available by ,cornell ,university       
,digital ,collections74           ,,the 
,,atlantic ,,monthly4  ,a ,,magazine    
,,of ,,literature1 ,,art1 ,,and         
,,politics4  ,,vol4 ,,ii4--,,december1  
#aheh4--,,no4 ,,xiv4     ,,the ,,ideal  
,,tendency4   ,we are all interested in 
,art2 yet few of us have taken pains to 
justify the delight we feel in it4 ,no  
philosophy can win us away from         
,shakspeare1 ,plato1 ,angelo1           
,beethoven1 ,goethe1 ,phidias1--from the
 masters of sculpture1 painting1 music1 
and metaphor4 ,their truth is larger    
than any other1--too large to be stated 
directly and lodged in systems1         
theories1 definitions1 or formulas4     
,they suggest and assure to us what     
cannot be spoken4 ,they communicate     
life1 because they do not endeavor to   
measure life4 ,philosophy will present  
the definite2 ,art refers always to the 
vast1--to that which cannot be          
comprehended1 but only enjoyed and      
adored4 ,art is the largest expression4 

,it is not1 like ,science1 a basket in  
which meat and drink may be carried1 but
 a hand which points toward the sky4    
,our eyes follow its direction1 and our 
souls follow our eyes4 ,man needs only  
to be shown an open space4 ,he will rise
 into it with instant expansion4 ,we are
 made partakers of that illimitable     
energy4 ,only poetry can give account of
 poetry1 only ,art can justify ,art2 and
 we cannot hope to speak finally of this
 elastic ,truth1 to draw a circle around
 that which is vital1 because it has in 
it something of infinity1--but we may   
hope to remove a doubt growing out of   
the very largeness which exalts and     
refreshes us4 ,art is not practical4 ,it
 offers no precept1 but lies abroad like
 ,nature1 not to be grasped and         
exhausted4 ,neither is it anxious about 
its own reception1 as though any man    
could long escape the benefit which it  
brings4 ,every principle of science1    
every deduction of philosophy1 is a     
tool4 ,our very religion1 as we dare to 

name it1 is a key which opens the       
heavens to admit myself and family4 ,art
 offers only life2 but perhaps that will
 appear worth taking without looking    
beyond4 ,can we look beyond8 ,life is an
 end in itself1 and so better than any  
tool4  ,what is that which underlies all
 arts as their essence1 the thing to be 
expressed and celebrated8 ,what is      
poetry1 the creation from which the     
artist is named8 ,we shall answer       
boldly3 it is no shaping of forms1 but a
 making of man4 ,nature is a plenum1 is 
finished1 and the ,divine account with  
her is closed2 but man is only yet a    
chick in the egg4 ,with him it is still 
the first day of creation1 and he has   
not received the benediction of a       
completed work4 ,and yet the completion 
is involved and promised in our daily   
experience4 ,man is a perpetual seeker4 
,he sees always just before him his own 
power1 which he must hasten to overtake4
 ,he weighs himself often in thought2   
yet it is not his present1 but a        

presumptive value1 of which he is taking
 account4 ,we are continually entering  
into our future1 and it is so near us1  
we are already in every hour so full of 
it1 that we draw without fraud on the   
credit of to-morrow4 ,the student who   
has bought his first law-book is already
 a great counsellor4 ,with the          
,commentaries he carries home           
consideration and the judicial habit4   
,some wisdom he imbibes through his     
pores and those of the sheepskin cover4 
,now he is grave and prudent1 a man of  
the world and of authority2 but if he   
had chosen differently1 and brought home
 the first book of ,theology1 his day   
would have been tinted with other       
colors4 ,for every choice carries a     
future involved in itself1 and we begin 
to taste that when we take our course   
toward it4 ,the habit of leaning forward
 and living in advance of himself has   
made its mark upon every man4 ,we look  
not at the history or performance of the
 stranger1 but at his pretensions4      

,these are written in his dress1 his air
 and attitude1 his tone and occupation4 
,the past is already nothing1 the       
present is sliding away2 to know any    
man1 we must keep our eyes out in       
advance on the road he is following4    
,for man is an involuntary1 if not a    
willing traveller4 ,time does not roll  
from under his feet1 but he is carried  
along with the current1 and can never   
again be where or what he was4 ,nothing 
in his experience can ever be quite     
repeated4 ,if you see the same trees and
 hills1 they do not appear the same from
 year to year4 ,yesterday they were new 
and strange2 you and they were young    
together4 ,to-day they are familiar and 
disregarded4 ,soon they will be old     
friends1 prattling to gray hairs of the 
brown locks and bounding breath of      
youth4  ,the pioneer of our growth is   
,imagination4 ,desire and ,hope go on   
before into the wilderness of the       
unknown2 they open paths2 they make a   
clearing2 they build and settle firmly  

before we ourselves in will and power   
arrive at this opening1 but they never  
await our coming4 ,they are the         
,fore-runners1 off again deeper into the
 vast possibility of being4 ,the boy    
walks in a dream of to-morrow4 ,two     
bushels of hickory-nuts in his bag are  
no nuts to him1 but silver shillings2   
yet neither are the shillings shillings1
 but shining skates1 into which they    
will presently be transmuted4 ,already  
he is on the great pond by the roaring  
fire1 or ringing away into distant      
starry darkness with a sparkling brand4 
,already1 before his first skates are   
bought1 before he has seen the coin that
 buys them1 he is dashing and wheeling  
with his fellows1 a leader of the flying
 train4  ,that early fore-reaching is a 
picture of our entire activity4 ,care is
 taken1 said ,goethe1 that the trees do 
not grow into the sky2 but man is that  
tree which must outgrow the sky and lift
 its top into finer air and sunshine4   
,the essential seed is ,growth2 not     

shell and bark1 nor kernel1 but a germ  
which pierces the soil and lifts the    
stone4 ,spirit is such a germ1 and      
perpetual reinforcement is its quality2 
so that the great ,being is known to us 
as a becoming ,creator1 adding himself  
to himself1 and life to life1 in        
perpetual emanation4  ,the boy's thought
 never stops short of some personal     
prowess4 ,it is ability that charms him4
 ,to be a man1 as he understands        
manliness1 is to have the whole planet  
for a gymnasium and play-ground4 ,he    
would like to have been on the other    
side of ,hydaspes when ,alexander came  
to that stream4 ,but he soon discovers  
that wit is the sword of                
sharpness1--that he is the ruler who can
 reach the deepest desire of man and    
satisfy that4 ,if there is power in him1
 he becomes a careful student1 examines 
everything1 examines his own enthusiasm1
 examines his last examination1 tries   
every estimate again and again4 ,he     
distrusts his tools1 and then distrusts 

his own distrust1 lifting himself by the
 very boot-straps in his metaphysics1 to
 get at some foundation which will not  
move4 ,he will know what he is about and
 what is great4 ,he puts ,csar1 ,milton1
 and ,whitfield into his crucible2 but  
that which went in ,csar comes out a    
part of himself4 ,the bold yet modest   
young chemist is egotistical4 ,he cannot
 be anybody else but ,john ,smith4 ,why 
should he8 ,who knows yet what it is to 
be ,john ,smith8 ,napoleon and          
,washington are only playing his own    
game for him1 since he so easily        
understands and accepts their play4 ,a  
boy reads history as girls cut flowers  
from old embroidery to sew them on a new
 foundation4 ,they are interested in the
 new1 and in the old only for what they 
can make of it4 ,so he sucks the blood  
of kings and captains to help him fight 
his own battles4 ,he reads of ,bunker's 
,hill and the ,declaration of           
,independence with constant reference to
 the part he shall take in the politics 

of the world4 ,his motto is1 ,sic semper
 tyrannis6 ,benjamin ,franklin1 and     
after him ,john ,smith1--perhaps a      
better man than he4 ,we live on that    
perhaps4 ,every great man departed has  
played out his last card1 has taken all 
his chances4 ,we are glad to see his    
power limited and scaled up4            
,shakspeare1 we say1 did not know       
everything2 and here am ,i alone with   
the universe1 nothing but a little      
sleepiness between me and all that      
,shakspeare and ,plato knew or did not  
know4 ,if ,i should be jostled out of my
 drowsiness1 who can tell what may be   
given me to see1 to say1 or to do8 ,let 
us make ready and get upon some high    
ground from which we may overlook the   
work of the world2 for the secret of all
 mastery is dormant1 yet breathing and  
stirring in you and me4  ,out of such   
material as we can gather we make a     
world in which we walk continually up   
and down4 ,in it we find friends and    
enemies1 we love and are loved1 we      

travel and build4 ,in it we are kings2  
we ordain and arrange everything1 and   
never come away worsted from any        
encounter4 ,for this sphere arises in   
answer to the practical question1 ,what 
can ,i be and do8 ,it is an embodiment  
of the force that is in me4 ,every      
dreamer1 therefore1 goes on to see      
himself among men and things which he   
can understand and master1 with which he
 can deal securely4 ,the stable-boy has 
hid an old volume among the straw1 and  
he walks with ,portia and ,desdemona    
while he grooms the horses4 ,already in 
his smock-frock he is a companion for   
princes and queens4 ,but the rich man's 
son1 well born1 as we say1 in the great 
house yonder1 has one only ambition in  
life1--to turn stable-boy1 to own a fast
 team and a trotting-wagon1 to vie with 
gamesters upon the road4 ,that is an    
activity to which he is equal1 in which 
his value will appear4 ,both boys1 and  
all boys1 are looking upward1 only from 
widely different levels and to different

 heights4  ,the young blasphemer does   
not love blasphemy1 but to have his head
 and be let alone by ,old ,aunty1 who   
combs his hair as if he were a girl4 ,so
 always there is some ideal aim in the  
mixed motive4 ,out of six gay young men 
who drive and drink together1 only one  
cares for the meat and the bottle4 ,with
 the rest this feasting gallantly on the
 best1 regardless of expense1 is part of
 a system4 ,it is in good style1 is     
convivial4 ,for these green-horns of    
society to live together1 to be conviv1 
is not to think and labor together1 as  
wise men use1 but to laugh and be       
drunken in company4  ,into the lowest   
courses there enters something to keep  
the filth from overwhelming             
self-respect4 ,the advocates of slavery 
have not1 as it appears1 lost all       
pretence of honor and honesty4 ,thieves 
are sustained by a sense of the         
injustice of society4 ,they do but right
 an old wrong1 taking bravely what was  
accumulated by cautious cunning4 ,they  

cultivate many virtues1 and1 like the   
best of us1 make much of these1 identify
 themselves with these4 ,if a man is    
harsh and tyrannical1 he regrets that he
 has too much force of character4 ,and  
it is not safe to accuse a harlot of    
stealing and lying4 ,she has her ideal  
also1 and strives to keep the ulcer of  
sin within bounds1--to save a sweet side
 from corruption4  ,is this stooping    
very low to look for the ,ideal         
,tendency8 ,the greater gain1 if we find
 it prevailing in these depths4 ,we may 
doubt whether thieves and harlots are   
subject to the same law which           
irresistibly lifts us1 for we know that 
our own sin is not quite like other sin4
 ,but ,i must not offer all the cheerful
 hope ,i feel for the worst offenders1  
because too much faith passes for levity
 or impiety2 and men thank ,god only for
 deliverance from great dangers1 not for
 preservation from all danger4 ,for     
gratitude we must not escape too easily 
and clean1 but with some smell of fire  

upon us4  ,yet in our own experience    
this planning what we shall do and      
become is constant1 and always we escape
 from the present into larger air4 ,the 
boy will not be content with that skill 
in skating which occupies his mind      
to-day4 ,that belongs to the day and    
place1 but next year he goes to the     
academy and fresh exploits engage him4  
,he works gallantly in this new field   
and harness1 because his thought has    
gone forward again1 and he sees through 
these studies the man of thought4       
,already as a student he is a           
philosopher1 a poet1 a servant of the   
,muse4 ,bacon and ,milton look kindly on
 him in invitation1 he is walking to    
their company and in their company4 ,the
 young hero-worshipper cannot remain    
satisfied with mere physical or warlike 
prowess4 ,he soon sees the superiority  
of mental and moral mastery1 of creation
 of good counsel4 ,he will reverence the
 valiant reformer who brings justice in 
his train1 the saint in whom goodness is

 enamored of goodness1 the gentleman    
whose heart-beat is courtesy1 the       
prophet in whom a religion is born1 all 
who have been inspired with liberal1 not
 dragged by sordid aims4  ,how beautiful
 to him is the society of poets6 ,he    
reads with idolatry the letters and     
anecdotes of ,coleridge and ,wordsworth1
 ,goethe and ,schiller1 ,beethoven and  
,raphael4 ,look at the private thought  
of these men in familiar intercourse3 no
 plotting for lucre1 but a conspiracy to
 reach the best in life4 ,the saints are
 even more ardent in aspiration1 for    
their tender hearts were pressed and    
saddened by fear4 ,they are now set on  
fire by a sense of great redemption4    
,they are prisoners pardoned4  ,for     
scholars the world is peopled only with 
saints1 philosophers1 and poets1 and the
 studious boy seeks his own amid their  
large activity4 ,so much of it meets his
 want1 yet the whole does not meet all  
his want4 ,he must combine and balance  
and embrace conflicting qualities4      

,every day his view enlarges4 ,what was 
noble last year will now by no means    
content his conscience4 ,duty and beauty
 have risen4  ,the ,ideal ,tendency     
characterizes man1 affords the only     
definition of him2 and it is a          
perpetual1 irresistible expansion4 ,no  
matter on what it fastens1 it will not  
stay1 but spreads and soars like light  
in the morning sky4  ,to-day we are     
charmed with our partners1 and think we 
can never tire of ,alfred and ,emily4   
,to-morrow we discover without shame1   
after all our protestations and         
engagements1 that their future seems    
incommensurate with our own4 ,to our    
surprise1 they also feel their paths    
diverging from ours4 ,we part with a    
show of regret1 but real joy to be free4
  ,both parties have gained from their  
intercourse a certainty of power and    
promise of greater power4 ,silly people 
fill the world with lamentation over    
human inconstancy2 but if we follow     
love1 we cannot cling to the beloved4   

,we must love onward1 and only when our 
friends go before us can we be true both
 to friendship and to them4  ,how eager 
and tremulous his excitement when at    
last the youth encounters all beauty in 
a maiden6 ,now he is on his trial4 ,can 
he move her8 for he must be to her      
nothing or all4 ,how stately and        
far-removed she seems in her crystal    
sphere6 ,all her relations are fair and 
poetic4 ,her book is not like another   
book4 ,her soft and fragrant attire1 can
 it be woven of ribbons and silk8 ,she1 
too1 has dreamed of the coming man1     
heroic1 lyrical1 impassioned2 the beat  
of his blood a pan and triumphal march2 
a man able to cut paths for her and lead
 her to all that is worthiest in life4  
,her day is an expectation2 her demand  
looks out of proud eyes4 ,can he move   
this stately creature1 pure and high    
above him as the clear moon yonder1     
never turning from her course1--this    
,diana1 who will love upward and stoop  
to no ,endymion8 ,now it will appear    

whether he can pass with another for all
 he is to himself4 ,this will be the    
victory for which he was born1 or       
blackest defeat4 ,if she could love him6
 ,if he should1 after all1 be to her    
only such another as her cousin ,thomas1
 who comes and goes with all his        
pretensions as unregarded as ,rover the 
house-dog6 ,between these ifs he        
vacillates1 swung like a ship on stormy 
waters1 touching heaven and hell4       
,meanwhile the maiden dares hardly look 
toward this generous new-comer1 whose   
destiny lies broad open in his courage  
and desire4 ,others she could conciliate
 and gently allure1 but she will not    
play with the lion4 ,she will throw no  
web around his strength to tear her     
heart away1 if it does not hold him4    
,for the first time she guards her      
fancy4 ,she will not think of the career
 that awaits him1 of the help there is  
in him for men1 and the honor that will 
follow him from them1--of the high      
studies1 tasks1 and companionship to    

which he is hastening4 ,what avails this
 avoidance1 this turning-away of the    
head8 ,a fancy that must be kept is     
already lost4 ,she read his quality in  
the first glance of deep-meaning eyes4  
,when at last he speaks1 she sees       
suddenly how beyond all recovery he had 
carried away her soul in that glance4   
,they marry each the expectation of the 
other4 ,it was a promise in either that 
shone so fair4 ,happy lovers1 if only as
 wife and husband they can go on to     
fulfil the promise6 ,for love cannot be 
repeated2 every day it must have fresh  
food in a new object2 and unless        
character is renewed1 love must leave it
 behind and wander on4  ,if the wife is 
still aspiring1--if she lays growing    
demands on her hero1--if her thought    
enlarges and she stands true to it1     
separate from him in integrity as he saw
 her first1 following not his1 but her  
own native estimate1--she will always be
 his mistress4 ,she will still have that
 charm of remoteness which belongs only 

to those who do not lean and borrow1 to 
natures centred for themselves in the   
deep4 ,there is something incalculable  
in such independence4 ,it is full of    
surprise for the most intimate4 ,in one 
breast the true wife prepares for her   
husband a course of loves4 ,every day   
she offers a new heart to be won4 ,every
 day the woman he could reach is gone1  
and there again before him is the       
inaccessible maiden who will not accept 
to-day the behavior of yesterday4 ,this 
withdrawal and advancement from height  
to height is true virginity1 which never
 lies down with love but keeps him      
always on foot and girded for fresh     
pursuit4 ,noble lovers rely on no       
pledges1 point to no past engagements1  
but prefer to renew their relation from 
hour to hour4 ,the heroic woman will    
command1 and not solicit love4 ,let him 
go1 when ,i cease to be all to him1 when
 ,i can no longer fill the horizon of   
his imagination and satisfy his heart4  
,but if there is less ascension in a    

woman1 she is no mate for an advancing  
man4 ,he must leave her2 he walks by her
 side alone4 ,so we pass many dear      
companions1 outgrowing alike our loves  
and our fears4  ,once or twice in youth 
we meet a man of sounding reputation or 
real wisdom1 whose secret is hid above  
our discovery4 ,his manners are         
formidable while we do not understand   
them4 ,in his presence our tongues are  
tied1 our limbs are paralyzed4 ,thought 
dies out before him1 the will is        
unseated and vacillates1 we are cowed   
like ,antony beside ,csar4 ,in solitude 
we are ashamed of this cowardice and    
resolve to put it away2 but when the    
great man returns1 our knees knock and  
we are as weak as before4 ,it is suicide
 to fly from such mortification4 ,a     
brave boy faces it as well as he can4   
,by-and-by the dazzle abates1 he sees   
some flaw1 some coarseness or softness1 
in this shining piece of metal2 he      
begins to fathom the motives and measure
 the orbit of this tyrannous benefactor4

 ,they are the true friends who daunt   
and overpower us1 to whom for a little  
we yield more than their due4  ,this    
rule is universal1 that no man can      
admire downward4 ,all enthusiasm rises  
and lifts the subject of it4 ,that which
 seems to you so base an activity is    
lifted above low natures4 ,what matter1 
then1 where the standard floats at this 
moment1 since it cannot remain fixed8   
,perfection retreats1 as the horizon    
withdraws before a traveller1 and lures 
us on and on4 ,it even travels faster   
than our best endeavors can follow1 and 
so beckons to us from farther and       
farther away4 ,we may give ourselves to 
the ideal1 or we may turn aside to      
appetite and sleep2 but in every moment 
of returning sanity we are again on our 
feet and again upon an endless ascending
 road4  ,when a man has tasted power1   
when he sees the supply there is so near
 in ,nature for all need1 he hungers for
 reinforcement4 ,that desire is prayer4 
,it opens its own doors and takes       

supplies from ,god's hand4 ,no wise man 
can grudge the necessary use of the mind
 to serve the body with shelter and     
food1 for we go merrily to ,nature1 and 
with our milk we drink order1 justice1  
beauty1 and benignity4 ,we cannot take  
the husks on which our bodies are fed1  
without expressing these juices also1   
which circulate as sap and blood through
 the sphere4 ,we cannot touch any object
 but some spark of vital electricity is 
shot through us4 ,every creature is a   
battery1 charged not with mere vegetable
 or animal1 but with moral life4 ,our   
metaphysical being is fed from something
 hidden in rocks and woods1 in streams  
and skies1 in fire1 water1 earth1 and   
air4 ,while we dig roots1 and gather    
nuts1 and hunt and roast our meat1 our  
blood is quickened not in the heart     
alone4 ,deeper currents are swelled4    
,the springs of our humanity are opened 
in ,nature2 for that which streams      
through the landscape1 and comes in at  
the eye and ear1 is plainly the same    

fluid which enters as consciousness1 and
 is the life by which we live4 ,while we
 enjoy this spiritual refreshment and   
keep ourselves open to it1 we may dig   
without degradation2 but if our minds   
fasten on the thing to be done1 on      
commodity and safety1 on getting and    
having1 those avenues seem to close by  
which the soul was fed4 ,then we forget 
our incalculable chances and            
certainties2 we go mad1 and make the    
mind a muck-rake4 ,if a man will direct 
his faculties to any limited and not to 
illimitable ends1 he cripples his       
faculties4 ,no matter whether he is     
deluded by a fortune or a reputation or 
position1 if he does not give himself   
wholly to grow and be a man1 regardless 
of minor advantages1 he has lost his way
 in the world4 ,be true1 said ,schiller1
 to the dream of thy youth4 ,that dream 
was generous1 not sordid4 ,we must be   
surrendered to the perfection which     
claims us1 and suffer no narrow aim to  
postpone that insatiable demand4  ,but  

the potency of life will bring back     
every wanderer1 as he well knows4 ,every
 sinner keeps his trunk packed1 ready to
 return to the good4 ,the poor traders  
really mean to buy love with their gold4
 ,feeling the hold of a chain which     
binds us even when we do not cling to   
it1 we grow prodigal of time and power4 
,the essence of life1 as we enjoy it1 is
 a sense of the inextinguishable        
ascending tendency in life2 and this    
gives courage when there is yet no      
reverence or devotion4  ,in development 
of character is involved great change of
 circumstances4 ,we cannot grow or work 
in a corner4 ,it is not for greed alone 
or mainly that men make war and build   
cities and found governments1 but to try
 what they can do and become1 to justify
 themselves to themselves and to their  
fellows4 ,we desire to please and       
help1--but still more1 at first1 to be  
sure that we can please and help4 ,if he
 hears any man speak effectually in     
public1 the ambitious boy will never    

rest till he can also speak1 or do some 
other deed as difficult and as well     
worth doing4 ,for the trial of faculty  
we must go out into the world of        
institutions1 range ourselves beside the
 workers1 take up their tools and strike
 stroke for stroke with them4 ,every new
 situation and employment dazzles till  
we find out the trick of it4 ,the boy   
longs to escape from a farm to college1 
from college to the city and practical  
life4 ,then he looks up from his desk1  
or from the pit in the theatre1 to the  
gay world of fashion1--harder to conquer
 than even the world of thought4 ,at    
last he makes his way upward into the   
sacred circle1 and finds there a little 
original power and a great deal of      
routine4 ,these fine parts are like     
those of players1 learned by heart4 ,the
 men who invented them1 with whom they  
were spontaneous1 seem to have died out 
and left their manners with their       
wardrobes to narrow-breasted children1  
whom neither clothes nor courtesies will

 fit4 ,so in every department we find   
the snail freezing in an oyster-shell4  
,the judges do not know the meaning of  
justice4 ,the preacher thinks religion  
is a spasm of desire and fear4 ,a young 
man soon loses all respect for titles1  
wigs1 and gowns1 and looks for a        
muscular master-mind4 ,somebody wrote   
the laws1 and set the example of noble  
behavior1 and founded every religion4   
,only a man capable of originating can  
understand1 sustain1 or use any         
institution4 ,the ,church1 the ,state1  
the ,social ,system come tumbling       
ruinous over the heads of bunglers1 who 
cannot uphold1 because they never could 
have built them1 and the rubbish        
obstructs every path in life4 ,an       
honest1 vigorous thinker will clear away
 these ruins and begin anew at the      
earth4 ,when the boy has broken loose   
from home1 and fairly entered the world 
that allured him1 he finds it not fit to
 live in without revolutions4 ,he is as 
much cramped in it as he was in the ways

 of the old homestead4 ,feeding the pigs
 and picking up chips did not seem work 
for a man1 but he finds that almost all 
the activity of the race amounts to     
nothing more2 no more thought or purpose
 goes into it4 ,men find ,church and    
,state and ,custom ready-made1 and they 
fall into the procession1 ask no        
searching questions1 but take things for
 granted without reason2 and their      
imitation is as easy as picking up      
chips4 ,it is no doing1 but merely      
sliding down hill4 ,the way of the world
 will not suit a valiant boy4 ,to make  
elbow-room and get breathing-space1 he  
becomes a reformer2 and when now he can 
find no new worlds to conquer1 he will  
make a world1 laying in truth and       
justice every stone4 ,the same seeker1  
who was so fired by the sight of his    
eyes1 looking out from a mill-yard or a 
shoe-shop on the many-colored activity  
of his kind1 who ran such a round of    
arts and sciences1 pursuing the very    
secret of his being in each new         

enterprise1 is now discontented with all
 that has been done4 ,he begins again to
 look forward1--he becomes a prophet1   
instead of the historian he was4 ,he    
easily sees that a true manhood would   
disuse our ways of teaching and         
worshipping1 would unbuild and rebuild  
every town and house1 would tear away   
the jails and abolish pauperism as well 
as slavery4 ,he sees the power of       
government lying unused and unsuspected 
in spelling-books and ,bibles4 ,now he  
has found a work1 not for one finger1   
but for fighting ,hercules and singing  
,apollo1 worthy of ,minerva and of      
,jove4 ,he will try what man can do for 
man4  ,the history of every brave girl  
is parallel with that of her play-fellow
 and yoke-fellow4 ,she sighs for        
sympathy1 for a gallant company of      
youths and maidens worthy of all desire4
 ,her music1 drawing1 and ,italian are  
only doors which she hopes to open upon 
such a company4 ,she longs for society  
to make the hours lyrical1 for tasks to 

make them epic and heroic4 ,the         
attitudes and actions of imaginative    
young persons are exalted every moment  
by the invisible presence of lovers1    
poets1 inspired and inspiring           
companions4 ,such as they are we also   
shall be2 when we walk among them and   
with them1 we shall wash our hands of   
all injustice1 meanness1 and pretension4
 ,women are as tired as men of our silly
 civilization1 its compliments1         
restraints1 and compromises4 ,they feel 
the burden of routine as heavily1 and   
keep their elasticity under it as long  
as we4 ,what they cannot hope to do1 a  
great-hearted man1 some lover of theirs1
 shall do for them2 and they will       
sustain him with appreciation1          
anticipating the tardy justice of       
mankind4 ,every generous girl shares    
with her sex that new development of    
feminine consciousness1 which the vulgar
 have named1 in derision1 a movement for
 woman's rights4 ,she will seek to be   
more truly woman1 to assert her special 

power and privilege1 to approach from   
her own side the common ideal1 offering 
a pure soprano to match the manly bass4 
,we all look for a future1 not only     
better than our won past1 but better    
than any past4 ,humanity is our         
inheritance1 but not historical         
humanity4 ,man seems to be broken and   
scattered all abroad4 ,the great lives  
are only eminent examples of a single   
virtue1 and by admiration of every hero 
we have been crippled on some one side4 
,if he is free1 he is also coarse2 if   
delicate1 he is overlaid by the gross   
world2 saints are timid and feverish1   
afraid of being spattered in the first  
puddle2 heroes are profane4 ,we must    
melt up all the old metal to make a new 
man and carry forward the common        
consciousness4 ,every failure was part  
of the final success4 ,we go over a     
causeway in which every timber is some  
soldier fallen in this enterprise4 ,who 
doubts the result doubts ,god4 ,we say1 
regretfully ,if ,i could only continue  

at my best6 and we ach with the little  
ebb1 between wave and wave1 of an       
advancing tide4 ,but this tide is       
,omnipotence4 ,it rises surely1 if it   
were only an inch in a thousand years4  
,the changes in society are like the    
geologic upheaval and sinking of        
continents2 yet man is morally as far   
removed from the savage as he is        
physically superior to the saurian4 ,we 
do not see the corn grow or the world   
revolve2 yet if motion be given as the  
primal essence1 we must look for        
inconceivable results4 ,wisdom will take
 care of wisdom1 and extend4 ,consider  
the growth of intellect in the history  
of your own parish for twenty years4    
,see how old views have died out of ,new
 ,england and new ones come in4 ,every  
man is fortified in his opinions1 yet no
 man can hold his opinions4 ,the closer 
they are hugged1 the faster in any      
community they change4 ,the ideas of    
such men as ,swedenborg1 ,goethe1       
,emerson1 float in the air like spores1 

and wherever they light they thrive4    
,the crabbedest dogmatist cannot escape2
 for1 if he open his eyes to seek his   
meet1 some sunshine will creep in4 ,we  
have combustibles stored in the         
stupidest of us1 and a spark of truth   
kindles our slumbering suspicion4 ,since
 the great reality is organized in man1 
and waits to be revealed in him1 it is  
of no avail to shut out the same reality
 from our ears4 ,thinkers have held to  
be dangerous1 and excluded from the     
desks of public instruction2 but the    
boys were already occupied with the same
 thoughts4 ,they would hear nothing new 
at the lecture1 and they are more       
encouraged by the terror of the elders  
than by any word the wise man could     
speak4 ,in pursuit of truth1 the        
difficulty is to ask a question2 for in 
the ability to ask is involved ability  
to reach an answer4 ,the serious student
 is occupied with problems which the    
doctors have never been able to         
entertain1 and he knows that their      

discourse is not addressed to him4 ,if  
you have not wit to understand what ,i  
seek1 you may croak with the frogs3 you 
are left out of my game4  ,and the old  
people1 unhappily1 suspect that this    
boy1 whose theory they do not           
comprehend1 is master of their theory4  
,they are puzzled and panic-stricken2   
they strike in the dark4 ,in all        
controversy1 the strong man's position  
is unassailed4 ,his adversary does not  
see where he is1 but attacks a man of   
straw1 some figment of his own1 to the  
amusement of intelligent spectators4    
,always our combatant is talking quite  
wide of the whole question4 ,so the wise
 man can never have an opponent2 for    
whoever is able to face and find him has
 already gone over to his side4 ,by     
material defences1 we shut our light for
 a little1 by going where only our own  
views are repeated1 and so boxing       
ourselves from all danger of conviction2
 but if a strong thinker could gain the 
mere brute advantage of having an       

audience confined in their seats to hear
 him out1 he would carry them all       
inevitably to his conclusion4 ,they know
 it and run away4 ,but the press has    
made our whole world of civilization one
 great lecture-room1 from which no      
reading man can escape1 and the only    
defence against progress is stolid      
preoccupation with trade or trifles4    
,yet this persistency is holding the    
breath1 and can no more be continued in 
the mind than that in the body4         
,blundering and falsehood become        
intolerable to the blunderers2 they must
 return to thought1 and that is proper  
in a single direction1 is approached by 
ten thousand avenues toward the ,one4   
,it is religious1 not ignorance or      
dogma4 ,we cannot think without         
exploration of the divine order and     
recognition of its divinity1 without    
finding ourselves carried away by it to 
service and adoration4 ,all good is     
assured to us in ,truth1 and ,truth     
follows us hard1 drives us into many a  

corner1 and will have us at last4 ,so   
,love surprises all1 and every virtue   
has a pass-key to every heart4 ,out of  
conflicting experience1 amid barbarism  
and dogmatism1 from feathers that float 
and stones that fall1 we deduce the     
great law of moral gravitation1 which   
binds spirit to spirit1 and all souls to
 the best4 ,recognition of that law is  
worship4 ,we rejoice in it without a    
taint of selfishness4 ,we adore it with 
entire satisfaction4 ,worship is neither
 belief nor hope1 but this certainty of 
repose upon ,perfection4 ,we explore    
over our heads and under our feet a     
harmony that is only enriched by        
dissolving discords4 ,the drag of time1 
the cramp of organization1 are only     
false fifths4 ,it is blasphemy to deny  
the dominant4 ,we cannot escape our     
good2 we shall be purified4 ,when our   
destiny is thus assured to us1 we become
 impatient of sleep and sin1 and        
redouble exertion4 ,we devote ourselves 
to this certainty1 and our allegiance is

 religion4 ,there is nothing in man     
omitted from the uplift of ,ideality4   
,that is a central and total expansion  
of him1 is an inmost entering into his  
inmost1 is more himself than he is      
himself4 ,all reverence is directed     
toward this ,creator revealed in flesh1 
though not compassed4 ,we adore him in  
others1 while yet we despise him in     
ourselves4 ,every other motion of man   
has an external centre1 is some hunger  
or passion1 acts on us from its seat in 
,nature or the body1 and we can face it1
 deny and repudiate it with the body2   
but this is the man flowing down from   
his source4  ,we must not be tempted to 
call things by too fine names1 lest we  
should disguise them4 ,all that is great
 is plain and familiar4 ,the ,ideal     
,tendency is simple love of life1 felt  
first as desire and then as             
satisfaction4 ,the men who represent it 
are not seekers1 but finders1 who go on 
to find more and more2 for in the poet  
desire has fulfilled itself4 ,enjoyment 

makes the artist4 ,he has gone on before
 us1 reaching into the abyss of         
possibility2 but he has reached more    
mightily4 ,he begins to know what is    
promised in the universal attraction1 in
 this eager turning of all faces toward 
our future4 ,there is a centre from     
which no eye can be diverted1 for it is 
the beam of sight4 ,look which way you  
will1 that centre is everywhere4 ,the   
universe is flooded with a ray from it1 
and the light of common day on every    
object is a refraction or reflection of 
that brightness4  ,shallow men think of 
,ideality as another appetite1 to be fed
 with pretty baubles1 as the body is    
satisfied with meat and sleep2 but the  
representative of that august impulse   
feels in it his immortality1 and by all 
his lovely allegories1 mythologies1     
fables1 pictures1 statues1 manners1     
songs1 and symphonies1 he seeks to      
communicate his own feeling1 that by    
specific gravity man must rise4 ,it is  
no wonder1 then1 that we love ,art while

 it offers us reinforcement of being1   
and despise the pretenders1 for whom it 
is pastime1 not prophecy4  ,for1 in     
spite of all discouragement from the    
materialists1 men stultified by trade or
 tradition1 we have trusted the high    
desire and followed it thus far4 ,we    
felt the sacredness of life even in     
ourselves1 and there was always         
reverence in our admiration4 ,we could  
not be made to doubt the divinity of    
that which walked with us in the wood or
 looked on us in the morning4 ,the      
grasses and pebbles1 the waters and     
rocks1 clouds and showers1 snow and     
wind1 were too brother-like to be       
denied4 ,they sang the same song which  
fills the breast1 and our love for them 
was pure4 ,the men and women we sought1 
were they not worthy of honor8 ,the     
artist comes to bid us trust the ,ideal 
,tendency1 and not dishonor him who     
moves therein4 ,he is no trifler1 then1 
to be thrust aside by the doctors with  
their sciences1 or the economists with  

production and use4 ,he offers manhood  
to man and womanhood to woman4  ,we have
 named ,ideality a love of life4 ,nay1  
what is it but life itself1--and that   
loving but true living8 ,what word can  
have any value for us1 unless it is a   
record of inevitable expansions in      
character4 ,the universe is pledged to  
every heart1 and the artist represents  
its promise4 ,he sings1 because he sees 
the manchild advancing1 by blind paths  
it may be1 but under sure guidance1     
propelled by inextinguishable desires   
toward the largest experience4 ,he is no
 longer afraid of old bugbears4 ,he     
feels for one1 that nothing in the      
universe1 call it by what ugly name you 
will1 can crush or limit the lift of    
that leaven which works in the breast4  
,out of all eyes there looks on him the 
same expectation1 and what for others is
 a great perhaps for him has become     
unavoidable certainty4     ,,the ,,hour 
,,before ,,dawn4       ,the mind of man 
is first led to adore the forces of     

