure on her    
state of mind4 ,she was often in fear   
lest some one should touch her from     
behind2 the phenomena themselves        
agitated her2 in spite of a month's     
experience1 each time they occurred she 
drew back1 as if alarmed4 ,and all such 
agitations seemed to diminish her power4

 ,when she was careless1 and her mind   
was diverted to something else1 the     
demonstrations were always the most     
energetic4  ,from the north pole of a   
magnet1 if it touched her finger1 she   
received a sharp shock2 while the       
contact of the south pole produced upon 
her no effect whatever4 ,this effect was
 uniform2 and the girl could always tell
 which pole touched her4  ,dr4 ,tanchon 
ascertained from the mother that no     
indications of puberty had yet          
manifested themselves in her daughter's 
case4  ,such is a summary of the facts1 
embodied in a report drawn up by ,dr4   
,tanchon on the fifteenth of ,february4 
,he took it with him on the evening of  
the sixteenth to the ,academy of        
,sciences1 and asked ,m4 ,arago if he   
had seen the electric girl1 and if he   
intended to bring her case that evening 
to the notice of the ,academy4 ,arago   
replied to both questions in the        
affirmative1 adding1--,if you have seen 
her1 ,i shall receive from you with     

pleasure any communication you may have 
to make4  ,dr4 ,tanchon then read to him
 the report2 and at the session of that 
evening1 ,arago presented it1 stated    
what he himself had seen1 and proposed  
that a committee should be appointed to 
examine the case4 ,his statement was    
received by his audience with many      
expressions of incredulity2 but they    
acceded to his suggestion by naming1    
from the members of the ,academy1 a     
committee of six4  ,it appears that     
,arago had had but a single opportunity1
 and for the brief space of less than   
half an hour1 of witnessing the         
phenomena to which he referred4 ,m4     
,cholet1 the speculator who advanced to 
her parents the money necessary to bring
 ,angelique to ,paris1 had taken the    
girl and her parents to the             
,observatory1 where ,arago then was1    
who1 at the earnest instance of ,cholet1
 agreed to test the child's powers at   
once4 ,there were present on this       
occasion1 besides ,arago1 ,,mm4 ,mathieu

 and ,laugier1 and an astronomer of the 
,observatory1 named ,m4 ,goujon4  ,the  
experiment of the chair perfectly       
succeeded4 ,it was projected with great 
violence against the wall1 while the    
girl was thrown on the other side4 ,this
 experiment was repeated several times  
by ,arago himself1 and each time with   
the same result4 ,he could not1 with all
 his force1 hinder the chair from being 
thrown back4 ,then ,,mm4 ,goujon and    
,laugier attempted to hold it1 but with 
as little success4 ,finally1 ,m4 ,goujon
 seated himself first on half the chair1
 and at the moment when ,angelique was  
taking her seat beside him the chair was
 thrown down4  ,when ,angelique         
approached a small table1 at the instant
 that her apron touched it1 it was      
repulsed4  ,these particulars were given
 in all the medical journals of the     
day1#af as well as in the ,journal des  
,debats of ,february #ah1 and the       
,courrier ,francais of ,february #ai1   
#ahdf4  ,the minutes of the session of  

the ,academy touch upon them in the most
 studiously brief and guarded manner4   
,they say1 the sitting lasted only some 
minutes4 ,they admit1 however1 the main 
fact1 namely1 that the movements of the 
chair1 occurring as soon as ,angelique  
seated herself upon it1 were most       
violent 7d'une extreme violence74 ,but  
as to the other experiment1 they allege 
that ,m4 ,arago did not clearly perceive
 the movement of the table by the mere  
intervention of the girl's apron1 though
 the other observers did4#ag ,it is     
added1 that the girl produced no effect 
on the magnetic needle4  ,some accounts 
represent ,arago as expressing himself  
much more decidedly4 ,he may have done  
so1 in addressing the ,academy2 but ,i  
find no official record of his remarks4 
,he did not assist at the sittings of   
the committee that had been appointed at
 his suggestion2 but he signed their    
report1 having confidence1 as he        
declared1 in their judgment1 and sharing
 their mistrust4  ,that report1 made on 

the ninth of ,march1 is to the effect1  
that they witnessed no repulsive agency 
on a table or similar object2 that they 
saw no effect produced by the girl's arm
 on a magnetic needle2 that the girl did
 not possess the power to distinguish   
between the two poles of a magnet2 and1 
finally1 that the only result they      
obtained was sudden and violent         
movements of chairs on which the child  
was seated4 ,they add1 ,serious         
suspicions having arisen as to the      
manner in which these movements were    
produced1 the committee decided to      
submit them to a strict examination1    
declaring1 in plain terms1 that they    
would endeavor to discover what part    
certain adroit and concealed manoeuvres 
of the hands and feet had in their      
production4 ,from that moment we were   
informed that the young girl had lost   
her attractive and repulsive powers1 and
 that we should be notified when they   
reappeared4 ,many days have elapsed2 no 
notice has been sent us2 yet we learn   

that ,mademoiselle ,cottin daily        
exhibits her experiments in private     
circles4 ,and they conclude by          
recommending that the communications    
addressed to them in her case be        
considered as not received 7comme non   
avenues74 ,in a word1 they officially   
branded the poor girl as an impostor4   
,that1 without any inquiry into the     
antecedents of the patient1 without the 
slightest attempt to obtain from those  
medical men who had followed up the case
 from its commencement what they had    
observed1 and that1 in advance of the   
strict examination which it was their   
duty to make1 they should insult the    
unfortunate girl by declaring that they 
intended to find out the tricks with    
which she had been attempting to deceive
 them1--all this is not the less        
lamentable because it is common among   
those1 who sit in the high places of    
science4  ,if these ,academicians had   
been moved by a simple love of truth1   
not urged by a self-complacent eagerness

 to display their own sagacity1 they    
might have found a more probable        
explanation of the cessation1 after     
their first session1 of some of         
,angelique's chief powers4  ,such an    
explanation is furnished to us by ,dr4  
,tanchon1 who was present1 by           
invitation1 at the sittings of the      
committee4  ,he informs us that1 at     
their first sitting1 held at the ,jardin
 des ,plantes1 on the seventeenth of    
,february1 after the committee had      
witnessed1 twice repeated1 the violent  
displacement of a chair held with all   
his strength by one of their number1    
7,m4 ,rayet17 instead of following up   
similar experiments and patiently       
waiting to observe the phenomena as they
 presented themselves1 they proceeded at
 once to satisfy their own              
preconceptions4 ,they brought ,angelique
 into contact with a voltaic battery4   
,then they placed on the bare arm of the
 child a dead frog1 anatomically        
prepared after the manner of ,matteucci1

 that is1 the skin removed1 and the     
animal dissected so as to expose the    
lumbar nerves4 ,by a galvanic current1  
they caused this frog to move1          
apparently to revive1 on the girl's arm4
 ,the effect upon her may be imagined4  
,the ignorant child1 terrified out of   
her senses1 spoke of nothing else the   
rest of the day1 dreamed of dead frogs  
coming to life all night1 and began to  
talk eagerly about it again the first   
thing the next morning4#ah ,from that   
time her attractive and repulsive powers
 gradually declined4  ,in addition to   
the privilege of much accumulated       
learning1 in addition to the advantages 
of varied scientific research1 we must  
have something else1 if we would advance
 yet farther in true knowledge4 ,we must
 be imbued with a simple1 faithful      
spirit1 not presuming1 not preoccupied4 
,we must be willing to sit down at the  
feet of ,truth1 humble1 patient1 docile1
 single-hearted4 ,we must not be wise in
 our own conceit2 else the fool's chance

 is better than ours1 to avoid error1   
and distinguish truth4  ,m4 ,cohu1 a    
medical man of ,mortagne1 writing1 in   
,march1 #ahdf1 in reply to some         
inquiries of ,dr4 ,tanchon1 after       
stating that the phenomenon of the      
chair1 repeatedly observed by himself1  
had been witnessed also by more than a  
thousand persons1 adds1--,it matters not
 what name we may give to this2 the     
important point is1 to verify the       
reality of a repulsive agency1 and of   
one that is distinctly marked2 the      
effects it is impossible to deny4 ,we   
may assign to this agency what seat we  
please1 in the cerebellum1 in the       
pelvis1 or elsewhere2 the fact is       
material1 visible1 incontestable4 ,here 
in the ,province1 ,sir1 we are not very 
learned1 but we are often very          
mistrustful4 ,in the present case we    
have examined1 reexamined1 taken every  
possible precaution against deception2  
and the more we have seen1 the deeper   
has been our conviction of the reality  

of the phenomenon4 ,let the ,academy    
decide as it will4 ,we have seen2 it has
 not seen4 ,we are1 therefore1 in a     
condition to decide better than it can1 
,i do not say what cause was operating1 
but what effects presented themselves1  
under circumstances that remove even the
 shadow of a doubt4#ai  ,m4 ,hebert1    
too1 states a truth of great practical  
value1 when he remarks1 that1 in the    
examination of phenomena of so fugitive 
and seemingly capricious a character1   
involving the element of vitality1 and  
the production of which at any given    
moment depends not upon us1 we ought to 
accommodate ourselves to the nature of  
the fact1 not insist that it should     
accommodate itself to us4  ,for myself1 
,i do not pretend to offer any positive 
opinion as to what was ultimately the   
real state of the case4 ,i do not assume
 to determine whether the attractive and
 repulsive phenomena1 after continuing  
for upwards of a month1 happened to be  
about to cease at the very time the     

committee began to observe them1--or    
whether the harsh suspicious and        
terror-inspiring tests of these         
gentlemen so wrought on the nervous     
system of an easily daunted and         
superstitious girl1 that some of her    
abnormal powers1 already on the wane1   
presently disappeared1--or whether the  
poor child1 it may be at the instigation
 of her parents1 left without the means 
of support1#bj really did at last       
simulate phenomena that once were real1 
manufacture a counterfeit of what was   
originally genuine4 ,i do not take upon 
myself to decide between these various  
hypotheses4 ,i but express my           
conviction1 that1 for the first few     
weeks at least1 the phenomena actually  
occurred1--and that1 had not the        
gentlemen of the ,academy been very     
unfortunate or very injudicious1 they   
could not have failed to perceive their 
reality4 ,and ,i seek in vain some      
apology for the conduct of these learned
 ,academicians1 called upon to deal with

 a case so fraught with interest to     
science1 when ,i find them1 merely      
because they do not at once succeed in  
personally verifying sufficient to      
convince them of the existence of       
certain novel phenomena1 not only       
neglecting to seek evidence elsewhere1  
but even rejecting that which a candid  
observer had placed within their reach4 
,this appears to have been the judgment 
of the medical public of ,paris4 ,the   
,gazette des ,hopitaux1 in its issue of 
,march #ag1 #ahdf1 protests against the 
committee's mode of ignoring the matter1
 declaring that it satisfied nobody4    
,not received6 said the editor 7alluding
 to the words of the report72 that would
 be very convenient1 if it were only    
possible6#ba  ,and the ,gazette         
,medicale very justly remarks1--,the    
non-appearance of the phenomena at such 
or such a given moment proves nothing in
 itself4 ,it is but a negative fact1    
and1 as such1 cannot disprove the       
positive fact of their appearance at    

another moment1 if that be otherwise    
satisfactorily attested4 ,and the       
,gazette goes on to argue1 from the     
nature of the facts1 that it is in the  
highest degree improbable that they     
should have been the result of          
premeditated imposture4  ,the course    
adopted by the ,academy's committee is  
the less defensible1 because1 though the
 attractive and repulsive phenomena     
ceased after their first session1 other 
phenomena1 sufficiently remarkable1     
still continued4 ,as late as the tenth  
of ,march1 the day after the committee  
made their report1 ,angelique being then
 at ,dr4 ,tanchon's house1 a table      
touched by her apron1 while her hands   
were behind her and her feet fifteen    
inches distant from it1 was raised      
entirely from the ground1 though no part
 of her body touched it4 ,this was      
witnessed1 besides ,dr4 ,tanchon1 by    
,dr4 ,charpentier-,mericourt1 who had   
stationed himself so as to observe it   
from the side4 ,he distinctly saw the   

table rise1 with all four legs1 from the
 floor1 and he noticed that the two legs
 of the table farthest from the girl    
rose first4 ,he declares1 that1 during  
the whole time1 he perceived not the    
slightest movement either of her hands  
or her feet2 and he regarded deception1 
under the circumstances1 to be utterly  
impossible4#bb  ,on the twelfth of      
,march1 in presence of five physicians1 
,drs4 ,amedee ,latour1 ,lachaise1       
,deleau1 ,pichard1 and ,soule1 the same 
phenomenon occurred twice4  ,and yet    
again on the fourteenth1 four physicians
 being present1 the table was raised a  
single time1 but with startling force4  
,it was of mahogany1 with two drawers1  
and was four feet long by two feet and a
 half wide4 ,we may suppose it to have  
weighed some fifty or sixty pounds2 so  
that the girl's power1 in this          
particular1 appears to have much        
decreased since that day1 about the end 
of ,january1 when ,m4 de ,faremont saw  
repeatedly raised from the ground a     

block of one hundred and fifty pounds'  
weight1 with three men seated on it1--in
 all1 not less than five to six hundred 
pounds4  ,by the end of ,march the whole
 of the phenomena had almost totally    
ceased2 and it does not appear that they
 have ever shown themselves since that  
time4  ,dr4 ,tanchon considered them    
electrical4 ,m4 de ,faremont seems to   
have doubted that they were strictly so4
 ,in a letter1 dated ,monti-,mer1       
,november #a1 #ahdf1 and addressed to   
the ,marquis de ,mirville1 that         
gentleman says1--,the electrical effects
 ,i have seen produced in this case     
varied so much1--since under certain    
circumstances good conductors operated1 
and then again1 in others1 no effect was
 observable1--that1 if one follows the  
ordinary laws of electrical phenomena1  
one finds evidence both for and against4
 ,i am well convinced1 that1 in the case
 of this child1 there is some power     
other than electricity4#bc  ,but as my  
object is to state facts1 rather than to

 moot theories1 ,i leave this debatable 
ground to others1 and here close a      
narrative1 compiled with much care1 of  
this interesting and instructive case4  
,i was the rather disposed to examine it
 critically and report it in detail1    
because it seems to suggest valuable    
hints1 if it does not afford some clue1 
as to the character of subsequent       
manifestations in the ,united ,states   
and elsewhere4         99       99      
99       99       99  ,this case is not 
an isolated one4 ,my limits however1    
prevent me from here reproducing1 as ,i 
might1 sundry other recent narratives   
more or less analogous to that of the   
girl ,cottin4 ,to one only shall ,i     
briefly advert3 a case related in the   
,paris newspaper1 the ,siecle1 of ,march
 #d1 #ahdf1 published when all ,paris   
was talking of ,arago's statement in    
regard to the electric girl4  ,it is    
there given on the authority of a       
principal professor in one of the ,royal
 ,colleges of ,paris4 ,the case1 very   

similar to that of ,angelique ,cottin1  
occurred in the month of ,december      
previous1 in the person of a young girl1
 not quite fourteen years old1          
apprenticed to a colorist1 in the ,rue  
,descartes4 ,the occurrences were quite 
as marked as those in the ,cottin case4 
,the professor1 seated one day near the 
girl1 was raised from the floor1 along  
with the chair on which he sat4 ,there  
were occasional knockings4 ,the         
phenomena commenced ,december #b1 #ahde2
 and lasted twelve days4  ,,footnotes3  
#a ,journal du ,magnetisme1 for #ahdf1  
pp4 #hj-hd4  #b ,pp4 #hi-ajf4  #c ,in   
,dr4 ,tanchon's pamphlet1 pp4 #df-ec4   
#d ,enquete1 sur l',authenticite des    
,phenomenes ,electriques d',angelique   
,cottin1 par le ,dr4 ,tanchon4          
,bailliere1 ,paris1 #ahdf4  #e ,see     
,minutes of the ,academy1 ,session of   
,monday1 ,february #af1 #ahdf4  #f      
,enquete1 etc41 p4 #di4  #g ,ibid4 p4   
#dj4  #h ,ibid4 p4 #db4  #i ,ibid4 p4   
#bb4  #aj ,enquete1 etc41 p4 #bb4  #aa  

,ibid4 p4 #dc4  #ab ,ibid4 p4 #dg4  #ac 
,ibid4 p4 #di4  #ad ,enquete1 etc41 p4  
#ce4 ,they were greater1 also1 after    
meals than before2 so ,hebert observed4 
p4 #bb4  #ae ,enquete1 etc41 p4 #e4  #af
 ,i extract them from the ,journal des  
,connaissances ,medico-,chirurgicales1  
,no4 #c4  #ag ,the words are1--,m4      
,arago n'a pas apercu nettement les     
agitations annoncees comme etant        
engendrees a distance1 par              
l'intermediaire d'un tablier1 sur un    
gueridon en bois3 d'autres observateurs 
ont trouve que les agitations etaient   
sensibles4  #ah ,enquete1 etc41 p4 #be4 
#ai ,enquete1 etc41 p4 #cf4  #bj ,m4    
,cholet1 the individual who1 in the hope
 of gain1 furnished the funds to bring  
,angelique to ,paris for exhibition1 as 
soon as he perceived that the           
speculation was a failure1 left the girl
 and her parents in that city1 dependent
 on the charity of strangers for daily  
support1 and for the means of returning 
to their humble home4--,enquete1 etc41  

p4 #bd4  #ba ,non avenues6 ce serait    
commode1 si c'etait possible6  #bb      
,enquete1 etc41 p4 #cj4  #bc ,des       
,esprits et de leurs ,manifestations    
,fluidiques1 par le ,marquis de         
,mirville1 pp4 #cgi1 #chj4              
,,literary ,,life ,,in ,,paris4   ,,the 
,,drawing-,,room4  ,,part ,,ii4  ,it was
 at this same period of time ,i made the
 acquaintance of ,monsieur ,edmond      
,about4 ,when ,i met him he had just    
appeared as an author1 and his friends  
everywhere declared that ,voltaire's    
mantle had fallen on his shoulders4 ,he 
had1 like ,voltaire1 discovered         
instantly that mankind were divided into
 hammers and anvils1 and he determined  
to be one of the hammers4 ,he began his 
career by ridiculing a poetical country1
 ,greece1 whose guest he had been1 and  
whose sovereign and ministers had       
received him with confidence1--repaying 
three years of hospitality by a satire  
of three hundred pages4 ,greece and the 
,greeks was translated into several     

languages4 ,this edifying publication1  
which put the laughers on his side1 was 
followed by a different sort of work1   
which came near producing on this       
budding reputation the effect of an     
,april frost upon an almond-tree in     
blossom4 ,voltaire's heir had found no  
better mode of writing natural and true 
novels 7so the scandalous chronicle     
said7 than to copy an original          
correspondence1 and indiscreet          
detectives of letters menaced him with  
publishing the whole ,italian work from 
which he conveyed the best part of      
,tolla4 ,all the literary world cried1  
,havoc6 upon the sprightly fellow laden 
with ,italian relics4 ,it was a critical
 moment in his life4  ,monsieur ,edmond 
,about was introduced to me by a        
fascinating lady2--who can resist the   
charms of the other sex8 ,i saw before  
me a man some eight-and-twenty years    
old1 of a slender figure2 his features  
were irregular1 but intellectual1 and he
 looked at people like an excessively   

near-sighted person who abused the      
advantages of being near-sighted4 ,he   
wore no spectacles4 ,his eyes were      
small1 cold1 bright1 and were well      
wadded with such thick eyebrows and     
eyelashes it seemed these must absorb   
them4 ,i subsequently found1 in a       
strange ,american book1#bd some         
descriptions which may be applied to his
 odd expression of eye4 ,monsieur       
,edmond ,about's mouth was sneering and 
sensual1 and even then affected         
,voltaire's sarcastic grimace4 ,his     
bitter and equivocal smile put you in   
mind of the grinding of an epigram-mill4
 ,one could detect in his attitude1 his 
physiognomy1 and his language1 that     
obsequious malice1 that familiarity1 at 
the same time flattering and jeering1   
which ,voltaire turned to such good     
account in his commerce with the great  
people of his day1 and which his        
disciple was learning to practise in his
 intercourse with the powerful of these 
times1--the parvenus and the wealthy4 ,i

 was struck by the face of this college 
,macchiavelli3 on it were written the   
desire of success and the longing to    
enjoy2 the calculations of the ambitious
 man were allied with the maliciousness 
of the giddy child4 ,of course he       
overwhelmed me with compliments and     
flattery4 ,he had1 or thought he had1   
use for me4 ,i benevolently became the  
defender of the poor calumniated fellow 
in the ,revue des ,deux ,mondes1 just as
 one undertakes out of pure kindness of 
heart to protect the widow and the      
orphan4 ,monsieur ,edmond ,about thanked
 me orally with a flood of extraordinary
 gratitude2 but he took good care to    
avoid writing a word upon the subject4  
,a letter might have laid him under     
engagements1 and might have embarrassed 
him one day or another4 ,whereas he     
aimed to be both a diplomatist and a    
literary man4 ,he practised the art of  
good writing1 and the art of turning it 
to the best advantage4  ,some months    
after this he brought out a piece called

 ,guillery1 at the ,french ,comedy4 ,the
 first night it was played1 there was a 
hail-storm of hisses4 ,no claqueur ever 
remembered to have heard the like       
before4 ,the charitable dramatic        
critics--delicate fellows1 who cannot   
bear to see people possess talents      
without their permission and despite    
them--attacked the piece as blood-hounds
 the fugitive murderer4 ,it seemed as if
 ,monsieur ,edmond ,about was a ruined  
man1 who could never dare hold up his   
head again4 ,he resisted the            
death-warrant4 ,he had friends in       
influential houses4 ,he soon found lint 
enough for his wounds4 ,the next winter 
the town heard that ,monsieur ,edmond   
,about's wounds had been well dressed   
and were cured1 and that he was going to
 write in ,figaro4 ,the amateurs of     
scandal began at once to reckon upon the
 gratification of their tastes4 ,they   
were not mistaken4 ,the moment his      
second contribution to ,figaro appeared1
 it became evident to all that he had   

taken this warlike position at the      
advanced posts of light literature      
solely to shoot at those persons who had
 wounded his vanity4 ,for three months  
he kept up such a sharp fire that every 
week numbered its dead4 ,such carnage   
had never been seen4 ,everybody was     
severely wounded3 ,jules ,janin1 ,paulin
 ,limayrac1 ,champfleury1 ,barbey       
d',aurevilly1 and a host of others4     
,everybody said1 7a thrill of terror ran
 through them as they spoke17--,there is
 going to be one of these mornings a    
terrible butchery3 that imprudent       
,edmond ,about will have at least ten   
duels on his hands4 ,not a bit of it6   
,not a bit of it6 ,there were           
negotiations1 embassies1 explanations   
exchanged which explained nothing1 and  
reparations made which repaired nothing4
 ,but there was not a shot fired4 ,there
 was not a drop of blood drawn4 ,o      
,lord6 no6 ,third parties intervened1   
and demonstrated to the offended        
parties1 that1 when ,monsieur ,edmond   

,about called them stupid boobies1      
humbugs1 tumblers1 he had no intention  
whatever of offending them4 ,good       
gracious6 far otherwise6 ,in fine1 one  
day the farce was played1 the curtain   
fell upon the well-spanked critics1 and 
all this little company 7so full of     
talents and chivalry67 went arm-in-arm1 
the insulter and the insulted1 to       
breakfast together at ,monsieur ,about's
 rooms1 where1 between a dozen oysters  
and a bottle of ,sauterne1 he asked his 
victims what they thought of some       
,titians he had just discovered1 and    
which he wished to sell to the ,louvre  
for a small fortune1--,titians which    
were not painted even by ,mignard4 ,the 
insulter and the insulted fell into each
 other's arms before these daubs1 and   
they parted1 each delighted with the    
other4 ,these pseudo-,titians were for  
,monsieur ,about his ,alcibiades's      
dog's-tail4 ,he spent one every month4  
,literary1 picturesque1 romanesque1     
historical1 agricultural1 ,greek1 and   

,roman questions were never subjects to 
him3 he considered them merely          
advertisements to puff the transcendent 
merits of ,edmond ,about4 ,before he    
left ,figaro he determined to show me   
what a grateful fellow he was4 ,he made 
me the mark for all his epigrams1 and ,i
 paid the price of peace with the       
others4 ,i have heard1 since then1 that 
,monsieur ,edmond ,about has made his   
way rapidly in the world4 ,he is rich4  
,he has the ribbon of the ,legion of    
,honor4 ,he excels in writing pamphlets4
 ,he is not afraid of the most startling
 truths4 ,he writes about the ,pope like
 a man who is not afraid of the         
spiritual powers1 and he has            
demonstrated that ,prince ,napoleon won 
the ,battle of the ,alma and organized  
,algeria4         99       99       99  
99       99  ,among the numerous details
 of my grandeur and my decline1 none    
exhibit in a clearer light our literary 
manners and customs than the history of 
my relations with ,monsieur ,louis      

,ulbach1 the virtuous author1 now1 of   
,l',homme aux ,cinq ,louis d',or1       
,suzanne ,duchemin1 ,monsieur et ,madame
 ,fernel1 and other tales1 which he     
hopes to see crowned by the ,french     
,academy4 ,monsieur ,louis ,ulbach at   
first belonged to a triumvirate which   
pretended to stand above the mob of     
democratic writers2 and of a truth      
,monsieur ,maxime du ,camp and ,monsieur
 ,laurent ,pichat1 his two leaders1 had 
none of those smoking-cafe vulgarities  
which have procured so many subscribers 
to the ,siecle newspaper4 ,both poets1  
,laurent ,pichat with remarkable        
loftiness1 ,maxime du ,camp with bizarre
 energy1 intent upon an ideal which     
democracy has a right to pursue1 since  
it has not yet found it1 men of the     
world1 capable of discussing in full    
dress the most perplexed questions of   
,socialism1 they accept none of those   
party-chains which so often bow down the
 noblest minds before idols made of     
plaster or of clay4 ,besides1 both of   

them were known by admirable acts of    
generosity4 ,there were in this         
triumvirate such dashes of aristocracy  
and of revolution that they were called 
the ,poles of literature4  ,of course1  
when the storm burst which ,i had raised
 by my irreverent attacks on ,de        
,beranger1 these gentlemen separated    
from their political friends1 and       
complimented me4 ,one of them even      
addressed me a letter1 in which ,i read 
these words1 which assuredly ,i would   
not have written3 ,that stupid ,de      
,beranger4 ,there was a sort of alliance
 between us4 ,monsieur ,louis ,ulbach   
celebrated it by publishing in his      
magazine1 ,la ,revue de ,paris1 an      
article in my honor1 in which1 after the
 usual reserves1 and after declaring war
 upon my doctrines1 he vowed my prose to
 be fascinating1 and complained of being
 so bewitched as to believe1 at times1  
that he was converted to the cause of   
the throne and of the altar4 ,this      
epithet1 fascinating1 in turn fascinated

 me2 and ,i thought that my prose was1  
like some serpent1 about to fascinate   
all the butcher-birds and ducks of the  
democratic marsh4 ,a year passed away2  
these fine friendships cooled3 't is the
 fate of these factitious tendernesses4 
,with winter my second volume appeared1 
and ,monsieur ,louis ,ulbach set to work
 again2 but this time he found me merely
 ingenious4 ,it was a good deal more    
than ,i merited1 and ,i would willingly 
have contented myself with this phrase4 
,unfortunately1 ,i could not forget the 
austere counsel of ,monsieur ,louis     
,veuillot1 and at this very epoch1      
,monsieur ,louis ,ulbach1 who as a      
novelist could merit a great deal of    
praise1 took it into his head to publish
 a thick volume of transcendental       
criticism1 in which he attacked         
everything ,i admired and lauded        
everything ,i detested4 ,i confess that 
,i felt extremely embarrassed3 those    
nice little words fascinating and       
ingenious stuck in my mind4 ,monsieur   

,louis ,ulbach himself extricated me    
from my perplexity4 ,i had              
insufficiently praised his last novel4  
,he wrote a third article on my third   
work4 ,alas6 the honeymoon had set4 ,the
 fascinating prose of #ahee1 the        
ingenious prose of #ahef1 had become in 
#aheg1 in the opinion of the same judge1
 and in the language of the same pen1   
pretentious and tiresome4 ,this sudden  
change of things and epithets restored  
me to liberty4 ,i walked abroad in all  
my strength and independence1 and ,i    
dissected ,monsieur ,louis ,ulbach's    
thick volume with a severity which was  
still tempered by the courteous forms   
and the dimensions of my few            
newspaper-columns4 ,a year passed away4 
,my fourth work appeared4 ,note that    
these several volumes were not different
 works1 but a series of volumes         
expressing the same opinions in the very
 same style2 in fine1 they were but one 
work4 ,note1 too1 that ,monsieur        
,ulbach's ,revue de ,paris and          

,l',assemblee ,nationale1 in which ,i   
wrote1 were both suppressed by the      
government on the same day1 which       
established between us a fraternity of  
martyrdom4 ,all this was as nothing4    
,louis ,ulbach1 this very same ,louis   
,ulbach1 was employed by a newspaper    
where he was sure to please by insulting
 me1 and the very first thing he did was
 to give me a kick1 such a kick as      
twenty horses covered with sleigh-bells 
could not give4 ,he called me ignoramus1
 and wondered what this fellow meant by 
his literary drivelling4 ,the most      
curious part of the whole business is1  
that he did not write the article1 all  
he did was to sign it6 ,four years1 and 
a scratch given his vanity1 had proved  
enough to produce this change6          
99       99       99       99       99  
,shall ,i speak to you now of ,henry    
,murger8 ,i wrote this chapter of my    
,memoirs during his life4 ,i should have
 suppressed it1 did ,i feel the least   
drop of bitterness mingled with the     

recollection of the acts of petty       
ingratitude of this charming writer4    
,but my object in writing this work is  
less to satisfy sterile revenge than to 
exhibit to you a corner of literary life
 in ,paris in the nineteenth century4   
,in #ahej ,henry ,murger published a    
book in which the manners and customs of
 people who live by their wits were     
painted in colors scarcely likely to    
fascinate healthy imaginations4 ,he     
declared to the world that the novitiate
 of our future great authors was nothing
 but one incessant hunt after a         
half-dollar and a mutton-chop4 ,the     
world was told by others that ,henry    
,murger had learned to paint this       
existence by actual experience4 ,there  
were1 however1 in his book some         
excellent flashes of fancy and youth2   
besides1 the public then had grown tired
 of interminable adventures and novels  
in fifty volumes4 ,so ,henry ,murger's  
first work1 ,la ,vie de ,boheme1 was    
very popular2 but it did not swell his  

purse or improve his wardrobe4 ,he was  
introduced to me1 and ,i shall never    
forget the low bow he made me4 ,i was   
afraid for one moment that his bald head
 would fall between his legs4 ,this     
precocious baldness gave to his delicate
 and sad face a singular physiognomy4   
,he looked not so much like a young old 
man as like an old young man4 ,henry    
,murger's warmest desire was to write in
 the celebrated and influential ,revue  
des ,deux ,mondes1 which we all abuse so
 violently when we have reason to       
complain of it1 and which has but to    
make a sign to us and we instantly fall 
into its arms4 ,i was then on the best  
terms with the ,revue des ,deux ,mondes4
 ,monsieur ,castil-,blaze1 being from   
the same neighborhood with me1 had      
obtained a place for me in the ,revue1  
which belonged to his son-in-law1       
,monsieur ,buloz4 ,i promised ,henry    
,murger to speak a good word for him4 ,a
 favorable opportunity of doing so      
occurred a few days afterwards4  ,i do  

not know what is to become of us1 said  
,monsieur ,buloz to me2 our old         
contributors are dying1 and no new ones 
make their appearance4  ,they appear1   
but you refuse to see them4 ,there is   
,henry ,murger1 for instance2 he has    
just written an amusing book1 which is  
the most successful of the season4      
,henry ,murger6 ,and is it you1 ,count  
,armand de ,pontmartin1 the literary    
nobleman1 the aristocratic writer1 who  
wear 7as the world avers7 a white cravat
 and white kid gloves from the time you 
get up1 7,i confess ,i have never seen  
you with them17--is it you who propose  
to me to admit ,henry ,murger as a      
contributor to the ',revue des ,deux    
,mondes1'--,henry ,murger1 the          
ringleader of people who live by their  
wits8  ,why shouldn't ,i8 ,we live in a 
day when white cravats have to be very  
respectful to red cravats4 ,besides1    
nothing is too strange to happen2 and ,i
 would not bet you that ,murger does not
 write in ',le ,moniteur' before ,i do4 

,if you think ,i had better admit ,henry
 ,murger1 ,i consent2 but remember what 
,i say to you3 ,it will be the source of
 annoyance to you4  ,the next day a hack
 bore ,henry ,murger and me from the    
corner of the ,boulevard des ,italiens  
and the ,rue du ,helder to the office of
 the ,revue des ,deux ,mondes4 ,we      
talked on the way4 ,if ,i had had any   
illusions left of the poetical dreams   
and virginal thoughts of young men      
fevered by literary ambition1 these few 
minutes would have been enough to dispel
 them all4 ,henry ,murger thought of    
nothing upon earth but money4 ,how was  
he going to pay his quarter's rent1 or  
rather his two or three quarters' rent8 
for he was two or three quarters        
behindhand4 ,he still had credit with   
this restaurateur1 but he owed so much  
to such another that he dared not show  
his face there4 ,he was over head and   
ears in debt to his tailor4 ,he was     
afraid to think of the amount of money  
he owed his shoemaker4 ,the list was    

long1 and bills payable lamentable4 ,to 
end this dreary balance-sheet1 ,i took  
it into my head to deliver him a lecture
 on the morality of literature and the  
duty of literary men4 ,art1 said ,i to  
him1 must escape the materialism which  
oppresses and will at last absorb it4   
,we romantics of #ahbh were mistaken4   
,we thought we were reacting against the
 pagan and mummified school of the      
eighteenth century and of the ,first    
,empire4 ,we did not perceive that a    
revolutionary ,art can under no         
circumstances turn to the profit of     
grand spiritual and ,christian          
traditions1 to the worship of the ideal1
 to the elevation of intellects4 ,we did
 not see that it would be a little      
sooner or a little later discounted by  
literary demagogues1 who1 without       
tradition1 without a creed1 without any 
law except their own whims1 would become
 the slaves of every base passion1 and  
of all physical and moral deformities4  
,it is not yet too late4 ,let us repair 

our faults4 ,let us elevate1 let us     
regenerate literature2 let us bear it   
aloft to those noble spheres where the  
soul soars in her native majes----  ,i  
was declaiming with fire1 my enthusiasm 
was becoming more and more heated1 when 
,henry ,murger interrupted me by        
asking1--,do you think ,monsieur ,buloz 
will pay me in advance8  ,this question 
produced on my missionary's enthusiasm  
the same effect a tub of cold water     
would have upon an excited poodle-dog4  
,monsieur ,murger1 ,i replied1 without  
being too much disconcerted1 you will   
arrange those details with ,monsieur    
,buloz4 ,all ,i can do is to introduce  
you4  ,we reached the office4 ,i was    
afraid ,i might embarrass ,monsieur     
,buloz and ,monsieur ,murger1 if ,i     
remained with them2 ,i therefore took a 
book and went into the garden4 ,i was   
called back in twenty minutes1 and was  
briefly told that ,henry ,murger had    
engaged to write a novel for the ,revue4
 ,we went out together2 but we had      

scarcely passed three doors1 when       
,murger said hurriedly to me1--,i beg   
your pardon1 ,i have forgotten          
something6--and he went back to the     
office4 ,i afterwards found out that    
this something was an advance of money  
which he asked for upon a novel whose   
first syllable he had not yet written4  
,if ,i dwell upon these miserable       
details1 it is not 7,god forbid67 to    
insult laborious poverty1 or talent     
forced to struggle against the hardships
 of life or the embarrassments of       
improvident1 careless youth4 ,no1--but  
there was here1 and this is the reason  
,i speak of it1 the trade-mark of that  
literary living-by-the wits which had   
taken entire possession of ,henry       
,murger1 against which he had struggled 
in vain all his life long1 and which at 
last crushed him in its feverish grasp4 
,living by the wits was to ,henry       
,murger what roulette is to the gambler1
 what brandy is to the drunkard1 what   
the traps of the police are to the knave

 and the burglar3 he cursed it1 but he  
could not quit it2 he lived in it1 he   
lived by it1 he died of it4 ,the first  
time ,i talked with ,murger1 and every  
subsequent conversation ,i had with him1
 brought up money incessantly1 in every 
tone1 in every form2 and when1 having   
become more familiar with what he called
 my squeamishness1 he talked more       
frankly to me1 ,i saw that he required  
to support him a sum of money three     
times greater than the annual income of 
which a whole family of office-holders  
in the country1 or even in ,paris1 live 
with ease4 ,this brought on him         
protests1 bailiffs1 constables1         
incredible complications1 continual     
uneasiness1 a hankering after pecuniary 
success1 eternal complaints against     
publishers1 magazine-editors1           
theatre-managers1 anxious negotiations1 
an immense loss of time1 an incredible  
wear-and-tear of brain1 annoyances and  
cares enough to put every thought to    
flight and to dry every source of       

inspiration and of poetry4 ,remember    
that ,henry ,murger is one of the       
luckiest of the new men who have        
appeared within these last fifteen      
years1 for he received the cross of the 
,legion of ,honor1 which1 as everybody  
knows1 is never given except to men who 
deserve it4 ,judge1 then1 what the      
others must be6 ,judge what must be the 
abortions1 the disdained1 the           
supernumeraries1--those who sleep in    
lodging-houses at two cents a night1 or 
who eat their pitiful dinner outside the
 barrier-gate in a wretched eating-house
 patronized by hack-drivers1--those who 
kill themselves with charcoal1 or who   
hang themselves1 murdered by madness or 
by hunger1 the two pale goddesses of    
atheistical literatures6  ,well1 said ,i
 to ,henry ,murger1 after we were once  
more seated in our carriage1 are you    
pleased with ,monsieur ,buloz8          
,yes--and no4 ,the most difficult step  
is taken4 ,he allows me to contribute my
 masterpieces to the ',revue des ,deux  

,mondes1' and ,i shall never forget the 
immense service you have done me4       
,although you and ,i do not serve the   
same literary gods1 ,i am henceforward  
yours to the death6 ,but--the           
book-keeper is deusedly hard on trigger4
 ,will you believe it8 ,i asked him to  
advance me forty dollars1 and he        
refused6  ,we parted excellent friends1 
and he continued to assure me of his    
gratitude1 until the carriage stopped at
 my door4  ,years passed away4 ,henry   
,murger's promised novel was long coming
 to the ,revue des ,deux ,mondes4 ,at   
last it came2 another followed eighteen 
months afterwards2 then he contributed a
 third4 ,he displayed unquestionable    
talents2 he commanded moderate success4 
,he had been told by so many people that
 it was a hard matter to please the     
readers of the ,revue des ,deux ,mondes1
 that it was necessary for him to free  
himself from all his studios' fun1 and  
everything tinctured with the petty     
press1 that he really believed for true 

everything he heard1 and appeared       
awkward in his movements4 ,his students1
 his grisettes1 and his young artists   
were all on their good behavior1 but    
were not more droll4 ,marivaux had come 
down one more flight of stairs4 ,alfred 
de ,musset had steeped the powder and   
the patches in a glass of ,champagne    
wine4 ,henry ,murger soaked them in a   
bottle of brandy or in a flagon of beer4
  ,henry ,murger's gratitude1 whenever  
we met1 continued to exhale in          
enthusiastic hymns4 ,i lost sight of him
 for some time4 ,i was told that he     
lived somewhere in the ,forest of       
,fontainebleau1 to escape his creditors'
 pursuit4 ,at the critical moment of my 
literary life1 ,i read one morning in a 
petty newspaper a biting burlesque of   
which ,i was the grotesque hero3 ,i     
figured 7my name was given in full7 as a
 member of a temperance society1 whose  
members were pledged to total abstinence
 from the use of ideas1 wit1 and style2 
at one of our monthly dinners1 we were  

said to have devoured ,balzac at the    
first course1 ,de ,beranger for the     
roast1 ,michelet for a side-dish1 and   
,george ,sand for dessert4 ,the next    
day1 and every day the petty paper      
appeared1 the joke was renewed with all 
sorts of variations4 ,it was evidently a
 rig run on me4 ,this joke was signed   
every day ,marcel1 which was the name of
 one of the heroes of ,henry ,murger's  
novel1 ,la ,vie de ,boheme2 but ,i was  
very far indeed from thinking that the  
man who was under so many obligations to
 me 7as ,henry ,murger always declared  
himself to be7 should have joined the   
ranks of my persecutors4 ,a few days    
afterwards ,i heard1 on the best        
authority1 that ,henry ,murger was the  
author of these articles4 ,i felt a deep
 chagrin at this discovery4 ,literary   
men constantly call ,philistines and    
,prudhommes those who lay great stress  
upon the absence of moral sense as one  
of the great defects of the school of   
literature and art to which ,murger and 

his friends belong2 and yet there should
 be a name for such conduct as this1 if 
for no other reason1 for the sake of the
 culprits themselves1--as1 when poor    
,murger acted in this way to me1 he was 
as unconscious of what he did as when he
 raised heaven and earth to hunt down a 
dollar4 ,he was not guilty of a black   
heart1 it was only absolute deficiency  
of everything like moral sense4 ,henry  
,murger was under obligations to me1 as 
he said constantly2 ,i had introduced   
and recommended him to a man and a      
magazine that are1 as of right1         
difficult in the choice of their        
contributors2 ,i had1 for his sake1     
conquered their prejudices1 borne their 
reproaches4 ,whenever his novels        
appeared1 ,i treated them with          
indulgence1 and gave them praise without
 examining too particularly into their  
moral tendency1 to the great scandal of 
my usual readers1 and despite the       
scoldings ,monsieur ,louis ,veuillot    
gave me4 ,there never was the least     

coolness between ,henry ,murger and     
myself2 and yet1 when ,i was attacked   
and harassed on every side1 he hid      
himself under a pseudonyme1 and added   
his sarcasms to all the others directed 
against me1 that he might gratify his   
admiration for ,de ,balzac and put a    
little money in his pocket4  ,by-and-by 
,i continued to meet ,henry ,murger     
again on the ,boulevard1 and at the     
first performance of new pieces4 ,do you
 imagine he shunned me8 ,not a bit of   
it4 ,he did not seem on these rare      
occasions to feel the least             
embarrassment4 ,he gave me cordial      
shakes of the hand1 or he bestowed on me
 one of those profound bows which       
brought his bald head on a level with   
his waistcoat-pockets4 ,then he         
published a novel in ,le ,moniteur1     
after which he was decorated4 ,nothing  
was now heard from or of him for a long 
time4 ,not a line by ,henry ,murger     
appeared anywhere4 ,i never heard that  
any piece by him was received1 or even  

refused1 by a single one of the eighteen
 theatres in ,paris4 ,at last ,i met him
 one day before the ,varietes ,theatre4 
,i went up to speak to him1 and ended by
 asking the invariable question between 
literary men1--,what are you at work on 
now8 ,how comes it that so long a time  
has elapsed since you gave us something 
to read or to applaud8  ,i will tell you
 why1 he replied1 with melancholy       
sang-froid4 ,it is not a question of    
literature1 it is a question of         
arithmetic4 ,i owe eight hundred dollars
 to ,madame ,porcher1 the wife of the   
'authors'-tickets' dealer1 who is always
 ready to advance money to dramatic     
authors1 and to whom we are all         
constantly in debt4 ,i owe four hundred 
dollars to the ',moniteur1' and three   
hundred dollars to the ',revue des ,deux
 ,mondes4' ,follow my reasoning now3    
,were ,i to bring out a play1 my        
excellent friend1 ,madame ,porcher1     
would lay hands on all the proceeds1 and
 ,i should receive nothing4 ,were ,i to 

give a novel to the ',moniteur1' ,i     
should have to write twenty feuilletons 
7you know they pay twenty dollars a     
feuilleton there7 before ,i cancelled my
 old debt4 ,were ,i to contribute to the
 ',revue des ,deux ,mondes1' as soon as 
my six sheets 7at fifty dollars a sheet1
 that would be three hundred dollars7   
were printed and published1 the editor  
would say to me1 ',we are even now4' ,so
 you see that it would be unpardonable  
prodigality on my part to publish       
anything2 therefore ,i have determined  
not to work at all1 in order to avoid   
spending my money1 and ,i am lazy--from 
economy6  ,his reply disarmed the little
 resentment ,i had left4 ,i took his    
hand in mine1 and said to him1--,see    
here1 ,murger1 ,i must confess to you ,i
 was a little angry with you2 but your  
arithmetic is more literary than you    
think it4 ,you have given me a lesson of
 contemporary literature2 and ,i say to 
you1 as the ',revue des ,deux ,mondes'  
would say1 ',murger1 we are even6'  ,i  

ran off without waiting for his reply1  
and whispered to myself1 as ,i went1    
,and yet ,henry ,murger is the most     
talented and the most honest of them    
all6         99       99       99       
99       99  ,let me continue the story 
of my misfortunes4 ,the tempest was     
unchained against me4 ,it is true1 there
 were among my adversaries some persons 
under obligations to me1--some persons  
who were full of enthusiasm at my first 
manner1 and who would have made wry     
faces enough1 had ,i published their    
flattering letters to me1--other        
persons1 to whom ,i had rendered        
pecuniary services1--others1 again1 who 
had come to me with hat in hand and     
supple knees1 to beg my permission to   
allow them to dramatize my novels4 ,but 
what were these miserable               
considerations1 when the great interests
 of national literature1 taste1 and     
glory were at stake8 ,i was the vile    
detractor1 the impious scorner of these 
glories1 and it was but justice that ,i 

should be put in the pillory and made   
the butt of rotten eggs4 ,voltaire      
blasphemed1 ,beranger insulted1 ,victor 
,hugo outraged1 were offences which     
cried aloud for chastisement and for    
vengeance4 ,balzac's shade especially   
complained and clamored for justice4 ,it
 is true1 that1 while ,balzac was alive1
 he was not accustomed to anything like 
such admiration4 ,he openly avowed that 
he detested newspaper-writers1 and they 
returned the detestation with interest4 
,everybody1 while he was alive1 declared
 him to be odd1 eccentric1 half-crazy1  
absurd4 ,his friends and his publishers1
 in fine1 everybody who had anything to 
do with him1 told rather disreputable   
stories about him4 ,no matter for that4 
,balzac was dead1 ,balzac was a god1 the
 god of all these livers-by-the-wits1   
who but for him would have been         
atheists4 ,monsieur ,paulin ,limayrac   
tore me to pieces in ,la ,presse4       
,monsieur ,eugene ,pelletan shot me in  
,le ,siecle4 ,monsieur ,taxile ,delord  

mauled me in ,le ,charivari4 ,to this   
episode of my exposition in the pillory 
belongs an anecdote which ,i cannot     
omit4  ,i was about to set off for the  
country1 where ,i reckoned upon spending
 some weeks of the month of ,may1 in    
order to recover somewhat from these    
incessant attacks made upon me4 ,i had  
read in a cafe1 while taking my         
beefsteak and cup of chocolate1 the     
various details of the punishment ,i was
 about to undergo4 ,one of my           
tormentors1 who was a great deal more   
celebrated for his aversion to water and
 clean linen than for any article he had
 ever written1 declared that ,i was     
about to be banished from everything    
like decent society2 another vowed by   
all the deities of his ,olympus that ,i 
was a mountebank and a skeptic1 who had 
undertaken to defend sound doctrines and
 to tomahawk eminent writers simply by  
way of bringing myself into public      
notice2 a third painted me as a poor    
wretch who had come from his provincial 

home with his pockets filled with       
manuscripts1 and was going about ,paris 
begging favorable notices as a means of 
touching publishers and booksellers2 a  
fourth depicted me1 on the other hand1  
as a wealthy fellow1 who was so diseased
 with a mania for literature that ,i    
paid newspapers and reviews to publish  
my contributions1 which no human being  
would have accepted gratuitously4 ,as ,i
 left the cafe1 one of my intimate      
friends ran up to me4 ,his face         
expressed that mixture of cordial       
commiseration and desire to make a fuss 
about the matter which one's friends'   
faces always wear under these           
circumstances4  ,well1 said he1 what do 
you think of the way they treat you8    
,why1 they are all at it1--,monsieur    
,edmond ,about1 ,monsieur ,louis        
,ulbach1 ,monsieur ,paulin ,limayrac1   
,monsieur ,henry ,murger1 ,monsieur     
,taxile ,delord1----  ,ah6 by the way1  
have you seen his article of yesterday8 
,no4  ,you should have read that4 ,those

 in the morning's papers are nothing to 
it4 ,really1 you ought not to leave town
 without seeing it4 ,looking very       
important1 he added1--,in your position1
 you should know everything written     
against you4  ,i followed this friendly 
advice1 and went to the ,rue du         
,croissant1 where the office of ,le     
,charivari moulders4 ,as the place is   
anything but attractive to well-bred    
persons1 allow me to get there by the   
longest road1 and to go through the     
,faubourg ,saint ,honore4 ,a month      
before the conversation above reported  
took place in front of a cafe-door1 ,i  
had the pleasure of meeting the ,count  
de ----1 an intellectual gentleman who  
occupies an influential place in some   
aristocratic drawing-rooms which still  
retain a partiality for literature4 ,he 
said to me1--  ,do you know ,monsieur   
,ernest ,legouve8  ,assuredly6 ,the most
 polite and most agreeable of all the   
generals of ,alexander ,scribe2 the     
author of ',adrienne ,lecouvreur1' which