,nature1      and certain objects of the
 material world2 at a later period1     
it yields to religious impulses of a    
higher and purely      spiritual        
character4  ,,humboldt   ,,chapter ,i4  
,alpheus and ,eleusa1 ,thessalian       
,greeks1 travelled in their old age1 to 
escape poverty and misfortune1 which had
 surely taken joint lease with          
themselves of a certain hut among the   
hills1 and managed both household and   
flock4  ,the ,halcyon builds its nest   
upon a floating weed2 so to the drifting
 fortunes of these wanderers clung a    
friendless child1 innocent and beautiful
 ,evadne4  ,some secret voice1 the      
country-people say1 lured the shepherd  
from his home1 to embark on the gean    
,sea1 and lead the little one away1     
together with his aged wife1 to look for
 a new home in exile4 ,mariners bound   
for ,troas received them into their     
vessel1 and the voyage began4  ,the     
,greeks lamented when they beheld the   
shores of ,asia4 ,heavy clouds and the  

coming night concealed the landmarks    
which should have guided their approach1
 and1 buffeted by the uncertain winds1  
they waited for the morning4 ,by the    
light of dawn1 they saw before them an  
unknown harbor1 and the dwellings of    
men2 and here the mariners determined to
 be rid of their passengers1 who vexed  
them by their fears2 while to these     
three any port seemed desirable1 and    
they readily consented to put off       
towards the shore4 ,at the hour when the
 winds rise1 at early dawn1 they gladly 
parted from the seamen and the tossing  
ship1 and took the way before them to   
the little town4  ,no fisherman1        
shadowless1 trod the sands2 no pious    
hand lighted the fire of sacrifice in   
the vanishing twilight2 even the herds  
failed to cry out for the coming day4   
,strange fears began to chill the hearts
 of the ,thessalians4 ,they walked upon 
a trackless way1 and when they entered  
the dwellings they found them           
untenanted4 ,over the doorways hung     

vines dropping their grapes1 and birds  
flew out at the open windows4 ,they     
climbed a hill behind the town1 and saw 
how the sea surrounded them4 ,the land  
on which they stood was no promontory1  
but an island1 separated by a foaming   
interval of water from the shore1 which 
they now saw1 not distant1 but          
inaccessible4  ,then these miserable    
ones clung to each other on the summit  
of the rock1 gazing1 until they were    
fully persuaded of their misfortune4    
,the winds waved and fluttered their    
garments1 the waters uttered a voice    
breaking on the rocky shore1 and rose   
mute upon the farther coast4 ,the rain  
now began to fall from a morning cloud1 
and the travellers1 for the first time1 
found shelter under a foreign roof4     
,all day they watched the sails         
approaching the headlands1 or veering   
widely away and beating towards unseen  
harbors1 as when a bird driven by fear  
abandons its nest1 but drawn by love    
returns and hovers around it4 ,four days

 and nights had passed before the       
troubled waves ceased to hinder the     
craft of the fisherman4 ,the ,greeks saw
 with joy that their signals were       
answered1 and a boat approached1 so that
 they could hear a man's voice crying to
 them1--  ,what are you who dwell on the
 island of the profane1 and gather      
fruits sacred to ,apollo8  ,if ,i may be
 said to dwell here1 replied the old    
man1 it is contrary to my own will4 ,i  
am a ,greek of ,thessaly4 ,apollo       
himself should not have forbidden me to 
gather the wild grapes of this island1  
since ,i and this child and ,eleusa1 my 
wife1 have not during many days found   
other food4  ,it is indeed true1        
exclaimed the boatman1 that madness     
presently falls upon those who eat of   
these grapes1 since you speak impious   
words against the god4 ,behold1 yonder  
is woody ,tenedos1 where his altar      
stands2 it is now many years1 since1    
filled with wrath against the dwellers  
here1 he seized this rock1 and hurled it

 into the sea2 the very hills melted in 
the waves4 ,i myself1 a child then1     
beheld the waters violently urged upon  
the land4 ,moved without winds1 they    
rose1 climbing upon the very roofs of   
the houses4 ,when the sea became calm1 a
 gulf lay between this and the coast1   
and what had been a promontory was left 
forever an island4 ,nor has any man     
dared to dwell upon it1 nor to gather   
its accursed fruits4 ,many men have ,i  
known who saw gods walking upon this    
shore1 visible sometimes on the high    
cliffs inaccessible to human feet4      
,therefore1 if you1 being a stranger1   
have ignorantly trespassed on this      
garden1 which the divinities reserve1   
perhaps for their own pleasure1 strive  
to escape their resentment and offer    
sacrifices on the altar of ,tenedos4    
,give me a passage in your boat to the  
land yonder1 and ,i will depart out of  
your coasts1 replied the ,greek4  ,the  
fisherman1 hitherto so friendly1        
remained silent1 and words were wanting 

to him wherewith to instruct the        
stranger4 ,when he again spoke1 he      
said1--  ,why1 old man1 not having the  
vigor or the carelessness of youth1 have
 you quitted your home1 leading this    
woman into strange lands1 and this      
child1 whose eyes are tearful for the   
playmates she has left8 ,i call a little
 maid daughter1 who is like unto her1   
and she remains guarded at home by her  
mother1 until we shall give her in      
marriage to one of her own nation and   
language4  ,waste no more words1        
answered the old man1 ,i will narrate my
 story as we row towards your harbor4   
,it were better for you1 said the       
boatman1 that they who brought you      
hither should take you into their ship  
again4 ,enter our town1 if you will1 but
 be not amazed at what shall befall you4
 ,it is a custom with us to make slaves 
of those who approach us unsolicited1 in
 order to protect ourselves against the 
pirates and their spies1 who have       
formerly lodged themselves among us in  

the guise of wayfaring men1 and so      
robbed us of our possessions4 ,therefore
 it is our law1 that those who land on  
our coast shall1 during a year1 serve us
 in bondage4  ,anger flamed in the eye  
of the stranger4  ,you do well1 he      
cried1 to ask of me why ,i left the land
 which bore me4 ,never did ,i there     
learn to suspect vile and inhospitable  
customs4 ,if you have pity for the aged 
and the unfortunate1 and would not      
gladly see them cast into slavery1 bring
 hither some means of life to this rock1
 which cowards have abandoned for me4   
,meanwhile1 ,i will watch for some      
friendly sail1 which1 approaching1 may  
bear me to any harbor1 where worse      
reception can hardly await me4--,know   
that ,i fear not the anger of your gods2
 many years have ,i lived1 and ,i have  
never yet beheld a god4 ,my father has  
told me1 that1 in all his wanderings1   
among lonely hills1 at the hour of dawn1
 or by night1 or1 again1 in populous    
places1 he has never seen one whom he   

believed to be a god4 ,moreover1 in     
,athens itself are those who doubt their
 existence4 ,leave me to gather the     
grapes of ,apollo6  ,so saying1 he      
turned away from the shore1 not deigning
 to ask more from the stranger4  ,when  
the golden crescent moon1 no sooner     
visible than ready to vanish in the rosy
 western sky1 was smiling on the exiles 
with the old familiar look she wore     
above the groves of ,thessaly1 the      
sad-hearted ones were roused again by   
the voice of their unknown friend4      
,come down to the shore1 he cried2 ,i   
have returned to you with gifts2 my     
heart yearns to the child2 she is       
gentle1 and her eyes are like those of  
the stag when the hunters surround him4 
,take my flasks of oil and wine1 and    
these cakes of barley and wheat4 ,i     
bring you nets1 and cords also1 which we
 fishermen know how to use4 ,may the    
gods1 whom you despise1 protect you6    
,late into the night the ,greeks        
remained upon the border of the sea1    

wondering at their strange fate4 ,to the
 idle the day is never sufficiently     
long1--the night also is wasted in      
words4   ,,chapter ,,ii4  ,the days     
which the exiles passed in solitude were
 not unhappy4 ,the child ,evadne pruned 
the large-leaved vines1 and gave the    
rugged cheeks of certain melons to the  
sun4 ,the continual hope of departure   
rendered all privations supportable4    
,was it hope1 or was it fear1 that      
stirred their bosoms when at last a sail
 appeared not distant8 ,they hoped that 
its white wings might turn seaward6     
,mother1 cried the shepherd1 no seaman  
willingly approaches this shore1 for the
 white waves warn him how the rocks ,he 
beneath the water4 ,even walls and roofs
 of houses are seen1 or guessed at1     
ingulfed formerly by the sea2 and the   
tale of that disaster1 as told us by the
 fisherman1 is doubtless known to       
mariners1 who1 fearing ,apollo1 dare not
 land upon this island4 ,while1 on the  
other hand1 we have heard how pirates1  

and even poor wayfaring folk1 are so    
ill-received in the bay1 that from them1
 though they be not far off1 we yet look
 for no assistance4 ,let us1 then1 be   
content1 and cease to seek after our    
fate1 which doubtless is never at rest  
from seeking after us4 ,and let us not  
be in haste to enter again into a ship1 
7so fearful and unnatural a thing for   
those born to walk upon the land17 nor  
yet to beg our way along painful and    
unknown roads1 in search of men of a new
 religion and a different language from 
that of ,greeks4 ,neither1 dear wife1 if
 we must suffer it1 let us dread slavery
 too much4 ,life is long enough for     
those who die young1 and too long for   
the aged4 ,one year let us patiently    
give1 more especially if it be          
unavoidable to give it4 ,vex me with no 
more lamentations2 some unforeseen      
accident may relieve us from our        
misfortunes4  ,eleusa1 the good old     
wife1 ever obedient to the husband of   
her youth1 talked no more of departure1 

nor yet complained of their miserable   
lodgings in the ruined huts1 on which   
her housewifely care grieved to expend  
itself in vain4  ,evadne would not be   
restrained from wandering4 ,she         
penetrated alone the wildest thickets2  
the nests of timid birds were known to  
her2 and she traced the bee to his      
hidden city4 ,deep in the woods she     
discovered a wide chasm1 in which the   
water of the sea palpitated with the    
beating of the great heart of ,ocean    
from which it flowed4 ,trees were still 
erect1 clasped by the salt waves1 but   
quite dead2 and all around their base   
were hung fringes of marine growth1     
touched with prismatic tints when seen  
through the glittering water1 but brown 
and hideous when gathered1 as the trophy
 remaining in the hand which has dared  
to seize old ,proteus by the locks4 ,all
 around this avenue1 into which the sea 
sometimes rushed like an invading host  
of armed men1 the laurels and the       
delicate trees that love to bend over   

the sources of the forest-streams hung  
half-uprooted and perilously a-tiptoe   
over the brink of shattered rocks1 and  
withered here and there by the touch of 
the salt foam1 towards which they seemed
 nevertheless fain to droop1 asking     
tidings of the watery world beyond4     
,the skeleton-arms of the destroyed ones
 were feeble to guard the passage of the
 ravine4 ,evadne broke a way over fallen
 trees and stepping-stones imbedded in  
sea-sand1 and gained the opposite bank4 
,the solitude in which she found herself
 appeared deeper1 more awful1 than      
before the chasm lay between the greater
 island and the less4 ,she listened     
motionless to the soft1 but continual   
murmur of the wood1 the music of leaves 
and waves and unseen wings1 by which all
 seeming silence of ,nature is made as  
rich to the ear as her fabrics to the   
eye1 so that1 in comparison1 the        
garments of a king are mean1 though     
richly dyed1 embroidered on every       
border1 and hung with jewels4  ,while   

the little wood-ranger stood and waited1
 as it were1 for what the grove might   
utter1 her eye fell upon the traces of a
 pathway1 concealed1 and elsewhere again
 disclosed1 overgrown by sturdy plants1 
but yet threading the shady labyrinth4  
,she followed the often reappearing line
 upon the hillside1 and as she climbed  
higher1 with her rose the mountains and 
the sea4 ,the shore1 the sands1 the     
rocky walls1 showed every hue of        
sunbeams fixed in stone4 ,the leafy     
sides of ,tenedos had caught up the     
clear1 green-tinted blue of the sea1 and
 wore it in a noonday dream under the   
slumberous light that rested on earth   
and sea and sky4 ,above the horizon1 far
 away1 the very clouds were motionless2 
and where the sunbeams marked a tranquil
 sail1 it seemed1 with wave and cloud1  
to express only ,eternal ,repose4 ,but  
the eager child pressed onward1 for the 
crown of the hill seemed almost reached1
 and she longed for a wider1 wider view 
of the beautiful gean4  ,suddenly she   

arrived where a sculptured stone lay in 
the pathway4 ,some patient and skilful  
hand had wrought there the emblem of a  
rose1 and among the chiselled petals    
stood drops of rain1 collected as in a  
cup4 ,on the border a pure white bird   
had just alighted1 and ,evadne watched  
how it bent and rose and seemed to      
caress the flower of stone1 while it    
drank of the dew around and within it4  
,her eyes filled with tears as she mused
 on the vanished hand of ,art1 whose    
work ,nature now reclaimed for this     
humble1 but grateful use4 ,the dove took
 wing1 and the child proceeding came to 
a level turf where a temple of white    
marble stood4 ,eight slender columns    
upheld a marble canopy1 beneath which   
stood the image of a god4 ,one raised   
hand seemed to implore silence1 while   
the other showed clasping fingers1 but  
they closed upon nothing4 ,around the   
statue's base lay scattered stones4     
,evadne gathered them1 and reunited they
 formed the lyre of ,apollo4 ,she       

replaced1 for an instant1 in the cold   
and constant grasp a fragment of the    
ruined harp4 ,then the aspect of the god
 became regretful1 sad1 as of one who   
desires a voice from the lips of the    
dead4 ,hastily she flung the charm away1
 and gentle grace returned to the       
listening boy1 from whom1 sleeping1 some
 nymph might have stolen his lyre1 whose
 complaining chords now vibrated to his 
ear and called their master to the      
pursuit4 ,evadne reposed on the steps of
 the temple1 and fixedly gazed upon the 
god4 ,her fancy endowed the firm hand   
with an unbent bow2 then the figure     
seemed to pause in the chase1 and listen
 for the baying of the hounds4 ,then she
 imaged a shepherd's staff1 and the     
shepherd-god waited tenderly for the    
voice of a lost lamb4  ,so stood ,apollo
 in ,thessaly1 she softly said1 when he 
carried the shepherd's staff4 ,oh that  
,i were the lost ,thessalian lamb for   
whom he waits1 that he might descend and
 ,i die for joy on his breast6  ,then1  

half afraid that the lips might break   
their marble stillness in reply1 she    
asked the protection of the deity1 whom 
she was fain to adore1 but whom her     
adopted parents dared to despise4  ,sole
 worshipper at a deserted shrine1 she   
had no offering to place there1 but of  
flowers4 ,she wove a crown and laid it  
at his feet1 and1 while she bent by the 
pedestal1 to hang a garland there1 oh1  
terror6 a voice cried1 ,evadne6 ,evadne6
 ,a tide of fear rushed to her heart4   
,the god stood motionless yet4 ,who     
could have uttered her name8 ,a falling 
branch1 a swift zephyr1 may have seemed 
for an instant articulate1 and yet it   
was surely a human voice which had      
called her4 ,her reverie was broken now1
 like a cataract brought to its         
downfall4 ,a moment since1 all was peace
 and joyfulness2 now she remembered1    
with alarm1 how long she had left her   
foster-parents alone1 and the way by    
which she had come was unknown1 as if   
she had never traced it4 ,she crossed   

the floor of the temple1 and1 as she    
turned to whisper1 ,farewell6 beautiful 
god6 the form gently inclined itself1   
and the uplifted hand stirred lightly4  
,evadne darted forward and looked no    
more behind4 ,she bounded over chasms in
 the pathway1 and broke the tender      
branches before her with impatient      
hands1 so that her descent from the     
temple was one mad flight4   ,,chapter  
,,iii4  ,when ,evadne returned to       
,alpheus and to her foster-mother1 she  
was silent concerning her discovery1 and
 it seemed the more sweet to her for    
being secret4 ,her thoughts made        
pilgrimages to the temple hidden by the 
laurels once set to adorn it1 and the   
deserted ,god of ,youth and ,immortal   
,beauty drew from her an untaught and   
voiceless worship4 ,how tedious now     
appeared the labors of their half-savage
 life6--for the ensnaring of fish and   
the gathering of fruits for the little  
household gave the child no leisure to  
climb the hill a second time1 to seek   

the lost temple1 now all her own4 ,two  
weary days had passed1 and on the       
morning of the third ,evadne performed  
all her labors1 such as they were1 of   
field or of the house4  ,eleusa was     
absorbed in the art1 new to her1 of     
repairing a broken net1 when the child  
abruptly fled away into the forest1     
crying out1 ,i go to seek wild grapes4  
,she would not hear the voices calling  
her back4 ,she gained rapidly the path1 
already familiar1 and wherein every     
bough and every leaf seemed expectant of
 her coming footsteps4  ,hamadryads     
veiled themselves1 each in her conscious
 tree1 eluding human approach4 ,she     
steals more gently along1 that she may  
haply surprise a vision4 ,the little    
grassy plain appears beyond the wavering
 oak-branches4 ,it is reached at last1  
and there1--surely it is no             
delusion1--there rests a sleeping youth6
 ,another step1 and she bent aside the  
boughs4 ,he stands erect1 listening4    
,it is the god6 she cries2 and1 falling 

back1 would have been precipitated from 
the rock1 had not the youth rapidly     
bounded forward and grasped her hand4   
,little one1 beautiful child1 he cried1 
do not fear me6 ,i have indeed played   
the god formerly1 to scare from my      
hunting-ground the poor fools who dread 
the anger of ,apollo4 ,tell me1 who are 
you1 thus wandering in the awful garden 
of the gods8 ,who brought you hither1   
and what name has been given you8       
,trembling still1 and not knowing how to
 relate it1 ,evadne stammered forth some
 words of her history4 ,her senses were 
bewildered by the beauty of the         
hunter-boy1 who now appeared how        
different from the marble god6 ,bold1   
and as if ever victorious1 with an      
undaunted brow1 like ,bacchus seen      
through the tears of sad ,ariadne       
awakened4 ,strong and swift were his    
limbs1 as those of a panther4 ,his cheek
 was ruddy1 and his half-naked form was 
brown1 as those appear who dwell not    
under a roof1 but in the uncertain shade

 of the forest4 ,his locks were black   
and wildly disordered1 and his eyes were
 most like to a dark stream lighted with
 golden flashes2 but the laughing beauty
 of his lip no emblem could convey4     
,soon1 seated on the turf1 the story of 
each child was related4  ,i am nobly    
born1 said the boy1 but ,i love the life
 of a hunter4 ,my father has left me    
alone1 and when ,i am a man1 ,i1 too1   
shall follow him to ,rome4 ,but liberty 
is sweeter than honor or power4 ,i      
escape often from my tutor1 who suspects
 not where ,i hide myself1 and range all
 the forests4 ,embarking by night1 in   
former years1 ,i often visited this     
island4 ,i know where to gather fruits  
and seek vineyards among the ruined huts
 of the village beneath us4 ,by night ,i
 descend and gather them1 for my free   
wanderings by day caused the fishermen  
to relate that a god walked upon the    
shore4 ,when some1 more curious or bold1
 turned their prows hitherward1 to      
observe what form moved upon the hill1  

,i rolled great rocks down1 with a      
thundering noise1 into the sea1 and have
 terrified all men from the spot4  ,we  
now call the vineyards and gardens ours1
 said ,evadne1 but it appears they truly
 belong to you4 ,descend to the shore   
and we will share with you1 not only the
 ripest clusters of the vines1 but wine 
and loaves which the fisherman brings   
us4  ,bring me hither the wine1 and ,i  
will gladly drink of it1 nor waste one  
drop in oblation2 but ,i must not       
descend to the shore1 and you must be   
silent concerning me1 for my tutor      
offers large rewards to any one who will
 disclose where ,i hide myself4 ,the    
slaves on the coast here are ready to   
betray me4 ,i have watched them sailing 
near the island1 lured by the promise of
 a handful of gold1 but not daring to   
land upon it1 lest they should behold1  
against his will1 a divine being4  ,then
 ,i will climb up hither and bring you  
the fruits1 said ,evadne4  ,nay1 my     
bird1 answered the boy1 lay them only on

 the altar1 below1 and when it is safe  
to descend1 call me4  ,if ,i call       
softly1 you cannot hear me2 and ,i      
cannot call loudly enough to reach you  
upon this hill4  ,the secrets of the    
island are not known to you1 her        
companion said1 and arose quickly2      
follow me1--,i will teach you4 ,you know
 not why ,apollo is listening8 ,it is   
for the good of the worshippers1 who    
care not to mount the hill to adore him4
 ,above the town stands an altar2 voices
 uttered there are brought up hither by 
an echo4 ,there the pious repaired once1
 and laid their gifts1 and songs and the
 music of flutes sounded in honor of the
 deity1 who was held too sacred to be   
approached4 ,hold me not too sacred1    
little one6--you shall approach without 
fear2 but give me your voice at this    
altar1 when your foster-father sleeps4  
,but what shall ,i call you8 cried the  
laughing ,evadne4  ,call ,hylas4 ,echo  
has often repeated1 the name1 they say1 
in the country of ,mysia1 and these     

groves shall learn it of you6 ,now      
follow me over the floor of the         
temple1--but lightly6 lightly6 ,see how 
the god would warn us away6 ,he nods on 
his pedestal2 even the loud thunder may 
some day cause his fall2 already he is  
half shaken down from his shrine by     
earthquakes4  ,then1 firmly1 bold ,hylas
 held trembling ,evadne1 who glanced for
 an instant down the leafy passage of   
echoes4   ,,chapter ,,iv4  ,when the day
 was over1 ,alpheus called to him his   
foster-child4  ,you have willingly      
followed us into our exile1 he said1 nor
 have you ever inquired whither we lead 
you4 ,listen to me2 ,i shall confide to 
you a secret1 so that1 if evil befall   
us1 you may go on and fulfil your       
journey4  ,in ,asia stands a city1      
called ,thyatira1 and there dwell men of
 a new religion1 called ,christians4 ,of
 this faith ,i know as yet but little4  
,but1 dear ,evadne1 your father is yet  
living1 and has sent1 praying me to     
conduct you to him1 that you may be     

taught among ,christians4 ,i have       
labored to fulfil his wish1 for in our  
youth we were dear to each other4 ,the  
moon saw us nightly upon the hills1     
guarding our flocks1 and by day we      
practised the labors and the sports of  
,greeks4  ,what is the religion of my   
father8 asked the child4  ,i cannot tell
 it to you2 ,i know only that the       
,christians worship one god4  ,apollo1  
then1 is my choice4  ,not so1 child4    
,the god of ,christians is not known to 
us2 but he shall overthrow the idols of 
the whole world4 ,the bow of ,diana1 the
 lyre of ,apollo1 are already broken4   
,the child started4 ,was the temple     
known to ,alpheus1 too8 ,had he seen    
there the fragments of a shattered harp8
  ,the old man continued his discourse1 
but ,evadne's thoughts had flown away   
towards the lost temple4  ,there alone  
will ,i worship1 she murmured to        
herself4 ,she dreamed of adoring the    
deity of stone1 but ,hylas haunted all  
her thoughts4 ,yes1 ,evadne6 one god is 

sufficient for you6  ,under cover of the
 darkness1 the friendly boatman drew    
near1 and the islanders heard the       
unaccustomed sound of the boat drawn up 
the beach by the youth1 whose           
superstitious fears began to vanish as  
he observed that no calamity fell upon  
these dwellers on the sacred spot4  ,i  
come1 he said1 with gifts truly1 but    
also with good tidings4 ,have patience  
yet awhile4 ,your retreat is still      
unknown1 and1 after a few days1 ,i may  
find you the means of escape4  ,evadne  
alone was silent1 and her tears flowed  
secretly4  ,the sun was already set1 on 
the following day1 before she stole away
 to meet the hunter-boy4 ,in his hand1  
as he advanced joyously to greet her1 he
 bore a white dove1 which his arrow had 
pierced4  ,i struck it1 he said1 while  
he pointed to its broken wing and       
bleeding breast1 when it alighted on the
 edge of a stone fallen from the temple4
  ,evadne concealed her ready tears and 
uttered no reproach against her hero2   

but she pressed the dead bird to her    
bosom4  ,tell me1 ,hylas1 she asked1 do 
you worship this god before us1 or that 
of the ,christians8  ,the boy laughed   
gayly4  ,i worship this strong right    
arm1 he said1 and my own bold will1     
which has conquered and shall conquer   
again6 ,the stories of the gods are but 
fables4 ,to us who are brave nothing can
 be forbidden2 it is the weak who are   
unfortunate1 and no god is able either  
to assist or to destroy us4 ,as to the  
,christians1 they are a despised people1
 a race of madmen1 who1 pretending to   
love poverty and martyrdom1 are followed
 by the rude and ignorant4 ,as for us1  
we are gods1 both to them and to        
ourselves4  ,evadne knew that she       
herself must be counted among the rude  
and ignorant2 she dared not raise her   
eyes to the young noble1 who watched her
 quivering lip1 and but dimly guessed   
how he had wounded her4  ,leave         
caressing the dead bird1 he said1 at    
last1 and ,i will tell you tales of     

,rome and its glories4  ,and he charmed 
back again her innocent smiles1 with    
noble traditions of kings1 of gods1 and 
of heroes1 till the round moon stood    
above ,gargarus1 cold1 in a rose-tinted 
heaven4  ,but again at sunrise the child
 sought the spot to bring a basket1     
heavy with gifts1 for ,hylas4 ,he came  
at the call of ,evadne1 fresh1 glowing1 
beautiful as a child rocked on the      
breast of ,aurora1 and upheld by her    
cool1 fanning wings4 ,his cheek wore the
 kiss of the ,sun1 and his closely      
curling locks were wet by the scattered 
fountain1 cold in the shaded grove4 ,he 
broke the early silence of the air with 
song and story1 and named for the       
admiring child the towns1 the headlands1
 and the hills1 over which the eye      
delighted to wander4  ,now is the hour1 
he said1 when mariners far away behold  
for a little while the dome of this     
temple4 ,they believe that the gods have
 rendered it invisible except at the    
rising day2 but1 in truth1 the oaks1 the

 laurels1 and the unpruned ivy conceal  
it from view1 at all times1 except when 
the rays from the east strike upward4 ,i
 have delighted to teach the people     
fables concerning this island and the   
lost temple2 for as long as they fear to
 tread upon this spot1 ,i have a retreat
 for myself1 where ,i range unmolested4 
,see yonder1 so white among the dark    
cypress-trees1 my father's villa6 ,it   
has gardens and shady groves1 but ,i    
love best the wild branching oaks which 
give their shade to ,evadne6 ,far away  
in the purple distance stands the ,mount
 of ,ida4 ,there dwelt ,paris1 content  
with the love of ,oenone1 until he knew 
himself to be the son of a king1 for    
whom ,argive ,helen alone was found     
worthy2 for his eyes had rested once    
upon immortal charms1 of which the green
 eternal pines of ,ida are still        
whispering the story4 ,see how the      
people of this village of ,athos flock  
together6 ,some festival occupies them4 
,i see them going forth from the gates  

in hurrying crowds2 and now a band of   
men approaches4 ,some one is about to   
enter their town1 to whom they wish to  
do honor1 and doubtless they bear green 
branches to strew in the way4 ,i know   
not what festival they celebrate1 for   
the altars are all deserted4  ,i see a  
boat put off from the shore1 said       
,evadne1 and it seems to turn its prow  
hitherward4  ,but it soon was concealed 
by the woody hill-top1 although its     
course was seen to be directed towards  
the ruined huts upon the shore4 ,not    
long after1 the children heard the name 
of ,evadne1 brought faintly by the      
echoes1 like the words of unseen ghosts 
who strive to awaken some beloved       
sleeper unconscious of their presence4  
,evadne feared to return1 and dared not 
stay4 ,for the first time1 the voice of 
her foster-father failed to bring her   
obedient footsteps2 for her fluttering  
heart suspected something strange and   
unwelcome awaiting her4 ,she wept at    
parting from ,hylas1 and the boy        

detained her4 ,he also seemed troubled4 
,dear little one1 he said1 betray me    
not6 ,these men of ,athos have seen me1 
and have authority to bring me bound    
before some ruler who has entered their 
town4 ,they come to look for me now4 ,i 
fly to my hiding-place1 and you will    
deny that you saw any one in this       
forest4  ,he was gone down the face of  
the cliff1 with winged feet1 light of   
tread as ,jove's messenger4 ,more       
slowly1 ,evadne retraced the downward   
path1 and lingered on the banks of the  
ravine1 where the bitter waters were    
sobbing among the rocks4 ,she lay down  
upon the ground1 and dreamed1 while yet 
waking1 of her home in ,thessaly1 of her
 unknown father in the ,christian city  
of ,thyatira1 and of ,hylas1 ever       
,hylas1 and the pain of parting4 ,how   
long she hid herself she guessed not1   
until the sun at the zenith sent down   
his brightest beam to discover the lost 
,thessalian lamb4 ,then1 subdued and    
despairing1 she travelled on to meet the

 reproaches that could not fail to await
 her4   ,,chapter ,v4  ,at midnight the 
sleepless girl stole from her couch1 and
 laid on the altar beyond the village   
heavy clusters of grapes and the richest
 fruits from her store of dainties4     
,hylas6 she softly cried1 and the       
sleepless echo repeated the name2 but   
though she watched long1 no form emerged
 from the forest4 ,timidly she flitted  
back to her dwelling1 and waited for an 
eastern gleam4 ,at last the veil of     
night was lifted a little1 a wind       
ruffled the waves1 and the swaying oaks 
repeated to the hills the message of    
coming splendors from the ,orient4      
,evadne gladly saw that the stars were  
fewer and paler in the sky1 and she     
walked forth again1 brushing cold dews  
from the vines and the branches4 ,a     
foreboding fear led her first to look at
 the altar where she had left her       
offering4 ,it was untouched4 ,then she  
entered the still benighted wood1 and   
passed the cold gray waters4 ,arrived at

 the temple1 she felt a hateful         
stillness in the place4  ,hylas6 she    
loudly called1 come to me6 ,for you     
there is no danger2 but for me1 they    
will take me away at sunrise4 ,the      
,christians will come to-day and carry  
me hence4 ,oh1 ,hylas6 where do you hide
 yourself8  ,but only a strong and angry
 wind disturbed the laurels around the  
temple1 and all was still4 ,then the    
song of the birds began all around her1 
and a silver gleam shot across the      
eastern horizon4 ,suddenly rosy-tinged  
signals stood among the sad-colored torn
 clouds above her head4 ,the hour for   
her departure was approaching4 ,she     
gazed intently down among the pines1    
where ,hylas had disappeared1 and       
painfully and slowly began to descend4  
,the wild-eyed hares glanced at her and 
shrank into concealment again4 ,the     
birds uttered cries of alarm1 and the   
motionless lizards lay close to her     
feet4 ,her heart beat anxiously when she
 heard the sudden stroke of a bird's    

wing1 scared from its nest1 and she     
paused often to listen1 but no human    
voice was heard4  ,she penetrated slowly
 thus to that shore of the island which 
she had never yet visited4 ,she reached 
a border of white sand1 and studied its 
surface4 ,she found a record            
there1--traces of footsteps1 and the    
long trail of a boat1 drawn from a      
thicket of laurels to the shore1 and    
down to the water's edge4 ,she stood    
many minutes contemplating these signs4 
,she imaged to herself the retreat by   
night1 by the late rising light of the  
waning moon4 ,she seemed to see the     
youth1 his manly arm urging the boat    
from its hiding-place4 ,in this spot his
 foot pressed the sand4 ,there he walked
 before and drew the little craft behind
 him4 ,he launched it here1 and1 had not
 the winds urged the water up the shore1
 his last footstep might have remained  
for ,evadne to gaze at4  ,he is surely  
gone6 ,to return for the smiles of      
,evadne8 ,she knows not if he will      

return2 but she glances upward at the   
sky1 and feels that she soon will have  
quitted the island1 this happy island1  
forever6  ,upward through the wood again
 she toils to take a last look at the   
temple4 ,the spot seemed already to have
 forgotten her4 ,and yet here lies a    
withered crown she wove once for ,hylas2
 and here she finds at last the dart she
 lost for him1 when she drew his bow in 
play4 ,now she sees on the shore at     
,athos an assembly of the people1 and   
the men push off their boats4 ,the      
village is already alive1 and awake4    
,the rising of the sun is looked for1   
and the clouds are like a golden fleece4
 ,slowly above the tree-tops the swans  
are waving their great pinions1 to seek 
the stream of ,cayster4 ,all creatures  
recognize the day1 and only one weeps to
 see the light4  ,evadne knew that on   
yonder shore waited the dreaded         
messengers who would gather the homeless
 into the ,christian fold4 ,she stayed  
to utter one farewell to the cold1 the  

cruel marble1 with its unvaried smile4  
,be my god6 she cried1 aloud4 ,in       
whatever strange land1 to whatever      
unknown religion ,i may be led1 the god 
of this forgotten temple shall have the 
worship of my heart6  ,she crossed the  
marble pavement4 ,she clasped with her  
white cold arms the knees of            
,apollo--,hold6 the form totters6--it is
 too late6--it must fall6 ,she rises to 
flee away1 but the very floor is        
receding from her tread4 ,and slowly1   
with a majesty even in destruction1 the 
god bows himself1 and drops from his    
pedestal4  ,the crashing fall is over4  
,the foundations of the shrine1 parted  
long ago by earthquakes1 and undermined 
by torrents1 have slipped from their    
place4 ,stones slide gradually to the   
brink of the rock1 and some have fallen 
near the sculptured rose2 and yet some  
portions of the graceful temple stand1  
and will support the dome yet1 until    
some boisterous storm shakes roughly the
 remaining columns4  ,but the god is    

dethroned1 shivered1 ruined4 ,evadne    
should arise and go4 ,the daylight      
overflows the sky1 and she is quite1    
quite still1 where the hand of ,apollo  
has laid her4 ,her forehead was but     
touched by fingers that once held the   
lyre2 and a crimson stream flows through
 the locks upon her brow4 ,a smile like 
that which the god wore is fixed and    
changeless now upon her lip4 ,why does  
she smile8 ,because1 in the dawn of     
life1 of grief1 of love1 she found      
peace4  ,the sun was up1 and there was  
no more silence or repose along the     
coast4 ,vigor and toil gave signs of    
their awakening4 ,sails were unfurled   
upon the wavering masts1 and showed     
white gleams1 as the sunlight struck    
each as it broadened out and swayed     
above its bright reflection below4 ,oars
 were dipped in the smooth sea1 and an  
eager crowd stood waiting to visit the  
exiles on the once dreaded island4      
,evadne was already missed4 ,again and  
again voices called upon her1 the echoes

 repeated the sound1 and the groves had 
but one voice1--,evadne6 ,she stirred   
not at the sound1 but her smile grew    
sweeter1 and her brow paler1 and cold as
 the marble hand that pressed it4  ,oh1 
,alpheus6 oh1 ,eleusa6 chide not6 you   
will be weeping soon6 ,she has1 indeed1 
angered you of late4 ,she left her      
foster-parents alone1 and threaded the  
forest4 ,she hid herself when you       
called1 and1 when the fisher's boat was 
waiting to convey her with you to the   
shore1 where friends were ready to      
receive her and lead her to her father1 
then she was wandering6  ,eleusa is     
querulous4 ,no wonder6 for the child is 
sadly changed4 ,they will see her soon2 
a ,christian prophet comes to break the 
heathen spell of the island4 ,the men of
 yonder village consent to abjure the   
worship of ,apollo4 ,they come with the 
teacher of a new religion to consecrate 
the spot anew4 ,the busy crowd1 as on a 
day of festival1 embark to claim again  
the once deserted spot4  ,alpheus and   

,eleusa wait sadly for their approach1  
for trouble possesses their hearts4     
,they pine for their once gentle1       
submissive child4 ,but the teacher      
comes1 and hails them in words of a new 
benediction4 ,the ,great ,name is       
uttered also in their hearing4 ,calmness
 returns to them1 in the presence of the
 holy man4 ,it is not ,paul1 mighty to  
reprove1 and learned as bold1--it is    
that one whom ,jesus loved4 ,he has     
rested on his bosom1 and looked on him  
pierced on the cross4 ,the look from his
 dying eyes and the tones of his tender 
love are ever present in the soul of    
this beloved disciple4 ,the awful       
revelations of ,patmos had not yet      
illumined his eyes4 ,his locks were     
white as the first blossoms of the      
spring1 but his heart was not withered  
by time1 and men believed of him that he
 should never see death4 ,those who     
beheld him loved him1 and listened      
because they loved4 ,what he desired was
 accomplished as if a king had commanded

 it1 and what he taught was gathered in 
among the treasures of the heart4  ,the 
first care of the ,apostle was to seek  
the lost child1 and the youths of his   
company went on1 and scaled the hill4   
,meanwhile1 not far from the altar1 on  
which an unregarded offering lay1 the   
people gathered round their master1     
while to ,alpheus and ,eleusa he related
 the immortal story of ,judea4  ,before 
mid-day the villagers had returned to   
their dwellings4 ,with ,john1 their     
friend and consoler1 two mourners       
departed from the island1 where fabled  
,apollo no longer possessed a shrine4   
,his altar was torn away2 a newly-made  
grave was marked by a cross roughly     
built of its broken stones4  ,i will    
return here1 said the fisherman of      
,athos1 when you are far away in some   
,christian city of ,asia4 ,i will return
 and carve here the name of ',evadne4'  
,,the ,,skater4       ,the skater       
lightly laughs and glides1              
,unknowing that beneath the ice         

,whereon he carves his fair device      
,a stiffened corpse in silence slides4  
,it glareth upward at his play2         
,its cold1 blue1 rigid fingers steal    
,beneath the trendings of his heel2     
,it floats along and floats away4       
,he has not seen its horror pass2       
,his heart is blithe2 the village hears 
,his distant laughter2 he careers       
,in festive waltz athwart the glass4--  
,we are the skaters1 we who skim        
,the surface of ,life's solemn flood1   
,and drive1 with gladness in our blood1 
,a daring dance from brim to brim4      
,our feet are swift1 our faces burn1    
,our hopes aspire like soaring birds2   
,the world takes courage from our words1
     ,and sees the golden time return4  
,but ever near us1 silent1 cold1        
,float those who bounded from the bank  
,with eager hearts1 like us1 and sank   
,because their feet were overbold4      
,they sank through breathing-holes of   
vice1       ,through treacherous sheens 
of unbelief2       ,they know not their 

despair and grief3     ,their hearts and
 minds are turned to ice4     ,,thomas  
,,jefferson4#a  ,concluded4   ,mr4      
,jefferson returned from ,france in the 
autumn of #aghi1 and the following      
spring took office as ,secretary of     
,state4 ,he was unwilling to abandon his
 post abroad1 but the solicitations of  
,washington controlled him4 ,he plainly 
was the most suitable person for the    
place4 ,franklin1 the father of         
,american diplomacy1 was rapidly        
approaching the close of his long and   
busy life1 and ,john ,adams1 the only   
other statesman whose diplomatic        
experience could be compared with that  
of ,thomas ,jefferson1 was ,vice        
,president4  ,it would be a tedious task
 to enter into a detail of the disputes 
which arose in ,washington's ,cabinet1  
nor is it necessary to do so4 ,most     
candid persons1 who have examined the   
subject1 are convinced that the         
differences were unavoidable1 that they 
were produced by exigencies in affairs  

upon which men naturally would disagree1
 by conflicting social elements1 and by 
the dissimilar characters1 purposes1 and
 political doctrines of ,jefferson and  
,hamilton4 ,jefferson's course was in   
accordance with the general principles  
of government which from his youth he   
had entertained4  ,as to the accusation1
 so often made1 that he opposed an      
administration of which he was a member 
and which by the plainest party-rules he
 was bound to support1 it is completely 
answered by the statement1 that his     
conduct was understood by ,washington1  
that he repeatedly offered to resign1   
and that when he retired it was in      
opposition to the ,president's wish4 ,it
 is not worth while for us to apply a   
higher standard of party loyalty to     
,washington's ministers than he himself 
applied4  ,one great difficulty         
encountered by the politicians of that  
day seems to have been purely fanciful4 
,strictly speaking1 the government did  
not have a policy4 ,it went into        

operation with the impression that it   
would be persistently resisted1 that its
 success was doubtful1 and that any     
considerable popular disaffection would 
be fatal to it4 ,these fears proved to  
be unfounded4 ,the day ,washington took 
the oath1 the government was as stable  
as it now is4 ,disturbing elements      
undoubtedly existed1 but they were      
controlled by great and overruling      
necessities1 recognized by all men4     
,thus the final purpose of the          
administration was accomplished at the  
outset4 ,the labor which it was expected
 would task the patriotism and exercise 
the skill of the most generous and      
experienced was performed without an    
effort1--as it were1 by a mere pulsation
 of the popular heart4 ,the question was
 not1 ,how shall the government be      
preserved8 but1 ,how shall it be        
administered8 ,this is evident now1 but 
was not seen then4 ,the statesmen of the
 time believed that the ,union was      
constantly in danger1 and that their    

best efforts were needed to protect it4 
,in this spirit they approached every   
question which presented itself4        
,thinking that every measure directly   
affected the safety of the republic1 a  
difference of opinion could not be a    
mere disagreement upon a matter of      
policy4 ,in proportion to the intensity 
of each man's patriotism was his        
conviction that in his way alone could  
the government be preserved1 and he     
naturally thought that his opponents    
must be either culpably neglecting or   
deliberately plotting against the       
interests of the country4 ,real         
difficulties were increased by imaginary
 ones4 ,opposition became treason4      
,parties called themselves ,republicans 
and ,federalists2--they called each     
other monarchists and anarchists4 ,this 
delusion has always characterized our   
politics2 noisy politicians of the      
present day stigmatize their adversaries
 as disunionists2 but during the first  
twenty years it was universal1 and      

explains the fierce party-spirit which  
possessed the statesmen of that period1 
and likewise accounts for many of their 
errors4  ,among these errors must be    
placed the belief which ,jefferson had1 
that there was a party of monarchists in
 the country4 ,sir4 ,randall makes a    
long argument in support of this        
opinion1 and closes with an intimation  
that those who refuse to believe now    
cannot be reached by reason4 ,he may    
rank us with these perverse skeptics2   
for1 in our opinion1 his argument not   
only fails to establish his             
propositions1 but is strong against     
them4 ,let it be understood2--the       
assertion is not1 that there were some  
who would have preferred a monarchy to a
 republic1 but that1 after the          
government was established1 ,ames1      
,sedgwick1 ,hamilton1 and other ,federal
 leaders1 were plotting to overturn it  
and create a monarchy4 ,upon this we    
have no hesitation in taking issue4 ,the
 real state of the case1 and the        

circumstances which deceived ,mr4       
,jefferson1 may be briefly set forth4   
,jefferson left ,france shortly after   
the taking of the ,bastile4 ,he saw the 
most auspicious period of the           
,revolution4 ,during the session of the 
,estates ,general1 the evils which      
afflicted ,france were admitted by all1 
but the remedies proposed were1 as yet1 
purely speculative4 ,the roseate        
theories of poets and enthusiasts had   
filled every mind with vague            
expectations of some great good in the  
future4 ,nothing had occurred to disturb
 these pleasing anticipations4 ,there   
was no sign of the fearful disasters    
then impending4 ,the delirium of        
possession had not seized upon the      
nation1--her statesmen had not learned  
how much easier it is to plan than to   
achieve1--nor had the voice of ,burke   
carried terror throughout ,europe4 ,even
 now1 it is impossible to read the first
 acts of that drama without being moved 
to sympathetic enthusiasm4 ,what        

emotions must it not have excited while 
the awful catastrophe was yet concealed6
 ,tried by any received test1 ,france1  
for centuries1 had been the chief state 
in ,europe1--inferior to none in the    
arts of war1 superior to any in the arts
 of peace4 ,fashion and letters had     
given her an empire more permanent than 
that which the enterprise of ,columbus  
and the fortune of ,charles gave to     
,spain1 more extended than that which   
,trafalgar and ,waterloo have since     
given to ,england4 ,though her armies   
were resisted1 her wit and grace were   
irresistible2 every ,european prince was
 her subject1 every ,european court a   
theatre for the display of her address4 
,the peculiar spirit of her genius is   
not more distinctly to be seen in the   
verse of ,boileau than in that of       
,pope1--in the sounding periods of      
,bossuet than in ,addison's easy phrase4
 ,the spectacle of a nation so          
distinguished1 which had carried tyranny
 to a perfection and invested it with a 

splendor never before seen1 becoming the
 coryphus of freedom1 might easily have 
fascinated a mind less impressible by   
nature1 and less disposed by education  
for favorable impressions1 than that of 
,jefferson4 ,he shared the feeling of   
the hour4 ,his advice was asked1 and    
respectfully listened to4 ,this         
experience1 while1 as he says1 it       
strengthened his preconceived           
convictions1 must have prevented him    
from carefully observing1 certainly from
 being affected by1 the influences which
 had been at work in his own country4   
,he came home more assured in           
republicanism1 and expecting to find    
that ,america had kept pace with him4   
,but many things had occurred in        
,america to excite doubts of the        
efficiency of republican institutions4  
,the government of the ,confederation   
was of little value4 ,during the war1   
common interests and dangers had bound  
the ,colonies together2 with peace came 
commercial rivalries1 boundary disputes1

 relations with other countries1 the    
burdens of a large debt1--and the scanty
 powers with which ,congress had been   
clothed were inadequate to the public   
exigencies4 ,the ,congress was a mere   
convention1 in which each ,state had but
 one vote4 ,to the most important       
enactments the consent of nine ,states  
was necessary4 ,the concurrence of the  
several legislatures was required to    
levy a tax1 raise an army1 or ratify a  
treaty4 ,the executive power was lodged 
in a committee1 which was useless either
 for deliberation or action4 ,the       
government fell into contempt2 it could 
not protect itself from insult2 and the 
doors of ,congress were once besieged by
 a mob of mutinous soldiery4 ,the       
,states sometimes openly resisted the   
central government1 and to the most     
necessary laws1 those for the           
maintenance of the national credit1 they
 gave but a partial obedience4 ,they    
quarrelled with each other4 ,new ,york  
sent troops into the field to enforce   

her claims upon her ,new ,england       
neighbors4 ,the inhabitants of the      
,territories rebelled4 ,kentucky1       
,vermont1 and ,tennessee1 under another 
name1 declared themselves independent1  
and demanded admission into the ,union4 
,in ,new ,hampshire and ,pennsylvania1  
insurrections took place4 ,in           
,massachusetts1 a rebellion was set on  
foot1 which1 for a time1 interrupted the
 sessions of the courts4 ,an ,indian    
war1 attended by the usual barbarities1 
raged along the northern frontier4      
,foreign states declined to negotiate   
with a government which could not       
enforce its decrees within its own      
borders4 ,england haughtily refused to  
withdraw her troops from our soil2      
,spain closed the ,mississippi to the   
commerce and encroached upon the        
territory of the ,confederation4 ,every 
consideration of safety and advantage   
demanded a government with strength     
enough to secure quiet at home and      
respect abroad4 ,it is not to be denied 

that many thoughtful and experienced men
 were discouraged by the failure of the 
,confederation1 and thought that nothing
 but a monarchy could accomplish the    
desired purpose4  ,there were also      
certain social elements tending in the  
same direction1 and these were strongest
 in the city of ,new ,york1 where       
,jefferson first observed them4 ,that   
city had been the centre of the largest 
and most powerful ,tory community in the
 ,colonies4 ,the gentry were nearly all 
,tories1 and1 during the long occupation
 of the town1 the tradespeople1 thriving
 upon ,british patronage1 had become    
attached to the ,british cause4 ,there1 
and1 indeed1 in all the cities1 there   
were aristocratic circles4 ,jefferson   
was of course introduced into them4 ,in 
these circles were the persons who gave 
dinners1 and at whose tables he heard   
the opinions expressed which astonished 
and alarmed him4  ,what is described as 
polite society has never been much felt 
in ,american politics2 it was not more  

influential then4 ,besides1 in many     
cases1 these opinions were more likely  
to have been the expression of          
affectation than of settled conviction4 
,nothing is more common than a certain  
insincerity which leads men to profess  
and seemingly believe sentiments which  
they do not and cannot act upon4 ,the   
stout squire who prides himself upon his
 obstinacy1 and whose pretty daughter   
manages him as easily as she manages her
 poodle1 is a favorite character in     
,english comedy4 ,every one knows some  
truculent gentleman who loudly proclaims
 that one half of mankind are knaves and
 the other half would be if they dared1 
but who would go mad with despair if he 
really believed the atrocious principles
 he loves to announce4 ,jefferson was   
not so constituted as to make the proper
 allowance for this kind of insincerity4
 ,though undemonstrative1 he was        
thoroughly in earnest4 ,in fact1 he was 
something of a precisian in politics4   
,he spoke of kings and nobles as if they

 were personal foes1 and disliked       
,scott's novels because they give too   
pleasing a representation of the        
institution of chivalry4 ,he probably   
looked upon a man who spoke covetously  
of titles much as a ,salem elder a      
century before would have looked upon a 
hard-swearing ,virginia planter4 ,in the
 purse-proud citizens1 who1 after       
dinner1 used to talk grandly about the  
,british ,constitution1 he saw a set of 
malignant conspirators1 when in fact not
 one in ten had ever thought seriously  
upon the subject1 or had enough force of
 character to attempt to carry out his  
opinions1 whatever they might have been4
  ,the political discontents were hardly
 more formidable4 ,we have admitted that
 some influential persons were in favor 
of a monarchy2 but no one took a decided
 step in that direction4 ,in all the    
published correspondence there is not a 
particle of evidence of such a movement4
 ,even ,hamilton1 in his boldest        
advances towards a centralization of    

power1 did not propose a monarchy4      
,those who were most doubtful about the 
success of a republic recognized the    
necessity of making the experiment1 and 
were the most active in establishing the
 present one4 ,the sparsity of the      
population1 the extent of the country1  
and its poverty1 made a royal           
establishment impossible4 ,the people   
were dissatisfied with the              
,confederation1 not with republicanism4 
,the breath of ridicule would have upset
 the throne4 ,the ,king1 the ,dukes of  
,massachusetts and ,virginia1 the       
,marquises of ,connecticut and ,mohawk1 
,earl ,susquehanna and ,lord            
,livingston1 would have been laughed at 
by every ragamuffin4 ,the sentiment     
which makes the appendages of royalty1  
its titles and honors1 respectable1 is  
the result of long education1 and has   
never existed in ,america4 ,washington  
was the only person mentioned in        
connection with the crown2 but had he   
attempted to reach it1 he would have    

lost his power over the people4 ,he was 
strong because he had convinced his     
country that he held personal objects   
subservient to public ones1--that1 with 
him1 the path of duty was the way to    
glory4 ,he had none of the magnetism    
which lulls the senses and leads captive
 the hearts of men4 ,had he clothed     
himself in the vulgar robes of          
royalty1--had he taken advantage of the 
confidence reposed in him for a purpose 
of self-aggrandizement1 and that of so  
petty and commonplace a kind1--he would 
have sunk to a level with the           
melodramatic heroes of history1 and that
 colossal reputation1 which rose1 a fair
 exhalation from the hearts of grateful 
millions1 and covered all the land1     
would have vanished like a mist4        
,whatever individuals may have wished   
for1 the charge of monarchical designs  
cannot be brought against the           
,federalists as a party4 ,new ,england  
was the mother of the ,revolution1 and  
became the stronghold of ,federalism4   

,in ,south ,carolina and ,new ,york1 a  
majority of the inhabitants were        
,tories2 the former ,state voted for    
,mr4 ,jefferson every time he was a     
candidate1 the latter gave him his      
election in #ahjj4 ,it requires a       
liberal expenditure of credulity to     
believe that the children of the        
,puritans desired a monarchy more than  
the descendants of the ,cavaliers and   
the adherents of ,de ,lancy and ,ogden4 
,upon this subject ,jefferson does not  
seem to have understood that disposition
 which can be dissatified with a        
measure1 and yet firm and honest in     
supporting it4 ,public men constantly   
yield or modify their opinions under the
 pressure of political necessity4 ,he   
himself gives an instance of this1 when1
 in stating that he was not entirely    
content with the ,constitution1 he      
remarks that not a member of the        
,federal ,convention approved it in all 
its parts4 ,why may we not suppose that 
,hamilton and ,ames sacrificed their    

opinions1 as well as ,mr4 ,jefferson and
 the framers of the ,constitution8  ,the
 evidence with which ,mr4 ,randall      
fortifies his position is inconclusive4 
,it consists of the opinions of leading 
,republicans1 and extracts from the     
letters of leading ,federalists4 ,the   
former are liable to the objection of   
having been prompted by political       
prejudices2 the latter will not bear the
 construction which he places upon them4
 ,they are nothing more than expressions
 of doubt as to the stability of the    
government1 and of regret that one of a 
different kind was not adopted1--most of
 which were made after the ,federalists 
were defeated4 ,we should not place too 
literal a construction upon the         
repinings of disappointed placemen4 ,mr4
 ,randall1 we believe1 has been in      
political life1 and ought to be         
accustomed to the disposition which     
exists among public men to think that   
the country will be ruined1 if it is    
deprived of their services4 ,after every

 election1 our ears are vexed by the    
gloomy vaticinations of defeated        
candidates4 ,this amiable weakness is   
too common to excite uneasiness4  ,an   
argument of the same kind1 and quite as 
effective as ,mr4 ,randall's1 might be  
made against ,jefferson4 ,his letters   
contain predictions of disaster in case 
of the success of his opponents1 and the
 ,federalists spoke as harshly of him as
 he of them4 ,they charged him with     
being a disciple of ,robespierre1 said  
that he was in favor of anarchy1 and    
would erect a guillotine in every       
market-place4 ,he called them           
monarchists1 and said they sighed after 
,king1 ,lords1 and ,commons4 ,neither   
charge will be believed4 ,the heads of  
the ,federalists were safe after the    
election of ,mr4 ,jefferson1 and the    
republic would have been safe if        
,hamilton and ,adams had continued in   
power4  ,both parties formed exaggerated
 opinions4 ,that ,jefferson did so1 no  
one can doubt who observes the weight he

 gave to trifles1--his annoyance at the 
etiquette of the capital1--at the levees
 and liveries1--at the ,president's     
speech1--the hysterical dread into which
 he was thrown by the mere mention of   
the ,society of the ,cincinnati1 and the
 chill which ,mr4 ,randall says came    
over him when he heard ,hamilton praise 
,csar4 ,this spirit led him to the act  
which every one must think is a stain   
upon his character3 we refer to the     
compilation of his ,ana4 ,as is well    
known1 that book was written mainly for 
the purpose of proving that the         
,federalists were in favor of a         
monarchy4 ,it consists chiefly of       
reports of the conversations of         
distinguished characters4 ,some of these
 conversations--and it is noticeable    
that they are the most innocent         
ones--took place in his presence4 ,the  
worst expressions are mere reports by   
third parties4 ,one story rests upon no 
better foundation than that ,talleyrand 
told it to ,volney1 who told it to      

,jefferson4 ,at one place we are        
informed1 that1 at a ,st4 ,andrew's     
,club dinner1 the toast to the          
,president 7,mr4 ,adams7 was coldly     
received1 but at that to ,george the    
,third ,hamilton started to his feet and
 insisted on a bumper and three cheers4 
,this choice bit of scandal is given on 
the authority of ,mr4 ,smith1 a ,hamburg
 merchant1 who received it from ,mr4    
,schwarthouse1 to whom it was told by   
one of the dinner-party4 ,at a dinner   
given by some members of the bar to the 
federal judges1 this toast was offered3 
,our ,king in old ,england1--,rufus     
,king being the ,american minister in   
that country4 ,whereupon ,mr4 ,jefferson
 solemnly asks us to observe the double 
entendre on the word ,king4 ,du ,ponceau
 told this to ,tenche ,coxe1 who told it
 to ,jefferson4 ,such stuff is repeated 
in connection with descriptions of how  
,general and ,mrs4 ,washington sat on a 
raised sofa at a ball1 and all the      
dancers bowed to them1--and how ,mrs4   

,knox mounted the steps unbidden1 and1  
finding the sofa too small for three1   
had to go down4 ,we are told that at one
 time ,john ,adams cried1 ,damn 'em6 you
 see that an elective government will   
not do1--and that at another he         
complimented a little boy who was a     
,democrat1 saying1 ,well1 a boy of      
fifteen who is not a ,democrat is good  
for nothing1--and he is no better who is
 a ,democrat at twenty4 ,of this bit of 
treason ,jefferson says1 ,ewen told     
,hurt1 and ,hurt told me4 ,these are not
 mere scraps1 published by an indiscreet
 editor4 ,they were revised by ,mr4     
,jefferson in #ahah1 when he was        
seventy-five years old1 after1 as he    
says1 the passions of the time were     
passed away1--with the intention that   
they should be published4 ,it is        
humiliating to record this act4 ,no     
justification for it is possible4 ,it is
 idle to say that these revelations were
 made to warn the country of its danger4
 ,as evidence they are not entitled to a

 thought4 ,more flimsy gossip never     
floated over a tea-table4 ,besides1 for 
such a purpose they should have been    
published when the contest was in       
progress1 when the danger was imminent1 
not after the men whom he arraigned were
 defeated and most of them in their     
graves4 ,equally unsatisfactory is the  
excuse1 that they illustrate history4   
,this may be true1 but it does not      
acquit ,mr4 ,jefferson4 ,pepys tells us 
more than ,hume about the court of      
,charles ,,ii41 and ,boswell's ,life of 
,johnson is the best biography in the   
language1--but he must be a shabby      
fellow who would be either a ,boswell or
 a ,pepys4 ,mr4 ,randall's excuse1 that 
the act was done in self-vindication1 is
 the worst of all4 ,jefferson was the   
victor and needed no defence1 surely not
 so mean and cowardly a defence4 ,that a
 grave statesman should stoop to betray 
the confidence of familiar              
intercourse1--that a skeptical inquirer1
 who systematically rejected everything 

which did not stand the most rigid      
tests1 should rely on the ridiculous    
gossip of political circles1--that a    
deliberate and thoughtful man should    
jump to a conclusion as quickly as a    
child1 and assert it with the           
intolerance of a ,turk1 certainly is a  
strange anomaly4 ,we can account for it 
only by supposing that upon the subject 
of a monarchy he was a little beside    
himself4 ,it is certain1 that1 through  
some weakness1 he was made to forget    
gentlemanly propriety1 and the plainest 
rules for the sifting of testimony2--let
 us believe that the general opinions   
which he formed1 and which his          
biographer perpetuates1 resulted from   
the same unfortunate weakness4  ,we have
 dwelt upon this subject1 both on       
account of the prominence which ,mr4    
,randall has given it1 and because1 as  
admirers of ,mr4 ,jefferson1 we wished  
to make a full and distinct statement of
 the most common and reasonable         
complaint against him4 ,the biographer  

has done his hero a great injury by     
reviving this absurd business1 and has  
cast suspicion upon the accuracy of his 
book4 ,it is time that our historians   
approached their subjects with more     
liberal tempers4 ,they should cease to  
be advocates4 ,whatever the ,american   
people may think about the policy of the
 ,federalists1 they will not impute to  
them unpatriotic designs4 ,that party   
comprised a majority of the             
,revolutionary leaders4 ,it is not      
strange that many of them fell into     
error4 ,they were wealthy and had the   
pride of wealth4 ,they had been educated
 with certain ideas about rank1 which a 
military life had strengthened4 ,the    
liberal theories which the war had      
engendered were not understood1 and1    
during the ,french ,revolution1 they    
became associated with acts of atrocity 
which ,mr4 ,jefferson himself condemned4
 ,abler men than the ,federalists failed
 to discriminate between the crime and  
the principles which the criminals      

professed4 ,students of affairs are now 
in a better position than ,mr4          
,jefferson was1 to ascertain the truth1 
and they will not find it necessary to  
adopt his prejudices against a body of  
men who have adorned our history by     
eloquence1 learning1 and valor4         
,jefferson's position in ,washington's  
government must have been extremely     
disagreeable4 ,there was hardly a       
subject upon which he and ,hamilton     
agreed4 ,washington had established the 
practice of disposing of the business   
before the ,cabinet by vote4 ,each      
member was at liberty to explain his    
views1 and1 owing to the wide           
differences in opinion1 the ,cabinet    
,council became a debating society4     
,this gave ,hamilton an advantage4      
,jefferson never argued1 and1 if he had 
attempted it1 he would have been no     
match for his adversary4 ,he contented  
himself with a plain statement of his   
views and the reasons which influenced  
him1 made in the abstract manner which  

was habitual with him4 ,hamilton1 on the
 other hand1 was an adroit lawyer1 and a
 painstaking dialectician1 who carefully
 fortified every position4 ,he made long
 speeches to the ,cabinet1 with as much 
earnestness as one would use in court4  
,though ,jefferson had great influence  
with the ,president1 he was generally   
outvoted4 ,knox1 of course1 was against 
him4 ,randolph1 the ,attorney-,general1 
upon whose support he had a right to    
depend1 was an ingenious1 but unsteady1 
sophist4 ,he had so just an             
understanding1 that his appreciation of 
his opponent's argument was usually     
stronger than his confidence in his own4
 ,he commonly agreed with ,jefferson1   
and voted with ,hamilton4 ,the          
,secretary of ,state was not allowed to 
control his own department4 ,hamilton   
continually interfered with him1 and had
 business interviews with the ministers 
of foreign countries4 ,the dispute soon 
spread beyond the ,cabinet1 and was     
taken up by the press4 ,jefferson again 

and again asked leave to resign2        
,washington besought him to remain1 and 
endeavored to close the breach between  
the rival ,secretaries4 ,for a time1    
,jefferson yielded to these             
solicitations2 but finally1 on the #cast
 of ,december1 #agic1 he left office1   
and was soon followed by ,hamilton4     
,after reaching ,monticello1 ,mr4       
,jefferson announced1 that he had       
completely withdrawn from affairs1 and  
that he did not even read the journals1 
preferring to contemplate the tranquil  
growth of lucern and potatoes4 ,these   
bucolic pleasures soon palled4          
,cultivating lucern and potatoes is1    
without doubt1 a dignified and useful   
employment1 but it is not likely to     
content a man who has played a great    
part1 and is conscious that he is still 
able to do so4 ,we soon find him a      
candidate for the ,presidency1 and1     
strange as it may seem1 in #agig1 he was
 persuaded to leave his                 
buckwheat-dressings and take the seat of

 ,vice-,president4  ,those who are      
interested in party tactics will find it
 instructive to read ,mr4 ,randall's    
account of the opposition to ,adams's   
administration4 ,his correspondence     
shows that ,adams was the victim of     
those in whom he confided4 ,he made the 
mistake of retaining the ,cabinet which 
,washington had during the last year or 
two of his term1 and a weaker one has   
never been seen4 ,his ministers plotted 
against him1--his party friends opposed 
and thwarted him4 ,the ,president had   
sufficient talent for a score of        
,cabinets1 but he likewise had many     
foibles1 and his position seemed to     
fetter his talents and give full play to
 his foibles4 ,the opposition adroitly  
took advantage of the dissensions of    
their adversaries4 ,in ,congress1 the   
,federalists were compelled to carry    
every measure by main force1 and every  
inch of ground was contested4 ,the      
temporizing ,madison1 formerly leader of
 the ,republicans in the ,house of      

,representatives1 had been succeeded by 
,albert ,gallatin1 a man of more        
enterprising spirit and firmer grasp of 
thought4 ,he was assisted by ,john      
,randolph1 who then first displayed the 
resources of his versatile and daring   
intellect4 ,mr4 ,jefferson1 also1 as the
 avowed candidate for the succession1   
may be supposed to have contributed his 
unrivalled knowledge of the springs of  
human action4 ,earnest as the opposition
 were1 they did not abuse the license   
which is permitted in political         
contests4 ,but the ,federalists pursued 
,mr4 ,jefferson with a vindictiveness   
which has no parallel1 in this country4 
,they boasted of being gentlemen1 and   
prided themselves upon their standing   
and culture1 yet they descended to the  
vilest tricks and meanest scandal4 ,they
 called ,jefferson a ,jacobin1--abused  
him because he liked ,french cookery and
 ,french wines1 and wore a red          
waistcoat4 ,to its shame1 the pulpit was
 foremost in this disgraceful warfare4  

,clergymen did not hesitate to mention  
him by name in their sermons4 ,cobbett  
said1 that ,jefferson had cheated his   
,british creditors4 ,a ,maryland        
preacher improved this story1 by saying 
that he had cheated a widow and her     
daughters1 of whose estate he was       
executor4 ,he was compared to ,rehoboam4
 ,it was said1 that he had a negro      
mistress1 and compelled his daughters to
 submit to her presence1--that he would 
not permit his children to read the     
,bible1--and that1 on one occasion1 when
 his attention was called to the        
dilapidated condition of a church1 he   
remarked1 ,it is good enough for him who
 was born in a manger4 ,according to his
 custom1 he made no reply to these      
slanders1 and1 except from a few mild   
remarks in his letters1 one cannot      
discover that he heard of them4  ,mr4   
,adams did not show his successor the   
customary courtesy of attending his     
inauguration1 leaving ,washington the   
same morning4 ,the new ,president1      

entirely unattended and plainly dressed1
 rode down the avenue on horseback4 ,he 
tied his horse to the paling which      
surrounded the ,capitol grounds1 and1   
without ceremony1 entered the ,senate   
,chamber4 ,the contrast between this    
somewhat ostentatious simplicity and the
 parade at the inaugurations of         
,washington and ,adams showed how great 
a change had taken place in the         
government4  ,the ,presidency is the    
culmination of ,mr4 ,jefferson's        
political career1 and we gladly turn to 
a contemplation of his character in     
other aspects4  ,the collections of     
,jefferson's writings and               
correspondence1 which have been         
published1 throw no light upon his      
domestic relations4 ,we have complained 
of the prolixity of ,mr4 ,randall's     
book1 but we do not wish to be          
understood as complaining of the number 
of family letters it contains4 ,they    
form its most pleasing and novel        
feature4 ,they show us that the placid  

philosopher had a nature which was      
ardent1 tender1 and constant4 ,his wife 
died after but ten years of married     
life4 ,she was the mother of six        
children1 of whom two1 ,martha and      
,maria1 reached maturity4 ,though still 
young1 ,mr4 ,jefferson never married    
again1 finding sufficient opportunity   
for the indulgence of his domestic      
tastes in the society of his daughters4 
,martha1 whom he nicknamed ,patsey1 was 
plain1 resembling her father in         
features1 and having some of his mental 
characteristics4 ,maria1 the youngest1  
inherited the charms of her mother1 and 
is described as one of the most         
beautiful women of her time4 ,her       
natural courtesy procured for her1 while
 yet a child1 from her ,french          
attendants1 the sobriquet of ,polie1 a  
name which clung to her through life4   
,charged with the care of these         
children1 ,jefferson made their         
education one of his regular            
occupations1 as systematically performed

 as his public duties4 ,he planned their
 studies1 and descended to the minutest 
directions as to dress and deportment4  
,while they were young1 he himself      
selected every article of clothing for  
them1 and even after they were married1 
continued their constant and            
confidential adviser4 ,when they were   
absent1 he insisted that they should    
inform him how they occupied themselves1
 what books they read1 what tunes they  
played1 dwelling on these details with  
the fond particularity of a lover4      
,association with his daughters seemed  
to awaken his noblest and most refined  
impulses1 and to reveal the choicest    
fruit of his reading and experience4    
,his letters to them are models of their
 kind4 ,they contain not only those     
general precepts which an affectionate  
parent and wise man would naturally     
desire to impress upon the mind of a    
child1 but they also show a perception  
of the most subtile feminine traits and 
a sympathy with the most delicate       

feminine tastes1 seldom seen in our sex1
 and which exhibits the breadth and     
symmetry of ,jefferson's organization4  
,one of the most characteristic of these
 letters is in the possession of the    
,queen of ,england1 to whom it was sent 
by his family1 in answer to a request   
for an autograph4  ,his daughters were  
in ,france with him1 and were placed at 
school in a convent near ,paris4 ,martha
 was captivated by the ceremonials of   
the ,romish ,church1 and wrote to her   
father asking that she might be         
permitted to take the veil4 ,it is easy 
to imagine the surprise with which the  
worldly diplomatist read the epistle4   
,he did not reply to it1 but soon made a
 visit to the ,abbaye4 ,he smiled kindly
 at the young enthusiast1 who came      
anxiously to meet him1 told the girls   
that he had come for them1 and1 without 
referring to ,martha's letter1 took them
 back to ,paris4 ,the account-book shows
 that after this incident the young     
ladies did not diminish their attention 

to the harpsichord1 guitar1 and         
dancing-master4  ,maria1 who was married
 to ,john ,w4 ,eppes1 died in #ahjd1    
leaving two children4 ,martha1 wife of  
,thomas ,m4 ,randolph1 survived her     
father4 ,she was the mother of ten      
children4 ,the ,randolphs lived on ,mr4 
,jefferson's estate of ,monticello1 and 
after he retired from public life he    
found his greatest pleasure in the      
society of the numerous family which    
surrounded him1--a pleasure which       
increased with his years4 ,mr4 ,randall 
publishes a few letters from some of    
,jefferson's grand-daughters1 describing
 their happy child-life at ,monticello4 
,besides being noticeable for grace of  
expression1 these letters breathe a     
spirit of affection for ,mr4 ,jefferson 
which only the warmest affection on his 
part could have elicited4 ,the writers  
fondly relate every particular which    
illustrates the habits and manners of   
the retired statesman2 telling with what
 kindness be reproved1 with what        

heartiness he commended them2 how the   
children loved to follow him in his     
walks1 to sit with him by the fire      
during the winter twilight1 or at the   
window in summer1 listening to his      
quaint stories2 how he directed their   
sports1 acted as judge when they ran    
races in the garden1 and gathered fruit 
for them1 pulling down the branches on  
which the ripest cherries hung4 ,all    
speak of the pleasure it gave him to    
anticipate their wishes by some         
unexpected gift4 ,one says that her     
,bible and ,shakspeare came from        
him1--that he gave her her first        
writing-desk1 her first watch1 her first
 ,leghorn hat and silk dress4 ,another  
tells how he saw her tear her dress1 and
 in a few days brought a new and more   
beautiful one to mend it1 as he         
said1--that she had refused to buy a    
guitar which she admired1 because it was
 too expensive1 and that when she came  
to breakfast the next morning the guitar
 was waiting for her4 ,one of these     

ladies seems to give only a natural     
expression to the feelings which all his
 grand-children had for him1 when she   
prettily calls him their good genius    
with magic wand1 brightening their young
 lives by his kindness and his gifts4   
,indeed1 the account which these volumes
 give of ,monticello life is very       
interesting4 ,the house was a long brick
 building1 in the ,grecian style1 common
 at that time4 ,it was surmounted by a  
dome2 in front was a portico2 and there 
were piazzas at the end of each wing4   
,it was situated upon the summit of a   
hill six hundred feet high1 one of a    
range of such4 ,to the east lay an      
undulating plain1 unbroken save by a    
solitary peak2 and upon the western side
 a deep valley swept up to the base of  
the ,blue ,ridge1 which was twenty miles
 distant4 ,the grounds were tastefully  
decorated1 and1 by a peculiar           
arrangement which the site permitted1   
all the domestic offices and barns were 
sunk from view4 ,the interior of the    

mansion was spacious1 and even elegant2 
it was decorated with natural           
curiosities1--,indian and ,mexican      
antiquities1 articles of virt1 and a    
large number of portraits and busts of  
historical characters4 ,the             
library--which was sold to the          
government in #ahae--;contained between 
nine and ten thousand volumes4 ,he had  
another house upon an estate called     
,poplar ,forest1 ninety miles from      
,monticello4  ,mr4 ,jefferson was too   
old to attempt any new scientific or    
literary enterprise1 but as soon as he  
reached home he began to renew his      
former acquaintances4 ,his              
meteorological observations were        
continued1 he studied botany1 and was an
 industrious reader of three or four    
languages4 ,when nearly eighty1 we find 
him writing elaborate disquisitions on  
grammar1 astronomy1 the ,epicurean      
philosophy1 and discussing style with   
,edward ,everett4 ,the coldness between 
him and ,john ,adams passed away1 and   

they used to write one another long     
letters1 in which they criticized ,plato
 and the ,greek dramatists1 speculated  
upon the end for which the sensations of
 grief were intended1 and asked each    
other whether they would consent to live
 their lives over again4 ,jefferson1    
with his usual cheerfulness1 promptly   
answered1 ,yes4  ,he dispensed a liberal
 hospitality1 and in a style which      
showed the influence of his foreign     
residence4 ,though temperate1 he        
understood the mysteries of the ,french 
cuisine1 and liked the wines of ,mdoc4  
,these tastes gave occasion to ,patrick 
,henry's sarcasm upon gentlemen who     
abjured their native victuals4 ,mr4     
,randall tells an amusing anecdote of a 
brandy-drinking ,virginian1 who wondered
 how a man of so much taste could drink 
cold1 sour ,french wine1 and insisted   
that some night he would be carried off 
by it4  ,no ,american has ever exerted  
so great and universal an attraction4   
,men of all parties made pilgrimages to 

,monticello4 ,foreigners of distinction 
were unwilling to leave the country     
without seeing ,mr4 ,jefferson2 men of  
fashion1 artists1 littrateurs1 savants1 
soldiers1 clergymen1 flocked to his     
house4 ,mrs4 ,randolph stated1 that she 
had provided beds for fifty persons at a
 time4 ,the intrusion was often         
disagreeable enough4 ,groups of         
uninvited strangers sometimes planted   
themselves in the passages of his house 
to see him go to dinner1 or gathered    
around him when he sat on the portico4  
,a female once broke a window-pane with 
her parasol to got a better view of him4
 ,but no press of company was permitted 
to interfere with his occupations4 ,the 
early morning was devoted to            
correspondence2 the day to his library1 
to his workshop1 or to business2 after  
dinner he gave himself up to society4   
,making every allowance for the         
exaggerations of his admirers1 it cannot
 be doubted that ,jefferson was a master
 of conversation4 ,it had contributed   

too much to his success not to have been
 made the subject of thought4 ,it is    
true1 he had neither wit nor eloquence2 
but this was a kind of negative         
advantage2 for he was free from that    
striving after effect so common among   
professed wits1 neither did he indulge  
in those monologues into which eloquence
 betrayed ,coleridge and seduces        
,macaulay4 ,he had great tact1          
information1 and worldly knowledge4 ,he 
never disputed1 and had the address not 
to attempt to control the current of    
conversation for the purpose of turning 
it in a particular direction1 but was   
always ready to follow the humor of the 
hour4 ,his language1 if seldom striking1
 never failed to harmonize with his     
theme1 while1 of course1 the effect of  
everything he said was heightened by his
 age and reputation4  ,unfortunately1   
his latter days were clouded by         
pecuniary distress4 ,although prudent   
and methodical1 partly from unavoidable 
circumstances1 and partly from the      

expense of his enormous establishment1  
his large estate became involved4 ,the  
failure of a friend for whom he had     
indorsed completed his ruin and made it 
necessary to sell his property4 ,this1  
however1 was not done until after his   
death1 when every debt was paid1 even to
 a subscription for a ,presbyterian     
church4  ,as is well known1 the chief   
labor of his age was the establishment  
of the ,university of ,virginia4 ,he was
 the creator of that institution1 and   
displayed in behalf of it a zeal and    
energy truly wonderful4 ,when unable to 
ride over to the ,university1 which was 
eight miles from ,monticello1 he used to
 sit upon his terrace and watch the     
workmen through a telescope4 ,he        
designed the buildings1 planned the     
organization and course of instruction1 
and selected the faculty4 ,he seemed to 
regard this enterprise as crowning and  
completing a career which had been      
devoted to the cause of liberty1 by     
providing for the increase and diffusion

 of knowledge4  ,in ,february1 #ahbf1   
the return of a disease by which he had 
at intervals been visited convinced     
,jefferson that he should soon die4     
,with customary deliberation and system1
 he prepared for his decease1 arranging 
his affairs and giving the final        
directions as to the ,university4 ,to   
his family he did not mention the       
subject1 nor could they detect any      
change in his manner1 except an         
increased tenderness in each night's    
farewell1 and the lingering gaze with   
which he followed their motions4 ,his   
mental vigor continued4 ,his will1 quite
 a long document1 was written by        
himself2 and on the #bdth of ,june he   
wrote a reply to an invitation to the   
celebration at ,washington of the       
ensuing ,fourth of ,july4 ,it is        
difficult to discover in what respect   
this production is inferior to his      
earlier performances of the same kind4  
,it has all of the author's ease and    
precision of style1 and more than his   

ordinary distinctness and earnestness of
 thought4 ,this was his last letter4 ,he
 rapidly declined1 but preserved        
possession of his faculties4 ,he        
remarked1 as if surprised at it1 upon   
his disposition to recur to the scenes  
of the ,revolution1 and seemed to wish  
that his life might be prolonged until  
the ,fourth of ,july4 ,this wish was not
 denied to him2 he expired at noon of   
that day1 precisely fifty years after   
the ,declaration of ,independence4 ,a   
few hours afterwards the great heart of 
,john ,adams ceased to beat4  ,so much  
has been said about ,mr4 ,jefferson's   
religious opinions1 and our biographer  
gives them such prominence1 that we     
shall be pardoned for alluding to them1 
although they are not among the topics  
which a critic generally should touch4  
,mr4 ,randall says that ,jefferson was a
 public professor of his belief in the  
,christian religion4 ,we do not think   
that this unqualified statement is      
supported by ,jefferson's explanation of

 his views upon ,christianity1 which    
,mr4 ,randall subsequently gives4       
,religion1 in the sense which is        
commonly given to it1 as a system of    
faith and worship1 he did not connect   
with ,christ at all4 ,he was a believer 
in the existence of ,god1 in a future   
life1 and in man's accountability for   
his actions here3 in so far as this1 he 
may be said to have had a system of     
worship1 but not of ,christian worship4 
,he regarded ,christ simply as a man1   
with no other than mortal power1--and to
 worship him in any way would1 in his   
opinion1 have been idolatry4 ,his       
theology recognized the ,deity alone4   
,the extracts from his public papers1   
upon which ,mr4 ,randall relies1 contain
 nothing but those general expressions  
which a ,mohammedan or a follower of    
,confucius might have used4 ,he said he 
was a ,christian in the only sense in   
which ,christ wished any one to be2 but 
received ,christ's teachings merely as a
 system1 and not a perfect system1 of   

morals4 ,he rejected the narratives     
which attest the ,divine character or   
the ,divine mission of the ,saviour1    
thinking them the fictions of ignorance 
and superstition4  ,he was1 however1 far
 from being a scoffer4 ,he attended the 
,episcopal service regularly1 and was   
liberal in his donations to religious   
enterprises4 ,nor do we think that this 
conformity arose from weakness or       
hypocrisy1 but rather from a profound   
respect for opinions so generally       
entertained1 and a lively admiration for
 the character and life of ,christ4  ,if
 a ,christian is one who sincerely      
believes and implicitly obeys the       
teachings of ,jesus so far as they      
affect our relations with our           
fellow-men1 then ,mr4 ,jefferson was a  
,christian in a sense in which few can  
be called so4 ,though the light did not 
unseal his vision1 it filled his heart4 
,among the statesmen of the world there 
is no one who has more rigidly demanded 
that the laws of ,god shall be applied  

to the affairs of ,man4 ,his political  
system is a beautiful growth from the   
principles of love1 humility1 and       
charity1 which the ,new ,testament      
inculcates4  ,when reflecting upon ,mr4 
,jefferson's mental organization1 one is
 impressed by the variety and           
perfectness of his intellectual         
faculties4 ,he united the powers of     
observation with those of reflection in 
a degree hardly surpassed by ,bacon4    
,yet he has done nothing which entitles 
him to a place among the first of men4  
,it may be said1 that1 devoted to the   
inferior pursuit of politics1 he had no 
opportunity to exercise himself in art  
or philosophy1 where alone the highest  
genius finds a field4 ,but we think his 
failure--if one can fail who does not   
make an attempt--was not for want of    
opportunity4 ,he did not possess any    
imagination4 ,he was so deficient in    
that respect as to be singular4 ,the    
imagination seems to assist the mental  
vision as the telescope does that of the

 eye2 he saw with his unaided powers    
only4  ,he says1 ,nature intended him   
for the tranquil pursuits of science1   
and it is impossible to assign any      
reason why he should not have attained  
great eminence among scientific men4    
,the sole difficulty might have been1   
that1 from very variety of power1 he    
would not give himself up to any single 
study with the devotion which ,nature   
demands from those who seek her favors4 
,within his range his perception of     
truth was as rapid and unfailing as an  
instinct4 ,without difficulty he        
separated the specious from the solid1  
gave great weight to evidence1 but was  
skeptical and cautious about receiving  
it4 ,though a collector of details1 he  
was never incumbered by them4 ,no one   
was less likely to make the common      
mistake of thinking that a particular   
instance established a general          
proposition4 ,he sought for rules of    
universal application1 and was          
industrious in the accumulation of      