 ,rachel played so well1 of ',medee1' in
 which ,madame ,ristori shines2 a       
charming gentleman1 who1 in our age of  
clubs1 cigars1 stables1 jockeys1 and    
slang1 has had the good taste to like   
feminine society4 ,he has a considerable
 estate2 he belongs to the ,french      
,academy2 his house is agreeable2 his   
manners delightful2 his dinners         
unequalled4 ,if in all happiness there  
is a dash of management1 where is the   
harm in ,monsieur ,ernest ,legouve's    
case8 ,why should not gentlemen1 too1 be
 sometimes adroit8 ,rogues are so       
always6 ,besides1 has not a little art  
always been necessary to effect an      
entrance into the ,french ,academy8     
,monsieur ,ernest ,legouve and ,i were  
at college together1 and he bids me bear
 you an invitation which ,i am sure you 
will not refuse4 ,he has written a play 
upon the delicate and thorny subject on 
which ,monsieur ,jules ,sandeau has     
written his admirable comedy1 ',le      
,gendre de ,monsieur ,poirier'3 with    

this difference1 however3 ,monsieur     
,legouve has taken1 not a ruined and    
brilliant noble who marries the daughter
 of a plebeian1 but a young man1 the    
architect of his own fortunes1 with a   
most vulgar name1 who1 on the score of  
talents1 energy1 delicacy of head and   
heart1 is loved by a young lady of noble
 birth1 is accepted by her family1 and  
enters by right of conquest into that   
society from which his birth excluded   
him4  ,that theme is rather more        
difficult3 for1 when ,mademoiselle      
,poirier marries the ,marquis de        
,presles1 she becomes the ,marquise de  
,presles2 whereas1 when ,mademoiselle de
 ,montmorency marries ,monsieur         
,bernard1 she becomes plain ,madame     
,bernard4  ,true enough6 ,but ,monsieur 
,legouve is perplexed by a scruple which
 reflects the greatest honor upon him3  
he entertains sincere respect1 great    
sympathy1 for aristocratic distinctions2
 therefore he is anxious to assure      
himself1 before his piece is brought out

 in public1 that it does not contain a  
single scene or a single word which will
 be offensive or disagreeable to noble  
ears4 ,to satisfy himself in this       
particular1 he has asked me to allow him
 to read his comedy at my house4 ,i     
shall invite the ,duchess de ----1 the  
,marquis de ----1 the ,countess de ----1
 the ,general de ----1 the ,duke de     
----1 the ,marquise de ----1 and the    
,baroness de ----4 ,i shall add to these
 two or three critics known in good     
society1 among whom ,i reckon upon you4 
,in fine1 this preliminary ,areopagus   
will be composed of sons of the         
,crusaders1 who are almost as sprightly 
as sons of ,voltaire4 ,now ,monsieur    
,ernest ,legouve will not be satisfied  
with his comedy1 unless these gentlefolk
 unanimously decide that he need not    
blot a single line of it4 ,will you     
come8 ,remember1 ,monsieur ,ernest      
,legouve invites you4  ,my dear ,count1 
,i willingly accept your proposition4   
,monsieur ,legouve reads admirably1 and 

his plays are all agreeable4            
,nevertheless1 let me tell you that this
 trial will prove nothing4 ,our poor    
society is like ,sganarelle's wife1 who 
liked to be thrashed4 ,it has borne     
smiling1 and repaid with wealth and     
fame1 much more ardent attacks than     
,monsieur ,legouve can make4  ,count de 
---- and ,i shook hands1 and parted4 ,a 
few evenings afterwards the reading took
 place4 ,it was just what ,i expected4  
,there were as many marquises and       
duchesses 7real duchesses7 as there were
 kings to applaud ,talma in the ,erfurt 
pit4 ,the noble assembly listened to    
,monsieur ,legouves's comedy with that  
rather absent-minded urbanity and with  
those charming exclamations of          
admiration which have been constantly   
given to everybody who has read a piece 
in a drawing-room1 from the days of the 
,viscount d',arlincourt and his ,le     
,solitaire1 to the days of ,monsieur    
,viennet1 of the ,french ,academy1 and  
his ,arbogaste4 ,monsieur ,legouve's    

play1 which was then called ,le ,nom du 
,mari1 and which has since been played  
under the title of ,par ,droit de       
,conquete1 was pleasing4 ,my ears were  
not so much offended by the antagonism  
of poor nobility and wealthy upstarts1  
which ,monsieur ,legouve treated neither
 better nor worse than any other has    
done1 as by the details of roads1       
bridges1 marsh-draining1 canals1        
railways1 coal1 coke1 and the like1     
which were dead-weights on ,thalia's    
light robe2 and the improbability of the
 plot was not so much the marriage of a 
noble girl to the son of an apple-dealer
 as was the perfection given to the     
young engineer3 every virtue and every  
grace were showered on him4 ,the piece  
was unanimously pronounced successful4  
,the aristocratic audience applauded    
,monsieur ,legouve with their little    
gloved hands1 which never make much     
noise4 ,he was complimented so          
delicately that he was sincerely        
touched4 ,there was not the slightest   

objection1 the lightest murmur made to  
the piece1 and there trembled in my eye 
that little tear ,madame de ,sevigne    
speaks of4  ,but let us quit this       
drawing-room1 and turn our steps towards
 the ,rue du ,croissant1 where the      
office of ,le ,charivari is to be found4
 ,balzac has described in ,les          
,illusions ,perdues the offices of these
 petty newspapers3 the passage divided  
into two equal portions1 one of which   
leads to the editor's room1 and the     
other to the grated counter where the   
clerk sits to receive subscribers4      
,everybody knows the appearance of these
 old houses1 these staircases1 these    
flimsy partitions1 with their bad light 
coming through a window whose panes are 
veiled with a triple coating of dust1   
smoke1 and soot1--the whitewashed walls 
bearing innumerable traces of fingers   
covered with ink1 mingled with          
pencil-caricatures and grotesque        
inscriptions4 ,although it was in the   
month of ,may that ,i made this visit1  

,i shivered with cold as ,i entered this
 old house1 and my gorge rose in disgust
 at the unaired smell and ignoble scenes
 which everywhere appeared4 ,the clerk  
,i applied to had the very face one     
might expect to find in such a place3   
one of those colorless1 hard1 sinister  
faces which are to be seen in nearly all
 the scenes of ,paris reality4 ,all     
things were in harmony in this shop3 the
 air1 and the light1 and the house1--the
 letter as well as the spirit4 ,i asked 
the clerk to give me the file for the   
month of ,april4 ,i soon found and read 
,monsieur ,taxile ,delord's article4    
,monsieur ,taxile ,delord comes from    
some one of the southern departments of 
,france4 ,he made his first appearance  
in public in ,le ,semaphore1 the        
well-known newspaper of ,marseilles2 but
 the twilight of a provincial life could
 not suit this eagle1 and in the course 
of a few years he came up to ,paris4    
,alas6 ,monsieur ,taxile ,delord was    
soon obliged to add the secret sorrows  

of disappointed ambition to the original
 gayety of his character4 ,his deepest  
sorrow was to look upon himself for a   
grave and thoughtful statesman1 and be  
condemned by fate to a chronic state of 
fun and to hard labor at pun-making for 
life4 ,imagine ,junius damned to lead   
,touchstone's life6 ,he became sourness 
itself4 ,his puns were lugubrious4 ,his 
fun grew heavy1 and his gayety was      
funereal4 ,the pretensions of this      
checked gravity which settled upon his  
factitious hilarity were enough to melt 
the hearts even of his enemies1 if such 
a fellow could pretend to have enemies4 
,once this galley-slave of fun tried to 
make his escape from the galley4 ,he    
wrote a play2 and as the manager of one 
of the theatres was his friend1 he had  
it played4 ,the democratic opinions of  
,monsieur ,taxile ,delord raised        
favorable prejudices among the          
school-boys of the ,latin ,quarter2 but 
who can escape his fate8 ,the           
masterpiece was hissed4 ,its title was  

,the ,end of the ,comedy2 and a wretched
 witling pretended that the piece was   
ill-named1 since the pit refused to see 
the end of the comedy4 ,thereupon       
,monsieur ,taxile ,delord adopted the   
method of ,gulliver's tailor1 who       
measured for clothes according to the   
rules of arithmetic3 he demonstrated    
that his piece was played three times   
from beginning to end1--that1 as the    
manager was his particular friend1 and  
as the ,odeon was always empty1 he might
 have had it played thirty times1--and  
therefore that we were all bound to be  
grateful to him for his moderation4     
,this last argument met no person bold  
enough to contradict it1 and the        
subscribers to ,le ,charivari 7which is 
the ,punch of ,paris7 were seized with  
holy horror1 when they thought1 that1   
but for ,monsieur ,taxile ,delord's     
moderation1 ,the ,end of the ,comedy    
might have been played seven-and-twenty 
times more4  ,what had ,i done to excite
 his ire8 ,i had not treated ,beranger  

with sufficient respect1 and ,monsieur  
,taxile ,delord1 though a joker by      
trade1 would not hear of any fun on this
 subject4 ,his genius had shaped itself 
exactly on ,beranger's1 and he resented 
as a personal affront every insult      
offered to the songster4 ,of a truth1   
,beranger's fate was a hard one1 and all
 my attacks on him were not half so bad 
as this treatment he received at the    
hands of ,monsieur ,taxile ,delord4     
,poor ,beranger6 ,so ,monsieur ,taxile  
,delord took up the quarrel on his      
account1 and relieved his gall by       
throwing it on me4 ,when ,i read his    
article1 ,i felt humiliated1--but not as
 the writer desired1--,i felt humiliated
 for the press1 and for literature1 and 
for ,beranger1 who really did not       
deserve this hard fate4 ,the humid      
office1 full of dirt and dust and       
printing-ink1 disgusted and depressed   
me1 and ,i involuntarily thought of     
,count de ----'s drawing-room1 and that 
aristocratic society where everything   

was flowers1 courtesy1 perfumes1        
elegance1 where people could not even   
feel hatred towards their enemies1 and  
where the genial poet1 ,monsieur ,ernest
 ,legouve1 surrounded by the most       
charming and most sprightly women of    
,paris1 recently obtained so delightful 
a triumph4  ,all at once a sympathetic  
and clear voice1 a voice which ,i       
thought ,i had heard in better society  
than where ,i was1 reached my ears4 ,hid
 in the dark corner where ,i sat1 and   
where nobody could discover me1 ,i saw  
the door of the editor's room open and  
,monsieur ,taxile ,delord appear and    
escort to the door a visitor4 ,it was   
,monsieur ,ernest ,legouve6 ,they passed
 close to me1 and ,i heard ,monsieur    
,ernest ,legouve say to ,monsieur       
,delord1--,my dear ,sir1 ,i recommend my
 play1 ',le ,nom du ,mari1' to you2 ,i  
hope you will be pleased with it6  ,this
 contrast annoyed me4 ,i was then       
horribly out of humor from an irritating
 prelection1 and ,i felt towards        

,monsieur ,legouve that sort of vexation
 the unlucky feel towards the lucky1 the
 poor towards the rich1 the hunchbacks  
towards handsome men1 and the awkward   
towards the adroit4 ,i said to          
myself1--,armand1 my poor ,armand1 you  
will never be aught but a most stupid   
fool6  ,we add no commentary to this    
picture of literary life in ,paris4 ,we 
leave the reader to draw his own        
conclusions4 ,he needs no               
assistance1--for the picture is painted 
in bright colors1 and the light is      
thrown with no parsimonious hand upon   
every corner4 ,it is a curious          
exhibition of a most unhealthy state of 
things4 ,it explains a great many of    
those literary mysteries1 which seem so 
unaccountable1 in the most brilliant    
capital of the world4  ,,footnotes3  #bd
 ,elsie ,venner1 by ,oliver ,o,eendell  
7sic7 ,holmes4     ,,the ,,maskers4     
,yesternight1 as late ,i strayed        
,through the orchard's mottled shade1-- 
,coming to the moonlit alleys1          

,where the sweet ,southwind1 that       
dallies     ,all day with the ,queen of 
,roses1     ,all night on her breast    
reposes1--     ,drinking from the dewy  
blooms1     ,silences1 and scented      
glooms     ,of the warm-breathed summer 
night1     ,long1 deep draughts of pure 
delight1--     ,quick the shaken foliage
 parted1     ,and from out its shadows  
darted     ,dwarf-like forms1 with      
hideous faces1     ,cries1 contortions1 
and grimaces4     ,still ,i stood       
beneath the lonely1     ,sighing lilacs1
 saying only1--     ,little friends1 you
 can't alarm me2     ,well ,i know you  
would not harm me6     ,straightway     
dropped each painted mask1     ,sword of
 lath1 and paper casque1     ,and a     
troop of rosy girls     ,ran and kissed 
me through their curls4      ,caught    
within their net of graces1     ,i      
looked round on shining faces4          
,sweetly through the moonlit alleys     
,rang their laughter's silver sallies4  
,then along the pathway1 light     ,with

 the white bloom of the night1     ,i   
went peaceful1 pacing slow1     ,captive
 held in arms of snow4     ,happy maids6
 of you ,i learn     ,heavenly maskers  
to discern6     ,so1 when seeming griefs
 and harms     ,fill life's garden with 
alarms1     ,through its inner walks    
enchanted     ,i will ever move         
undaunted4     ,love hath messengers    
that borrow     ,tragic masks of fear   
and sorrow1     ,when they come to do us
 kindness1--     ,and but for our tears 
and blindness1     ,we should see1      
through each disguise1     ,cherub      
cheeks and angel eyes4     ,,cullet4    
,good morning6 ,is it really a rainy    
day8 asked ,miselle1 imploringly1 as she
 seated herself at the breakfast-table1 
and glanced from ,monsieur to the heavy 
sky and the vane upon the coach-house1  
steadily pointing west4  ,indeed1 ,i    
hope not4 ,are you ready for ,sandwich8 
smilingly replied the host4  ,more than 
ready1--eager4 ,but the clouds4  ,one   
learns here upon the coast to brave the 

clouds2 we have1 to be sure1 a sea-turn 
just now1 and perhaps there will be     
fog-showers by-and-by1 but nothing that 
need prevent our excursion4             
,delightful6 exclaimed ,optima1         
,miselle1 and ,madame1 applying         
themselves to eggs and toast with that  
calm confidence in a masculine decision 
so sustaining to the feminine nature4   
,the early breakfast over1 ,monsieur1   
with a gentle hint to the ladies of     
haste in the matter of toilet1 went to  
see that ,gypsy and ,fanny were properly
 harnessed1 and that a due number of    
cushions1 rugs1 and water-proof wrappers
 were placed in the roomy carriage4     
,surely1 never were hats so hastily     
assumed1 never did gloves condescend to 
be so easily found1 never were fewer    
hasty returns for something ,i have     
forgotten1 and ,monsieur had barely time
 to send two messages to the effect that
 all was ready1 when the feminine trio  
descending upon him triumphantly        
disproved once and forever the hoary    

slander upon their sex of habitual      
unpunctuality4  ,with quiet             
self-sacrifice ,optima placed herself   
beside ,madame in the back of the       
carryall1 leaving for ,miselle the      
breezy seat in front1 with all its      
facilities for seeing1 hearing1         
smelling1 breathing2 and let us hope    
that the little banquet thus prepared   
for the conscience of that young woman  
gave her as much satisfaction as        
,miselle's feast of the senses did to   
her4  ,arching their necks1 tossing     
their manes1 spattering the dewy sand   
with their little hoofs1 ,gypsy and     
,fanny rapidly whirled the carriage     
through the drowsy town1 across the     
,pilgrim ,brook1 and so1 by the pretty  
suburb of ,t'other ,side1 7which no     
child of the ,mayflower shall ever      
consent to call ,wellingsley17 to the   
open road skirting the blue waters of   
the bay4  ,ah1 this is fine6 cried      
,miselle1 snatching from seaward deep   
breaths of the east wind laden with the 

wild life of ocean and the freedom of   
boundless space4  ,here we have it6     
remarked ,monsieur1 somewhat            
irrelevantly1 as he hastily unbuckled   
the apron and spread it over his own lap
 and ,miselle's1 just in time to catch a
 heavy dash of rain4  ,i am afraid it is
 going to be stormy1 after all1         
piteously murmured ,miselle4  ,i told   
you we should have fog-showers1 you     
know1 suggested ,monsieur1 with a quiet 
smile4  ,but what must we do8--go home8 
,no1 indeed6--we will go to ,sandwich1  
let it rain twice1 four times as hard as
 this1--unless1 indeed1 ,madame gives   
orders to the contrary4 ,what say you1  
,madame8  ,i say1 let us go on for the  
present4 ,we can turn round at any time1
 if it becomes necessary2 and ,madame   
smiled benevolently at ,miselle1 down   
whose face the rain-drops streamed1 but 
who stoutly asserted1--  ,oh1 this is   
nothing4 ,only a fog-shower1 you know4  
,we shall have it fine directly4  ,not  
till we are out of ,eel ,river4 ,this   

valley gathers all the clouds1 and they 
often get rain here when the sun is     
shining everywhere else4  ,a regular    
vale of tears6 ,happy the remnant of the
 world that dwelleth not in ,eel ,river6
 murmured ,miselle1 surreptitiously     
pulling her water-proof cloak about her 
shoulders4  ,let me help you4 ,really1  
though1 you are getting very wet1 dear1 
remonstrated ,optima4  ,not in the      
least4 ,i enjoy it excessively4         
,besides1 the shower is just            
over4--,what church is that1 ,monsieur1 
with the very disproportionate steeple8 
inquired ,miselle1 pointing to a square 
gray box1 surmounted by a ludicrously   
short and obtuse spire1 expressive of a 
certain dogged obstinacy of purpose4    
,the church is an ,orthodox             
meetinghouse1 and the steeple is        
,orthodox too1--for the ,cape4 ,anything
 else would blow down in the spring     
gales4 ,park-,street steeple1 for       
instance1 would stand a very poor chance
 here4  ,yes1 said ,miselle1 vaguely1   

and she felt in her heart how this great
 ocean that dwarfs or prostrates the    
works of man replaces them by a temple  
builded in his own soul of proportions  
so lofty that ,god ,himself may dwell   
visibly therein4  ,and now1 having      
traversed the tearful valley1 the road  
wound up the ,delectable ,mountains     
beyond1 and so into the pine forest1    
through whose clashing needles glints of
 sunshine began to creep1 while overhead
 the gray shaded softly into pearl and  
dazzling white and palest blue4  ,there 
are deer in these ,sandwich woods4 ,see 
if we cannot find a pair of great brown 
eyes peering out at us from some of the 
thickets1 suggested ,madame4  ,charming6
 ,if only we might see one6 ,how young  
this nation is1 after all1 when         
aboriginal deer roam the woods within   
fifty miles of ,boston6  ,but without   
game-laws they will soon be             
exterminated4 ,a great many are shot    
every winter1 and the farmers complain  
bitterly of those that remain4 ,some of 

their crops are quite ruined by the     
deer1 they say1 remarked ,monsieur4     
,never mind4 ,there are plenty of crops1
 and but very few deer4 ,i pronounce for
 the game-laws1 recklessly declared     
,miselle4  ,but the impending battle of 
political economy was averted by        
,madame's exclamation of1--  ,see1 here 
is ,sacrifice ,rock4 ,let us stop and   
look at it a moment4  ,gypsy and ,fanny1
 wild with the sparkling upland air1    
were with difficulty persuaded to halt  
opposite a great flat granite boulder1  
sloping from the skirt of the forest    
toward the road1 and nearly covered with
 pebbles and bits of decayed wood4  ,it 
is ,sacrifice ,rock1 explained          
,monsieur4 ,from the days of the        
,pilgrims to our own1 no ,indian passes 
this way without laying some offering   
upon it4 ,it would have been buried long
 ago1 but that the spring and autumn    
winds sweep away all the lighter        
deposits4 ,you would find the hollow at 
its back half filled with them4 ,once   

there may have been human               
sacrifices1--tradition says so1 at      
least2 but now there is seldom anything 
more precious than what you see4  ,but  
to what deity were the offerings made8  
,some savage ,manitou1 no doubt1 but no 
one can say with certainty anything     
about it4 ,the degenerate half-breeds   
who live in this vicinity only keep up  
the custom from tradition4 ,they are    
called ,christians now1 you know1 and   
are quite above such idolatrous         
practices4  ,at any rate1 ,i will add my
 contribution to this altar of an       
unknown ,god4 ,besides1 there are some  
blackberries that ,i must have1         
exclaimed ,optima1 releasing her active 
limbs from the carriage in a very       
summary fashion4  ,tossing a little     
stick upon the rock1 she hastened to    
gather the abundant fruit1 a little for 
herself1 a good deal for ,madame and    
,miselle1 until ,gypsy and ,fanny       
stamped and neighed with impatience1 and
 ,monsieur cried cheerily1--  ,come1    

young woman1 come6 ,we are not half-way 
to ,sandwich1 and the horses will be    
devoured by these flies as surely as    
,bishop ,hatto was by mice4  ,and so on 
through miles of merry woodland1 by     
fields and orchards1 whose every crop is
 a fresh conquest of man over ,nature in
 this one of her most niggardly phases1 
by desolate cabins and lonely farms1    
until at a sudden turn the broad1       
beautiful sea swept up to glorify the   
scene4 ,and while ,miselle with flushed 
cheeks and tearful eyes drank in the    
ever-new delight of its presence1       
,monsieur began a story of how a man1   
almost a stranger to him1 had come one  
winter evening and begged him for ,god's
 love to go and help him search for the 
body of his brother1 reported by a      
wandering madwoman to be lying on this  
beach1 and how he begged so piteously   
that the listener could not choose but  
go4  ,and as ,monsieur vividly pictured 
that long1 lonely drive through the     
midnight woods1 the desolate monotony of

 the beach1 along whose margin curled   
the foam-wreaths of the rising tide1    
while beyond phosphorescent lights      
played over a world of weltering black  
waters1--as he told how1 after hours of 
patient search1 they found the poor     
sodden corpse and tenderly cared for    
it1--as ,monsieur quietly told his tale 
and never knew that he was a hero1      
,miselle turned shuddering from sea and 
beach and the mocking play of the       
crested waves1 as they leaped in the    
sunshine and then sank back to sport    
hideously with other corpses hidden     
beneath their smiling surface4          
,presently the sea was again shut off by
 woodland1 and the scattered houses     
closed into a village1 nay1 a town1 the 
town of ,sandwich2 and swinging through 
it at an easy rate1 the carriage halted 
before an odd-looking building1         
consisting of a quaint old inn1 porched 
and gambrel-roofed1 joined in most      
unholy union to a big1 square1 staring  
box1 of true ,yankee architecture4      

,descending with reluctance1 even after 
three hours of immobility1 from her     
breezy seat1 ,miselle followed ,madame  
into the quiet house1 whose landlord1   
like many another man1 makes moan for   
the good old times when summer tourists 
and commercial travellers filled his    
rooms and the long dining-table1 now    
unoccupied1 save by our travellers and  
two young men connected with the        
glass-manufactories4  ,rest1 plenty of  
cool water1 and dinner having restored  
the energies of the travellers1 it was  
proposed that they should proceed at    
once to the ,glass ,works4 ,and now1    
indeed1 did ,fortune smile upon this    
band of adventurous spirits2 for when   
the question of a guide arose1 mine host
 of the inn announced himself not only  
willing to act in that capacity1 but    
eminently qualified therefor by long    
experience as an operative in various   
departments of the works4  ,how         
fortunate that the stage-coaches and    
peddlers no longer frequent ,sandwich6  

,if our friend had them to attend to1 he
 could not devote himself to us in this 
charming manner1 suggested ,optima1 as  
she and ,miselle gayly followed         
,monsieur1 ,madame1 and ,cicerone down  
the long sunny street1 whose loungers   
turned a glance of lazy wonder upon the 
strangers4  ,passing presently a        
monotonous row of lodging-houses for the
 workmen1 and a public square with a    
fountain1 which1 as ,optima suggested1  
might be made very pretty with the      
addition of some water1 the travellers  
approached a large brick building1      
many-windowed1 many-chimneyed1 and      
offering ingress through a low-browed   
arch of so gloomy an aspect that one    
looked at its key-stone half expecting  
to read there the well-known ,dantean   
legend1--      ,lasciate ogni speranza1 
voi chi'ntrate6  ,nor was the illusion  
quite destroyed by handling1 for through
 the arch and a short passage one       
entered a large1 domed apartment1       
brick-floored and dimly lighted1 whose  

atmosphere was the breath of a dozen    
flashing furnaces1 whose occupants were 
grimy gnomes wildly sporting with       
strange shapes of molten metal4  ,this  
is the glass-room1 and in these furnaces
 the glass is melted2 but perhaps you   
will go first and see how it is mixed1  
and how the pots are made to boil it in4
  ,yes1 let us begin at the beginning1  
said all1 and were led from the ,inferno
 across a cool1 green yard1 into a      
building specially devoted to the pots4 
,in a great bin lay masses of soft brown
 clay in its crude condition1 and upon  
the floor were heaped fragments of      
broken pots1 calcined by use in the     
furnaces1 and now waiting to be ground  
up into a fine powder between the wheels
 of a powerful mill working steadily in 
one corner of the building4 ,in another1
 a row of boxes or pens were partially  
filled with a powdered mixture of the   
raw and burnt clay1 and this1 being     
moistened with water1 was worked to a   
proper consistency beneath the bare feet

 of several stout men4  ,this work1 like
 the treading of the wine-press1 can be 
properly performed only by human feet1  
remarked ,monsieur4  ,so when next we   
sip nectar from one of your             
straw-stemmed glasses1 we will remember 
these gentlemen and their brothers of   
the wine-countries1 and gratefully      
acknowledge that without their exertions
 we could have had neither wine nor     
goblet1 said ,miselle1 maliciously4     
,no1 suggested ,optima1 we will enjoy   
the result and forget the process4 ,but 
what is that man about8  ,making        
sausages out of cheese1 ,i should say1  
replied ,monsieur2 and the comparison   
was almost unavoidable2 for upon a      
coarse table lay masses of moulded clay1
 in form and size exactly like cheeses1 
from which the workman separated with a 
wooden knife a small portion to be      
rolled beneath his hand into cylindrical
 shapes some four inches in length by   
two in diameter4  ,these a lad carefully
 placed upon a long and narrow board to 

carry up to the pot-room1 whither he was
 followed by the whole party4           
,miselle's first impression1 upon       
entering this great chamber1 was1 that  
she was following a drove of elephants2 
but as she skirted the regular ranks of 
the great dun monsters and came to the  
front1 she concluded that she had       
stumbled upon the factory of ,ali       
,baba's oil-jars4 ,at any rate1 the old 
picture in the ,arabian ,nights         
represented ,morgiana in the act of     
pouring the boiling oil into vessels    
marvellously like these1 and in each of 
these was room for at least four robbers
 of true melodramatic stature4  ,among  
these jars1 with the noiseless          
solicitude of a mother in her sleeping  
nursery1 wandered their author and      
guardian1 a pale1 keen man1 and so rare 
an enthusiast in his art that one       
listening to him could hardly fail to   
believe that the highest degree of      
thought1 skill1 and experience might    
worthily be expended upon the           

construction of these seething-pots for 
molten glass4  ,will you look at this   
one8 ,it is my last1 said he1 tenderly  
removing a damp cloth from the surface  
of something like the half of a hogshead
 made in clay4  ,i have not begun to    
dome it in yet2 it must dry another day 
first1 said the artist1 passing his hand
 lovingly along the smooth surface of   
his work4  ,then you cannot go on with  
them at once8 asked ,madame4  ,oh1 no1  
,ma'am6 ,they must dry and harden       
between the spells of work upon them1 or
 they never would stand their own       
weight4 ,this one1 you see1 is twelve   
inches thick in the bottom1 and the     
sides are five inches thick at the base1
 and graduated to four where the curve  
begins4 ,now if ,i was to go right      
ahead1 and put the roof on this mass of 
wet clay1 ,i shouldn't get it done      
before the whole would crush in         
together4 ,i have had them do so1       
,ma'am1 when ,i was younger1 but ,i know
 better now4 ,i sha'n't have that to    

suffer again4  ,and what are you at work
 upon while this dries8  ,here4 ,this   
one is just begun4 ,shall ,i show you   
how ,i do it8 ,john1 where are those    
rolls8 ,yes1 ,i see4 ,now1 ,ma'am1 this 
is the way4  ,taking one of the rolls in
 his left hand1 and manipulating it with
 his right1 our artist laid it upon the 
top of the unfinished wall1 and with his
 supple fingers began to dovetail and   
compact it into the mass1 pressing and  
smoothing the whole carefully as he went
 on4  ,you see ,i must be very careful  
not to leave any air-bubbles in my work2
 if ,i do1 there will be a crack4  ,when
 the pot dries8 asked ,madame4  ,no1    
,ma'am1 when it is heated4 ,i suppose   
the air expands and forces its way out1 
said the man1 shyly1 as if he were more 
in the habit of thinking philosophy than
 of talking it4 ,but see how smooth and 
fine this clay is1 added he1            
enthusiastically1 passing his finger    
through one of the rolls4 ,it is as     
close-grained and delicate as--as a     

lady's cheek4  ,but1 really1 how could  
one describe the shape of these         
creatures8 asked ,optima aside of       
,miselle1 as she stood contemplating a  
completed monster4  ,by comparing them  
to an ,esquimaux lodge1 with one little 
arched window just at the spring of the 
dome4 ,doesn't that give it8  ,perhaps4 
,i never saw an ,esquimaux lodge2 did   
you1 my dear8  ,no1 nor anything else in
 the least degree resembling these1     
unless it was the picture of the        
oil-jars4 ,choose1 my ,optima1 between  
the two4  ,hark6 we are losing something
 worth hearing4  ,so the young women    
opened their ears1 and heard the pallid 
enthusiast tell how1 after days and     
weeks of labor1 and months of seasoning1
 the pots were laboriously carried to a 
kiln1 where they were slowly brought to 
a red heat1 and then suffered to cool as
 slowly4 ,how the pot was then taken to 
one of the furnaces of the ,inferno1 and
 a portion of its side removed to       
receive it2 how it was then built in1   

and reheated before the glass-material  
was thrown in2 and how1 after all this  
care and toil1 it was perhaps not a week
 before it cracked or gave way at some  
point1 and must be taken away to make   
room for another4 ,but this was         
unusually hard luck1 and the pots       
sometimes held good as long as three    
months4  ,and what becomes of the old   
ones8 asked ,optima1 sympathetically4   
,oh1 they are all used over again1      
,miss4 ,there must be a proportion of   
burnt clay mixed with the raw1 or it    
would be too rich to harden4  ,and what 
is the proportion8  ,about one-third of 
the cooked clay1 and two-thirds of the  
raw4  ,and where does the clay come     
from8  ,nearly all from ,sturbridge1 in 
,england4 ,some has been brought from   
,gay ,head1 on ,martha's ,vineyard2 but 
it doesn't answer like the imported4    
,leaving the courteous artist in        
glass-pots to his labors1 the party1    
crossing again the breezy yard1 entered 
a dismal brick-paved basement-room1     

where grim bakers were attending upon a 
number of huge ovens4 ,one of these was 
just being filled2 but instead of white 
and brown loaves1 golden cake1 or flaky 
pies1 the two attendants were piling in 
short1 thick bars of lead1 and1 hurry as
 they might1 before they could put in   
the last of the appointed number1 little
 shining streams of molten metal began  
to ooze from beneath the first1 and     
trickle languidly toward the mouth of   
the oven4  ,but our bakers were ready   
for them4 ,with hasty movement they     
threw in a quantity of moistened clay1  
shaping and compacting it with their    
shovels as they went on1 until in a very
 few moments they had completed a neat  
little semi-circular dike just within   
the door1 as effectual a barrier to the 
glowing pool behind it1 wherein the     
softened bars were rapidly disappearing1
 as was ever the ,dutchman's dike to the
 ocean1 with whom he disputes the       
sovereignty of ,holland4  ,a wooden door
 was now put up1 and the baking was left

 to itself for about twenty-four hours1 
at the end of which time the lead would 
have become transformed into a yellowish
 powder1 known as massicot4  ,you will  
see it here4 ,they are just beginning to
 clear this oven1 said ,cicerone1       
pointing to a row of large iron vessels 
which the workmen were filling with the 
contents of the just opened kiln4  ,and 
what next8 ,what is it to the glass8    
asked ,miselle1 unblushing at her       
ignorance4  ,next1 it is put into these 
other kilns1 and kept in motion with the
 long rakes that you see here1 and at   
the end of forty-eight hours it will    
have absorbed sufficient oxygen from the
 atmosphere to turn it from massicot to 
minium1 or red-lead4 ,look at this1 if  
you please4  ,cicerone here pointed to  
other iron vessels1 in shape like the   
bowl out of which the giant ,blunderbore
 ate his bread and milk1 while trembling
 little ,jack peeped at him from the    
oven2 but these bowls were filled with a
 beautiful scarlet powder of fine       

consistency4  ,that is red-lead1 one of 
the most important ingredients in fine  
flint-glass1 as it gives it brilliancy  
and ductility4 ,but it is not used in   
the coarser glasses4 ,and here is the   
sand-room4  ,so saying1 ,cicerone led   
the way to a light and cheerful room of 
delicious temperature1 even on that     
summer's day1 where1 upon a low1 broad1 
iron table1 heated from beneath by      
steam-pipes1 lay a mass of what might   
indeed be sand1 and yet differed as much
 from ordinary sand as a just washed    
pet-lamb differs from an old            
weather-beaten sheep4  ,like the lamb1  
the sand had been washed with care and  
much water1 and now lay reposing after  
its bath at lazy length1 enjoying its   
kief1 like a sworn ,mussulman4 ,this    
sand is principally brought from the    
banks of ,hudson ,river and the coast of
 ,new ,jersey2 but a finer article of   
quartz sand is found in ,lanesboro'1    
,massachusetts4  ,in the centre of the  
room stood a great sifting-machine1     

worked by steam2 and the sand1 after    
being thoroughly dried1 was passed      
through this1 coming out a fine1        
glittering mass1 very much resembling   
granulated sugar1 so far as looks are   
concerned4  ,now it is ready to be sent 
up to the mixing-room2 but if you will  
step on this drop1 we will go up before 
it1 said the civil workman here in      
charge4  ,so some of the party stepped  
upon a solid platform about six feet    
square1 lying under a trap in the floor 
overhead1 and were slowly wound up to   
the mixing-room1 feeling quite sure1    
when they stepped upon the solid floor  
once more1 that they had done a very    
heroic thing1 and were not hereafter to 
be dismayed by travellers' tales of     
descents into coal-mines1 or swinging to
 the tops of dizzy spires in creaking   
baskets4  ,here1 in the mixing-room1    
stood great boxes1 filled with sand1    
with red-lead1 or with sparkling soda   
and potash2 and beside a trough stood1  
shovel in hand1 a good-natured-looking  

man1 who was busily mixing portions of  
these three ingredients into one mass4  
,him ,miselle assailed with questions1  
and learned that the trough contained   
#adjj pounds sand1               #cej   
ash1               #ajj  soda1          
#hjj  red-lead1     and about #ajj      
cullet4#be  ,this was to be a fine      
quality of flint-glass1 and to it might 
be added coloring-matter of any desired 
tint2 but in the choice and proportion  
of this lay one of the principal secrets
 of the art4  ,all this information did 
the civil compounder vouchsafe to       
,miselle1 with the indulgent air of one 
who humors a child by answering his     
questions1 although quite sure that the 
subject is far above his comprehension2 
and he smiled in much amusement at      
seeing his answers jotted down upon her 
tablets4 ,so ,miselle thanked him1      
smiling a little in her turn1 and they  
parted in mutual satisfaction4  ,these  
trucks you see are ready-loaded with the
 frit1 or glass-material1 and are to be 

wheeled down to the furnaces presently1 
said ,cicerone4 ,but1 before following  
them1 we had better go down and see the 
fires4  ,descending a short flight of   
stone steps1 the party now entered a    
long1 dark passage1 through which a     
torrent of wind swept1 driving before it
 the ashes and glowing cinders that     
dropped continually from a circular     
grating overhead4 ,the ground beneath   
was strewn with fire1 and the whole     
arrangement offered a rare opportunity  
to any misanthrope whose preferences    
might point to death in the shape of a  
fiery shower-bath4  ,in a gloomy crypt1 
opening near the grating1 stood a gnome 
whose duty it was to feed the furnace   
overhead with soft coal1 which must be  
thrown in at a small door and then      
pushed up and forward until it lay upon 
the grating where it was consumed4      
,around this central fire the           
glass-pots1 ten to each furnace1 are    
arranged1 their lower surfaces in actual
 contact with it1 while the domed roof  

reverberates the heat upon them from    
above4  ,all around stood sturdy piers  
of brick and iron1 and low-browed       
arches1 crushed1 one could not but      
fancy1 out of their original proportions
 by the immense weight they were forced 
to uphold4  ,returning to the ,inferno1 
,cicerone led the way to a pot which was
 being filled with frit from one of the 
little covered cars that he had pointed 
out in the mixing-room4 ,this process   
was to be effected gradually1 as he     
explained1--a certain portion being at  
first placed in the heated pot1 and     
suffered to melt1 and then another1     
until the pot should be full1 when the  
door of it would be put up and closed   
with cement4  ,and how long before the  
frit will be entirely melted8 asked     
,monsieur4  ,from thirty-six to sixty   
hours4 ,the time varies a good deal with
 the seasons1 and different sorts of    
glass take different times to melt4     
,this flint-glass melts the easiest1 and
 common bottle-glass takes the longest4 

,crown-glass1 such as is used for       
window-panes1 comes between the two2 but
 that is not made here4  ,and when the  
glass is sufficiently boiled1 what next8
  ,you shall see1 for here is a pot just
 opened1 and this man with the long iron
 rod1 called a pontil1 or punty1 in his 
hand1 is about to skim it4  ,what is    
there to skim off8  ,oh1 there will be  
impurities1 of course1 however carefully
 the ingredients are prepared4 ,some of 
these sink to the bottom1 and some rise 
in scum1 or1 as it is called here1      
glass-gall1 and sometimes sandiver4     
,just like broth or society1 isn't it1  
,optima8 suggested ,miselle1 aside4     
,why don't you discover a social pontil1
 then8  ,oh1 ,i have no taste for       
reforming4 ,what would there be to laugh
 at in the world1 if the human sandiver 
were removed8  ,it might be an          
improvement to have the gall removed1 my
 dear1 remarked ,optima1 significantly2 
but ,miselle was too busy in watching   
the skimming to understand the gentle   

rebuke4  ,thrusting the pontil far into 
the pot1 the workman moved it gently    
from side to side1 turning it at the    
same time1 until he suddenly withdrew   
upon its point a large lump of glowing  
substance1 which he shook off upon a    
smooth iron table standing near1 called 
a marver1 7that is1 marbre17 in size and
 shape not unlike the largest of a nest 
of teapoys4 ,here the lump of sandiver  
lay1 while through its mass shot rays of
 vivid prismatic color1 glowing and     
dying along its surface so vivaciously  
that one needs must fancy the salamander
 no fable1 and that this death of       
gorgeous agony was something more than  
the mere cooling of an inert mass of    
matter4  ,you see how bubbly and        
streaked that is now8 broke in the voice
 of ,cicerone upon ,miselle's little    
dream4 ,but after standing awhile the   
air will all escape from the pot1       
leaving the glass smoother1 thicker1 and
 tougher than it is now4 ,don't you want
 to look in1 before it cools off8  ,with

 a mental protest against the fate of   
those luckless individuals who threw    
,shadrach1 ,meschach1 and ,abednego into
 the seven-times heated furnace1        
,miselle stooped1 and1 looking in1      
uttered a cry of surprise and delight4  
,it was the very soul of fire1 the      
essence of light and heat4 ,above1 rose 
a glowing arch1 quivering with an       
intensity of color1 such as fascinates  
the eye of the eagle to the noonday sun4
 ,below1 undulated in great oily waves a
 sea of molten matter1 throbbing in     
vivid curves against the sides of its   
glowing basin4 ,and arch and wall and   
heaving waves all mingled in a pure     
harmony1 an accord1 of light too intense
 for color1 or rather a color so intense
 as to be nameless in this pale world4  
,miselle knew now how the moth feels who
 plunges wildly into the flame that     
lures him to his death1 and yet         
fascinates him beyond the power of      
resistance4 ,the door was very small1 or
 it might have been already too late1   

when ,optima touched the shoulder of    
this modern ,parsee1 and suggested1     
calmly1--  ,if you burn your eyes out   
here1 my dear ,miselle1 you will be     
unable to see anything else4  ,the      
thought was a kind and sensible one1 as1
 coming from ,optima1 it could not have 
failed of being2 and ,miselle stood     
upright1 stared forlornly about her1 and
 found the world very pale and weak1    
very cold and dark4  ,was it to solace  
her sudden exile from fairy-land1 or was
 it only as a customary courtesy1 that  
an old man1 wasted and paled by years of
 ministration at this fiery shrine1 now 
seized a long1 hollow iron rod1 called a
 blow-stick1 and1 thrusting the smaller 
end into the pot1 withdrew a small      
portion of the glass1 and1 while        
retaining it by a swift twirl1 presented
 the mouth-piece of the tube to ,miselle
 with a gesture so expressive that she  
immediately applied her lips to those of
 the blow-stick1 and rounded her cheeks 
to the similitude of those corpulent    

little ,breezes whom the old masters are
 so fond of depicting attendant upon the
 flight of their brothers the ,winds8   
,ah1 my little dears1 with your straws  
and soap-suds you will never blow a     
bubble like that6 ,as it slowly rounded 
to its perfect sphere1 what secrets of  
its birth within that glowing furnace1  
what mysteries of the pure element whose
 creation it seemed1 flashed in fiery   
hieroglyph athwart its surface6 ,a      
mocking globe1 whereon were painted     
realms that may none the less exist1    
because man's feeble vision has never   
seen them1 his fettered mind never      
imagined them4 ,who knows8 ,it may have 
been the surface of the sun that was for
 one instant drawn upon that ball of    
liquid fire4 ,who is to limit the       
affinities1 the subtle reproductions of 
,nature's grand ideas8  ,but as the     
wonder culminated1 as the glancing rays 
resolved themselves into more positive  
lines1 as the enigma seemed about to    
offer its own solution1 the bubble      

broke1 flew into a myriad tiny shards1  
which1 with a tinkling laugh1 fell to   
the grimy pavement1 and lay there       
sparkling malicious fun into ,miselle's 
eyes4  ,cicerone stooped and gathered   
some of the fragments4 ,surely1 never   
was substance so closely allied to      
shadow4 ,the lightest touch1 a breath   
even1 and they were gone1--and were they
 caught1 it was like the capture of one 
of the floating films of a summer       
morning1 glancing brightly to the eye1  
but impalpable to the touch4  ,when all 
had looked1 the guide slowly closed his 
hand with a cruel gripe1 and1 opening   
it1 threw down a little shower of       
scintillating dust1 an airy fall of     
powdered diamonds1 lost as they readied 
the earth1 and that was all4  ,we're    
casting some of those ,fresnel lanterns 
to-day4 ,perhaps the ladies would like  
to see them1 suggested the pale little  
old man1 and pointed to a powerful      
machine with a long lever-handle at the 
top1 which1 being thrown up1 showed a   

heavy iron mould1 heated quite hot1 and 
just now smoking furiously from a fresh 
application of kerosene-oil1 with which 
the mould is coated before each period  
of service1 much as the housewife       
butters her griddle before each plateful
 of buckwheat cakes4  ,as the smoke     
subsided1 the old man1 who proved a very
 intelligent as well as civil person1   
thrust his pontil into the pot nearest  
the press1 and1 withdrawing a sufficient
 quantity of the glass1 dropped it      
squarely into the open mould1 whose     
operator1 immediately seizing the long  
handle1 swung himself from it in a      
grotesque effort to increase the natural
 gravity of his body1 and succeeded in  
bringing it down with great force4      
,then1 leaning over the lever in a state
 of complacent exhaustion1 he glared for
 a moment at the spectators with the    
calm superiority of one who1 having     
climbed to the summit of knowledge1 can 
afford to pity the ignorant crowd       
groping below4  ,the mould being        

reopened presently displayed a large1   
heavy lantern1 whose curiously elaborate
 flutings and pencillings were1 as the  
intelligent artisan averred1 arranged   
upon the principle of the famous        
,fresnel light1 whose introduction some 
years ago marked an epoch in the history
 of light-houses4  ,why1 ,miss1 these   
little up-and-down marks1 that you'd    
take it were just put in for fancy1 said
 ,william ,greaves1 have got a patent on
 'em1 and no one else could put 'em into
 a lantern without being prosecuted4    
,but why8 ,what difference do they make8
  ,why1 ,miss1 every one of them        
fingerings makes a lens2 you see it's   
just the same inside as out1 and it sort
 of spreads the light4 ,that a'n't the  
way to call it1 but that's the idea2 for
 the man that got it up was down here1  
and ,i talked with him4  ,and what are  
they for8  ,for ships' lanterns1 ,ma'am4
 ,they take this round lantern1 when    
it's all done here1 and split it in two 
halves up and down1 and then put one on 

each side a vessel's bows just like the 
lamps on a doctor's gig1 and the        
bowsprit runs out between just like the 
horse does in the gig4  ,at this        
juncture a small boy rushed up1 and1    
thrusting a stick into the still red-hot
 lantern1 dexterously tilted it up and  
carried it away to a furnace of         
different construction from the first1  
into one of whose open doors he thrust  
it1 and then returned to wait for       
another4  ,this furnace1 called a       
flashing-furnace1 was round like the    
first1 and was fitted with eight or ten 
doors1 from all of which the flames     
rushed eagerly1 and in a very startling 
fashion4  ,this is fed constantly with  
coal-oil1 expounded ,cicerone4 ,it is   
brought in pipes1 as you see1 and drips 
down inside4 ,these doors are called    
'glory-holes'----  ,aureoles1 perhaps1  
suggested ,optima1 in a whisper4  ,and  
the lanterns1 or whatever is in hand1   
are brought here after pressing1 and put
 in to get well heated through again    

before they are given to the finisher4  
,fire-polishing they call it4 ,here you 
see one just ready to be taken out4  ,he
 will drop it1 cried ,miselle1 as       
another boy1 wielding a pontil with a   
lump of melted glass at the end1 darted 
before her1 and1 pressing this heated   
end against the bottom of the lantern1  
picked it up and carried it away1 over  
his shoulder1 as if he were a stray     
member of some torch-light procession4  
,not he6 ,he's too well used to his     
trade1 laughed ,monsieur4 ,now come and 
see the finishing process4  ,following  
the steps of the young wide-awake1      
,miselle saw him deliver the pontil1    
with the lantern still attached1 to a   
listless individual seated upon a bench 
whose long iron arms projected far in   
front of him1 while an idle pontil lay  
across them4 ,this the boy snatched up  
and departed1 while the man1 suddenly   
rousing himself1 began to roll the new  
pontil up and down the arms of his bench
 with his left hand1 while with a pair  

of compasses in his right he carefully  
gauged the diameter of the revolving    
lantern1 and then smoothed away its     
rough-cast edges by means of a blackened
 bit of wood1 somewhat of the shape1 and
 bearing the name1 of a battledoor4     
,the finishing over1 another stick was  
thrust inside the lantern1 and it was   
separated from the pontil by the        
application of a bit of cold iron4 ,it  
was then carried to the mouth of a long 
gallery-like oven1 moderately heated1   
and fitted with a movable floor1 upon   
which the articles put in at the hot end
 were slowly transported through a      
carefully graduated atmosphere to the   
cool end at a distance of perhaps a     
hundred feet1 and on their arrival were 
ready to be packed for transportation4  
,this process was called annealing1 and 
the oven with a movable floor was       
technically denominated a leer4  ,here  
they are pressing tumblers1 continued   
the guide1 pointing to a press of       
smaller size and power1 standing near   

another door of the same furnace4 ,they 
have just had a large order from        
,california1 from a single firm1        
for--how many tumblers did you tell me1 
,mr4 ,greaves8  ,twenty-two thousand    
dozen1 ,sir2 and we shall have to spring
 to get them off at the time set4  ,nice
 tumblers they are1 too1--just as good  
as cut1 to my mind1 continued ,cicerone1
 poking with his stick at one of the    
batch that was now being placed in the  
leer4  ,very nice and clear they were1  
but not as good as cut to ,miselle's    
mind1 and she remarked1--  ,it is very  
easy to feel the difference1 if not to  
see it1 between cut and pressed glass4  
,the latter always has these blunted    
angles to the facets1 and has a certain 
vagueness and want of purpose about it2 
then it is not so heavy or so sparkling2
 there is a certain exhilaration in the 
gleam of cut glass that fits it for     
purposes to which the other would be    
entirely unsuited4 ,fancy ,champagne in 
a pressed goblet1 or tuberoses and      

japonicas in a pressed vase1 or attar in
 a pressed flacon6  ,fortunately1       
replied ,monsieur1 to whom this aside   
had been addressed1 the persons who     
consider ,champagne1 japonicas1 and     
attar of roses necessaries of life are  
very well able to provide cut-glass     
receptacles for them4 ,but isn't it     
worth one's while to be proud of a      
country where every artisan's wife has  
her tumblers1 her goblets1 her vases1 of
 pressed glass1 certainly1 but 'as good1
 to her mind1 as cut1' to quote our     
friend8 and don't you think it better   
that twenty-two thousand dozen pressed  
tumblers should be sold at ten cents    
apiece than one-third that number of cut
 ones at thirty cents1 leaving all those
 who cannot pay the higher price to     
drink out of----  ,clam-shells8 ,well1  
perhaps4 ,equality and the rights of man
 are very nice1 of course1 but ,i----   
,like cut glass better1 retorted        
,monsieur1 laughing1 while ,miselle     
turned a little indignantly to the      

guide1 who was saying1--  ,the reason   
the edges have that blunted look is     
partly because they can't be struck as  
sharp as they can be ground1 and then   
being heated in the glory-holes1 and    
again in the leers softens them down a  
little4 ,in fact1 the very idea of      
annealing is to make the outside        
particles of the glass run together just
 a very little1 so as to fill up the    
pores as it were1 and make a smoother   
surface4 ,if this were not done1 it     
would fly all to pieces the first time  
it was put into hot water4  ,the cut    
glass is not annealed1 then8  ,oh1 yes1 
after it is blown it is2 and although   
the grinding takes off part of the      
surface1 ,i suppose it fills up the     
pores at the same time4  ,cut glass is  
more apt to break in hot water than     
pressed or simply blown glass1 remarked 
,madame4  ,and is all cut glass blown in
 the first place8 asked ,optima4  ,no1  
,miss1 a good deal of it is pressed and 
then ground1 either wholly or in part2  

but this is not so clear or free from   
waves as the blown4 ,out here is a man  
blowing liqueur-glasses4 ,perhaps you   
would like to see that4  ,the idea of   
blowing a bubble of glass into so       
intricate a shape1 and timing the       
process so that the brittle material    
should harden only when it had reached  
the desired form1 struck ,miselle's mind
 as very incredible2 and she followed   
,cicerone with much curiosity to another
 furnace1 where one man1 blow-pipe in   
hand1 was dipping up a small quantity of
 the liquid glass1 and1 having blown    
into it just long enough to make a stout
 little bubble1 laid the pipe across the
 iron arms of a bench1 where sat another
 operator1 who immediately began to roll
 the pipe up and down the arms of his   
chair1 while with a supple iron         
instrument1 shaped like sugar-tongs with
 flattened bowls1 he laid hold of the   
bubble1 and1 while elongating it into a 
tube1 brought the lower extremity first 
to a point and then to a stem4 ,to the  

end of this the assistant now touched   
his pontil1 upon whose end he had taken 
up a little more glass1 and this1 being 
twisted in a ring round the foot of the 
stem1 divided from the pontil by a huge 
pair of scissors1 dexterously shaped    
with the plyers1 and finally smoothed   
with a battledoor1 became the foot of   
the wine-glass4 ,the heated pontil was  
now applied exactly to the centre of    
this foot1 the top of the glass divided 
from the blow-pipe by the application of
 cold iron1 and the whole thrust for a  
few moments into the mouth of the       
furnace to soften1 while the first man  
laid another pipe with another bubble at
 the end before the operator upon the   
bench1 who recommenced the same process4
  ,the first glass1 meantime1 rendered  
once more ductile by heat1 was passed to
 another man upon another bench1 who1   
keeping up all the while the rotatory   
motion necessary to preserve the form of
 the softened material1 smoothed it with
 the battledoor1 gauged it with the     

compasses1 coaxed it with the           
sugar-tongs1 and finally trimmed it     
around the top with his scissors as     
easily as if it had been of paper4 ,it  
was then cracked off from the pontil and
 carried away1 a finished liqueur-glass 
of the tiniest size1 to be annealed4    
,after this it might be used in its     
simple condition1 or ornamented with    
engraving1 while the bottom of the foot1
 still rough from contact with the      
pontil1 was to be ground1 smoothed1 and 
then polished4  ,oh1 how lovely6 ,look1 
,miselle1 at this ruby glass1 cried out 
,optima4  ,gorgeous6 assented ,miselle1 
peeping into a small pot where glowed   
and heaved what seemed in very truth a  
mass of molten rubies4  ,what are you   
going to make of this beautiful glass8  
inquired she1 enthusiastically1 of a    
pleasant-looking man who was patiently  
waiting for room to approach his work4  
,lamp-globes1 ,ma'am1 returned he1      
sententiously4  ,poor ,miselle6 ,you    
thought it would be ,cinderella's       

slipper1 at least1 didn't you8 laughed  
,optima4 ,but look6  ,the man1 dipping  
his pipe1 not into the ruby glass1 but  
into an adjoining pot of fine           
flint-glass1 carefully blew a small     
globe1 and then removing the tube from  
his mouth swung it about in the air for 
a few moments1 until it had gained a    
certain degree of firmness4 ,then       
dipping the bubble into the precious pot
 of ruby glass1 7whose color1 as        
,cicerone mysteriously whispered1 was   
derived from an oxide of gold17 he      
withdrew it coated with the brilliant   
color1 and so softened by the heat as to
 be capable of further distension4      
,after gently blowing1 until the shade  
had reached its proper size1 the workman
 handed it to another1 who1 rolling it  
upon the iron arms of his bench1 made an
 opening1 at the point diametrically    
opposite that attached to the blow-pipe1
 with the end of the compasses1 and     
carefully enlarged1 gauged1 and shaped  
it1 by means of plyers and battledoor4  

,pretty soon you will see how they cut  
the figures out and show the white glass
 underneath1 said the guide2 but        
,miselle's attention was at this moment 
engrossed by a series of small          
explosions1 apparently close at hand1   
and disagreeably suggestive of the final
 ascension of the ,glass ,works1        
inclusive of all the pale men and boys1 
who might certainly be supposed purified
 by fire1 and ready to be released from 
the furnace of affliction4 ,not feeling 
herself worthy to join this sublimated  
throng1 ,miselle hastily communicated   
the idea to ,optima1 and proposed a     
sudden retreat1 but was smilingly bidden
 to first consider for a moment the     
operations of four workmen close at     
hand1 two of whom1 kneeling upon the    
ground1 grasped the handles of two      
little presses1 very like aggravated    
bullet-moulds1 while the other two1     
bringing little masses of glass upon the
 ends of their blow-sticks and dropping 
them carefully into the necks of the    

moulds1 proceeded to blow through the   
pipe until the air forced out a quantity
 of the glass in the form of a great    
bubble at the top of the mould4 ,the    
pressure from within increasing still   
more1 this bubble necessarily burst with
 a smart snap1 and thus caused the      
explosive sounds above referred to4 ,the
 two casters then scraped away the      
debris at the top with a bit of stick1  
and1 opening their moulds1 disclosed in 
one a pretty little essence-bottle1     
which a sharp boy in waiting immediately
 snapped up on the end of a long fork1  
where he had already spitted about a    
dozen more1 and carried them away to the
 leer4  ,but what are you casting8 asked
 ,madame1 puzzled1 as the other workman 
opened his mould and poked its contents 
out upon a bit of board held ready by   
another sharp boy4  ,little inks1       
,ma'am1 was the laconic reply2 and      
looking more narrowly at the tiny       
object1 it proved to be one of the small
 portable inkstands used in             

writing-desks4  ,more explosions at a   
little distance1 and two more men were  
found to be casting1 in the same manner1
 small bottles of opaque white glass1   
resembling china1 a quality produced by 
an admixture of bone-dust in the frit4  
,these are the bottles dear to          
manufacturers of pomades1 hair-oils1 and
 various cosmetics1 and ,miselle turned 
round a cool one lying upon the ground1 
half-expecting to find a flourishing    
advertisement of a newly discovered     
,fontaine d',or upon its back4 ,she did 
not find it1 but espied instead two     
pretty little fellows in a corner just  
beyond1 one of whom might be twelve and 
his curly-haired junior not more than   
ten years old1 who were gravely engaged 
in blowing chimneys for kerosene lamps1 
and quite successfully too1 as a large  
box behind their bench amply            
proved1--these alone of all the articles
 mentioned not requiring to be passed   
through the leer4  ,a little farther on1
 a workman1 loading his pontil1 by      

repeated dippings1 with a large quantity
 of glass1 dropped the lump into an open
 basin hollowed in the surface of one of
 the iron tables4 ,it was here suffered 
to cool for some moments1 and then1 by  
means of a pontil tipped with molten    
glass1 carried away to be fire-polished4
  ,this was a lens1 such as are used to 
increase the light in ships' cabins1    
staterooms1 etc4 ,another and coarser   
quality1 not lenses1 but simple disks of
 greenish glass1 about four inches in   
thickness by twelve in diameter1 were   
stacked ready for removal at a short    
distance1 and the whole association made
 ,miselle so intolerably sea-sick that  
she sidled away to watch the manufacture
 of some decanters1 sech as is used in  
bar-rooms1 mostly1 ,ma'am1 as the       
principal workman confided to her4      
,these were first moulded in the shape  
of great tumblers with an excessively   
ugly pattern printed on the sides1 then 
softened in a glory-hole1 and brought to
 a workman1 who1 by means of plyers and 

battledoor1 elongated and shaped the    
neck1 leaving a queer1 ragged lip at the
 top4 ,the decanter was then passed to  
,miselle's confidant1 who struck off    
this lip with the edge of his plyers4   
,an attendant then presented to him a   
lump of melted glass on the end of his  
pontil1 and the workman1 deftly twisting
 it round the neck of his decanter1     
clipped it off with a pair of scissors1 
and proceeded to smooth and shape it by 
means of the plyers4  ,these decanters  
were probably to be used in conjunction 
with some ,gothic goblets1 whose press  
stood in the immediate vicinity4 ,these 
were greenish in color1 thick and       
unwieldly in shape1 and ornamented with 
alternate panels of vertical and        
horizontal stripes4  ,miselle was still 
lost in contemplation of these goblets  
when ,monsieur approached4  ,no1        
exclaimed she1 pointing at them1--no    
true patriot should congratulate his    
countrymen upon the plenitude of such   
articles as that6 ,far better for the   

national growth in art that we should   
all revert to clam-shells6  ,come1 then1
 and see if we cannot find something    
more to your fancy in the cutting-room1 
laughed ,monsieur2 and ,miselle         
willingly followed through the green    
yard1 and up some stairs to a sunny     
chamber1 or rather hall1 lined on either
 hand with a row of busy workmen1 each  
seated behind a whirring wheel1 to which
 he held the surface of whatever article
 he was engaged in cutting1 or rather   
grinding4  ,these wheels were arranged  
in a progressive order4 ,the first were 
of stone or iron1 fed with sand and     
water1 which trickled slowly down upon  
them from a trough overhead4 ,these     
rapidly cut away the surface of glass   
presented to them1 leaving it rough and 
opaque4 ,the article was next presented 
to a smooth grindstone1 that removed the
 roughness1 and left the appearance of  
fine ground glass4  ,the next process1  
called polishing1 was effected upon a   
wooden wheel1 fed with pumice or        

rotten-stone and water1 and the final   
touch was given by another wooden wheel1
 and a preparation of tin and lead      
called putty-powder4  ,the opacity was  
now entirely removed1 and the facets cut
 upon the wine-glass ,miselle had       
principally watched in its progress     
shone with the clear and polished       
brilliancy characteristic of the finest 
quality of cut glass4  ,for very nice   
work1 such as the polishing of          
chandelier-drops1 and articles of that  
sort1 a leaden wheel1 fed with fine     
rotten-stone and water1 is employed2 but
 on the occasion referred to1 no work of
 this nature being in hand1 these wheels
 were not used4  ,other wheels1         
consisting of a simple disk of iron1 not
 unlike a circular saw without any      
teeth1 were used for cutting those      
narrow vertical lines1 technically known
 as fingering1 familiar to those so     
happy as to have had careful            
grandmothers1 and to have inherited     
their decanters and wine-glasses4 ,the  

revival of this style1 like that of the 
rich old pattern in plate known as the  
,mayflower1 is a compliment just now    
paid by the present generation to the   
taste of the past1 and ,miselle was     
shown some beautiful specimens of the   
latest mode1 ,ma'am1 that awoke         
melancholy reminiscences of the         
shattered idols of her youth4  ,here are
 our friends1 the ruby lampshades1      
again1 remarked ,optima4  ,and now you  
will see how the transparent figures are
 made upon them1 suggested ,cicerone1   
pointing to a workman1 who1 with a pile 
of the ruby-coated globes beside him1   
was painting circles upon one of them   
with some yellowish pigment4 ,the globe 
then being held to one of the rough     
wheels1 the thin shell of red glass     
within these circles was ground away1   
leaving it white1 but opaque4 ,the globe
 then passed through the processes of   
smooth grinding and polishing1 above    
described1 until the pattern was finally
 developed in clear transparent         

medallions4  ,a very beautiful article  
in colored glass was a ,hock decanter of
 an exquisite antique pattern in green  
glass1 wreathed with a grape-vine1 whose
 leaves and stems were transparent1     
while the clusters of grapes were left  
opaque by the omission of the polishing 
process4  ,at the end of the noisy      
cutting-room was a small chamber1 hardly
 more than a closet1 called the         
engraving-room1 and bearing the same    
relation to the former as the crypt     
where the cellarer jealously stores his 
,tokay for the palate of a ,kaiser holds
 to the acres of arches where lies the  
vin ordinaire4  ,here1 in the full light
 of ample windows1 before a high bench1 
over which revolved with incredible     
rapidity a half-dozen small copper disks
 fed with fine emery and oil1 stood as  
many earnest-looking men1 not artisans1 
but artists1 each of whom1 vaguely      
guided by a design lightly sketched upon
 the article under his hands1 was       
developing it with an ease and skill    

really beautiful to contemplate4        
,intricate arabesques1 single flowers of
 perfect grace1 or rare groups of bloom1
 piles of fruit1 or spirited            
animal-life1 all grew between the       
whirring copper wheel and the nice hand1
 whose slightest turn or pressure had a 
meaning and a just result4  ,miselle    
watched the engraving of an intricate   
cipher beneath the fantastic crest of   
some wealthy epicurean1 who had ordered 
a complete dessert-service of such      
charming forms and graceful designs that
 envy of his taste1 if not of his       
possessions1 became a positive duty4    
,is there any limit to the range of your
 subjects8 asked ,miselle1 as the artist
 added the last graceful curve to the   
griffin's tail1 and contemplated his    
finished work with quiet complacency4   
,there may be1 but ,i never found it4   
,whatever a pencil can draw this wheel  
can cut1 said he1 with such a smile as  
,gottschalk might assume in answering   
the query as to whether the score could 

be written that he could not render4    
,having now witnessed all the processes 
of glass-manufacture to be seen at this 
time and place1#bf the party were       
conducted to the show-room1 passing on  
the way through a room where a number of
 young women were engaged in painting   
and gilding vases1 spoon-holders1 lamps1
 and various other articles in plain and
 colored glass4 ,the colors used showed1
 for the most part1 but a very faint    
resemblance to the tints they were      
intended to produce1 and the gold       
appeared like a dingy brown paint2 but1 
as was explained by ,cicerone1          
these-colors were to be fixed by        
burning1 or rather melting them into the
 surface of the glass1 and this process 
would at the same time evolve their true
 colors and brilliancy1 both of paint   
and gilding4  ,in the next room to this1
 several workmen were busy in fitting   
the metal trimmings to such articles as 
lamps1 lanterns1 castors1               
molasses-pitchers1 and the like4  ,one  

chirruping old man insisted upon        
mounting an immensely ugly blue and     
yellow lamp upon a brass foot for the   
edification of his visitors1 and when   
this was over1 exhibited some opaque    
white glass stands for other lamps1     
which1 as he fondly remarked1 would be  
took for marble anyw'eres4  ,the        
show-room was a long1 airy hall1 with a 
row of tables on either hand1 covered   
with glass1 whose icy glitter and lack  
of color gave a deliciously cool aspect 
to the whole place4 ,glass in every     
graceful form and design1 some heavy and
 crystalline1 enriched with ornate      
workmanship by cutter and engraver1 some
 delicate and fragile as a soap-bubble2 
hock-glasses as green and lucent as     
sea-water1 and with an edge not too     
thick to part the lips of ,titania2     
glasses of amber1 that should turn pale 
,johannisberger to the true vino d'oro2 
glasses of glowing ruby tint1 than which
 ,bohemia sends us nothing finer2 vases 
and goblets as rare in form and wrought 

as skilfully as those two cups that     
,nero bought for six thousand sestertii2
 medallions bearing in intaglio         
portraits of distinguished men as       
clearly and unmistakably cut as on coin 
or cameo2 whole services of glass1 more 
beautiful and almost as valuable as     
services of plate2 plumes of spun glass 
as fine and sheeny as softest silk2 toys
 and scientific playthings2 objects of  
wonder1 admiration1 and curiosity3 all  
these were to be seen crowded upon these
 long1 white tables in the cool hall1   
where the wind1 sweeping gently through1
 brought the smell of the rising tide1  
and the sound of its waves upon the     
shore4  ,here1 too1 was a man who knew  
the story1 not only of the glass lying  
beneath his hand to-day1 but of all the 
glass the world has known1 from the     
colored beads inhumed with the          
,pharaonic princesses to the ruby salver
 he so fondly fingered as he talked4    
,he spoke of the glazed windows of      
,pompeii2 of the excellent portrait of  

the ,emperor ,constantine ,,vii4        
painted1 ,a4 ,d4 #idi1 upon a           
church-window4 ,he recounted the ancient
 story of the ,phoenicians1 who1 landing
 at the mouth of the river1 brought from
 their ships lumps of soda1 and1 laying 
them upon the sand as a support for     
their dinner-pot1 found when they had   
done lumps of glass among the ashes1 and
 so rediscovered the lost art of        
glass-making2 but to this he added1 with
 a dubious smile1--  ,fire must have    
been hotter in those days than now4 ,we 
could never melt sand in that fashion   
now4  ,then coming to window-glass1 he  
clearly described the process of its    
manufacture1 although confessing he had 
never been engaged in it1 and from this 
,miselle1 with a word1 launched him into
 the glowing sea of mediaeval painted   
windows1 and the wellnigh forgotten     
glories of their manufacture4  ,there is
 hardly one of them left that ,i have   
not seen1 said he1--from the old heathen
 temples of the ,east1 that the         

,christians converted to their own use1 
and1 while they burned the idols1 spared
 the windows1 which they had sense to   
remember they could never reproduce1 to 
the gloomy purple-shadowed things they  
put up so much in ,england and the      
,united ,states at the present day1     
forgetting1 as it would seem1 that the  
first idea of a window is to let the    
light through4  ,but one of the finest  
works of modern times was the great     
tournament-window1 first exhibited in   
,london in #ahbj4 ,i was a young fellow 
then1 hardly twenty indeed1 and with    
very little money to spare for          
sight-seeing4 ,but from the day ,i first
 heard of it1 until five years          
afterward1 when ,i saw it1 ,i never     
wavered in my determination to go abroad
 and look at that window1 as well as all
 the others ,i had heard so much of4    
,it was a beautiful thing really1       
,ma'am1 measuring eighteen by           
twenty-four feet1 and made up of three  
hundred and fifty pieces of glass set in

 metal astragals1 so cleverly worked    
into the shadows that the whole affair  
appeared like one piece4 ,it represented
 the passage-of-arms between ,henry     
,,viii41 of ,england1 and ,francis ,i41 
of ,france1 held at ,ardres1 ,june #be1 
#aebj1 and of the hundred figures shown1
 over forty were portraits4 ,among these
 were the two queens1 ,katharine of     
,england1 and ,claude of ,france1 ,anne 
,boleyn1 and ,cardinal ,wolsey1 with a  
great many other distinguished persons4 
,and this window1 where is it now8 asked
 ,optima4  ,destroyed by fire1 ,june    
#cj1 #ahcb1 he replied1 with the        
mournful awe of one giving the date of  
some terrible human disaster4  ,how many
 glass-factories like this are there in 
the country8 asked ,monsieur1 reverting 
to the practical view of the matter     
under consideration4  ,flint-glass      
works1 ,sir8 ,there are three in ,south 
,boston1 two in ,east ,cambridge1 and   
one here in ,sandwich4 ,that is for     
,massachusetts alone4 ,then there are   

two in ,brooklyn1 ,new ,york1 one in    
,jersey ,city1 and two in ,philadelphia4
 ,these are all flint-glass1 you        
understand2 the principal window-glass  
factories are in the southern part of   
,new ,jersey1 and in ,pittsfield1       
,pennsylvania4 ,then there is a         
flourishing plate-glass factory in      
,lenox1 in this ,state1 and another in  
,new ,york4 ,but the old ,bay ,state1   
,sir1 has led the van in this enterprise
 ever since #aghj1 when ,robert ,hewes1 
of ,boston1 opened the first            
glass-factory in the country at ,temple1
 ,new ,hampshire4 ,his workmen were all 
,hessians or ,wallachians who had       
deserted from the ,british army4 ,they  
had learned the art in their own        
country1 and were the best men he could 
have found for his purpose at that time2
 but they were a disorderly set1 and1   
finally1 one of the furnace-men got     
drunk1 and burnt down the works in the  
night4 ,hewes presented a circular plate
 of glass1 as a specimen of his         

manufacture1 to ,harvard ,college1 and  
,i believe they have it now4 ,it was a  
very good article of glass1 although a  
little greenish in color1 and not quite 
so clear as we get it now4  ,after he   
was burnt out1 one ,lint set up some    
glass-works in ,boston about #ahjj4     
,they were not successful for a while1  
but about #ahjb or #ahjc they got fairly
 started1 and have kept ahead ever      
since4  ,four o'clock1 my dear1 remarked
 ,madame1 softly1 to ,monsieur1 and     
,cicerone1 who had fidgeted awfully all 
through the little lecture1 brightened  
perceptibly1 and rubbed his hands       
contentedly1 as1 with many thanks to the
 courteous superintendent1 and a last   
glance at the glittering wonders of his 
charge1 the party descended once more to
 the green yard1 and crossed it to the  
principal gate4  ,one minute1 ,optima4  
,do come and look at the engine in here6
 cried ,miselle1 dragging her reluctant 
friend into a long1 narrow den1 almost  
filled by a black monster with shining  

brass ornaments1 who slid his iron arms 
backward and forward1 backward and      
forward1 in a steady1 remorseless       
manner1 highly suggestive of what he    
would do1 had he fists at the end of    
them1 and all the world within reach of 
their swing4 ,a sickish smell of heated 
oil pervaded the apartment1 although    
everything was as clean and bright as   
hands could make it4  ,with the foolish 
daring characteristic of her sex1       
,miselle stole out a finger to touch the
 remorseless arm as it shot outward1 but
 ,optima detected and arrested the      
movement1 with a grave ,for shame6 and  
at the same moment a man suddenly       
emerged from behind the body of the     
monster1 and1 approaching the venturous 
intruder1 bawled in her ear1--  ',twould
 take off a man's head1 ,miss1 as easy  
as a pipe-stem6  ,miselle nodded1       
without attempting a defence1 and the   
man added presently1--  ',undred 'oss   
power1 ,miss4 ,drives all the works4    
,do come out1 ,miselle6 ,i shall go     

crazy in another minute6 screamed       
,optima2 and the two young women        
hastened to overtake the rest of the    
party1 who were already in the street4  
,gypsy and ,fanny1 who had better used  
their four hours of rest than in        
exploring glass-works1 stood            
ready-harnessed before the door of the  
,central ,hotel when the sight-seers    
returned thither1 and in a few moments  
the ladies were handed to their seats1  
,monsieur gathered up the reins1 and    
,tom having given them their heads1 the 
spirited little nags tossed the precious
 gifts into the air1 and took the road  
at a pace that needed only moderating to
 make it the perfection of exhilarating 
motion4  ,words are all very well in    
their way1 but they fail wofully when a 
person has really anything to say4  ,for
 instance1 where are the phrases to     
describe that sunset sky1 so clear and  
blue overhead that one felt it was only 
the scant range of human vision that hid
 the unveiled heavenly glories beyond   

the arch1--so gorgeous at the horizon1  
where it met the opalescent sea1--so    
rosy in the east1 where1 like a great   
golden shield1 stood the moon gazing    
across the world triumphantly at the    
sinking sun1--the dewy freshness of the 
woods1 where lingered the intoxicating  
perfumes distilled by the blazing       
noontide from fir and spruce1--the      
jubilant chorus of birds1 dying strain  
by strain1 until the melancholy         
whippoorwill grieved alone in his       
woodland solitude8  ,on by the lonely   
farms and unlighted cabins1 by the bare1
 bleak moors1 where the night-wind came 
rolling softly up to look at the        
travellers1--on till the low1 broad sea 
opened out the view1 and came sobbing up
 on the beach1 wailing at its own cruel 
deeds1--on beneath the cloudless night1 
upon whose front blazed ,orion and the  
,pleiades1--on until the scene had      
wrought its charm1 and the frequent     
speech fell to scattered words1 to      
silent thought1 to passionate feeling1  

where swelling heart and dim eyes alone 
uttered the soul's response to earth's  
perfect beauty1 ,god's perfect goodness4
  ,and so ever on1 until the twinkling  
lights in the curve of the bay showed   
where the weary ,pilgrims had set foot  
on shore1 in that black1 bitter         
,december weather1 and planted the seed 
that has borne blossoms and fruits      
unnumbered1 and shall yet bear more and 
more for centuries to come4  ,and       
through the quiet suburb1 and across the
 brook1 and up the village-street1 to   
the happy and hospitable home1 where    
brilliant lights and a sparkling        
tea-service waited to welcome the weary1
 but well-pleased voyageurs4            
,,footnotes3  #be ,cullet is the waste  
of the glass-room4 ,the superfluous     
material taken up on the pontil1 and the
 shards of articles broken in process of
 manufacture4 ,the ingenious reader will
 thus interpret the heading of this     
paper4  #bf ,it is proper to state that 
,miselle subsequently visited the       

,new-,england ,glass ,company's ,works  
in ,east ,cambridge1 ,massachusetts1    
and1 finding the method of manufacture  
nearly identical with that at ,sandwich1
 has1 for convenience' sake1            
incorporated her observations there with
 this account of her visit to the latter
 place4     ,,what ,,will ,,become ,,of 
,,them8  ,a ,,story ,,in ,,two ,,parts4 
,,part ,,ii4  ,gentleman ,bill1 full of 
confidence in his powers of persuasion1 
advances1 to add the weight of his      
respectability to his parent's          
remonstrance4  ,good morning1 ,mr4      
,frisbie1--politely lifting his hat4    
,hey8 says ,frisbie1 sarcastic4--,look  
at his insolence1 ,stephen6  ,i         
sincerely trust1 ,sir1 begins ,bill1    
that you will reconsider your           
determination1 ,sir----  ,shall ,i fetch
 him a cut with the hosswhip8 whispers  
,stephen1 loud enough for the stalwart  
young black to hear4  ,you can fetch him
 a cut with the hosswhip1 if you like1  
,bill answers for ,mr4 ,frisbie1 with   

fire blazing upon his polite face4 ,but1
 ,sir1 in case you do1 ,sir1 ,i shall   
take it upon myself to teach you better 
manners than to insult a gentleman      
conferring with your master1 ,sir6  ,ha1
 ha1 ha6 roared ,mr4 ,frisbie4 ,you've  
got it1 ,stephen6  ,the whip trembled in
 ,stephen's angry hand1 but the         
strapping young negro looked so cool and
 wicked1 standing there1 that he wisely 
forbore to strike4  ,i am sure1 ,sir1   
,bill addresses the landlord1 you are   
too humane a person----  ,no1 ,i a'n't1 
says the florid ,frisbie4 ,i know what  
you're going to say2 but it's no use4   
,you can't work upon my feelings2 ,i    
a'n't one of your soft kind4--,drive up 
to the door1 ,stephen4  ,stephen is very
 glad to start the horse suddenly and   
graze ,gentleman ,bill's knee with the  
wheel-hub4 ,bill steps back a pace1 and 
follows him with the smiting look of one
 who treasures up wrath4 ,you'd better  
be careful1 ,stephen1 let me tell you6  
,joe stands holding the door open1 and  

,mr4 ,frisbie looks in4 ,there1 to his  
astonishment1 he sees the women washing 
clothes as unconcernedly as if nothing  
unusual was about to occur4 ,he jumps to
 the ground1 heated with passion4  ,ho1 
here6 he shouts in at the door2 don't   
you see the house is coming down8  ,upon
 which the deaf old grandfather rises in
 his corner1 and pulls off his cap1 with
 the usual salutation1 ,sarvant1 ,sah1  
etc41 and sitting down again1 relapses  
into a doze immediately4  ,frisbie is   
furious4 ,what you 'bout here8 he cries1
 in an alarming voice4  ,bless you1     
,sir1 answers the old woman1 over a tub1
 don't you see8 ,we's doon' a little    
washin'1 ,sir4 ,didn't you never see    
nobody wash afore8 ,and she proceeds    
with her rubbing4  ,the house will be   
tumbling on you in ten minutes6  ,you   
think so8 ,now ,i don't1 ,mr4 ,frisbie6 
,this 'ere house a'n't gwine to tumble  
down this mornin'1 ,i know4 ,the ,lord  
'll look out for that1 ,i guess4 ,look  
o' these 'ere childern6 look o' me6 look

 o' my ole father there1 more'n a       
hunderd year ole6 ,what's a-gwine to    
'come on us all1 if you pull the house  
down8 ,can't git another right away2 no 
team to tote our things off with2 an'   
how 'n the world we can do 'thout no    
house this winter ,i can't see4 ,so     
,i've jes' concluded to trust the ,lord1
 an' git out my washin'4 ,rub1 rub1 rub6
  ,frisbie grows purple4 ,are you fools8
 he inquires4  ,yes1 ,i am6 ,i'm        
,fessenden's4 ,and the honest1 staring  
youth comes forward to see what is      
wanted4  ,this unexpected response      
rather pricks the wind-bag of the man's 
zeal4 ,he looks curiously at the boy1   
who follows him out of the house4       
,stephen1 did you ever see that fellow  
before8  ,yes1 ,sir2 he's the one come  
to our house ,saturday night1 and ,i    
showed round to the ,judge's4  ,are you 
the fellow8  ,yes1 says ,fessenden's4   
,there wouldn't any of you let me into  
your houses1 neither6  ,wouldn't the    
people ,i sent you to let you in8  ,no6 

,hear that1 ,stephen6 your              
philanthropical ,gingerford6--,and what 
did you do8  ,i didn't do nothin'1--only
 laid down to die1 ,i did4  ,but you    
didn't die1 did you8  ,no6 ,this man he 
come along1 and brought me here4  ,here8
 to the niggers8  ,yes6 ,you wouldn't   
have me1 so they took me1 and dried me1 
and fed me1--good folks1 niggers6       
,fessenden's bore this simple testimony4
  ,what is it makes the ,frisbie color  
heighten so8 ,is it ,gentleman ,bill's  
quiet smile1 as he stands by and hears  
this conversation8  ,and you have been  
here ever since8 says the man1 in a     
humbler key1 and with a milder look1    
than before4  ,yes6 ,it's a r'al good   
place6 says the youth4  ,but a'n't you  
ashamed to live with niggers8  ,ashamed8
 ,what for8 ,nobody else was good to me4
 ,but they was good to me4 ,i a'n't     
ashamed4  ,the ,frisbie color heightens 
more and more4 ,he looks at that        
wretched dwelling1--he glances aside at 
,mr4 ,williams1 that coal-black         

,christian1 of sad and resigned         
demeanor1 waiting ruefully to see the   
roof torn off1--the only roof that had  
afforded shelter to the perishing       
outcast4 ,mr4 ,frisbie is not one of the
 soft kind1 but he feels the prick of   
conscience in his heart4  ,why didn't   
you go to the poor-house8 ,didn't       
anybody tell you to8  ,yes1 that's what 
they said4 ,but nobody showed me the    
way1 and ,i couldn't find it4  ,where   
did you come from8 ,who are you8        
,fessenden's4  ,who is ,fessenden8  ,the
 man that owns me4 ,but he whipped me   
and shet me up1 and ,i wouldn't stay4   
,where does he live8  ,don't know4 ,away
 off4  ,you'd better go back to him1    
hadn't you8  ,no6 ,i like these folks4  
,best folks ,i ever seen6 avers the     
earnest youth4  ,flush and confusion are
 in the rich man's face4 ,he turns up an
 uneasy glance at ,adsly's men1 already 
on the roof2 then coughs1 and says to   
,stephen1--  ,this is interesting6      
,very1 says ,stephen4  ,don't you       

remember1 ,i was going to make some     
provision for this fellow1--,i'd have   
seen him safe in the almshouse1 if      
nothing more1--but you suggested        
,gingerford's4  ,i supposed ,gingerford 
would be delighted to take him in1 grins
 ,stephen4  ,instead of that1 he turns  
him out in the storm6 ,did you ever hear
 of such sham philanthropy8 ,by ,george6
 cries ,frisbie1 in his indignation     
against the ,judge1 there's more real   
philanthropy in these                   
niggers----checking himself1 and        
glancing again at the workmen on the    
roof4  ,what's philanthropy8 asks       
,fessenden's4 ,is that what you're      
tearin' their house down for8 ,i'm      
sorry6  ,frisbie is flustered4 ,he is   
ashamed of appearing soft4 ,he wishes   
heartily to be well rid of the niggers4 
,but something in his own heart rebels  
against the course he has taken to eject
 them4  ,just hold on there a minute1   
,adsly6  ,ay1 ay6 says ,adsly4 ,and the 
work stops4  ,now what do ,i do this    

for8 exclaims ,frisbie1 vexed at himself
 the instant he has spoken4 ,and he     
frowns1 and blows his nose furiously4   
,it's because ,i am too good-natured1   
altogether6  ,no1 no1 ,sir1--,i beg your
 pardon6 says ,mr4 ,williams1 his heart 
all aglow with gratitude4 ,to be kind   
and merciful to the poor1 that isn't to 
be too good-natured1 ,sir6  ,well1 well6
 ,i a'n't one of your milk-and-water    
sort4 ,look at such a man as            
,gingerford1 for example6 ,but ,i guess1
 come case in hand1 you'll find as much 
genuine humanity in me1 ,adsly1 as in   
them that profess so much4 ,wait till   
to-morrow before you knock the old shell
 to pieces4 ,i'll give 'em another day4 
,and in the mean time1 boy1 turning to  
,fessenden's1 you must find you another 
home4 ,either go back to your guardian1 
or ,i'll send you over to the almshouse4
 ,these people can't keep you1 for      
they'll have no house in these parts to 
keep themselves in4  ,so8 says          
,fessenden's4 ,they kep' me when they   

had a house1 and ,i'll stay with them   
when they haven't got any4  ,something  
in the case of this unfortunate         
stripling interested ,frisbie4 ,his     
devotion to his new friends was so      
sincere1 and so simply expressed1 that  
the robust1 well-fed man was almost     
touched by it4  ,i vow1 it's a queer    
case1 ,stephen6 ,what do you think of   
it8  ,i think----said the joker4  ,what 
do you think8 ,out with it6  ,you own   
that vacant lot opposite ,gingerford's8 
,yes2 what of that8  ,i think1 then1    
instead of pulling the house down1 ,i'd 
just move it over there1 niggers and    
all----  ,and set it opposite the       
,judge's6 exclaims ,frisbie1 catching   
gleefully at the idea4  ,exactly1 says  
,stephen2 and give him enough of niggers
 for one while4  ,i'll do it6--,adsly6  
,adsly6 ,see here1 ,adsly6 ,do you      
suppose this old box can be moved8  ,i  
guess so4 ',t a'n't very large4 ,ruther 
think the frame'll hold together4  ,will
 you undertake the job8  ,wal1 ,i never 

moved a house4 ,there's ,cap'en ,slade1 
he moves houses4 ,he's got all the      
tackle for it1 and ,i ha'n't4 ,i suppose
 ,i can git him1 if you want me to see  
to the job4  ,agreed6 ,it did not take  
,frisbie long to decide4 ,it was such a 
tremendous joke6 ,a nest of niggers     
under the dainty ,gingerford nose6 ho1  
ho6 ,whip up1 ,stephen6 ,and the red and
 puffy face1 redder and puffier still   
with immense fun1 rode off4  ,adsly and 
his men disappeared also1 to return with
 ,cap'en ,slade and his tackle on the   
morrow4 ,then ,joe began to dance and   
scream like a little devil4  ,have a    
ride6 have a ride6 ,oh1 mammy6 they're  
gunter snake th' ole house through the  
village to-morrer1 an' we're all gunter 
have a ride6 free gratis for nothin'6   
'thout payin' for 't neither6 ,a'n't we1
 ,bill8  ,mrs4 ,williams sits right     
down1 overcome by the surprise4  ,now ,i
 want to know if that 'ere 's so6       
,that's what't looks like now1 says ,mr4
 ,williams4 ,we're goin' to be sot      

opposite ,mr4 ,gingerford's4            
',ristocratic6 cries ,joe1 putting on   
airs4 ,that's what'll tickle ,bill6     
,oh1 laws6 exclaims ,mrs4 ,williams1    
with humorous sadness1--what a show th' 
ole cabin'll make1 stuck down there     
'mongst all them fine housen6  ,i don't 
know's ,i quite like the notion1 says   
her husband1 with a good-natured        
expansion of his serious features4 ,i'm 
'fraid we sha'n't be welcome neighbors  
down there4 ',t a'n't so much out o'    
kindness to us as it is out o' spite to 
the ,gingerfords1 that the house is to  
be moved instid o' tore down4  ,that's  
the glory of the ,lord6 ,even the wrath 
of man shall praise ,him6 utters the old
 grandmother1 devoutly4  ,won't it be   
jimmy8 crows ,joe4 ,he's a jolly ole    
brick1 that ,frisbie6 ,i'm a-gunter set 
straddle on the ridge-pole1 an' carry a 
flag4 ,hooray6  ,i consider that the    
situation will be very much preferable  
to this1 observes ,gentleman ,bill1     
polishing his hat with his coat-sleeve4 

,better quarter of the town2 more       
central2 eligible locality for          
establishing a tailor-shop4  ,legible   
comicality for stablin' a shailor-top6  
stammers ,joe1 mimicking his brother4   
,upon which ,bill--as he sometimes did1 
when excited--elapsed into the vulgar1  
but expressive idiom of the family4     
,shet yer head1 can't ye8 ,and he lifted
 a hand1 with intent to clap it smartly 
upon the part the occlusion of which was
 desirable4  ,joe shrieked1 and fled4   
,no quarrellin' on a 'casion like this6 
interposes the old woman1 covering the  
boy's retreat4 ,this 'ere's a time for  
joy and thanks1 an' nuffin' else4 ,bless
 the ,lord1 ,i knowed ,he'd keep an eye 
on to th' ole house4 ,didn't ,i tell ye 
that boy'd bring us good luck8 ,it's all
 on his account the house a'n't tore    
down1 an' ,i consider it a mighty       
,providence from fust to last4 ,wasn't  
,i right1 when ,i said ,i guessed ,i'd  
have faith1 an' git the washin' out8    
,bless the ,lord1 ,i could cry6  ,and   

cry she did1 with a fulness of heart    
which1 ,i think1 might possibly have    
convinced even the jocund ,frisbie that 
there was something better than an old1 
worn-out1 spiteful jest in the          
resolution he had taken to have the     
house moved1 instead of razed4  ,and now
 the deaf old patriarch in the          
corner-became suddenly aware that       
something exciting was going forward2   
but being unable clearly to comprehend  
what1 and chancing to see ,fessenden's  
coming in1 he gave expression to his    
exuberant emotions by rising1 and       
shaking the lad's passive hand1 with the
 usual highly polite salutation4  ,tell 
him we're all a-gunter have a ride1 said
 ,joe4  ,but as ,fessenden's couldn't   
tell him loud enough1 ,joe screamed the 
news4  ,say8 asked the old man1 raising 
a feeble hand to his ear1 and stooping  
and smiling4  ,put th' ole house on     
wheels1 an' dror it6 shrieked ,joe4     
,yes1 yes6 chuckled the old man4 ,i     
remember6 ,six hills in a row4          

,busters6--looking wonderfully knowing1 
and1 with feeble forefinger raised1     
nodding and winking at his              
great-grandchild1--as it were across the
 slim gulf of a hundred years which     
divided the gleeful boyhood of ,joe from
 the second childhood of the ancient    
dreamer4  ,the next day came ,adsly and 
his men again1 with ,cap'en ,slade and  
his tackle1 and several yokes of oxen   
with drivers4 ,levers and screws moved  
the house from its foundations1 and it  
was launched upon rollers4 ,then1       
progress6 ,then1 sensation in           
,timberville6 ,some said it was ,noah's 
ark1 sailing down the street4 ,the      
household furniture of the patriarch was
 mostly left on board the antique craft1
 but ,noah and his family followed on   
foot4 ,they took their live stock with  
them1--cow and calf1 and poultry and    
pig4 ,joe and his great-grandfather     
carried each a pair of pullets1 in their
 hands4 ,gentleman ,bill drove the pig1 
with a rope tied to his 7piggy's7 leg4  

,mr4 ,williams transported more         
poultry1--turkeys and hens1 in two great
 flopping clusters1 slung over his      
shoulder1 with their heads down4 ,the   
women bore crockery and other frangible 
articles1 and helped ,fessenden's drive 
the cow4 ,a picturesque procession1 not 
noiseless6 ,the bosses shouted to the   
men1 the drivers shouted to the oxen1   
loud groaned the beams of the ark1 the  
cow lowed1 the calf bawled1 great was   
the squawking and squealing6  ,gentleman
 ,bill was sick of the business before  
they had gone half-way4 ,he wished he   
had stayed in the shop1 instead of      
coming over to help the family1 and make
 himself ridiculous4 ,there was not much
 pleasure in driving that stout young   
porker4 ,many a sharp jerk lamed the    
hand that held the rope that restrained 
the leg that piggy wanted to run with4  
,besides1 7as ,i believe swine and some 
other folks invariably do under the like
 circumstances17 piggy always tried to  
run in the wrong direction4 ,to add to  

,gentleman ,bill's annoyance1 spectators
 soon became numerous1 and witty        
suggestions were not wanting4  ,take him
 up in your arms1 said somebody4  ,take 
advantage of his contrariness1 and try  
to drive him 't other way1 said somebody
 else4  ,ride him1 proposed a third4    
,make a whistle of his tail1 an' blow   
it1 an' he'll foller ye6 screamed a     
bright school-boy4  ,stick some of yer  
tailor's needles into him6 ,sew him up  
in a sack1 and shoulder him6 ,take up   
his hind-legs1 and push him like a      
wheelbarrer6 ,and so forth1 and so      
forth1 till ,bill was in a fearful sweat
 and rage1 partly with the pig1 but     
chiefly with the uncivil multitude4     
,ruther carry me on your back1 some     
rainy night1 hadn't ye8 said            
,fessenden's1 in all simplicity1        
perceiving his distress4  ,you didn't   
excruciate my wrist so like time6       
groaned ,bill4 ,and what was more1      
darkness covered that other memorable   
journey4  ,as for ,joe1 he liked it4    

,though he was not allowed to ride the  
ridge-pole and wave a flag through the  
village1 as he proposed1 he had plenty  
of fun on foot4 ,he went swinging his   
chickens1 and frequently pinching them  
to make them musical4 ,the laughter of  
the lookers-on didn't trouble him in the
 least2 for he could laugh louder than  
any4 ,but his sisters were ashamed1 and 
,mr4 ,williams looked grave2 for they   
were1 actually1 human6 and ,i suppose   
they didn't like to be jeered at1 and   
called a swarm of niggers1 any more than
 you or ,i would4  ,so the journey was  
accomplished2 and the stupendous joke of
 ,frisbie's was achieved4 ,conceive     
,mrs4 ,gingerford's wonder1 when she    
beheld the ark approaching6 ,fancy her  
feelings1 when she saw it towed up and  
moored in front of her own door1--the   
whole tribe of ,noah1 lowing cow1       
bawling calf1 squawking poultry1 and    
squealing pig1 and so forth1 and so     
forth1 accompanying6 ,this1 then1 was   
the meaning of the masons at work over  

there since yesterday4 ,they had been   
preparing the new foundations on which  
the old house was to rest4 ,so the      
stunning truth broke upon her3 niggers  
for neighbors6 ,what had she done to    
merit such a dispensation8  ,what done1 
unhappy lady8 ,your own act has drawn   
down upon you this retribution4 ,you    
yourself have done quite as much towards
 bringing that queer craft along-side as
 yonder panting and lolling oxen4 ,they 
are but the brute instruments1 while you
 have been a moral agent in the matter4 
,one word1 uttered by you three nights  
ago1 has had the terrible magic in it to
 summon forth from the mysterious womb  
of events this extraordinary procession4
 ,had but a different word been spoken1 
it would have proved equally magical1   
though we might never have known it3    
that breath by your delicate lips would 
have blown back these horrible shadows2 
and instead of all this din and         
confusion of house-hauling1 we should   
have had silence this day in the streets

 of ,timberville4 ,you don't see it8 ,in
 plain phrase1 then1 understand3 you    
took not in the stranger at your gate2  
but he found refuge with these blacks2  
and because they showed mercy unto him1 
the sword of ,frisbie's wrath was turned
 aside from them1 and1 edged by         
,stephen's witty jest1 directed against 
you and yours4 ,hence this interesting  
scene which you look down upon from your
 windows1 at the beautiful hour of      
sunset1 which you love4 ,and1 oh1 to    
think of it6 between your chamber and   
those golden sunsets that negro hut and 
those negroes will always be henceforth6
  ,now don't you wish2 ,madam1 you had  
had compassion on the wayfarer8 ,but we 
will not mock at your calamity4 ,you did
 precisely what any of us would have    
been only too apt to do in your place4  
,you told the simple truth1 when you    
said you didn't want the ragged wretch  
in your house4 ,and what person of      
refinement1 ,i'd like to know1 would    
have wanted him8 ,for1 say what you     

will1 it is a most disagreeable thing to
 admit downright dirty vagabonds into   
our elegant dwellings4 ,and dangerous1  
besides2 for they might murder us in the
 night1--or steal something6 ,oh1 we    
fastidious and fearful6 where is our    
charity8 where is the heart of trust8   
,there was of old a ,divine ,man1 who   
had not where to lay his head1--whom the
 wise of those days scoffed at as a     
crazy fellow1--whom respectable people  
shunned1--who made himself the companion
 of the poor1 the comforter of the      
distressed1 the helper of those in      
trouble1 and the healer of              
diseases2--who shrank neither from the  
man or woman of sin1 nor from the       
loathsome leper1 nor from sorrow and    
death for our sakes1--whose gospel we   
now profess to live by1 and----  ,but   
let us not be soft4 ,we are reasonably  
,christian1 we hope2 and it shows low   
breeding to be ultra4 7,was the         
,carpenter's ,son low-bred87  ,and now  
the ,judge rides home in the dusk of the

 ,december day4 ,it is still light      
enough1 however1 for him to see that    
,frisbie's vacant lot has been made an  
,ararat of2 and he could hear the       
,noachian noises1 were it ever so dark4 
,the awful jest bursts upon him2 he     
hears the screaming of the bomb-shell1  
then the explosion4 ,but the mind of    
this man is 7so to speak7 casemated4 ,it
 is a shock1--but he never once loses   
his self-possession4 ,his quick         
perception detects ,friend ,frisbie     
behind the gun2 and he smiles with his  
intelligent1 fine-cut face4 ,shall      
malice have the pleasure of knowing that
 the shot has told8 ,our orator is too  
sagacious for that4 ,there is never any 
use in being angry3 that is one of his  
maxims4 ,therefore1 if he feels any     
chagrin1 he will smother it4 ,if there  
is a storm within1 the world shall see  
only the rainbow1 that radiant smile of 
his4 ,cool is ,gingerford6 ,he has      
seized the subject instantly1 and       
calculated all its bearings4 ,he is a   

man to make the best of it2 and even the
 bitterness which is in it shall1 if    
possible1 bear him some wholesome drink4
 ,to school his mind to patience1--to   
practise daily the philanthropy he      
teaches1--this will be much2 and already
 his heart is humbled and warmed4 ,and  
who knows1--for1 with all his sincerity 
and aspiration1 he has an eye to        
temporal uses1--who knows but this      
stumbling-block an enemy has placed in  
his way may prove the stepping-stone of 
his ambition8  ,what is all this1       
,james8 he inquires of his son1 who     
comes out to the gate to meet him4      
,frisbie's meanness6 says the young man1
 almost choking4 ,and the whole town is 
laughing at us6  ,laughing at us8 ,what 
have we done8 mildly answers the parent4
 ,i tell you what1 ,james1--they sha'n't
 laugh at us long4 ,we can live so as to
 compel them to reverence us2 and if    
there is any ridicule attached to the   
affair1 it will soon rest where it      
belongs4  ,such a sty stuck right down  

under our noses6 muttered the mortified 
,james4  ,we will make of it an         
ornament1 retorts the ,judge1 with      
mounting spirits4 ,come with me1--taking
 the youth's arm4 ,my son1 call no human
 habitation a sty4 ,these people are our
 brothers1 and we will show them the    
kindness of brethren4  ,a servant       
receives the horse1 and ,gingerford and 
his son cross the street4  ,good        
evening1 ,friend ,williams6 ,so you have
 concluded to come and live neighbor to 
us1 have you8  ,friend ,williams was at 
the end of the house1 occupied in       
improvising a cowshed under an old      
apple-tree4 ,piggy was already tied to  
the trunk of the tree1 and the hens and 
turkeys were noisily selecting their    
roosts in the boughs4 ,at sight of the  
,judge1 whose displeasure he feared1 the
 negro was embarrassed1 and hardly knew 
what to say4 ,but the pleasant greeting 
of the silver-toned voice reassured him1
 and he stopped his work to frame his   
candid1 respectful answer4  ,it was ,mr4

 ,frisbie that concluded4 ,all ,i had to
 do was to go with the house wherever he
 chose to move it4  ,well1 he might have
 done much worse by you4 ,you have a    
nice landlord1 a nice landlord1 ,mr4    
,williams4 ,mr4 ,frisbie is a very fine 
man4  ,it was ,gingerford's practice to 
speak well of everybody with whom he had
 any personal relations1 and especially 
well of his enemies2 because1 as he used
 to say to his son1 evil words commonly 
do more harm to him who utters them than
 to those they are designed to injure1  
while fair and good words are easily    
spoken1 and are the praise of their     
author1 if of nobody else3 for1 if the  
subject of them is a bad man1 they will 
not be accepted as literally true by any
 one that knows him1 but1 on the        
contrary1 they will be set down to the  
credit of your good-nature1--or who     
knows but they may become coals of fire 
upon the head of your enemy1 and convert
 him into a friend8  ,james had now an  
opportunity to test the truth of these  

observations4 ,was ,mr4 ,williams       
convinced that ,frisbie was a nice      
landlord and a fine man8 ,by no means4  
,but that ,judge ,gingerford was a fine 
man1 and a charitable1 he believed more 
firmly than ever4 ,then there was       
,stephen standing by1--having1 no doubt1
 been sent by his master to observe the 
chagrin of the ,gingerfords1 and to     
bring back the report thereof2 who1 when
 he heard the ,judge's words1 looked    
surprised and abashed1 and presently    
stole away1 himself discomfited4  ,i    
pray the ,lord1 said ,mr4 ,williams1    
humbly and heartily1 you won't consider 
us troublesome neighbors4  ,i hope not1 
replied the ,judge2 and why should ,i8  
,you have a good1 honest reputation1    
,friend ,williams2 and ,i hear that you 
are a peaceable and industrious family4 
,we ought to be able to serve each other
 in many ways4 ,what can ,i do for you1 
to begin with8 ,wouldn't you like to    
turn your cow and calf into my yard8    
,thank you a thousand times1--if ,i can1

 just as well as not1 said the grateful 
negro4 ,we had to tear down the shed and
 pig-pen when we moved the house1 and ,i
 ha'n't had time to set 'em up again4   
,and ,i imagine you have had enough to  
do1 for one day4 ,let your children     
drive the creatures through the gate    
yonder2 my man will show them the shed4 
,are you a good gardener1 ,mr4          
,williams8  ,wal1 ,i've done consid'able
 at that sort of work1 ,sir4  ,i'm glad 
of that4 ,i have to hire a good deal of 
gardening done4 ,i see we are going to  
be very much obliged to your landlord   
for bringing us so near together4 ,and  
this is your father8  ,my grandfather1  
,sir1 said ,mr4 ,williams4  ,your       
grandfather8 ,i must shake hands with   
him4  ,sarvant1 ,sah1 said the old man1 
cap off1 bowing and smiling there in the
 ,december twilight4  ,he's deaf as can 
be1 said ,mr4 ,williams2 you'll have to 
talk loud1 to make him hear4 ,he's more 
'n a hunderd year old4  ,you astonish   
me6 exclaimed the ,judge4 ,a very       

remarkable old person6 ,i should delight
 to converse with him1--to know what his
 thoughts are in these new times1 and   
what his memories are of the past1      
which1 ,i suppose1 is even now more     
familiar to his mind than the objects of
 to-day4 ,god bless you1 my venerable   
friend6 shaking hands a second time with
 the ancient black1 and speaking in a   
loud voice4  ,tankee1 ,sah1--very kind1 
smiled the flattered old man4 ,sarvant1 
,sah4  ',tis you who are kind1 to take  
notice of young fellows like me1        
pleasantly replied the ,judge4--,well1  
good evening1 friends4 ,i shall always  
be glad to know if there is anything ,i 
can do for you4 ,ha6 what is this8  ,it 
was the cow and calf coming back again1 
followed by ,joe and ,fessenden's4      
,gorry6 cried ,joe1--wa'n't that man    
mad8 ,thought he'd bite th' ole cow's   
tail off6  ,what man8 ,my man8  ,yes1   
said honest ,fessenden's2 he said he'd  
be damned if he'd have a nigger's       
critters along with his'n6  ,then we'll 

afford him an early opportunity to be   
damned1 observed the ,judge4 ,drive them
 back again4 ,i'll go with you4--,by the
 way1 ,mr4 ,williams1--,gingerford saw  
his man approaching1 and spoke loud     
enough for him to hear and              
understand1--are you accustomed to      
taking care of horses8 ,i may find it   
necessary to employ some one before     
long4  ,wal1 yes1 ,sir2 ,i'm tol'able   
handy about a stable1 replied the negro4
  ,hollo1 there6 called the man1        
somewhat sullenly1 drive that cow back  
here6 ,why didn't you tell me 't was the
 boss's orders8  ,did tell him so2 and  
he said as how ,i lied1 said            
,joe1--driving the animals back again   
triumphantly4  ,the ,judge departed with
 his son1--a thoughtful and aspiring    
youth1 who pondered deeply what he had  
seen and heard1 as he walked by his     
father's side4 ,and ,mr4 ,williams1     
greatly relieved and gratified by the   
interview1 hastened to relate to his    
family the good news4 ,and the praises  

of ,gingerford were on all their        
tongues1 and in their prayers that night
 he was not forgotten4  ,three days     
after1 the ,judge's man was dismissed   
from his place1 in consequence of       
difficulties originating in the affair  
of the cow4 ,the ,judge had sought an   
early opportunity to converse with him  
on the subject4  ,a negro's cow1 said   
he1 is as good as anybody's cow2 and ,i 
consider ,mr4 ,williams as good a man as
 you are4  ,the white coachman couldn't 
stand that2 and the result was that the 
,gingerfords had a black coachman in a  
few days4 ,the situation was offered to 
,mr4 ,williams1 and very glad he was to 
accept it4  ,thus the wrath of man      
continued to work the welfare of these  
humble ,christians4 ,it is reasonable to
 doubt whether the ,judge was at heart  
delighted with his new neighbors2 and   
jolly ,mr4 ,frisbie enjoyed the joke    
somewhat less1 ,i suspect1 than he      
anticipated4 ,one party enjoyed it1     
nevertheless4 ,it was a serious and     

solid satisfaction to the ,williams     
family4 ,no member of which1 with the   
exception1 perhaps1 of ,joe1 exhibited  
greater pleasure at the change in their 
situation than the old patriarch4 ,it   
rejuvenated him4 ,his hearing was almost
 restored4 ,one move more1 he said1 and 
,i shall be young and spry agin as the  
day ,i got my freedom1--that day1 so    
many1 many years ago1 which he so well  
remembered6 ,well1 the one move more was
 near2 and the morning of a new freedom1
 the morning of a more perfect youth and
 gladness1 was not distant4  ,it was the
 old man's delight to go out and sit in 
the sun before the door1 in the clear   
,december weather1 and pull off his cap 
to the ,judge as he passed4 ,to get a   
bow1 and perhaps a kind word1 from the  
illustrious ,gingerford1 was glory      
enough for one day1 and the old man     
invariably hurried into the house to    
tell of it4  ,but one morning a singular
 thing occurred4 ,to all appearances--to
 the eyes of all except one--he remained

 sitting out there in the sun after the 
,judge had gone4 ,but ,fessenden's1     
looking up suddenly1 and staring at     
vacancy1 cried1--  ,hollo6  ,what1      
child8 asked ,mrs4 ,williams4  ,the old 
man6 said ,fessenden's4 ,comin' into the
 door6 ,don't ye see him8  ,nobody saw  
him but the lad2 and of course all were 
astonished by his earnest announcement  
of the apparition4 ,the old grandmother 
hastened to look out4 ,there sat her    
father still1 on the bench by the       
apple-tree1 leaning against the trunk4  
,but the sight did not satisfy her4 ,she
 ran out to him4 ,the smile of          
salutation was still on his lips1 which 
seemed just saying1 ,sarvant1 ,sah1 to  
the ,judge4 ,but those lips would never 
move again4 ,they were the lips of      
death4  ,what is the matter1 ,williams8 
asked the ,judge1 on his return home    
that afternoon4  ,my gran'ther is dead1 
,sir2 and ,i don't know where to bury   
him4 ,this was the negro's quiet and    
serious answer4  ,dead8 ejaculates the  