facts1 because he knew how many are     
needed to prove the simplest truth4 ,the
 accuracy of his mental operations1     
united with great courage1 made him     
careless of authority4 ,he clung to a   
principle because he thought it true1   
not because others thought it so4 ,there
 is no indication that he valued an     
opinion the more because great men of   
former ages had favored it4 ,his        
self-reliance was shown in his          
unwillingness to employ servants4 ,even 
when very feeble1 he refused to permit  
any one to assist him4 ,he had          
extraordinary power of condensation1    
and1 always seeing the gist of a matter1
 he often exposed an argument of hours  
by a single sentence4 ,some of his brief
 papers1 like the one on ,banking1      
contain the substance of debates1 which 
have since been made1 filling volumes4  
,he was peculiar in his manner of       
stating his conclusions1 seldom         
revealing the processes by which he     
arrived at them4 ,he sets forth strange 

and disputed doctrines as if they were  
truisms4 ,those who have studied ,the   
,prince for the purpose of understanding
 its construction will not think us     
fanciful when we find a resemblance     
between ,jefferson's mode of            
argumentation and that of ,machiavelli4 
,there is the same manner of approaching
 a subject1 the same neglect of opposing
 arguments1 and the same disposition to 
rely on the force of general maxims4    
,machiavelli exceeded him in power of   
ratiocination from a given proposition1 
but does not seem to have been able to  
determine whether a given proposition   
was right or wrong4  ,in force of mind  
,jefferson has often been surpassed3    
,hamilton was his superior4 ,as an      
executive officer1 where action was     
required1 he could not have been        
distinguished4 ,it is true1 he was a    
successful ,president1 but neither the  
time nor the place demanded the highest 
executive talents4 ,when ,governor of   
,virginia1 during the ,revolution1 he   

was more severely tried1 and1 although  
some excuse may be made for him1 he must
 be said to have failed4  ,upon matters 
which are affected by feeling and       
sentiment1 the judgment of woman is said
 to surpass that of our sex1--her more  
sensitive instincts carrying her to     
heights which our blind strength fails  
to reach4 ,if this be true1 ,jefferson  
in some respects resembled woman4 ,we   
have already alluded to the delicacy of 
his organization2 it was strangely      
delicate1 indeed1 for one who had so    
many solid qualities4 ,like woman1 he   
was constant rather than passionate2 he 
had her refinement1 disliking rude      
company and coarse pleasures1--her love 
of luxury1 and fondness for things whose
 beauty consists in part in their       
delicacy and fragility4 ,his political  
opponents often refused to speak with   
him1 but their wives found his society  
delightful4 ,like woman1 his feelings   
sometimes seemed to precede his         
judgment4 ,such an organization is not  

often a safe one for business2 but in   
,mr4 ,jefferson1 with his homely        
perceptions1 it accomplished great      
results4  ,the attributes which gave him
 his great and peculiar influence seem  
to us to have been qualities of         
character1 not of the mind4 ,chief among
 these must be placed that which1 for   
want of a better term1 we will call     
sympathy4 ,this sympathy colored his    
whole nature1 mental and moral4 ,it gave
 him his many-sidedness4 ,there was no  
limit to his intellectual tastes4 ,most 
persons cherish prejudices1 and think   
certain pursuits degrading or useless4  
,thus1 business-men sneer at artists1   
and artists sneer at business-men4      
,jefferson had nothing of this4 ,he     
understood and appreciated the value of 
every employment4 ,no knowledge was too 
trivial for him2 with the same          
affectionate interest1 he observed the  
courses of the winds and the growth of a
 flower4  ,sympathy in some sort        
supplied the place of imagination1      

making him understand subjects of which 
the imagination alone usually informs   
us4 ,thus1 he was fond of ,art4 ,he had 
no eye for color1 but appreciated the   
beauties of form1 and was a critic of   
sculpture and architecture4 ,he valued  
everything for that which belonged to   
it2 but tradition sanctified nothing1   
association gave no additional value4   
,he committed what ,burke thought a     
great crime1 that of thinking a queen   
nothing but a woman4 ,he went to        
,stratford-on-,avon1 and tells us that  
it cost him a shilling to see           
,shakspeare's tomb1 but says nothing    
else4 ,he might have admired the scenery
 of the place1 and he certainly was an  
admirer of ,shakspeare2 but ,stratford  
had no additional beauty in his eyes    
because ,shakspeare was born and buried 
there4 ,after his death1 in a secret    
drawer of his secretary1 mementoes1 such
 as locks of hair1 of his wife and dead 
children1 even of the infant who lived  
but a few hours after birth1 were found1

 and accompanying each were some fond   
words4 ,the packages were neatly        
arranged1 and their envelopes showed    
that they had often been opened4 ,it    
needed personal knowledge and regard to 
awaken in him an interest in objects for
 their associations4  ,the              
characteristic of which we speak showed 
itself in the intensity and quality of  
his patriotism4 ,there never was a truer
 ,american4 ,he sympathized with all our
 national desires and prejudices1 our   
enterprise and confidence1 our love of  
dominion and boundless pride4 ,buffon   
asserted that the animals of ,america   
were smaller than those of ,europe4     
,jefferson flew to the rescue of the    
animals1 and certainly seems to have the
 best of the argument4 ,buffon said1    
that the ,indian was cold in love1 cruel
 in war1 and mean in intellect4 ,had    
,jefferson been a descendant of         
,pocahontas1 he could not have been more
 zealous in behalf of the ,indian4 ,he  
contradicted ,buffon upon every point1  

and cited ,logan's speech as deserving  
comparison with the most celebrated     
passages of ,grecian and ,roman         
eloquence4 ,nowhere did he see skies so 
beautiful1 a climate so delightful1 men 
so brave1 or women so fair1 as in       
,america4 ,he was not content that his  
country should be rich and powerful2 his
 ardent patriotism carried him forward  
to a time when the great ,republic      
should give law to the world for every  
department of thought and action4  ,but 
this sympathetic spirit is most clearly 
to be seen in that broad humanity which 
was the source of his philosophy4 ,he   
sympathized with man1--his sufferings1  
joys1 fears1 hopes1 and aspirations4    
,the law of his nature made him a       
democrat4 ,men of his own rank1 when    
introduced to him1 found his manner cold
 and reserved2 but the young and the    
ignorant were attracted from the first4 
,education and interest did not affect  
him4 ,born a ,british subject1 he became
 the founder of a democracy4 ,he was a  

slaveholder and an abolitionist4 ,the   
fact1 that the ,african is degraded and 
helpless1 to his1 as to every generous  
mind1 was a reason why he should be     
protected1 not an excuse for oppressing 
him4  ,though fitness for the highest   
effort be denied to ,jefferson1 yet in  
the pursuit to which he devoted himself1
 considered with reference to elevation 
and wisdom of policy and actual         
achievement1 he may be compared with any
 man of modern times4 ,it is the boast  
of the most accomplished ,english       
historian1 that ,english legislation has
 been controlled by the rule1 ,never to 
lay down any proposition of wider extent
 than the particular case for which it  
is necessary to provide4 ,therefore     
politics in ,england have not reached   
the dignity of a science2 and her public
 men have been tacticians1 rather than  
statesmen4 ,burke may be mentioned as an
 exception4 ,no one will claim for      
,jefferson ,burke's amplitude of thought
 and wealth of imagination1 but he      

surpassed him in justness of            
understanding and practical efficiency4 
,burke was never connected with the     
government1 except during the           
short-lived ,rockingham1 administration4
 ,among ,frenchmen1 the mind            
instinctively recurs to the wise and    
virtuous ,turgot4 ,but it was the       
misfortune of ,turgot to come into power
 at the beginning of the reign of ,louis
 ,,xvi4 ,it became his task to reform a 
government which was beyond reform1 and 
to preserve a dynasty which could not be
 preserved4 ,his illustrious career is  
little more than a brilliant promise4   
,jefferson undoubtedly owed much to     
fortune4 ,he was placed in a country    
removed from foreign interference1 with 
boundless resources1 and where the great
 principles of free government had for  
generations been established1--among a  
people sprung from many races1 but who  
spoke the same language1 were governed  
by similar laws1 and whose minds'       
rebellion had prepared for the reception

 of new truths and the abandonment of   
ancient errors4 ,to be called upon to   
give symmetry and completeness to a     
political system which seemed to be     
,providentially designed for the nation 
over which it was to extend1 to be able 
to connect himself with the future      
progress of an agile and ambitious      
people1 was certainly a rare and happy  
fortune1 and must be considered1 when we
 claim superiority for him over those   
who were placed in the midst of apathy  
and decay4 ,his influence upon us may be
 seen in the material1 but still more   
distinctly in the social and moral      
action of the country4 ,with those laws 
which here restrain turbulent forces and
 stimulate beneficent ones1--with the   
bright visions of peace and freedom     
which the unhappy of every ,european    
race see in their ,western skies1       
tempting them hither1--with the kind    
spirit which here loosens the bonds of  
social prejudice1 and to ambition sings 
an inspiring strain1--with these1 which 

are our pride and boast1 he is          
associated indissolubly and forever4    
,with the things which have brought our 
country into disrepute--we leave it for 
others to recall the dismal             
catalogue--his name cannot be connected4
  ,not the least valuable result of his 
life is the triumphant refutation which 
it gives to the assertion1 so often made
 by blatant sophisters1 that none but   
low arts avail in republics4 ,he has    
been called a demagogue4 ,this charge is
 the charge of misconception or         
ignorance4 ,it is true1 he believed that
 his doctrines would prevail2 he was    
sensitive to the opinions of others1 nor
 was he out of love with noble fame2 but
 his successes were fairly1 manfully    
won4 ,he had none of the common         
qualifications for popularity4 ,no glare
 of military glory surrounded him2 he   
had not the admired gift of eloquence2  
he was opposed by wealth and fashion1 by
 the ,church and the press1 by most of  
the famous men of his day1--by ,jay1    

,marshall1 the ,pinckneys1 ,knox1 ,king1
 and ,adams2 he had to encounter the    
vehement genius of ,hamilton and the    
prestige of ,washington2 he was not in a
 position for direct action upon the    
people2 he never went beyond the line of
 his duty1 and1 from #aggf to his       
inaugural address1 he did not publish a 
word which was calculated to excite     
lively1 popular interest2--yet1 in spite
 of all and against all1 he won4 ,so    
complete was the victory1 that1 at his  
second election1 ,massachusetts stood   
beside ,virginia1 supporting him4 ,he   
won because he was true to a principle4 
,thousands of men1 whose untutored minds
 could not comprehend a proposition of  
his elaborate philosophy1 remembered    
that in his youth he had proclaimed the 
equality of men1 knew that in maturity  
he remained true to that declaration1   
and1 believing that this great assurance
 of their liberties was in danger1 they 
gathered around him1 preferring the     
scholar to orators and soldiers4 ,they  

had confidence in him because he had    
confidence in them4 ,there is no danger 
in that demagogism the art of which     
consists in love for man4 ,fortunate1   
indeed1 will it be for the ,republic1   
if1 among the aspirants who are now     
pressing into the strife1 and making    
their voices heard in the great         
exchanges of public opinion1 there are  
some who will imitate the civic virtues 
and practise the benign philosophy of   
,thomas ,jefferson6  ,we take leave of  
this book with reluctance4 ,it is       
verbose and dull1 but it has led us     
along the path of ,american renown2 it  
recites a story which1 however awkwardly
 told1 can never fall coldly on an      
,american ear4 ,it has1 besides1 given  
us an opportunity1 of which we have     
gladly availed ourselves1 to make some  
poor amends for the wrongs which        
,jefferson suffered at the hands of ,new
 ,england1 to bear our testimony to his 
genius and services1 and to express our 
reverent admiration for a life which1   

though it bears traces of human frailty1
 was bravely devoted to grand and       
beneficent aims4  ,,footnotes3          
,footnote #a3 ,the ,life of ,thomas     
,jefferson4 ,by ,,henry ,s4 ,,randall1  
,,ll4,d4 ,in three volumes4 ,new ,york3 
,derby  ,jackson4 #aheh4     ,a ,,bundle
 ,,of ,,irish ,,pennants4   ,did you    
ever see the ',three ,chimneys1'        
,captain ,cope8 ,i asked4  ,i can show  
you where they are on the chart1 if     
that'll do4 ,i've been right over where 
they're laid down1 but ,i never saw the 
,chimneys myself1 and ,i never knew     
anybody that had seen them4  ,but they  
are down on the chart1 broke in a       
pertinacious matter-of-fact body beside 
us4  ,what of that8 replied the captain2
 there's many a shoal and lone rock down
 on the charts that nobody ever could   
find again4 ,i've had my ship right over
 the ,chimneys1 near enough to see the  
smoke1 if they had been there4  ,so     
opened the series of desultory          
conversations here set down4 ,it is talk

 on board ship1 or specimen yarns1 such 
as really are to be picked up from      
nautical men4 ,the article usually      
served up for magazine-consumption is1  
of course1 utterly unlike anything here 
given1 and is as entirely undiscoverable
 anywhere on salt water as the three    
legendary rocks above alluded to4 ,the  
place was the deck of the ,elijah       
,pogram1 one of ,carr  ,co4's celebrated
 ,liverpool liners1 and the time1 the   
dog-watches of a gusty ,april night2 the
 latitude and longitude1 anywhere west  
of ,greenwich and north of the line that
 is not inconsistent with blue water4   
,the name ,irish ,pennant is given1 on  
the lucus-a-non principle1 7just as a   
dead calm is an ,irish hurricane1       
straight up and down17 to any dangling  
end of rope or stray bit of shakings1   
and its appropriateness to the following
 sketches will doubtless be perceived by
 the reader1 on reaching the end4  ,the 
question was asked1 not so much from a  
laudable desire of obtaining information

 as to set the captain talking4 ,it was 
a mistake on my part4 ,sailors do not   
like point-blank questions4 ,they remind
 them unpleasantly1 ,i suppose1 of the  
,courts of ,admiralty1 or they betray   
greenness or curiosity on the asker's   
part1 and thus effectually bar all      
improving conversation4  ,there is one  
exception4 ,if the inquirer be a lady1  
young and fair1 the chivalry of the sea 
is bound to tell the truth1 the whole   
truth1 and often a good deal more than  
the truth4  ,and at the last reply a    
pair of bewitching dark eyes were turned
 upon that weather-beaten mariner2 that 
is to say1 in plain ,english1 a young   
and rather pretty lady-passenger looked 
up at ,captain ,cope1 and said1--  ,do  
tell us some of your sea-stories1       
,captain ,cope1--do1 please6  ,why1     
,ma'am1 replied he1 ,i've no stories4   
,there's ,smith of the ',wittenagemot'  
can tell them by the hour2 but ,i never 
could4  ,weren't you ever wrecked1      
,captain ,cope8  ,no1--,i can't say ,i  

ever was1 exactly4 ,i was mate of the   
',moscow' when she knocked her bottom   
out in ,bootle ,bay2 but she wasn't     
lost1 for ,i went master of her after   
that4  ,were you frightened1 ,captain   
,cope8  ,well1 no1--,i can't say ,i was2
 though ,i must say ,i never expected to
 see morning again4 ,i never saw any one
 more scared than was old ,captain      
,tucker that night4 ,we dragged over the
 outer bar and into ,bootle ,bay1 and   
there we lay1 the ship full of water1   
and everything gone above the           
monkey-rail4 ,the only place we could   
find to stand was just by the cabin     
gangway4 ,the ',moscow' was built with  
an old-fashioned cabin on deck1 and     
right there we hung1 all hands of us4   
,the old man he read the service to     
us1--and that wouldn't do1 he was so    
scared2 so he got the black cook1 who   
was a ,methodist1 and made him pray2 and
 every two minutes or so1 a sea would   
come aboard and all in among us1--like  
to wash us clean out of the ship4       

,after midnight the life-boat got       
alongside1 and all hands were for       
scrambling aboard2 but ,i'd got set in  
my notion the ship would live the gale  
out1 and ,i wouldn't go aboard4 ,well1  
the old man was too scared to make long 
stories1 and he tumbled aboard the      
life-boat in a hurry4 ,the last words he
 said to me1 as he went over the side1  
were1--',good-bye1 ,mr4 ,cope6 ,i never 
shall see you again6' ,however1 he got  
up to the city1 to ,mrs4 ,mc,kinney's1  
and there he found a lot of the         
captains1 and he was telling them all   
how he'd lost his ship1 and what a fool 
poor ,cope was to stick aboard of her1  
and all that4 ,when the morning came1   
the gale had broke1 and the old man     
began to think he'd been in too much of 
a fright1 and he'd better get the tug   
and go down to look after the ship4  ,i 
was so knocked up1 for want of sleep1   
and the gale and all1 that1 when they   
got down to us1 my head was about gone4 
,i don't remember anything1 myself2 but 

they told me1 that1 when they got       
aboard1 ,i was poking about decks as if 
,i was looking for something4  ',how are
 you1 ,mr4 ,cope8' sung out old ,tucker4
 ',i never expected to see you again in 
this world4'  ',i can't find my         
razor-strop1' says ,i2 ,i've lost my    
razor-strop4'  ',never mind your strop1'
 says he4 ',what you want is to go      
aboard the tug and be taken care of4    
,we'll find your strop4'  ,well1 they   
could hardly get me away1 ,i was so set 
that ,i must have that strop2 but after 
,i got up to town1 and had a bath and   
some breakfast1 and a couple of hours'  
sleep or so1 ,i was all right again4    
,that was the end of old ,tucker's going
 to sea2 and when the ',moscow' was     
docked and refitted1 ,i got her1 and    
kept her until the firm built me the    
',pogram1' here4  ,mr4 ,brown1 isn't it 
about time we were getting in that      
mizzen to'gall'nt-s'l8 ,it's coming on  
to blow to-night4  ,steward1 7as that   
functionary passed us17 put a handful of

 cigars in my monkey-jacket pocket1 and 
have a cup of coffee ready for me about 
twelve4  ,then you mean to be up1       
to-night8 said the father of pretty     
,mrs4 ,bates1--the only one of us to    
whom ,captain ,cope fairly opened his   
heart4  ,why1 yes1 ,mr4 ,roberts--,i    
think ,i shall4 ,it looks rather dirty  
to the east'ard1 and the barometer has  
fallen since morning4 ,i've two as good 
mates as sail2 but if anything is going 
to happen1 ,i'd rather have it happen   
when ,i'm on deck1--that's all4  ,wasn't
 ,stewart1 of the ',mexican1' below1    
when she struck8  ,yes1 he was1--and got
 blamed for it1 too4 ,i don't blame him1
 myself2 he was on deck the next minute2
 and if he had been there before1 it    
would have made no difference with that 
ship2 but if ,i lose a vessel1 ,i don't 
want to be talked about as he was4 ,i   
went mate with him two voyages1 and he'd
 put on his night-gown and turn in      
comfortably every night1 and leave his  
mates to call him2 but ,i never could do

 that4 ,i don't find fault with any man 
that can2 only it's not my way4  ,but   
don't you feel sleepy1 ,captain ,cope8  
asked ,mrs4 ,bates4  ,not when ,i'm on  
deck1 ,ma'am2 though1 when ,i first went
 mate1 ,i could sleep anyhow and        
anywhere4 ,i sailed out of ,boston to   
,south ,america1 in a topsail-schooner1 
with an old fellow by the name of       
,eaton1--just the strangest old scamp   
you ever dreamed of4 ,i suppose by      
rights he ought to have been in the     
hospital2 he certainly was the nearest  
to crazy and not be it4 ,he used to keep
 a long pole by him on deck1--a pole    
with a sharp spike in one end1--and any 
man who'd get near enough to him to let 
him have a chance would feel that spike4
 ,i've known him to keep the cook up    
till midnight frying doughnuts2 then    
he'd call all hands aft and range 'em on
 the quarter-deck1 and go round with his
 hat off and a plate of doughnuts in his
 hand1 saying1 as polite as you please1 
',here1 my man1 won't you take a        

doughnut8--they won't hurt you2 nice and
 light2 had them fried a purpose for    
you4' ,and then he'd get a bottle of    
wine or ,curaoa cordial1 and go round   
with a glass to each man1 and make him  
take a drink4 ,you'd see the poor       
fellows all of a shake1 not knowing how 
to take it1--afraid to refuse1 and      
afraid still more1 if they didn't1 that 
the old man would play 'em some         
confounded trick4 ,in the midst of it   
all1 he'd seem as if he'd woke up out of
 a dream1 and he'd sing out1 in a way   
that made them fellows scatter1 ',what  
the ---- are all you men doing here at  
this time of night8 ,go forrard1 every  
man jack of you6 ,go forrard1 ,i tell   
you6' and it was ',devil take the       
hindmost6'  ,well1--the old man was     
always on the look-out to catch the     
watch sleeping4 ,he never seemed to     
sleep much himself2--,i've heard that's 
a sign of craziness2--and the more he   
tried1 the more sure we were to try it  
every chance we had4 ,so sure as the old

 man caught you at it1 he'd give you a  
bucketful of water1 slap over you1 and  
then follow it up with the bucket at    
your head4 ,fletcher1 the second mate1  
and ,i1 got so we could tell the moment 
he put foot on the companion-way1 and1  
no matter how sound we were1 we'd be on 
our feet before he could get on deck4   
,but ,fletcher got tired of his         
vagaries1 and left us at ,pernambuco1 to
 ship aboard a homeward-bound whaler1   
and in his place we got a fellow named  
,tubbs1 a regular duff-head1--couldn't  
keep his eyes open in the daytime1      
hardly4  ,well1--we were about two days 
out of ,pernambuco1 and ,tubbs had the  
middle watch1 of a clear starlight      
night1 with a steady breeze1 and        
everything going quietly1 and nothing in
 sight4 ,so1 in about ten minutes after 
the watch got on deck1 every mother's   
son of them was hard and fast4 ,the wind
 was a-beam1 and the old schooner could 
steer herself2 so1 even the man at the  
helm was sitting down on a hencoop1 with

 one arm round the tiller1 and snoring  
like a porpoise4 ,i heard the old man   
rouse out of his bunk and creep on deck1
 and1 guessing fun was coming1 ,i turned
 out and slipped up after him4 ,the     
first thing ,i saw was old ,eaton at    
work at the tiller4 ,he got it unshipped
 and braced up with a pair of oars and a
 hencoop1 without waking the man at the 
helm1--how1 ,i couldn't tell1--but he   
was just like a cat2 and then he blew   
the binnacle-light out2 and then he     
started forrard1 with his trumpet in his
 hand4 ,he caught sight of me1 standing 
halfway up the companion-way1 and shook 
his fist at me to keep quiet and not to 
spoil sport4 ,he slipped forward and out
 on to the bowsprit1 clear out to the   
end of the flying-jib-boom1 and stowed  
himself where he couldn't be well seen  
to leeward of the sail4 ,then he sung   
out with all his might through the      
trumpet1 ',schooner ahoy1 there6 ,port  
your hellum6--port ,h-,a-,a-,a-,,rd6 ,i 
say1--you're right aboard of us6'--,and 

then he'd drop the trumpet1 and sing out
 as if in the other craft to his own    
crew1 and then again to us4 ,of course1 
every man was on his feet in a second1  
thinking we were all but afoul of       
another vessel4 ,the man who was        
steering was trying1 with all his might1
 to put his helm a-port1--and when he   
found what was to pay there1 to ship the
 tiller4 ,this wasn't so easy2 for the  
old man had passed the slack of the     
main-sheet through the head of the      
rudder1 and belayed it on one of the    
boom-cleats1 out of reach1--and1 what   
with just waking up1 and half a dozen   
contradictory orders sung out at once1  
besides expecting to strike every       
minute1 he had almost lost what little  
wits he had4  ,as for ,tubbs1 he was    
like a hen with her head cut off1--one  
minute at the lee rail1 and the next in 
the weather-rigging1 then forrard to    
look out for the strange craft1 and then
 aft to see why the schooner didn't     
answer her helm4 ,meanwhile1 he was     

singing out to the watch to brace round 
the fore-topsail and help her1 to let   
fly the jib-sheets1 and to haul aft the 
main-boom2 the watch below came tumbling
 up1 and everybody was expecting to feel
 the bunt of our striking the next      
minute4 ,i laughed as though ,i should  
split2 for nobody could see me where ,i 
stood1 in the shadow of the             
companion-way1 and everybody was looking
 out ahead1 for the other vessel4 ,first
 ,i knew1 the old man had got in board  
again1 and was standing there aft1 as if
 he'd just come on deck4 ',what's all   
this noise here8' says he4--',what are  
you doing on deck1 ,mr4 ,cope8 ,go      
below1 ,sir6--,go below1 the larboard   
watch1 and let's have no more of this6  
,who's seen any vessel8 ,vessel1 your   
eye1 ,mr4 ,tubbs6 ,i tell you1 you've   
been dreaming4' ,then1 as he got his    
head about to the level of the top of   
the companion-way1 and out of the reach 
of any spare belaying-pin that might    
come that way1 says he1--',i've just    

come in from the end of the             
flyin'-jib-boom1 and there was no vessel
 in sight1 except one topsail-schooner1 
with the watch all asleep1--so it can't 
be her that hailed you4'  ,that cured   
all sleeping on the watch for that      
voyage1 ,i tell you4 ,and as for ,tubbs1
 you had only to say1 ',port your helm1'
 and he was off4  ,just then ,mr4 ,brown
 came aft to ask if it wasn't time to   
have in the fore-topgallant-sail1--and a
 little splash of rain falling broke up 
our party and drove most of us below4 ,i
 knew that reefing topsails would come  
in the course of an hour or so1 if the  
wind held on to blow as it did2 so1 as  
,i waited to see that same1 ,i lighted a
 cheroot1 and as soon as the            
fore-topgallant-sail was clewed up ,i   
made my way forward1 for a chat with    
,mr4 ,brown1 the ,english second mate4  
,mr4 ,brown was a character4 ,he was a  
thorough ,english sailor2--could do1 as 
he owned to me in a shamefaced way1 that
 was comical enough1 heverything as     

could be done with a rope aboard a ship4
 ,he had been several ,india voyages1   
where the nice work of seamanship is to 
be learned1 which does not get into the 
mere ferry-boat trips of the ,liverpool 
packet-service4 ,he had been in an opium
 clipper1 the celebrated ---- of        
,boston1--and left her1 as he told her  
agent1 because he liked a ship as 'ad a 
lee-rail to her2 and the ----'s         
lee-rail1 he said1 was commonly out of  
sight1 pretty much all the way from the 
,sand'eads to the ,bocca ,tigris4 ,he   
was rich in what he called 'ats1 having 
one for every hour of the day1 and1 for 
aught ,i know1 every day in the year4   
,it was ,fred ----'s and my daily       
amusement to watch him1 and we never    
seemed to catch him coming on deck twice
 in the same head-gear4 ,he took quite a
 fancy to me1 because ,i did not bother 
him when busy1 and because ,i liked to  
listen to his talk4 ,so1 handing him a  
cigar1 as a prefatory to conversation1  
,i asked him our whereabouts4 ,four     

hundred miles to the heast'ard of       
,georges we were this noon1 and we've   
made nothink to speak of since1 ,sir4   
,this last tack has lost us all we made 
before4 ,i hought to know where we are4 
,i've drifted 'ere without even a       
'en-coop hunder me4 ,i was third mate   
aboard the barque ',jenny1' of ,belfast1
 when she was run down by the steamer   
',united ,states4' ,the barque sunk in  
less than seven minutes after the       
steamer struck us1 and ,i come up out of
 her suction-like4 ,i found myself      
swimming there1 on top1 and not so much 
as a capstan-bar to make me a life-buoy4
 ,i knew the steamer was hove to1 for ,i
 could hear her blow hoff steam2 and    
once1 as ,i came up on a wave1 ,i got a 
sight of her boats4 ,they were ready    
enough to pick us up1 and we was ready  
enough to be picked up1 such as were    
left2 but how to do it was another      
matter1 with a sea like this running1   
and a cloud over the moon every other   
minute4 ,i soon see that swimming       

wouldn't 'old out much longer1 and ,i   
must try something helse4 ,now1 ,sir1   
what ,i'm a-telling you may be some use 
to you some day1 if you have to stay a  
couple of hours in the water4 ,if you   
can swim about as well as most men can1 
you can tell 'ow long a man's strength  
would last him 'ereaways to-night4      
,besides1 ,i was spending my breath1    
when ,i rose on a sea1 in               
'ollering1--and you can't swim and      
'oller4 ,so ,i tried a trick ,i learned1
 when a boy1 on the ,cornish coast1     
where ,i was born1 ,sir2--it's one worth
 knowing4 ,i doubled back my feet hunder
 me till my 'eels come to the small of  
my back1 and ,i could float as long as  
,i wanted to1 and1 when ,i rose on a    
wave1 'oller4 ,they 'eard me1 it seems1 
and pulled round for me1 but it was an  
hour before they found me1 and my       
strength was nigh to gone4 ,i couldn't  
'oller no more1 and was about giving up4
 ,but they picked up the cook1 and he   
told 'em he knowed it was ,mr4 ,brown's 

voice1 and begged 'em to keep on4 ,the  
last ,i remember was1 as the steamer    
burned a blue light for her boats1 when 
they caught a sight of me in the trough 
of the sea4 ,i saw them too1 and gave a 
last screech1 and then ,i don't remember
 hanythink1 ,sir1 till ,cookie was      
'elping 'aul 7,mr4 ,brown always dropped
 his aspirates as he grew excited7 me   
into the boat4 ,now1 just you remember  
what ,i've been a-telling you about     
floating4--,forrard there6 ,stand by to 
clew up and furl the main to'gall'n-s'l6
 ,couple of you come aft here and brail 
up the spanker6 ,lively1 men1           
lively6--,and ,mr4 ,brown was no longer 
my ,scheherazade4  ,when ,i got back to 
the shelter of the wheel-house1 ,i found
 the captain and old ,roberts still     
comfortably braced up in opposite       
corners and yarning away4 ,there was    
nothing to be done but to watch the ship
 and the wind1 which promised in due    
time to be a gale1 but as yet was not   
even a reefing breeze4 ,they had got    

upon a standing topic between the       
two1--vessels out of their course4 ,the 
second night out1 we had made a light   
which the captain insisted was a ship's 
light1 but old ,roberts declared was one
 of the lights on the coast of          
,maine1--,mount ,desert1 or somewhere   
thereabouts4 ,he was an old             
shipping-merchant1 had been many a time 
across the water in his own vessels1 and
 thought he knew as much as most men4   
,so1 whenever other subjects gave out1  
this1 of vessels drifted by unsuspected 
currents out of their course1 was       
unfailing4 ,they were at it now4  ,when 
,i was last in ,liverpool1 said the     
captain1 there was a brig from ,machias 
got in there1 and her captain came up to
 ,mrs4 ,mc,kinney's4 ,he told us that it
 was thick weather when he got upon the 
,irish coast1 and he was rather doubtful
 about his reckoning2 so he ordered a   
sharp look-out for ,cape ,clear4        
,according to his notion1 he ought to be
 up with it about noon1 and1 as the sun 

rose and the fog lifted a little1 he was
 hoping to sight the land4 ,once or     
twice he fancied he had a glimpse of it1
 but wasn't sure1--when the mate came   
aft and reported that they could hear a 
bell ringing4 ',sure enough1' he said1  
'there was the toll of a bell coming    
through the mist4'  ',that's some ship's
 bell1' said he to the mate2 'only it's 
wonderful heavy for a ship1 and it can't
 be a church-bell on shore1 can it8'    
,and while they were arguing about it1 a
 cutter shot out of the fog and hailed  
if they wanted a pilot4  ',pilot6' says 
the ,down-,easter1--'pilot6--where for8 
,no1 thank ye1 not yet1--,i can find my 
way up ,george's without a pilot4 ,what 
bell's that8'  ',rather think you can1  
,captain2 but you'll want a pilot       
here2--that's the bell on the floating  
light off ,liverpool4'  ',what6' says   
the captain1--have ,i come all the way  
up ,channel without knowing it8 ,i've   
been on the look-out for ,cape ,clear   
ever since daybreak1 and here1 by       

ginger1 ,i've overrun my reckoning three
 hundred miles4'  ,well1 said old       
,roberts1 one of my captains1           
,brandegee1 you know1 who had the       
',china1' got caught1 one ,november1    
just as he was coming on the coast1 in a
 gale from the eastward4 ,he knew he was
 somewhere near ,provincetown1 but how  
near he couldn't say4 ,it was snowing1  
and blowing1 and ice-making all over the
 decks and rigging1 and an awful night  
generally4 ,he did not dare to run      
before it1 because it was blowing at a  
rate to take him halfway in ,worcester  
,county in the next twenty-four hours4  
,he couldn't stand to the south'ard1    
because that would put the back of ,cape
 ,cod under his lee4 ,he was afraid to  
stand to the north'ard1 not knowing     
precisely where the coast of ,maine     
might be4 ,so he hove the ship to1 under
 as little sail as he could1 and let her
 drift4 ,i've heard him say1 he heard   
the breakers a hundred times that night1
 7',i'll bet he did1' ejaculated the    

captain47 and it seemed like three      
nights in one before morning came4 ,when
 it did come1 wind and sea appeared to  
have gone down4 ,the lookouts were half 
dead with cold and sleep and all2 but   
they made out to hail land on the       
weather bow4  ',good ,george6' said old 
,brandegee1 'how did land get on the    
weather bow8 ,we must have got inside of
 ,cape ,cod1 and that must be           
,sharkpainter ,hill4'  ',land on the lee
 quarter1' hailed the watch1 again3 and 
in a minute more1 ',land on the lee     
beam1--land on the lee bow4'  ,brandegee
 sung out to heave the lead and let go  
both anchors1 and he said that1 but for 
the gale having gone down so1 he should 
have expected to strike the next minute4
 ,just as the anchors came home and the 
ship headed to the wind1 the second mate
 came aft1 rubbing his eyes and looking 
very queer4  ',captain ,brandegee1' says
 he1 'if ,i was in ,boston ,harbor1 ,i  
should say that there was ,nix's ,mate4'
  ',well1 ,mr4 ,jones1' says the old    

man1 dropping out the words very slowly1
 'if--that's--,nix's ,mate1--,rainsford 
,island--ought--to--be--here away1      
and--as--,i'm--a--living--man1 ,,there  
,,it ,,is6'  ,half-frozen as they were1 
there was a cheer rung out from that    
crew that waked half the ,north-,end out
 of their morning nap4  ',just my plaguy
 luck6' said the old fellow to me1 as he
 told it4 ',if ,i'd held on to my       
anchors another half-hour1 ,i might have
 come handsomely alongside of ,long     
,wharf and been up to the custom-house  
before breakfast4'  ,he had drifted     
broadside square into ,boston ,harbor1  
past ,nahant1 the ,graves1 ,cohasset    
,rocks1 and everything4  ,i've heard of 
that1 said the captain1--and as it's my 
opinion it couldn't be done twice1 ,i   
don't mean to try it4      ,i hear the  
noise about thy keel1       ,i hear the 
bell struck in the night1       ,i see  
the cabin-window bright1     ,i see the 
sailor at the wheel1--  repeated ,fred  
----1 in my ear4 ,come below out of this

 wet and rain1 added he4  ,we passed the
 door of the mate's state-room as we    
went below1 and1 seeing it ajar1 and    
,mr4 ,pitman1 the mate1 sitting there1  
we looked in4  ,come in1 gentlemen1 said
 he2 my watch on deck is in half an     
hour1 and ,i'm not sleepy to-night4     
,f---- took up a carved whale's tooth1  
and asked if ,mr4 ,pitman had ever been 
in the whaling business4  ,two          
voyages1--one before the mast1 one      
boat-steerer2--both in the ,pacific4    
,but whaling didn't suit me4 ,i've a    
,missus now1 and a couple of as fine    
boys as ever you saw2 and ,i rather be  
where ,i can come home oftener than once
 in three years4  ,how did you like     
whaling8 said ,i4  ,well1 ,i don't      
believe there's any man but what feels  
different alongside of a whale from what
 he does on the ship's deck4 ,some of   
those ,nantucket and ,new ,bedford men1 
who've been brought up to it1 as you may
 say1 take it naturally1 and think of   
nothing but the whale4 ,i've heard of   

one of them boat-steerers who got       
ketched in a whale's mouth and didn't   
come out of it quite as whole as he went
 in4 ,when they asked him what he       
thought when the whale nabbed him1 he   
said he 'thought she'd turn out about   
forty barrels4'  ,there's a good many   
things about the whale1 gentlemen1 that 
everybody don't know4 ,why does one     
whale sink when he's killed1 and another
 don't8 ,where do the whales go to1 now 
and then8--,i sailed with one captain   
who used to say1 that1 books or no      
books1 can't live under water or not1 he
 knew that whales do live under water   
months at a time4 ,i can't say1 myself2 
but this ,i can say1--they go ashore4   
,you may look hard at that1 but ,i've   
seen it4 ,we were off the coast of      
,south ,america1 in company with five   
other ships2 and all our captains were  
ashore one afternoon4 ,we had to pull   
some two miles or so to go off to them1 
and1 starting off1 all hands were for   
racing4 ,i was pulling stroke in the    

captain's boat1 and the old man gives us
 the word to pull easy1 and let 'em head
 on us4 ,it was hard work to hold in1   
with every one of the boats giving way1 
strong1 the captains singing out bets1  
and cheering their men1--singing out1   
',break your backs and bend your oars6' 
',there she blows6' and all that4 ,but  
the old man kept muttering to us to take
 it easy and let them head on us4 ,we   
were soon the last boat1 and then1 as if
 he'd given up the race1 he gave the    
word to 'easy4'  ',good-night1 ,capt4   
,t----6 we'll send your ship in to tow  
you off1' was the last words they said  
to us4  ',there'll be something else to 
tow off1' says he4 ',it's the race1 who 
shall see ,palmer's ,island first1 that 
,i'm bound to win4'  ,he gave the boat a
 sheer in for the beach1 to a little    
bight that made up in the land1--across 
the mouth of which we had to pull1 in   
going off4  ',d'ye see that rock on the 
beach1 boys1' says he1 'in range of that
 lone tree1 on the point8 ,did any of   

you ever see that rock before8 ,i wish  
this bloody coast had a few more such   
rocks6 ,that's a cow whale1 and this    
bight is her nursery1 and she is up on  
the beach for her calf's convenience4   
,now1 then1'--as we opened the bight and
 got a fair sight of it1--'give way1    
strong as you please1--and we'll head   
her off1 before she knows it4'  ,we got 
her and got the calf1 and when1 next    
morning1 the other ships saw us cutting 
in1 they didn't say much about that     
race2 and ',old ,t4's ,nursery' was a   
byword on the coast as long as we staid 
there4  ,there goes eight bells1 and ,i 
rather think ,mr4 ,brown will want me on
 deck4 ,we followed1 for there was the  
prospect of seeing topsails reefed1--the
 most glorious event of a landsman's    
sea-experiences4 ,we had begun the day  
with a dead calm1 but toward night the  
wind had come out of the eastward4 ,each
 plunge the ship gave was sharper1 each 
shock heavier4 ,the topmasts were       
working1 the lee-shrouds and backstays  