,judge4 ,why1 ,i saw him only this      
morning1 and had a smile from him6      
,that was his last smile1 ,sir4 ,you can
 see it on his face yet4 ,he went to    
heaven with that smile1 we trust4  ,to  
heaven8 a negro in heaven8 ,if that is  
so1 some of us1 ,i suppose1 will no     
longer wish to go there4 ,or do you     
imagine that you will have need of      
servants in paradise1 and that that is  
what ,christian niggers are for8 ,or do 
you believe that in the celestial       
congregations there will also be a place
 set aside for the colored brethren1--a 
glorified niggers' pew8 ,you scowl2 you 
don't like a joke upon so serious a     
subject8 ,hypocrite6 do you see nothing 
but a joke here8  ,the ,judge leaves    
everything and goes home with his       
coachman4 ,sure enough6 there is the    
same smile he saw in the morning1 frozen
 on the face of the corpse4  ,gently and
 late death came to him6 says           
,gingerford4 ,would we could all die as 
happy6 ,there is no occasion to mourn1  

my good woman4  ,bless the ,lord1 ,i    
don't mourn6 replied the old negress4   
,but ,i'm so brimful of thanks1 ,i must 
cry for 't6 ,he died a blessed ole      
,christian2 an' he's gone straight to   
glory1 if there's anything in the       
promises4 ,he is free now1 if he never  
was afore2--for1 though they pretend    
there a'n't no slaves in this 'ere      
,state1 an' the law freed us years ago1 
seems to me there a'n't no r'al liberty 
for us1 'cept this6 ,she pointed at the 
corpse1 then threw up her eyes and hands
 with an expression of devout and joyful
 gratitude4 ,he's gone where there a'n't
 no predijice agin color1 bless the     
,lord6 ,he's gone where all them that's 
been washed with the blood of ,christ is
 all of one color in ,his sight6 ,then  
turning to the ,judge1--,and you'll git 
your reward1 ,sir1 be sure o' that6  ,my
 reward8 ,and ,gingerford1 touched with 
genuine emotion1 shook his head1 sadly4 
,yes1 ,sir1 your reward1 repeated the   
old woman1 tenderly arranging the sheet 

over the still breast1 and still1 folded
 hands of the corpse4 ,for makin' his   
last days happy1--for makin' his last   
minutes happy1 ,i may say4 ,that 'ere   
smile was for you1 ,sir4 ,you was kinder
 to him 'n folks in gin'ral4 ,he wa'n't 
used to 't4 ,an' he felt it4 ,an' he's  
gone to glory with the news on 't4 ,an' 
it'll be sot down to your credit there1 
in the ,big ,book4  ,where was the      
,judge's eloquence8 ,he could not find  
words to frame a fitting reply to this  
ignorant black woman1 whose emotion was 
so much deeper than any fine phrases of 
his could reach1 and whose simple faith 
and gratitude overwhelmed him with the  
sudden conviction that he had never yet 
said anything to the purpose1 in all his
 rhetorical defences of the down-trodden
 race4 ,from that conviction came       
humility4 ,out of humility rose         
inspiration4 ,two days later his        
eloquence found tongue2 and this was the
 occasion of it3--  ,the body of the old
 negro was to be buried4 ,that he should

 be simply put into the ground1 and     
nothing said1 any more than as if he    
were a brute beast1 did not seem        
befitting the obsequies of so old a man 
and so faithful a ,christian4 ,the      
family had natural feelings on that     
subject4 ,they wanted to have a funeral 
sermon4  ,now it so happened that there 
was to be another funeral in the village
 about that time4 ,the old minister1 had
 he been living1 might have managed to  
attend both4 ,but the young minister    
couldn't think of such a thing4 ,the    
loveliest flower of maidenhood in his   
parish had been cut down4 ,one of the   
first families had been bereaved4 ,day  
and night he must ponder and scribble to
 prepare a suitable discourse4 ,and     
then1 having exhausted spiritual grace  
in bedecking the tomb of the lovely1    
should he1--good gracious6 could he     
descend from those heights of beauty and
 purity to the grave of a superannuated 
negro8 ,could divine oratory so descend8
      ,on that fair mountain leave to   

feed1     ,and batten on this moor8     
,ought the cup of consolation1 which he 
extended to his best1 his worthiest     
friends and parishioners1 to be passed  
in the same hour to thick ,african lips8
  ,which questions were1 of course1     
decided in the negative4 ,there was     
another minister in the village1 but he 
was sick4 ,what should be done8 ,to go  
wandering about the world in search of  
somebody to preach the funeral sermon   
seemed a hard case1--as ,mr4 ,williams  
remarked to the ,judge4  ,tell you what1
 ,williams1 said the ,judge1--don't give
 yourself any more trouble on that      
account4 ,i'm not a minister1 nor half  
good enough for one1--he could afford to
 speak disparagingly of himself1 the    
beautiful1 gracious gentleman6--but if  
you can't do any better1 ,i'll be       
present and say a few words at the      
funeral4  ,thank you a thousand times6  
said the grateful negro4 ,couldn't be   
nothin' better 'n that6 ,we never       
expected no such honor2 an' if my ole   

gran'ther could have knowed you would   
speak to his funeral1 he'd have been    
proud1 ,sir6  ,he was a simple-minded   
old soul6 replied the ,judge1           
pleasantly4 ,and you're another1        
,williams6 ,however1 ,i am glad you are 
satisfied4 ,so this difficulty is       
settled1 too4 ,for already one very     
serious difficulty had been arranged    
through this man's kindness4  ,did ,i   
neglect to mention it1--how1 when the   
old negro died1 his family had no place 
to bury him8 ,the rest of his race1     
dying before him1 had been gathered to  
the mother's bosom in distant places3   
long lines of dusky ancestors in        
,africa2 a few descendants in           
,america1--here and there a grave among 
,new-,england hills4 ,only one1 a child 
of ,mr4 ,williams's1 had died in        
,timberville1 and been placed in the old
 burying-ground over yonder4 ,but that  
was now closed against interments4 ,and 
as for purchasing a lot in the new      
cemetery1--how could poor ,mr4 ,williams

 ever hope to raise money to pay for it8
  ,williams1 said the ,judge1 ,i own    
several lots there1 and if you'll be a  
good boy1 ,i'll make you a present of   
one4  ,ah1 ,gingerford6 ,gingerford6 was
 it pure benevolence that prompted the  
gift8 ,was the smile with which you     
afterwards related the circumstance to  
dear ,mrs4 ,gingerford a smile of       
sincere satisfaction at having done a   
good action and witnessed the surprise  
and gratitude of your black coachman8   
,tell us1 was it altogether an accident1
 with no tincture whatever of pleasant  
malice in it1 that the lot you selected1
 out of several1 to be the burial-place 
of negroes1 lay side by side with the   
proud family-vault of your neighbor     
,frisbie8  ,the ,judge was one of those 
cool heads1 who1 when they have received
 an injury1 do not go raving of it up   
and down1 but put it quietly aside1 and 
keep their temper1 and rest content to  
wait patiently1 perhaps years1 perhaps a
 lifetime1 for the opportunity of a     

sudden and pat revenge4 ,indeed1 ,i     
suppose he would have been well         
satisfied to answer ,frisbie's spite    
with the nobler revenge of magnanimity  
and smiling forbearance1 had not the    
said opportunity presented itself4 ,it  
was a temptation not to be resisted4    
,and he1 the most philanthropical of    
men1 proved himself capable of being    
also the most cruel4  ,there1 in the    
choicest quarter of the cemetery1 shone 
the white ancestral monuments of the    
,frisbies4 ,death1 the leveller1 had    
not1 somehow1 levelled them1--proud and 
pretentious even in their tombs4 ,you   
felt1 as you read the sculptured record 
of their names and virtues1 that even   
their ashes were better than the ashes  
of common mortals4 ,they rendered sacred
 not only the still inclosure where they
 lay1 but all that beautiful sunny bank2
 so that nobody else had presumed to be 
buried near them1 but a space of many   
square rods on either side was left     
still unappropriated1--until now1 when1 

lo6 here comes a black funeral1 and the 
corpse of one who had been a slave in   
his day1 to profane the soil6  ,nor is  
this all1 alas6 ,there comes not one    
funeral procession only4 ,the first has 
scarcely entered the cemetery1 when a   
second arrives4 ,side by side the dead  
of this day are to be laid3 our old     
friend the negro1 and the lovely young  
lady we have mentioned1--even the       
fairest of ,mr4 ,frisbie's own children4
  ,for it is she4 ,the sweetest of the  
faces ,fessenden's saw that stormy night
 at the window1 and yearned to be within
 the bright room where the fire1        
was1--that dear warm face is cold in    
yonder coffin which the afflicted family
 are attending to the tomb4  ,and       
,frisbie1 as we have somewhere said1    
loved his children4 ,and in the anguish 
of his bereavement he had not heeded the
 singular and somewhat humiliating fact 
that his daughter had issued from the   
portal of ,time in company with one of  
his most despised tenants1--that1 in the

 same hour1 almost at the same moment1  
,death had summoned them1 leading them  
together1 as it were1 one with his right
 hand1 and one with his left1 the way of
 all the world4 ,so that here was a     
surprise for the proud and grief-smitten
 parent4  ,what is all that1 ,stephen8  
he demands1 with sudden consternation4  
,it seems to be another funeral1 ,sir4  
,they're buryin' somebody next lot to   
yours4  ,who1 who1 ,stephen8  ,i--,i    
ruther guess it's the old nigger1 ,sir1 
says ,stephen4  ,the mighty man is      
shaken4 ,wrath and sorrow and insulted  
affection convulse him for a moment4    
,his face grows purple1 then pale1 and  
he struggles with his neckcloth1 which  
is choking him4 ,he sees the tall form  
of ,gingerford at the grave1 and knows  
what it is to wish to murder a man4     
,were those two ,christian neighbors    
quite alone1 in this solitude of the    
dead1 ,i fear one of them would soon be 
a fit subject for a coroner's inquest   
and an epitaph4 ,o pride and hatred6    

with what madness can you inspire a     
mortal man6 ,o ,fessenden's6 bless thy  
stars that thou art not the only fool   
alive this day1 nor the greatest6       
,fessenden's walked alone to the        
funeral1 talking by himself1 and now and
 then laughing4 ,gentleman ,bill thought
 his conduct indecorous1 and reproved   
him for it4  ,gracious6 said the lad1   
don't you see who ,i'm talkin' with8    
,no1 ,sir1--,i can't say ,i see anybody1
 ,sir4  ,no8 exclaimed the astonished   
youth4 ,why1 it's the old man1 goin' to 
his own funeral6  ,this1 you may say1   
was foolishness2 but1 oh1 it was        
innocent and beautiful foolishness1     
compared with that of ,frisbie and his  
sympathizers1 when they discovered the  
negro burial1 and felt that their       
mourning was too respectable to be the  
near companion of the mourning of those 
poor blacks1 and that their beautiful   
dead was too precious to be laid in the 
earth beside their dead4  ,what could be
 done8 ,indignation and sorrow availed  

nothing4 ,the tomb of the lovely was    
prepared1 and it only remained to pity  
the affront to her ashes1 as she was    
committed to the chill depths amid      
silence and choking tears4 ,it is done2 
and the burial of the old negro is      
deferentially delayed until the more    
aristocratic rites are ended4           
,gingerford set the example of standing 
with his hat off in the yellow sunshine 
and wintry air1 with his noble head     
bowed low1 while the last prayer was    
said at the maiden's sepulture4 ,then he
 lifted up his face1 radiant2 and the   
flashing and rainbow-spanned torrent of 
his eloquence broke forth4 ,he had      
reserved his forces for this hour4 ,he  
had not the ,williams family and their  
friends alone for an audience1 but many 
who had come to attend the young lady's 
funeral remained to hear the ,judge4 ,it
 was worth their while4 ,finely as he   
had discoursed at the hut of the        
negroes1 before the corpse was brought  
out1 that was scarcely the time1 that   

was certainly not the place1 for a      
crowning effort of his genius4 ,but     
here1 his larger audience1 the open air1
 the blue heavens1 the graves around1   
the burial of the young girl side by    
side with the old slave1 all contributed
 to inspire him4 ,human brotherhood1    
universal love1 the stern democracy of  
death1 immortality1--these were his     
theme4 ,life1 incrusted with            
conventionalities2 ,death1 that strips  
them all away4 ,this is the portal      
7pointing to the grave7 at which the    
soul drops all its false                
incumbrances1--rank1 riches1 sorrow1    
shame4 ,it enters naked into eternity4  
,there worldly pride and arrogance have 
no place4 ,there false judgment goes out
 like a sick man's night-lamp1 in the   
morning light of truth4 ,in the courts  
of ,god only spiritual distinctions     
prevail4 ,that you were a lord in this  
life will be of no account there1 where 
the humblest ,christian love is         
preferred before the most brilliant     

selfishness1--where the master is       
degraded1 and the servant is exalted4   
,and so forth1 and so forth2 a brief1   
but eloquent address1 of which it is to 
be regretted that no report exists4     
,then came the prayer1--for the ,judge  
had a gift that way too2 and the        
tenderness and true feeling with which  
he spoke of the old negro and the wrongs
 of his race drew tears from many eyes4 
,then a hymn was sung1--those who had   
stayed to sneer joining their voices    
seriously with those of the lowly       
mourners4  ,a few days later1 ,mr4      
,williams had the remains of his child  
taken from the old burying-ground1 and  
brought here1 and laid beside the       
patriarch4 ,and before spring1 simple   
tombstones of white marble 7at          
,gingerford's expense7 marked the spot1 
and commemorated the circumstances of   
the old man's extreme age and early     
bondage4  ,and before spring1 alas6     
three other graves were added to that   
sunny bank6 ,one by one1 all those fair 

children whom ,fessenden's had seen in  
the warm room where the fire was had    
followed their sister to the tomb4 ,so  
fast they followed that ,mr4 ,frisbie   
had no time to move his family-vault    
from the degrading proximity of the     
negro graves4 ,and ,fessenden's still   
lived1 an orphan1 yet happy1 in the     
family of blacks which had adopted him2 
while the parents of those children1 who
 had loved them1 were left alone in the 
costly house1 desolate4 ,was it1 as some
 supposed1 a judgment upon ,frisbie for 
his pride8 ,i cannot tell4 ,i only know1
 that1 in the end1 that pride was       
utterly broken1--and that1 when the fine
 words of the young minister failed to  
console him1 when sympathizing friends  
surrounded him1 and ,gingerford came to 
visit him1 and they were reconciled1 he 
turned from them all1 and gratefully    
received hope and comfort from the lips 
of a humble old ,christian who had      
nursed the last of his children in her  
days and nights of suffering1 almost    

against his will4  ,that ,christian8 ,it
 was the old negro woman4  ,early in the
 spring1 ,mr4 ,williams----,but no more6
 ,haven't we already prolonged our      
sketch to an intolerable length1        
considering the subject of it8 ,not a   
lover in it6 and1 of course1 it is      
preposterous to think of making a       
readable story without one4 ,why didn't 
we make young ,gingerford in love       
with--let's see--,miss ,frisbie8 and    
,miss ,frisbie's brother 7it would have 
required but a stroke of the pen to give
 her one7 in love with--,creshy         
,williams8 ,what melodramatic           
difficulties might have been built upon 
this foundation6 ,and as for            
,fessenden's being a fool and a pauper1 
he should turn out to be the son of some
 proud man1 either ,gingerford or       
,frisbie4 ,but it is too late now4 ,we  
acknowledge our fatal mistake4 ,who     
cares for the fortunes of a miserable   
negro family8 ,who cares to know the    
future of ,mr4 ,williams1 or of any of  

his race8  ,suffice it1 then1 to say1   
that1 as for the ,williamses1 ,god has  
taken care of them in every             
trial1--turning even the wrath of       
enemies to their advantage1 as we have  
seen2 just as ,he will1 no doubt1 in    
,his fatherly kindness1 provide for that
 unhappy race which is now in the       
perilous crisis of its destiny1 and     
concerning which so many1 both its      
friends and enemies1 are anxiously      
asking1 ,what will become of them8      
,,forgotten4         ,in this dim       
shadow1 where     ,she found the quiet  
which all tired hearts crave1           
,now1 without grief or care1     ,the   
wild bees murmur1 and the blossoms wave1
       ,and the forgetful air     ,blows
 heedlessly across her grassy grave4    
,yet1 when she lived on earth1     ,she 
loved this leafy dell1 and knew by name 
,all things of sylvan birth2            
,squirrel and bird chirped welcome1 when
 she came3       ,yet now1 in careless  
mirth1     ,they frisk1 and build1 and  

warble all the same4        ,from the   
great city near1     ,wherein she toiled
 through life's incessant quest1        
,for weary year on year1     ,come the  
far voices of its deep unrest1       ,to
 touch her dead1 deaf ear1     ,and     
surge unechoed o'er her pulseless       
breast4        ,the hearts which clung  
to her     ,have sought out other       
shrines1 as all hearts must1       ,when
 ,time1 the comforter1     ,has worn    
their grief out1 and replaced their     
trust3       ,not even neglect can stir 
,this little handful of forgotten dust4 
,grass waves1 and insects hum1     ,and 
then the snow blows bitterly across2    
,strange footsteps go and come1         
,breaking the dew-drops on the starry   
moss3       ,she lieth still and dumb1  
,and counts no longer any gain or loss4 
,ah1 well1--'t is better so2     ,let   
the dust deepen as the years increase2  
,of her who sleeps below     ,let the   
name perish and the memory cease1       
,since she has come to know     ,that   

which through life she vainly prayed    
for1--,peace6     ,,wet-,,weather       
,,work4  ,,by ,a ,,farmer4              
,,viii4--,,conclusion4  ,as ,i sit in my
 library-chair listening to the welcome 
drip from the eaves1 ,i bethink me of   
the great host of ,english farm-teachers
 who in the last century wrote and      
wrought so well1 and wonder why their   
precepts and their example should not   
have made a garden of that little       
,british island4 ,to say nothing of the 
inherited knowledge of such men as ,sir 
,anthony ,fitz-,herbert1 ,hugh ,platt1  
,markham1 ,lord ,bacon1 ,hartlib1 and   
the rest1 there was ,tull1 who had      
blazed a new path between the turnip and
 the wheat-drills--to fortune2 there was
 ,lord ,kames1 who illustrated with rare
 good sense1 and the daintiness of a man
 of letters1 all the economies of a     
thrifty husbandry2 ,sir ,john ,sinclair 
proved the wisdom of thorough culture   
upon tracts that almost covered         
counties2 ,bakewell 7of ,dishley7--that 

fine old farmer in breeches and         
top-boots1 who received ,russian princes
 and ,french marquises at his           
kitchen-fireside--demonstrated how fat  
might be laid on sheep or cattle for the
 handling of a butcher2 in fact1 he     
succeeded so far1 that ,dr4 ,parkinson  
once told ,paley that the great breeder 
had the power of fattening his sheep in 
whatever part of the body he chose1     
directing it to shoulder1 leg1 or neck1 
as he thought proper1--and this1        
continued ,parkinson1 is the great      
problem of his art4  ,it's a lie1 ,sir1 
said ,paley1--and that's the solution of
 it4  ,and yet ,dr4 ,parkinson was very 
near the truth4  ,besides ,bakewell1    
there was ,arthur ,young1 as we have    
seen1 giving all ,england the benefit of
 agricultural comparisons by his        
admirable ,tours2 ,lord ,dundonald had  
brought his chemical knowledge to the   
aid of good husbandry2 ,abercrombie and 
,speechly and ,marshall had written     
treatises on all that regarded good     

gardening4 ,the nurseries of ,tottenham 
,court ,road1 the parterres of ,chelsea1
 and the stoves of the ,yew ,gardens    
were luxuriant witnesses of what the    
enterprising gardener might do4         
,agriculture1 too1 had a certain dignity
 given to it by the fact that ,farmer   
,george 7the ,king7 had written his     
experiences for a journal of ,arthur    
,young1 the ,duke of ,bedford was one of
 the foremost advocates of improved     
farming1 and ,lord ,townshend took a    
pride in his sobriquet of ,turnip       
,townshend4  ,yet1 for all this1 at the 
opening of the present century1 ,england
 was by no means a garden4 ,over more   
than half the kingdom1 turnips1 where   
sown at all1 were sown broadcast4 ,in   
four counties out of five1 a bare fallow
 was deemed essential for the           
recuperation of cropped lands4 ,barley  
and oats were more often grown than     
wheat4 ,dibbling or drilling of grain1  
notwithstanding ,platt and ,jethro      
,tull1 were still rare4 ,the wet        

clay-lands had1 for the most part1 no   
drainage1 save the open furrows which   
were as old as the teachings of         
,xenophon2 indeed1 it will hardly be    
credited1 when ,i state that it is only 
so late as #ahdc that a certain         
gardener1 ,john ,reade by name1 at the  
,derby ,show of the ,royal ,agricultural
 ,society1 exhibited certain cylindrical
 pipes1 which he had formed by wrapping 
damp clay around a smooth billet of     
wood1 and with which he had been in the 
habit of draining the hot-beds of his   
master4 ,a sagacious engineer who was   
present1 and saw these1 examined them   
closely1 and1 calling the attention of  
,earl ,spencer 7the eminent             
agriculturist7 to them1 said1 ,my ,lord1
 with them ,i can drain all ,england4   
,it was not until about #ahcj that the  
subsoil-plough of ,mr4 ,smith of        
,deanston was first contrived for       
special work upon the lands of          
,perthshire4 ,notwithstanding all the   
brilliant successes of ,bakewell1       

long-legged1 raw-boned cattle were      
admired by the majority of ,british     
farmers at the opening of this century1 
and elephantine monsters of this        
description were dragged about ,england 
in vans for exhibition4 ,it was only in 
#agih that the ,smithfield ,club was    
inaugurated for the show of fat cattle1 
by the ,duke of ,bedford1 ,lord         
,somerville1 ,arthur ,young1 and others2
 and it was about the same period that  
young ,jonas ,webb 7whose life has      
latterly been illustrated by a glowing  
chapter from ,elihu ,burritt7 used to   
ride upon the ,norfolk bucks bred by his
 grandfather1 and1 with a quick sense of
 discomfort from their sharp backs1     
vowed1 that1 when he grew a man1 he'd   
make better saddles for them2 and he    
did1 as every one knows who has ever    
seen a good type of the ,brabaham flock4
  ,the ,royal ,agricultural ,society    
dates from #ahch4 ,in #ahce ,sir ,robert
 ,peel presented a farmers' club at     
,tamworth with two iron ploughs of the  

best construction1 and when he inquired 
after them and their work the following 
year1 the report was that the wooden    
mould-board was better3 ,we tried 'em1  
but we be all of one mind1 that the iron
 made the weeds grow4 ,and ,i can recall
 a bright morning in ,january of #ahde1 
when ,i made two bouts around a field in
 the middle of the best dairy-district  
of ,devonshire1 at the stilts of a      
plough so cumbrous and ineffective that 
a thrifty ,new-,england farmer would    
have discarded it at sight4 ,nor can ,i 
omit1 in this connection1 to revive1 so 
far as ,i may1 the image of a small     
,devon farmer1 who had lived1 and ,i    
dare say will die1 utterly ignorant of  
the instructions of ,tull1 or of the    
agricultural labors of ,arthur ,young3 a
 short1 wheezy1 rotund figure of a man1 
with ruddy face1--fastening the hs in   
his talk most blunderingly1--driving    
over to the market-town every fair-day1 
with pretty samples of wheat or barley  
in his dog-cart1--believing in the royal

 family like a gospel1--limiting his    
reading to glances at the ,times in the 
tap-room1--looking with an evil eye upon
 railways1 7which1 in that day1 had not 
intruded farther than ,exeter into his  
shire17--distrusting terribly the spread
 of eddication3 it doan't help the      
work-folk any2 for1 d' ye see1 they've  
to keep a mind on their pleughing and   
craps2 and as for the b'ys1 the big uns 
must mind the beasts1 and the little    
uns's got enough to do a-scaring the    
demed rooks4 ,gads6 what hodds to them1 
please your ,honor1 what ,darby is      
a-dooin' up in ,lunnun1 or what         
,lewis-,philup is a-dooin' with the     
,frenchers8 ,and the ruddy              
farmer-gentleman stirs his toddy afresh1
 lays his right leg caressingly over his
 left leg1 admires his white-topped     
boots1 and is the picture of ,british   
complacency4 ,i hope he is living2 ,i   
hope he stirs his toddy still in the    
tap-room of the inn by the pretty ,erme 
,river2 but ,i hope that he has grown   

wiser as he has grown older1 and that he
 has given over his wheezy curses at the
 engine as it hurtles past on the iron  
way to ,plymouth and to ,penzance4      
99       99       99       99       99  
,the work was not all done for the      
agriculture and the agriculturist of    
,england in the last century2 it is     
hardly all done yet2 it is doubtful if  
it will be done so as to close          
investigation and ripen method in our   
time4 ,there was room for a corps of    
fresh workers at the opening of the     
present century2 nor was such a corps   
lacking4  ,about the year #ahjh1 a      
certain ,john ,christian ,curwen1       
,member of ,parliament1 and dating from 
,cumberland1 wrote ,hints on            
,agricultural ,subjects1 a big octavo   
volume1 in which he suggests the        
steaming of potatoes for horses1 as a   
substitute for hay2 but it does not     
appear that the suggestion was well     
received4 ,to his credit1 however1 it   
may be said1 that1 in the same book1 he 

urged the system of soiling cattle1--a  
system which even now needs its earnest 
expounders1 and which would give full   
warrant for their loudest exhortation4  
,i notice1 too1 that1 at about the same 
period1 ,dr4 ,beddoes1 the friend and   
early patron of ,sir ,humphry ,davy at  
the ,pneumatic ,institution of ,bristol1
 wrote a book with the quaint title1    
,good ,advice to ,husbandmen in         
,harvest1 and for all those who labor in
 ,hot ,berths1 and for others who will  
take it--in ,warm ,weather4 ,and with   
the recollection of ,davy's description 
of the ,doctor in my mind1--uncommonly  
short and fat1#bg--;,i have felt a great
 interest in seeing what such a man     
should have to say upon harvest-heats2  
but his book1 so far as ,i know1 is not 
to be found in ,america4  ,a certain    
,john ,harding1 of ,st4 ,james ,street1 
,london1 published1 in #ahji1 a tract   
upon ,the ,use of ,sugar in ,feeding    
,cattle1 in which were set forth sundry 
experiments which went to show how      

bullocks had been fattened on molasses1 
and had been rewarded with a premium4 ,i
 am indebted for all knowledge of this  
anomalous tractate to the ,agricultural 
,biography of ,mr4 ,donaldson1 who seems
 disposed to give a sheltering wing to  
the curious theory broached1 and        
discourses upon it with a lucidity and  
coherence worthy of a state-paper4 ,i   
must be permitted to quote ,mr4         
,donaldson's language3--,the author's   
ideas are no romance or chimera1 but a  
very feasible entertainment of the      
undertaking1 when a social revolution   
permits the fruits of all climes to be  
used in freedom of the burden of value  
that is imposed by monopoly1 and        
restricts the legitimate appropriation4 
,george ,adams1 in #ahaj1 proposed ,a   
,new ,system of ,agriculture and        
,feeding ,stock1 of which the novelty   
lay in movable sheds1 7upon iron        
tram-ways17 for the purpose of soiling  
cattle4 ,the method was certainly       
original2 nor can it be regarded as     

wholly visionary in our time1 when the  
iron conduits of ,mr4 ,mechi1 under the 
steam-thrust of the ,tip-,tree engines1 
are showing a percentage of profit4     
,charles ,drury1 in the same year1      
recommended1 in an elaborate treatise1  
the steaming of straw1 roots1 and hay1  
for cattle-food1--a recommendation      
which1 in our time1 has been put into   
most successful practice4  ,mowbray1 who
 was for a long time the great authority
 upon ,domestic ,fowls and their        
,treatment1 published his book in #ahjc1
 which he represents as having been     
compiled from the memoranda of forty    
years' experience4  ,and next1 as       
illustrative of the rural literature of 
the early part of this century1 ,i must 
introduce the august name of ,sir       
,humphry ,davy4 ,this ,i am warranted in
 doing on two several counts3 first1    
because he was an accomplished fisherman
 and the author of ,salmonia1 and next1 
because he was the first scientific man 
of any repute who was formally invited  

by a ,board of ,agriculture to discuss  
the relations of ,chemistry to the      
practice of farming4  ,unfortunately1 he
 was himself ignorant of practical      
agriculture1#bh when called upon to     
illustrate its relations to chemistry2  
but1 like an earnest man1 he set about  
informing himself by communication with 
the best farmers of the kingdom4 ,he    
delivered a very admirable series of    
lectures1 and it was without doubt most 
agreeable to the country-gentlemen to   
find the great waste from their         
fermenting manures made clear by ,sir   
,humphry's retorts2 but ,davy was too   
profound and too honest a man to lay    
down for farmers any chemical high-road 
to success4 ,he directed and stimulated 
inquiry2 he developed many of the       
principles which underlay their best    
practice2 but he offered them no        
safety-lamp4 ,i think he brought more   
zeal to his investigations in the domain
 of pure science2 he loved well-defined 
and brilliant results2 and ,i do not    

think that he pushed his inquiries in   
regard to the way in which the          
forage-plants availed themselves of     
sulphate of lime with one-half the      
earnestness or delight with which he    
conducted his discovery of the integral 
character of chlorine1 or with which he 
saw for the first time the metallic     
globules bubbling out from the          
electrified crust of potash4  ,yet he   
loved the country with a rare and       
thorough love1 as his descriptions      
throughout his letters prove2 and he    
delighted in straying away1 in the leafy
 month of ,june1 to the charming place  
of his friend ,knight1 upon the ,teme in
 ,herefordshire4 ,his ,salmonia is1 in  
its way1 a pastoral2 not1 certainly1 to 
be compared with the original of        
,walton1 lacking its simple homeliness1 
for which its superior scientific       
accuracy can make but poor amends4 ,i   
cannot altogether forget1 in reading it1
 that its author is a fine gentleman    
from ,london4 ,neither fish1 nor alders1

 nor eddies1 nor purling shallows1 can  
drive out of memory the fact that ,sir  
,humphry must be back at ,the ,hall by  
half-past six1 in season to dress for   
dinner4 ,walton1 in slouch-hat1 bound   
about with leaders1 sat upon the green  
turf to listen to a milkmaid's song4    
,sir ,humphry 7,i think he must have    
carried a camp-stool7 recited some      
verses written by a noble lady long     
distinguished at court4#bi  ,in fact1   
there was always a great deal of the    
fine gentleman about the great          
chemist1--almost too fine for the quiet 
tenor of a working-life4 ,those first   
brilliant successes of his professional 
career at the ,royal ,institution of    
,london1 before he was turned of thirty1
 and in which his youth1 his splendid   
elocution1 his happy discoveries1 his   
attractive manner1 all made him the mark
 for distinguished attentions1 went very
 far1 ,i fancy1 to carry him to that    
stage of social intoxication under which
 he was deluded into marrying a wealthy 

lady of fashion1 and a confirmed        
blue-stocking1--the brilliant ,mrs4     
,apreece4  ,little domestic comfort ever
 came of the marriage4 ,yet he was a    
chivalrous man1 and took the issue      
calmly4 ,it is always in his            
letters1--,my dear ,jane1 and ,god bless
 you6 ,yours affectionately4 ,but these 
expressions bound the tender passages4  
,it was altogether a gentlemanly and a  
lady-like affair4 ,only once1 as ,i can 
find1 he forgets himself in an honest   
repining2 it is in a letter to his      
brother1 under date of ,october #cj1    
#ahbc3cj--,to add to my annoyances1 ,i  
find my house1 as usual1 after the      
arrangements made by the mistress of it1
 without female servants2 but in this   
world we have to suffer and bear1 and   
from ,socrates down to humble mortals1  
domestic discomfort seems a sort of     
philosophical fate4  ,if only ,lady     
,davy could have seen this ,xantippe    
touch1 ,i think ,sir ,humphry would have
 taken to angling in some quiet         

country-place for a month thereafter6   
,and even when affairs grow serious with
 the ,baronet1 and when1 stricken by the
 palsy1 he is loitering among the       
mountains of ,styria1 he writes1--,i am 
glad to hear of your perfect            
restoration1 and with health and the    
society of ,london1 which you are so    
fitted to ornament and enjoy1 your 'viva
 la felicita' is much more secure than  
any hope belonging to me4  ,and again1  
,you once talked of passing this winter 
in ,italy2 but ,i hope your plans will  
be entirely guided by the state of your 
health and feelings4 ,your society would
 undoubtedly be a very great resource to
 me1 but ,i am so well aware of my own  
present unfitness for society that ,i   
would not have you risk the chance of an
 uncomfortable moment on my account4    
,the dear ,lady ,jane must have had a   
penchant for society to leave the poor  
palsied man to tumble into his tomb     
alone6  ,yet once again1 in the last    
letter he ever writes1 dated ,rome1     

,march1 #ahbi1 he gallantly asks her to 
join him2 it begins1--,i am still alive1
 though expecting every hour to be      
released4  ,and the ,lady ,jane1 who is 
washing off her fashionable humors in   
the fashionable waters of ,bath1        
writes1--,i have received1 my beloved   
,sir ,humphry1 the letter signed by your
 hand1 with its precious wish of        
tenderness4 ,i start to-morrow1 having  
been detained here by ,doctors          
,babington and ,clarke till to-day4444  
,i cannot add more 7it is a letter of   
half a page7 than that your fame is a   
deposit1 and your memory a glory1 your  
life still a hope4  ,sweet ,lady ,jane6 
,yet they say she mourned him duly1 and 
set a proper headstone at his grave4    
,but1 for my own part1 ,i have no faith 
in that affection which will splinter a 
loving heart every day of its life1 and 
yet1 when it has ceased to beat1 will   
make atonement with an idle swash of    
tears4         99       99       99     
99       99  ,there was a ,british      

farmer by the name of ,morris ,birkbeck1
 who about the year #ahad wrote an      
account of an agricultural tour in      
,france2 and who subsequently           
established himself somewhere upon our  
,western prairies1 of which he gave     
account in ,letters from ,illinois1 and 
in ,notes on a ,journey in ,america1    
from the ,coast of ,virginia to the     
,territory of ,illinois1 with maps1 etc4
 ,cobbett once or twice names him as    
poor ,birkbeck1--but whether in allusion
 to his having been drowned in one of   
our ,western rivers1 or to the poverty  
of his agricultural successes1 it is    
hard to determine4  ,in #ahbj           
,major-,general ,beatson1 who had been  
,aid to the ,marquis of ,wellesley in   
,india1 published an account of a new   
system of farming1 which he claimed to  
have in successful operation at his     
place in the ,county of ,sussex4 ,the   
novelty of the system lay in the fact   
that he abandoned both manures and the  
plough1 and scarified the surface to the

 depth of two or three inches1 after    
which he burned it over4 ,the           
,major-,general was called to the       
governorship of ,st4 ,helena before his 
system had made much progress4 ,i am led
 to allude to the plan as one of the    
premonitory hints of that rotary method 
which is just now enlisting a large     
degree of attention in the agricultural 
world1 and which promises to supplant   
the plough on all wide stretches of     
land1 within the present century4       
,finlayson1 a brawny ,scot1 born in the 
parish of ,mauchline1 who was known from
 ,glentuck to the ,rutton-,ley as the   
best man for putting the stone1 or for a
 hop1 step1 and leap1 contrived the     
self-cleaning ploughs 7with circular    
beam7 and harrows which bore his name4  
,he was also--besides being the athlete 
of ,ayrshire--the author of sundry      
creditable and practical works on       
agriculture4  ,but the most notable man 
in connection with rural literature1 of 
this day1 was1 by all odds1 ,william    

,cobbett4 ,his early history has so     
large a flavor of romance in it that ,i 
am sure my readers will excuse me for   
detailing it4  ,his grandfather was a   
day-laborer2 he died before ,cobbett was
 born2 but the author says that he used 
to visit the grandmother at ,christmas  
and ,whitsuntide4 ,her home was a little
 thatched cottage1 with a garden before 
the door4 ,she used to give us milk and 
bread for breakfast1 an apple-pudding   
for dinner1 and a piece of bread and    
cheese for our supper4 ,her fire was    
made of turf cut from the neighboring   
heath2 and her evening light was a rush 
dipped in grease4#ca ,his father was a  
small farmer1 and one who did not allow 
his boys to grow up in idleness4 ,my    
first occupation1 he tells us1 was      
driving the small birds from the        
turnip-seed1 and the rook from the      
pease2 when ,i first trudged a-field1   
with my wooden bottle and my satchel    
swung over my shoulders1 ,i was hardly  
able to climb the gates and stiles2 and 

at the close of the day1 to reach home  
was a task of infinite difficulty4  ,at 
the age of eleven he speaks of himself  
as occupied in clipping box-edgings and 
weeding flower-beds in the garden of the
 ,bishop of ,winchester2 and while here 
he encounters1 one day1 a workman who   
has just come from the famous ,kew      
,gardens of the ,king4 ,young ,cobbett  
is fired by the glowing description1 and
 resolves that he must see them1 and    
work upon them too4 ,so he sets off1 one
 summer's morning1 with only the clothes
 he has upon his back1 and with thirteen
 halfpence in his pocket1 for ,richmond4
 ,and as he trudges through the streets 
of the town1 after a hard day's walk1 in
 his blue smock-frock1 and with his red 
garters tied under his knees1 staring   
about him1 he sees in the window of a   
bookseller's shop the ,tale of a ,tub1  
price threepence2 it piques his         
curiosity1 and1 though his money is     
nearly all spent1 he closes a bargain   
for the book1 and1 throwing himself down

 upon the shady side of a hay-rick1     
makes his first acquaintance with ,dean 
,swift4 ,he read till it was dark1      
without thought of supper or of         
bed1--then tumbled down upon the grass  
under the shadow of the stack1 and slept
 till the birds of the ,kew ,gardens    
waked him4  ,he finds work1 as he had   
determined to do2 but it was not fated  
that he should pass his life amid the   
pleasant parterres of ,kew4 ,at sixteen1
 or thereabout1 on a visit to a         
relative1 he catches his first sight of 
the ,channel waters1 and of the royal   
fleet riding at anchor at ,spithead4    
,and at that sight1 the old ,armada1 and
 the brave ,rodney1 and the wooden      
walls1 of which he had read1 come       
drifting like a poem into his thought1  
and he vows that he will become a       
sailor1--maybe1 in time1 the ,admiral   
,cobbett4 ,but here1 too1 the fates are 
against him3 a kind captain to whom he  
makes application suspects him for a    
runaway1 and advises him to find his way

 home4  ,he returns once more to the    
plough2 but1 he says1 ,i was now spoiled
 for a farmer4 ,he sighs for the world2 
the little horizon of ,farnham 7his     
native town7 is too narrow for him2 and 
the very next year he makes his final   
escapade4  ,it was on the #fth of ,may1 
#aghc1 that ,i1 like ,don ,quixote1     
sallied forth to seek adventures4 ,i was
 dressed in my holiday clothes1 in order
 to accompany two or three lasses to    
,guildford fair4 ,they were to assemble 
at a house about three miles from my    
home1 where ,i was to attend them2 but1 
unfortunately for me1 ,i had to cross   
the ,london turnpike-road4 ,the         
stage-coach had just turned the summit  
of a hill1 and was rattling down towards
 me at a merry rate4 ,the notion of     
going to ,london never entered my mind  
till this very moment2 yet the step was 
completely determined on before the     
coach came to the spot where ,i stood4  
,up ,i got1 and was in ,london about    
nine o'clock in the evening4  ,his      

immediate adventure in the metropolis   
proves to be his instalment as scrivener
 in an attorney's office4 ,no wonder he 
chafes at this2 no wonder1 that1 in his 
wanderings about town1 he is charmed by 
an advertisement which invited all loyal
 and public-spirited young men to repair
 to a certain rendezvous2 he goes to the
 rendezvous1 and presently finds himself
 a recruit in one of ,his ,majesty's    
regiments which is filling up for       
service in ,british ,america4  ,he must 
have been an apt soldier1 so far as     
drill went2 for ,i find that he rose    
rapidly to the grade of corporal1 and   
thence to the position of               
sergeant-major4 ,he tells us that his   
early habits1 his strict attention to   
duty1 and his native talent were the    
occasion of his swift promotion4 ,in    
,new ,brunswick1 upon a certain winter's
 morning1 he falls in with the          
rosy-faced daughter of a sergeant of    
artillery1 who was scrubbing her pans at
 sunrise1 upon the snow4 ,i made up my  

mind1 he says1 that she was the very    
girl for me4444 ,this matter was at once
 settled as firmly as if written in the 
book of fate4  ,to this end he          
determines to leave the army as soon as 
possible4 ,but before he can effect     
this1 the artillery-man is ordered back 
to ,england1 and his pretty daughter    
goes with him4 ,but ,cobbett has closed 
the compact with her1 and placed in her 
hands a hundred and fifty pounds of his 
earnings1--a free gift1 and an earnest  
of his troth4  ,the very next season1   
however1 he meets1 in a sweet rural     
solitude of the ,province1 another      
charmer1 with whom he dallies in a      
lovelorn way for two years or more4 ,he 
cannot quite forget the old2 he cannot  
cease befondling the new4 ,if only the  
remotest rumor had come1 says he1 of the
 faithlessness of the brunette in       
,england1 ,i should have been fastened  
for life in the ,new-,brunswick valley4 
,but no such rumor comes1 and in due    
time he bids a heart-rending adieu1 and 

recrosses the ocean to find his first   
love maid-of-all-work in a gentleman's  
family at five pounds a year2 and she   
puts in his hand1 upon their first      
interview1 the whole of the hundred and 
fifty pounds1 untouched4 ,this rekindles
 his admiration and respect for her     
judgment1 and she becomes his wife1--a  
wife he never ceases thereafter to love 
and honor4  ,he goes to ,france1 and    
thence to ,america4 ,establishing       
himself in ,philadelphia1 he enters upon
 the career of authorship1 with a zeal  
for the ,king1 and a hatred of ,dr4     
,franklin and all ,democrats1 which give
 him a world of trouble4 ,his foul      
bitterness of speech finds its climax at
 length in a brutal onslaught upon ,dr4 
,rush1 for which he is prosecuted1      
convicted1 and mulcted in a sum that    
breaks down his bookselling and         
interrupts the profits of his           
authorship4  ,he retires to ,england1   
opens shop in ,pall-,mall1 and edits the
 ,porcupine1 which bristles with        

envenomed arrows discharged against all 
,liberals and ,democrats4 ,again he is  
prosecuted1 convicted1 imprisoned4 ,his 
boys1 well taught in all manner of      
farm-work1 send him1 from his home in   
the country1 hampers of fresh fruits1 to
 relieve the tedium of ,newgate4        
,discharged at length1 and continuing   
his ribaldry in the columns of the      
,register1 he flies before an ,act of   
,parliament1 and takes new refuge in    
,america4 ,he is now upon ,long ,island1
 earnest as in his youth in agricultural
 pursuits4 ,the late ,dr4 ,francis of   
,new ,york used to speak of his visits  
to him1 and of the fine vegetables he   
raised4 ,his political opinions had     
undergone modification2 there was not so
 much declamation against               
democracy1--not so much angry zeal for  
royalty and the state-church4 ,nay1 he  
committed the stupendous absurdity of   
carrying back with him to ,england the  
bones of ,tom ,paine1 as the grandest   
gift he could bestow upon his           

mother-land4 ,no great ovations greeted 
this strange luggage of his2 ,i think he
 was ashamed of it afterwards1--if      
,cobbett was ever ashamed of anything4  
,he became candidate for ,parliament in 
the ,liberal interest2 he undertook     
those famous ,rural ,rides which are a  
rare jumble of sweet rural scenes and   
crazy political objurgation4 ,now he    
hammers the parsons1--now he tears the  
paper-money to rags1--and anon he is    
bitter upon ,malthus1 ,ricardo1 and the 
,scotch ,feelosofers1--and closes his   
anathema with the charming picture of a 
wooded hanger1 up which he toils 7with  
curses on the road7 only to rejoice in  
the view of a sweet ,hampshire valley1  
over which sleek flocks are feeding1 and
 down which some white stream goes      
winding1 and cheating him into a rare   
memory of his innocent boyhood4 ,he     
gains at length his election to         
,parliament2 but he is not a man to     
figure well there1 with his impetuosity 
and lack of self-control4 ,he can talk  

by the hour to those who feel with him2 
but to be challenged1 to have his fierce
 invective submitted to the severe test 
of an inexorable logic1--this limits his
 audacity2 and his audacity once        
limited1 his power is gone4  ,but ,i    
must not forget that ,i have brought him
 into my wet-day galaxy as a farmer4    
,his energy1 his promptitude1 his habits
 of thrift1 would have made him one of  
the best of farmers4 ,his book on       
gardening is even now one of the most   
instructive that can be placed in the   
hands of a beginner4 ,he ignores        
physiology and botany1 indeed2 he makes 
crude errors on this score2 but he had  
an intuitive sense of the right method  
of teaching4 ,he is plain and clear1 to 
a comma4 ,he knows what needs to be     
told2 and he tells it straightforwardly4
 ,there is no better model for          
agricultural writers than ,cobbett on   
,gardening4 ,there is no miserable waste
 of words1--no indirectness of talk2    
what he thinks1 he prints4  ,his        

,cottage ,economy1 too1 is a book which 
every small landholder in ,america      
should own2 there is a sterling merit in
 it which will not be outlived4 ,he made
 a great mistake1 it is true1 in        
insisting that ,indian-corn could be    
grown successfully in ,england4 ,but    
being a man who did not yield to        
influences of climate himself1 he did   
not mean that his crops should2 and if  
he had been rich enough1 ,i believe that
 he would have covered his farm with a  
glass roof1 rather than yield his       
conclusion that ,indian-corn could be   
grown successfully under a ,british sky4
  ,a great1 impracticable1 earnest1     
headstrong man1 the like of whom does   
not appear a half-dozen times in a      
century4 ,being self-educated1 he was   
possessed1 like nearly all self-educated
 men1 of a complacency and a            
self-sufficiency which stood always in  
his way4 ,affecting to teach grammar1 he
 was ignorant of all the etymology of   
the language2 knowing no word of botany1

 he classified plants by the fearings of
 his turnip-field4 ,he was vain to the  
last degree2 he thought his books were  
the best books in the world1 and that   
everybody should read them4 ,he was     
industrious1 restless1 captious1 and1   
although humane at heart1 was the most  
malignant slanderer of his time4 ,he    
called a political antagonist a pimp1   
and thought a crushing argument lay in  
the word2 he called parsons scoundrels1 
and bade his boys be regular at church4 
,in ,june1 #ahce1 while the ,parliament 
was in session1 he grew ill1--talked    
feebly about politics and farming1 7to  
his household17 wished for 'four days'  
rain' for the ,cobbett corn1 and on     
,wednesday1 7#afth ,june17 desired to be
 carried around the farm1 and criticized
 the work that had been done1--grew     
feeble as evening drew on1 and an hour  
after midnight leaned back heavily in   
his chair1 and died4         99       99
       99       99       99  ,i must    
give a paragraph1 at least1 to the ,rev4

 ,james ,grahame1 the good ,scotch      
parson1 were it only because he wrote a 
poem called ,british ,georgics4 ,they   
are not so good as ,virgil's2 nor did he
 ever think it himself4 ,in fact1 he    
published his best poem anonymously1 and
 so furtively that even his wife took up
 an early copy1 which she found one day 
upon her table1 and1 charmed with its   
pleasant description of ,scottish braes 
and burn-sides1 said1 ,ah6 ,jemmy1 if ye
 could only mak' a book like this6 ,and 
,i will venture to say that ,jemmy never
 had rarer or pleasanter praise4  ,shall
 we read a little1 and test the worth of
 good ,mistress ,grahame's judgment8 ,it
 is a bit of the parson's walk in ,the  
,sabbath3--      ,now1 when the downward
 sun has left the glens1     ,each      
mountain's rugged lineaments are traced 
,upon the adverse slope1 where stalks   
gigantic     ,the shepherd's shadow     
thrown athwart the chasm1     ,as on the
 topmost ridge he homeward hies4        
,how deep the hush6 the torrent's       

channel1 dry1     ,presents a stony     
steep1 the echo's haunt4     ,but hark a
 plaintive sound floating along6        
',tis from yon heath-roofed shieling2   
now it dies     ,away1 now rises full2  
it is the song     ,which ,he who       
listens to the hallelujahs     ,of      
choiring seraphim delights to hear2     
,it is the music of the heart1 the voice
     ,of venerable age1 of guileless    
youth1     ,in kindly circle seated on  
the ground     ,before their wicker     
door4  ,crabbe1 who was as keen an      
observer of rural scenes1 had a much    
better faculty of verse2 indeed1 he had 
a faculty of language so large that it  
carried him beyond the real drift of his
 stories4 ,i do not know the fact1      
indeed2 but ,i think1 that1             
notwithstanding the ,duke of ,rutland's 
patronage1 ,mr4 ,crabbe must have       
written inordinately long sermons4 ,it  
is strange how many good men do1--losing
 point and force and efficiency in a    
welter of words6 ,if there is one       

rhetorical lesson which it behooves all 
theologic or academic professors to lay 
down and enforce1 7if need be with the  
ferule17 it is this1--,be short4 ,it is 
amazing the way in which good men lose  
themselves on ,sunday mornings in the   
lapse of their own language2 and most   
rarely are we confronted from the pulpit
 with an opinion which would not bear   
stripping of wordy shifts1 and be all   
the more comely for its nakedness4      
,george ,crabbe wrote charming rural    
tales2 but he wrote long ones4 ,there is
 minute observation1 dramatic force1    
tender pathos1 but there is much1 of    
tedious and coarse description4 ,if by  
some subtile alchemy the better         
qualities could be thrown down from the 
turbid and watery flux of his verse1 we 
should have an admirable pocket-volume  
for the country2 as it is1 his books    
rest mostly on the shelves1 and it      
requires a strong breath to puff away   
the dust that has gathered on the       
topmost edges4  ,i think of the         

,reverend ,mr4 ,crabbe as an amiable1   
absent-minded old gentleman1 driving    
about on week-days in a heavy1          
square-topped gig1 7his wife holding the
 reins17 in search of way-side gypsies1 
and on ,sunday pushing a                
discourse--which was good up to the     
fourthly--into the seventhly4  ,charles 
,lamb1 if he had been clerically        
disposed1 would1 ,i am sure1 have       
written short sermons2 and ,i think that
 his hearers would have carried away the
 gist of them clean and clear4  ,he     
never wrote anything that could be      
called strictly pastoral2 he was a      
creature of streets and crowding houses2
 no man could have been more ignorant of
 the every-day offices of rural life2 ,i
 doubt if he ever knew from which side a
 horse was to be mounted or a cow to be 
milked1 and a sprouting bean was a      
source of the greatest wonderment to    
him4 ,yet1 in spite of all this1 what a 
book those ,essays of his make1 to lie  
down with under trees6 ,it is the       

honest1 lovable simplicity of his nature
 that makes the keeping good4 ,he is the
 ,izaak ,walton of ,london streets1--of 
print-shops1 of pastry-shops1 of mouldy 
book-stalls2 the chime of ,bow-bells    
strikes upon his ear like the chorus of 
a milkmaid's song at ,ware4  ,there is  
not a bit of rodomontade in him about   
the charms of the country1 from         
beginning to end2 if there were1 we     
should despise him4 ,he can find nothing
 to say of ,skiddaw but that he is a    
great creature2 and he writes to        
,wordsworth1 7whose sight is failing17  
on ,ambleside1 ,i return you condolence 
for your decaying sight1--not for       
anything there is to see in the country1
 but for the miss of the pleasure of    
reading a ,london newspaper4  ,and again
 to his friend ,manning1 7about the date
 of #ahjj17--;,i am not romance-bit     
about ,nature4 ,the earth and sea and   
sky 7when all is said7 is but as a house
 to dwell in4 ,if the inmates be        
courteous1 and good liquors flow like   

the conduits at an old coronation1--if  
they can talk sensibly1 and feel        
properly1 ,i have no need to stand      
staring upon the gilded looking-glass1  
7that strained my friend's purse-strings
 in the purchase17 nor his five-shilling
 print1 over the mantel-piece1 of old   
,nabbs1 the carrier4 ,just as important 
to me 7in a sense7 is all the furniture 
of my world1--eye-pampering1 but        
satisfies no heart4 ,streets1 streets1  
streets1 markets1 theatres1 churches1   
,covent ,gardens1 shops sparkling with  
pretty faces of industrious milliners1  
neat seamstresses1 ladies cheapening1   
gentlemen behind counters lying1 authors
 in the street with spectacles1 lamps   
lit at night1 pastry-cooks' and         
silver-smiths' shops1 beautiful ,quakers
 of ,pentonville1 noise of coaches1     
drowsy cry of mechanic watchmen at      
night1 with bucks reeling home          
drunk1--if you happen to wake at        
midnight1 cries of ',fire6' and ',stop  
thief6'--inns of court with their       

learned air1 and halls1 and butteries1  
just like ,cambridge colleges1--old     
book-stalls1 ',jeremy ,taylors1'        
',burtons on ,melancholy1' and ',religio
 ,medicis1' on every stall4 ,these are  
thy pleasures1 ,o                       
,london-with-the-many-sins6--for these  
may ,keswick and her giant brood go     
hang6  ,and again to ,wordsworth1 in    
#ahcj1--,let no native ,londoner imagine
 that health1 and rest1 and innocent    
occupation1 interchange of converse     
sweet1 and recreative study1 can make   
the country anything better than        
altogether odious and detestable4  ,does
 any weak-limbed country-liver resent   
this honesty of speech8 ,surely not1 if 
he be earnest in his loves and faith2   
but1 the rather1 by such token of       
unbounded naturalness1 he recognizes    
under the waistcoat of this dear1 old1  
charming cockney the traces of close    
cousinship to the ,waltons1 and binds   
him1 and all the simplicity of his talk1
 to his heart1 for aye4 ,there is never 

a hillside under whose oaks or chestnuts
 ,i lounge upon a smoky afternoon of    
,august1 but a pocket ,elia is as       
coveted and as cousinly a companion as a
 pocket ,walton1 or a ,white of         
,selborne4 ,and upon wet days in my     
library1 ,i conjure up the image of the 
thin1 bent old gentleman--,charles      
,lamb--to sit over against me1 and ,i   
watch his kindly1 beaming eye1 as he    
recites with poor stuttering            
voice1--between the whiffs of his       
pipe1--over and over1 those always new  
stories of ,christ's ,hospital1 and the 
cherished ,blakesmoor1 and ,mackery     
,end4  7,no1 you need not put back the  
book1 my boy2 't is always in place47   
,i never admired greatly ,james ,hogg1  
the ,ettrick ,shepherd2 yet he belongs  
of double right in the coterie of my    
wet-day preachers4 ,bred a shepherd1 he 
tried farming1 and he wrote pastorals4  
,his farming 7if we may believe         
contemporary evidence7 was by no means  
so good as his verse4 ,the ,ettrick     

,shepherd of the ,noctes ,ambrosianae   
is1 ,i fancy1 as much becolored by the  
wit of ,professor ,wilson as any        
daughter of a duchess whom ,sir ,joshua 
changed into a nymph4 ,i think of ,hogg 
as a sturdy sheep-tender1 growing       
rebellious among the ,cheviot flocks1   
crazed by a reading of the ,border      
minstrelsy1 drunken on books1 7as his   
fellows were with mountain-dew17 and    
wreaking his vitality on ,gaelic        
rhymes1--which1 it is true1 have a      
certain blush and aroma of the          
heather-hills1 but which never reached  
the excellence that he fondly imagined  
belonged to them4 ,i fancy1 that1 when  
he sat at the laird's table1 7,sir      
,walter's17 and called the laird's lady 
by her baptismal name1 and--not abashed 
in any presence--uttered his ,gaelic    
gibes for the wonderment of ,london     
guests1--that he thought far more of    
himself than the world has ever been    
inclined to think of him4 ,i know that  
poets have a privilege of conceit1 and  

that those who are not poets sometimes  
assume it2 but it is1 after all1 a sorry
 quality by which to win the world's    
esteem2 and when death closes the       
record1 it is apt to insure a large     
debit against the dead man4  ,it may not
 be commonly known that the ,ettrick    
,shepherd was an agricultural author1   
and wrote ,hogg on ,sheep1 for which1 as
 he tells us1 he received the sum of    
eighty-six pounds4 ,it is an octavo     
book1 and relates to the care1          
management1 and diseases of the         
black-faced mountain-breed1 of which    
alone he was cognizant4 ,it had never a 
great reputation2 and ,i think the      
sheep-farmers of the ,cheviots were     
disposed to look with distrust upon the 
teachings of a shepherd who supped with 
lords at ,abbotsford1 and whose best    
venture in verse was in ,the ,queen's   
,wake4 ,a ,british agricultural author1 
speaking of him in a pitiful way1       
says1--,he passed years of busy         
authorship1 and encountered the usual   

difficulties of that penurious mode of  
life4#cb  ,this is good2 it is as good  
as anything of ,hogg's4  ,i approach the
 name of ,mr4 ,loudon1 the author of the
 ,encyclopaedias of ,gardening and      
,agriculture1 with far more of respect4 
,if nothing else in him laid claim to   
regard1 his industry1 his earnestness1  
his indefatigable labor in aid of all   
that belonged to the progress of        
,british gardening or farming1 would    
demand it4 ,i take a pride1 too1 in     
saying1 that1 notwithstanding his       
literary labors1 he was successful as a 
farmer1 during the short period of his  
farm-holding4  ,mr4 ,loudon was a       
,scotchman by birth1 was educated in    
,edinburgh1 and was for a time under the
 tutelage of ,mr4 ,dickson1 the famous  
nurseryman of ,leith-,walk4 ,early in   
the present century he made his first   
appearance in ,london1--published       
certain papers on the laying-out of the 
public squares of the metropolis1 and   
shortly after was employed by the ,earl 

of ,mansfield in the arrangement of the 
palace-gardens at ,scone4 ,in #ahac and 
'#ad he travelled on the ,continent very
 widely1 making the gardens of most     
repute the special objects of his study2
 and in #ahbb he published his          
,encyclopaedia of ,gardening2 that of   
,agriculture followed shortly after1 and
 his book of ,rural ,architecture in    
#ahcc4 ,but these labors1 enormous as   
they were1 had interludes of other      
periodical work1 and were crowned at    
last by his magnum opus1 the ,arboretum4
 ,a man of only ordinary nerve and      
diligence would have taken a ten years' 
rest upon the completion of only one of 
his ponderous octavos2 and the wonder is
 the greater1 that ,london wrought in   
his later years under all the           
disadvantages of appeals from rapacious 
creditors and the infirmities of a      
broken constitution4 ,crippled1 palsied1
 fevered1 for a long period of years1 he
 still wrought on with a persistence    
that would have broken many a strong man

 down1 and only yielded at last to a    
bronchial affection which grappled him  
at his work4  ,this author massed       
together an amount of information upon  
the subjects of which he treated that is
 quite unmatched in the whole annals of 
agricultural literature4 ,columella1    
,heresbach1 ,worlidge1 and even the     
writers of the ,geoponica1 dwindle into 
insignificance in the comparison4 ,he is
 not1 indeed1 always absolutely accurate
 on historical points2#cc but in all    
essentials his books are so complete as 
to have made them standard works up to a
 time long subsequent to their issue4   
99       99       99       99       99  
,no notice of the agricultural          
literature of the early part of this    
century would be at all complete without
 mention of the ,magazines and ,society 
,transactions1 in which alone some of   
the best and most scientific cultivators
 communicated their experience or       
suggestions to the public4 ,loudon was  
himself the editor of the ,gardener's   

,magazine2 and the earlier ,transactions
 of the ,horticultural ,society are     
enriched by the papers of such men as   
,knight1 ,van ,mons1 ,sir ,joseph       
,banks1 ,rev4 ,william ,herbert1        
,messrs4 ,dickson1 ,haworth1 ,wedgwood1 
and others4 ,the works of individual    
authors lost ground in comparison with  
such an array of reports from scientific
 observers1 and from that time forth    
periodical literature has become the    
standard teacher in what relates to good
 culture4 ,i do not know what extent of 
good the newly instituted ,agricultural 
,colleges of this country may effect2   
but ,i feel quite safe in saying that   
our agricultural journals will prove    
always the most effective teachers of   
the great mass of the                   
farming-population4 ,the ,london        
,horticultural ,society at an early day 
established the ,chiswick ,gardens1 and 
these1 managed under the advice of the  
,society's ,directors1 have not only    
afforded an accurate gauge of ,british  

progress in horticulture1 but they have 
furnished to the humblest cultivator who
 has strolled through their inclosures  
practical lessons in the craft of       
gardening1 renewed from month to month  
and from year to year4 ,it is to be     
hoped that the ,american ,agricultural  
,colleges will adopt some similar plan1 
and illustrate the methods they teach   
upon lands which shall be open to public
 inspection1 and upon whose culture and 
its successes systematic reports shall  
be annually made4 ,failing of this1 they
 will fail of the best part of their    
proper purpose4 ,nor would it be a      
fruitless work1 if1 in connection with  
such experimental farm1 a weekly record 
were issued1--giving analyses of the    
artificial manures employed1 and a      
complete register of every field1 from  
the date of its breaking-up to the      
harvesting of the crop4 ,every new      
implement1 moreover1 should be reported 
upon with unwavering impartiality1 and  
no advertisements should be received4 ,i

 think under these conditions we might  
almost look for an honest newspaper4    
99       99       99       99       99  
,writing thus1 during these in-door     
hours1 of country-pursuits1 and of those
 who have illustrated them1 or who have 
in any way quickened the edge with which
 we farmers rasp away the weeds or carve
 out our pastoral entertainment1 ,i come
 upon the names of a great bevy of      
poets1 belonging to the earlier quarter 
of this century1 that ,i find it hard to
 pass by4 ,much as ,i love to bring to  
mind1 over and over again1 ,ivanhoe and 
,waverley1 ,i love quite as much to     
summon to my view ,walter ,scott1 the   
woodsman of ,abbotsford1 with hatchet at
 his girdle1 and the hound ,maida in    
attendance4 ,i see him thinning out the 
saplings that he has planted upon the   
,tweed banks4 ,i know how they stand1   
having wandered by the hour among them4 
,i can fancy how the master would have  
lopped away the boughs for a little     
looplet through which a burst of the    

blue ,eildon ,hills should come4 ,his   
favorite seat1 overshadowed by an       
arbor-vitae1 7of which a leaf lies      
pressed in the ,scotch ,tourist yonder17
 was so near to the ,tweed banks that   
the ripple of the stream over its pebbly
 bottom must have made a delightful     
lullaby for the toil-worn old man4 ,but 
beyond wood-craft1 ,i could never       
discover that ,sir ,walter had any      
strong agricultural inclination2 nor do 
,i think that the old gentleman had much
 eye for the picturesque2 no            
landscape-gardener of any reputation    
would have decided upon such a site for 
such a pile as that of ,abbotsford3 the 
spot is low2 the views are not extended 
or varied2 the very trees are all of    
,scott's planting3 but the master loved 
the murmur of the ,tweed1--loved the    
nearness of ,melrose1 and in every old  
bit of sculpture that he walled into his
 home he found pictures of far-away     
scenes that printed in vague shape of   
tower or abbey all his limited horizon4 

,christopher ,north carried his ,scotch 
love of mountains to his home among the 
,english lakes4 ,i think he counted     
,skiddaw something more than a great    
creature4 ,in all respects--saving the  
pipes and the ale--he was the very      
opposite of ,charles ,lamb4 ,and yet do 
we love him more8 ,a stalwart1 hearty   
man1 with a great redundance of flesh   
and blood1 who could put the stone with 
,finlayson1 or climb with the hardiest  
of the ,ben-,nevis guides1 or cast a fly
 with the daintiest of the ,low-,country
 fishers1--redundant of imagination1    
redundant of speech1 and with such      
exuberance in him that we feel surfeit  
from the overflow1 as at the reading of 
,spenser's ,faerie ,queene1 and lay him 
down with a wearisome sense of mental   
indigestion4  ,nor yet is it so much an 
indigestion as a feeling of plethora1   
due less to the frothiness of the       
condiments than to a certain fulness of 
blood and brawn4 ,the broad-shouldered  
,christopher1 in his shooting-jacket1 7a

 dingy green velveteen1 with            
pocket-pouches all stuffed17 strides    
away along the skirts of ,cruachan or   
,loch ,lochy with such a tearing pace1  
and greets every lassie with such a     
clamorous outbreak of song1 and throws  
such a wonderful stretch of line upon   
every pool1 and amazes us with such     
stupendous strikes and such a whizzing  
of his reel1 that we fairly lose our    
breath4  ,not so of the ,white ,doe of  
,rylstone2 nay1 we more incline to doze 
over it than to lose our breath4 ,wilson
 differs from ,wordsworth as ,loch ,awe1
 with its shaggy savagery of shore1 from
 the ,sunday quietude and beauty of     
,rydal-,water4 ,the ,strid of           
,wordsworth was bounded by the slaty    
banks of the ,crystal ,wharf1 and the   
,strid of ,wilson1 in his best moments1 
was as large as the valley of ,glencoe4 
,yet ,wordsworth loved intensely all the
 more beautiful aspects of the country1 
and of country-life4 ,no angler and no  
gardener1 indeed1--too severely and     

proudly meditative for any such         
sleight-of-hand4 ,the only great weight 
which he ever lifted1 ,i suspect1 was   
one which he carried with him           
always1--the immense dignity of his     
poetic priesthood4 ,his home and its    
surroundings were fairly typical of his 
tastes3 a cottage1 7so called17 of      
homely material indeed1 but with an     
ambitious elevation of gables and of    
chimney-stacks2 a velvety sheen of turf1
 as dapper as that of a suburban        
haberdasher2 a mossy urn or two1 patches
 of flowers1 but rather fragrant than   
showy ones2 behind him the loveliest of 
wooded hills1 all toned down by graceful
 culture1 and before him the silvery    
mirrors of ,windermere and              
,rydal-,water4  ,we have to credit him  
with some rare and tender description1  
and fragments of great poems2 but ,i    
cannot help thinking that he fancied a  
profounder meaning lay in them than the 
world has yet detected4  ,john ,clare   
was a contemporary of ,wordsworth's1 and

 was most essentially a poet of the     
fields4 ,his father was a pauper and a  
cripple2 not even young ,cobbett was so 
pressed to the glebe by the             
circumstances of his birth4 ,but the    
thrushes taught ,clare to sing4 ,he     
wrote verses upon the lining of his     
hat-band4 ,he hoarded halfpence to buy  
,thomson's ,seasons1 and walked seven   
miles before sunrise to make the        
purchase4 ,the hardest field-toil could 
not repress the poetic aspirations of   
such a boy4 ,by dint of new hoardings he
 succeeded in printing verses of his    
own2 but nobody read them4 ,he wrote    
other verses1 which at length made him  
known4 ,the world flattered the         
peasant-bard of ,northamptonshire4 ,a   
few distinguished patrons subscribed the
 means for equipping a farm of his own4 
,the heroine of his love-tales became   
its mistress2 a shelf or two of books   
made him rich2 but in an evil hour he   
entered upon some farm-speculation which
 broke down2 a new poem was sharply     

criticized or neglected2 the novelty of 
his peasant's song was over4            
,disheartened and gloomy1 he was        
overwhelmed with despondency1 and became
 the inmate of a mad-house1 where for   
forty years he has staggered idiotically
 toward the rest which did not come4    
,but even as ,i write ,i see in the     
,british papers that he is free at last4
 ,poor ,clare is dead4  ,with this sad  
story in mind1 we may read with a zest  
which perhaps its merit alone would not 
provoke his little sonnet of ,the       
,thrush's ,nest3--      ,within a thick 
and spreading hawthorn-bush1     ,that  
overhung a mole-hill large and round1   
,i heard from morn to morn a merry      
thrush     ,sing hymns1 of rapture1     
while ,i drank the sound     ,with joy2 
and oft1 an unintruding guest1     ,i   
watched her secret toils from day to    
day1--     ,how true she warped the moss
 to form her nest1     ,and modelled it 
within with wood and clay1     ,and     
by-and-by1 like heath-bells gilt with   

dew1     ,there lay her shining eggs as 
bright as flowers1     ,ink-spotted     
over1 shells of green and blue2     ,and
 there ,i witnessed1 in the summer      
hours1     ,a brood of ,nature's        
minstrels chirp and fly1     ,glad as   
the sunshine and the laughing sky4      
,there are pretty snatches of a         
,southern ,may in ,hunt's poem of       
,rimini1 where                     sky1 
earth1 and sea     ,breathe like a      
bright-eyed face that laughs out openly4
     ',t is ,nature full of spirits1    
waked and springing3     ,the birds to  
the delicious tune are singing1         
,darting with freaks and snatches up and
 down1     ,where the light woods go    
seaward from the town2     ,while happy 
faces striking through the green     ,of
 leafy roads at every turn are seen2    
,and the far ships1 lifting their sails 
of white     ,like joyful hands1 come up
 with scattery light1     ,come gleaming
 up true to the wished-for day1     ,and
 chase the whistling brine1 and swirl   

into the bay4  ,this does not sound as  
if it came from the prince of cockneys2 
and ,i have always felt a certain regard
 for ,leigh ,hunt1 too1 by reason of the
 tender story which he gives of the     
little garden1 mio picciol orto1 that he
 established during his two years of    
prisonhood4#cd  ,but1 after all1 there  
was no robustness in his rural          
spirit1--nothing that makes the cheek   
tingle1 as if a smart wind had smitten  
it4 ,he was born to handle roses without
 thorns2 ,i think that with a pretty    
boudoir1 on whose table every morning a 
pretty maid should arrange a pretty     
nosegay1 and with a pretty canary to    
sing songs in a gilded cage1 and pretty 
gold-fish to disport in a crystal vase1 
and basted partridges for dinner1 his   
love for the country would have been    
satisfied4 ,he loved ,nature as a       
sentimental boy loves a fine woman of   
twice his years1--sighing himself away  
in pretty phrases that flatter1 but do  
not touch her2 there is nothing to      

remind1 even1 of the full1 abounding1   
fiery1 all-conquering love with which a 
full-grown man meets and marries a      
yielding maiden4  ,in poor ,john ,keats1
 however1 there is something of this2   
and under its heats he consumed away4   
,for ripe1 joyous outburst of all rural 
fancies1--for keen apprehension of what 
most takes hold of the susceptibilities 
of a man who loves the country1--for his
 coinage of all sweet sounds of birds1  
all murmur of leaves1 all riot and      
blossoming of flowers1 into fragrant    
verse1--he was without a peer in his    
day4 ,it is not that he is so true to   
natural phases in his descriptive       
epithets1 not that he sees all1 not that
 he has heard all2 but his heart has    
drunk the incense of it1 and his        
imagination refined it1 and his fancy   
set it aflow in those jocund lines which
 bound and writhe and exult with a      
passionate love for the things of field 
and air4         99       99       99   
99       99  ,i close these papers1 with

 my eye resting upon the same stretch of
 fields1--the wooded border of a        
river1--the twinkling roofs and spires  
flanked by hills and sea1--where my eye 
rested when ,i began this story of the  
old masters with ,hesiod and the        
bean-patches of ,ithaca4 ,and ,i take a 
pleasure in feeling that the            
farm-practice over all the fields below 
me rests upon the cumulated authorship  
of so long a line of teachers4 ,yon open
 furrow1 over which the herbage has     
closed1 carries trace of the ridging in 
the ,works and ,days2 the brown field of
 half-broken clods is the fallow        
7,greek3 ,neos7 of ,xenophon2 the drills
 belong to ,worlidge2 their culture with
 the horse-hoe is at the order of       
,master ,tull4 ,young and ,cobbett are  
full of their suggestions2 ,lancelot    
,brown has ordered away a great         
straggling hedge-row2 and ,sir ,uvedale 
,price has urged me to spare a hoary    
maple which lords it over a half-acre of
 flat land4 ,cato gives orders for the  

asparagus1 and ,switzer for the         
hot-beds4 ,crescenzi directs the        
walling1 and ,smith of ,deanston the    
ploughing4 ,burns embalms all my        
field-mice1 and ,cowper drapes an urn   
for me in a tangled wilderness4 ,knight 
names my cherries1 and ,walton1 the kind
 master1 goes with me over the hill to a
 wee brook that bounds down under       
hemlocks and soft maples1 for a         
contemplative man's recreation4 ,davy   
long ago caught all the fermentation of 
my manure-heap in his retort1 and       
,thomson painted for me the scene which 
is under my window to-day4 ,mowbray     
cures the pip in my poultry1 and all the
 songs of all the birds are caught and  
repeated to the echo in the pages of the
 poets which lie here under my hand2    
through the prism of their verse1       
,patrick the cattle-tender changes to a 
lithe milkmaid1 against whose ankles the
 buttercups nod rejoicingly1 and        
,rosamund 7which is the nurse7 wakes all
 ,arden 7which is ,edgewood7 with a rich

 burst of laughter4  ,and shall ,i not  
be grateful to these my patrons8 ,and   
shall ,i count it unworthy to pass these
 few in-door hours of rain in the       
emblazonment of their titles8  ,nor must
 ,i forget here to express my           
indebtedness to those kind friends who  
have from time to time favored me with  
suggestions or corrections1 in the      
course of these papers1 and to those    
others--not a few--who have lent me rare
 old books of husbandry1 which are not  
easily laid hold of4  ,i have discussed 
no works of living authors1 whether of  
practical or pastoral intent3 at some   
future day ,i may possibly pay my       
compliments to them4 ,meantime ,i cannot
 help interpolating in the interest of  
my readers a little fragment of a letter
 addressed to me within the year by the 
lamented ,hawthorne3--,i remember long  
ago your speaking prospectively of a    
farm2 but ,i never dreamed of your being
 really much more of a farmer than      
myself1 whose efforts in that line only 

make me the father of a progeny of weeds
 in a garden-patch4 ,i have about       
twenty-five acres of land1 seventeen of 
which are a hill of sand and gravel1    
wooded with birches1 locusts1 and       
pitch-pines1 and apparently incapable of
 any other growth2 so that ,i have great
 comfort in that part of my territory4  
,the other eight acres are said to be   
the best land in ,concord1 and they have
 made me miserable1 and would soon have 
ruined me1 if ,i had not determined     
nevermore to attempt raising anything   
from them4 ,so there they lie along the 
roadside1 within their broken fence1 an 
eyesore to me1 and a laughing-stock to  
all the neighbors4 ,if it were not for  
the difficulty of transportation by     
express or otherwise1 ,i would          
thankfully give you those eight acres4  
,and now the fine1 nervous hand1 which  
wrought with such strange power and     
beauty1 is stilled forever6 ,the eight  
acres can well lie neglected2 for upon a
 broader field1 as large as humanity1   

and at the hands of thousands of reapers
 who worked for love1 he has gathered in
 a great harvest of immortelles4        
,,footnotes3  #bg ,life of ,sir ,humphry
 ,davy1 ,london1 #ahci1 p4 #df4  #bh    
,see letter of ,thomas ,poole1 p4 #cbb1 
,fragmentary ,remains of ,sir ,humphry  
,davy4  #bi ,salmonia1 p4 #e1 ,london1  
,murray1 #ahea4  #cj ,fragmentary       
,remains1 p4 #bdb4  #ca ,life and       
,adventures of ,peter ,porcupine4  #cb  
,agricultural ,biography1 etc4 ,london1 
#ahed4 ,printed for the ,author4  #cc ,i
 ought1 perhaps1 to make definite       
exception in the case of a writer so    
universally accredited4 ,in his         
,encyclopaedia of ,gardening1 he speaks 
of the ,geoponica as the work of modern 
,greeks1 written after the transfer of  
the seat of empire to ,constantinople2  
whereas the bulk of those treatises were
 written long before that date4 ,he     
speaks of ,varro as first in order of   
time of ,roman authors on agriculture2  
yet ,varro was born #aaf ,b4 ,c41 and   

,cato died as early as #adi ,b4 ,c4     
,crescenzi he names as an author of the 
fifteenth century2 he should be credited
 to the fourteenth4 ,he also commits the
 very common error in writers on        
gardening1 of confounding the ,tuscan   
villa of ,pliny with that at ,tusculum4 
,these two places of the ,roman ,consul 
were entirely distinct and unlike4  #cd 
,lord ,byron and his ,contemporaries1   
,vol4 ,,ii4 p4 #beh4     ,,regular ,,and
 ,,volunteer ,,officers4   ,it is       
pleasant to see how much the present war
 has done towards effacing the          
traditional jealousy between regular    
officers and volunteers4 ,the two       
classes have been so thoroughly         
intermingled1 on staff-duties and in the
 field1--so many regular officers now   
hold in the volunteer service a rank    
higher than their permanent             
standing1--the whole previous military  
experience of most regulars was so      
trifling1 compared with that which they 
and the volunteers have now shared in   

common1--and so many young men have     
lately been appointed to commissions1 in
 both branches1 not only without a      
,west-,point education1 but with almost 
none at all1--that it really cannot be  
said that there is much feeling of      
conscious separation left4 ,for treating
 the two as antagonistic the time has   
clearly gone by4 ,for judiciously       
weighing their respective services in   
the field the epoch has not come1 since 
the reign of history begins only when   
that of telegrams and special           
correspondents has ended4 ,it is better1
 therefore1 to limit the comparison1 as 
yet1 to that minor routine of military  
duty upon which the daily existence of  
an army depends1 and of which the great 
deeds of daring are merely exciting     
episodes4  ,at the beginning of the war1
 and before the distinction was thus    
partially effaced1 the comparison       
involved very different elements4 ,in   
our general military inexperience1 the  
majority were not disposed to underrate 

the value of specific professional      
training4 ,education holds in this      
country much of the prestige held by    
hereditary rank in ,europe1 modified    
only by the condition that the possessor
 shall take no undue airs upon himself4 
,even then the penalty consists only in 
a few outbreaks of superficial jealousy1
 and the substantial respect for any    
real acquirements remains the same4 ,so 
there was a time when the faintest aroma
 of ,west ,point lent a charm to the    
most unattractive candidate for a       
commission4 ,any ,governor felt a       
certain relief in intrusting a regiment 
to any man who had ever eaten           
clandestine oysters at ,benny ,haven's1 
or had once heard the whiz of an ,indian
 arrow on the frontier1 however mediocre
 might have been all his other claims to
 confidence4 ,if he failed1 the regular 
army might bear the shame2 if he        
succeeded1 to the ,state-,house be the  
glory4  ,yet there was always another   
party of critics1 not less intelligent1 

who urged the value of general          
preparations for any duty1 as compared  
with special1--who held that it was     
always easier for a man of brains to    
acquire technical skill than for a      
person of mere technicality to superadd 
brains1 and that the antecedents of a   
frontier lieutenant were1 on the whole1 
a poorer training for large             
responsibilities than those of many a   
civilian1 who had lived in the midst of 
men1 though out of uniform4 ,let us have
 a fair statement of this position1 for 
it was very sincere and had much        
temporary influence4 ,the main thing1 it
 was argued1 was the knowledge of human 
nature and the habit of dealing with    
mankind in masses1--the very thing from 
which the younger regular officers at   
least had been rigidly excluded4 ,from a
 monastic life at ,west ,point they had 
usually been transferred to a yet more  
isolated condition1 in some obscure     
outpost1--or if otherwise1 then they had
 seen no service at all1 and were mere  

clerks in shoulder-straps4 ,but a lawyer
 who could manoeuvre fifty witnesses as 
if they were one1--a teacher used to    
governing young men by the hundred1--an 
orator trained to sway thousands1--a    
master-mechanic1--a                     
railway-superintendent1--a              
factory-agent1--a broker who could      
harness ,wall ,street and drive it1--a  
financier who could rule a sovereign    
,state with a rod of 7railway7          
iron1--such men as these1 it was        
plausibly reasoned1 could give an       
average army-officer all the advantage  
of his special training1 at the start1  
and yet beat him at his own trade in a  
year4  ,these theories were naturally   
strengthened1 moreover1 by occasional   
instances of conspicuous failure1 when  
volunteer troops were intrusted to      
regular officers4 ,these disappointments
 could usually be traced to very plain  
causes4 ,the men selected were sometimes
 men whose ,west-,point career would    
hardly bear minute investigation1--or   

who had in civil pursuits forgotten all 
they had learned at the ,academy1 except
 self-esteem1--or who had been confined 
to the duties of some special           
department1 as quartermasters or        
paymasters1 and were really fitted for  
nothing else1--or who had served their  
country by resigning their commissions1 
if not by holding them1--or who had     
contrived1 first or last1 to lose       
hopelessly their tempers or their       
digestions1 or their faith1 hope1 and   
charity4 ,beyond all this lay the       
trouble1 that the best regular officer  
from the very fact of his superior      
training was puzzled to know how much to
 demand of volunteer troops1 or what    
standard to enforce upon them4 ,it was a
 problem in the ,differential ,calculus1
 with the ,army ,regulations for a      
constant1 and a raw volunteer regiment  
for a variable1 and not a formula in    
,davies which suited the purpose4       
,unfortunately1 these perplexities were 
quite as apt to end in relaxation as in 

rigor1 so that the regiments thus       
commanded sometimes slid into a         
looseness of which a resolute volunteer 
officer would have been ashamed4  ,these
 were among the earlier results4        
,against them was to be set the fact1   
that1 on the whole1 no regiments in the 
field made progress so rapid1 or held   
their own so well1 as those placed under
 regular officers4 ,and now that three  
years have abolished many surmises1 and 
turned many others into established     
facts1 it must be owned that the total  
value of the professional training has  
proved far greater1 and that of the     
general preparation far less1 than many 
intelligent observers predicted4 ,the   
relation between officer and soldier is 
something so different in kind from     
anything which civil life has to offer1 
that it has proved almost impossible to 
transfer methods or maxims from the one 
to the other4 ,if a regiment is merely a
 caucus1 and the colonel the            
chairman1--or merely a fire-company1 and

 the colonel the foreman1--or merely a  
prayer-meeting1 and the colonel the     
moderator1--or merely a bar-room1 and   
the colonel the landlord1--then the     
failure of the whole thing is a foregone
 conclusion4 ,war is not the highest of 
human pursuits1 certainly2 but an army  
comes very near to being the completest 
of human organizations1 and he alone    
succeeds in it who readily accepts its  
inevitable laws1 and applies them4 ,an  
army is an aristocracy1 on a            
three-years' lease1 supposing that the  
period of enlistment4 ,no mortal skill  
can make military power effective on    
democratic principles4 ,a democratic    
people can perhaps carry on a war longer
 and better than any other2 because no  
other can so well comprehend the object1
 raise the means1 or bear the           
sacrifices4 ,but these sacrifices       
include the surrender1 for the time     
being1 of the essential principle of the
 government4 ,personal independence in  
the soldier1 like personal liberty in   

the civilian1 must be waived for the    
preservation of the nation4 ,with       
shipwreck staring men in the face1 the  
choice lies between despotism and       
anarchy1 trusting to the common sense of
 those concerned1 when the danger is    
over1 to revert to the old safeguards4  
,it is precisely because democracy is an
 advanced stage in human society1 that  
war1 which belongs to a less advanced   
stage1 is peculiarly inconsistent with  
its habits4 ,thus the undemocratic      
character1 so often lamented in ,west   
,point and ,annapolis1 is in reality    
their strong point4 ,granted that they  
are no more appropriate to our stage of 
society than are revolvers and          
bowie-knives1 that is precisely what    
makes them all serviceable in time of   
war4 ,war being exceptional1 the        
institutions which train its officers   
must be exceptional likewise4  ,the     
first essential for military authority  
lies in the power of command1--a power  
which it is useless to analyze1 for it  

is felt instinctively1 and it is seen in
 its results4 ,it is hardly too much to 
say1 that1 in military service1 if one  
has this power1 all else becomes        
secondary2 and it is perfectly safe to  
say that without it all other gifts are 
useless4 ,now for the exercise of power 
there is no preparation like power1 and 
nowhere is this preparation to be found1
 in this community1 except in regular   
army-training4 ,nothing but great       
personal qualities can give a man by    
nature what is easily acquired by young 
men of very average ability who are     
systematically trained to command4  ,the
 criticism habitually made upon our army
 by foreign observers at the beginning  
of the war continues still to be made1  
though in a rather less degree1--that   
the soldiers are relatively superior to 
the officers1 so that the officers lead1
 perhaps1 but do not command them4 ,the 
reason is plain4 ,three years are not   
long enough to overcome the settled     
habits of twenty years4 ,the weak point 

of our volunteer service invariably lies
 here1 that the soldier1 in nine cases  
out of ten1 utterly detests being       
commanded1 while the officer1 in his    
turn1 equally shrinks from commanding4  
,war1 to both1 is an episode in life1   
not a profession1 and therefore military
 subordination1 which needs for its     
efficiency to be fixed and absolute1 is1
 by common consent1 reduced to a        
minimum4 ,the white ,american soldier1  
being1 doubtless1 the most intelligent  
in the world1 is more ready than any    
other to comply with a reasonable order1
 but he does it because it is           
reasonable1 not because it is an order4 
,with advancing experience his          
compliance increases1 but it is still   
because he better and better comprehends
 the reason4 ,give him an order that    
looks utterly unreasonable1--and this is
 sometimes necessary1--or give him one  
which looks trifling1 under which head  
all sanitary precautions are yet too apt
 to rank1 and you may1 perhaps1 find    

that you still have a free and          
independent citizen to deal with1 not a 
soldier4 ,implicit obedience must be    
admitted still to be a rare quality in  
our army2 nor can we wonder at it4 ,in  
many cases there is really no more      
difference between officers and men1 in 
education or in breeding1 than if the   
one class were chosen by lot from the   
other2 all are from the same            
neighborhood1 all will return to the    
same civil pursuits side by side2 every 
officer knows that in a little while    
each soldier will again become his      
client or his customer1 his constituent 
or his rival4 ,shall he risk offending  
him for life in order to carry out some 
hobby of stricter discipline8 ,if this  
difficulty exist in the case of         
commissioned officers1 it is still more 
the case with the non-commissioned1     
those essential intermediate links in   
the chain of authority4 ,hence the      
discipline of our soldiers has been     
generally that of a town-meeting or of  

an engine-company1 rather than that of  
an army2 and it shows the extraordinary 
quality of the individual men1 that so  
much has been accomplished with such a  
formidable defect in the organization4  
,even granting that there has been a    
great and constant improvement1 the evil
 is still vast enough4 ,and every young 
man trained at ,west ,point enters the  
service with at least this advantage1   
that he has been brought up to command1 
and has not that task to learn4  ,he has
 this further advantage1 that he is     
brought up with some respect for the    
army-organization as it is1 with its    
existing rules1 methods1 and            
proprieties1 and is not1 like the newly 
commissioned civilian1 disposed in his  
secret soul to set aside all its        
proprieties as mere pipe-clay1 its      
methods as old-fogyism1 and its rules as
 red-tape4 ,how many good volunteer     
officers will admit1 if they speak      
candidly1 that on entering the service  
they half believed the ,army            

,regulations to be a mass of old-time   
rubbish1 which they would gladly reedit1
 under contract1 with immense           
improvements1 in a month or two1--and   
that they finally left the service with 
the conviction that the same book was a 
mine of wisdom1 as yet but half         
explored6 ,certainly1 when one thinks   
for what a handful of an army our       
present military system was devised1 and
 with what an admirable elasticity it   
has borne this sudden and stupendous    
expansion1 it must be admitted to have  
most admirably stood the test4 ,of      
course1 there has been much amendment   
and alteration needed1 nor is the work  
done yet2 but it has mainly touched the 
details1 not the general principles4    
,the system is wonderfully complete for 
its own ends1 and the more one studies  
it the less one sneers4 ,many a form    
which at first seems to the volunteer   
officer merely cumbrous and trivial he  
learns to prize at last as almost       
essential to good discipline2 he seldom 

attempts a short cut without finding it 
the longest way1 and rarely enters on   
that heroic measure of cutting red-tape 
without finding at last that he has     
entangled his own fingers in the        
process4  ,more thorough training tells 
in another way4 ,it is hard to          
appreciate1 without the actual          
experience1 how much of military life is
 a matter of mere detail4 ,the maiden at
 home fancies her lover charging at the 
head of his company1 when in reality he 
is at that precise moment endeavoring to
 convince his company-cooks that        
salt-junk needs five hours' boiling1 or 
is anxiously deciding which pair of     
worn-out trousers shall be ejected from 
a drummer-boy's knapsack4 ,courage is1  
no doubt1 a good quality in a soldier1  
and luckily not often wanting2 but1 in  
the long run1 courage depends largely on
 the haversack4 ,men are naturally      
brave1 and when the crisis comes1 almost
 all men will fight well1 if well       
commanded4 ,as ,sir ,philip ,sidney     

said1 an army of stags led by a lion is 
more formidable than an army of lions   
led by a stag4 ,courage is cheap2 the   
main duty of an officer is to take good 
care of his men1 so that every one of   
them shall be ready1 at a moment's      
notice1 for any reasonable demand4 ,a   
soldier's life usually implies weeks and
 months of waiting1 and then one        
glorious hour2 and if the interval of   
leisure has been wasted1 there is       
nothing but a wasted heroism at the end1
 and perhaps not even that4 ,the penalty
 for misused weeks1 the reward for      
laborious months1 may be determined     
within ten minutes4 ,without discipline 
an army is a mob1 and the larger the    
worse2 without rations the men are empty
 uniforms2 without ammunition they might
 as well have no guns2 without shoes    
they might almost as well have no legs4 
,and it is in the practical appreciation
 of all these matters that the          
superiority of the regular officer is   
apt to be shown4  ,almost any honest    

volunteer officer will admit1 that1     
although the tactics were easily        
learned1 yet1 in dealing with all other 
practical details of army-life1 he was  
obliged to gain his knowledge through   
many blunders4 ,there were a thousand   
points on which the light of ,nature1   
even aided by ,army ,regulations1 did   
not sufficiently instruct him2 and his  
best hints were probably obtained by    
frankly consulting regular officers1    
even if inferior in rank4 ,the advantage
 of a ,west-,point training is precisely
 that of any other professional         
education4 ,there is nothing in it which
 any intelligent man cannot learn for   
himself in later life2 nevertheless1 the
 intelligent man would have fared a good
 deal better1 had he learned it all in  
advance4 ,test it by shifting the       
positions4 ,no lawyer would trust his   
case to a ,west-,point graduate1 without
 evidence of thorough special           
preparation4 ,yet he himself enters on a
 career equally new to him1 where his   

clients may be counted by thousands1 and
 every case is capital4 ,the army is a  
foreign country to civilians2 of course 
you can learn the language after your   
arrival1 but how you envy your          
companion1 who1 having spoken it from   
childhood1 can proceed at once to       
matters more important6  ,yet the great 
advantage of the regular army does not1 
after all1 consist merely in any        
superiority of knowledge1 or in the     
trained habit of command4 ,granting that
 patience and labor can readily supply  
these to the volunteer1 the trouble     
remains1 that even in labor and patience
 the regular officer is apt to have the 
advantage1 by reason of a stronger      
stimulus4 ,the difference is not merely 
in the start1 but in the pace4 ,no man  
can be often thrown into the society of 
regular officers1 especially among the  
younger ones1 without noticing a higher 
standard of professional earnestness    
than that found among average           
volunteers2 and in this respect a       

,west-,point training makes little or no
 difference4 ,the reason of the         
superiority is obvious4 ,to the         
volunteer1 the service is still an      
episode2 to the regular1 a permanent    
career4 ,no doubt1 if a man is          
thoroughly conscientious1 or thoroughly 
ambitious1 or thoroughly enthusiastic1 a
 temporary pursuit may prove as         
absorbing as if it were taken up for    
life2 but the majority of men1 however  
well-meaning1 are not thorough at all4  
,how often one hears the apology made by
 volunteer officers1 even those of high 
rank1--,military life is not my         
profession2 ,i entered the army from    
patriotism1 willing to serve my country 
faithfully for three years1 but of      
course not pretending to perfection in  
every trivial detail of a pursuit which 
,i shall soon quit forever4 ,but it is  
patriotism to think the details not     
trivial4 ,if one gives one's self to    
one's country1 let the gift be total and
 noble4 ,these details are worthy to    

absorb the whole daily thought1 and they
 should absorb it1 until more thorough  
comprehension and more matured executive
 power leave room for larger studies1   
still in the line of the adopted        
occupation4 ,if a man leaves his office 
or his study to be a soldier1 let him be
 a soldier in earnest4 ,let those three 
years bound the horizon of his plans1   
and let him study his new duty as if    
earth offered no other conceivable      
career4 ,the scholar must forswear his  
pen1 the lawyer his books1 the          
politician his arts4 ,an officer of     
whatever rank1 who does not find        
occupation enough for every day1 amid   
the quietest winter-quarters1 in the    
prescribed duties of his position and   
the studies to which they should lead1  
is fitted only for civil pursuits1 and  
had better return to them4  ,without    
this thoroughness1 life in the army     
affords no solid contentment4 ,what is  
called military glory is a fitful and   
uncertain thing4 ,time and the          

newspapers play strange tricks with     
reputations1 and of a hundred officers  
whose names appear with honor in this   
morning's despatches ninety may never be
 mentioned again till it is time to     
write their epitaphs4 ,who1 for         
instance1 can recite the names of the   
successive cavalry-commanders who have  
ridden on their bold forays through     
,virginia1 since the war began8 ,all    
must give place to the latest ,kautz or 
,sheridan1 who has eclipsed without     
excelling them all4 ,yet each is as     
brave and as faithful to-day1 no doubt1 
as when he too glittered for his hour   
before all men's gaze1 and the obscurer 
duty may be the more substantial honor4 
,so when ,i lift my eyes to look on     
yonder level ocean-floor1 the fitful    
sunshine now glimmers white on one      
far-off sail1 now on another2 and yet ,i
 know that all canvas looks snowy while 
those casual rays are on it1 and that   
the best vessel is that which1 sunlit or
 shaded1 best accomplishes its destined 

course4 ,the officer is almost as       
powerless as the soldier to choose his  
opportunity or his place4 ,military     
glory may depend on a thousand          
things1--the accident of local position1
 the jealousy of a rival1 the whim of a 
superior4 ,but the merit of having done 
one's whole duty to the men whose lives 
are in one's keeping1 and to the nation 
whose life is staked with theirs1--of   
having held one's command in such a     
state1 that1 if at any given moment it  
was not performing the most brilliant   
achievement1 it might have been1--this  
is the substantial triumph which every  
faithful officer has always within      
reach4  ,now will any one but a         
newspaper flatterer venture to say that 
this is the habitual standard in our    
volunteer service8 ,take as a test the  
manner in which official inspections are
 usually regarded by a regimental       
commander4 ,these occasions are to him  
what examinations by the ,school        
,committee are to a public-school       

teacher4 ,he may either deprecate and   
dodge them1 or he may manfully welcome  
them as the very best means of          
improvement for all under his care4     
,which is the more common view8 ,what   
sight more pitiable than to behold an   
officer begging off from inspection     
because he has just come in from picket1
 or is just going out on picket1 or has 
just removed camp1 or was a day too late
 with his last requisition for          
cartridges8 ,no doubt it is a trying    
ordeal to have some young regular-army  
lieutenant ride up to your tent at an   
hour's notice1 and leisurely devote a   
day to probing every weak spot in your  
command1--to stand by while he smells at
 every camp-kettle1 detects every       
delinquent gun-sling1 ferrets out old   
shoes from behind the mess-bunks1 spies 
out every tent-pole not labelled with   
the sergeant's name1 asks to see the    
cash-balance of each company-fund1 and  
perplexes your best captain on forming  
from two ranks into one by the left     

flank4 ,yet it is just such unpleasant  
processes as these which are the        
salvation of an army2 these petty       
mortifications are the fulcrum by which 
you can lift your whole regiment to a   
first-class rank1 if you have only the  
sense to use them4 ,so long as no       
inspecting officer needs twice to remind
 you of the same thing1 you have no need
 to blush4 ,but though you be the       
bravest of the brave1 though you know a 
thousand things of which he is utterly  
ignorant1 yet so long as he can tell you
 one thing which you ought to know1 he  
is master of the situation4 ,he may be  
the most conceited little popinjay who  
ever strutted in uniform2 no matter2 it 
is more for your interest to learn than 
for his to teach4 ,let our volunteer    
officers1 as a body1 once resolve to act
 on this principle1 and we shall have   
such an army as the world never saw4    
,but nothing costs the nation a price so
 fearful1 in money or in men1 as the    
false pride which shrinks from these    

necessary surgical operations1 or       
regards the surgeon as a foe4  ,it is   
not being an officer to wear uniform for
 three years1 to draw one's pay         
periodically1 and to acquit one's self  
without shame during a few hours or days
 of actual battle4 ,history will never  
record what fine regiments have been    
wasted and ruined1 since this war began1
 by the negligence in camp of commanders
 who were brave as ,bayard in the field4
 ,unless a man is willing to concentrate
 his whole soul upon learning and       
performing the humblest as well as the  
most brilliant functions of his new     
profession1 a true officer he will never
 become4 ,more time will not help him2  
for time seldom does much for one who   
enters1 especially in middle life1 on an
 employment for which he is essentially 
unfitted4 ,it is amusing to see the     
weight attached to the name of veteran1 
in military matters1 by persons who in  
civil life are very ready to exchange a 
veteran doctor or minister for his      

younger rival4 ,military seniority1     
though the only practicable rule of     
precedence1 is liable to many notorious 
inconveniences4 ,it is especially       
without meaning in the volunteer        
service1 where the ,governor of ,maine  
may happen to date a set of commissions 
on the first day of ,january1 and ,his  
,excellency of ,minnesota may doom his  
contemporary regiment to life-long      
subordination by accidentally postponing
 theirs to the second day4 ,but it has  
sufficient drawbacks even where all the 
appointments pass through one channel4  
,the dignity it gives is a merely       
chronological distinction1--an          
oldest-inhabitant renown1--much like the
 university-degree of ,a4 ,m41 which    
simply implies that a man has got       
decently through college1 and then      
survived three years4 ,but if a man was 
originally placed in a position beyond  
his deserts1 the mere lapse of time may 
have only made him the more dangerous   
charlatan4 ,if he showed no sign of     

military aptitude in six months1 a      
probation of three years may have been  
more costly1 but not more conclusive4   
,add to this the fact that each         
successive year of the war has seen all 
officers more carefully selected1 if    
only because there has been more choice 
of material2 so that there is sometimes 
a temptation in actual service1 were it 
practicable1 to become ,scriptural in   
our treatment1 and put the last first   
and the first last4 ,in those           
unfortunate early days1 when it seemed  
to most of our ,governors to make little
 difference whom they commissioned1     
since all were alike untried1 and of two
 evils it was natural to choose that    
which would produce the more agreeable  
consequences at the next                
election-time1--in those days of        
darkness many very poor officers saw the
 light4 ,many of these have since been  
happily discharged or judiciously       
shelved4 ,the trouble is1 that those who
 remain are among the senior officers in

 our volunteer army1 in their respective
 grades4 ,they command posts1 brigades1 
divisions4 ,they preside at             
court-martials4 ,beneath the shadow of  
their notorious incompetency all minor  
evils may lurk undetected4 ,to crown    
all1 they are1 in many cases1 sincere   
and well-meaning men1 utterly obtuse as 
to their own deficiencies1 and          
manifesting 7to employ a witticism      
coeval with themselves7 all the         
,christian virtues except that of       
resignation4  ,the present writer has   
beheld the spectacle of an officer of   
high rank1 previously eminent in civil  
life1 who could only vindicate himself  
before a court-martial from the ruinous 
charge of false muster by summoning a   
staff-officer to prove that it was his  
custom to sign all military papers      
without looking at them4 ,he has seen a 
lieutenant tried for neglect of duty in 
allowing a soldier under his command1 at
 an important picket-post1 to be found  
by the field-officer of the day with two

 inches of sand in the bottom of his    
gun1--and pleading1 in mitigation of    
sentence1 that it had never been the    
practice in his regiment to make any    
inspection of men detailed for such     
duty4 ,that such instances of negligence
 should be tolerated for six months in  
any regiment of regulars is a thing     
almost inconceivable1 and yet in these  
cases the regiments and the officers had
 been nearly three years in service4    
,it is to be remembered that even the   
command of a regiment of a thousand men 
is a first-class administrative         
position1 and that there is no employer 
of men in civil life who assumes the    
responsibility of those under his       
command so absolutely and thoroughly4   
,the life1 the health1 the efficiency1  
the finances1 the families of his       
soldiers1 are staked not so much on the 
courage of a regimental commander as    
upon his decision1 his foresight1 and   
his business-habits4 ,as ,richter's     
worldly old statesman tells his son1    