straining out into endless curves4 ,a   
deeper plunge than usual1 a pause for a 
second1 as if everything in the world   
suddenly stood still1 and a great white 
giant seems to spring upon our          
weather-bow and to leap on board4 ,we   
hear the crash and feel the shock1 and  
presently the water comes pouring       
aft1--and ,captain ,cope calls out to   
reef topsails1--double-reef fore and    
mizzen1--one reef in the main4 ,the     
mates are in the weather-rigging before 
the word is out of the captain's lips1  
to take the earings of their respective 
topsails2 and then follows the rush of  
men up the shrouds and out along the    
yards4 ,the sails are slatting and      
flapping1 and one can hardly see the row
 of broad backs against the dusky sky as
 they bend over the canvas4 ,there are  
hoarse murmurs1 and calls to light up   
the sail to windward2 and presently from
 the fore-topsail-yard comes the cry1   
ringing and clear1--,haul away to       
leeward6--repeated next moment from the 

main and echoed from the mizzen4        
,sheltered by the weather-bulwarks1 and 
with one arm round a mizzen-backstay1   
there is a capital place to watch all   
this and feel the glorious thrill of the
 sea1--to look down the sloping deck    
into the black billows1 with here and   
there a white patch of foam1 and while  
the organ-harp overhead is sounding its 
magnificent symphony4 ,it is but wood   
and iron and hemp and canvas that is    
doing all this1 with some thirty poor1  
broken-down1 dissipated wretches1 who1  
being fit for nothing else1 of course   
are fit for the fo'castle of a          
,liverpool ,liner4 ,yet it is1 for all  
that1 something which haunts the memory 
long1--which comes back years after in  
inland vales and quiet farm-houses like 
brown-moss agates set in emerald        
meadows1 in book-lined studios1 and in  
close city streets4 ,for it is part of  
the might and mystery of the sea1 the   
secret influence that sets the blood on 
fire and the heart throbbing1--of any in

 whose veins runs some of the true      
salt-water sympathy4 ,men are born      
landsmen1 and are born on land1 but     
belong to the ,ocean's family4 ,sooner  
or later1 whatever their calling1 they  
recognize the tie4 ,they may struggle   
against it1 and scotch it1 but cannot   
kill it4 ,they may not be seamen1--they 
may wear black coats and respectable    
white ties1 and have large balances in  
the bank1 but they are the ,sea's       
men1--brothers by blood-relationship1 if
 not by trade1 of ,ulysses and ,vasco1  
of ,columbus and ,cabot1 of ,frobisher  
and ,drake4  ,other stories of the sea  
are floating through my memory as ,i    
write1--tales told with elbows leaning  
on cabin-tables1 while the swinging-lamp
 oscillated drearily overhead1 and sent 
uncertain shadows into the state-room   
doors4 ,there is the story which ,vivian
 ,grey told us of the beautiful clipper 
,nighthawk1--her who sailed with the    
,bonita and ,driving-,scud and ,mazeppa1
 in the great ,sea-,derby1 whose course 

lay round the world4 ,how1 one          
,christmas-day1 off the pitch of ,cape  
,horn1 he1 standing on her deck1 saw her
 dive bodily into a sea1 and all of her 
to the mainmast was lost in ocean1--her 
stately spars seemingly rising out of   
blue water unsupported by any ship      
beneath2--it seemed an age to him1 he   
said1 before there was any forecastle to
 be seen rising from the brine4 ,also1  
how1 caught off that same wild cape1    
they had to make sail in a              
reef-topsail-breeze to claw off its     
terrible rocks1 seen but too plainly    
under their ,ice4 ,how1 as he said1     
about four in the afternoon it seemed to
 blow worse than ever1 and you could see
 the staunch boat was pressed down under
 her canvas1 and every spar was groaning
 and quivering1 while the ship went     
bodily to leeward4 ,and next1 how she   
seemed to come to herself1 as it were1  
with a long staggering roll1 and to     
spring to windward as if relieved of a  
dead weight2 for the gale had broken1   

and the foam-belt along the cliffs grew 
dimmer and dimmer1 and the land fainter 
and fainter4 ,and then1 he said1 to hear
 the fo'castle-talk1 you would have said
 that never was such a ship1 such spars1
 such a captain1 such seamanship1 and   
such luck1 since ,father ,jason cleared 
the ',argo' from the ,pirus1 for        
,colchis and a market4  ,or ,i might    
tell you how ,dr4 ----1 the             
ship-surgeon1 was in that ,collard      
steamer which ran down the fishing-boat 
in the fog off ,cape ,race1--and how1   
looking from his state-room window1 he  
saw a mighty cliff so near that he could
 almost lay his hand upon it4 ,how      
,fanshaw was on board the ,sea-,king    
when she was burned1 off ,point         
,linus1--and how he hung in the chains  
till he was taken off1 and his hair was 
repeatedly set on fire by the           
women--emigrant-passengers--jumping over
 his head into the sea4  ,but not so    
near a-shaking hands with ,death did any
 of them tell1 as ,ned ,kennedy1--who1  

poor fellow1 lies buried in some lone   
caon of the ,sierra ,madre4 ,let us hear
 him give it in his wild1 reckless way4 
,ned was sitting opposite us1 his thick1
 black hair curling from under his plaid
 travelling-cap1--his thick eyebrows    
working1 and his hands occupied in      
arranging little fragments of           
pilot-biscuit on the table4 ,he broke in
 upon the last man who was talking1 with
 a--  ,tell you what1 boys1--,i've a    
better idea of what all that means4 ,i  
suppose you both know what the          
,mediterranean lines of steamers are1   
and what capital seamanship1 and        
travelling comfort1 and all that1 you   
find there4 ,the engineers1 however1 are
 ,scotch1 ,english1 or ,american1       
always2 because why8 ,a ,french officer 
once told me the reason4 ',you see1 mon 
ami1' he said1 'this row of handles     
which are used to turn these different  
stops and cocks4 ,now1 my countrymen    
will take them down and use them        
properly1 each one1 just as well as your

 countrymen2 but they will put them back
 again in their places never4' ,so it   
is1 and the engineers are all as ,i say4
  ,i left ,naples for ,genoa in the     
',ercolano1' of the ,naples line4 ,there
 were not many passengers on board1--no 
women1--and what there were were all    
priests or soldiers4 ,nobody went by the
 ,neapolitan line except ,italians1 at  
that time1--the ,french company having  
larger1 handsomer1 and decidedly cleaner
 vessels4 ,of course1 as a heretic and a
 civilian1 ,i had nobody to talk to2 so1
 finding that the engineer had a ,saxon 
tongue in his head1 ,i dove down into   
his den and made acquaintance4 ,being   
shut up there with ,italians so much1 he
 thawed out to me at once1 and we were  
sworn brothers by the time we reached   
,civita ,vecchia4  ,the ',ercolano' was 
as crazy an old tub as every floated3   
judging from the extensive colonies     
which tenanted her berths1 she must have
 been launched about the same time as   
,fulton's ',clermont1' or the old ',ben 

,franklin1' ,captain ,bunker1 once so   
well known off the end of ,newport      
wharf4 ,you know how those boats are    
managed1--stopping all day in port and  
running at night4 ,we brought up at     
,leghorn in that way1 and ,marston1 the 
engineer1 proposed to me to have a run  
ashore4 ,i had no vis for ,tuscany then1
 and the ,austrian police are very      
strict2 but ,marston proposed to pass me
 off for one of the steamer's officers4 
,so he fished out an old uniform coat of
 his and made me put it on2 and1 sure   
enough1 the bright buttons and          
shoulder-straps carried me              
through1--only ,i was dreadfully        
embarrassed4 7,ned never was disturbed  
at anything4--if an elephant had walked 
into the cabin1 he would have offered   
him a seat and cigar47 by the sentries  
all presenting arms to my coat1 which   
sat upon me as a shirt is supposed to on
 a bean-pole4 ,i overheard one man      
attribute my attenuated frame to the    
effects of sea-sickness4 ,we went into  

various shops1 and finally into one     
where all sorts of sea-notions were     
kept1 and ,marston said1 ',here's what  
,i've been in search of this month past4
 ,i began to think ,i should have to    
send to ,london for it4 ,the ',ercolano'
 is a perfect sieve1 and may go down any
 night with all aboard2 and here's a    
swimming-jacket to wear under your      
coat1--just the thing4' ,he fitted and  
bought one1 and was turning to go1 when 
a fancy popped into my head3 ',marston1'
 said ,i1 'is this coat of yours so very
 baggy on me8' ',h-e-em1' said he4      
',i've known more waxy fits2 a trifle of
 padding wouldn't hurt your looks4' ',i 
know it1' said ,i2 'every soldier we    
passed seemed to me to smoke me for an  
impostor1 knowing the coat wasn't made  
for me4 ,here1 let's put one of these   
things underneath4' ,i put it on1       
buttoned the coat over it1 inflated it1 
and the effect was a marvel2--it made a 
portly gentleman of me at once4 ,i      
couldn't bear to take it off4 ',just the

 thing for diligence-travelling in the  
,south of ,france1' said ,i2 'keep your 
neighbor's elbows from your ribs4' ,i   
never thought that ,i must buy a coat to
 match it4 ,i was so tickled at my own  
fancy that buy it ,i would1 in spite of 
,marston's remonstrance4 ,then we went  
off and dined1 and got very jolly       
together1--at least1 ,i did1--so that1  
when we pulled off to the steamer1 ,i   
thought nothing about my coat or the    
jacket under it4  ,there was a          
dirty-looking sky overhead1 and a nasty 
cobbling sea getting up under foot as we
 ran out of ,leghorn ,harbor1 and a     
little ,french screw which we left at   
her anchor was fizzing off steam from   
her waste-pipe1--evidently meaning to   
stay where she was4 ,but our captain1   
having been paid in advance for all the 
dinners of the voyage1 preferred being  
at sea before the cloth was laid4 ,that 
made sure of at least twenty out of     
every twenty-five passengers as         
non-comedents1 and lightened the cook's 

labors wonderfully4 ,so we were soon    
jumping and bobbing about and throwing  
water in a lively way enough2 and our   
black gowns and blue coats were lying   
about decks in every direction1 with    
what had been padres and soldiers an    
hour before inside4 ,i lit a cigar and  
picked out the driest place ,i could    
find1 and hugged myself on my           
luck1--another man's coat getting wet on
 my back1 while the air-tight jacket was
 keeping me dry as a bone4  ,as night   
fell1 it grew worse and worse2 and the  
little ,sicilian captain came on deck1  
looking rather wild4 ,he called his     
pilots and mates into consultation1 and 
from where ,i lay ,i could hear the     
words1 ',spezzia1' and ',porto ,venere1'
 several times2 so ,i suppose they were 
debating whether or no to keep her head 
to the gale1 or to edge away a point or 
two1 and run for that bay4 ,but with a  
head sea and a ,mediterranean gale      
howling down from the gorges of the     
,ligurian ,alps1 that thing wasn't so   

easy4 ,the boat would plunge into a sea 
and bury to her paddle-boxes1 then pitch
 upward as if she were going to jump    
bodily out of water1 and slap down into 
it again1 while her guards would spring 
and quiver like card-board4 ,the engine 
began to complain1 as they will when a  
boat is laboring heavily4 ,you could    
hear it take1 as it were1 long breaths1 
and then stop for a second altogether4  
,i slipped below into the engine-room1  
and found ,marston looking very sober4  
',kennedy1' said he1 'the ',ercolano'   
will be somebody's coffin before        
to-morrow morning1 ,i'm afraid4 ,i'm    
carrying more steam than is prudent or  
safe1 and the padrone has just sent     
orders to put on more4 ,we are not      
making a mile an hour1 he says2 and our 
only chance is to get under the lee of  
the land4 ,look at those eccentrics and 
that connecting-rod6 ,i expect to see   
something go any minute2 and            
then--there's no use saying what will   
come next4' ,he sat down on his bench   

and covered his face with his hands4    
,it seems1 the ',spezzia' question was  
decided about that time on deck1 and the
 ',ercolano's' bow suffered to fall off 
in the direction of that bay4 ,the      
effect was that the next sea caught us  
full on the weather-bow with a shock    
that pitched everything movable out of  
its place4 ,there was a twist and a     
grind from the machinery1 a snap and a  
crash1 and then part after part gave    
way1 as the strain fell upon it in turn4
 ,marston1 with an engineer's instinct1 
shut off the steam2 but the mischief was
 done4 ,we felt the ',ercolano' give a  
wild sheer1 and then a long1 sickening  
roll1 as if she were going down         
bodily1--and we sprang for the          
companion-ladder4 ,everything on deck   
was at sixes and sevens when we reached 
it ',sangue di ,san ,gennaro6 siamo     
perduli6' howled the captain2 and even  
the poor sea-sick passengers seemed to  
wake up a little4 ,it was a bad         
look-out4 ,we got pretty much of every  

wave that was going1 so there was hardly
 any standing forward2 and1 having no   
steam on1 the wind and the sea had their
 own way with us4 ,the gallant little   
padrone seemed to keep up his pluck1 and
 made out to show a little sail1 so as  
to bring her by the wind2 but that1 in a
 long1 sharp steamer1 didn't mend       
matters much4 ,to make things completely
 cheerful and comfortable1 word was     
passed up that we were leaking badly4 ,i
 confess ,i didn't see much hope for us2
 and having lugged up my valise from    
below1 where there was already a foot of
 water over the cabin-floor1 ,i picked  
out the little valuables ,i could stow  
about me and kicked the rest into a     
corner4 ,still we had our boats1 and1 as
 the gale seemed to be breaking a       
little1 there was hope for us4 ,at last 
they managed to get them into the water1
 and keep them riding clear under our   
lee4 ,the priests were bundled in like  
so many wet bales of black cloth1 and   
then the soldiers1 and ,marston and ,i  

tried to follow2 but a ',no room for    
heretics here1' enforced by a bit of    
brown steel in a soldier's hands1 kept  
us back4 ,the chance wasn't worth       
fighting for1 after all4 ,i didn't      
believe the steamer would sink1 any way4
 ,i was aboard the ',san ,francisco'    
when she drifted for nine days4         
,however1 there wasn't much time left   
for us to speculate on that1--for a rush
 of firemen and crew and the like into  
the boats was the next thing1 and then  
the fasts were cast off or cut1 and the 
wind and sea did the rest4 ,they shot   
away into the darkness4 ,a couple of    
firemen1 two of the priests1 and a      
soldier were left on board4 ,the firemen
 went to getting drunk1--the priests    
were too sick to move or care for       
anything1--the soldier sat quietly down 
on the cabin-skylight2 ,marston and ,i  
climbed on to the port paddle-box to    
look out for a sail4  ,the clouds had   
broken with the dying of the gale1 and  
the moon shone out1 lighting up the     

foaming sea far and wide1 and showing   
our water-logged or sinking craft4      
,every wave that swept over us found its
 way below1 and we settled deeper and   
deeper4 ,still1 if we could only hold on
 till morning1 those seas are alive with
 small craft1 and we stood a good chance
 of being picked off4 ,i was saying as  
much to ,marston when the ',ercolano'   
gave a lurch and then dove bows first   
into the sea4 ,a great wave seemed to   
curl over us1 and then to thrust us by  
the shoulders down into the depths1 and 
all was darkness and water4 ,i went     
down1 down1 and still ,i was dragged    
lower still1 though the pressure from   
above ceased1 and ,i was struggling to  
rise4 ,i struck out with hands and      
feet2--,i was held fast4 ,i felt behind 
me and found a hand grasping my         
coat-tails4 ,marston had seized me1 and 
with the other hand was clinging to the 
iron rail on the top of the             
paddle-box1--clinging with the          
death-grip of a drowning man1 if you    

know what that is4 ,i tried to unclasp  
the fingers1--to drive him from his hold
 on the rail4 ,of course ,i couldn't2 it
 was ,death's hand1 not his1 that was   
holding there1 and my own strength was  
going1 when a thought flashed into my   
mind4 ,i tore open my coat1 and it      
slipped from me like a grape-skin from  
the grape1 and ,i went up like an arrow4
  ,never shall ,i forget the blessed    
light of heaven1 and the sweet air in my
 lungs once more4 ,bad off as ,i was1 it
 was better than being anchored to a    
sinking wreck by a dead man's grasp4 ,i 
heard a voice near me that night        
repeating the ,latin prayers of the     
,romish ,church for the departing soul1 
but ,i couldn't see the speaker4 ,the   
moon had gone under a cloud again1 but  
there was light enough for me to catch a
 glimpse of some floating wreck on the  
crest of a wave above me2 and then it   
came down right on top of me1--a lot of 
rigging and a spar or two1--our topmast 
and yard1 which had gone over the side  

just before we foundered4 ,i climbed on 
to it1 and found my prospects hugely    
improving1--especially as clinging to   
the other end was the soldier left on   
board4 ,as soon as ,i could persuade him
 ,i was no spook or mermaid1 he was     
almost as pleased as ,i was1 especially 
when he found ,i was the 'eretico4' ,he 
was a ,swiss1 it seemed1 of ,king       
,ferdinand's regiments1 going home on   
furlough1 and a ,protestant1 which was  
why he was left on board4  ,between us  
both we managed to get the spars into   
some sort of a raft-shape1 so that they 
would float us more comfortably2 and    
there we watched for the morning4 ,when 
that came1 the sea had smoothed itself1 
and the wind died away considerably1--as
 it does in the ,mediterranean at short 
notice4 ,we looked every way for the    
white lateen-sails of the coasting and  
fishing craft1 but in vain4 ,it grew    
hotter and hotter as the sun got higher1
 and hope and strength began to give    
out4 ,i lay down on the raft and        

slept1--how long ,i don't know1 for my  
first consciousness was my friend's cry 
of ,a ship6 ,i looked up1 and there1    
sure enough1 in the northeast1 was a    
large ship1 running before the wind1    
right in our direction4 ,i suspect poor 
,fritzeli must have been asleep also1   
that he hadn't seen her before1--for she
 was barely a couple of miles off4 ,she 
was apparently from ,genoa or ,spezzia2 
but the main thing was1 that she was    
travelling our road1 and that with a    
will4 ,i tore off my shirt-sleeve at the
 shoulder1 and waved it1 while ,fritzeli
 held up his red sash4 ,but it was an   
anxious time4 ,on she came1--a big      
frigate4 ,we could see a commodore's    
pendant flying at the main1 and almost  
hear the steady rush of water under her 
black bows4 ,did they see us1 or not8   
,there was no telling2 a man-of-war     
walks the sea's roads without taking    
hats off to everybody that comes along4 
,a quiet report goes up to the officer  
of the deck1 a long look with a glass1  

and the whole affair would be settled   
without troubling us to come into       
council4 ,on she came1 till we could see
 the guns in her bow ports1 and almost  
count the meshes in her hammock netting4
 ,the shadow of her lofty sails was     
already fallen upon us before she gave a
 sign of recognition4 ,then her bow gave
 a wide sheer1 and her whole broadside  
came into view1 as she glided by the    
spars where we were crouching4 ,an      
officer appeared at her quarter and     
waved his gold-banded cap to us1 as the 
frigate rounded to1 to the leeward of   
us1--and the glorious stripes and stars 
blew out clear against the hot sky4 ,a  
light dingey was in the water before the
 main yard had been well swung aback1   
and a midshipman was urging the men1 who
 needed no urging1 to give way strong4  
,i didn't know how weak ,i had got1 till
 they were lifting me aboard the boat4  
,an hour after1 when ,i had had         
something to eat and was a little       
restored and had told my story1 the     

officer of the deck was relieved and    
came below to see me4  ',i fancy1 ,sir1 
we've just passed something of your     
steamer1' he said1--'a yawlboat1 bottom 
up1 with a name on the stern which we   
couldn't well make out3 ,erco something1
 it looked like4 ,hadn't been long in   
the water1 ,i should say4'  ,and that   
was the last of the steamer4 ,fritzeli  
and ,i were the sole survivors4         
,,the ,,jolly ,,mariner3  ,a ,,ballad4  
,it was a jolly mariner       ,as ever  
hove a log2     ,he wore his trousers   
wide and free1       ,and always ate his
 prog1     ,and blessed his eyes1 in    
sailor-wise1       ,and never shirked   
his grog4      ,up spoke this jolly     
mariner1       ,whilst walking up and   
down3--     ,the briny sea has pickled  
me1       ,and done me very brown2      
,but here ,i goes1 in these here clo'es1
       ,a-cruising in the town6         
,the first of all the curious things    
,that chanced his eye to meet1     ,as  
this undaunted mariner       ,went      

sailing up the street1     ,was1        
tripping with a little cane1       ,a   
dandy all complete6      ,he            
stopped1--that jolly mariner1--         
,and eyed the stranger well2--     ,what
 that may be1 he said1 says he1         
,is more than ,i can tell2     ,but     
ne'er before1 on sea or shore1          
,was such a heavy swell6      ,he met a 
lady in her hoops1       ,and thus she  
heard him hail3--     ,now blow me      
tight6--but there's a sight       ,to   
manage in a gale6     ,i never saw so   
small a craft       ,with such a spread 
o' sail6      ,observe the craft before 
and aft1--       ,she'd make a pretty   
prize6     ,and then1 in that improper  
way1       ,he spoke about his eyes1    
,that mariners are wont to use1         
,in anger or surprise4      ,he saw a   
plumber on a roof1       ,who made a    
mighty din3--     ,shipmate1 ahoy6 the  
rover cried1       ,it makes a sailor   
grin     ,to see you copper-bottoming   
,your upper-decks with tin6      ,he met

 a yellow-bearded man1       ,and asked 
about the way2     ,but not a word could
 he make out       ,of what the chap    
would say1     ,unless he meant to call 
him names       ,by screaming1 ,nix     
furstay6      ,up spoke this jolly      
mariner1       ,and to the man said he1 
,i haven't sailed these thirty years    
,upon the stormy sea1     ,to bear the  
shame of such a name       ,as ,i have  
heard from thee6      ,so take thou     
that6--and laid him flat4       ,but    
soon the man arose1     ,and beat the   
jolly mariner       ,across his jolly   
nose1     ,till he was fain1 from very  
pain1       ,to yield him to the blows4 
',twas then this jolly mariner1       ,a
 wretched jolly tar1     ,wished he was 
in a jolly-boat       ,upon the sea     
afar1     ,or riding fast1 before the   
blast1       ,upon a single spar6       
',twas then this jolly mariner          
,returned unto his ship1     ,and told  
unto the wondering crew       ,the story
 of his trip1     ,with many oaths and  

curses1 too1       ,upon his wicked     
lip6--      ,as hoping--so this mariner 
,in fearful words harangued--     ,his  
timbers might be shivered1 and          
,his le'ward scuppers danged1     7,a   
double curse1 and vastly worse          
,than being shot or hanged67      ,if   
ever he--and here again       ,a        
dreadful oath he swore--     ,if ever   
he1 except at sea1       ,spoke any     
stranger more1     ,or like a son       
of--something--went       ,a-cruising on
 the shore6     ,,suggestions4          
,waste words1 addle questions4          
,,bishop ,,andrews4   ,,affairs4  ,when 
affairs are at their worst1 a bold      
project may retrieve them by giving an  
assurance1 else wanting1 that hope1     
spirit1 and energy still exist4         
,,affinities4  ,place an inferior       
character in contact with the finest    
circumstances1 and1 from wanting        
affinities with them1 he will still     
remain1 from no fault of his own1       
insensible to their attractions4 ,take  

him up the mount of vision1 and show him
 the finest scene in ,nature1 and1      
instead of taking in the whole circle of
 its beauty1 he will1 quite as likely1  
have his attention engrossed by         
something mean and insignificant under  
his nose4 ,i was reminded of this1 on   
taking a little boy1 three years old1 to
 the top of the ,new ,york ,reservoir4  
,placing him on one of the parapets1 ,i 
endeavored to call his attention to the 
more salient and distant features of the
 extended prospect2 but the little      
fellow's mind was too immature to be at 
all appreciative of them4 ,his interest 
was confined to what he saw going on in 
a dirty inclosure on the opposite side  
of the street1 where two or three goats 
were moving about4 ,after watching them 
with curious interest for some time1    
,see1 see6 said he1 dem is pigs down    
dare6 ,was there need for quarrelling   
with my fine little man for seeing pigs 
where there were only goats1 or goats   
where there was much worthier to be     

seen8   ,,after ,,the ,,battle4  ,a     
brave deed performed1 a noble object    
accomplished1 gives a fillip to the     
spirits1 an exhilaration to the         
feelings1 like that imparted by         
,champagne1 only more permanent4 ,it is1
 indeed1 admirably well said by one wise
 to discern the truth of things1 and    
able to give to his thought a vigorous  
expression1 that a man feels relieved   
and gay when he has put his heart into  
his work and done his best2 but what he 
has said or done otherwise shall give   
him no peace4   ,,applause4  ,noble acts
 deserve a generous appreciation4       
,indeed1 it is a species of injustice   
not to warmly applaud whatever is wisely
 said or ably done4 ,fine things are    
shown that they may be admired4 ,when   
the peacock struts about1 it is to show 
what a fine tail he has4   ,,artists4   
,the artist's business is with the      
beautiful4 ,the repugnant is outside of 
his province4 ,let him study only the   
beautiful1 and he will always be        

pleased2 let him treat only of the      
beautiful1 with a true feeling for it1  
and he will always give pleasure4  ,the 
artist must love both his art and the   
subjects of his art4 ,nothing that is   
not lovable is worth portraying4 ,in the
 portrait of ,rosa ,bonheur1 she is     
appropriately represented with one arm  
thrown affectionately around the neck of
 a bull4 ,she must have loved this order
 of animals1 to have painted them so    
well4   ,,authors4  ,instead of the     
jealousies that obtain among them1 there
 is no class that ought to stand so     
close together1 united in a feeling of  
common brotherhood1 to strengthen1 to   
support1 and to encourage1 by mutual    
sympathy and interchange of genial      
criticism1 as authors4 ,a sensitive     
race1 neglect pierces like sharp steel  
into the very marrow of their being4    
,and still they stand apart6 ,alive to  
praise1 and needing its inspiration1    
their relations are those of            
icebergs1--cold1 stiff1 lofty1 and      

freezing4 ,what infatuation is this6    
,they should seek each other out1 extend
 the hand of fellowship1 and bridge the 
distance between them by elaborate      
courtesies and kindly recognitions4     
,,an ,,author',s ,,first ,,book4  ,no   
man is a competent judge of what he     
himself does4 ,an author1 on the eve of 
his first publication1 and while his    
book is going through the press1 is in a
 predicament like that of a man mounted 
on a fence1 with an ugly bull in the    
field that he is obliged to cross4 ,the 
apprehended silence of the journals     
concerning his merits--for no notice is 
the worst notice--constitutes one of the
 horns of his dilemma2 while their      
possibly invidious comments upon his    
want of them constitute another and     
equally formidable horn4 ,between these1
 and the uncertainty as to whether he   
will not in a little time be cut by     
one-half of his acquaintances and only  
indulgently tolerated by the other half1
 his experience is apt to be very       

peculiar1 and certainly not altogether  
agreeable4 ,never1 therefore1 envy an   
author his feelings on such an occasion1
 on the score of their superior         
enjoyment1 but rather let him be visited
 with your softest pity and tenderest   
commiseration4   ,,books4  ,a book is   
only a very partial expression of its   
author4 ,the writer is greater than his 
work2 and there is in him the substance1
 not of one1 or a few1 but of many      
books1 were they only written out4      
,,cause ,,and ,,effect4  ,small         
circumstances illustrate great          
principles4 ,to-day my dinner cost me   
sixpence less than usual4 ,this is an   
incident not quite so important as some 
others recorded in history1 but the     
causes of it originated more than two   
thousand years ago4 ,it will also serve 
to explain the principle1 that causes   
are primary and secondary1 remote and   
immediate1--and that historians1 when   
they speak of certain effects as        
produced by certain causes4 ,socrates   

one day had a conversation with         
,aristippus1 in which he threw out      
certain remarks on the subject of       
temperance4 ,being overheard by         
,xenophon1 they were subsequently       
committed to writing and published by   
him4 ,these1 falling in my way last     
evening1 made such an impression on my  
mind1 that ,i was induced to-day to     
forego my customary piece of pudding    
after dinner1 to the loss of the        
eating-house proprietor1 whose receipts 
were thus diminished1 first1 by a few   
observations of an ancient ,greek1      
secondly1 by a report given of them by a
 bystander1 and1 thirdly1 by the        
accidental perusal of them1 after twenty
 centuries1 by one of his customers4    
,,cheerfulness4  ,sullen and good1      
morbid and wise1 are impossible         
conditions4 ,the best test1 both of a   
man's wisdom and goodness1 is his       
cheerfulness4 ,when one is not cheerful1
 he is almost invariably stupid4 ,a sad 
face seldom gets into much credit with  

the world1 and rarely deserves to4      
,sorrow1 says old ,montaigne1 is a base 
passion4  ,the quarrel between ,gray and
 me1 said ,horace ,walpole1 arose from  
his being too serious a companion4 ,in  
my opinion1 this was a good ground for  
cutting the connection4 ,what right has 
any one to be too serious a companion8  
,,cowards4  ,in desperate straits the   
fears of the timid aggravate the dangers
 that imperil the brave4 ,for cowards   
the road of desertion to the enemy      
should be left open2 they will carry    
over to them nothing but their fears4   
,the poltroon1 like the scabbard1 is an 
incumbrance when once the sword is      
drawn4   ,,criticism4  ,no work deserves
 to be criticized which has not much in 
it that deserves to be applauded4 ,the  
legitimate aim of criticism is to direct
 attention to what is excellent ,the bad
 will dig its own grave1 and the        
imperfect may be safely left to that    
final neglect from which no amount of   
present undeserved popularity can rescue

 it4  ,ever so critical of things3 never
 but good-naturedly so of persons4      
,,culture4  ,partial culture runs to the
 ornate2 extreme culture to simplicity4 
,,death4  ,without death in the world1  
existence in it would soon become1      
through over-population1 the most       
frightful of curses4 ,to death we owe   
our life2 the passing of one generation 
clears the way for another2 and thus1 in
 the economy of ,providence1 the very   
extinction of being is a provision for  
extending the boon of existence4 ,even  
wars and disease are a good             
misunderstood4 ,without them1           
child-murder would be as common in      
,christendom as it is in over-populated 
,china4   ,,debtors ,,and ,,creditors4  
,to interest a number of people in your 
welfare1 get in debt to them4 ,if they  
will not then promote your interest1 it 
is because they are not alive to their  
own4 ,it is to the advantage of         
creditors to aid their debtors4 ,csar   
owed more than a million of dollars     

before he obtained his first public     
employment1 and at a later period his   
liabilities exceeded his assets by ten  
millions4 ,his creditors constituted an 
important constituency1 and doubtless   
aided to secure his elections4          
,,difficulties4  ,great difficulties1   
when not succumbed to1 bring out great  
virtues4   ,,disgust4  ,a fit of disgust
 is a great stimulator of thought4      
,pleasure represses it4   ,,earnestness4
  ,m4 de ,buffon says that genius is    
only great patience4 ,would it not be   
truer to say that genius is great       
earnestness8 ,patience is only one      
faculty2 earnestness is the devotion of 
all the faculties3 it is the cause of   
patience2 it gives endurance1 overcomes 
pain1 strengthens weakness1 braves      
dangers1 sustains hope1 makes light of  
difficulties1 and lessens the sense of  
weariness in overcoming them4 ,yes1 ,war
 yields its victories1 and ,beauty her  
favors1 to him who fights or wooes with 
the most passionate ardor1--in other    

words1 with the greatest earnestness4   
,even the simulation of earnestness     
accomplishes much1--such a charm has it 
for us4 ,this explains the success of   
libertines1 the coarseness of whose     
natures is usually only disguised by a  
certain conventional polish of manners3 
their hearts seem in earnest1 because   
their passions are4   ,,education ,,of  
,,the ,,sexes4  ,girls are early taught 
deceit1 and they never forget the       
lesson4 ,boys are more outspoken4 ,this 
is because boys are instructed that to  
be frank and open is to be manly and    
generous1 while their sisters are       
perpetually admonished that this is not 
pretty1 or that is not becoming1 until  
they have learned to control their      
natural impulses1 and to regulate their 
conduct by precepts and example4 ,the   
result of all this is1 that1 while men  
retain much of their natural            
dispositions1 women have largely made-up
 characters4   ,,emerson',s ,,essays4   
,i have not yet been able to decide     

whether it is better to read certain of 
,emerson's essays as poetry or          
philosophy4 ,perhaps1 though1 it would  
be no more than just to consider them as
 an almost complete and perfect union of
 the two4 ,certainly1 no modern writer  
has more of vivid individuality1 both of
 thought and expression1--and few       
writers1 of any age1 will better bear   
reperusal1 or surpass him in the grand  
merit of suggestiveness4 ,there is much 
in his books that ,i cannot clearly     
understand1 and passages sometimes occur
 that once seemed to me destitute of    
meaning2 but ,i have since learned1 from
 a greater familiarity with what he has 
written1 to respect even his            
obscurities1 and to have faith that     
there is at all times behind his words  
both a man and a meaning4               
,,englishmen4  ,there is in the         
character of perhaps a majority of      
,englishmen a singular commingling of   
the haughty and the subservient1--the   
result1 doubtless1 of the mixed nature1 

partly aristocratic and partly          
democratic1 of the government1 and of   
the peculiar structure of ,english      
society1 in which every man indemnifies 
himself for the subserviency he is      
required to exhibit to the classes      
above1 by exacting a similar            
subserviency from those below him4      
,thackeray1 who is to be considered a   
competent judge of the character of his 
countrymen1 puts the remark into the    
mouth of one of his characters1 that1 if
 you wish to make an ,englishman respect
 you1 you must treat him with insolence4
 ,the language is somewhat too strong1  
and it would not be altogether safe to  
act upon the suggestion2 but the        
witticism embodies a modicum of truth1  
for all that4   ,,example4  ,example has
 more followers than reason4            
,,excitement ,,countervails ,,pain4  ,we
 wince under little pains1 but ,nature  
in us1 through the excitement attendant 
upon them1 seems to brace us to endure  
with fortitude greater agonies4 ,a      

curious circumstance1 that will serve as
 an illustration of this1 is told by an 
eminent surgeon of a person upon whom it
 became necessary to perform a painful  
surgical operation4 ,the surgeon1 after 
adjusting him in a position favorable to
 his purpose1 turned for a moment to    
write a prescription2 then1 taking up   
the knife1 he was about making an       
imminent deadly breach in the body of   
his subject1 when he observed an        
expression of distress upon his         
countenance4 ,wishing to reassure him1  
,what disturbs you8 he inquired4 ,oh1   
said the sufferer1 you have left the pen
 in the inkstand6 and this being        
removed1 he submitted to the operation  
with extraordinary composure4   ,,fact  
,,and ,,fancy4  ,see1 nurse ,i see6     
exclaimed a delighted papa1 as something
 like a smile irradiated the face of his
 infant child1--an angel is whispering  
to it6 ,no1 ,sir1 replied the more      
matter-of-fact nurse1--it is only wind  
from its stomach4   ,,fine ,,houses4    

,to build a huge house1 and furnish it  
lavishly1--what is this but to play     
baby-house on a large scale8   ,,fine   
,,ladies4  ,if you would know how many  
of the airs of a fine lady are put on1  
contrast her with a woman who has never 
had the advantages of a genteel         
training4 ,what appear as the           
curvettings and prancings of a          
high-mettled nature turn out1 from the  
light thus afforded1 to be only the     
tricks of a skilful grooming4   ,,future
 ,,life  ,altogether too much thought is
 given to the next world4 ,one world at 
a time ought to be sufficient for us4   
,if we do our duty manfully in this1    
much consideration of our relations to  
that next world may be safely postponed 
until we are in it4   ,,great ,,men4    
,oh1 the responsibility of great men6   
,could some of these the originators of 
new beliefs1 of new methods in ,art1 of 
new systems of state and ecclesiastical 
polity1 of novel modes of practice in   
medicine1 and the like4--revisit the    

pale glimpses of the moon1 and look upon
 the streams of blood and misery that   
have flowed from fountains they have    
unsealed1 they would skulk back to their
 graves faster and more affrighted than 
when they first descended into them4    
,,habits4  ,habit to a great extent1 is 
the forcing of ,nature to your way1     
instead of leaving her to her own4      
,struck by this consideration1 ,he is a 
fool1 then1 who has any habits1 said ,w4
 ,softly1 my dear ,sir1--the position is
 an extreme one4 ,bad habits are very   
bad1 and good habits1 blindly followed1 
are not altogether good1 for they make  
machines of us4 ,occasional excesses may
 be wholesome2 and ,nature accommodates 
herself to irregularities1 as a ship to 
the action of waves4 ,good habits are in
 the nature of allies3 we may strengthen
 ourselves by an alliance with them1 but
 they should not outnumber the forces   
they act with4 ,habits are the ,hessians
 of our moral warfare3 the good or the  
ill they do depends on the side they    

fight on4   ,,heroism4  ,the race of    
heroes1 though not prolific1 is never   
extinct4 ,nature1 liberal in this1 as in
 all things else1 has sown the          
constituent qualities of heroism        
broadcast4 ,elements of the heroic in   
character exist in almost every         
individual2 it is only the felicitous   
combination of them all in one that is  
rare4   ,,ideas4  ,ideas1 in regard to  
their degrees of merit1 may be divided1 
like the animal kingdom1 into classes or
 families4 ,first in rank are those     
ideas that have in them the germs of a  
great moral unfolding1--as the ideas of 
a religious teacher1 like ,socrates or  
,confucius4 ,next in merit are those    
ideas that lay open the secrets of      
,nature1 or add to the combinations of  
,art1--as the ideas of inventors and    
discoverers4 ,next in the order of      
excellence are all new and valuable     
ideas on diseases and their treatment1  
on the redress of social abuses1 on     
government and laws and their           

administration1 and all similar ideas on
 all other subjects connected with      
material welfare or intellectual and    
moral advancement4 ,last and least1     
ideas that are only the repetition of   
other ideas1 previously known1 though   
not so well expressed4   ,,institutions4
  ,when an institution1 not designed to 
be stationary1 ceases to be progressive1
 it is usually because its officers have
 lost their ambition to make it so4 ,in 
such a contingency1 they had better be  
called upon to resign1 and thus to open 
the way for a more executive and        
energetic management4   ,,lawyers4  ,the
 lawyer's relation to society is like   
that of the scarecrow to the cornfield2 
concede that he effects nothing of      
positive good1 and he still exerts a    
wholesome influence from the terror his 
presence inspires4   ,,leadership4  ,he 
who aspires to be leader must keep in   
advance of his column4 ,his fears must  
not play traitor to his occasions4 ,the 
instant he falls into line with his     

followers1 a bolder spirit may throw    
himself at the head of the movement     
initiated1 and from that moment his     
leadership is gone4   ,,let ,,the       
,,right ,,prevail4  ,it is better that  
ten times ten thousand men should suffer
 in their interests than that a right   
principle should not be vindicated4     
,granting that all these will be injured
 by the suppression of the false1 an    
infinitely greater number will as       
certainly be prejudiced by throwing off 
the allegiance due to truth4 ,throughout
 the future1 all have an interest in the
 establishment of sound principles1     
while only a few in the present can have
 even a partial interest in the         
perpetuation of error4   ,,lights ,,and 
,,shadows4  ,it is pleasanter and more  
amiable to applaud than to condemn1 and 
they who look wisely to their happiness 
will endeavor1 as they go through life1 
to see as much to admire1 and as few    
things that are repugnant1 as possible4 
,nothing that is not distinctively      

excellent is worthy of particular study 
or comment4   ,,lovers' ,,differences4  
,their love for each other is only      
partial who differ much and widely4     
,when a loving heart speaks to a heart  
that loves in return1 an understanding  
is easily arrived at4   ,,what ,,love   
,,proves4  ,the existence of so much    
love in the world establishes that there
 is in it much of the excellence that   
justifies so exalted a passion4 ,almost 
every man has been a lover at some      
period in his life1 and1 out of so many 
lovers1 it is unreasonable to suppose   
that all of them have been mistaken in  
their estimates4   ,,magnanimity4       
,justice to the defeated exalts the     
victor from a subject of admiration to  
an object of love4 ,to the fame of      
superior courage or address he thereby  
adds the glory of a greater magnanimity4
 ,praise1 too1 of a vanquished opponent 
makes our victory over him appear the   
more signal4   ,,manhood4  ,the question
 is not1 the number of facts a man      

knows1 but how much of a fact he is     
himself4   ,,mean ,,men4  ,if a man is  
thoroughly mean by nature1 let him give 
full swing to his meanness4 ,such a     
fellow brings discredit upon generosity 
by putting on its semblance4 ,if he     
attempts to disguise the smallness of   
his soul1 he only adds to his           
contemptible trait of meanness the still
 more despicable vice of hypocrisy4     
,mean by the sacred institution of      
,nature1 and without a generous trait to
 mar the excellence of his native       
meanness1 so long as he continues       
unqualifiedly mean1 he exists a perfect 
type of a particular character1 and     
presents to us a fine illustration of   
the vast capabilities of ,nature4       
,,methods ,,of ,,the ,,enterprising4    
,great personal activity at times1 and  
closely sedentary and severely          
thoughtful habits at other times1 are   
the forces by which able men accomplish 
notable enterprises4 ,sitting with      
thoughtful brows by their evening       

firesides1 they originate and mature    
their plans2 after which1 with energies 
braced to their work1 they move to the  
easy conquest of difficulties accounted 
formidable1 because they have           
deliberated upon and mastered the best  
methods for overcoming them4            
,,military ,,schools4  ,the existence of
 military schools is a proof that the   
other schools have not done their duty4 
,,nature ,,and ,,art4  ,the art of being
 interesting is largely the art of being
 real1--of being without art4           
,,newspapers4  ,the world is not fairly 
represented by its newspapers4 ,life is 
something better than they make it out  
to be4 ,they are mainly the records of  
the crimes that curse and the casualties
 that afflict it1 the contests of       
litigants and the strifes of            
politicians2 but of the sweet amenities 
of home and social life they are and    
must be silent4 ,not without a reason   
has the poet fled from the poet's       
corner4   ,,non-,,communicants4         