,war trains a man to business4 ,if he   
takes his training slowly1 he must grow 
perfect through suffering1--commonly the
 suffering of other people4 ,the varied 
and elaborate returns1 for instance1 now
 required of officers1--daily1 monthly1 
quarterly1 annually1--are not one too   
many as regards the interests of        
,government and of the soldiers1 but are
 enough to daunt any but an accurate and
 methodical man4 ,a single error in an  
ordnance requisition may send a body of 
troops into action with only twenty     
rounds of ammunition to a man4 ,one     
mistake in a property-voucher may       
involve an officer in stoppages         
exceeding his yearly pay4 ,one wrong    
spelling in a muster-roll may beggar a  
soldier's children ten years after the  
father has been killed in battle4 ,under
 such circumstances no standard of      
accuracy can be too high4 ,and yet even 
the degree of regularity that now exists
 is due more to the constant pressure   
from head-quarters than to any          

individual zeal4 ,for a large part of   
this pressure the influence of the      
regular army is responsible1--those     
officers usually occupying the more     
important staff-positions1 and having in
 some departments of service1 especially
 in the ordnance1 moulded and remoulded 
the whole machinery until it has become 
almost a model4 ,it would be difficult  
to name anything in civil life which is 
in its way so perfect as the present    
system of business and of papers in this
 department4 ,every ordnance blank now  
contains a schedule of instructions for 
its own use1 so simple and so minute    
that it seems as if1 henceforward1 the  
most negligent volunteer officer could  
never make another error4 ,and yet in   
the very last set of returns which the  
writer had occasion to revise1--returns 
made by a very meritorious              
captain1--there were eight different    
papers1 and a mistake in every one4     
,the glaring defeat of most of our      
volunteer regiments1 from the beginning 

to this day1 has lain in slovenliness   
and remissness as to every department of
 military duty1 except the actual       
fighting and dying4 ,when it comes to   
that ultimate test1 our men usually     
endure it so magnificently that one is  
tempted to overlook all deficiencies on 
intermediate points4 ,but they must not 
be overlooked1 because they create a    
fearful discount on the usefulness of   
our troops1 when tried by the standard  
of regular armies4 ,i do not now refer  
to the niceties of dress-parade or the  
courtesies of salutation3 it has long   
since been tacitly admitted that a white
 ,american soldier will not present arms
 to any number of rows of buttons1 if he
 can by any ingenuity evade it2 and to  
shoulder arms on passing an officer is  
something to which only ,ethiopia or the
 regular army can attain4 ,grant1 if you
 please1 7though ,i do not grant17 that 
these are merely points of foolish      
punctilio4 ,but there are many things   
which are more than punctilio1 though   

they may be less than fighting4 ,the    
efficiency of a body of troops depends1 
after all1 not so much on its bravery as
 on the condition of its sick-list4 ,a  
regiment which does picket-duty         
faithfully will often avoid the need of 
duties more terrible4 ,yet ,i have      
ridden by night along a chain of ten    
sentinels1 every one of whom should have
 taken my life rather than permit me to 
give the countersign without            
dismounting1 and have been required to  
dismount by only four1 while two did not
 ask me for the countersign at all1 and 
two others were asleep4 ,i have ridden  
through a regimental camp whose utterly 
filthy condition seemed enough to send  
malaria through a whole military        
department1 and have been asked by the  
colonel1 almost with tears in his eyes1 
to explain to him why his men were dying
 at the rate of one a day4 ,the latter  
was a regiment nearly a year old1 and   
the former one of almost two years'     
service1 and just from the old ,army of 

the ,potomac4  ,the fault was1 of       
course1 in the officers4 ,the officer   
makes the command1 as surely as1 in     
educational matters1 the teacher makes  
the school4 ,there is not a regiment in 
the army so good that it could not be   
utterly spoiled in three months by a    
poor commander1 nor so poor that it     
could not be altogether transformed in  
six by a good one4 ,the difference in   
material is nothing1--white or black1   
,german or ,irish2 so potent is military
 machinery that an officer who knows his
 business can make good soldiers out of 
almost anything1 give him but a fair    
chance4 ,the difference between the     
present ,army of the ,potomac and any   
previous one1--the reason why we do not 
daily hear1 as in the early campaigns1  
of irresistible surprises1 overwhelming 
numbers1 and masked batteries1--the     
reason why the present movements are a  
tide and not a wave1--is not that the   
men are veterans1 but that the officers 
are4 ,there is an immense amount of     

perfectly raw material in ,general      
,grant's force1 besides the colored     
regiments1 which in that army are all   
raw1 but in which the ,copperhead       
critics have such faith they would      
gladly select them for dangers fit for  
,napoleon's ,old ,guard4 ,but the newest
 recruit soon grows steady with a steady
 corporal at his elbow1 a well-trained  
sergeant behind him1 and a captain or a 
colonel whose voice means something to  
give commands4  ,this reference to the  
colored troops suggests the false       
impression1 still held by many1 that    
special opposition to this important    
military organization has been made by  
regular officers4 ,there is no justice  
in this4 ,while it is very probable that
 regular officers1 as a class1 may have 
had stronger prejudices on this point   
than others have held1 yet it is to be  
remembered that the chief obstacles have
 not come from them1 nor from military  
men of any kind1 but from civilians at  
home4 ,nothing has been more remarkable 

than the facility with which the        
expected aversion of the army everywhere
 vanished before the admirable behavior 
of the colored troops1 and the          
substantial value of the reinforcements 
they brought4 ,when it comes to the     
simple question whether a soldier shall 
go on duty every night or every other   
night1 he is not critical as to beauty  
of complexion in the soldier who        
relieves him4  ,some regular officers   
may have been virulently opposed to the 
employment of negroes as soldiers1      
though the few instances which ,i have  
known have been far more than           
compensated by repeated acts of the most
 substantial kindness from many others4 
,but ,i never have met one who did not  
express contempt for the fraud thus far 
practised by ,government on a portion of
 these troops1 by refusing to pay them  
the wages which the ,secretary of ,war  
had guarantied4 ,this is a wrong which1 
but for good discipline1 would have long
 since converted our older colored      

regiments into a mob of mutineers1 and  
which1 while dishonestly saving the     
,government a few thousand dollars1 has 
virtually sacrificed hundreds of        
thousands in its discouraging effect    
upon enlistments1 at a time when the    
fate of the nation may depend upon a few
 regiments more or less4 ,it is in vain 
for national conventions to make capital
 by denouncing massacres like that of   
,fort ,pillow1 and yet ignore this more 
deliberate injustice for which some of  
their own members are in part           
responsible4 ,the colored soldiers will 
take their own risk of capture and      
maltreatment very readily1 7since they  
must take it on themselves at any rate17
 if the ,government will let its justice
 begin at home1 and pay them their      
honest earnings4 ,it is of little       
consequence to a dying man whether any  
one else is to die by retaliation1 but  
it is of momentous consequence whether  
his wife and family are to be cheated of
 half his scanty earnings by the nation 

for which he dies4 ,the ,rebels may be  
induced to concede the negro the rights 
of war1 when we grant him the ordinary  
rights of peace1 namely1 to be paid the 
price agreed upon4 ,jefferson ,davis and
 the ,london ,times--one-half whose     
stock-in-trade is the inveterate        
meanness of the ,yankee--will hardly be 
converted to sound morals by the rebukes
 of an administration which allows its  
,secretary of ,war to promise a black   
soldier thirteen dollars a month1 pay   
him seven1 and shoot him if he grumbles4
 ,from this crowning injustice the      
regular army1 and1 indeed1 the whole    
army1 is clear2 to civilians alone      
belongs this carnival of fraud4  ,if1 in
 some instances1 terrible injustice has 
been done to the black soldiers in their
 military treatment also1 it has not    
been only1 or chiefly1 under regular    
officers4 ,against the cruel fatigue    
duty imposed upon them last summer1 in  
the ,department of the ,south1 for      
instance1 must be set the more          

disastrous mismanagements of the        
,department of the ,gulf1--the only     
place from which we now hear the old    
stories of disease and desertion1--all  
dating back to the astonishing blunder  
of organizing the colored regiments of  
half-size at the outset1 with a full    
complement of officers4 ,this measure1  
however agreeable it might have been to 
the horde of aspirants for commissions1 
was in itself calculated to destroy all 
self-respect in the soldiers1 being     
based on the utterly baseless assumption
 that they required twice as many       
officers as whites1 and was foredoomed  
to failure1 because no esprit de corps  
can be created in a regiment which is   
from the first insignificant in respect 
to size4 ,it is scarcely conceivable    
that any regular officer should have    
honestly fallen into such an error as   
this2 and it is very certain that the   
wisest suggestions and the most         
efficient action have proceeded1 since  
the beginning1 from them4 ,it will be   

sufficient to mention the names of      
,major-,general ,hunter1                
,brigadier-,general ,phelps1 and        
,adjutant-,general ,thomas2 and one     
there is whose crowning merits deserve a
 tribute distinct even from these4      
,when some future ,bancroft or ,motley  
writes with philosophic brain and poet's
 hand the story of the ,great ,civil    
,war1 he will find the transition to a  
new era in our nation's history to have 
been fitly marked by one festal         
day1--that of the announcement of the   
,president's ,proclamation1 upon        
,port-,royal ,island1 on the first of   
,january1 #ahfc4 ,that ,new-,year's time
 was our second contribution to the     
great series of historic days1 beads    
upon the rosary of the human race1      
permanent festivals of freedom4 ,its    
celebration was one beside whose simple 
pageant the superb festivals of other   
lands might seem but glittering         
counterfeits4 ,beneath a majestic grove 
of the great live-oaks which glorify the

 ,south-,carolina soil a liberated      
people met to celebrate their own       
peaceful emancipation4 ,they came       
thronging1 by land and water1 from      
plantations which their own self-imposed
 and exemplary industry was beginning   
already to redeem4 ,the military escort 
which surrounded them had been organized
 out of their own numbers1 and had      
furnished to the nation the first proof 
of the capacity of their race to bear   
arms4 ,the key-note of the meeting was  
given by spontaneous voices1 whose      
unexpected anthem took the day from the 
management of well-meaning patrons1 and 
swept all away into the great currents  
of simple feeling4 ,it was a scene never
 to be forgotten3 the moss-hung trees1  
with their hundred-feet diameter of     
shade2 the eager faces of women and     
children in the foreground2 the         
many-colored headdresses2 the upraised  
hands2 the neat uniforms of the         
soldiers2 the outer row of mounted      
officers and ladies2 and beyond all the 

blue river1 with its swift1 free tide4  
,and at the centre of all this great and
 joyous circle stood modestly the man on
 whose personal integrity and energy1   
more than on any ,president or ,cabinet1
 the hopes of all that multitude        
appeared to rest1--who commanded then   
among his subjects1 and still commands1 
an allegiance more absolute than any    
,european potentate can claim1--whose   
name will be forever illustrious as     
having first made a practical reality   
out of that ,proclamation which then was
 to the ,president only an autograph1   
and to the ,cabinet only a dream1--who1 
when the whole fate of the slaves and of
 the ,government hung trembling in the  
balance1 decided it forever by throwing 
into the scale the weight of one        
resolute man1--who personally mustered  
in the first black regiment1 and        
personally governed the first community 
where emancipation was a success1--who  
taught the relieved nation1 in fine1    
that there was strength and safety in   

those dusky millions who till then had  
been an incubus and a                   
terror1--,brigadier-,general ,rufus     
,saxton1 ,military ,governor of ,south  
,carolina4 ,the single career of this   
one man more than atones for all the    
traitors whom ,west ,point ever         
nurtured1 and awards the highest place  
on the roll of our practical            
statesmanship to the regular army4      
,,the ,,total ,,depravity ,,of          
,,inanimate ,,things4   ,i am confident1
 that1 at the annunciation of my theme1 
,andover1 ,princeton1 and ,cambridge    
will skip like rams1 and the little     
hills of ,east ,windsor1 ,meadville1 and
 ,fairfax1 like lambs4 ,however         
divinity-schools may refuse to skip in  
unison1 and may butt and batter each    
other about the doctrine and origin of  
human depravity1 all will join devoutly 
in the credo1 ,i believe in the total   
depravity of inanimate things4  ,the    
whole subject lies in a nutshell1 or    
rather an apple-skin4 ,we have clerical 

authority for affirming that all its    
miseries were let loose upon the human  
race by them greenins tempting our      
mother to curious pomological           
speculations2 and from that time till   
now--,longfellow1 thou reasonest        
well6--things are not what they seem1   
but are diabolically                    
otherwise1--masked-batteries1 nets1     
gins1 and snares of evil4  7,in this    
connection ,i am reminded of--can ,i    
ever cease to remember8--the unlucky    
lecturer at our lyceum a few winters    
ago1 who1 on rising to address his      
audience1 applauding him all the while  
most vehemently1 pulled out his         
handkerchief1 for oratorical purposes   
only1 and inadvertently flung from his  
pocket three ,baldwins that a friend had
 given to him on his way to the hall1   
straight into the front row of giggling 
girls47  ,my zeal on this subject       
received new impetus recently from an   
exclamation which pierced the thin      
partitions of the country-parsonage1    

once my home1 where ,i chanced to be a  
guest4  ,from the adjoining             
dressing-room issued a prolonged        
,y-ah6--not the howl of a spoiled child1
 nor the protest of a captive gorilla1  
but the whole-souled utterance of a     
mighty son of ,anak1 whose amiability is
 invulnerable to weapons of human       
aggravation4  ,i paused in the midst of 
toilet-exigencies1 and listened         
sympathetically1 for ,i recognized the  
probable presence of the old enemy to   
whom the bravest and sweetest succumb4  
,confirmation and explanation followed  
speedily in the half apologetic1 wholly 
wrathful declaration1--,the pitcher was 
made foolish in the first place4 ,i dare
 affirm1 that1 if the spirit of ,lindley
 ,murray himself were at that moment    
hovering over that scene of trial1 he   
dropped a tear1 or1 better still1 an    
adverbial ly upon the false grammar1 and
 blotted it out forever4  ,i            
comprehended the scene at once4 ,i had  
been there4 ,i felt again the           

remorseless swash of the water over neat
 boots and immaculate hose2 ,i saw the  
perverse intricacies of its meanderings 
over the carpet1 upon which the foolish 
pitcher had been confidingly deposited2 
,i knew1 beyond the necessity of ocular 
demonstration1 that1 as sure as there   
were pipe-hole or crack in the ceiling  
of the study below1 those inanimate     
things would inevitably put their evil  
heads together1 and bring to grief the  
long-suffering ,dominie1 with whom1     
during my day1 such inundations had been
 of at least bi-weekly occurrence1      
instigated by crinoline4 ,the inherent  
wickedness of that thing of beauty will 
be acknowledged by all mankind1 and by  
every female not reduced to the         
deplorable poverty of the heroine of the
 following veracious anecdote4  ,a      
certain good bishop1 on making a tour of
 inspection through a mission-school of 
his diocese1 was so impressed by the    
aspect of all its beneficiaries that his
 heart overflowed with joy1 and he      

exclaimed to a little maiden whose      
appearance was particularly suggestive  
of creature-comforts1--,why1 my little  
girl6 you have everything that heart can
 wish1 haven't you8 ,imagine the        
bewilderment and horror of the prelate1 
when the miniature ,flora ,mc,flimsey   
drew down the corners of her mouth      
lugubriously1 and sought to accommodate 
the puffs and dimples of her fat little 
body to an expression of abject misery1 
as she replied1--,no1 indeed1 ,sir6 ,i  
haven't got any--skeleton6  ,we who have
 suffered know the disposition of       
graceless skeletons to hang themselves  
on foolish pitchers1 bureau-knobs1      
rockers1 cobble-stones1 splinters1      
nails1 and1 indeed1 any projection a    
tenth of a line beyond a dead level4    
,the mention of nails is suggestive of  
voluminous distresses4                  
,country-parsonages1 from some          
inexplicable reason1 are wont to bristle
 all over with these impish assailants  
of human comfort4  ,i never ventured to 

leave my masculine relatives to their   
own devices for more than twenty-four   
consecutive hours1 that ,i did not      
return to find that they had seemingly  
manifested their grief at my absence    
after the old ,hebraic method1 7more    
honored in the breach than the          
observance17 by rending their garments4 
,when summoned to their account1 the    
invariable defence has been a vehement  
denunciation of some particular nail as 
the guilty cause of my woes4  ,by the   
way1 ,o ,christian woman of the         
nineteenth century1 did it ever enter   
your heart to give devout thanks that   
you did not share the woe of those whose
 fate it was to sojourn in ,mesech and  
dwell in the tents of ,kedar8 that it   
did not fall to your lot to do the plain
 sewing and mending for some ,jewish    
patriarch1 patriot1 or prophet of yore8 
,realize1 if you can1 the masculine     
aggravation and the feminine            
long-suffering of a period when the head
 of a family could neither go down-town1

 nor even sit at his tent-door1 without 
descrying some wickedness in high       
places1 some insulting placard1 some    
exasperating war-bulletin1 some         
offensive order from head-quarters1     
which caused him to transform himself   
instantly into an animated rag-bag4     
,whereas1 in these women-saving days1   
similar grievances send ,president      
,abraham into his cabinet to issue a    
proclamation1 the ,reverend ,jeremiah   
into his pulpit with a scathing homily1 
,poet-,laureate ,david to the ,atlantic 
with a burning lyric1 and               
,major-,general ,joab to the privacy of 
his tent1 there to calm his perturbed   
spirit with ,drake's ,plantation        
,bitters4 ,in humble imitation of       
another1 ,i would state that this       
indorsement of the potency of a specific
 is entirely gratuitous1 and that ,i am 
stimulated thereto by no remuneration1  
fluid or otherwise4  ,blessed be this   
day of sewing-machines for women1 and of
 safety-valves and innocent explosives  

for their lords6  ,but this is a        
digression4  ,i awoke very early in life
 to the consciousness that ,i held the  
doctrine which we are considering4  ,on 
a hapless day when ,i was perhaps five  
years old1 ,i was1 in my own estimation1
 intrusted with the family-dignity1 when
 ,i was deposited for the day at the    
house of a lordly ,pharisee of the      
parish1 with solemnly repeated          
instructions in table-manners and the   
like4  ,one who never analyzed the      
mysteries of a sensitive child's heart  
cannot appreciate the sense of awful    
responsibility which oppressed me during
 that visit4 ,but all went faultlessly  
for a time4 ,i corrected myself         
instantly each time4 ,i said1 ,yes1     
,ma'am1 to ,mr4 ,simon1 and ,no1 ,sir1  
to ,madam1 which was as often as ,i     
addressed them2 ,i clenched little fists
 and lips resolutely1 that they might   
not touch1 taste1 handle1 tempting      
bijouterie2 ,i even held in check the   
spirit of inquiry rampant within me1 and

 indulged myself with only one question 
to every three minutes of time4  ,at    
last ,i found myself at the handsome    
dinner-table1 triumphantly mounted upon 
two ,comprehensive ,commentaries and a  
dictionary1 fearing no evil from the    
viands before me4 ,least of all did ,i  
suspect the vegetables of guile4 ,but   
deep in the heart of a bland1           
mealy-mouthed potato lurked cruel       
designs upon my fair reputation4  ,no   
sooner had ,i1 in the most approved     
style of nursery good-breeding1 applied 
my fork to its surface1 than the        
hardhearted thing executed a wild       
pirouette before my astonished eyes1 and
 then flew on impish wings across the   
room1 dashing out its malicious brains1 
,i am happy to say1 against the         
parlor-door1 but leaving me in a        
half-comatose state1 stirred only by    
vague longings for a lodge with proud   
,korah's troop1 whose destination is    
unmistakably set forth in the ,shorter  
,catechism4  ,there is a possibility    

that ,i received my innate distrust of  
things by inheritance from my maternal  
grandmother1 whose holy horror at the   
profanity they once provoked from a     
bosom-friend in her childhood was still 
vivid in her old age4  ,it was on this  
wise4 ,when still a pretty ,puritan     
maiden1 my grandame was tempted         
irresistibly by the spring sunshine to  
the tabooed indulgence of a             
,sunday-walk4 ,the temptation was       
probably intensified by the presence of 
the ,british troops1 giving unwonted    
fascination to village-promenades4 ,her 
confederate in this guilty pleasure was 
a like-minded little saint2 so there was
 a tacit agreement between them that    
their transgression should be sanctified
 by a strict adherence to religious     
topics of conversation4 ,accordingly    
they launched boldly upon the great     
subject which was just then agitating   
church-circles in ,new ,england4        
,fortune smiled upon these criminals    
against the ,blue ,laws1 until they     

encountered a wall surmounted by hickory
 rails4 ,without intermitting the       
discussion1 ,susannah sprang agilely up4
 ,quoth she1 balancing herself for one  
moment upon the summit1--,no1 no1       
,betsey6 ,i believe ,god is the author  
of sin6 ,the next she sprang toward the 
ground2 but a salient splinter1 a chip  
of depravity1 clutched her ,sunday-gown1
 and converted her incontinently1 it    
seems1 into a confessor of the opposing 
faith2 for history records1 that1       
following the above-mentioned dogma1    
there came from hitherto unstained      
lips1--,the ,devil6  ,time and space    
would1 of course1 be inadequate to the  
enumeration of all the demonstrations of
 the truth of the doctrine of the       
absolute depravity of things4 ,a few    
examples only can be cited4  ,there is  
melancholy pleasure in the knowledge    
that a great soul has gone mourning     
before me in the path ,i am now         
pursuing4 ,it was only to-day1 that1 in 
glancing over the pages of ,victor      

,hugo's greatest work1 ,i chanced upon  
the following3--,every one will have    
noticed with what skill a coin let fall 
upon the ground runs to hide itself1 and
 what art it has in rendering itself    
invisible2 there are thoughts which play
 us the same trick1 etc41 etc4  ,the    
similar tendency of pins and needles is 
universally understood and              
execrated1--their base secretiveness    
when searched for1 and their incensing  
intrusion when one is off guard4  ,i    
know a man whose sense of their         
malignity is so keen1 that1 whenever he 
catches a gleam of their treacherous    
lustre on the carpet1 he instantly draws
 his two and a quarter yards of length  
into the smallest possible compass1 and 
shrieks until the domestic police come  
to the rescue1 and apprehend the sharp  
little villains4 ,do not laugh at this4 
,years ago he lost his choicest friend  
by the stab of just such a little       
dastard lying in ambush4  ,so also every
 wielder of the needle is familiar with 

the propensity of the several parts of a
 garment in the process of manufacture  
to turn themselves wrong side out1 and  
down side up2 and the same viciousness  
cleaves like leprosy to the completed   
garment so long as a thread remains4    
,my blood still tingles with a horrible 
memory illustrative of this truth4      
,dressing hurriedly and in darkness for 
a concert one evening1 ,i appealed to   
the ,dominie1 as we passed under the    
hall-lamp1 for a toilet-inspection4     
,how do ,i look1 father8  ,after a      
sweeping glance came the candid         
statement1--  ,beau-tifully6  ,oh1 the  
blessed glamour which invests a child   
whose father views her with a critic's  
eye6  ,yes1 of course2 but look         
carefully1 please2 how is my dress8     
,another examination of apparently      
severest scrutiny4  ,all right1 dear6   
,that's the new cloak1 is it8 ,never saw
 you look better4 ,come1 we shall be    
late4  ,confidingly ,i went to the hall2
 confidingly ,i entered2 since the      

concert-room was crowded with rapt      
listeners to the ,fifth ,symphony1 ,i1  
gingerly1 but still confidingly1        
followed the author of my days1 and the 
critic of my toilet1 to the very        
uppermost seat1 which ,i entered1 barely
 nodding to my finically fastidious     
friend1 ,guy ,livingston1 who was seated
 near us with a stylish-looking         
stranger1 who bent eyebrows and glass   
upon me superciliously4  ,seated1 the   
,dominie was at once lifted into the    
midst of the massive harmonies of the   
,adagio2 ,i lingered outside a moment1  
in order to settle my garments and--that
 woman's look4 ,what6 was that a        
partially suppressed titter near me8    
,ah6 she has no soul for music6 ,how    
such ill-timed merriment will jar upon  
my friend's exquisite sensibilities6    
,shade of ,beethoven6 ,a hybrid cough   
and laugh1 smothered decorously1 but    
still recognizable1 from the courtly    
,guy himself6 ,what can it mean8  ,in my
 perturbation1 my eyes fell and rested  

upon the sack1 whose newness and        
glorifying effect had been already      
noticed by my lynx-eyed parent4  ,i here
 pause to remark that ,i had intended to
 request the compositor to set up the   
coming sentence in explosive capitals1  
by way of emphasis1 but forbear1        
realizing that it already staggers under
 the weight of its own significance4    
,that sack was wrong side out6  ,stern  
necessity1 proverbially known as the    
mother of invention1 and practically the
 step-mother of ministers' daughters1   
had made me eke out the silken facings  
of the front with cambric linings for   
the back and sleeves4 ,accordingly1 in  
the full blaze of the concert-room1     
there sat ,i1 accoutred as ,i was1 in   
motley attire1--my homely little        
economies patent to admiring spectators3
 on either shoulder1 budding wings      
composed of unequal parts of            
sarcenet-cambric and cotton-batting2 and
 in my heart--parricide ,i had almost   
said1 but it was rather the more filial 

sentiment of desire to operate for      
cataract upon my father's eyes4 ,but a  
moment's reflection sufficed to transfer
 my indignation to its proper           
object1--the sinful sack itself1 which1 
concerting with its kindred darkness1   
had planned this cruel assault upon my  
innocent pride4  ,a constitutional      
obtuseness renders me delightfully      
insensible to one fruitful source of    
provocation among inanimate things4 ,i  
am so dull as to regard all distinctions
 between rights and lefts as invidious2 
but ,i have witnessed the agonized      
struggles of many a victim of fractious 
boots1 and been thankful that ,i am not 
as other men are1 in ability to         
comprehend the difference between my    
right and left foot4 ,still1 as already 
intimated1 ,i have seen wise men driven 
mad by a thing of leather and           
waxed-ends4  ,a little innocent of three
 years1 in all the pride of his first   
boots1 was aggravated1 by the perversity
 of the right to thrust itself on to the

 left leg1 to the utterance of a        
contraband expletive4  ,when reproved by
 his horror-stricken mamma1 he          
maintained a dogged silence4  ,in order 
to pierce his apparently indurated      
conscience1 his censor finally said1    
solemnly1--  ,dugald6 ,god knows that   
you said that wicked word4  ,does ,he8  
cried the baby-victim of reral          
depravity1 in a tone of relief2 then ,he
 knows it was a doke 7,anglice1 joke74  
,but1 mind you1 the sin-tempting boot   
intended no doke4  ,the toilet1 with its
 multiform details and complicated      
machinery1 is a demon whose surname is  
,legion4  ,time would fail me to speak  
of the elusiveness of soap1 the         
knottiness of strings1 the transitory   
nature of buttons1 the inclination of   
suspenders to twist1 and of hooks to    
forsake their lawful eyes1 and cleave   
only unto the hairs of their hapless    
owner's head4 7,it occurs to me as      
barely possible1 that1 in the last case1
 the hooks may be innocent1 and the     

sinfulness may lie in capillary         
attraction47  ,and1 ,o my brother or    
sister in sorrow1 has it never befallen 
you1 when bending all your energies to  
the mighty task of doing your back-hair1
 to find yourself gazing inanely at the 
opaque back of your brush1 while the    
hand-mirror1 which had maliciously      
insinuated itself into your right hand  
for this express purpose1 came down upon
 your devoted head with a resonant      
whack8  ,i have alluded1                
parenthetically1 to the possible guilt  
of capillary attraction1 but ,i am      
prepared to maintain against the        
attraction of gravitation the charge of 
total depravity4 ,indeed1 ,i should say 
of it1 as did the worthy exhorter of the
 ,dominie's old parish in regard to     
slavery1--,it's the wickedest thing in  
the world1 except sin6  ,it was only the
 other day that ,i saw depicted upon the
 young divine's countenance1 from this  
cause1 thoughts too deep for tears1 and1
 perchance1 too earthy for clerical     

utterance4  ,from a mingling of sanitary
 and economic considerations1 he had    
cleared his own sidewalk after a heavy  
snow-storm4 ,as he stood1 leaning upon  
his shovel1 surveying with smiling      
complacency his accomplished task1 the  
spite of the arch-fiend ,gravitation was
 raised against him1 and1 finding the   
impish slates 7hadn't ,luther something 
to say about as many devils as tiles87  
ready to cooeperate1 an avalanche was   
the result1 making the last state of    
that sidewalk worse than the first1 and 
sending the divine into the house with a
 battered hat1 and an article of faith  
supplementary to the orthodox           
thirty-nine4  ,prolonged reflection upon
 a certain class of grievances has      
convinced me that mankind has generally 
ascribed them to a guiltless source4 ,i 
refer to the unspeakable aggravation of 
typographical errors1 rightly so        
called1--for1 in nine cases out of ten1 
,i opine it is the types themselves     
which err4  ,i appeal to                

fellow-sufferers1 if the substitutions  
and interpolations and false            
combinations of letters are not often   
altogether too absurd for humanity4     
,take1 as one instance1 the experience  
of a friend1 who1 in writing in all     
innocency of a session of the           
,historical ,society1 affirmed mildly in
 manuscript1 ,all went smoothly1 but    
weeks after was made to declare in      
blatant print1 ,all went snoringly6  ,as
 among men1 so in the alphabet1 one     
sinner destroyeth much good4  ,the      
genial ,senator from the ,granite ,hills
 told me of an early aspiration of his  
own for literary distinction1 which was 
beheaded remorselessly by a villain of  
this type4 ,by way of majestic          
peroration to a pathetic article1 he had
 exclaimed1 ,for what would we exchange 
the fame of ,washington8--referring1 ,i 
scarcely need say1 to the man of        
fragrant memory1 and not to the odorous 
capital4 ,the black-hearted little dies1
 left to their own devices one night1   

struck dismay to the heart of the       
aspirant author by propounding in black 
and white a prosaic inquiry as to what  
would be considered a fair equivalent   
for the farm of the father of his       
country6  ,among frequent instances of  
this depravity in my own experience1 a  
flagrant example still shows its ugly   
front on a page of a child's book4 ,in  
the latest edition of ,our ,little      
,girls1 7good ,mr4 ,randolph1 pray read1
 mark1 learn1 and inwardly digest17     
there occurs a description of a         
christening1 wherein a venerable divine 
is made to dip his head into the        
consecrating water1 and lay it upon the 
child4  ,disembodied words are also     
sinners and the occasions of sin4 ,who  
has not broken the ,commandments in     
consequence of the provocation of some  
miserable little monosyllabic eluding   
his grasp in the moment of his direst   
need1 or of some impertinent interloper 
thrusting itself in to the utter        
demoralization of his well-organized    

sentences8 ,who has not been covered    
with shame at tripping over the         
pronunciation of some perfectly simple  
word like statistics1 inalienable1      
inextricable1 etc41 etc41 etc48  ,whose 
experience will not empower him to      
sympathize with that unfortunate        
invalid1 who1 on being interrogated by a
 pious visitor in regard to her         
enjoyment of means of grace1 informed   
the horror-stricken inquisitor1--,i have
 not been to church for years1 ,i have  
been such an infidel1--and then1 moved  
by a dim impression of wrong somewhere1 
as well as by the evident shock         
inflicted upon her worthy visitor1 but  
conscious of her own integrity1 repeated
 still more emphatically1--,no2 ,i have 
been a confirmed infidel for years4     
,but a peremptory summons from an       
animated nursery forbids my lingering   
longer in this fruitful field4 ,i can   
only add an instance of corroborating   
testimony from each member of the circle
 originating this essay4  ,the ,dominie 

loq4--,sha'n't have anything to do with 
it6 ,it's a wicked thing6 ,to be sure1  
,i do remember1 when ,i was a little    
boy1 ,i used to throw stones at the     
chip-basket when it upset the cargo ,i  
had just laded1 and it was a great      
relief to my feelings too4 ,besides1    
you've told stories about me which were 
anything but true4 ,i don't remember    
anything about that sack4  ,lady-visitor
 loq4--,the first time ,i was invited to
 ,mr4 ----'s1 7the ,hon4 ---- ----'s1   
you know17 ,i was somewhat anxious1 but 
went home flattering myself ,i had made 
a creditable impression4 ,imagine my    
consternation1 when ,i came to relieve  
the pocket of my gala-gown1 donned for  
the occasion1 at discovering among its  
treasures a tea-napkin1 marked          
gorgeously with the ,hon4 ---- ----'s   
family-crest1 which had maliciously     
crept into its depths in order to bring 
me into disgrace6 ,i have never been    
able to bring myself to the point of    
confession1 in spite of my subsequent   

intimacy with the family4 ,if it were   
not for ,joseph's positive assertion to 
the contrary1 ,i should be of the       
opinion that his cup of divination      
conjured itself deliberately and        
sinfully into innocent ,benjamin's sack4
  ,student loq4 7,testimony open to     
criticism47--,met pretty girl on the    
street yesterday4 ,sure ,i had on my    
',armstrong' hat when ,i left           
home1--sure as fate2 but when ,i went to
 pull it off1--by the crown1 of         
course1--to bow to pretty girl1 ,i      
smashed in my beaver6 ,how it got there 
don't know4 ,knocked it off4 ,pretty    
girl picked it up and handed it to me4  
,confounded things1 any way6  ,young    
divine loq4--,while ,i was in the army1 
,i was in ,washington on 'leave' for two
 or three days4 ,one night1 at a party1 
,i became utterly bewildered in an      
attempt to converse1 after long         
desuetude1 with a fascinating woman4 ,i 
went stumbling on1 amazing her more and 
more1 until finally ,i covered myself   

with glory by the categorical statement 
that in my opinion ,general ,mc,clellan 
could 'never get across the ,peninsula  
without a fattle2 ,i beg pardon1 ,madam6
 what ,i mean to say is1 without a      
bight4'  ,school-girl loq4--,when ,uncle
 ---- was ,president1 ,i was at the     
,white ,house at a state-dinner one     
evening4 ,senator ---- came rushing in  
frantically after we had been at table  
some time4 ,no sooner was he seated than
 he turned to ,aunt to apologize for his
 delay2 and1 being very much heated1 and
 very much embarrassed1 he tugged away  
desperately at his pocket1 and finally  
succeeded in extracting a huge blue     
stocking1 evidently of home-manufacture1
 with which he proceeded to wipe his    
forehead very energetically and very    
conspicuously4 ,i suppose the truth was 
that the poor man's handkerchiefs were  
on a strike1 and thrust forward this    
homespun stocking to bring him to terms4
  ,school-girl1 ,no4 #b1 loq4--,my last 
term at ,f41 ,i was expecting a box of  

'goodies' from home4 ,so when the       
message came1 ',an express-package for  
you1 ,miss ,fanny6' ,i invited all my   
specials to come and assist at the      
opening4 ,instead of the expected box1  
there appeared a misshapen-bundle1 done 
up in yellow wrapping-paper4 ,four such 
dejected-looking damsels were never seen
 before as we1 standing around the ugly 
old thing4 ,finally1 ,alice suggested1--
  ',open it6'  ',oh1 ,i know what it    
is1' ,i said2 'it is my old ,thibet1    
that mother has had made over for me4'  
',let's see1' persisted ,alice4  ,so ,i 
opened the package4 ,the first thing ,i 
drew out was too much for me4  ',what a 
funny-looking basque6' exclaimed ,alice4
 ,all the rest were struck dumb with    
disappointment4  ,no6 not a basque at   
all1 but a man's black satin waistcoat6 
and next came objects about which there 
could be no doubt1--a pair of dingy old 
trousers1 and a swallow-tailed coat6    
,imagine the chorus of damsels6  ,the   
secret was1 that two packages lay in    

father's office1--one for me1 the other 
for those everlasting freedmen4 ,john   
was to forward mine4 ,he had taken up   
the box to write my address on it1 when 
the yellow bundle tumbled off the desk  
at his feet and scared the wits out of  
his head4 ,so ,i came in for father's   
secondhand clothes1 and the ,ethiopians 
had the 'goodies'6  ,repentant ,dominie 
loq4--,i don't approve of it at all2 but
 then1 if you must write the wicked     
thing1 ,i heard a good story for you    
to-day4 ,dr4 ---- found himself in the  
pulpit of a ,dutch ,reformed ,church the
 other ,sunday4 ,you know he is one who 
prides himself on his adaptation to     
places and times4 ,just at the close of 
the introductory services1 a black gown 
lying over the arm of the sofa caught   
his eye4 ,he was rising to deliver his  
sermon1 when it forced itself on his    
attention again4  ',sure enough1'       
thought he1 ',dutch ,reformed clergymen 
do wear gowns4 ,i might as well put it  
on4'  ,so he solemnly thrust himself    

into the malicious 7as you would say7   
garment1 and went through the services  
as well as he could1 considering that   
his audience seemed singularly agitated1
 and indeed on the point of bursting out
 into a general laugh1 throughout the   
entire service4 ,and no wonder6 ,the    
good ,doctor1 in his zeal for           
conformity1 had attired himself in the  
black cambric duster in which the pulpit
 was shrouded during week-days1 and had 
been gesticulating his eloquent homily  
with his arms thrust through the holes  
left for the pulpit-lamps6     ,,what   
,,shall ,,we ,,have ,,for ,,dinner8   ,i
 think ,i must be personally known to   
most of the readers of the ,atlantic4 ,i
 see them wherever ,i go1 and they see  
me4 ,beneath a shelter-tent by the      
,rapidan1 in a striped railroad-station 
in ,bavaria1 at the counter of          
,truebner's bookstore in ,london1 and at
 ,cordaville1 in ,worcester ,county1    
,massachusetts1 as we waited for the    
freight to get out of the way1 ,i have  

read the ,atlantic over their shoulders1
 or they over mine4 ,the same thing has 
happened at six hundred and thirty-two  
other improbable places4 ,more than     
this1 however1 my words and works in the
 great science of ,domestic ,economy    
have travelled everywhere before me1 not
 simply like the ,connecticut of the    
poet1      ,bringing shad to ,south     
,hadley1 and pleasure to man1#ce  but   
extending all over the civilized world4 
,not that ,i am the author of the       
clothes-wringing machine1 or of the     
spring clothes-pin1--my influence has   
been more subtile4 ,i have propounded   
great central axioms in housekeeping and
 the other economies1 which have rushed 
over the world with the inevitable      
momentum of truth4 ,it was ,i1 for      
instance1 who first discovered and      
proclaimed the great governing fact that
 the butter of a family costs more than 
its bread4 ,it was ,i who first         
announced that you cannot economize in  
the quality of your paper4 ,i am the    

discoverer of the formula that a family 
consumes as many barrels of flour in a  
year as it has adult members1 reducing  
children to adults by the rule of three4
 ,the morning after our marriage ,i     
raised the window-shade1 so that the    
rising sun of that auspicious day should
 shine full upon our parlor-,brussels4  
,i said to ,lois1 ,let us never be      
slaves to our carpets6 ,the angel smiled
 assent2 and on the wings of that smile 
my whisper fluttered over the earth4 ,it
 brooded in a thousand homes else       
miserable4 ,light was where before was  
chaos4 ,sunshine drove scrofula from ten
 thousand quivering frames1 and millions
 of infant lips would this day raise    
,lois's name and mine in their          
,kindergarten songs1 did they only know 
who were their benefactors4  ,standing  
thus in the centre of the sphere of the 
domestic economies1 ,i have1 of course1 
read with passionate interest the ,house
 and ,home ,papers in the ,atlantic4 ,it
 is ,i1 as ,i am proud to confess1 who  

have1 violated all copyright1 have had  
them reprinted1 as ,tract ,no4 #bbcg of 
the ,american ,tract ,society1 ,no4 #fc 
of the ,american ,tract ,society of     
,boston1 and ,no4 #dde of the issues of 
the ,sanitary ,commission1 and am now   
about to introduce them surreptitiously 
into the bureaus of these charities1 so 
that the colporteurs1 of every stripe1  
may at last be certain that they are    
conferring the first of benefits upon   
their homeless fellow-creatures4 ,it is 
,i who every night toil through long    
streets that ,i may slide these little  
tracts1 messengers of blessing1 under   
the front-doors of wretched friends1 who
 are dying without homes in the gilded  
miseries of their bowling-alley parlors4
 ,where they have introduced the patent 
weather-strip1 ,i place the tract on the
 upper door-step1 with a brick-bat1     
which keeps it from blowing away4 ,but  
,i observe that it is no part of the    
plan of those charming papers1 more than
 it was of the ,novum ,organon or of the

 ,principia1 to descend into the details
 of the economies4 ,i suppose that the  
author left all that to the ,domestic   
,economy of her excellent sister1 and1  
as far as the details of practice go1   
well she might4 ,but between that       
practical detail by which one sister    
cooks to-day the dinners on a million   
tables1 and the aesthetic1 moral1 and   
religious considerations by which the   
other sister elevates the life of the   
million homes in whose dining-rooms     
those tables stand1 there is room for a 
brief exposition of the principles on   
which those dinners are to be selected4 
,it is that exposition which1 as ,i sit 
superior1 ,i am to give1 ex cathedra1   
after this long preface1 now4  ,i shall 
illustrate the necessity of this        
exposition by an introduction to follow 
the preface1 after the manner of the    
,germans1 before we arrive at the       
substance of our work1 which will be    
itself comprised in its first chapter4  
,this introduction will consist of two  

illustrations4 ,the first relates to the
 planting of potatoes4 ,when ,i         
inherited my ancestral estate1 known as 
,crusoe's ,well1 ,i resolved to devote  
it to potatoes for the first summer4 ,i 
summoned my vassals1 and we fenced it4  
,i bought dung and manured it4 ,i hired 
ploughmen and oxen1 and they ploughed   
it4 ,i made a covenant with a ,kelt1 who
 became1 quoad hoc1 my slave1 and gave  
to him money1 with which ,i directed him
 to buy seed-potatoes and plant it4     
,and he1--,how many shall ,i buy8  ,i   
retired to my study1 consulted ,london1 
,lindley1 and ,linnaeus1--the thick     
,gray1 the middling ,gray1 and the      
child's ,gray1--,worcester's            
,dictionary1 and ,webster's1 in both of 
which you can usually find almost       
anything but what should be             
there1--,johnson's ,dictionary of       
,gardening1 and ,gardner's ,dictionary  
of ,farming1--and none of these         
treatises mentioned the quantity of     
potatoes proper for planting a given    

space of land4 ,even the ,worcester and 
,webster failed4 ,i was reduced to tell 
the ,kelt to ask the huckster of whom he
 bought4 ,all the treatises went on the 
principle--true1 but inadequate--that   
any fool would know4 ,any fool might1   
probably does1--but ,i was not a fool4  
,the next year1 having built my house   
and taken ,lois home1 the bluebirds sang
 spring to us one fine morning1 and we  
went out to plant our radish-seeds4     
,with fit forethought1 the seed had been
 bought1 the ground manured and raked1  
the string1 the dibble1 the woman's     
trowel1 the man's trowel1 the sticks for
 the seed-papers1 and the papers were   
all there4 ,lois was charming1 in her   
sun-bonnet2 ,i looked knowing in my     
,canadian oat-straw4 ,we marked out the 
bed1--as the robins1 meadow-larks1 and  
bluebirds directed4 ,lois then looked up
 article ,radish in the ,farmer's       
,dictionary1 and we found the lists of  
,long ,white ,naples1 ,white ,spanish1  
,black ,spanish1 ,long ,scarlet1 ,white 

,turnip-,root1 ,purple ,turnip1 and the 
rest1 for two columns1 which we should  
and should not plant4 ,all that was     
nothing to us4 ,we were to plant        
radish-seeds1 which we had bought1 as   
such1 from ,mr4 ,swett4 ,how deep to    
plant them1 how far apart or how near   
together1 the book was to tell4 ,but the
 book only said1 ,everybody knows how to
 plant radishes4  ,now this was not     
true4 ,we did not know4  ,these two     
illustrations1 as the minister says1 are
 sufficient to show the character of the
 deficiency which ,i am now to          
supply1--which young housekeepers of    
intelligence feel1 when they have got   
their nests ready and begin to bill and 
coo in-doors4 ,there are many things    
which every fool knows1 which people of 
sense do not know4 ,first among these   
things is1 ,what will you have for      
dinner8--a question not to be answered  
by detailed answers1--on the principle  
of the imaginary ,barmacide feasts of   
the cook-books1--but by the results of  

deep principles1 which underlie1 indeed1
 the whole superficial strata of        
civilized life4 ,did not the army of the
 ,punjaub perish1 as it retreated from  
,ghizni to ,jelalabad1 not because the  
enemy's lances were strong1 but because 
one day it did not dine8  ,i am not     
going to tell the old story of that     
sweet pretty girl who1 after a week of  
legs of mutton1 ordered a leg of beef4  
,i sympathize with her from the bottom  
of my heart4 ,her sister will be married
 to-morrow4 ,to her ,i dedicate this    
paper1 that she may know1 not what she  
shall order1--that is left to her own   
sweet will1 less fettered now that her  
life is rounded by her welding it upon  
its other half than it was when she     
wandered in maiden meditation           
fancy-free1--not1 ,i say1 what she shall
 order for her dinner and for           
,leander's1 but the principle on which  
the order is to be given4  ,but1 my dear
 ,mr4 ,carter1 says the blushing child1 
as she reads1 we have got to be so      

dreadfully economical6  ,fairest of your
 sex1 there was never one of your sex1  
since ,eve finished the apple1 lest any 
should be wasted1 nor of my sex1 since  
,adam grimly champed the parings1       
thinking he was in for it1 who should   
not be economical4 ,a just economy is   
the law of a luxurious life4 ,dreadful  
economy is the principle which is now to
 be unfolded to you4  ,economy in itself
 is one of the most agreeable of        
luxuries4 ,this ,i need not demonstrate4
 ,everybody knows what good fun it is to
 make a bargain4 ,economy becomes       
dreadful1 only when some lightning-flash
 of truth shows us that our painful     
frugality has been really the most      
lavish waste4  ,so ,lois and ,i1 for    
nine years1 lived without a corkscrew4  
,we would buy busts and chromoliths with
 our money instead1--we would go to the 
,white ,mountains1 we would maintain an 
elegant aesthetic hospitality1 as they  
do in ,paris1 with the money we should  
save by doing without a corkscrew4 ,so  

,i spoiled two sets of kitchen-forks by 
drawing corks with them1 ,i broke the   
necks of legions of bottles for which   
,mr4 ,tarr would have credited me two   
cents each1 and many times damaged1 even
 to the swearing-point1 one of the      
sweetest tempers in the world1--all that
 we might economize on this corkscrew4  
,but one day1 at the corner-shop1 ,i saw
 a corkscrew in the glass show-case1    
lying on some pocket-combs and family   
dye-stuffs4 ,i asked the price1 to learn
 that it cost seventeen cents4 ,the     
resolution of years gave way before the 
temptation4 ,i bought the corkscrew1 and
 from that moment my income has equalled
 my expenses4 ,so you see1 my sweet     
,may-bud1 just trembling on the edge of 
housekeeping1 that true economy consists
 in buying the right thing at the right 
time1--if you only pay for it as you go4
  ,but1 my dear ,mr4 ,carter1 ,i don't  
know what the right thing is6  ,sweet   
heart1 ,i knew it4 ,and your husband    
knows no more than you do1--although he 

will pretend to know1 that he may look  
cross when the bills come in4 ,read what
 follows2 hide the ,atlantic before he  
comes home2 and you will know more than 
he knows on the most important point in 
human life4 ,vainly1 henceforth1 will he
 quote ,greek to you1 or talk pompous   
nonsense about the price of ,treasury   
certificates1 if you know at what price 
eggs are really cheap1 and at what price
 they are really dear4  ,listen1 and    
remember6 ,then hide the ,atlantic away4
  ,when ,i engaged in the study of      
,hebrew1 which was at that time a       
regular at college1 7for why should ,i  
blush to own that ,i am in my one       
hundred and tenth year87 as ,i toiled   
through the rules and exceptions in dear
 old ,stephen ,sewall's ,hebrew         
,grammar1 ,i ventured to ask him1 one   
desperately hot ,june day1 whether he   
could not tell us1 were it only for     
curiosity's sake1 which rule would come 
into play in every verse1 and which     
would be of use only once or twice in   

the whole ,bible4 ,ah1 ,carter1 said the
 dear old fellow1 7he taught his beloved
 language with his own book17 it is all 
of use1--all6 ,and so we had to take it 
all1 and find out as we could which     
rules would be constant servitors to us1
 and which occasional lackeys1 hired for
 special occasions4 ,just so1 dear      
,hero1 do you stand about your          
housekeeping4 ,you wall be fretting     
yourself to death to economize in each  
one of one hundred and seven different  
articles1--for so many are you and      
,leander to assimilate and make your own
 special phosphate and carbon1 as this  
sweet honey-year of yours goes on4 ,of  
that fret and wear of your sweet temper1
 child1 there is no use at all4 ,listen1
 and you shall learn what are to be the 
great constants of your expense1--what  
,stephen ,sewall would have called the  
regular verbs transitive of your being1 
doing1 and suffering1--and how many of  
the one hundred and seven are only      
exceptional ,lamed ,hhes1 at which you  

can guess or which you can skip1 if the 
great central movements of your         
economies go bravely on4  ,i do not     
know1 of course1 whether ,leander is    
fond of coffee1 and whether you drink   
tea or no4 ,i can only tell you what is 
in our family1 and assure you that ours 
is a model family4 ,such a model is it1 
that ,lois has just now counted up the  
one hundred and seven articles for      
me1--has shown me that they all together
 cost us nine hundred and twenty-six    
dollars and thirty-two cents in the year
 #ahfc1 and how much each of them cost4 
,now our family consists1--  #a4 ,of the
 baby1 who is king4  #b1 #c4 ,of two    
nurses1 who are prime-ministers1 one of 
domestic affairs1 one of private        
education4  #d1 #e4 ,of a cook and      
table-girl1 who are chancellor and      
foreign secretary4 ,these four make the 
cabinet4  #f-h4 ,three older children2  
these are in the government1 but not in 
the cabinet4  #i and #aj4 ,lois and     
,i1--who pay the taxes1 fight common    

enemies1 and do what the others tell us 
as well as we can4  ,this family1 you   
observe1 consists of six grown persons1 
and three children old enough to eat1   
who are equivalent to a seventh4 ,i may 
say1 in passing1 that it therefore      
consumes just seven barrels of flour a  
year4  ,to feed it1 as ,lois has just   
now shown you1 cost in the year #ahfc   
nine hundred and twenty-six dollars and 
thirty-two cents4 ,that is the way we   
chose to live4 ,we could have lived just
 as happily on half that sum1--we could 
have lived just as wretchedly on ten    
times that sum4 ,but1 however we lived1 
the proportions of our expense would not
 have varied much from what ,i am now to
 teach you1 dear ,hero 7if that really  
be your name74  ,,butter is the biggest 
expense-item of all4 ,of our nine       
hundred and twenty-six dollars and      
thirty-two cents1 ninety-one dollars and
 twenty-six cents went for butter4      
,remember that your butter is one-tenth 
part of the whole4  ,next comes flour4  

,our seven barrels cost us seventy      
dollars and eighty-three cents4 ,we     
bought1 besides1 six dollars and        
seventy-six cents' worth of bread1 and  
six dollars and seventy-one cents' worth
 of crackers1--convenient sometimes1    
dear ,hero4 ,so that your wheat-flour   
and bread are almost a tenth of the     
whole4  ,next comes beef1 in all forms1 
ninety dollars and seventy-six cents2   
there goes another tenth4 ,the other    
meats are1 mutton1 forty-seven dollars  
and sixty-seven cents2 turkeys1         
chickens1 etc41 if you call them meat1  
sixty-one dollars and fifty-six cents2  
lamb1 seventeen dollars and fifty-three 
cents2 veal1 eleven dollars and         
fifty-three cents2 fresh pork1 one      
dollar and seventy-three cents4 7,this  
must have been for some guest4 ,lois and
 ,i each had a grandfather named ,enoch1
 and have ,jewish prejudices2 also1     
fresh pork is really the most costly    
article of diet1 if you count in the    
doctor's bills4 ,but for ham there is   

ten dollars and twenty-two cents4 ,ham  
is always available1 you know1 ,hero4   
,for other salt pork1 ,i recommend you  
to institute a father or brother1 or    
cousin attached to you in youth1 who    
shall carry on a model farm in the      
country1 and kill for you a model       
corn-fed pig every year1 see it salted  
with his own eyes1 and send to you a    
half-barrel of the pork for a gage      
d'amour4 ,it is a much more sentimental 
present than rosebuds1 dearest          
,hero1--and it lasts longer4 ,that is   
the way we do2 and salt pork1 therefore1
 does not appear on our bills4 ,but     
against such salt pork ,i have no       
,hebrew prejudice4 ,try it1 ,hero1 with 
paper-sliced potatoes fried for         
breakfast47 ,all other forms of meat sum
 up only two dollars and twenty-three   
cents4 ,and now1 ,hero1 ,i will explain 
to you the philosophy of meats4 ,you see
 they cost you a quarter part of what   
you spend4  ,know1 then1 my dear child1 
that the real business of the three     

meals a day1--of the neat luncheon you  
serve on your wedding-silver for ,mrs4  
,dubbadoe and her pretty daughter1 when 
they drive in from ,milton to see       
you1--of the ice-cream you ate last     
night at the summer party which the     
,bellinghams gave the ,pinckneys1--of   
the hard-tack and boiled dog which dear 
,john is now digesting in front of      
,petersburg1--the real business1 ,i say1
 is to supply the human frame with      
carbon1 hydrogen1 oxygen1 and nitrogen  
in organized forms4 ,it must be in      
organized matter4 ,you might pound your 
wedding-diamonds for carbon1 you might  
give water from ,jordan for oxygen and  
hydrogen1 and the snow-flakes of the    
,jungfrau might serve the nitrogen for  
,leander's dinners1 but1 because these  
are not organized1 ,leander's cheek     
would pale1 and his teeth shake in their
 sockets1 and his muscles dwindle to    
packthreads1 as ,william ,augustus's do 
in the ,slovenly-,peter books1 and he   
would die before your eyes1 ,hero6 ,yes1

 he would die6 ,do not1 in your love of 
him1 therefore1 feed him on your        
diamonds4 ,give him organized matter4   
,now1 in doing this1 you have been wise 
in spending even a tenth of your        
substance on wheat4 ,for wheat is almost
 pure food2 and wheat contains all you  
want1--more carbon than your diamonds1  
more oxygen and hydrogen than your      
tears1 more nitrogen than the           
snow-flake1--but not nitrogen enough1   
dear ,hero4  ,more nitrogen6 gasps      
,leander1 more nitrogen1 my charmer1 or 
,i die6 ,this is the real meaning of the
 words1 when he says1 ,let us have      
roast-beef for dinner1 or when he asks  
you to pass him the butter4  ,although  
beef1 then1 has little more than a      
quarter as much food in it as wheat has1
 you must have some beef1 or something  
like it1 because ,leander1 and you too1 
my rosy-cheek1 must have nitrogen as    
well as carbon4  ,i beg you not to throw
 the ,atlantic away at this point1 my   
child4 ,do not say that ,mr4 ,carter is 

an old fool1 and that you never meant to
 live on vegetables4 ,a great many      
people have meant to1 and have never    
known what was the matter with them1    
when the real deficiency was nitrogen4  
,besides1 child1 though wheat is the    
best single feeder of all1 as ,i have   
told you1 because in its gluten it has  
so much nitrogen1 this is to be said of 
all vegetables1 that1 so far as we live 
on them1 we exist slowly2 to a certain  
extent we have to ruminate as the cows  
do1 and not as men and women should     
ruminate1 and all animal or functional  
life goes more slowly on4 ,now1 ,hero1  
you and ,leander both have to lead a    
rapid life4 ,most people do in the      
autumn of #ahfd4 ,so give him meat1 dear
 ,hero1 as above4  ,as for my being an  
old fool1 my dear1 ,i have said ,i am   
one hundred and nine1 which is older    
than old ,mr4 ,waldo was1 older than    
everybody except old ,parr4 ,and after  
forty1 everybody is a fool--or a        
physician4  ,let us return1 then1 to our

 mutton1--always a good thing to return 
to1 especially if the plates are hot1 as
 yours1 ,hero1 always will be4 ,for     
mutton1 besides such water as you can   
dry out of it1 contains twenty-nine per 
cent4 of food1--for meat1 a high        
percentage4  ,let us see where we are4  
,our butter costs us one-tenth4  ,our   
flour and wheat-bread cost us almost    
one-tenth4  ,our beef costs us          
one-tenth4  ,our other meats cost us a  
tenth and a half of what we spend for   
eating and drinking4  ,where in the     
world does the rest go1 ,mr4 ,carter8   
,here is not half4 ,but ,i could        
certainly live very well on these       
things4  ,angel1 you could4 ,but if you 
lived wholly on these1 you would want   
more of them4 ,you see we have said     
nothing of coffee and tea1--the princes 
or princesses of food1--without which   
civilized man cannot renew his brains4  
,in such years as these1 ,hero1 when our
 brave soldiers must have coffee or we  
can have no victories1 coffee costs me  

and ,lois fifty dollars1--cheap at      
that1--for1 without it1 did we drink    
dandelion like the cows1 or chiccory    
like the asses1 how were these brains   
renewed8  ,tea and coffee are the same  
thing1 says ,liebig2 at least1 he says  
that ,theine1 the base of tea1 and      
,caffeine1 the base of coffee1 are the  
same4 ,what ,i know is1 that1 when      
coffee costs fifty dollars a year1 tea  
costs thirty dollars and eighty-nine    
cents4  ,for tea and coffee1 ,hero1     
allow about another tenth1--the cocoa   
and cream will bring it up to that4     
,our sugar cost us fifty-four dollars   
and twenty-two cents2 our milk fifty    
dollars and sixty-two2 our cream ten    
dollars seventy-seven4  ,buy your cream 
separate1 says ,hero1 if you have as    
good a milkman as ,mr4 ,whittemore4     
,you have not as many babies as we1     
,hero4 ,when you have1 you will not     
grudge the milk or the sugar4 ,lots of  
nourishment in sugar6 ,sugar and milk   
are another tenth4  ,i do not know if   

you are a ,catholic1 ,hero2 but ,i guess
 your kitchen is2 and so ,i am pretty   
sure that you will eat fish ,fridays4 ,i
 know you are a person of sense1 so ,i  
know you will often delight ,leander1 as
 he rises from the day's swim which1 for
 your sake1 ,hero1 he takes across the  
cold ,hellespont of life1--7all men are 
,leanders1 and all women should be their
 ,heros1 holding high love-torches for  
them17--as he rises1 ,i say1 with a     
sound of wateriness1 ,i know you will   
often delight him with oysters1         
scalloped1 fried1 or plain1 as entremets
 to flank his dinner-table4 ,for fish   
count two per cent41 for oysters two    
more1 for eggs three or four1 and for   
that stupid compound of starch which    
some men call indispensable1 and all men
 call potato1 count three or four more4 
,my advice is1 that1 when potatoes are  
dear1 you skip them4 ,rice-croquets are 
better and cheaper4 ,there goes another 
tenth4  ,tea and coffee1 etc41          
one-tenth4  ,sugar and milk1 one-tenth4 

,fish1 eggs1 potatoes1 etc41 one-tenth4 
,thus is it1 ,hero1 that three-quarters 
of what you eat will be spent for your  
bread and butter1 your meat1 fish1 eggs1
 and potatoes1 your coffee1 tea1 milk1  
and sugar1--for twenty-one articles on a
 list of one hundred and seven4 ,fresh  
vegetables1 besides those named1 will   
take one-fifth of what is left3 say five
 per cent4 of the whole expense4 ,the   
doctor will order porter or wine1 when  
your back aches1 or when ,leander looks 
thin4 ,have nothing to do with them till
 he does order them1 but reserve another
 five per cent4 for them4 ,the rest1    
,hero1 it is mace1 it is yeast1 it is   
vinegar1 pepper1 and mustard1 it is     
sardines1 it is lobster1 it is the      
unconsidered world of trifles which make
 up the visible difference between the  
table of high civilization and that of  
the ,abyssinian or the ,blackfoot       
,indian4 ,let us hope it is not much    
cream-of-tartar or saleratus4 ,it is    
grits and grapes1 it is lard and lemons1

 it is maple-sugar and melons1 it is    
nuts and nutmeg1 or any other           
alliteration that you fancy4  ,now1     
pretty one1 ,i can see you smile1 and ,i
 can hear you say1--,dear old ,mr4      
,carter1 ,i am very much obliged to you4
 ,i begin to see my way a little more   
clearly4 ,of course you do1 child4 ,you 
begin to see that the most desperate    
economy in lemons will not make you and 
,leander rich1 but that you must make up
 your mind at the start about beef and  
about butter4 ,hear1 then1 my parting   
whisper4  ,disregard the traditions of  
economy4 ,what is cheap to-day is dear  
to-morrow4 ,do not make a bill-of-fare1 
and1 because everything on it tastes    
very badly1 think it is cheap4 ,salt    
codfish is cheap sometimes1 and         
sometimes very dear4 ,venison is often  
an extravagance2 but1 of a winter when  
the sleighing is good1 and when the     
hunters have not gone ,south1 it is the 
cheapest food for you4 ,eggs are dear1  
if they tempt you to cakes that you do  

not like4 ,but no eggs can be sent to   
our brave army1 so1 if you do choose to 
make a bargain with your ,aunt ,eunice  
at ,naugatuck ,neck to send you four    
dozen by express once a week1 they will 
be1 perhaps1 the cheapest food you can  
buy4 ,what you want1 my child1 is       
variety4 ,however cheaply you live1     
secure four things3 ,first1 a change of 
fare from day to day1 so as to have a   
good appetite2 ,second1 simplicity1 each
 day1 in the table1 so as to lose but   
little in chips2 ,third1 fitness of     
things there1 as hot plates for your    
mutton and cold ones for your butter1 so
 that what you have may be of the best2 
and1 first1 second1 third1 and last1    
love between you and ,leander4 ,this    
last sauce1 says ,solomon1 answers even 
for herbs4 ,and you know the ,emperors  
,augustus and ,nebuchadnezzar both had  
to live on herbs1--,i am afraid1 because
 love had been wanting in both cases4   
,if you have a stalled ox1 you will need
 the same sauces1--much more1 unless it 

is better dressed than the only one ,i  
ever saw1 which was at ,warwick1 when   
,cheron and ,i were going to            
,stratford-on-,avon4 ,it was not        
attractive4 ,you will need three of     
these four things1 if you are rich4     
,rich or poor1 buy in as large          
quantities as you can4 ,rich or poor1   
pay cash4 ,rich or poor1 do not try to  
do without carbon or nitrogen4 ,rich or 
poor1 vary steadily the bills-of-fare4  
,now the minimum of what you can support
 life upon1 at this moment1 is easily   
told4 ,jeff ,davis makes the calculation
 for you4 ,it is quarter of a pound of  
salt pork a day1 with four ,graham      
hard-tack4 ,that is what each of his    
soldiers is eating2 and though they are 
not stout1 they are wiry fellows1 and   
fight well4 ,the maximum you can find by
 lodging at the ,brevoort1 at ,new      
,york1--where1 when ,i last went to the 
front1 ,i stopped an hour on the way1   
and1 though ,i had no meals1 paid two   
dollars and eighty cents for washing my 

face in another man's bedroom4 ,a year  
of ,jeff ,davis's diet would cost you   
and ,leander1 if you bought in large    
quantities1 sixty dollars4 ,a year at   
,rye ,beach just now would cost you two 
or three thousand dollars4 ,choose your 
dinner from either bill2 vary it1 by all
 the gradations between4 ,but remember1 
child1 as you would cheer ,leander after
 his swim1 and keep within your         
allowance1 remember that what was dear  
yesterday may be cheap to-day1--remember
 to vary the repast1 therefore1 from    
,monday round to ,saturday2 eschew the  
corner-shop1 and buy as large stores as 
,leander will let you2 and always keep  
near at hand an unexhausted supply of   
,solomon's condiment4  ,,footnotes3  #ce
      ,all hail1 thou ,connecticut1 who 
forever hast ran1     ,bringing shad to 
,south ,hadley1 and pleasure to man6    
,,before ,,vicksburg4  ,,may #ai1 #ahfc4
       ,while ,sherman stood beneath the
 hottest fire       ,that from the lines
 of ,vicksburg gleamed1     ,and        

bomb-shells tumbled in their smoky gyre1
       ,and grape-shot hissed1 and      
case-shot screamed2           ,back from
 the front there came1                  
,weeping and sorely lame1       ,the    
merest child1 the youngest face     ,man
 ever saw in such a fearful place4      
,stifling his tears1 he limped his chief
 to meet2       ,but when he paused1 and
 tottering stood1     ,around the circle
 of his little feet       ,there spread 
a pool of bright1 young blood4          
,shocked at his doleful case1           
,sherman cried1 ,halt6 front face6      
,who are you8 ,speak1 my gallant boy6   
,a drummer1 ,sir3--,fifty-,fifth        
,illinois4      ,are you not hit8       
,that's nothing4 ,only send       ,some 
cartridges3 our men are out2     ,and   
the foe press us4 ,but1 my little       
friend--       ,don't mind me6 ,did you 
hear that shout8           ,what if our 
men be driven8           ,oh1 for the   
love of ,heaven1       ,send to my      
,colonel1 ,general dear6     ,but you8  

,oh1 ,i shall easily find the rear4     
,i'll see to that1 cried ,sherman2 and a
 drop       ,angels might envy dimmed   
his eye1     ,as the boy1 toiling       
towards the hill's hard top1            
,turned round1 and with his shrill      
child's cry           ,shouted1 ,oh1    
don't forget6           ,we'll win the  
battle yet6       ,but let our soldiers 
have some more1     ,more cartridges1   
,sir1--calibre fifty-four6     ,,our    
,,visit ,,to ,,richmond4  ,,why ,,we    
,,went ,,there4   ,why my companion1 the
 ,rev4 ,dr4 ,jaquess1 ,colonel of the   
,seventy-,third ,regiment of ,illinois  
,volunteers1 recently went to ,richmond1
 and the circumstances attending his    
previous visit within the ,rebel        
lines1--when he wore his uniform1 and   
mixed openly with scores of leading     
,confederates1--,i shall shortly make   
known to the public in a volume called  
,down in ,tennessee4 ,it may now1       
however1 be asked why ,i1 a civil       
individual1 and not in the pay of       

,government1 became his                 
travelling-companion1 and1 at a time    
when all the world was rushing ,north to
 the mountains and the watering-places1 
journeyed ,south for a conference with  
the arch-,rebel1 in the hot and         
dangerous latitude of ,virginia4  ,did  
it never occur to you1 reader1 when you 
have undertaken to account for some of  
the simplest of your own actions1 how   
many good reasons have arisen in your   
mind1 every one of which has justified  
you in concluding that you were of sound
 and disposing understanding8 ,so1 now1 
in looking inward for the why and the   
wherefore which ,i know will be demanded
 of me at the threshold of this article1
 ,i find half a dozen reasons for my    
visit to ,richmond1 any one of which    
ought to prove that ,i am a sensible    
man1 altogether too sensible to go on so
 long a journey1 in the heat of         
midsummer1 for the mere pleasure of the 
thing4 ,some of these reasons ,i will   
enumerate4  ,first3 ,very many honest   

people at the ,north sincerely believe  
that the revolted ,states will return to
 the ,union1 if assured of protection to
 their peculiar institution4 ,the       
,government having declared that no     
,state shall be readmitted which has not
 first abolished ,slavery1 these people 
hold it responsible for the continuance 
of the war4 ,it is1 therefore1 important
 to know whether the ,rebel ,states will
 or will not return1 if allowed to      
retain ,slavery4 ,mr4 ,jefferson ,davis 
could1 undoubtedly1 answer that         
question2 and that may have been a      
reason why ,i went to see him4  ,second3
 ,on the second of ,july last1 ,c4 ,c4  
,clay1 of ,alabama1 ,j4 ,p4 ,holcombe1  
of ,virginia1 and ,g4 ,n4 ,sanders1 of  
nowhere in particular1 appeared at      
,niagara ,falls1 and publicly announced 
that they were there to confer with the 
,democratic leaders in reference to the 
,chicago nomination4 ,very soon         
thereafter1 a few friends of the        
,administration received intimations    

from those gentlemen that they were     
,commissioners from the ,rebel          
,government1 with authority to negotiate
 preliminaries of peace on something    
like the following basis1 namely3 ,a    
restoration of the ,union as it was2 all
 negroes actually freed by the war to be
 declared free1 and all negroes not     
actually freed by the war to be declared
 slaves4  ,these overtures were not     
considered sincere4 ,they seemed        
concocted to embarrass the ,government1 
to throw upon it the odium of continuing
 the war1 and thus to secure the triumph
 of the peace-traitors at the ,november 
election4 ,the scheme1 if well managed1 
threatened to be dangerous1 by uniting  
the ,peace-men1 the ,copperheads1 and   
such of the ,republicans as love peace  
better than principle1 in one           
opposition1 willing to make a peace that
 would be inconsistent with the safety  
and dignity of the country4 ,it was1    
therefore1 important to discover--what  
was then in doubt--whether the ,rebel   

envoys really had1 or had not1 any      
official authority4  ,within fifteen    
days of the appearance of these ,peace  
,commissioners1 ,jefferson ,davis had   
said to an eminent ,secession divine1   
who1 late in ,june1 came through the    
,union lines by the ,maryland back-door1
 that he would make peace on no other   
terms than a recognition of ,southern   
,independence4 7,he might1 however1     
agree to two governments1 bound together
 by a league offensive and              
defensive1--for all external purposes   
one1 for all internal purposes two2 but 
he would agree to nothing better47      
,there was reason to consider this      
information trustworthy1 and to believe 
,mr4 ,davis 7who was supposed to be a   
clear-minded man7 altogether ignorant of
 the doings of his ,niagara satellites4 
,if this were true1 and were proven to  
be true1--if the great ,rebel should    
reiterate this declaration in the       
presence of a trustworthy witness1 at   
the very time when the small ,rebels    

were opening their ,quaker guns on the  
country1--would not the ,niagara        
negotiators be stripped of their false  
colors1 and their low schemes be exposed
 to the scorn of all honest men1 ,north 
and ,south8  ,i may have thought so2 and
 that may have been another reason why  
,i went to ,richmond4  ,third3 ,i had   
been acquainted with ,colonel ,jaquess's
 peace-movements from their inception4  
,early in ,june last he wrote me from a 
battle-field in ,georgia1 announcing his
 intention of again visiting the        
,rebels1 and asking an interview with me
 at a designated place4 ,we met1 and    
went to ,washington together4 ,arriving 
there1 ,i became aware that obstacles   
were in the way of his further progress4
 ,those obstacles could be removed by my
 accompanying him2 and that1 to those   
who know the man and his mission1 which 
is to preach peace on earth and         
good-will among men1 would seem a very  
good reason why ,i went to ,richmond4   
,fourth1--and this to very many may     

appear as potent as any of the preceding
 reasons1--,i had in my boyhood a       
strange fancy for church-belfries and   
liberty-poles4 ,this fancy led me1 in   
school-vacations1 to perch my small self
 for hours on the cross-beams in the old
 belfry1 and to climb to the very top of
 the tall pole which still surmounts the
 little village-green4 ,in my youth1    
this feeling was simply a spirit of     
adventure2 but as ,i grew older it      
deepened into a reverence for what those
 old bells said1 and a love for the     
principle of which that old liberty-pole
 is now only a crumbling symbol4  ,had  
not events shown that ,jeff4 ,davis had 
never seen that old liberty-pole1 and   
never heard the chimes which still ring 
out from that old belfry8 ,who knew1 in 
these days when every wood-sawyer has a 
mission1 but ,i had a mission1 and it   
was to tell the ,rebel ,president that  
,northern liberty-poles still stand for 
,freedom1 and that ,northern            
church-bells still peal out1 ,liberty   

throughout the land1 to all the         
inhabitants thereof8  ,if that was my   
mission1 will anybody blame me for      
fanning ,mr4 ,davis with a blast of cool
 ,northern wind in this hot weather8    
,but enough of mystification4 ,the      
straightforward reader wants a          
straightforward reason1 and he shall    
have it4  ,we went to ,richmond because 
we hoped to pave the way for            
negotiations that would result in peace4
  ,if we should succeed1 the            
consciousness of having served the      
country would1 we thought1 pay our      
expenses4 ,if we should fail1 but return
 safely1 we might still serve the       
country by making public the cause of   
our failure4 ,if we should fail1 and not
 return safely1 but be shot or hanged as
 spies1--as we might be1 for we could   
have no protection from our ,government1
 and no safe-conduct from the           
,rebels1--two lives would be added to   
the thousands already sacrificed to this
 ,rebellion1 but they would as          

effectually serve the country as if lost
 on the battle-field4  ,these are the   
reasons1 and the only reasons1 why we   
went to ,richmond4   ,,how ,,we ,,went  
,,there4  ,we went there in an          
ambulance1 and we went together1--the   
,colonel and ,i2 and though two men were
 never more unlike1 we worked together  
like two brothers1 or like two halves of
 a pair of shears4 ,that we got in was  
owing1 perhaps1 to me2 that we got out  
was due altogether to him2 and a man    
more cool1 more brave1 more             
self-reliant1 and more self-devoted than
 that quiet ,western parson it never was
 my fortune to encounter4  ,when the    
far-away ,boston bells were sounding    
nine1 on the morning of ,saturday1 the  
sixteenth of ,july1 we took our glorious
 ,massachusetts ,general by the hand1   
and said to him1--  ,good bye4 ,if you  
do not see us within ten days1 you will 
know we have 'gone up4'  ,if ,i do not  
see you within that time1 he replied1   
,i'll demand you2 and if they don't     

produce you1 body and soul1 ,i'll take  
two for one1--better men than you       
are1--and hang them higher than ,haman4 
,my hand on that4 ,good bye4  ,at three 
o'clock on the afternoon of the same    
day1 mounted on two raw-boned relics of 
,sheridan's great raid1 and armed with a
 letter to ,jeff4 ,davis1 a white       
cambric handkerchief tied to a short    
stick1 and an honest face1--this last   
was the ,colonel's1--we rode up to the  
,rebel lines4 ,a ragged1 yellow-faced   
boy1 with a carbine in one hand1 and    
another white handkerchief tied to      
another short stick in the other1 came  
out to meet us4  ,can you tell us1 my   
man1 where to find ,judge ,ould1 the    
,exchange ,commissioner8  ,yas4 ,him and
 t'other ',change officers is over ter  
the plantation beyont ,miss ,grover's4  
,ye'll know it by its hevin' nary door  
nur winder the mansion1 he meant4       
,they's all busted in4 ,foller the      
bridle-path through the timber1 and keep
 your rag a-flyin'1 fur our boys is     

thicker 'n huckelberries in them woods1 
and they mought pop ye1 ef they didn't  
seed it4  ,thanking him1 we turned our  
horses into the timber1 and1 galloping  
rapidly on1 soon came in sight of the   
deserted plantation4 ,lolling on the    
grass1 in the shade of the windowless   
mansion1 we found the ,confederate      
officials4 ,they rose as we approached2 
and one of us said to the ,judge1--a    
courteous1 middle-aged gentleman1 in a  
,panama hat1 and a suit of spotless     
white drillings1--  ,we are late1 but   
it's your fault4 ,your people fired at  
us down the river1 and we had to turn   
back and come overland4  ,you don't     
suppose they saw your flag8  ,no4 ,it   
was hidden by the trees2 but a shot came
 uncomfortably near us4 ,it struck the  
water1 and ricochetted not three yards  
off4 ,a little nearer1 and it would have
 shortened me by a head1 and the        
,colonel by two feet4  ,that would have 
been a sad thing for you2 but a miss1   
you know1 is as good as a mile1 said the

 ,judge1 evidently enjoying the joke4   
,we hear ,grant was in the boat that    
followed yours1 and was struck while at 
dinner1 remarked ,captain ,hatch1 the   
,judge's ,adjutant1--a gentleman1 and   
about the best-looking man in the       
,confederacy4  ,indeed6 ,do you believe 
it8  ,i don't know1 of course2 and his  
looks asked for an answer4 ,we gave     
none1 for all such information is       
contraband4 ,we might have told him that
 ,grant1 ,butler1 and ,foster examined  
their position from ,mrs4 ,grover's     
house1--about four hundred yards        
distant1--two hours after the ,rebel    
cannon-ball danced a break-down on the  
,lieutenant-,general's dinner-table4    
,we were then introduced to the other   
officials1--,major ,henniken of the ,war
 ,department1 a young man formerly of   
,new ,york1 but now scorning the        
imputation of being a ,yankee1 and ,mr4 
,charles ,javins1 of the ,provost-,guard
 of ,richmond4 ,this latter individual  
was our shadow in ,dixie4 ,he was of    

medium height1 stoutly built1 with a    
short1 thick neck1 and arms and         
shoulders denoting great strength4 ,he  
looked a natural-born jailer1 and much  
such a character as a timid man would   
not care to encounter1 except at long   
range of a rifle warranted to five      
twenty shots a minute1 and to hit every 
time4  ,to give us a moonlight view of  
the ,richmond fortifications1 the ,judge
 proposed to start after sundown2 and as
 it wanted some hours of that time1 we  
seated ourselves on the ground1 and     
entered into conversation4 ,the         
treatment of our prisoners1 the status  
of black troops1 and non-combatants1 and
 all the questions which have led to the
 suspension of exchanges1 had been      
good-naturedly discussed1 when the      
,captain1 looking up from one of the    
,northern papers we had brought him1    
said1--  ,do you know1 it mortifies me  
that you don't hate us as we hate you8  
,you kill us as ,agassiz kills a        
fly1--because you love us4  ,of course  

we do4 ,the ,north is being crucified   
for love of the ,south4  ,if you love us
 so1 why don't you let us go8 asked the 
,judge1 rather curtly4  ,for that very  
reason1--because we love you4 ,if we let
 you go1 with slavery1 and your notions 
of 'empire1' you'd run straight to      
barbarism and the ,devil4  ,we'd take   
the risk of that4 ,but let me tell you1 
if you are going to ,mr4 ,davis with any
 such ideas1 you might as well turn back
 at once4 ,he can make peace on no other
 basis than ,independence4 ,recognition 
must be the beginning1 middle1 and      
ending of all negotiations4 ,our people 
will accept peace on no other terms4  ,i
 think you are wrong there1 said the    
,colonel4 ,when ,i was here a year ago1 
,i met many of your leading men1 and    
they all assured me they wanted peace   
and reunion1 even at the sacrifice of   
slavery4 ,within a week1 a man you      
venerate and love has met me at         
,baltimore1 and besought me to come     
here1 and offer ,mr4 ,davis peace on    

such conditions4  ,that may be4 ,some of
 our old men1 who are weak in the knees1
 may want peace on any terms2 but the   
,southern people will not have it       
without ,independence4 ,mr4 ,davis knows
 them1 and you will find he will insist 
upon that4 ,concede that1 and we'll not 
quarrel about minor matters4  ,we'll not
 quarrel at all4 ,but it's sundown1 and 
time we were 'on to ,richmond4'  ,that's
 the ',tribune' cry1 said the ,captain1 
rising2 and ,i hurrah for the           
',tribune1' for it's honest1 and--,i    
want my supper4  ,we all laughed1 and   
the ,judge ordered the horses4 ,as we   
were about to start1 ,i said to him1--  
,you've forgotten our parole4  ,oh1     
never mind that4 ,we'll attend to that  
at ,richmond4  ,stepping into his       
carriage1 and unfurling the flag of     
truce1 he then led the way1 by a short  
cut1 across the cornfield which divided 
the mansion from the high-road4 ,we     
followed in an ambulance drawn by a pair
 of mules1 our shadow--,mr4             

,javins--sitting between us and the     
twilight1 and ,jack1 a likely darky1    
almost the sole survivor of his master's
 twelve hundred slaves1 7,de ress all   
stole1 ,massa1--stole by you ,yankees17 
occupying the front-seat1 and with a    
stout whip working our passage to       
,richmond4  ,much that was amusing and  
interesting occurred during our         
three-hours' journey1 but regard for our
 word forbids my relating it4 ,suffice  
it to say1 we saw the frowning          
fortifications1 we flanked the          
invincible army1 and1 at ten o'clock    
that night1 planted our flag 7against a 
lamp-post7 in the very heart of the     
hostile city4 ,as we alighted at the    
doorway of the ,spotswood ,hotel1 the   
,judge said to the ,colonel1--  ,button 
your outside-coat up closely4 ,your     
uniform must not be seen here4  ,the    
,colonel did as he was bidden2 and1     
without stopping to register our names  
at the office1 we followed the ,judge   
and the ,captain up to ,no4 #fj4 ,it was

 a large1 square room in the fourth     
story1 with an unswept1 ragged carpet1  
and bare1 white walls1 smeared with soot
 and tobacco-juice4 ,several chairs1 a  
marble-top table1 and a pine wash-stand 
and clothes-press straggled about the   
floor1 and in the corners were three    
beds1 garnished with tattered           
pillow-cases1 and covered with white    
counterpanes1 grown gray with longing   
for soapsuds and a wash-tub4 ,the       
plainer and humbler of these beds was   
designed for the burly ,mr4 ,javins2 the
 others had been made ready for the     
extraordinary envoys 7not envoys        
extraordinary7 who1 in defiance of all  
precedent and the law of nations1 had   
just then taken ,richmond4  ,a single   
gas-jet was burning over the            
mantel-piece1 and above it ,i saw a     
writing on the wall which implied that  
,jane ,jackson had run up a             
washing-score of fifty dollars6  ,i was 
congratulating myself on not having to  
pay that woman's laundry-bills1 when the

 ,judge said1--  ,you want supper4 ,what
 shall we order8  ,a slice of hot       
corn-bread would make me the happiest   
man in ,richmond4  ,the ,captain        
thereupon left the room1 and shortly    
returning1 remarked1--  ,the landlord   
swears you're from ,georgia4 ,he says   
none but a ,georgian would call for     
corn-bread at this time of night4  ,on  
that hint we acted1 and when our sooty  
attendant came in with the              
supper-things1 we discussed ,georgia    
mines1 ,georgia banks1 and ,georgia     
mosquitoes1 in a way that showed we had 
been bitten by all of them4 ,in half an 
hour it was noised all about the hotel  
that the two gentlemen the ,confederacy 
was taking such excellent care of were  
from ,georgia4  ,the meal ended1 and a  
quiet smoke over1 our entertainers rose 
to go4 ,as the ,judge bade us           
good-night1 he said to us1--  ,in the   
morning you had better address a note to
 ,mr4 ,benjamin1 asking the interview   
with the ,president4 ,i will call at ten

 o'clock1 and take it to him4  ,very    
well4 ,but will ,mr4 ,davis see us on   
,sunday8  ,oh1 that will make no        
difference4   ,,what ,,we ,,did ,,there4
  ,the next morning1 after breakfast1   
which we took in our room with ,mr4     
,javins1 we indited a note--of which the
 following is a copy--to the            
,confederate ,secretary of ,state4      
,spotswood ,house1 ,richmond1 ,va4      
,july #agth1 #ahfd4      ,hon4 ,j4 ,p4  
,benjamin1          ,secretary of       
,state1 etc4       ,,dear ,,sir1--,the  
undersigned respectfully solicit an     
interview      with ,president ,davis4  
,they visit ,richmond only as private   
citizens1 and have no      official     
character or authority2 but they are    
acquainted with      the views of the   
,united ,states ,government1 and with   
the      sentiments of the ,northern    
people relative to an adjustment of     
the differences existing between the    
,north and the ,south1 and              
earnestly hope that a free interchange  

of views between      ,president ,davis 
and themselves may open the way to such 
official negotiations as will result in 
restoring ,,peace to      the two       
sections of our distracted country4     
,they1 therefore1 ask an interview with 
the ,president1 and      awaiting your  
reply1 are          ,truly and          
respectfully yours4  ,this was signed by
 both of us2 and when the ,judge called1
 as he had appointed1 we sent           
it--together with a commendatory letter 
,i had received1 on setting out1 from a 
near relative of ,mr4 ,davis--to the    
,rebel ,secretary4 ,in half an hour     
,judge ,ould returned1 saying1--,mr4    
,benjamin sends you his compliments1 and
 will be happy to see you at the ,state 
,department4  ,we found the             
,secretary--a short1 plump1 oily little 
man in black1 with a keen black eye1 a  
,jew face1 a yellow skin1 curly black   
hair1 closely trimmed black whiskers1   
and a ponderous gold watch-chain--in the
 northwest room of the ,united ,states  

,custom-,house4 ,over the door of this  
room were the words1 ,state ,department1
 and round its walls were hung a few    
maps and battle-plans4 ,in one corner   
was a tier of shelves filled with       
books1--among which ,i noticed          
,headley's ,history1 ,lossing's         
,pictorial1 ,parton's ,butler1          
,greeley's ,american ,conflict1 a       
complete set of the ,rebellion ,record1 
and a dozen numbers and several bound   
volumes of the ,atlantic ,monthly1--and 
in the centre of the apartment was a    
black-walnut table1 covered with green  
cloth1 and filled with a multitude of   
state-papers4 ,at this table sat the    
,secretary4 ,he rose as we entered1 and1
 as ,judge ,ould introduced us1 took our
 hands1 and said1--  ,i am glad1 very   
glad1 to meet you1 ,gentlemen4 ,i have  
read your note1 and--bowing to me--the  
open letter you bring from ----4 ,your  
errand commands my respect and sympathy4
 ,pray be seated4  ,as we took the      
proffered seats1 the ,colonel1 drawing  

off his duster1 and displaying his      
uniform1 said1--  ,we thank you for this
 cordial reception1 ,mr4 ,benjamin4 ,we 
trust you will be as glad to hear us as 
you are to see us4  ,no doubt ,i shall  
be1 for you come to talk of peace4      
,peace is what we all want4  ,it is1    
indeed2 and for that reason we are here 
to see ,mr4 ,davis4 ,can we see him1    
,sir8  ,do you bring any overtures to   
him from your ,government8  ,no1 ,sir4  
,we bring no overtures and have no      
authority from our ,government4 ,we     
state that in our note4 ,we would be    
glad1 however1 to know what terms will  
be acceptable to ,mr4 ,davis4 ,if they  
at all harmonize with ,mr4 ,lincoln's   
views1 we will report them to him1 and  
so open the door for official           
negotiations4  ,are you acquainted with 
,mr4 ,lincoln's views8  ,one of us is1  
fully4  ,did ,mr4 ,lincoln1 in any way1 
authorize you to come here8  ,no1 ,sir4 
,we came with his pass1 but not by his  
request4 ,we say1 distinctly1 we have no

 official1 or unofficial1 authority4 ,we
 come as men and ,christians1 not as    
diplomatists1 hoping1 in a frank talk   
with ,mr4 ,davis1 to discover some way  
by which this war may be stopped4       
,well1 ,gentlemen1 ,i will repeat what  
you say to the ,president1 and if he    
follows my advice1--and ,i think he     
will1--he will meet you4 ,he will be at 
church this afternoon2 so1 suppose you  
call here at nine this evening4 ,if     
anything should occur in the meantime to
 prevent his seeing you1 ,i will let you
 know through ,judge ,ould4  ,throughout
 this interview the manner of the       
,secretary was cordial2 but with this   
cordiality was a strange constraint and 
diffidence1 almost amounting to         
timidity1 which struck both my companion
 and myself4 ,contrasting his manner    
with the quiet dignity of the ,colonel1 
,i almost fancied our positions         
reversed1--that1 instead of our being in
 his power1 the ,secretary was in ours1 
and momently expecting to hear some     

unwelcome sentence from our lips4 ,there
 is something1 after all1 in moral      
power4 ,mr4 ,benjamin does not possess  
it1 nor is he a great man4 ,he has a    
keen1 shrewd1 ready intellect1 but not  
the stamina to originate1 or even to    
execute1 any great good or great        
wickedness4  ,after a day spent in our  
room1 conversing with the ,judge1 or    
watching the passers-by in the          
street1--,i should like to tell who they
 were and how they looked1 but such     
information is just now contraband1--we 
called again1 at nine o'clock1 at the   
,state ,department4  ,mr4 ,benjamin     
occupied his previous seat at the table1
 and at his right sat a spare1          
thin-featured man1 with iron-gray hair  
and beard1 and a clear1 gray eye full of
 life and vigor4 ,he had a broad1       
massive forehead1 and a mouth and chin  
denoting great energy and strength of   
will4 ,his face was emaciated1 and much 
wrinkled1 but his features were good1   
especially his eyes1--though one of them

 bore a scar1 apparently made by some   
sharp instrument4 ,he wore a suit of    
grayish-brown1 evidently of foreign     
manufacture1 and1 as he rose1 ,i saw    
that he was about five feet ten inches  
high1 with a slight stoop in the        
shoulders4 ,his manners were simple1    
easy1 and quite fascinating3 and he     
threw an indescribable charm into his   
voice1 as he extended his hand1 and said
 to us1--  ,i am glad to see you1       
,gentlemen4 ,you are very welcome to    
,richmond4  ,and this was the man who   
was ,president of the ,united ,states   
under ,franklin ,pierce1 and who is now 
the heart1 soul1 and brains of the      
,southern ,confederacy6  ,his manner put
 me entirely at my ease1--the ,colonel  
would be at his1 if he stood before     
,caesar1--and ,i replied1--  ,we thank  
you1 ,mr4 ,davis4 ,it is not often you  
meet men of our clothes1 and our        
principles1 in ,richmond4  ,not         
often1--not so often as ,i could wish2  
and ,i trust your coming may lead to a  

more frequent and a more friendly       
intercourse between the ,north and the  
,south4  ,we sincerely hope it may4     
,mr4 ,benjamin tells me you have asked  
to see me1 to----  ,and he paused1 as if
 desiring we should finish the sentence4
 ,the ,colonel replied1--  ,yes1 ,sir4  
,we have asked this interview in the    
hope that you may suggest some way by   
which this war can be stopped4 ,our     
people want peace1--your people do1 and 
your ,congress has recently said that   
you do4 ,we have come to ask how it can 
be brought about4  ,in a very simple    
way4 ,withdraw your armies from our     
territory1 and peace will come of       
itself4 ,we do not seek to subjugate    
you4 ,we are not waging an offensive    
war1 except so far as it is             
offensive-defensive1--that is1 so far as
 we are forced to invade you to prevent 
your invading us4 ,let us alone1 and    
peace will come at once4  ,but we cannot
 let you alone so long as you repudiate 
the ,union4 ,that is the one thing the  

,northern people will not surrender4  ,i
 know4 ,you would deny to us what you   
exact for yourselves1--the right of     
self-government4  ,no1 ,sir1 ,i         
remarked4 ,we would deny you no natural 
right4 ,but we think ,union essential to
 peace2 and1 ,mr4 ,davis1 could two     
people1 with the same language1         
separated by only an imaginary line1    
live at peace with each other8 ,would   
not disputes constantly arise1 and cause
 almost constant war between them8      
,undoubtedly1--with this generation4    
,you have sown such bitterness at the   
,south1 you have put such an ocean of   
blood between the two sections1 that ,i 
despair of seeing any harmony in my     
time4 ,our children may forget this war1
 but we cannot4  ,i think the bitterness
 you speak of1 ,sir1 said the ,colonel1 
does not really exist4 ,we meet and talk
 here as friends2 our soldiers meet and 
fraternize with each other2 and ,i feel 
sure1 that1 if the ,union were restored1
 a more friendly feeling would arise    

between us than has ever existed4 ,the  
war has made us know and respect each   
other better than before4 ,this is the  
view of very many ,southern men2 ,i have
 had it from many of them1--your leading
 citizens4  ,they are mistaken1 replied 
,mr4 ,davis4 ,they do not understand    
,southern sentiment4 ,how can we feel   
anything but bitterness towards men who 
deny us our rights8 ,if you enter my    
house and drive me out of it1 am ,i not 
your natural enemy8  ,you put the case  
too strongly4 ,but we cannot fight      
forever2 the war must end at some time2 
we must finally agree upon something2   
can we not agree now1 and stop this     
frightful carnage8 ,we are both         
,christian men1 ,mr4 ,davis4 ,can you1  
as a ,christian man1 leave untried any  
means that may lead to peace8  ,no1 ,i  
cannot4 ,i desire peace as much as you  
do4 ,i deplore bloodshed as much as you 
do2 but ,i feel that not one drop of the
 blood shed in this war is on my        
hands1--,i can look up to my ,god and   

say this4 ,i tried all in my power to   
avert this war4 ,i saw it coming1 and   
for twelve years ,i worked night and day
 to prevent it1 but ,i could not4 ,the  
,north was mad and blind2 it would not  
let us govern ourselves2 and so the war 
came1 and now it must go on till the    
last man of this generation falls in his
 tracks1 and his children seize his     
musket and fight his battle1 unless you 
acknowledge our right to                
self-government4 ,we are not fighting   
for slavery4 ,we are fighting for       
,independence1--and that1 or            
extermination1 we will have4  ,and there
 are1 at least1 four and a half millions
 of us left2 so you see you have a work 
before you1 said ,mr4 ,benjamin1 with a 
decided sneer4  ,we have no wish to     
exterminate you1 answered the ,colonel4 
,i believe what ,i have said1--that     
there is no bitterness between the      
,northern and ,southern people4 ,the    
,north1 ,i know1 loves the ,south4 ,when
 peace comes1 it will pour money and    

means into your hands to repair the     
waste caused by the war2 and it would   
now welcome you back1 and forgive you   
all the loss and bloodshed you have     
caused4 ,but we must crush your armies1 
and exterminate your ,government4 ,and  
is not that already nearly done8 ,you   
are wholly without money1 and at the end
 of your resources4 ,grant has shut you 
up in ,richmond4 ,sherman is before     
,atlanta4 ,had you not1 then1 better    
accept honorable terms while you can    
retain your prestige1 and save the pride
 of the ,southern people8  ,mr4 ,davis  
smiled4  ,i respect your earnestness1   
,colonel1 but you do not seem to        
understand the situation4 ,we are not   
exactly shut up in ,richmond4 ,if your  
papers tell the truth1 it is your       
capital that is in danger1 not ours4    
,some weeks ago1 ,grant crossed the     
,rapidan to whip ,lee1 and take         
,richmond4 ,lee drove him in the first  
battle1 and then ,grant executed what   
your people call a 'brilliant           

flank-movement1' and fought ,lee again4 
,lee drove him a second time1 and then  
,grant made another 'flank-movement'2   
and so they kept on1--,lee whipping1 and
 ,grant flanking1--until ,grant got     
where he is now4 ,and what is the net   
result8 ,grant has lost seventy-five or 
eighty thousand men1--more than ,lee had
 at the outset1--and is no nearer taking
 ,richmond than at first2 and ,lee1     
whose front has never been broken1 holds
 him completely in check1 and has men   
enough to spare to invade ,maryland1 and
 threaten ,washington6 ,sherman1 to be  
sure1 is before ,atlanta2 but suppose he
 is1 and suppose he takes it8 ,you know1
 that1 the farther he goes from his base
 of supplies1 the weaker he grows1 and  
the more disastrous defeat will be to   
him4 ,and defeat may come4 ,so1 in a    
military view1 ,i should certainly say  
our position was better than yours4  ,as
 to money3 we are richer than you are4  
,you smile2 but admit that our paper is 
worth nothing1--it answers as a         

circulating-medium2 and we hold it all  
ourselves4 ,if every dollar of it were  
lost1 we should1 as we have no foreign  
debt1 be none the poorer4 ,but it is    
worth something2 it has the solid basis 
of a large cotton-crop1 while yours     
rests on nothing1 and you owe all the   
world4 ,as to resources3 we do not lack 
for arms or ammunition1 and we have     
still a wide territory from which to    
gather supplies4 ,so1 you see1 we are   
not in extremities4 ,but if we were1--if
 we were without money1 without food1   
without weapons1--if our whole country  
were devastated1 and our armies crushed 
and disbanded1--could we1 without giving
 up our manhood1 give up our right to   
govern ourselves8 ,would you not rather 
die1 and feel yourself a man1 than live1
 and be subject to a foreign power8     
,from your stand-point there is force in
 what you say1 replied the ,colonel4    
,but we did not come here to argue with 
you1 ,mr4 ,davis4 ,we came1 hoping to   
find some honorable way to peace2 and ,i

 am grieved to hear you say what you do4
 ,when ,i have seen your young men dying
 on the battle-field1 and your old men1 
women1 and children starving in their   
homes1 ,i have felt ,i could risk my    
life to save them4 ,for that reason ,i  
am here2 and ,i am grieved1 grieved1    
that there is no hope4  ,i know your    
motives1 ,colonel ,jaquess1 and ,i honor
 you for them2 but what can ,i do more  
than ,i am doing8 ,i would give my poor 
life1 gladly1 if it would bring peace   
and good-will to the two countries2 but 
it would not4 ,it is with your own      
people you should labor4 ,it is they who
 desolate our homes1 burn our           
wheat-fields1 break the wheels of wagons
 carrying away our women and children1  
and destroy supplies meant for our sick 
and wounded4 ,at your door lies all the 
misery and the crime of this war1--and  
it is a fearful1 fearful account4  ,not 
all of it1 ,mr4 ,davis4 ,i admit a      
fearful account1 but it is not all at   
our door4 ,the passions of both sides   

are aroused4 ,unarmed men are hanged1   
prisoners are shot down in cold blood1  
by yourselves4 ,elements of barbarism   
are entering the war on both sides1 that
 should make us--you and me1 as         
,christian men--shudder to think of4 ,in
 ,god's name1 then1 let us stop it4 ,let
 us do something1 concede something1 to 
bring about peace4 ,you cannot expect1  
with only four and a half millions1 as  
,mr4 ,benjamin says you have1 to hold   
out forever against twenty millions4    
,again ,mr4 ,davis smiled4  ,do you     
suppose there are twenty millions at the
 ,north determined to crush us8  ,i     
do1--to crush your government4 ,a small 
number of our people1 a very small      
number1 are your                        
friends1--,secessionists4 ,the rest     
differ about measures and candidates1   
but are united in the determination to  
sustain the ,union4 ,whoever is elected 
in ,november1 he must be committed to a 
vigorous prosecution of the war4  ,mr4  
,davis still looking incredulous1 ,i    

remarked1--  ,it is so1 ,sir4 ,whoever  
tells you otherwise deceives you4 ,i    
think ,i know ,northern sentiment1 and  
,i assure you it is so4 ,you know we    
have a system of lyceum-lecturing in our
 large towns4 ,at the close of these    
lectures1 it is the custom of the people
 to come upon the platform and talk with
 the lecturer4 ,this gives him an       
excellent opportunity of learning public
 sentiment4 ,last winter ,i lectured    
before nearly a hundred of such         
associations1 all over the ,north1--from
 ,dubuque to ,bangor1--and ,i took pains
 to ascertain the feeling of the people4
 ,i found a unanimous determination to  
crush the ,rebellion and save the ,union
 at every sacrifice4 ,the majority are  
in favor of ,mr4 ,lincoln1 and nearly   
all of those opposed to him are opposed 
to him because they think he does not   
fight you with enough vigor4 ,the       
radical ,republicans1 who go for        
slave-suffrage and thorough             
confiscation1 are those who will defeat 

him1 if he is defeated4 ,but if he is   
defeated before the people1 the ,house  
will elect a worse man1--,i mean1 worse 
for you4 ,it is more radical than he    
is1--you can see that from ,mr4         
,ashley's ,reconstruction ,bill1--and   
the people are more radical than the    
,house4 ,mr4 ,lincoln1 ,i know1 is about
 to call out five hundred thousand more 
men1 and ,i can't see how you can resist
 much longer2 but if you do1 you will   
only deepen the radical feeling of the  
,northern people4 ,they will now give   
you fair1 honorable1 generous terms2 but
 let them suffer much more1 let there be
 a dead man in every house1 as there is 
now in every village1 and they will give
 you no terms1--they will insist on     
hanging every ,rebel south of ----4     
,pardon my terms4 ,i mean no offence4   
,you give no offence1 he replied1       
smiling very1 pleasantly4 ,i wouldn't   
have you pick your words4 ,this is a    
frank1 free talk1 and ,i like you the   
better for saying what you think4 ,go   

on4  ,i was merely going to say1 that1  
let the ,northern people once really    
feel the war1--they do not feel it      
yet1--and they will insist on hanging   
every one of your leaders4  ,well1      
admitting all you say1 ,i can't see how 
it affects our position4 ,there are some
 things worse than hanging or           
extermination4 ,we reckon giving up the 
right of self-government one of those   
things4  ,by self-government you mean   
disunion1--,southern ,independence8     
,yes4  ,and slavery1 you say1 is no     
longer an element in the contest4  ,no1 
it is not1 it never was an essential    
element4 ,it was only a means of        
bringing other conflicting elements to  
an earlier culmination4 ,it fired the   
musket which was already capped and     
loaded4 ,there are essential differences
 between the ,north and the ,south that 
will1 however this war may end1 make    
them two nations4  ,you ask me to say   
what ,i think4 ,will you allow me to say
 that ,i know the ,south pretty well1   

and never observed those differences8   
,then you have not used your eyes4 ,my  
sight is poorer than yours1 but ,i have 
seen them for years4  ,the laugh was    
upon me1 and ,mr4 ,benjamin enjoyed it4 
,well1 ,sir1 be that as it may1 if ,i   
understand you1 the dispute between your
 government and ours is narrowed down to
 this3 ,union or ,disunion4  ,yes2 or to
 put it in other words3 ,independence or
 ,subjugation4  ,then the two           
governments are irreconcilably apart4   
,they have no alternative but to fight  
it out4 ,but it is not so with the      
people4 ,they are tired of fighting1 and
 want peace2 and as they bear all the   
burden and suffering of the war1 is it  
not right they should have peace1 and   
have it on such terms as they like8  ,i 
don't understand you4 ,be a little more 
explicit4  ,well1 suppose the two       
governments should agree to something   
like this3 ,to go to the people with two
 propositions3 say1 ,peace1 with        
,disunion and ,southern ,independence1  