,certain minds are formed to take in    
truths1 but not to utter them4 ,they    
hoard their knowledge1 as misers their  
gold4 ,their communicativeness is small4
 ,their appreciation of principles is   
greater than their sympathy for persons4
   ,,opinions4  ,the best merit of an   
opinion is1 that it is sound2 its next  
best merit1 that it is briefly          
expressed4   ,,poets ,,and ,,poetry4    
,the twelve rules for a poet are eleven 
too many4 ,the poet needs but one rule  
for his guidance as a poet1--namely1    
never to write poetry4#b   ,,popular    
,,aspirants4  ,the fate of a popular    
aspirant is often like that of a prize  
ox4 ,when in his best condition1 he is  
put up for exhibition1 decorated with   
flowers and ribbons1 and afterwards led 
out to be slaughtered4   ,,praise4  ,no 
one1 probably1 was ever injured by      
having his good qualities made the      
subject of judicious praise4 ,the       
virtues1 like plants1 reward the        
attention bestowed upon them by growing 

more and more thrifty4 ,a lad who is    
told often that he is a good boy will in
 time grow ashamed to exhibit the       
qualities of a bad one4   ,,pride4      
,pride is like the beautiful acacia1    
that carries its head proudly above its 
neighbor plants1--forgetting that it1   
too1 like them1 has its root in the     
dirt4   ,,proverbs4  ,invention and the 
,graces preside at the birth of a good  
proverb4 ,aside from the ideas expressed
 in them1 they are deserving of the     
attention of literary men and all       
students of expression1 from the        
infinite variety of turns of style they 
exhibit4 ,if you don't want to be tossed
 by a bull1 toss the bull4 ,here1 for   
instance1 the thought is not only       
spirited1 but it is so rendered as to   
give to the idea both the force of      
novelty and the agreeableness of wit4   
,the words are as hard and compact1 and 
the thought flies as swift1 as a bullet4
   ,,public ,,men4  ,a public man may   
reasonably esteem it a piece of good    

fortune to be vigorously attacked in the
 newspapers4 ,in the first place1 it    
lifts him prominently into notice4      
,then1 a plausible defence will divide  
public opinion1 while a triumphant      
vindication will more fully establish   
him in the popular regard4 ,even if     
unable to offer either1 the notoriety so
 acquired will in time soften into a    
counterfeit of celebrity so like the    
original that it will easily pass for   
it4 ,besides1 the world is charitable1  
and will forget old sins in             
consideration of later virtues4         
,,manners ,,of ,,reformers4  ,reformers1
 from being deeply impressed with the   
evils they seek to redress1 and actively
 engaged in a warfare against them1 are 
apt to contract a certain habit of      
denunciation1 extending to persons and  
things at large1 and by which their     
character for amiability is injuriously 
affected4 ,this is particularly         
noticeable in that portion of the press 
devoted to ,progress4   ,,requests4  ,it

 is well to dress in your best when you 
go to press a request4 ,it is not so    
easy to resist the solicitations of a   
well-dressed importunate4   ,,rich ,,and
 ,,poor4  ,grace resides with the       
cultivated1 but strength is the property
 of the people4 ,art with these has not 
emasculated ,nature4   ,,rich ,,to      
,,excess4  ,intellectually1 as many     
suffer from too much physical health as 
too little4 ,a fat body makes a lean    
mind4   ,,rule ,,or ,,ruin4  ,a         
thoroughly vigorous man will not        
actively belong to any associated body1 
except to rule in it4 ,not to control in
 its affairs is to have his             
individuality cut down to the standard  
of those that do4 ,he must stamp himself
 upon the institution1 or its enfeebling
 influence will be stamped upon him4    
,,sans ,,peur4  ,no man is competent    
greatly to serve the cause of truth till
 he has made audacity a part of his     
mental constitution4  ,there are some   
dangers that are to be courted1--courted

 and braved as a coy mistress is to be  
wooed1 with all the more vigor as the   
day makes against us4 ,when ,fortune    
frowns upon her worthy wooer1 it is     
still permitted him to think how        
pleasant it will be ere long to bask in 
her smiles4   ,,slights4  ,in seasons   
when the energies flag and our ambition 
fails us1 a rebuff is a blessing1 by    
rousing us from inaction1 and stirring  
us to more vigorous efforts to make good
 our pretensions4   ,,social            
,,regeneration4  ,private worth is the  
only true basis of public prosperity4   
,still1 ministers and moralists do but  
tinker at the regeneration of the world 
in merely recommending individual       
improvement4 ,the most prolific cause of
 depravity is the social system that    
forms the character to what it is4 ,the 
virtues1 like plants1 to flourish1 must 
have a soil and air adapted to them4 ,a 
plant at the seaside yields soda2 the   
same plant grown inland produces potash4
 ,what society most needs1 for its      

permanent advancement1 is uniformity of 
inheritance4   ,,speakers4  ,a speaker  
should put his character into what he   
says4 ,so many speakers1 like so many   
faces1 have no individuality in them4   
,,speaking ,,and ,,talking4  ,there is  
often a striking contrast between a     
man's style of writing and of           
talking1--for which ,i offer this       
explanation3 ,he ponders what he writes2
 he talks without system4 ,as an author1
 therefore1 he is sententious2 as a     
conversationist1 loose and verbose2--or 
the reverse of this may be true4        
,,speech4  ,language was given to us    
that we might say pleasant things to    
each other4   ,,prevailing ,,styles4    
,in literary performances1 as in ,gothic
 architecture1 the taste of the age is  
largely in favor of the pointed styles4 
,our churches and our books must bristle
 all over with points1 or they are not  
so much thought of4   ,,sunday4  ,the   
poor man's rich day4   ,,things ,,worth 
,,knowing4  ,only the good is worth     

knowing1 and only the beautiful worth   
studying4   ,,tobacco4  ,tobacco in     
excess fouls the breath1 discolors the  
teeth1 soils the complexion1 deranges   
the nerves1 reduces vitality1 impairs   
the sensibility to beauty and to        
pleasure1 abets intemperance1 promotes  
idleness1 and degrades the man4         
,,trade-,,life4  ,formerly1 when great  
fortunes were made only in war1 war was 
a business2 but now1 when great fortunes
 are made only by business1 business is 
war4   ,,truth-,,seekers4  ,hamlet1 in  
the ghost scene1 is a fine example of   
the questioning spirit pursuing its     
inquiries regardless of consequences4   
,the apparition which affrights and     
confounds his companions only spurs his 
not less timid1 perhaps1 but more       
speculative nature into following and   
plying it with questions4 ,only thus    
should ,truth be followed1 with an      
interest great enough to overmaster all 
fears as to whither she may lead and    
what she may disclose4   ,,ugly ,,men4  

,when a man is hideously ugly his only  
safety is in glorying in it4 ,let him   
boldly claim it as a distinction4       
,,the ,,walk4  ,the walk discloses the  
character4 ,a placid and composed walk  
bespeaks the philosopher4 ,he walks as  
if the present was sufficient for him4  
,a measured step is the expression of a 
disciplined intellect1 not easily       
stirred to excesses4 ,a hurried pace    
denotes an eager spirit1 with a tendency
 to precipitate measures4 ,the confident
 and the happy swing along1 and need a  
wide sidewalk2 while an irregular gait  
reveals a composite of character1--one  
thing to-day1 another to-morrow1 and    
nothing much at any time4   ,,wine4  ,in
 vino there is not only veritas1 but    
sensibility4 ,it makes the face of him  
who drinks it to excess blush for his   
habits4   ,,wisdom4  ,wisdom comes to us
 as guest1 but her visits are liable to 
sudden terminations4 ,in our efforts to 
retain the wisdom we have acquired1 an  
embarrassment arises like that of the   

little boy who was scolded for having a 
dirty nose4 ,blow your nose1 ,sir4      
,papa1 ,i do blow my nose1 but it won't 
stay blowed4   ,,women ,,as ,,judges    
,,of ,,character4  ,it is more honorable
 to have the regards of a few noble     
women than to be popular among a much   
greater number of men4 ,having in       
themselves the qualities that command   
our love1 they are1 for that reason1 the
 better able to appreciate the traits   
that deserve to inspire it4 ,the heart  
must be judged by the heart1 and men are
 too intellectual in the processes by   
which they form their regards4          
,,average ,,worth4  ,a wife should      
accept her husband1 and a friend his    
friend1 upon a general estimate4        
,particulars in character and conduct   
should be overlooked4  ,,footnotes3     
,footnote #b3 ,i speak1 of course1 only 
of the discreet poet4 ,great poets are  
never discreet4 ,their genius overrides 
their discretion4     ,,bulls ,,and     
,,bears4   ,,chapter ,i  ,,the          

,,artists' ,,exhibition1 ,,and ,,what   
,,came ,,of ,,it4  ,there was an        
exhibition of pictures in an upper room 
on ,washington ,street4 ,the artists had
 collected their unsold productions1 and
 proposed to offer them at auction4     
,there were sketches of ,white ,mountain
 scenery1 views of ,nahant and other    
beaches1 woodland prospects1 farm-houses
 with well-sweeps1 reedy marshes and    
ponds1 together with the usual variety  
of ideal heads and figures1--a very     
pretty collection4 ,the artists had gone
 forth like bees1 and gathered whatever 
was sweetest in every field through a   
wide circuit1 and now the lover of the  
beautiful might have his choice of the  
results without the fatigue of travel4  
,defects enough there were to critical  
eyes1--false drawing1 cold color1 and   
unsuccessful distances2 still there was 
much to admire1 and the spirit and      
intention were interesting1 even where  
the inexperience of the painter was only
 too apparent4  ,a group of visitors    

entered the room3 a lady in the prime of
 beauty1 richly but modestly dressed1   
casting quick glances on all sides1 yet 
with an air of quiet self-possession2 a 
gentleman1 her brother apparently1 near 
forty years of age1 dignified and       
prepossessing2 a second lady1 in widow's
 weeds2 and a young gentleman with      
successful moustaches1 lemon-colored    
gloves1 and one of those bagging coats  
which just miss the grace of flowing    
outline without the compensation of     
setting off a good figure4 ,the lady    
first mentioned seemed born to take the 
lead2 it was no assumption in her2      
incedo regina was the expression of her 
gracefully poised head and her stately  
carriage4 ,a pretty bit1 she said1      
carelessly pointing with her parasol to 
a picture of a rude country bridge and  
dam4  ,yes1 said her elder brother1     
spirited and lifelike4 ,who is the      
painter1 ,marcia8  ,the beauty consulted
 her catalogue4  ,greenleaf1 ,george    
,greenleaf4  ,a new name4 ,look at that 

distant spire1 he continued1 faintly    
showing among the trees in the          
background4 ,the water is surprisingly  
true4 ,a charming picture4 ,i think     
,i'll buy it4  ,how quickly you decide1 
said the lady1 with an air of languor4  
,the picture is pretty enough1 but you  
haven't seen the rest of the collection 
yet4 ,gamboge paints lovely landscapes1 
they say4 ,i wouldn't be enthusiastic   
about a picture by an artist one doesn't
 know anything about4  ,a gentleman     
standing behind a screen near by moved  
away with a changed expression and a    
deepening flush4 ,another person1 an    
artist evidently1 now accosted the      
party1 addressing them as ,mr4 and ,miss
 ,sandford4 ,after the usual civilities1
 he called their attention to the       
picture before them4  ,we were just     
admiring it1 said ,mr4 ,sandford4  ,do  
you like it1 ,mr4 ,easelmann8 asked the 
lady4  ,yes1 exceedingly4  ,ah6 the     
generosity of a brother artist1 replied 
,miss ,sandford4  ,no2 you do the       

picture injustice1--and me too1 for that
 matter2 for1 he added1 with a laugh1 ,i
 am not generally supposed to ruin my   
friends by indiscriminate flattery4     
,this young painter has wonderfully     
improved4 ,he went up into the country  
last season1 found a picturesque little 
village1 and has made a portfolio of    
very striking sketches4  ,miss ,sandford
 began to appear interested4  ,quite    
pwomising1 said the ,adonis in the baggy
 coat1 silent until now4  ,yes1 he has  
blossomed all at once4 ,he talks of     
going abroad4  ,bettah stay at home1    
said the young gentleman1 languidly4    
,i've been thwough all the gallewies4   
,it's always the same stowy1--always the
 same old humbugs to be admired1--always
 a doosid boah4  ,one relief you must   
have had in the galleries1 retorted     
,easelmann2 your all-round shirt-collar 
wouldn't choke you quite so much when   
your head was cocked back4              
,adonis-in-bag adjusted his polished    
all-rounder with a delicately gloved    

finger1 and declared that the painter   
was a jol-ly fel-low4  ,the gentleman   
who had blushed a moment before1 when   
the picture was criticized1 was still   
within earshot2 he now turned an angry  
glance upon the last speaker1 and was   
about to cross the room1 when ,mr4      
,easelmann stopped him4  ,with your     
permission1 ,miss ,sandford1 said the   
painter1 nodding meaningly towards the  
person retreating4  ,certainly1 replied 
the lady4  ,mr4 ,greenleaf1 said        
,easelmann1 ,i wish you to know some    
friends of mine4  ,the gentleman so     
addressed turned and approached the     
party1 and was presented to ,miss       
,sandford1 ,mr4 ,sandford1 ,mrs4        
,sandford1 and ,mr4 ,charles ,sandford4 
,miss ,sandford greeted him with her    
most fascinating smile2 her brother     
shook his hand warmly2 the other lady1 a
 widowed sister-in-law1 silently        
curtsied2 while the younger brother     
inclined his head slightly1 his collar  
not allowing any sudden movement4 ,in a 

moment more the party were walking about
 the room1 looking at the pictures4     
,when at length the ,sandfords were     
about to leave the room1 the elder      
gentleman said to ,mr4 ,greenleaf1--    
,we should be happy to see you with our 
friend1 ,mr4 ,easelmann1 at our house4  
,come without ceremony4  ,miss          
,sandford's eyes also said1 ,come6 at   
least1 so ,greenleaf thought4  ,mr4     
,charles ,sandford1 meanwhile1 who was  
cultivating the sublime art of          
indifference1 the distinguishing feature
 and the ideal of his tribe1 only tapped
 his boot with his slender ratan1 and   
then smoothed his silky moustaches4     
,greenleaf briefly expressed his thanks 
for the invitation1 and1 when the family
 had gone1 turned to his friend with an 
inquiring look4  ,famous1 my boy6 said  
,easelmann4 ,sandford knows something   
about pictures1 though rather stingy in 
patronage2 and he is evidently          
impressed4 ,the beauty1 ,marcia1 is not 
a judge1 but she is a valuable          

friend1--now that you are recognized4   
,the widow is a most charming person4   
,charles1 a puppy1 as every young man of
 fashion thinks he must be for a year or
 two1 but harmless and good-natured4    
,the friendship of the family will be of
 service to you4  ,but ,marcia1 as you  
call her1 was depreciating my picture   
not a minute before you called me4      
,precisely1 my dear fellow2 but she     
didn't know who had painted it1 and1    
moreover1 she hadn't seen you4          
,greenleaf blushed again4  ,don't color 
up that way2 save your vermilion for    
your canvas4 ,you are good-looking2 and 
the beauty desires the homage of every  
handsome man1 especially if he is likely
 to be a lion4  ,a lion6 a painter of   
landscapes a lion6 ,besides1 ,i am no   
gallant4 ,i never learned the art of    
carrying a lady's fan4  ,i hope not2 and
 for that very reason you are the proper
 subject for her4 ,your simplicity and  
frankness are all the more charming to a
 woman who needs new sensations4        

,probably she is tired of her blas and  
wary admirers just now4 ,she will       
capture you1 and ,i shall see a new and 
obsequious slave4  ,greenleaf attempted 
to speak1 but could not get in a word4  
,i felicitate you1 continued ,easelmann4
 ,you will have a valuable experience1  
at any rate4 ,to-morrow or next day we  
will call upon them4 ,good morning6     
,greenleaf returned his friend's        
farewell2 then walking to a window1 he  
took out a miniature4 ,it was the       
picture of a young and beautiful girl4  
,the calm eyes looked out upon him      
trustfully2 the smile upon the mouth had
 never seemed so lovely4 ,he thought of 
the proud1 dazzling coquette1 and then  
looked upon the image of the tender1    
earnest1 truthful face before him4 ,as  
he looked1 he smiled at his friend's    
prophecy4  ,this is my talisman1 he     
said2 and he raised the picture to his  
lips4         99       99       99      
99       99  ,an evening or two later1  
as ,easelmann was putting his brushes   

into water1 ,greenleaf came into his    
studio4 ,the cloud-compelling           
meerschaums were produced1 and they sat 
in high-backed chairs1 watching the thin
 wreaths of smoke as they curled upwards
 to the skylight4 ,the sale of pictures 
had taken place1 and the prices1 though 
not high enough to make the fortunes of 
the artists1 were yet reasonably        
remunerative2 the pictures were esteemed
 almost as highly1 ,easelmann thought1  
as the decorative sketches in an        
omnibus4  ,and did ,sandford buy your   
picture1 ,greenleaf8  ,yes1 ,i believe  
so4 ,in fact1 ,i saw it in his          
drawing-room1 yesterday4  ,certainly2   
how could ,i have forgotten it8 ,i must 
have been thinking of the animated      
picture there4 ,what is paint1 when one 
sees such a glowing1 glancing1          
fascinating1 arch1 lovely1 tantalizing--
  ,don't6 ,don't pelt me with your parts
 of speech6  ,i was trying to select the
 right adjective4  ,well1 you need not  
shower down a basketful1 merely to pick 

out one4  ,but confess1 now1 you are    
merely the least captivated8  ,not the  
least4  ,no little palpitations at the  
sound of her name8 ,no short breath nor 
upturned eyes8 ,no vague longings nor   
'billowy unrest'8  ,none4  ,you slept   
well last night8  ,perfectly4  ,no      
dreams of a sea-green palace1 with an   
,undine in wavy hair1 and a big brother 
with fan-coral plumes1 who afterwards   
turned into a sea-dog8  ,no1--,i cut the
 late suppers you tempt me with1 and    
preserve my digestion4  ,a great        
mistake6 ,one good dream in a nightmare 
will give you more poetical ideas than  
you can paint in a month3 ,i mean a     
reasonable nightmare1 that you can      
ride1--not one that rides you4 ,the     
imagination then seems to scintillate   
nothing but beautiful images4  ,i don't 
care to become a red-hot iron for the   
sake of seeing the sparks ,i might      
radiate4  ,prosaic again6 ,now sin and  
sorrow have their advantages2 the law of
 compensation1 you see4 ,poets1         

according to ,shelley1 learn in         
suffering what they teach in song4 ,and 
if novelists were always scrupulous1    
what do you think they would write8     
,only milk-and-water proprieties1       
tamely-virtuous platitudes4 ,do you     
think ,dickens never saw a taproom or a 
thief's den8--or that ,thackeray is     
unacquainted with the ,cave of ,harmony8
 ,no1--all the piquancy of life comes   
from the slight soupon of wickedness    
wherewithal we season it4  ,i like      
amazingly to have you wander off in this
 way2 you are always entertaining1      
whether your ethics are sound or not4   
,don't trouble yourself about ethics4   
,you and ,i are artists2 we want        
effects1 contrasts2 we must have our    
enthusiasms1 our raptures1 and our      
despair4  ,you ride a theory well4      
,now1 my dear ,greenleaf1 listen4       
,kindly ,i say it1 but you are a trifle 
too innocent1 too placid1--in short1 too
 youthful4 ,to paint1 you must be       
intense2 to be intense1 you must feel2  

and--you see ,i come back on the sweep  
of the circle--to feel1 one must have   
incentives1 objects4  ,so1 you will     
roast your own liver to make a pt4      
,better so than to have the ,promethean 
vulture peck it out for you4  ,well1 if 
,i am as you say1 what am ,i to do8 ,i  
am docile1 to-day4  ,fall in love4  ,i  
have tried the experiment4  ,it must    
have been with some insipid girl1 not   
out of her teens1 odorous of bread and  
butter1 innocent of wiles1 and ignorant 
of her capabilities and your own4       
,perhaps1 but still ,i have been in     
love1--and am4  ,bless me6 that was a   
sigh6 ,the sleeping waters then did show
 a dimple4 ,why1 man1 you talk about    
love1 with that smooth1 shepherd's face 
of yours1 that contented air1 that      
smoothly sonorous voice6 ,corydon and   
,phyllis6 ,you should be like a grand   
piano after ,satter has thundered out   
all its chords1 tremulous with harmonies
 verging so near to discord that pain   
would be mixed with pleasure in the     

divinest proportions4  ,greenleaf       
clapped his hands4 ,bravo1 ,easelmann6  
you have mistaken your vocation2 you    
should turn musical critic4  ,the arts  
are all akin1 he replied1 calmly        
refilling his pipe4  ,i think ,i can put
 together the various parts of your     
lecture for you1 said ,greenleaf4 ,you  
think ,i see ,nature in her gentler     
moods1 and reproduce only her placid    
features4 ,you think ,i have feeling1   
though latent1--undeveloped4 ,my nerves 
need a banging1 just enough not to      
wholly unstring them4 ,for that pleasant
 experience1 ,i am to fall in love4 ,the
 woman who has the nature to magnetize1 
overpower1 transport me is ,miss ,marcia
 ,sandford4 ,i am1 therefore1 to make   
myself as uncomfortable as possible1 in 
pursuit of a pleasure ,i know beforehand
 ,i can never obtain4 ,then1 from the   
rather prosaic level of ,scumble1 ,i    
shall rise to the grand1 gloomy1 and    
melodramatic style of ,salvator ,rosa4  
,voil tout6  ,an admirable summary4 ,you

 have listened well4 ,but tell me       
now1--what do you think8 ,or do you     
wander like a little brook1 without any 
will of your own1 between such banks as 
,fate may hem you in withal8  ,i will be
 frank with you4 ,until last season1 ,i 
never had a serious1 definite purpose in
 life4 ,i fell in love then with the    
most charming of country-girls4  ,i     
know1 interrupted ,easelmann1 in a      
denser cloud than usual1--a village     
,lucy1--'a violet 'neath a mossy stone1 
fair as a star when only one1'--you know
 the rest of it4 ,she was fair because  
there was only one4  ,silence1          
,mephistopheles6 it is my turn2 let me  
finish my story4 ,i never told her my   
love----  ',but let concealment'----    
,attend to your pipe2 it is going out4  
,i did look1 however4 ,the language of  
the eyes needs no translation4 ,i often 
walked1 sketched1 talked with the girl1 
and ,i felt that there was the          
completest sympathy between us4 ,i knew 
her feelings towards me1 as well1 ,i am 

persuaded1 as she knew mine4 ,i gave her
 no pledge1 no keepsake2 ,i only        
managed1 by an artifice1 to get her     
daguerreotype at a travelling saloon4   
,easelmann laughed4 ,let me see it1 most
 modest of lovers6  ,you sha'n't4 ,your 
evil eye shall not fall upon it ,after  
,i came to ,boston1 ,i took a room and  
began working up my sketches----  ,where
 ,i found you brushing away for dear    
life4  ,i meant to earn enough to go    
abroad1 if it were only for one look at 
the great pictures of which ,i have so  
often dreamed4 ,then ,i meant to come   
back----  ,to find your ,lucy married to
 a schoolmaster1 and with five sickly   
children4  ,no1--she is but seventeen2  
she will not marry till ,i see her4  ,i 
admire your confidence1 ,greenleaf2 it  
is an amiable weakness4  ,after ,i had  
been here a month or two1 ,i was filled 
with an unutterable sense of uneasiness4
 ,something was wrong1 ,i felt assured4 
,i daily kissed the sweet lips----  ,of 
a twenty-five-cent daguerreotype4       

,greenleaf did not notice the           
interruption4 ,i thought the eyes looked
 troubled2 they even seemed to reproach 
me2 yet the soul that beamed in them was
 as tender as ever4  ,diablerie6 ,i     
believe you are a spiritualist4  ,at    
last ,i could bear it no longer4 ,i shut
 up my room and took the cars for       
,innisfield4  ,i remember2 that was when
 you gave out that you had gone to see  
your aunt4  ,i found ,alice seriously   
ill4 ,i won't detain you further than to
 say that ,i did not leave her until she
 was completely restored1 until my long 
cherished feelings had found utterance1 
and we were bound by ties that nothing  
but death will divide4  ,really1 you are
 growing sentimental4 ,the waters verily
 are moved4  ,that is because an angel  
has troubled them4 ,you will mock1 ,i   
know2 but it is nevertheless true1 as ,i
 am told1 that1 for the week before ,i  
left ,boston1 she was in a              
half-delirious state1 and constantly    
called my name4  ,and you heard her and 

came4 ,sharp senses1 and a good1 dutiful
 boy6  ,my presentiment was strange1    
wasn't it8  ,oh1 don't try to coax me   
into believing all that6 ,it's very     
pretty1 and would make a nice little    
romance for a magazine2 but you and ,i  
have passed the age of measles and      
chicken-pox4 ,now1 to follow your       
example1 let me make a summary4 ,you are
 in love1 you say1 which1 for the sake  
of argument1 ,i will grant4 ,you are    
engaged4 ,but you are ambitious4 ,you   
want to go to ,italy1 and you hope to   
surpass ,claude1 as ,turner has         
done--over the left4 ,then you will     
return and marry the constant ,alice1   
and live in economical splendor1 on a   
capital--let me see--of eighty-seven    
dollars and odd cents1 being the        
proceeds of a certain auction-sale4     
,promising1 isn't it8  ,greenleaf was   
silent1--his pipe out4  ,don't be       
gloomy1 continued ,easelmann1 in a more 
sympathetic tone4 ,let us take a stroll 
round the ,common4 ,i never walk through

 the ,mall at sunset without getting a  
new hint of effect4  ,i agree to the    
walk1 said ,greenleaf4  ,let us take    
,charbon along with us4  ,he doesn't    
talk4  ,that's what ,i like him for2 he 
thinks the more4  ,how is one to know   
it8  ,just look at him6 talk your       
best1--parade your poetry1 your         
criticism1 your epigrams1 your puns1 if 
you have any1 and then look at him6 ,by 
,jove6 ,i don't want a better talker4 ,i
 know it's in him1 and ,i don't care    
whether he opens his mouth or not4      
,,chapter ,,ii4  ,,showing ,,how ,,much 
,,it ,,sometimes ,,costs ,,to ,,be      
,,thought ,,charitable4  ,mr4 ,sandford 
was a bachelor1 and resided in a        
pleasant street at the ,west ,end1--his 
sister being housekeeper4 ,his house was
 simply furnished1--yet the good taste  
apparent in the arrangement of the      
furniture gave the rooms an air of      
neatness1 if not of elegance4 ,there    
were not so many pictures as might be   
expected in the dwelling of a lover of  

,art1 and in many cases the frames were 
more noticeable than the canvas2 for    
upon most of them were plates informing 
the visitor that they were presented to 
,henry ,sandford for his disinterested  
services as treasurer1 director1 or     
chairman of the ,society for the ,relief
 of ,infirm ,wood-sawyers1 or some other
 equally benevolent association4 ,the   
silver pitcher and salver1 always       
visible upon a table1 were a testimonial
 from the managers of a fair for the aid
 of ,indigent ,widows4 ,a massive silver
 inkstand bore witness to the gratitude 
of the ,society of ,merchants' ,clerks4 
,and numerous ,votes of ,thanks1        
handsomely engrossed on parchment1 with 
eminent names appended1 and preserved in
 gilt frames1 filled all the available  
space upon the walls4 ,it was evident   
that this was the residence of a        
,benefactor of ,mankind4  ,it was just  
after breakfast1 and ,mr4 ,sandford was 
preparing to go out4 ,his full and      
handsome face was serene as usual1 and a

 general air of neatness pervaded his   
dress4 ,he was1 in fact1 unexceptionable
 in appearance1 wearing the look that   
gets credit in ,state ,street1 gives    
respectability to a public platform1 and
 seems to bring a blessing into the     
abodes of poverty4 ,nothing but broad   
and liberal views1 generous sentiments1 
and a noble self-forgetfulness would    
seem to belong to a man with such a     
presence4 ,but his sister ,marcia1 this 
morning1 seemed far from being pleased  
with his plans2 her tones were          
querulous1 and even severe4  ,now1      
,henry1 she exclaimed1 you are not going
 to sell that picture4 ,we've had enough
 changes4 ,every auction a new purchase1
 which you immediately fling away4  ,you
 are a very warm-hearted young woman1   
replied the brother1 and you doubtless  
imagine that ,i am able with my limited 
resources to buy a picture from every   
new painter1 besides answering the      
numberless calls made upon me from every
 quarter4  ,why did you bid for the     

picture1 then8  ,i wished to encourage  
the artist4  ,but why do you sell it1   
then8  ,monroe wants it1 and will give a
 small advance on its cost4  ,but       
,monroe was at the sale2 why didn't he  
bid for it then8  ,a very natural       
question1 ,sister ,marcia2 but it shows 
that you are not a manager4 ,however1   
,i'll explain4 ,monroe was struck with  
the picture1 and would have given a     
foolish price for it4 ,so ,i said to    
him1--',monroe1 don't be rash4 ,if two  
connoisseurs like you and me bid against
 each other for this landscape1 other   
buyers will think there is something in 
it1 and the price will be run up to a   
figure neither of us can afford to pay4 
,let me buy it and keep it a month or   
so1 and then we'll agree on the terms4  
,i sha'n't be hard with you4' ,and ,i   
won't be4 ,he shall have it for a       
hundred1 although ,i paid eighty-seven  
and odd4  ,so you speculate1 where you  
pretend to patronize ,art8  ,don't use  
harsh words1 ,sister ,marcia4 ,half the 

difficulties in the world come from a   
hasty application of terms4  ,but ,i    
want the picture2 and ,i didn't ask you 
to buy it merely to oblige ,mr4         
,greenleaf4  ,true1 sister1 but he will 
paint others1 and better ones1 perhaps4 
,i will buy another in its place4  ,and 
sell it when you get a good offer1 ,i   
suppose4  ,sister ,marcia1 you evince a 
thoughtless disposition to trifle       
with--,i hope not to wound--my feelings4
 ,how do you suppose ,i am able to      
maintain my position in society1 to     
support ,charles in his elegant         
idleness1 to supply all your wants1 and 
to help carry on the many benevolent    
enterprises in which ,i have become     
engaged1 on the small amount of property
 left us1 and with the slender salary of
 fifteen hundred dollars from the       
,insurance ,office8 ,if ,i had not some 
self-denial1 some management1 you would 
find quite a different state of things4 
,but ,i remember that you drew your last
 year's salary in a lump4 ,you must have

 had money from some source for current 
expenses meanwhile4  ,some few business 
transactions last year were fortunate4  
,but ,i am poor1 quite poor2 and nothing
 but a sense of duty impels me to give  
so much of my time and means to aid the 
unfortunate and the destitute1 and for  
the promotion of education and the arts 
that beautify and adorn life4  ,his wits
 were probably wool-gathering2 for the  
phrases which had been so often conned  
for public occasions slipped off his    
tongue quite unawares4 ,his countenance 
changed at once when ,marcia            
mischievously applauded by clapping her 
hands and crying1 ,hear6 ,he paused a   
moment1 seeming doubtful whether to make
 an angry reply2 but his face           
brightened1 and he exclaimed1--  ,you   
are a wicked tease1 but ,i can't be     
offended with you4  ,bye-bye1 ,henry1   
she replied4 ,some committee is probably
 waiting for you4 ,then1 as he was about
 closing the door1 she added1--,i was   
going to say1 ,henry1 if your charities 

are not more expensive than your        
patronage of ,art1 you might afford me  
that moire antique and the set of pearls
 ,i asked you for4         99       99  
99       99       99  ,we will follow   
,mr4 ,sandford to the ,insurance        
,office4 ,it was only nine o'clock1 and 
the business of the day did not begin   
until ten4 ,but the morning hour was    
rarely unoccupied4 ,as he sat in his    
arm-chair1 reading the morning papers1  
,mr4 ,monroe entered4 ,he was a clerk in
 the commission house of ,lindsay and   
,company1 in ,milk ,street1--a man of   
culture and refined taste1 as well as   
attentive to business affairs4 ,with an 
active1 sanguine temperament1 he had the
 good-humor and frankness that usually  
belong to less ardent natures4          
,simple-hearted and straightforward1 he 
was yet as trustful and affectionate as 
a child4 ,he was unmarried and lived    
with his mother1 her only child4  ,ah1  
,monroe1 said ,sandford1 with           
cordiality1 you don't want the picture  

yet8 ,let it remain as long as you can1 
and ,i'll consider the favor when we    
settle4  ,no1--,i'm in no hurry about   
the picture4 ,i have a matter of        
business ,i wish to consult you about4  
,my mother had a small property1--about 
ten thousand dollars4 ,up to this time  
,i haven't made it very profitable1 and 
,i thought--  ,just then a visitor      
entered4 ,the ,president of the ,society
 for the ,reformation of ,criminals came
 with a call for a public meeting4  ,you
 know1 my dear ,sir1 said the           
,president1 that we don't expect you to 
pay2 we consider the calls made upon    
your purse2 but we want your name and   
influence4  ,mr4 ,sandford signed the   
call1 and made various inquiries        
concerning the condition and prospects  
of the society4 ,the ,president left    
with a smile and a profusion of thanks4 
,before ,mr4 ,sandford was fairly seated
 another person came in4 ,it was the    
,secretary of the ,society for the ,care
 of ,juvenile ,offenders4  ,we want to  

have a hearing before the city          
government1 said he1 and we have secured
 the aid of ,mr4 ,greene ,satchel to    
present the case4 ,won't you give us    
your name to the petition1 as one of the
 officers8 ,no expense to you2 some     
wealthy friends will take care of that4 
,we don't desire to tax a man who lives 
on a salary1 and especially one who     
devotes so much of his time and money to
 charity4  ,thank you for your          
consideration1 said ,mr4 ,sandford1     
signing his name in a fair round hand4  
,once more the friends were left alone1 
and ,monroe proceeded1--  ,i was going  
on to say that perhaps you might know   
some chance for a safe investment4  ,mr4
 ,sandford appeared thoughtful for a    
moment4  ,yes1--,i think ,i may find a  
good opportunity2 seven per cent41      
possibly eight4  ,excellent6 said       
,monroe4  ,there was another            
interruption4 ,a tall1 stately person   
entered the office1 wearing a suit of   
rather antique fashion1 apparently      

verging on sixty years1 yet with a      
clear1 smooth skin1 and a bright1 steady
 eye4 ,it was the ,honorable ,charles   
,wyndham1 the representative of an      
ancient family1 and beyond question one 
of the most eminent men in the city4    
,mr4 ,sandford might have been secretly 
elated at the honor of this visit1 but  
he rose with a tranquil face and calmly 
bade ,mr4 ,wyndham good morning4  ,my   
young friend1 began the great man1 ,i am
 happy to see you looking so well this  
morning4 ,i have not come to put any new
 burdens on your patient shoulders2 we  
all know your services and your         
sacrifices4 ,this time we have a little 
recompense1--if1 indeed1 acts of        
beneficence are not their own reward4   
,the ,board are to have a social meeting
 at my house to-night1 to make          
arrangements for the anniversary2 and we
 think a frugal collation will not be   
amiss for those who have worked for the 
,society so freely and faithfully4  ,mr4
 ,sandford softly rubbed his white hands

 and bowed with a deprecatory smile4  ,i
 know your modesty1 said ,mr4 ,wyndham1 
and will spare you further compliment4  
,your accounts are ready1 ,i presume8 ,i
 intend to propose to the ,board1 that1 
as we have a surplus1 you shall receive 
a substantial sum for your disinterested
 services4  ,they were standing near    
together1 leaning on a tall mahogany    
desk1 and the look of benevolent        
interest on one side1 and of graceful   
humility on the other1 was touching to  
see4 ,mr4 ,sandford laid his hand softly
 on his distinguished friend's shoulder1
 and begged him not to insist upon      
payment for services he had been only   
too happy to render4  ,we won't talk    
about that now2 and ,i must not detain  
you longer from business4 ,good morning6
 ,and with the stateliest of bows1 and a
 most gracious smile1 the ,honorable    
,mr4 ,wyndham retreated through the     
glass door4  ,when ,mr4 ,sandford had   
bowed the visitor out1 he returned to   
,monroe with an expression of weariness 

on his handsome face4 ,so many affairs  
to think of6 so many people to see6     
,really1 it is becoming vexatious4 ,i   
believe ,i shall turn hunks1 and get a  
reputation for downright stinginess4    
,but your visitors are pleasant people1 
said ,monroe1--and the last1 certainly1 
was a man whom most men think it an     
honor to know4  ,you mean ,wyndham4 ,oh1
 yes1 ,wyndham is a good fellow2 a      
little prosy sometimes1 but means well4 
,we endure the ,dons1 you know1 if they 
are slow4  ,monroe thought his friend   
hardly respectful to the head of the    
,wyndham family1 but set it down as an  
awkward attempt at being facetious4     
,well1 about that money of yours8 said  
,sandford4  ,i left it1 as a loan on    
call1 at ,danforth's4 ,but how do you   
propose to invest it8  ,i haven't fully 
made up my mind4 ,perhaps it is best you
 should not know4 ,i will guaranty you  
eight per cent41 and agree to return the
 principal on thirty days' notice4 ,so  
you can try1 meanwhile1 and see if you  

can do better4  ,monroe agreed to the   
proposal1 and drew a check on the broker
 for the amount1 for which ,sandford    
signed a note1 payable thirty days after
 presentation4 ,the friends now         
separated1 and ,monroe went to his      
warehouse4  ,stockholders began to come 
to look over the morning papers1 and    
chat about the news1 the stocks1 and the
 degeneracy of the times4 ,what a club  
is to an idle man of fashion1--what a   
sewing-society is to a scandal-loving   
woman1--what a billiard-room is to a man
 about town1--what the ,athenum is to   
the sober and steadfast                 
bibliolater1--that is the ,insurance    
,office to the retired merchant1 bald   
and spectacled1 who wanders like a ghost
 among the scenes of his former         
activity4 ,the comfortable chairs1 and  
in winter the social fires in open      
grates1--the slow-going and respectable 
newspapers1 the pleasant view of ,state 
,street1 and1 above all1 the            
authoritative disposition of public     

affairs upon the soundest mercantile    
principles of profit and loss1--all     
these constitute an attraction which no 
well-brought-up ,bostonian1 who has     
money to buy shares1 cares to resist1 at
 least until the increasing size of his 
buckskin shoes renders locomotion       
difficult4  ,to all these solid men ,mr4
 ,sandford gave a hearty good-morning1  
and a frank1 cheerful smile4 ,they took 
up the journals and looked over the     
telegraphic dispatches1 thinking1 as    
they were wont1 that the old ,vortex was
 lucky1 above all ,companies1 in its    
honest1 affable1 and intelligent        
,secretary4  ,mr4 ,sandford retired to  
his private room and looked hastily at  
his morning letters2 but his mind did   
not seem to be occupied with the        
business before him4 ,he rang the bell  
for the office-boy4 ,tom1 said he1 go   
and ask ,mr4 ,fletcher to step down here
 a minute4 ,he mused after the boy left1
 tapping his fingers on the table to the
 time of a familiar air4 ,if ,i can keep