as your proposition1--and ,peace1 with  
,union1 ,emancipation1 ,no              
,confiscation1 and ,universal ,amnesty1 
as ours4 ,let the citizens of all the   
,united ,states 7as they existed before 
the war7 vote ',yes1' or ',no1' on these
 two propositions1 at a special election
 within sixty days4 ,if a majority votes
 ,disunion1 our government to be bound  
by it1 and to let you go in peace4 ,if a
 majority votes ,union1 yours to be     
bound by it1 and to stay in peace4 ,the 
two governments can contract in this    
way1 and the people1 though             
constitutionally unable to decide on    
peace or war1 can elect which of the two
 propositions shall govern their rulers4
 ,let ,lee and ,grant1 meanwhile1 agree 
to an armistice4 ,this would sheathe the
 sword2 and if once sheathed1 it would  
never again be drawn by this generation4
  ,the plan is altogether impracticable4
 ,if the ,south were only one ,state1 it
 might work2 but as it is1 if one       
,southern ,state objected to            

emancipation1 it would nullify the whole
 thing2 for you are aware the people of 
,virginia cannot vote slavery out of    
,south ,carolina1 nor the people of     
,south ,carolina vote it out of         
,virginia4  ,but three-fourths of the   
,states can amend the ,constitution4    
,let it be done in that way1--in any    
way1 so that it be done by the people4  
,i am not a statesman or a politician1  
and ,i do not know just how such a plan 
could be carried out2 but you get the   
idea1--that the ,,people shall decide   
the question4  ,that the majority shall 
decide it1 you mean4 ,we seceded to rid 
ourselves of the rule of the majority1  
and this would subject us to it again4  
,but the majority must rule finally1    
either with bullets or ballots4  ,i am  
not so sure of that4 ,neither current   
events nor history shows that the       
majority rules1 or ever did rule4 ,the  
contrary1 ,i think1 is true4 ,why1 ,sir1
 the man who should go before the       
,southern people with such a            

proposition1 with any proposition which 
implied that the ,north was to have a   
voice in determining the domestic       
relations of the ,south1 could not live 
here a day4 ,he would be hanged to the  
first tree1 without judge or jury4      
,allow me to doubt that4 ,i think it    
more likely he would be hanged1 if he   
let the ,southern people know the       
majority couldn't rule1 ,i replied1     
smiling4  ,i have no fear of that1      
rejoined ,mr4 ,davis1 also smiling most 
good-humoredly4 ,i give you leave to    
proclaim it from every house-top in the 
,south4  ,but1 seriously1 ,sir1 you let 
the majority rule in a single ,state2   
why not let it rule in the whole        
country8  ,because the ,states are      
independent and sovereign4 ,the country 
is not4 ,it is only a confederation of  
,states2 or rather it was3 it is now two
 confederations4  ,then we are not a    
people1--we are only a political        
partnership8  ,that is all4  ,your very 
name1 ,sir1 ',united ,states1' implies  

that1 said ,mr4 ,benjamin4 ,but1 tell   
me1 are the terms you have              
named--,emancipation1 ,no ,confiscation1
 and ,universal ,amnesty--the terms     
which ,mr4 ,lincoln authorized you to   
offer us8  ,no1 ,sir1 ,mr4 ,lincoln did 
not authorize me to offer you any terms4
 ,but ,i think both he and the ,northern
 people1 for the sake of peace1 would   
assent to some such conditions4  ,they  
are very generous1 replied ,mr4 ,davis1 
for the first time during the interview 
showing some angry feeling4 ,but        
,amnesty1 ,sir1 applies to criminals4   
,we have committed no crime4            
,confiscation is of no account1 unless  
you can enforce it4 ,and ,emancipation6 
,you have already emancipated nearly two
 millions of our slaves1--and if you    
will take care of them1 you may         
emancipate the rest4 ,i had a few when  
the war began4 ,i was of some use to    
them2 they never were of any to me4     
,against their will you 'emancipated'   
them2 and you may 'emancipate' every    

negro in the ,confederacy1 but we will  
be free6 ,we will govern ourselves4 ,we 
will do it1 if we have to see every     
,southern plantation sacked1 and every  
,southern city in flames4  ,i see1 ,mr4 
,davis1 it is useless to continue this  
conversation1 ,i replied2 and you will  
pardon us1 if we have seemed to press   
our views with too much pertinacity4 ,we
 love the old flag1 and that must be our
 apology for intruding upon you at all4 
,you have not intruded upon me1 he      
replied1 resuming his usual manner4 ,i  
am glad to have met you1 both4 ,i once  
loved the old flag as well as you do2 ,i
 would have died for it2 but now it is  
to me only the emblem of oppression4  ,i
 hope the day may never come1 ,mr4      
,davis1 when ,i say that1 said the      
,colonel4  ,a half-hour's conversation  
on other topics--not of public          
interest--ensued1 and then we rose to   
go4 ,as we did so1 the ,rebel ,president
 gave me his hand1 and1 bidding me a    
kindly good-bye1 expressed the hope of  

seeing me again in ,richmond in happier 
times1--when peace should have returned2
 but with the ,colonel his parting was  
particularly cordial4 ,taking his hand  
in both of his1 he said to him1--       
,colonel1 ,i respect your character and 
your motives1 and ,i wish you well1--,i 
wish you every good ,i can wish you     
consistently with the interests of the  
,confederacy4  ,the quiet1              
straightforward bearing and magnificent 
moral courage of our fighting parson had
 evidently impressed ,mr4 ,davis very   
favorably4  ,as we were leaving the     
room1 he added--  ,say to ,mr4 ,lincoln 
from me1 that ,i shall at any time be   
pleased to receive proposals for peace  
on the basis of our ,independence4 ,it  
will be useless to approach me with any 
other4  ,when we went out1 ,mr4         
,benjamin called ,judge ,ould1 who had  
been waiting during the whole           
interview--two hours--at the other end  
of the hall1 and we passed down the     
stairway together4 ,as ,i put my arm    

within that of the ,judge1 he said to   
me1--  ,well1 what is the result8       
,nothing but war1--war to the knife4    
,ephraim is joined to his idols1--let   
him alone1 added the ,colonel1 solemnly4
  ,i should like to relate the incidents
 of the next day1 when we visited       
,castle ,thunder1 ,libby ,prison1 and   
the hospitals occupied by our wounded2  
but the limits of a magazine-article    
will not permit4 ,i can only say that at
 sundown we passed out of the ,rebel    
lines1 and at ten o'clock that night    
stretched our tired limbs on the downy  
cots in ,general ,butler's tent1        
thankful1 devoutly thankful1 that we    
were once again under the folds of the  
old flag4         99       99       99  
99       99  ,thus ended our visit to   
,richmond4 ,i have endeavored to sketch 
it faithfully4 ,the conversation with   
,mr4 ,davis ,i took down shortly after  
entering the ,union lines1 and ,i have  
tried to report his exact language1     
extenuating nothing1 and coloring       

nothing that he said4 ,some of his      
sentences1 as ,i read them over1 appear 
stilted and high-flown1 but they did not
 sound so when uttered4 ,as listened to1
 they seemed the simple1 natural        
language of his thought4 ,he spoke      
deliberately1 apparently weighing every 
word1 and knowing well that all he said 
would be given to the public4  ,he is a 
man of peculiar ability4 ,our interview 
with him explained to me why1 with no   
money and no commerce1 with nearly every
 one of their important cities in our   
hands1 and with an army greatly inferior
 in numbers and equipment to ours1 the  
,rebels have held out so long4 ,it is   
because of the sagacity1 energy1 and    
indomitable will of ,jefferson ,davis4  
,without him the ,rebellion would       
crumble to pieces in a day2 with him it 
may continue to be1 even in disaster1 a 
power that will tax the whole energy and
 resources of the nation4  ,the         
,southern masses want peace4 ,many of   
the ,southern leaders want it1--both my 

companion and ,i1 by correspondence and 
intercourse with them1 know this2 but   
there can be no peace so long as ,mr4   
,davis controls the ,south4 ,ignoring   
slavery1 he himself states the          
issue1--the only issue with             
him1--,union1 or ,disunion4 ,that is it4
 ,we must conquer1 or be conquered4 ,we 
can negotiate only with the bayonet4 ,we
 can have peace and union only by       
putting forth all our strength1 crushing
 the ,southern armies1 and overthrowing 
the ,southern government4     ,,reviews 
,,and ,,literary ,,notices4   ,life and 
,times of ,benjamin ,franklin4 ,by      
,,james ,,parton4 ,new ,york3 ,mason    
,brothers4 ,two ,volumes4 #hvo4  ,to    
appreciate the importance of this work1 
we must remember that it covers more    
than three-fourths of a century full of 
great events1 if not of great men2 that 
it begins with ,boston and ,philadelphia
 as small provincial towns1 and leaves  
them the thriving capitals of           
independent ,states2 that it finds      

colonial energy struggling with         
metropolitan jealousy and ignorance2    
that it follows the struggle through all
 its phases1 until the restrictions of  
the mother became oppression1 and the   
love of the children was converted into 
hatred2 that it traces the growth and   
expansion of ,american industry1--the   
dawn of ,american invention1 so full of 
promise1--the development of the        
principle of self-government1 so full of
 power1--the bitter contest1 so full of 
lessons which1 used aright1 might have  
spared us more than half the blood and  
treasure of the present war4  ,to       
appreciate the difficulty of this work1 
we must remember that the inner and the 
outer life of the subject of it are     
equally full of marvels2 that1 beginning
 by cutting off candle-wicks in a       
tallow-chandler's shop in ,boston1 he   
ended as the greatest scientific        
discoverer among those men renowned for 
science who composed the ,royal ,society
 of ,london and the ,academy of         

,sciences of ,paris2 that1 with the aid 
of an odd volume of the ,spectator1 used
 according to his own conception of the 
best way of using it1 he made himself   
master of a pure1 simple1 graceful1 and 
effective ,english style2 that the      
opinions and maxims which he drew from  
his own observation and reflection have 
passed into the daily life of millions1 
warning1 strengthening1 cheering1 and   
guiding2 that he succeeded in the most  
difficult negotiations1 was a leader of 
public opinion on the most important    
questions1 and1 holding his way         
cheerfully1 resolutely1 and lovingly to 
the end1 left the world wiser in many   
things1 and in some better1 for the     
eighty-four years that he had passed in 
it4  ,nor must we forget1 that1 among   
the many things which this wonderful old
 man did1 was to tell us half the story 
of his own life1 and with such          
unaffected simplicity1 such evident     
sincerity1 and such attractive grace1 as
 to make it--as far as it goes--the most

 perfect production of its class4 ,then 
why attempt to do it over again8 is the 
question that naturally springs to every
 lip1 on reading the title of ,mr4      
,parton's book4  ,mr4 ,parton has       
anticipated this question1 and answered 
it4 ,autobiography is one of the most   
interesting and valuable kinds of       
composition2 but autobiography can never
 be accepted in lieu of biography1      
because to no man is the giftie given of
 seeing himself as others see him4      
,rousseau's ,confessions are a miracle  
of candor3 they reveal much concerning a
 certain weak1 wandering1 diseased1     
miserable1 wicked ,jean ,jacques2 but of
 that marvellous ,rousseau whose        
writings thrilled ,europe they contain  
how much8 ,not one word4 ,madame        
,d',arblay's ,diary relates a thousand  
pleasant things1 but it does not tell us
 what manner of person ,madame          
,d',arblay was4 ,franklin's             
,autobiography gives agreeable          
information respecting a sagacious      

shopkeeper of ,philadelphia1 but has    
little to impart to us respecting the   
grand ,franklin1 the world's ,franklin1 
the philosopher1 the statesman1 the     
philanthropist4 ,a man cannot reveal his
 best self1 nor1 unless he is a         
,rousseau1 his worst4 ,perhaps he never 
knows either4  ,the basis of ,mr4       
,parton's work is1 as the basis of every
 satisfactory biography must be1 the    
writings of its subject4 ,after all1 he 
says1 ,dr4 ,jared ,sparks's excellent   
edition of the ',life and ,works of     
,franklin1' is the source of the greater
 part of the information we possess     
concerning him4444 ,the libraries1 the  
public records1 and the private         
collections of ,england1 ,france1 and   
the ,united ,states1 were so diligently 
searched by ,dr4 ,sparks1 that1 though  
seven previous editions of the works of 
,franklin had appeared1 he was able to  
add to his publication the astonishing  
number of six hundred and fifty pieces  
of ,dr4 ,franklin's composition never   

before collected1 of which four hundred 
and fifty had never before appeared in  
print4 ,to unwearied diligence in       
collecting ,dr4 ,sparks added an        
admirable talent in elucidating4 ,his   
notes are always such as an intelligent 
reader would desire1 and they usually   
contain all the information needed for a
 perfect understanding of the matter in 
hand4 ,dr4 ,sparks's edition is a       
monument at once to the memory of       
,benjamin ,franklin and to his own      
diligence1 tact1 and faithfulness4 ,we  
take great pleasure in copying this     
passage1 both because it seems to       
illustrate the spirit which ,mr4 ,parton
 brought to his task1 and because the   
value of ,mr4 ,sparks's labors have not 
always been so freely acknowledged by   
those who have been freest in their use 
of them4  ,to a careful study of those  
volumes ,mr4 ,parton has added patient  
and extensive research among the        
newspapers and magazines of the time1   
and1 apparently1 a wide range of general

 reading4 ,thus he has filled his work  
with facts1 some curious1 some new1 and 
all interesting1 as well in their       
bearing upon the times as upon the man4 
,he is a good delver1 a good sifter1    
and1 what is equally important1 a good  
interpreter1--not merely bringing facts 
to the light1 but compelling them to    
give out1 like ,correggio's pictures1 a 
light of their own4 ,he possesses1 too1 
in an eminent degree1 the power of      
forming for himself a conception of his 
subject as a whole1 keeping it          
constantly before his mind in the       
elaboration of the parts1 and thus      
bringing it vividly before the mind of  
the reader4 ,franklin's true place in   
history has never before been assigned  
him upon such incontrovertible evidence4
  ,if we were to undertake to name the  
parts of this work which have given us  
most satisfaction1 we should1 although  
with some hesitation1 name the admirable
 chapters which ,mr4 ,parton has devoted
 to ,franklin's diplomatic labors in    

,england and ,france4 ,in none of his   
good works has that great man been more 
exposed to calumny1 or treated with more
 barefaced ingratitude by those who     
profited most by them1 than in bringing 
to light the dangerous letters of       
,hutchinson and ,oliver4 ,even within   
the last few years1 the apologetic      
biographer of ,john ,adams repeats the  
accusation of moral obliquity in a tone 
that would hardly have been misplaced in
 a defence of ,wedderburn4 ,mr4 ,parton 
tells the story with great simplicity1  
and1 without entering into any          
unnecessary disquisition1 accepts for   
his commentary upon it ,mr4 ,bancroft's 
wise1 and1 as it seems to us1           
unanswerable conclusion4 ,had the       
conspiracy which was thus laid bare     
aimed at the life of a minister or the  
king1 any honest man must have          
immediately communicated the discovery  
to the ,secretary of ,state3 to conspire
 to introduce into ,america a military  
government1 and abridge ,american       

liberty1 was a more heinous crime1 of   
which irrefragable evidence had now come
 to light4  ,never1 too1 was philosopher
 more severely tried than ,franklin was 
tried by the colleagues whom ,congress  
sent him1 from time to time1 as clogs   
upon the great wheel which he was       
turning so skilfully4 ,and this1 too1   
,mr4 ,parton has set in full light1 not 
by the special pleading of the          
apologist1 but by the documentary       
researches of the historian4  ,there are
 some things1 however1 in this work     
which we could have wished somewhat     
different from what they are4 ,mr4      
,parton's fluent and forcible style     
sometimes degenerates into flippancy4   
,we could cite many instances of        
felicitous expression1 some1 also1 of   
bad taste1 and some of hasty assertion4 
,clubable is hardly a good enough word  
to bear frequent repetition4 ,this      
question was a complete baffler is too  
much like slang to be admitted into the 
good company which ,mr4 ,parton's       

sentences usually keep4 ,we were not    
aware that ,physician1 heal thyself was 
a stock classical allusion4 ,we do not  
believe--for ,dante and ,milton would   
rise up in judgment against us1 even if 
the vast majority of other great men did
 not--that it is only second-rate men   
who have great aims4 ,we do not believe 
that the style of the ,spectator is an  
easily imitated style2 for1 of the      
hundreds who have tried1 how many1      
besides ,franklin1 have really succeeded
 in imitating it8 ,we do not believe    
that ,latin and ,greek are an           
obstructing nuisance1 or that the       
student of ,homer and ,thucydides and   
,demosthenes and ,plato and ,aristotle  
and ,caesar and ,cicero and ,tacitus is 
merely studying the prattle of infant   
man1 or adding the ignorance of the     
ancients to the ignorance he was born   
with4 ,we believe1 on the contrary1 that
 it was by such studies that ,gibbon and
 ,niebuhr and ,arnold and ,grote        
acquired their marvellous power of      

discovering historical truth and        
detecting historical error1 and that    
from no modern language could they have 
received such discipline4  ,but we not  
only agree with the sentiment1 but      
admire the simple energy of the         
expression1 when he says that ,franklin 
was the man of all others then alive who
 possessed in the greatest perfection   
the four grand requisites for the       
successful observation of ,nature or the
 pursuit of literature1--a sound and    
great understanding1 patience1          
dexterity1 and an independent income4   
,equally judicious and equally          
well-expressed is the following passage 
upon the ,penns3--,thomas ,penn was a   
man of business1 careful1 saving1 and   
methodical4 ,richard ,penn was a        
spendthrift4 ,both were men of slender  
abilities1 and not of very estimable    
character4 ,they had done some liberal  
acts for the ,province1 such as sending 
over presents to the ,library of books  
and apparatus1 and cannon for the       

defence of ,philadelphia4 ,if the       
,pennsylvanians had been more           
submissive1 they would doubtless have   
continued their benefactions4 ,but1     
unhappily1 they cherished those         
erroneous1 those ,tory notions of the   
rights of sovereignty which ,lord ,bute 
infused into the contracted mind of     
,george ,,iii41 and which cost that dull
 and obstinate monarch1 first1 his      
colonies1 and then his senses4 ,it is   
also rooted in the ,british mind1 that a
 landholder is entitled to the          
particular respect of his species4      
,these ,penns1 in addition to the pride 
of possessing acres by the million1 felt
 themselves to be the lords of the land 
they owned1 and of the people who dwelt 
upon it4 ,and in speaking of ,english   
ideas of ,american                      
resistance3--,englishmen have made      
sublime sacrifices to principle1 but    
they appear slow to believe that any    
other people can4 ,and1 ,george ,,iii4  
sat upon a constitutional throne1 but he

 had an unconstitutional mind4 ,it would
 be difficult to find a more            
comprehensive sentence than the         
following3--,the counsel employed by    
,mr4 ,mauduit was ,alexander            
,wedderburn1 a sharp1 unprincipled      
,scotch barrister1 destined to scale all
 the heights of preferment which        
shameless subserviency could reach4  ,it
 would be easy to multiply examples1 but
 we have given1 we believe1 more than   
enough to show that we look upon ,mr4   
,parton's ,franklin as a work of very   
great value4   ,the ,maine ,woods4 ,by  
,,henry ,d4 ,,thoreau1 ,author of ,a    
,week on the ,concord and ,merrimack    
,rivers1 ,walden1 ,excursions1 etc41    
etc4 ,boston3 ,ticknor  ,fields4  ,the  
steadily growing fame of ,thoreau has   
this characteristic1 that it is1 like   
his culture1 a purely ,american product1
 and is no pale reflection of the cheap 
glories of an ,english reprint4 ,whether
 he would have gained or lost by a more 
cosmopolitan training or criticism is   

not the question now2 but certain it is 
that neither of these things went to the
 making of his fame4 ,classical and     
,oriental reading he had2 but beyond    
these he cared for nothing which the men
 and meadows of ,concord could not give1
 and for this voluntary abnegation1 half
 whimsical1 half sublime1 the world     
repaid him with life-long obscurity1 and
 will yet repay him with permanent      
renown4  ,his choice of subjects1 too1  
involves the same double recompense2 for
 no books are less dazzling or more     
immortal than those whose theme is      
external ,nature4 ,nothing else wears so
 well4 ,history becomes so rapidly      
overlaid with details1 and its aspects  
change so fast1 that the most elaborate 
work soon grows obsolete2 while a       
thoroughly sincere and careful book on  
,nature cannot be superseded1 and lives 
forever4 ,its basis is real and         
permanent4 ,there will always be birds  
and flowers1 nights and mornings4 ,the  
infinite fascinations of mountains and  

of forests will outlast this war1 and   
the next1 and the race that makes the   
war4 ,the same solidity of material     
which has guarantied permanence to the  
fame of ,izaak ,walton and ,white of    
,selborne will as surely secure that of 
,thoreau1 who excels each of these      
writers upon his own ground1 while      
superadding a wider culture1 a loftier  
thought1 and a fine1 though fantastic1  
literary skill4 ,all men may not love   
,nature1 but all men ultimately love her
 lovers4 ,and of those lovers1 past or  
present1 ,thoreau is the most profound  
in his devotion1 and the most richly    
repaid4  ,against these great merits are
 to be set1 no doubt1 some formidable   
literary defects3 an occasional         
mistiness of expression1 like the summit
 of ,katahdin1 as he himself describes  
it1--one vast fog1 with here and there a
 rock protruding2 also1 an occasional   
sandy barrenness1 like his beloved ,cape
 ,cod4 ,in truth1 he never quite        
completed the transition from the       

observer to the artist4 ,with the power 
of constructing sentences as perfectly  
graceful as a hemlock-bough1 he yet     
displays the most wayward aptitude for  
literary caterpillars'-nests and all    
manner of disfigurements4 ,the same want
 of artistic habit appears also in his  
wilful disregard of all rules of        
proportion4 ,he depicts an ,indian1 for 
instance1 with such minute observation  
and admirable verbal skill that one     
feels as if neither ,catlin nor         
,schoolcraft ever saw the actual        
creature2 but though the table-talk of  
the aboriginal may seem for a time more 
suggestive than that of ,coleridge or   
,macaulay1 yet there is a point beyond  
which his1 like theirs1 becomes a bore4 
,in addition to these drawbacks1 one    
finds in ,thoreau an unnecessary        
defiance of tone1 and a very resolute   
non-appreciation of many things which a 
larger mental digestion can assimilate  
without discomfort4 ,in his dealings    
with ,nature he is sweet1 genial1       

patient1 wise4 ,in his dealings with men
 he exasperates himself over the least  
divergence from the desired type4       
,before any over-tendency to the        
amenities and luxuries of civilization1 
in particular1 he becomes unreasonable  
and relentless4 ,hence there appears    
something hard and ungenial in his views
 of life1 utterly out of keeping with   
the delicate tenderness which he shows  
in the woods4 ,the housekeeping of bees 
and birds he finds noble and beautiful1 
but for the home and cradle of the      
humblest human pair he can scarcely be  
said to have even toleration2 a farmer's
 barn he considers a cumbrous and       
pitiable appendage1 and he lectures the 
,irish women in their shanties for their
 undue share of the elegancies of life4 
,with infinite faith in the tendencies  
of mineral and vegetable nature1 in     
human nature he shows no practical      
trust1 and must even be severe upon the 
babies in the ,maine log-huts for       
playing with wooden dolls instead of    

pine-cones4 ,it is1 indeed1 noticeable  
that he seems to love every other living
 animal more unreservedly than the      
horse1--as if this poor sophisticated   
creature1 though still a quadruped and a
 brother1 had been so vitiated by undue 
intimacy with man as to have become     
little better than if he wore broadcloth
 and voted4  ,yet there was not in      
,thoreau one trait of the misanthrope2  
his solitary life at ,walden was not    
chosen because he loved man less1 but   
because he loved ,nature more2 and any  
young poet or naturalist might envy the 
opportunities it gave him4 ,but his     
intellectual habits showed always a     
tendency to exaggeration1 and he spent  
much mental force in fighting shadows1  
,church and ,state1 war and politics1--a
 man of solid vigor must find room in   
his philosophy to tolerate these matters
 for a time1 even if he cannot cordially
 embrace them4 ,but ,thoreau1 a         
celibate1 and at times a hermit1 brought
 the ,protestant extreme to match the   

,roman ,catholic1 and though he did not 
personally ignore one duty of domestic  
life1 he yet held a system which would  
have excluded wife and child1 house and 
property4 ,his example is noble and     
useful to all high-minded young people1 
but only when interpreted by a          
philosophy less exclusive than his own4 
,in urging his one social panacea1      
,simplify1 ,i say1 simplify1 he failed  
to see that all steps in moral or       
material organization are really efforts
 after the same process he recommends4  
,the sewing-machine is a more complex   
affair than the needle1 but it          
simplifies every woman's life1 and helps
 her to that same comparative freedom   
from care which ,thoreau would seek only
 by reverting to the ,indian blanket4   
,but many-sided men do not move in      
battalions1 and even a one-sided        
philosopher may be a boon to think of1  
if he be as noble as ,thoreau4 ,his very
 defects are higher than many men's     
virtues1 and his most fantastic         

moralizings will bear reading without   
doing harm1 especially during a         
,presidential campaign4 ,of his books1  
,walden will probably be permanently    
reckoned as the best1 as being the most 
full and deliberate exhibition of the   
author's mind1 and as extracting the    
most from the least material4 ,it is    
also the most uniform in texture1 and   
the most complete in plan1 while the    
,week has no unity but that of the      
chronological epoch it covers1--a week  
which is probably the most comprehensive
 on record1 ranging from the            
,bhagvat-,geetha to the good time       
coming1--and the ,excursions no unity   
but that of the covers which comprise   
them1 being1 indeed1 a compilation of   
his earliest and latest essays4 ,which  
of his four volumes contains his finest 
writing it would really be hard to say2 
but in structure the present book comes 
nearest to ,walden2 it is within its    
limits a perfect monograph of the ,maine
 woods4 ,all that has been previously   

written fails to portray so vividly the 
mysterious life of the lonely           
forest1--the grandeur of ,katahdin or   
,ktaadn1 that hermit-mountain1--and the 
wild and adventurous navigation of those
 ,northern water-courses whose perils   
make the boating of the ,adirondack     
region seem safe and tame4 ,the book is 
also more unexceptionably healthy in its
 tone than any of its predecessors1 and 
it is pleasant to find the author1 on   
emerging from his explorations1         
admitting that the confines of          
civilization afford1 after all1 the best
 residence1 and that the wilderness is  
of most value as a resource and a       
background4  ,there yet remain for      
publication ,thoreau's adventures on    
,cape ,cod2 his few public addresses on 
passing events1 especially those on the 
,burns ,rescue and the ,john-,brown     
affair1 which were certainly among the  
very ablest productions called forth by 
those exciting occasions2 his poems2 and
 his private letters to his friend      

,blake1 of ,worcester1 and to           
others1--letters which certainly contain
 some of his toughest1 and perhaps also 
some of his finest writing4 ,all these  
deserve1 and must one day receive1      
preservation4 ,he who reads most books  
reads that which has a merely temporary 
interest1 and will be presently         
superseded by something better2 but     
,nature has waited many centuries for   
,thoreau1 and we can hardly expect to   
see1 during this generation1 another    
mortal so favored with her confidence4  
,jennie ,juneiana3 ,talks on ,women's   
,topics4 ,by ,,jennie ,,june4 ,boston3  
,lee  ,shepard4 #abmo4 pp4 #bdj4  ,great
 are the resources of human invention1  
and the tiresome passion for            
alliterative titles may possibly have   
culminated in some name yet more foolish
 than that of this little green and gold
 volume4 ,if so1 the rival has proved   
too much for the trump of ,fame to      
carry1 and has dropped unnoticed4 ,in   
the present case1 the title does perhaps

 some injustice to the book1 which is   
not a silly one1 though it contains very
 silly things4 ,it seems to be written  
from the point of view afforded by a    
second-rate ,new-,york boarding-house1  
and by a person who has never come in   
contact with any refined or well-bred   
people4 ,with this allowance1 it is     
written in the interest of good manners 
and good morals1 and with enough of     
natural tact to keep the writer from    
getting far beyond her depth1 although  
she does talk of ,goethe's ,mignion and 
,miss ,werner1--whoever these personages
 may be1--and of the substantial fame   
achieved by the unknown author of       
',rutledge4' ,it is written in the      
prevalent ,american newspaper-style1--a 
style which is apt to be graphic1       
piquant1 and dashing1 accompanied by a  
flavor1 slight or more than slight1 of  
flippancy and slang1--a style such as   
reaches high-tide in certain popular    
native authors1 male and female1 and in 
ebbing strands us on ,jennie ,june4  ,of

 course1 writing from the windows of    
,mrs4 ,todgers1 ,jennie manifests the   
usual superfluous anxiety of her kind   
not to be called strong-minded4 ,she is 
prettily indignant at the thought of    
female physicians3 there is nothing     
improper in having diseases1 but to cure
 them would be indelicacy indeed4 ,girls
 out of work1 who wish for places in    
shops1 are only patriotic young ladies  
who desire to fill all the lucrative    
situations at present occupied by young 
men4 ,she would even banish ,bridget    
from the kitchen and substitute         
unlimited ,patricks1 which will interest
 housekeepers as being the only         
conceivable remedy worse than the       
disease4 ,of course1 a female lecturer  
is an abomination3 ,jennie proves1      
first1 that a strong-minded woman must  
be either unmarried or unhappy in       
marriage1 and then turns1 with rather   
illogical wrath1 upon ,lucy ,stone and  
,antoinette ,brown1 for being too       
domestic to make speeches since their   

marriage4 ,to follow the court          
phraseology1 ,this reminds us of a      
little anecdote4 ,when the fashion of   
long1 flowing wigs was just vanishing in
 ,boston1 somebody wore one from that   
town down to ,salem1 where they were    
entirely extinct4 ,all the street-boys  
ran after him all the morning1 to ask   
him why he wore a wig4 ,he1 wishing to  
avoid offence1 left it in the house at  
dinner-time2 and was pursued all the    
afternoon by the same boys1 with the    
inquiry why he did not wear a wig4      
,these eloquent women find it equally   
hard to please their little critic by   
silence or by speech4 ,the simple truth 
probably is1 that they hold precisely   
the same views which they always held1  
and will live to trouble her yet1 when  
the epoch of the nursery is over4 ,the  
majority of women's-rights advocates    
have always been wives and mothers1 and1
 for aught we know1 excellent ones1     
since that dear1 motherly old           
,quakeress1 ,lucretia ,mott1 first      

broached the matter2 and the great      
change in our legislation on all the    
property-rights of that sex is just as  
directly traceable to their labors as is
 the repeal of the ,english corn-laws to
 the efforts of the ,league4 ,if1       
however1 ,jennie consoles herself with  
the reflection that the points made in  
this controversy by the authors of      
,hannah ,thurston and ,miss ,gilbert's  
,career are not much stronger than her  
own1 she must remember her favorite     
theory1 that all foolishness sounds more
 respectable when uttered from masculine
 lips4   #a4 ,woman and her ,era4 ,by   
,,eliza ,w4 ,,farnham4 ,in ,two         
,volumes4 ,new ,york3 ,a4 ,j4 ,davis    
,co4  #b4 ,eliza ,woodson2 or1 ,the     
,early ,days of one of the ,world's     
,workers4 ,a ,story of ,american ,life4 
,new ,york3 ,a4 ,j4 ,davis  ,co4  ,in   
the three and a half centuries since    
,cornelius ,agrippa1 no one has         
attempted with so much ability as ,mrs4 
,farnham to transfer the theory of      

woman's superiority from the domain of  
poetry to that of science4 ,second to no
 ,american woman save ,miss ,dix in her 
experience as a practical               
philanthropist1 she has studied human   
nature in the sternest practical        
schools1 from ,sing-,sing to            
,california4 ,she justly claims for her 
views that they have been maturing for  
twenty-two years of experience so varied
 as to give it almost every form of     
trial which could fall to the           
intellectual life of any save the most  
favored women4 ,her books show1         
moreover1 an ardent love of literature  
and some accurate scientific            
training1--though her style has the     
condensation and vigor which active life
 creates1 rather than the graces of     
culture4  ,the essence of her book lies 
in this opening syllogism3--  ,life is  
exalted in proportion to its organic and
 functional complexity2  ,woman's       
organism is more complex and her        
totality of function larger than those  

of any other being inhabiting our earth2
  ,therefore her position in the scale  
of life is the most exalted1--the       
sovereign one4  ,this is compactly      
stated and quite unequivocal1 although  
the three last words of the conclusion  
are a step beyond the premises1 and the 
main fight of her opponents would no    
doubt be made on her definition of the  
word being4 ,the assumption that either 
sex of a given species is a distinct    
being cannot probably be slid into the  
minor premise of the argument without   
some objection from the opposing        
counsel4 ,however1 this brings us at    
once to the main point1 and the chapter 
called ,the ,organic ,argument1 which   
opens with this syllogism1 is really the
 pith of the book1 and would1 perhaps1  
stand stronger without the other six    
hundred pages4 ,in this chapter she     
shows the strength of a system-maker1 in
 the rest the weaknesses of one2 she    
feels obliged to apply her creed to     
everything1 to illustrate everything by 

its light1 to find unexpected           
confirmations everywhere1 and to        
manipulate all the history of art1      
literature1 and society1 till she       
conforms them all to her standard4 ,she 
recites1 with no new power1 historical  
facts that are already familiar2 and    
gives many pages to extracts from very  
well known poets and very ill known     
prose-writers1 to the exclusion of her  
own terse and vigorous thought4 ,all    
this is without a trace of book-making1 
but is done in single-hearted zeal for  
views which are only damaged by the     
process4  ,these are merely literary    
defects2 but ,mrs4 ,farnham really      
suffers in thought by the same          
unflinching fidelity to her creed4 ,it  
makes her clear and resolute in her     
statement2 but it often makes her as    
one-sided as the advocates of male      
supremacy whom she impugns4 ,to be sure1
 her theory enables her to extenuate    
some points of admitted injustice to    
woman1--finding1 for instance1 in her   

educational and professional exclusions 
a crude effort1 on the part of society1 
to treat her as a sort of               
bird-of-paradise1 born only to fly1 and 
therefore not needing feet4 ,yet this   
authoress is obliged to assume a tone of
 habitual antagonism towards men1 from  
which the advocates of mere equality are
 excused4 ,indeed1 the technical        
,woman's-,rights movement has always    
witnessed a very hearty cooeperation    
among its advocates of both sexes1 and  
it is generally admitted that men are at
 least as ready to concede additional   
rights as women to ask for them4 ,but   
when one comes to ,mrs4 ,farnham's      
stand-point1 and sees what her opinion  
of men really is1 the stanchest         
masculine ally must shrink from         
assigning himself to such a category of 
scoundrels4 ,the best criticism made on 
,michelet's theory of woman as a        
predestined invalid was that of the     
sensible physician who responded1 ,as if
 the ,almighty did not know how to      

create a woman6--and ,mrs4 ,farnham     
certainly proves too much in undertaking
 to expose the blunders of ,deity in the
 construction of a man4 ,assuming1 as   
she invariably does1 the highest woman  
to be the typical woman1 and the lowest 
man to be the typical man1 she can prove
 anything she pleases4 ,but even this   
does not content her2 every gleam of    
tenderness and refinement exhibited by  
man she transfers by some inexplicable  
legerdemain of logic to the feminine    
side1 and makes somehow into a new proof
 of his hopeless inferiority2 and she is
 landed at last in the amazing paradox1 
that the most powerful feminine souls   
have appeared in masculine forms1 thus  
far in human career4 7,vol4 ,,ii4 p4    
#cfj47  ,in short1 her theory involves a
 necessity of perpetual overstatement4  
,the conception of a pure and noble     
young man1 such as ,richter delineates  
in his ,walt or ,albano1 seems utterly  
foreign to her system2 and of that fine 
subtilty of nature by which the highest 

types of manhood and womanhood approach 
each other1 as if mutually lending      
refinement and strength1 she seems to   
have no conception4 ,the truth is1 that1
 however much we may concede to the     
average spiritual superiority of woman1 
a great deal also depends on the        
inheritance and the training of the     
individual4 ,mrs4 ,farnham1 like every  
refined woman1 is often shocked by the  
coarseness of even virtuous men2 but she
 does not tell us the other side of the 
story1--how often every man of          
refinement has occasion to be shocked by
 the coarseness of even virtuous women4 
,sexual disparities may be much2 but    
individual disparities are even more4   
,mrs4 ,farnham is noble enough1 and her 
book is brave and wise enough1 to bear  
criticisms which grow only from her     
attempting too much4 ,the difference    
between her book and most of those      
written on the other side is1 that in   
the previous cases the lions have been  
the painters1 and here it is the        

lioness4 ,as against the exaggerations  
on the other side1 she has a right to   
exaggerate on her part4 ,as against the 
theory that man is superior to woman    
because he is larger1 she has a right to
 plead that in that case the gorilla    
were the better man1 and to assert on   
the other hand that woman is superior   
because smaller1--,emerson's mountain   
and squirrel4 ,as against the theory    
that glory and dominion go with the     
beard1 she has a right to maintain 7and 
that she does with no small pungency7   
that ,nature gave man this appendage    
because he was not to be trusted with   
his own face1 and needed this additional
 covering for his shame4 ,as against the
 historical traditions of man's mastery1
 she does well to urge that creation is 
progressive1 and that the megalosaurus  
was master even before man4 ,it is1     
indeed1 this last point which           
constitutes the crowning merit of the   
book1 and which will be permanently     
associated with ,mrs4 ,farnham's name4  

,no one before her has so firmly grasped
 this key to woman's historic position1 
that the past was an age of coarse1     
preliminary labor1 in which her time had
 not yet come4 ,this theory1 as         
elucidated by ,mrs4 ,farnham1 taken with
 the fine statement of ,buckle as to the
 importance of the intuitive element in 
the feminine intellect1 7which statement
 ,mrs4 ,farnham also quotes17           
constitutes the most valuable ground    
logically conquered for woman within    
this century4 ,these contributions are  
eclipsed in importance only by those    
actual achievements of women of         
genius1--as of ,elizabeth ,barrett      
,browning1 ,rosa ,bonheur1 and ,harriet 
,hosmer1--which1 so far as they go1     
render all argument superfluous4  ,in   
this domain of practical achievement    
,mrs4 ,farnham has also labored well1   
and the autobiography of her childish   
years1 when she only aspired after such 
toils1 has an interest wholly apart from
 that of her larger work1 and scarcely  

its inferior4 ,except the immortal ,pet 
,marjorie1 one can hardly recall in     
literature a delineation so marvellous  
of a childish mind so extraordinary as  
,eliza ,woodson4 ,the few characters    
appear with an individuality worthy of a
 great novelist2 every lover of children
 must find it altogether fascinating1   
and to the most experienced student of  
human nature it opens a new chapter of  
startling interest4   ,the              
,cliff-,climbers2 or1 ,the ,lone ,home  
in the ,himalayas4 ,a ,sequel to ,the   
,plant-,hunters4 ,by ,,captain ,,mayne  
,,reid1 ,author of ,the ,desert ,home1  
,the ,boy-,hunters1 etc41 etc4 ,with    
,illustrations4 ,boston3 ,ticknor       
,fields4  ,beloved of boys1 the         
adventurous ,mayne ,reid continues from 
year to year his good work as a         
story-teller4 ,since he held the        
youthful student a spellbound reader of 
,the ,desert ,home1 he has sent abroad a
 dozen volumes1 all excellent in their  
way1 for the entertainment of his       

ever-increasing audience4 ,he has not1  
however1 dealt quite fairly by his      
boy-friends4 ,he kept them waiting      
several years for the completion of ,the
 ,plant-,hunters1 and it is only now    
that he has found time to add ,the      
,cliff-,climbers as a sequel to that    
fascinating story4 ,while we thank him  
for the book that gives us farther      
acquaintance with those stirring        
individuals1 ,karl and ,caspar1 we      
cannot help reminding him how long ago  
it is since we read ,the                
,plant-,hunters1 and wished for more4   
,,recent ,,american ,,publications      
,,received ,,by ,,the ,,editors ,,of    
,,the ,,atlantic ,,monthly4   ,poetry of
 the ,age of ,fable4 ,collected by      
,thomas ,bulfinch4 ,boston4 ,j4 ,e4     
,tilton  ,co4 #ahmo4 pp4 x41 #bea4      
#b4jj4  ,phantom ,leaves4 ,a ,treatise  
on the ,art of producing ,skeleton      
,leaves4 ,boston4 ,j4 ,e4 ,tilton  ,co4 
#abmo4 pp4 #if4 #a4ej4  ,wax ,flowers3  
,how to make them4 ,with ,new ,methods  

of sheeting ,wax1 modelling ,fruit1 etc4
 ,boston4 ,j4 ,e4 ,tilton  ,co4 #abmo4  
pp4 #aaf4 #a4ej4  ,the ,bridal ,eve4 ,by
 ,mrs4 ,emma ,d4 ,e4 ,n4 ,southworth4   
,philadelphia4 ,t4 ,b4 ,peterson        
,brothers4 #abmo4 pp4 #ddf4 #a4ej4  ,the
 ,potomac and the ,rapidan4 ,army       
,notes1 from the ,failure at ,winchester
 to the ,reinforcement of ,rosecrans4   
,by ,alonzo ,h4 ,quint1 ,chaplain of the
 ,second ,massachusetts ,infantry4      
,boston4 ,crosby  ,nichols4 #abmo4 pp4  
#djg4 #a4ge4  ,hotspur4 ,a ,tale of the 
,old ,dutch ,manor4 ,by ,mansfield ,t4  
,walworth1 ,author of ,lulu4 ,new ,york4
 ,g4 ,w4 ,carleton4 #abmo4 pp4 #cbd4    
#a4be4  ,the ,peninsular ,campaign and  
its ,antecedents1 as developed by the   
,report of ,major-,general ,george ,b4  
,mc,clellan and other ,published        
,documents4 ,by ,j4 ,g4 ,barnard1       
,lieutenant-,colonel of ,engineers and  
,brigadier-,general of ,volunteers1 and 
,chief ,engineer in the ,army of the    
,potomac from its ,organization to the  

,close of the ,peninsular ,campaign4    
,new ,york4 ,d4 ,van ,nostrand4 #hvo4   
pp4 #id4 #a4jj4  ,songs of the          
,soldiers4 ,arranged and edited by      
,frank ,moore4 ,new ,york4 ,g4 ,p4      
,putnam4 #ahmo4 pp4 xvi41 #cah4 #a4jj4  
,self-,sacrifice4 ,by the ,author of    
,margaret ,maitland4 ,philadelphia4 ,t4 
,b4 ,peterson  ,brothers4 #abmo4 pp4    
#cge4 #a4ej4  ,out in the ,world4 ,a    
,novel4 ,by ,t4 ,s4 ,arthur4 ,new ,york4
 ,g4 ,w4 ,carleton4 #abmo4 pp4 #cab4    
#a4ej4  ,watson's ,manual of            
,calisthenics3 ,a ,systematic           
,drill-,book without ,apparatus2 for    
,schools1 ,families1 and ,gymnasiums4   
,with ,music to accompany the           
,exercises4 ,illustrated from ,original 
,designs4 ,by ,j4 ,madison ,watson4 ,new
 ,york and ,philadelphia4 ,schermerhorn1
 ,bancroft1  ,co4 #hvo4 pp4 #add4 #a4be4
  ,eliza ,woodson2 or1 ,the ,early ,days
 of one of the ,world's ,workers4 ,a    
,story of ,american ,life4 ,second      
,edition4 ,new ,york4 ,a4 ,j4 ,davis    

,co4 #abmo4 pp4 #dbf4 #a4be4  ,the ,hour
 which cometh and now is3 ,sermons      
preached in ,indiana-,place ,chapel1    
,boston4 ,by ,james ,freeman ,clarke4   
,boston4 ,walker1 ,wise1  ,co4 #abmo4   
pp4 vi1 #cdh4 #a4ej4  ,expository       
,lectures on the ,heidelberg ,catechism4
 ,by ,george ,w4 ,bethune1 ,d4 ,d4 ,in  
,two ,volumes4 ,vol4 ,,ii4 ,new ,york4  
,sheldon  ,co4 #abmo4 pp4 #ece4 #b4be4  
,over the ,river2 or1 ,pleasant ,walks  
into the ,valley of ,shadows1 and       
,beyond4 ,a ,book of ,consolations for  
the ,sick1 the ,dying1 and the          
,bereaved4 ,by ,thomas ,baldwin ,thayer4
 ,boston4 ,tompkins  ,co4 #abmo4 pp4    
#bgb4 #a4be4  ,naomi ,torrento4 ,the    
,history of a ,woman4 ,by ,gertrude ,f4 
,de ,vingut4 ,new ,york4 ,john          
,bradburn4 #hvo4 pp4 #bge4 #b4jj4  ,the 
,battle-,fields of our ,fathers4 ,by    
,virginia ,f4 ,townsend4 ,new ,york4    
,john ,bradburn4 #abmo4 pp4 #cfh4 #a4ej4
  ,precedents of ,american ,neutrality1 
in ,reply to the ,speech of ,sir        

,roundell ,palmer1 ,attorney-,general of
 ,england1 in the ,british ,house of    
,commons1 ,may #ac1 #ahfd4 ,by ,george  
,bemis4 ,boston4 ,little1 ,brown1  ,co4 
#hvo4 paper4 pp4 viii41 #hc4 #ej cents4 
,rhode ,island in the ,rebellion4 ,by   
,edwin ,m4 ,stone1 of the ,first        
,regiment ,rhode ,island ,light         
,artillery4 ,providence4 ,george ,h4    
,whitney4 #abmo4 pp4 xxxviii41 #cih4    
,the ,coward4 ,a ,novel of ,society and 
the ,field in #ahfc4 ,by ,henry         
,morford4 ,philadelphia4 ,t4 ,b4        
,peterson  ,brothers4 #abmo4 pp4 #ebj4  
#b4jj4  ,the ,dead ,shot2 or1           
,sportsman's ,complete ,guide3 ,being a 
,treatise on the ,use of the ,gun1 with 
,rudimentary and ,finishing ,lessons in 
the ,art of shooting ,game of all       
,kinds1 ,pigeon-,shooting1              
,dog-,breaking1 etc4 ,by ,marksman4 ,new
 ,york4 ,w4 ,a4 ,townsend4 #afmo4 pp4   
#bhb4 #b4jj4  ,overland ,explorations in
 ,siberia1 ,northern ,asia1 and the     
,great ,amoor ,river ,country2          

,incidental ,notices of ,manchooria1    
,mongolia1 ,kamschatka1 and ,japan1 with
 ,map and ,plan of an ,overland         
,telegraph around the ,world1 via       
,behring's ,strait and ,asiatic ,russia 
to ,europe4 ,by ,major ,perry ,mc,d4    
,collins1 ,commercial ,agent of the     
,united ,states of ,america for the     
,amoor ,river1 ,asiatic ,russia4 ,new   
,york4 ,d4 ,appleton  ,co4 #abmo4 pp4   
iv41 #dfg4  ,life with the ,forty-,ninth
 ,massachusetts ,volunteers4 ,by ,henry 
,t4 ,johns1 late ,quartermaster's ,clerk
 ,forty-,ninth ,massachusetts           
,volunteers4 ,pittsfield4 ,published for
 the ,author4 #abmo4 pp4 #cia4 #a4be4   
,woman and her ,era4 ,by ,eliza ,w4     
,farnham4 ,new ,york4 ,a4 ,j4 ,davis    
,co4 #abmo4 ,two ,vols4 pp4 #cah1 #dff4 
#c4jj4  ,a ,woman's ,philosophy of      
,woman2 or1 ,woman ,affranchised4 ,an   
,answer to ,michelet1 ,proudhon1        
,girardin1 ,legouve1 ,comte1 and other  
,modern ,innovators4 ,by ,madame        
,d',hericourt4 ,new ,york4 ,g4 ,w4      

,carleton4 #abmo4 pp4 #cag4 #a4ej4  ,the
 ,new ,internal ,revenue ,law1 approved 
,june #cj1 #ahfd1 with ,copious         
,marginal ,references1 a ,complete      
,analytical ,index1 and ,tables of      
,taxation4 ,compiled by ,horace ,e4     
,dresser4 ,new ,york4 ,d4 ,appleton     
,co4 #hvo4 paper1 pp4 #abb4 #ej cents4  
,personal and ,political ,ballads4      
,arranged and edited by ,frank ,moore4  
,new ,york4 ,g4 ,p4 ,putnam4 #cbmo4 pp4 
xvi41 #cfh4 #a4jj4  ,enoch ,arden1 etc4 
,by ,alfred ,tennyson1 ,d4 ,c4 ,l41     
,poet-,laureate4 ,boston4 ,ticknor      
,fields4 #afmo4 pp4 #bjd4 #a4be4        
,dramatis ,personae4 ,by ,robert        
,browning4 ,boston4 ,ticknor  ,fields4  
#afmo4 pp4 #bfb4 #a4ej4  ,babble-,brook 
,songs4 ,by ,j4 ,h4 ,mc,naughton4       
,boston4 ,o4 ,ditson  ,co4 #afmo4 pp4   
#bcg4 #a4be4  ,the ,early ,dawn2 or1    
,sketches of ,christian ,life in        
,england in the ,olden ,time4 ,by the   
,author of ,chronicles of               
,schoenberg-,cotta ,family4 ,with       

,introduction by ,professor ,henry ,b4  
,smith1 ,d4 ,d4 ,new ,york4 ,m4 ,w4     
,dodd1 ,no4 #ejf ,broadway4 #abmo4 pp4  
#cig4 #a4ge4  ,the ,forest ,arcadia of  
,northern ,new ,york4 ,embracing a ,view
 of its ,mineral1 ,agricultural1 and    
,timber ,resources4 ,boston4 ,t4 ,o4 ,h4
 ,p4 ,burnham4 #afmo4 pp4 #bbd4 #a4ej4  
,azarian3 ,an ,episode4 ,by ,harriet    
,elizabeth ,prescott1 ,author of ,the   
,amber ,gods1 etc4 ,boston4 ,ticknor    
,fields4 #afmo4 pp4 #bea4 #a4be4  ,man  
and his ,relations3 ,illustrating the   
,influence of the ,mind on the ,body2   
the ,relations of the ,faculties to the 
,organs1 and to the ,elements1 ,objects1
 and ,phenomena of the ,external ,world4
 ,by ,s4 ,b4 ,brittan1 ,m4 ,d4 ,new     
,york4 ,w4 ,a4 ,townsend4 #hvo4 pp4     
xiv41 #egh4 #c4ej4  ,a ,summer ,cruise  
on the ,coast of ,new ,england4 ,by     
,robert ,carter4 ,boston4 ,crosby       
,nichols4 #afmo4 pp4 #bfa4 #a4jj4  ,the 
,cliff-,climbers2 or1 ,the ,lone ,home  
in the ,himalayas4 ,a ,sequel to ,the   

,plant-,hunters4 ,by ,captain ,mayne    
,reid1 ,author of ,the ,desert ,home1   
,the ,boy-,hunters1 etc41 etc4 ,with    
,illustrations4 ,boston4 ,ticknor       
,fields4