 ,fletcher from dabbling in stocks1 ,i  
shall make a good thing of this4 ,i     
shall keep a close watch on him4 ,to    
manage men1 there is nothing like       
knowing how to go to work at them4 ,,all
 the fools are jack-a-dandies1 and one  
has only to find where the strings hang 
to make them dance as he will4 ,i have  
,fletcher fast4 ,i heard a fellow       
talking about taming a man1             
,rarey-fashion1 by holding out a pole to
 him with a bunch of flowers4 ,pooh6    
,the best thing is a bit of paper with a
 court seal at the corner1 stuck on the 
end of a constable's staff4  ,mr4       
,fletcher entered presently1--the office
 where he was employed being only a few 
doors off4 ,he was a slender young man1 
with strikingly regular features and    
delicate complexion2 his mobile mouth   
was covered by a fringy moustache1 and  
his small keen eyes were restless to a  
painful degree4 ,the sudden summons     
appeared to have flustered him2 for his 
eyes danced more than usual1 giving him 

the startled and perplexed look of a    
hunted animal at bay4 ,he was speedily  
reassured by ,sandford's bland voice and
 encouraging smile4  ,a new opening1    
,fletcher1--a 'pocket1' as the          
,californians call it4 ,is there any    
chance to operate8 ,just look about4 ,i 
have the funds ready4 ,something safe1  
and fat1 too4  ,plenty of chances to    
those who look for them1 replied        
,fletcher4 ,the men who are hard up are 
the best customers2 they will stand a   
good slice off2 and if a man is sharp1  
he can deal as safely with them as with 
the ,a #as1 who turn up their noses at  
seven per cent4  ,you understand1 ,i    
see4  ,i think ,i ought4 ,papyrus1 only 
yesterday1 was asking if anything could 
be done for him1--about fifteen hundred2
 offers ,sandbag's note with only thirty
 days to run4 ,the note was of no use to
 him1 because the banks require two     
names1 and his own isn't worth a straw4 
,but ,sandbag is good4  ,we'll take it4 
,about a hundred off8  ,fletcher nodded4

  ,i've plenty more to invest1          
,fletcher4 ,let me know if you see any  
paper worth buying4  ,fletcher nodded   
again1 but looked expectant1 much like a
 dog 7not wishing to degrade him by the 
comparison7 waiting with longing eyes   
while his master eats his morning       
mutton-chop4  ,fletcher1 said ,sandford1
 ,i'll make this an object to you4 ,i   
don't mind giving you five dollars1 as  
soon as we have ,papyrus's indorsement  
on the note4 ,and1 speaking of the      
indorsement1 let him sign his name1 and 
then bring me the note4 ,i wish to put  
on the name of the person to whose order
 it is to be payable4  ,then it is on   
the account--  ,of whom it may concern1 
broke in ,sandford4 ,don't stand with   
your mouth open4 ,that is my affair4    
,but if you pay me only five dollars--  
,that is so much clear gain to you4 ,do 
you suppose that we--my backer and      
,i--shall run the risk for nothing8     
,good morning6 ,attend to your own      
affairs at ,danforth's properly4 ,don't 

burn your fingers with any new          
experiments4 ,there's a crash coming and
 stocks will fall4 ,good morning6  ,the 
,secretary looked relieved when         
,fletcher closed the door1 and speedily 
dispatched the necessary letters and    
orders for the ,company4 ,then leaving  
the affairs of the ,vortex in the hands 
of his clerk1 he strolled out for his   
usual lunch4 ,wherever he walked1 he was
 met with smiles and greetings of       
respect4 ,he turned into an alley1      
entered an eating-house1 and took his   
place at a table2 he ordered and ate his
 lunch1 and then left1 with a nod       
towards the counter4 ,the landlord1 who 
began on credit1 expected no pay from   
the man who procured him money          
accommodations4 ,no waiter had ever seen
 a sixpence from his purse4 ,how should 
a man be expected to pay1 who spent his 
substance and his time so freely in     
charity8   ,,chapter ,,iii4             
,,containing ,,some ,,confessions ,,not 
,,intended ,,for ,,the ,,public ,,ear4  

,miss ,marcia ,sandford1 after          
breakfast1 was sitting in her chamber   
with her widowed sister-in-law1 who had 
come to spend a few months with her late
 husband's family4 ,the widow no longer 
wore the roses of youth1 but was yet on 
friendly terms with ,time2 indeed1 so   
quietly had their annual settlements    
passed off1 that it would have puzzled  
any one not in their confidence to tell 
how the account stood4 ,the simplicity  
of her dress1 the chastened look1 and   
the sobriety of phrase1 of which her    
recent affliction was the cause1 might  
have hinted at thirty-five2 but when her
 clear1 placid eye was turned upon you1 
and you saw the delicate flush deepening
 or vanishing upon a smooth cheek1 and  
noted the changeful expression that     
hovered like a spiritual presence around
 her mouth1 it would have been treason  
to think of a day beyond twenty4 ,she   
had known but little of ,marcia1 and    
that little had shown her only as a     
lover of dress and of admiration1       

besides being capricious to a degree    
unusual even in a spoiled favorite4  ,a 
musical soire was under consideration4  
,marcia was a proficient upon the harp  
and piano1 and1 as she had heard that   
,mr4 ,greenleaf1 the handsome painter1  
as she called him1 was a fine singer1   
she determined to practise some operatic
 duets with him1 that should move all   
her musical friends to envy4  ,you seem 
to have taken a strong liking to this   
,mr4 ,greenleaf1 ,marcia4  ,yes1 ,lydia1
 replied the beauty1 ,i do like him1    
exceedingly1--what ,i have seen of him4 
,he will do--for a month or so4 ,people 
are frequently quite charming at first1 
like fresh bouquets1--but dull and tame 
enough when the dew is off4  ,but you   
can't have a new admirer1 as you have   
fresh flowers1 every day4  ,that's true1
 and pity 'tis1 'tis true4  ,what a     
female ,bluebeard you are6  ,wouldn't   
you1 now1 like to meet some new1        
delightful person every day8 ,consider  
how prosaic a man is1 after you know all

 about him4  ,i always find something   
new in a man really worth knowing4  ,do 
you8 ,i wish ,i could4 ,i always look   
them through as ,i used to my toys4 ,i  
never cared for my 'crying babies1'     
after ,i found out what made them       
squeak4  ,i am afraid the comparison    
will hold out farther than you intended4
 ,you were never satisfied with your    
toys until you had not only explored    
their machinery1 but smashed them into  
the bargain4  ,but men stand it better  
than toys4 ,if they get smashed1 as you 
say1 they heal wonderfully4 ,i sometimes
 think1 that1 like lobsters1 they can   
repair their injuries by new            
growths1--fresh claws1 and fins1 and    
feelers4  ,complimentary1 truly6 but ,i 
notice that you don't speak of vital    
organs4  ,hearts1 you mean1 ,i suppose4 
,that is an obsolete idea1--a relic of  
superstition4  ,but how many of these   
broken idols have you thrown aside1     
,marcia8 ,have you kept account8  ,dear 
me6 no6 ,why should ,i8  ,it would be   

interesting1 ,i think1 to a student of  
social statistics1 to know how many     
engagements there are to one marriage1  
how many offers to one engagement1 how  
many flirtations to one offer1 and how  
many tender advances to one flirtation4 
,oh1 ,lydia6 ,love and ,arithmetic6 they
 never went together4 ,i leave all      
calculations to my wise and busy        
brother4 ,i like to wander like a       
hummingbird1 that keeps no account of   
the flowercups it has sipped out of4    
,let us reckon4 ,i can help you1        
perhaps4 ,i have heard you talk of half 
a dozen4 ,there is ,colonel             
,langford1--one4  ,handsome1 proud1 and 
shallow4 ,let him go6  ,there is        
,lieutenant ,allen1--two4  ,fierce1     
impatient1 and exacting4 ,he can go     
also4 ,i had as lief be loved by a lion4
  ,next is ,mr4 ,lanman1--three4  ,wily1
 plausible1 passionate1 and treacherous4
 ,he is only a cat in a new sphere of   
existence4  ,then there is ,denims1--,i 
am not sure about the order1--four4     

,rich1 vain1 and stupid2--there never   
was such a dolt4  ,but you kept him for 
a longer time than usual4  ,yes1 rather2
 but he was too dull to understand my   
ironical compliments1 or to resent my   
studied neglect4  ,jaunegant makes five4
  ,oh1 the precious crony of my brother 
,charles6 ,the best specimen of the     
dandy race4 ,the man who gives so much  
love to himself and his clothes1 that he
 has none to spare for any one else4    
,but1 ,lydia1 this is tedious2 we shall 
never get through at this rate4         
,besides1 with a mock-sentimental air1  
you have not been here long enough to   
know the melancholy history1--to count  
the wrecks that are strewn along the    
coast1 where the ,siren resorts4 ,let me
 take up the list4 ,corning1 who really 
loved me1 7six17 and went to sea to cure
 the heart-ache4 ,i heard of him in     
,state ,street a month ago1--with a blue
 shirt and leather belt1 and chewing a  
piece of tobacco as large as his thumb4 
,he seemed happy as a king4  ,i saw a   

kind of tobacco advertised as ',the     
,solace'2--the name was given by some   
disappointed swain1 ,i suppose4         
,probably1 said ,marcia1 smiling4 ,then 
there was ,outrack1 7seven17 who was so 
furious at the refusal1 that he         
immediately married the gay ,miss       
,flutter ,budget1 forty-five1 short1    
stout1 and fifty thousand dollars1--he  
twenty-six1 tall1 slender1 and some     
distant expectations4 ,i heard him1 at a
 party1 call her ',dear'6  ,i don't     
think you get on any faster than ,i did4
 ,we shall have to finish the tour of   
the portrait-gallery another day4  ,you 
are not tired8 ,i wanted to tell you of 
several more4 ,yet ,i don't know why ,i 
should4 ,i declare to you seriously1    
that ,i never before mentioned the names
 of these persons in this way1 nor      
referred to them as rejected lovers4  ,i
 have no doubt of it4 ,it has seemed    
like a fresh1 spontaneous confession4   
,there is some magic about you1 ,sister 
,lydia4 ,you invite confidence2 or      

rather1 you seem to be like one of those
 chemical agents that penetrate         
everything2 there's no resisting you4   
,don't protest4 ,i know what you would  
say4 ,it isn't your curiosity4 ,you are 
no ,paulina ,pry2 if you were1 precious 
little you would get from me4  ,but1    
,marcia1 let me return a moment to what 
you were saying4 ,did the reason never  
occur to you1 why you so soon become    
tired of your admirers8 ,you see through
 them1 you say4 ,is it not possible that
 a lady who has the reputation of       
caprice1--a flirt1 as the world is apt  
to call her1--though ever so brilliant1 
witty1 and accomplished1 may not attract
 the kind of men that can bear scrutiny1
 but only the butterfly race1 fit for a 
brief acquaintance8 ,believe me1        
,marcia1 there is a reason for          
everything1 and1 with all your beauty   
and fascination1 you must yourself have 
the element of constancy1 to win the    
admiration of the best and worthiest    
men4  ,so1 you are going to preach8 said

 ,marcia1 rather crestfallen4  ,no1 ,i  
don't preach4 ,but what ,i see1 ,i ought
 to tell you2 ,i should not be a good   
sister otherwise4  ,i'll think about it4
 ,but now for the musical party4 ,i mean
 to send for ,mr4 ,greenleaf1 to        
practise some songs and duets4 ,he is   
not a butterfly1 ,i am sure4  ,but1     
,marcia1 is it well1 is it right1 for   
you to try to fascinate this new friend 
of yours1 unless you feel something more
 than a transient interest in him8  ,how
 can ,i tell what interest ,i shall feel
 in him1 until ,i know him better8  ,but
 you know his circumstances and his     
prospects4 ,you are not the woman to    
marry a poor painter4 ,you have too many
 wants2 or rather1 you have become      
accustomed to luxuries that now seem to 
be necessaries4  ,true1 ,i haven't the  
romance for love in a cottage4 ,but a   
painter is not necessarily a bad match2 
if he doesn't become rich1 he may be    
distinguished4 ,and besides1 no one     
knows what will happen from the         

beginning of an acquaintance4 ,we will  
enjoy the sunshine of to-day2 and if    
to-morrow brings a darker sky1 we must  
console ourselves as we can4  ,what an  
,epicurean6 ,well1 ,marcia1 you are not 
a child2 you must act for yourself4     
,marcia made no reply1 but sat down to  
her desk to write a note2 and her       
sister-in-law soon after went to her own
 room4  ,during all this conversation1  
,mrs4 ,sandford was struck by the tone  
which the beautiful coquette assumed4   
,her words were aptly chosen1 her       
sentences smoothly constructed2 she     
never hesitated2 and there was an       
ever-present air of consciousness1 that 
left no conviction of sincerity4        
,whether she uttered sentiments of      
affection1 or sharp criticism upon      
character1 there was the same level flow
 of language1 the same nicely modulated 
intonation4 ,there was no flash of      
enthusiasm1 none of those outbursts in  
which the hearer feels sure that the    
heart has spoken4 ,mrs4 ,sandford was   

thoroughly puzzled4 ,marcia had never   
been otherwise than kind2 in fact2 she  
seemed to be studiously careful of the  
feelings of others1 except when her     
position as reigning belle made it      
necessary to cut a dangler4 ,this       
methodical speech and unruffled grace of
 manner might be only the result of     
discipline4 ,truth and honesty might    
exist as well under this artificial     
exterior as in a more impulsive nature4 
,but the world generally thinks that    
whoever habitually wears a smiling mask 
has some secret end to serve thereby4 ,i
 like this painter1 ,greenleaf1 she     
soliloquized1 and ,i mean to look out   
for him4 ,i am persuaded that ,marcia   
would never marry him2 and ,i think he  
is too sensitive1 too manly1 to be a fit
 subject for her experiments4           
,,chapter ,,iv4  ,,concerning           
,,constancy ,,and ,,the ,,affinities4   
,a ,musical soire8 ,famous1 my boy6 said
 ,easelmann1 as he sat1 smoking as      
usual1 in his fourth-story atelier with 

,greenleaf1 watching the sun go down4   
,making progress1 ,i see4 ,you have     
nothing to do2 the affair will take care
 of itself4  ,what affair8  ,don't be   
stupid 7puff74 ,your affair with ,miss  
,sandford 7puff74 ,there's a wonderful  
charm in music 7puff74 ,two such young  
people might fall in love1 to be sure1  
without singing together 7puff74 ,but   
music is the true aqua regia2 it        
dissolves all into its own essence4 ,a  
piano and a tenor voice will do more    
than a siege of months1 though aided by 
a battery of bouquets4  ,how you run on6
 ,i have called twice1--once with you1  
and the second time by the lady's       
invitation4 ,besides1 ,i told           
you--indiscreetly1 ,i am afraid--that ,i
 am really engaged to be married4  ,oh1 
yes1 ,i have not forgotten the touching 
story 7puff72 but we get over all       
things1 even such passions as yours4 ,we
 are plants1 that thrive very well for a
 while in the pots we sprouted in1 but  
after a time we must have a change of   

soil4  ,i don't think we outgrow        
affection1 honor1 truth4  ,that is all  
very pretty2 but our ideas of honor and 
truth are apt to change4  ,i don't      
believe you are half so bad a fellow1   
,easelmann1 as you would have me think4 
,you utter abominable sentiments1 but   
you behave as well as other             
people--nearly4  ,thank you4 ,but listen
 a moment4 7,laying down his pipe47 ,do 
you have the same tastes you had at     
eighteen8 ,i don't refer to the bumpkins
 with whom you played when a boy1 and   
who1 now that you have outgrown them1   
look enviously askance at you4 ,i don't 
care to dwell on your literary          
tastes1--how you have outgrown ,moore   
and ,festus-,bailey1 and are fast       
getting through ,byron4 ,i won't pose   
you1 by showing how your ideas in ,art  
have changed1--what new views you have  
of life1 society2--but think of your    
ideas of womanly1 or rather1 girlish    
beauty at different ages4 ,by ,jove1 ,i 
should like to see your innamoratas     

arranged in chronological order6  ,it   
would be a curious and instructive      
spectacle4  ,you may well say that6 ,let
 me sketch a few of them4  ,i think ,i  
could do it better4  ,no1 every man     
thinks his own experience peculiar2 but 
life has a wonderful sameness1 after    
all4 ,besides1 you would flatter the    
portraits4 ,not to begin too early1 and 
without being particular about names1   
there was1 first1 ,amanda1 aged         
fourteen2 face circular1 cheeks         
cranberry1 eyes hazel1 hair brown and   
wavy1 awkward when spoken to1 and       
agreeable only in an osculatory way4    
,now1 being twenty-five1 she is married1
 has two children1 is growing stout1 and
 always refers to her lord and master as
 ',he1' never by any accident           
pronouncing his name4 ,second1 ,julia2  
sixteen1 flaxen-haired1 lithe1 not      
ungraceful1 self-possessed1 and perhaps 
a little pert4 ,she is unmarried2 but1  
having fed her mind with no more solid  
aliment than country gossip1 no sensible

 man could talk to her five minutes4    
,third1 ,laura2 eighteen1 black hair1   
with sharp outlines on the temples1 eyes
 heavily shaded and coquettishly        
managed1 jewelry more abundant than     
elegant1 repeats poetry by the page1    
keeps a scrap-book1 and writes endless  
letters to her female friends4 ,she is  
still romantic1 but has learned         
something from experience1--is not so   
impressible as when you knew her4 ,i    
won't stop to sketch the pale poetess1  
nor the dancing hoyden1 nor the sweet   
blue-eyed creature that lisped1 nor the 
mature and dangerously-charming widow   
that caused some perturbations in your  
regular orbit4  ,now1 my dear fellow1   
,easelmann continued1 you fancied that  
your whole existence depended upon the  
hazel or the blue or the black eyes1 in 
turn2 but at this time you could see    
their glances turned in rapture upon    
your enemy1 if you have one1 without a  
pang4  ,one would think you had just    
been reading ,cowley's charming poem1   

',henrietta first possest4' ,but what is
 the moral to your entertaining little  
romance8 ,that love must always be      
transient8  ,not necessarily1 but       
generally4 ,we are travelling at        
different rates of progress and on      
different planes4 ,happy are the lovers 
who advance with equal step1 cultivating
 similar tastes1 with agreeing theories 
of life and its enjoyments6  ,wise      
philosopher1 how comes it1 that1 with so
 just an appreciation of the true basis 
of a permanent attachment1 you remain   
single8 ,i see a gray hair or two1 not  
only on your head1 but in that favorite 
moustache of yours4  ,gray8 ,oh1 yes6   
gray as a badger1 but immortally young4 
,as for marriage1 ,i'm rather past that4
 ,i had my chance2 ,i lost it1 and shall
 not throw again4  ,easelmann did not   
seem inclined to open this sealed book  
of his personal history1 and the friends
 were silent4 ,greenleaf at length broke
 the pause4  ,i acknowledge the justice 
of your ideas in their general          

application1 but in my own case they do 
not apply at all4 ,i was not in my teens
 when ,i went to ,innisfield1 but in the
 maturity of such faculties as ,i have4 
,alice satisfies my ideal of a lovely1  
loving woman4 ,she has capabilities1    
taste1 a thirst for improvement1 and    
will advance in everything to which ,i  
am led4  ,i won't disturb your dreams1  
nor play the ,mephistopheles1 as you    
sometimes call me4 ,i am rather serious 
to-day4 ,but here you are where every   
faculty is stimulated1 where you        
unconsciously draw in new ideas with    
your daily breath4 ,alice remains in a  
country town1 without society1 with few 
books1 with no opportunity for culture  
in ,art or in the minor graces of       
society4 ,you are not ready to marry2   
your ambition forbids it1 and your means
 will not allow it4 ,and before the time
 comes when you are ready to establish  
yourself1 think what a difference there 
may be between you6 ,the thought is     
cruel1 but worth your consideration none

 the less4--,but let us change the      
subject4 ,what are you doing8 ,any new  
orders8  ,two new orders4 ,one for a    
large picture from ,mr4 ,sandford4 ,the 
price is not what it should be1 but it  
will give me a living1 and ,i am        
thankful for any employment4 ,i loathe  
idleness4 ,i die1 if ,i haven't         
something to do4  ,mere uneasiness1 my  
youthful friend6 ,be tranquil1 and you  
will find that laziness has its         
comforts4 ,however1 to-morrow let me see
 your pictures4 ,you lack a firmness and
 certainty of touch that nothing but    
practice will give4 ,but your forms are 
faithfully drawn1 your eye for color is 
sharp and true1 and1 what is more than  
all1 you have the poetry which informs1 
harmonizes1 and crowns all4  ,i am      
grateful for your friendly criticism1   
said ,greenleaf1 with a sudden flush4   
,you know that people call you blunt1   
and that most of the artists think you  
almost malicious in your severity2 but  
you are the only man who ever talks     

sincerely to me4  ,easelmann noticed the
 emotion1 and spoke abruptly1--  ,depend
 upon it1 if ,i see anything faulty1 you
 will know it2 if you think that        
friendly1 ,i am your friend4 ,but look  
over there1 where the sunset clouds are 
reflected in the ,back ,bay4 ,now1 if ,i
 should put those tints of gold and     
salmon and crimson and purple1 with     
those delicate shades of apple-green1   
into a picture1 the mob would say1      
',what an absurd fellow this painter is6
 ,where did he find all that ,joseph's  
coat of colors8' ,the mob is a drove of 
asses1 ,greenleaf4  ,come1 let us take  
our evening stroll4  ,have you seen     
,charbon1 to-day8  ,no4 ,but ,i should  
like to4  ,we'll call for him4  ,yes1 ,i
 rather like his brilliant silence4     
,next week1 let us go to ,nahant4 ,i    
want you to try your hand on a coast    
view4 ,but what1 what are you about8 ,at
 that trumpery daguerreotype again8 ,let
 me see the beauty1--that's a good boy6 
,no6  ,then put it up4 ,if you won't    

show it1 don't aggravate a fellow in    
that way4  ,to be continued4            
,,spirits ,,in ,,prison4#c       ,i4    
,o ye1 who1 prisoned in these festive   
rooms1       ,lean at the windows for a 
breath of air1     ,staring upon the    
darkness that o'erglooms       ,the     
heavens1 and waiting for the stars to   
bare     ,their glittering glories1     
veiled all night in cloud1       ,i know
 ye scorn the gas-lights and the feast6 
,i saw you leave the music and the      
crowd1       ,and turn unto the windows 
opening east2     ,i heard you          
sigh1--,when will the dawn's dull ashes 
,kindle their fires behind yon          
fir-fringed height8     ,when will the  
prophet clouds with golden flashes      
,unroll their mystic scrolls of crimson 
light8     ,fain would ,i come and sit  
beside you here1       ,and silent press
 your hands1 and with you lean     ,into
 the midnight1 mingling hope and fear1  
,or pining for the days that might have 
been6       ,,ii4      ,are we not      

brothers8 ,in the throng that fills     
,these strange enchanted rooms we met4  
,one look     ,told that we knew each   
other4 ,sudden thrills1       ,as of two
 lovers reading the same book1     ,ran 
through our hurried grasp4 ,but when we 
turned1       ,the scene around was     
smitten with a change3     ,the lamps   
with lurid fire-light flared and burned2
       ,and through the wreaths and     
flowers1--oh1 mockery strange6--        
,the prison-walls with ghastly horror   
frowned2       ,scarce hidden by        
vine-leaves and clusters thick1     ,a  
grim cold iron grating closed around4   
,then from our silken couches leaping   
quick1     ,we hurried past the dancers 
and the lights1       ,nor heeded the   
entrancing music then1     ,nor the fair
 women scattering delights       ,in    
flower-like flush of dress1--nor paused 
till when1     ,leaning against our     
prison-bars1 we gazed       ,into the   
dark1 and wondered where we were4       
,speak to me1 brothers1 for ye stand    

amazed6       ,i come1 your secret      
burthen here to share6       ,,iii4     
,i know not this mysterious land around4
       ,black giant trees loom up in    
form obscure4     ,odors of gardens and 
of woods profound       ,blow in from   
out the darkness1 fresh and pure4       
,faint sounds of friendly voices come   
and go1       ,that seem to lure us     
forth into the air2     ,but whence they
 come perchance no ear may know1        
,and where they go perchance no foot may
 dare4       ,,iv4      ,a realm of     
shadowy forms out yonder lies4          
,beauty and ,power1 fair dreams pursued 
by ,fate1     ,wheel in unceasing       
vortex2 and the skies       ,flash with 
strange lights that bear no name nor    
date4     ,sweet winds are breathing    
that just fan the hair1       ,and      
fitful gusts that howl against the bars1
     ,and harp-like songs1 and groans of
 wild despair1       ,and angry clouds  
that chase the trembling stars4     ,and
 on the iron grating the hot cheek      

,we press1 and forth into the night we  
call1     ,and thrust our arms1 that1   
manacled and weak1       ,clutch but the
 empty air1 and powerless fall4         
,v4      ,and yet1 ,o brothers6 we1 who 
cannot share       ,this life of lies1  
this stifling day in night1--     ,know 
we not well1 that1 if we did but dare   
,break from our cell1 and trust our     
manhood's might1     ,when once our feet
 should venture on these wilds1         
,the night would prove a sweet1 still   
solitude1--     ,not dark for eyes that1
 earnest as a child's1       ,strove in 
the chaos but for truth and good8       
,and oh1 sweet liberty1 though wizard   
gleams       ,and elfin shapes should   
frighten or allure1     ,to find the    
pathway of our hopes and dreams1--      
,by toil to sweeten what we should      
endure1--     ,to journey on1 though but
 a little way1       ,towards the       
morning and the fir-clad heights1--     
,to follow the sweet voices1 till the   
day       ,bloomed in its flush of      

colors and of lights1--     ,to look    
back on the valley and the prison1      
,the windows smouldering still with     
midnight fires1     ,and know the joy   
and triumph to have risen       ,out of 
that falsehood into new desires6     ,o 
friends6 it may be hard our chains to   
burst1       ,to scale the ramparts1    
pass the sentinels2     ,dark is the    
night2 but we are not the first         
,who break from the enchanter's evil    
spells4     ,though they pursue us with 
their scoffs and darts1       ,though   
they allure us with their siren song1   
,trust we alone the light within our    
hearts6       ,forth to the air6        
,freedom will dawn ere long6            
,,footnotes3  ,footnote #c3 #a ,peter1  
iii4 #ai4     ,,punch4   ,not           
inebriating1 but exhilarating punch2 not
 punch of which the more a man imbibes  
the worse he is1 but punch of which the 
deeper the quaffings the better the     
effects2 not a compound of acids and    
sweets1 hot water and fire-water1 to    

steal away the brains1--but a finer     
mixture of subtler elements1 conducive  
to mental and moral health2 not1 in a   
word1 punch1 the drink1 but ,punch1 the 
wise wag1 the genial philosopher1 with  
his brevity of stature1                 
goodly-conditioned paunch1              
next-to-nothing legs1 protuberant back1 
bill-hook nose1 and twinkling eyes1--to 
speak respectfully1 ,mr4 ,punch1        
attended by the solemnly-sagacious1     
ubiquitously-versatile ,toby1 together  
with the invisible company of           
skirmishers of the quill and pencil1    
producing in his name those ever-welcome
 sheets1 flying forth the world over1   
with hebdomadal punctuality4 ,of the    
ingredients and salutary influence of   
this ,punch--an institution and power of
 the age1 no more to be overlooked among
 the forces of the nineteenth century   
than is the steam-engine or the magnetic
 telegraph--we propose to speak2--not1  
however1 because of the comicality of   
the theme2 for the fun that surrounds1  

permeates1 and saturates it would hardly
 move us to discourse of it here1 if it 
had not higher claims to attention4 ,to 
take ,punch only for a clown is to      
mistake him egregiously4 ,joker as he   
is1 he himself is no joke4 ,the         
fool's-cap he wears does not prove him  
to be a fool2 and even when he touches  
the tip of his nasal organ with his     
fore-finger and winks so irresistibly1  
meaning lurks in his facetious features1
 to assure you he does not jest without 
a purpose1 or play the buffoon only to  
coin sixpences4 ,the fact1 then1 we     
propose to illustrate is this3--that    
,punch is a teacher and philanthropist1 
a lover of truth1 a despiser of cant1 an
 advocate of right1 a hater of shams1--a
 hale1 hearty old gentleman1 whose      
notions are not dyspeptic croakings1 but
 healthful opinions of good digestion1  
and who1 though he wear motley and      
indulge in drolleries without measure1  
is full of sense and sensibility4  ,the 
birth-place and parentage of ,punch are 

involved in some doubt1--a fate he      
shares with several of the world's other
 heroes1 ancient and modern4 ,accounts  
differ2 and as he has not chosen to     
settle the question autobiographically1 
we follow substantially the             
narrative#d--that ought to be true2 for1
 mythical or historical1 it             
appropriately localizes and fitly       
circumstances the nativity of the       
humorist of the age4  ,in #ahda1 ,mark  
,lemon1 a writer of considerable        
ability1 was the landlord of the        
,shakspeare ,head1 ,wych ,street1       
,london4 ,a tavern with such a publican 
and such a name was1 of course1         
frequented by a circle of wits1 with    
whom1 in the year just mentioned1       
originated ,punch4 ,lemon 7how could    
there be punch without a lemon87 has    
been the editor from the outset4 ,from  
which of the knot of good fellows the   
bright idea of the unique journal first 
emanated does not appear4 ,the paternity
 has been ascribed to ,douglas ,jerrold4

 ,its name might have been suggested by 
the place of its birth4 ,if so1 it at   
once lost all associations with the     
ladle and the bowl1 and received a wider
 and better interpretation4 ,the hero of
 the famous puppet-show was chosen for  
the typical presiding genius and sponsor
 of the novel enterprise4 ,and there is 
no neater piece of allegorical writing  
in our language than the introductory   
article of the first number1 wherein is 
exquisitely shadowed forth the moral of 
the work1 ,punch1--suggestive of that   
graver puppetry1 the visual and oral    
cheats1 by which mankind are cajoled4   
,punch1 the exemplar of boldness and    
philosophic self-control1 is the quaint 
embodiment of the intention to pursue a 
higher object than the amusement of     
thoughtless crowds1--an intention which 
has been adhered to with remarkable     
fidelity4 ,the first number appeared    
,july #agth1 and the serial has lived   
over a decade and a half1 and grown to  
the bulk of thirty-four or thirty-five  

volumes4 ,it was not1 however1 built in 
a day4 ,it knew a rickety infancy and   
hours of peril1 and owes its rescue from
 neglect and starvation1 its subsequent 
and constantly increasing prosperity1 to
 the enterprising publishers1--,bradbury
 and ,evans1--who nursed and            
resuscitated it at the critical moment4 
,well-known contributors to the         
letter-press have been ,jerrold1 ,albert
 ,smith1  ,beckett1 ,hood1 and          
,thackeray2 whilst ,henning1 ,leech1    
,meadows1 ,browne1 ,forrester1 ,gilbert1
 and ,doyle have acted as designers4 ,of
 these men of letters and art1 ,lemon   
and ,leech1 it is said1 alone remain2   
some of the others broke off their      
connection with the work at different   
periods1 and some have passed away from 
earth4 ,their places have been supplied 
by the ,mayhews1 ,tom ,taylor1 ,angus   
,reach1 and ,shirley ,brooks1 and the   
historical painter1 ,tenniel4 ,these    
changes have mostly been made behind the
 scenes2 the impersonality of the       

paper--to speak after the ,hibernian    
style--being personified by ,mr4 ,punch 
himself1--ostensibly1 by a              
well-preserved and well-managed conceit1
 its sole conductor through all its     
vicissitudes and during the whole of its
 brilliant career4 ,whatever becomes of 
correspondents1 ,punch never resigns and
 never dies4 ,the baton never falls from
 his grasp4 ,he sits in his arm-chair1  
the unshaken ,master of the             
,revels1--though thrones totter1 kings  
abdicate1 and revolutions convulse      
empires4 ,troubles may disturb his      
household2 but thereby the public does  
not suffer4 ,he still lives1--immortal  
in his funny and fascinating            
idiosyncrasies4  ,the ingredients of    
,punch1 the instrumentalities by which  
he has won fame and victories1 are      
almost too multifarious for enumeration4
 ,all the merry imps which beset ,leigh 
,hunt1 when about to compile selections 
from the comic poets1 belong to ,punch's
 retinue4 ,doubles of ,similes1         

,buffooneries of ,burlesques1 ,stalkings
 of ,mock ,heroics1 ,stings in the      
,tails of ,epigrams1 ,glances of        
,innuendoes1 ,dry ,looks of ,irony1     
,corpulencies of ,exaggerations1        
,ticklings of ,mad ,fancies1 ,claps on  
the ,backs of ,horse ,plays1            
,flounderings of ,absurdities1          
,irresistibilities of ,iterations1      
,significances of ,jargons1 ,wailings of
 ,pretended ,woes1 ,roarings of         
,laughter1 and ,hubbubs of ,animal      
,spirits1 all appear1 singly or in      
companies1 to flash1 ripple1 dance1     
shoot1 effervesce1 and sparkle1 in prose
 and verse1 vignettes1 sketches1 or     
elaborate pictures1 on the ever-shifting
 and always entertaining pages of the   
,london ,charivari4 ,of one prominent   
form of the exhibition of this          
inexhaustible arsenal1 namely1 the      
illustrations1 special notice is to be  
taken4 ,these1 notwithstanding their    
oddity1 extravagance1 and burlesqueness1
 by reason of their grace1 finish1 and  

good taste1 frequently get into the     
proximity of the fine arts4 ,this       
elevation of sportive drawing is mainly 
to be put to the credit of manly ,john  
,leech1--the very ,dickens of the       
pencil4 ,he and his associates have     
proved that the humorous side of things 
may be limned with mirth-provoking      
truth1 and that vices and follies may be
 depicted with a vigorous and accurate  
crayon1 without coarseness or vulgarity1
 or pandering to depraved sentiments4   
,herein is most commendable success4    
,punch's gallery--with but few1 if any  
exceptions--may be opened to the purest 
eyes4 ,in it there is much of           
,hogarthian genius1 without anything    
that needs a veil4 ,in alluding to the  
agencies of ,punch1 it would be doing   
him great injustice to leave the        
impression that they are all of a       
mirthful character4 ,often is he        
tearfully1 if at the same time          
smilingly1 pathetic4 ,seriousness1      
certainly1 is not his forte1 and he is  

not given to homilies and moral essays4 
,usually he gilds homoeopathic pills of 
wisdom with a thick coating of humor4   
,yet1 now and then1 his vein is an      
earnest vein1 and he speaks from the    
abundance of a tender and deeply-moved  
heart4 ,this is especially true of some 
of his poetical effusions1 which rank   
high among the best fugitive pieces of  
the times4 ,that ,hood's ,song of the   
,shirt was an original contribution to  
his columns is almost enough of itself  
to show that ,punch1 like some other    
famous comedians1 can start the silent  
tear1 as well as awaken peals of        
laughter4 ,and this is but one of many  
instances in point that might be cited4 
,in his productions you often meet      
golden sentences of soberest counsel1   
beautiful tributes to real worth1       
stirring appeals for the oppressed1 and 
touching eulogies of the loved and lost4
  ,thus much of the history and         
machinery of ,punch4 ,his salutary      
influence is to be spoken of next4 ,but 

before venturing upon what may seem     
indiscriminate praise1 let it be        
confessed that our hero is not without  
his weaknesses4 ,nothing human is       
perfect1 and ,punch is very human4 ,the 
good ,homer sometimes nods2 so doth the 
good ,punch4 ,he does not always perform
 equally well1--keep up to his highest  
level4 ,if he never entirely disappoints
 his audience1 he fails sometimes to    
shoot the brightest arrows of his quiver
 and hit his mark so as to make the     
scintillating splinters fly4 ,now and   
then he has been slightly dull1         
forgotten himself and his manners1 gone 
too far1 got into the wrong box1 missed 
seizing the auricular appendage of the  
right pig1 run things into the          
ground1--blundered as common and        
uncommon people will4 ,under these      
general charges we must1 painful as it  
is to speak of the errors of a favorite1
 enter a few specifications4  ,the      
writer of the prospectus1 before        
referred to1 seems to have had a        

premonitory fear--growing out of his bad
 treatment of ,judy--that ,punch in his 
new vocation might fail of uniform      
gentlemanliness towards the ladies2 and 
time has shown that there were some     
little grounds for the apprehension4    
,the droll hunchback's virulent dislike 
of mothers-in-law seems the nursed-up   
wrath of an unhappy personal experience4
 ,vastly amusing as were the ,caudle    
,lectures1 it is a question whether     
excessive indulgence in the luxury of   
satire upon a prolific theme did not    
infuse into them over-bitter            
exaggeration1 not favorable to the      
culture of domestic felicity4 ,did these
 celebrated curtain-homilies stand      
alone1 their sharp and unrivalled humor 
might save ,punch from the censure of   
being once in a while the least bit of a
 ,bluebeard4 ,but1 for the most gallant 
gentleman1 on the whole1 in the ,united 
,kingdom1 he is not so invariable in    
fairness towards the fair as could be   
wished4 ,the follies and frivolities of 

absurd fashions are his proper game2 and
 he does brave service in hunting them  
down4 ,still1 his warfare against       
crinoline1 small bonnets1 and other     
feminine fancies in dress1 has been     
tiresomely inveterate4 ,even ,mr4 ,punch
 had better1 as a general rule1 leave   
the management of the female toilette to
 those whom it most nearly concerns4    
,but in his case1 the scolding or       
pouting should not be inexorable2 for in
 one way he atones amply for all his    
impertinence4 ,he paints his young      
ladies pretty and graceful1 being1 with 
all his sly satire1 evidently fond of   
the sex1 the juvenile portion at least4 
,surely1 a ,compliment so uniform and   
tasteful must more than outweigh his    
teasing and banter with the amiable     
subjects of both4  ,of ,punch as a local
 politician we are hardly fair judges1  
and it may be a mistaken suspicion that 
he has occasionally given up to party   
what was meant for mankind4 ,with       
respect to foreign affairs1 we shall be 

safer in saying1 that1 with all his     
cosmopolitanism1 he is a shade or two   
,john-,bullish4 ,thanking him for his   
fraternal cordiality towards ,jonathan1 
we must doubt if it will do to trust    
implicitly his reports and impressions  
of men and things across the ,channel4  
,that he is more than half right1       
however1 when lingering remains of      
insular prejudice tinge his solicitude  
to save his native land from entangling 
alliances1 and keep its free government 
from striking hands with despotism1 we  
incline to believe2 and we honor him    
that his loyalty is not mere adulation1 
but duly seasoned with the democratic   
principle that would have the stability 
of the throne the people's love1--the   
people being of infinitely greater      
importance than the propping-up or the  
propagation of royal houses4 ,in one sad
 direction ,punch's patriotism and      
humanity1 it seems to us1 were wrathful 
exaggerations1 open to graver objection 
than yielding unconsciously to a natural

 bias4 ,in his zeal against terrible    
outrages1 he forgot that two wrongs     
never make a right4 ,we refer to his    
course on the ,indian ,revolt4 ,from the
 way he raised his voice for war1 almost
 exterminating1 and with no quarter1 one
 would think the ,british rule in the   
,east had been the rule of ,christian   
love1--that ,sepoys and other subjects  
had known the reigning power only as    
patriarchal kindness1--and so1 without  
excuse1 a highly civilized1 justly and  
tenderly treated people1 suddenly1 and  
without provocation1 became rebellious  
devils1 and rebellious only because they
 were devils4 ,in the hour of           
horror-struck indignation1 was not      
,punch too blood-thirsty1 vindictive1   
unjust1 and oblivious to the truth of   
history1 that the insurgents are poor   
superstitious heathens1 whom a selfish  
policy may have kept superstitious and  
heathenish8 ,true1 he was the witness of
 broken hearts and desolate             
hearth-stones at home1 and daily heard  

of hellish atrocities inflicted on the  
women and children abroad1--enough to   
crush out for the moment every thought  
but the thought of vengeance4 ,yet1 even
 at such a crisis1 he should have       
remembered1 that ,england1 in strict    
accordance with the stern1 unrelenting  
logic of events1 having sown to the     
wind1 might therefore have reaped the   
whirlwind4 ,it is among the mysteries of
 ,providence1 that retributive justice1 
when visiting nations1 often involves   
innocent victims1--but it is retributive
 justice still2 and tracing up rightly  
the chain of causes and effects1 it may 
be that the tragedies of ,delhi and     
,lucknow are attributable1 to say the   
least1 as much to the avarice of the    
dominant as to the depravity of the     
subjugated race4 ,the bare possibility  
that this might be the truth a          
philosopher like ,punch ought not to    
have overlooked1 in the suddenness and  
fire of his anger4  ,finally1 ,punch is 
no ascetic1 but quite the reverse4 ,he  

cannot be expected1 any more than his   
namesake1 the beverage1 to go down with 
the apostles of temperance4 ,he is a    
convivialist1--moderately so1--and no   
teetotaler4 ,he evidently prefers       
roast-beef and brown-stout to bran-bread
 and cold water1 and has gone so far as 
to sing the praises of pale-ale4 ,he    
thinks the laboring classes should have 
their pot of beer1 if the nobility and  
gentry are to eat good dinners and take 
airings in ,hyde ,park1 on ,sundays4 ,he
 is a ,merry ,englishman1 as to the     
stomach1--and1 like a ,merry            
,englishman1 enjoys good living4 ,there 
is no denying this fact2 but here is the
 whole front of his offending4 ,remember
 that he was born at the ,shakspeare's  
,head1 and has had a publican for his   
right-hand man4  ,these are defects1 it 
may be2 and yet not by its defects are  
we to judge of a work of ,art4 ,of that 
generous and just canon ,punch should   
have the full benefit4 ,try him by that1
 and he has abounding virtues to flood  

and conceal with lustrous and far-raying
 light his exceptional errors4 ,to brief
 notices of some of these--regretting   
the want of room to enlarge upon them as
 it would be pleasant to do--we gladly  
turn4  ,punch is to be loved and        
cherished as the maker of mirth for the 
million4 ,saying this1 we do not propose
 to go into an argument to excuse1      
justify1 or recommend hilarity for its  
own sake or its medicinal effects on    
overtasked bodies and souls4 ,desperate 
attempts have been made to prove the    
innocence of fun1 and the allowableness 
of wit and humor4 ,assuming or conceding
 that the jocose elements or capacities 
of human nature need apology and        
defence1 very nice distinctions have    
been drawn1 and very ingenious sophistry
 employed1 to prove that the best of    
people may1 within certain limits1 crack
 jokes1 or laugh at jokes cracked for   
them4 ,these efforts to accommodate     
stern dogmas to that pleasant stubborn  
fact in man's constitution1 his         

irresistible craving for play1 and      
irresistible impulse to laugh at        
whatever is really laughable1 are about 
as necessary as would be an essay       
maintaining the harmlessness of         
sunshine4 ,the fact has priority over   
the dogmas1 and is altogether too strong
 to need the patronizing                
special-pleading they suggest4 ,instead 
of going into the metaphysics of the    
question about the lawfulness and       
blamelessness of humor shown or humor   
relished1 suppose we cut the knot by a  
delightful illustration of the          
compatibility of humor with the highest 
type of character4  ,no one will deny   
the sincerity1 earnestness1 devotedness1
 sublime consecration to duty1 of the   
heroine of the hospitals of ,scutari4   
,no one will dispute the practical piety
 of the gentle1 but fearless1 the       
tenderhearted1 but truly strong-minded  
woman1 who made the lazar-house her home
 for months together1--ministered to its
 sick1 miserable1 and ignorant          

inmates1--put1 by the unostentatious    
exercise of indomitable faith and       
unswerving self-sacrifice1 the love and 
humanity of the ,gospel in direct and   
strongest contrast with the barbarisms  
of war4 ,no one will deny or dispute    
this now4 ,that heroic ,english maiden1 
whose shadow1 as it fell on his pillow1 
the rude soldier kissed with almost     
idolatrous gratitude1 has won1 without  
thought of seeking it1 and without the  
loss of a particle of humility and      
womanly delicacy1 the loving admiration 
of all ,christendom4 ,well1 she         
whose presence honors queenly guests1   
,who wears the noblest jewel of her     
time1     ,and leaves her race a nobler1
 in her name1  shall be the sufficient  
argument here1--especially as none have 
paid finer1 more delicate1 or truer     
tributes to her virtue than ,punch4 ,in 
a recent sketch of her career1          
accompanying her portrait in the gallery
 of noted women1 this sentence is given 
from a descriptive letter3--,her general

 demeanor is quiet and rather reserved2 
still1 ,i am much mistaken1 if she is   
not gifted with a very lively sense of  
the ridiculous4 ,here is a delightful1  
and1 we doubt not1 true intimation4     
,since the springs of pathos lie very   
near the springs of humor1 in the       
richest souls1 the fair ,florence must1 
in moments of weariness1 have glanced   
with merry eyes over the pages of       
,punch1 or handed1 with smiling         
archness1 his inimitable numbers to her 
wan and wounded patients1 kindly to     
cheat them into momentary forgetfulness 
of their agonies4 ,if this were so1 who 
shall say that the use or enjoyment of  
wit is not as right as it is natural8   
,none1 unless it be the narrowest of    
bigots1--like those who objected to this
 heroic lady's mission of mercy to the  
,east1 because she did not echo their   
sectarian shibboleths1 and would not ask
 whether a good nurse were ,protestant  
or ,romanist4  ,we may repeat1          
therefore1 as a prime excellence of     

,punch1 that he is the maker of mirth   
for the million4 ,he is mainly engaged  
in furnishing titillating               
amusement1--and he furnishes an article1
 not only marketable1 but necessary4    
,all work makes ,jack a dull boy1--and  
not infrequently an unhappy1 if not bad 
boy1--whether ,jack be in the pulpit1   
the counting-room1 the senate-house1 or 
digging potatoes2 and what is true of   
,jack is equally true of ,gill1 his     
sister1 sweetheart1 or wife4 ,that      
,punch every week puts a girdle of      
smiles round the earth1 interrupts the  
serious business of thousands by his    
merry visits1 and with his ludicrous    
presence delights the drawing-room1     
cheers the study1 and causes            
side-shakings in the kitchen1--entitles 
him to be called a missionary of good4  
,grant this1--then allow1 on the        
average1 five minutes of merriment to   
each reader of each issue of            
,punch1--then multiply these #e minutes 
by--say #ej1jjj1 and this again by #eb  

weeks1 and this1 finally1 by #ag years1 
and thus cipher out1 if you have a      
tolerably capacious imagination1 the    
amount of happiness which has flowed and
 spread1 like a river of gladness1      
through the world1 from that            
inexhaustible1 bubbling1 and sparkling  
fountain1 at #he1 ,fleet ,street1       
,london4  ,punch is the advocate of true
 manliness4 ,velvet robes and gilded    
coronets go for nothing with him1 if not
 worn by muscular integrity2 and fustian
 is cloth-of-gold1 in his eyes1 when it 
covers a stout heart in the right place4
 ,he has no mercy on snobbism1          
flunkeyism1 or dandyism4 ,he whips      
smartly the ignoble-noble fops of the   
household-troops1--parading them on     
toy-horses1 and making them1 with       
suicidal irony1 deplore the hardships of
 comrades in the ,crimea4 ,he sneers at 
the loungers1 and the delicate1         
dissipated rous of the                  
club-house1--though their names were    
once worn by renowned ancestors1 and are

 in the peerage4 ,fast young men are to 
him befooled prodigals1 wasting the     
wealth of life in profitless living4 ,he
 is not1 however1 an anchorite1 or hard 
upon youth4 ,on the contrary1 he is an  
indulgent old fellow1 and too sagacious 
to expect the wisdom of age from those  
sporting their freedom-suits4 ,still1 he
 has no patience with the foppery whose 
whole existence advertises fine clothes1
 patronizes taverns1 saunters along     
fashionable promenades1 and ogles       
opera-dancers4 ,in this connection1 his 
hits at the rising generation will be   
called to mind4 ,punch has found out    
that in ,england there are no boys      
now1--only male babies and precocious   
men2--no growing up1--only a leap from  
the cradle1 robe1 and trousers to the   
habiliments and manners of a false      
manhood4 ,punch has found out and       
frequently illustrates this fact1 and   
furnishes a series of pictures of       
,liliputians aping the questionable     
doings of their elders4 ,it is          

observable1 however1 that he confines   
these portraits of precocity chiefly to 
one sex4 ,whether this be owing to his  
innate delicacy and habitual gallantry1 
or to the ,english custom of keeping    
little girls--and what we should call   
large girls also--at home longer1 and   
under more restraint1 than in our       
republic1 we cannot say4 ,were he on    
this side of the ,atlantic1 he might    
possibly find occasion to be less       
partial in the use of his reproving fun4
 ,young misses seem to be growing       
scarce1 and young ladies becoming       
alarmingly numerous4 ,the early date at 
which the cry comes for long skirts1    
parties1 balls1 and late hours1 for     
lace1 jewelry1 and gold watches1        
threatens to rob our homes of one of    
their sweetest charms1--the bright      
presence of joyous1 gentle1 and modest  
lasses1 willing to be happy children for
 as many years as their mothers were1 on
 their way to maidenhood and womanhood4 
,punch is a reformer1--and of the right 

type1 too2 not destructive1 declamatory1
 vituperative2 not a monomaniac1 snarly1
 and ill-natured1--as if zeal in riding 
a favorite hobby excused exclusiveness  
of soul and any amount of bad temper4   
,he would not demolish the social system
 and build on its ruins a new one2 being
 clearly of the opinion that the growths
 of ages and the doings of six thousands
 of years are to be respected1--that    
progress means improvement upon the     
present1 rather than overthrow of the   
entire past4 ,calm1 hopeful1 cheerful1  
and patient1 he is at the same time bold
 and uncompromising1 and a bit radical  
into the bargain4 ,in his own delicious 
way1 he has been no mean advocate of    
liberal principles and measures4 ,he has
 argued for the repeal of the corn and  
the modification of the game laws1 the  
softening of the cruelties of the       
criminal code1 and the fair             
administration of law for all orders and
 conditions of men and women4 ,he has   
had no respect for ermine1 lawn1 or     

epaulets1 in his assaults upon the      
monopolies and sinecures of ,church and 
,state1 circumlocution offices1         
nepotism1 patronage1 purchase1 and      
routine1 in army or navy4 ,he wants the 
established religion to be religious1   
not a cover for aristocratic preferments
 and dog-in-the-manger laziness1--and   
government administered for the whole   
people1 and not merely dealing out      
treasury-pap and fat offices for the    
pensioned few4 ,punch is loyal1 sings   
lustily1 ,god ,save the ,queen1 and     
stands by the ,constitution4 ,he is a   
true-born ,englishman1 and patriotic to 
the backbone2 but none are too high in  
place or name for his merciless ridicule
 and daring wit1 if they countenance    
oppressive abuses4 ,it is a tall feather
 in his fool's-cap1 that his fantastic  
person is a dread to evil-doers on      
thrones1 in cabinets1 and red-tape      
offices4 ,crowned tyrants1 bold         
usurpers1 and proud statesmen are       
sensitive1 like other mortals1 to       

ridicule1 and know very well how much   
easier it is to cannonade rebellious    
insurgents than to put down the general 
laugh1 and that the point of a joke     
cannot be turned by the point of the    
bayonet4 ,punch was seized in ,paris on 
account of the caricature of the        
,sphinx1 but after twenty-four hours'   
consideration the order of confiscation 
was rescinded1 and the irreverent       
publication now lies upon the tables of 
the reading-rooms4 ,so1 iron power is   
not beyond the reach of the shafts of   
wit2 once make it ridiculous1 and it may
 continue to lie dreaded1 but will cease
 to be respected4  ,limits permitting1  
it would be pleasant to refer at length 
to various other marked graces of       
,punch1--such1 for example1 as his care 
for true ,art1 by exposing to merited   
contempt the abortions of statuary1     
painting1 and architecture that come    
under his accurate eye1--his concern for
 good letters1 exhibited in fantastic   
parodies of affectations1 mannerisms1   

absurdities of plot1 and vices of style 
in modern poets and novelists1--his nil 
nisi bonum1 and1 where there is no      
bonum1 his silent nil1 of the dead1 whom
 when living he pursued with unrelenting
 raillery1--his cool1 eclectic          
judgments1 freedom from extremes1 and   
other manifestations of clear-headedness
 and refined sentiment1 glimmering and  
shooting through his rollicking         
drollery1 quick wit1 and quiet humor4   
,but we must pass them by1 to emphasize 
a quality that out-tops and outshines   
them all1--his humanity4  ,this is ,mr4 
,punch's specialty1 generating his      
purest fun and consecrating his         
versatile talents to highest ends4      
,wherever he catches meanness1 avarice1 
selfishness1 force1 preying upon the    
humble and the weak1 he is sure to give 
them hard knocks with his baton1 or     
home-thrusts with his pen and pencil4   
,his practical kindness is charmingly   
comprehensive1 too4 ,he speaks for the  
dumb beast1 pleads for the maltreated   

brutes of ,smithfield ,market1 craves   
compassion for skeleton omnibus-horses1 
with the same ready sympathy that he    
fights for cheated fellow-mortals4 ,in  
the court of public opinion1 he is      
volunteer counsel for all in any way    
defrauded or kept in bondage by pitiless
 pride1 barbarous policy1 thoughtless   
luxury1 or wooden-headed prejudice4 ,his
 sound ethics do not admit that the     
lower law of man's enactment can1 under 
any circumstances1 override or abrogate 
the higher laws of ,god4 ,consequently1 
he judges with unbiased1 instinctive    
rectitude1 when he shows up in black and
 white the ,model ,republic's criminal  
anomaly1 by making the ,african ,slave a
 companion-piece to the ,greek ,slave1  
among ,jonathan's contributions to the  
great ,crystal ,palace ,exhibition4 ,in 
this same vein of a wide-ranging        
application of the ,golden ,rule1 he is 
ever on the alert to brand inhuman deeds
 and institutions1 wherever found4 ,you 
cannot very often hit him with the tu   

quoque retort1 insinuate that he lives  
in a house of glass1 or charge him with 
visiting his condemnation upon distant  
iniquities whilst winking at iniquities 
of equal magnitude directly under his   
nose4  ,punch is no ,mrs4 ,jellyby1     
brimful of zeal for ,borrio boolas in   
far-off ,africas1 and utterly stolid to 
disorders and distresses under his own  
roof4 ,proud of the glory1 he feels and 
confesses the shame of ,england2 and the
 grinding injustice of her caste-system1
 aristocracy1 and hierarchy does not    
escape the lash of his rebuke4 ,he is   
the friend of the threadbare curate1    
performing the larger half of clerical  
duty and getting but a tittle of the    
tithes1--of the weary seamstress1       
wetting with midnight tears the costly  
stuff which must be ready to adorn      
heartless rank and fashion at           
to-morrow's pageant1--of the pale       
governess1 grudgingly paid her pittance 
of salary without a kind word to sweeten
 the bitterness of a lonely lot4 ,he is 

the friend even of the workhouse        
juveniles1 and1 as their champion1      
castigates with cutting sarcasm and     
stinging scorn the reverend and         
honorable guardians1 who1 just as1 full 
of hope1 they had reached the door of   
the theatre1 prohibited a band of these 
wretched orphans from availing of a     
kind-hearted manager's invitation to an 
afternoon performance of ,jack and the  
,bean-,stalk4 ,truly1 ,punch is more    
than half right1 as1 in his indignation1
 he declares1 ,it will go luckily with  
some four-faced ,christians1 if1 with   
the fullest belief in their own right of
 entry of paradise1 they are not        
'stopped at the very doors'2 and the    
parson1 in the case1 gets but his       
deserts1 when at his lugubrious         
sham-piety are hurled stanzas like      
these3--      ,their little faces beamed
 with joy      ,two miles upon their    
way1     ,as they supposed1 each girl   
and boy1      ,about to see the play4   
,their little cheeks with tears were    

wet1      ,as back again they went1     
,balked by a sanctimonious set1         
,led by a ,reverend ,gent4      ,and if 
such ,reverend ,gents as he      ,could 
get the upperhand1     ,ah1 what a      
hateful tyranny      ,would override the
 land6     ,that we may never see that  
time1      ,down with the canting crew  
,that would out of their pantomime      
,poor little children do6  ,punch is the
 friend of all who are friendless1 and1 
with a generous spirit of protection1   
gives credit to whom credit is due1     
whatever conventionality1 precedent1    
monopoly1 or routine may say to the     
contrary4 ,during the ,crimean ,war1 he 
took care of the fame of the            
rank-and-file of the army4 ,the         
dispatches to ,downing ,street1         
reporting the gallantry of titled       
officers1 were more than matched by     
,punch's imitative dispatches from the  
seat of war1 setting forth the exploits 
of ,sergeant ,o',brien1 ,corporal       
,stout1 or ,private ,gubbins4 ,he saw to

 it that those who had the hardest of   
the fight1 the smallest pay1 and the    
coarsest rations1 should not be         
forgotten in the gazetting of the       
heroes4 ,indeed1 our comic friend's     
fellowship of soul with the humblest    
members of the human family is a notable
 trait2 it is so ready1 and yet withal  
so judicious4 ,it is no part of his     
philosophy1 as already intimated1       
violently and rashly to disturb the     
existing order of things1 and set one   
class in rebellion against other        
classes4 ,he simply insists upon the    
recognition of the law of mutual        
dependence all round4 ,this is          
observable in his dealing with the vexed
 question of domestic service4 ,the     
prime trouble of housekeeping comes in  
frequently for a share of his attention2
 and underneath ironical counsels1 you  
may trace1 quietly insinuating itself   
into graphic sketches1 the genial intent
 fairly to adjust the relations between 
life above and life below stairs4       

,accordingly1 ,punch sees no reason why 
,angelina may have a lover in the       
parlor1 whilst ,bridget's engagement    
forbids her to entertain a fond follower
 in the kitchen2 and he perversely      
refuses to see how it can be right for  
,miss ,julia to listen to the soft      
nonsense of ,captain ,augustus ,fitzroy 
in the drawing-room1 and entirely wrong 
for ,molly1 the nursery-maid1 to blush  
at the blunt admiration of the          
policeman1 talking to her down the area4
 ,punch is independent and original in  
this respect4 ,his strange creed seems  
to be1 that human nature is human       
nature1--whether1 in its feminine       
department1 you robe it in silk or      
calico1 and1 in its male department1    
button a red coat over the breast of an 
officer of the ,guards1 or put the      
coarse jerkin on the broad back of the  
industrious toilsman4 ,and according to 
this whimsical belief1 he writes and    
talks jocosely1 but with covert common  
sense4 ,his warm and catholic humanity  

runs up and down the whole social scale 
with a clear-sighted equity4 ,his       
philanthropy is what the word literally 
signifies1--the love of man as man1 and 
because he is a man4 ,without being an  
impracticable fanatic1 advocating       
impossible theories1 or theories that   
can grow into realities only with the   
gradual progress of the race1--without  
indulging in fanciful visions of        
unapproached ,utopias1--without         
imagining that all1 wherever born and   
however nurtured1 can reach the same    
level of wealth and station1--he holds1 
not merely that      ,honor and shame   
from no condition rise1  but also1 be   
the condition high or low1 the worthy   
occupant of it1 by reason of the common 
humanity he shares with all above and   
all beneath and all around him1 has a   
brother's birthright to brotherly       
treatment1 to even-handed justice and   
open-handed charity4  ,we have taken it 
for granted that ,punch is a household  
necessity and familiar friend of our    

readers2 and1 resisting as far as       
possible the besetting temptation to    
refer in detail to the many pictorial   
and letter-press illustrations of his   
merits1 have spoken of him as a         
representative man1--the universally    
acknowledged example of the legitimate  
and beneficent uses of the sportive     
faculties2 thus indirectly claiming for 
these faculties more than toleration4   
,the variety in human nature must       
somehow be brought into unity1 and its  
diversified1 strongly contrasted        
elements shown to be parts of a         
symmetrical and harmonious whole4 ,the  
philosophy1 the religion1 which         
overlooks or condemns any of these      
elements1 is never satisfactory1 and    
fails to win sincere belief1 because of 
its felt incompleteness4 ,all men have  
an instinctive faith that in ,god's plan
 no incontestable facts are exceptional 
or needless facts4 ,science assumes this
 in regard to the phenomena of the      
natural world2 and1 in its progressive  

searches1 expects to discover continual 
proof that all manifestations1 however  
opposite and contradictory1 are parts of
 one beneficent scheme4 ,accordingly1   
,science starts on its investigations   
with the conviction that the storm is as
 salutary as the sunshine1--that there  
is utility in what seems mere           
luxury1--and that ,nature's loveliness  
and grandeur1 ,nature's oddity and      
grotesqueness1 have a substantial value1
 as well as ,nature's wheat-harvests4   
,now the same principle is to be        
recognized in dealing with things       
spiritual4 ,it may not be affirmed that 
anything appertaining to universal      
consciousness--spontaneous1             
irresistible1 as breathing--is of itself
 base1 and therefore to be put away2    
since so to do is to question the       
,creative ,wisdom4 ,the work of the     
,infinite ,spirit must be consistent2   
and you might as truly charge the bright
 stars with malignity as denounce as    
vile one faculty or capacity of the     

mind4 ,consequently1 there is a use for 
all forms of wit and humor4  ,punch     
represents a genuine phase of human     
nature1--none the less genuine because  
human nature has other and far different
 phases4 ,that there is a time to mourn 
does not prove there is no time to      
dance4 ,punch has his part1 and his     
times to play it1 in the melodrama1 the 
mixed comedy and tragedy1 of existence4 
,what we have to do is to see that he   
interferes with no other actor's rle1   
comes upon the stage in fitting scenes1 
keeps to the text and the impersonations
 which right principle and pure taste   
assign him4 ,his grimaces are not for   
the church4 ,he may not sing his catches
 when penitent souls are listening to   
the ,miserere1 drop his torpedo-puns    
when life's mystery and solemnity are   
pressed heavily upon the soul1--be      
irreverent1 profane1 or vulgar4 ,he must
 know and keep his place4 ,but he should
 have his place1 and have it confessed2 
and that place is not quite at the end  

of the procession of the benefactors of 
the race4 ,punch1 as we speak of him    
now1 is but a generic name for ,protean 
wit and humor1 well and wisely employed4
 ,as such1 let ,punch have his mission2 
there is ample room for him and his     
merry doings1 without interfering with  
soberer agencies4 ,let him go about     
tickling mankind2 it does mankind good  
to be tickled occasionally4 ,let him    
broaden elongated visages2 there are    
many faces that would be improved by    
horizontal enlargement1 by having the   
corners of the mouth curved upward4 ,let
 him write and draw as funny as he can2 
there are dull talking and melancholy   
pictures in abundance to counterbalance 
his pleasantry4 ,let him amuse the      
children1 relax with jocosity the       
sternness of adults1 and wreathe into   
smiles the wrinkles of old age4 ,let    
him1 in a word1 be a ,merry             
,andrew1--the patron and promoter of    
frolicsomeness4 ,to be only this is     
nothing to his discredit2 and to esteem 

him for being only this is not to pay   
respect to a worthless mountebank4  ,but
 ,punch is and can be something more    
than a caterer of sport4 ,kings1 in the 
olden time1 had their jesters1 who1     
under cover of blunt witticisms1 were   
permitted1 to utter home-truths1 which  
it would have cost grave counsellors and
 dependent courtiers their heads to even
 whisper4 ,punch should enjoy a similar 
immunity in this age1--and society      
tolerate his free and smiling speech1   
when it would thrust out sager monitors4
 ,if it be true that      ,fools rush in
 where angels fear to tread1  something 
like the converse of this saying is also
 true4 ,not fools exactly1 but wisdom   
disguised in the motley of wit1 often   
gains entrance to ears deaf to angelic  
voices4 ,there are follies that are to  
be laughed out of their silliness and   
sinfulness4 ,there are tyrants1 big and 
little1 to be dethroned by ridicule4    
,there are offences1 proof against      
appeals to conscience1 that wince and   

vanish before keen satire4 ,even as a   
well-aimed joke brings back good-humor  
to an angry mob1 or makes mad and       
pugnacious bullies cower and slink away 
from derision harder to stand than hard 
knocks1--even so will a quizzical ,punch
 be efficient as a philanthropist1 when 
sedate exhortations or stern warnings   
would fail to move stony insensibility4 
,as an element in effective literature1 
a force in the cause of reform1 the     
qualities ,punch personifies have been  
and are of no slight service4 ,and      
herein those qualities have an          
indefeasible title to regard4 ,let there
 be no vinegar-faced1 wholesale         
denunciation of them1 because sometimes 
their pranks are wild and overleap the  
fences of propriety4 ,rather let        
appreciation of their worthiness        
accompany all reproving checks upon     
their extravagances4 ,let nimble fun1   
explosive jokes1 festoon-faced humor1   
the whole tribe of gibes and quirks1    
every light1 keen1 and flashing weapon  

in the armory of which ,punch is the    
keeper1 be employed to make the world   
laugh1 and put the world's laughter on  
the side of all right as against all    
wrong4 ,if this be not done1 the        
seriousness of life will darken into    
gloom1 its work become slavish tasks1   
and the conflict waged be a terrible    
conflict between grim virtues and       
fiendish vices4 ,if you could shroud the
 bright skies with black tempest-clouds1
 burn to ashes the rainbow-hued flowers1
 strike dumb the sweet melodies of the  
grove1 and turn to stagnant pools the   
silver streams1--if you could do this1  
thinking thereby to make earth more of a
 paradise1 you would be scarcely less   
insane than if you were to denounce and 
banish all      ,quips1 and cranks1 and 
wanton wiles1     ,nods1 and becks1 and 
wreathd smiles1     ,sport1 that        
wrinkled care derides1     ,and         
laughter1 holding both his sides4       
,,footnotes3  ,footnote #d3 ,see        
,parton's ,humorous ,poetry4     ,,the  

,,subjective ,,of ,,it4   ,toward the   
close of a dreamy1 tranquil ,july day1 a
 day made impressive beyond the possible
 comprehension of a dweller in          
civilization by its sun having risen for
 us over the unbroken wilderness of the 
,adirondack1 a mountain-land in each of 
whose deep valleys lies a blue lake1 we1
 a party of hunters and                 
recreation-seekers1 six beside our      
guides1 lay on the fir-bough-cushioned  
floor of our dark camp1 passing away the
 little remnant of what had been a day  
of rest to our guides and of delicious  
idleness to ourselves4 ,the camp was    
built on the bold shore of a lake which 
yet wants a name worthy its beauty1 but 
which we always1 for want of such a one1
 call by that which its white discoverer
 left it1--,tupper's ,lake1--whose      
waters1 the untremulous mirror of the   
forests and mountains around and the sky
 above1 gleamed to us only in blue      
fragments through the interstices of the
 leafy veil that intervened4 ,the forest

 is unbroken to the water's edge1 and   
even out over the water itself it       
stretches its firs and cedars1 gray and 
moss-draped1 with here and there a      
moisture-loving white-birch1 so that    
from the very shore one sees only       
suggestive bits of distance and sky2 and
 from where we were lying1 sky1 hills1  
and the water below were all blue alike1
 and undistinguishable alike1 glimpses  
of a world of sunlight1 which the       
grateful shadow we lay in made delicious
 to the thought4 ,we were sheltered     
right woodsman-like2--our little house  
of fresh-peeled bark of spruces1 twelve 
feet by nine1 open only to the east1 on 
which side lay the lake1 shielded us    
from wind and rain1 and the huge trees  
shut around us so closely that no eye   
could pierce a pistol-shot into their   
glades4 ,there were blue-jays all about 
us1 making the woods ring with their    
querulous cries1 and a single fish-hawk 
screamed from the blue overhead1 as he  
sailed round and round1 watching the    

chances of a supper in the lake4        
,between us and the water's edge1 and a 
little to one side of the path we had   
bushed out to the shore1 was the tent of
 the guides1 and there they lay asleep1 
except one who was rubbing up his man's 
rifle1 which had been forgotten the     
night before when we came in from the   
hunt1 and so had gathered rust4  ,three 
of our party were sleeping1 and the     
others talked quietly and low1          
desultorily1 as if the drowsiness had   
half conquered us too4 ,the conversation
 had rambled round from a discussion on 
the respective merits of the ,sharp's   
and the ,kentucky rifles 7consequent on 
a trial of skill and rifles which we had
 had after dinner7 to                   
,spiritualism1--led to this last topic  
by my relation of some singular         
experiences ,i had met in the way of    
presentiments and what seemed almost    
like second-sight1 during a             
three-months' sojourn in the woods      
several summers before4 ,there is       

something wonderfully exciting to the   
imagination in the wilderness1 after the
 first impression of monotony and       
lonesomeness has passed away and there  
comes the necessity to animate this so  
vacant world with something4 ,and so the
 pines lift themselves grimly against   
the twilight sky1 and the moanings of   
the woods become full of meaning and    
mystery4 ,living1 therefore1 summer     
after summer1 as ,i had done1 in the    
wilderness1 until there is no place in  
the world which seems so much like a    
home to me as a bark camp in the        
,adirondack1 ,i had come to be what most
 people would call morbid1 but what ,i  
felt to be only sensitive to the things 
around1 which we never see1 but to which
 we all at times pay the deference of a 
tremor of inexplicable fear1 a quicker  
and less deeply drawn breath1 an        
involuntary turning of the head to see  
something which we know we shall not    
see1 yet are glad to find that we do    
not1--all which things we laugh at as   

childish when they have passed1 yet     
tremble at as readily when they come    
again4 ,j41 who was both poet and       
philosopher1 singularly clear and cold  
in his analyses1 and at the same time of
 so great imaginative power that he     
could set his creations at work and then
 look on and reason out the law of their
 working as though they were not his1   
had wonders to tell which always passed 
mine by a degree2 his experiences were  
more various and marvellous than mine1  
yet he had a reason for everything1 to  
which ,i was compelled to defer without 
being convinced4 ,yes1 said he1 finally 
knocking out the ashes from his         
meerschaum1 as we rose1 at the ,doctor's
 suggestion1 to take a row out on the   
lake while the sun was setting1--,yes1  
,i believe in your kind of a 'spiritual 
world1'--but that it is purely          
subjective4  ,i was silenced in a       
moment2--this single sentence1 spoken   
like the expression of the experience of
 a lifetime1 produced an effect which   

all his logic could not4 ,he had rubbed 
some talismanic opal1 pronouncing the   
spirit-compelling sentence engraved     
thereon1 and a new world of doubts and  
mysteries1 marvels and revelations burst
 on me4 ,one phase of existence1 which  
had been hitherto a reality to me1      
melted away into the thinness of an     
uncompleted dream2 but as it melted     
away1 there appeared behind it a whole  
universe1 of which ,i had never before  
dreamed4 ,i had puzzled my brains over  
the metaphysics of subjectivity and     
objectivity and found only words2 now ,i
 grasped and comprehended the round of  
the thing4 ,i looked through the full   
range of human cognitions1 and found1   
from beginning to end1 a proclamation of
 the presence of that arch-magician1    
,imagination4 ,i had said to            
myself1--,the universe is subjective to 
,deity1 objective to me2 but if ,i am   
his image1 what is that part of me which
 corresponds to the ,creator in ,him8   
,here ,i found myself1 at last1 the     

creator of a universe of                
unsubstantialities1 all of the stuff    
that dreams are made of1 and all alike  
unconsciously evoked1 whether they were 
the dreams of sleep or the hauntings of 
waking hours4 ,i grew bewildered as the 
thought loomed up in its eternal        
significance1 and a thousand facts and  
phenomena1 which had been standing in   
the darkness around my little circle of 
vision1 burst into light and            
recognition1 as though they had been    
waiting beyond the outer verge for the  
magic words4 ,j4 had spoken them4       
,silent1 almost for the moment          
unconscious of external things1 in the  
intense exaltation of thought and       
feeling1 ,i walked down to the shore4   
,taking the lightest and fleetest of our
 boats1 we pushed off on the perfectly  
tranquil water4 ,there was no flaw in   
the mirror which gave us a duplicated   
world4 ,line for line1 tint for tint1   
the noble mountain that lifts itself at 
the east1 robed in primeval forest to   

its very summit1 and now suffused with  
rosy light from the sun1 already hidden 
from us by a low ridge in the west1 was 
reproduced in the void below us4 ,the   
shadow of the western ridge began to    
climb the opposite bluffs of the lake   
shore4 ,we pulled well out into the lake
 and lay on our oars4 ,if anything was  
said1 ,i do not remember it4 ,i was as  
one who had just heard words from the   
dead1 and hears as prattle all the      
sounds of common life4 ,my eyes1 my     
ears1 were opened anew to ,nature1 and  
it seemed even as if some new sense had 
been given me4 ,i felt1 as ,i never felt
 before1 the cool gloom of the shadow   
creep up1 ridge after ridge1 towards the
 solitary peak1 irresistibly and        
triumphantly encroaching on the light1  
which fought back towards the summit1   
where it must yield at last4 ,it drew   
back over ravines and gorges1 over the  
wildernesses of unbroken firs which     
covered all the upper portion of the    
mountain1 deepening its rose-tint and   

gaining in intensity what it lost in    
expanse1--diminished to a handbreadth1  
to a point1 and1 flickering an instant1 
went out1 leaving in the whole range of 
vision no speck of sunlight to relieve  
the wilderness of shadowy gloom4 ,i had 
come under a spell1--for1 often as ,i   
had seen the sun set in the mountains   
and over the lakes1 ,i had never before 
felt as ,i now felt1 that ,i was a part 
in the landscape1 and that it was       
something more to me than rocks and     
trees4 ,the sunlight had died on it4 ,j4
 took up the oars and our               
silently-moving boat broke the glassy   
surface again4 ,all around us no        
distinction was visible between the     
landscape above and that below1 no      
water-line could be found2 and to the   
west1 where the sky was still glowing   
and golden1 with faint bands of crimson 
cirrus swept across the deep and        
tremulous blue1 growing purple as the   
sun sank lower1 we could distinguish    
nothing in the landscape4 ,neither sound

 nor motion of animate or inanimate     
thing disturbed the scene1 save that of 
the oars1 with the long lines of blue   
which ran off from the wake of the boat 
into the mystery closing behind us4 ,a  
rifle-shot rang out from the landing and
 rolled in multitudinous echoes around  
the lake1 dying away in faintest        
thunders and murmurings from the ravines
 on the side of the mountain4 ,it was   
the call to supper1 and we pulled back  
to the light of the fire1 which was now 
glimmering through the trees from the   
front of the camp4  ,supper over1 the   
smokers lighted their pipes and a       
rambling conversation began on the      
sights and sounds of the day4 ,for my   
own part1 unable to quiet the uneasy    
questioning which possessed me1 ,i      
wandered down to the shore and took a   
seat in the stern of one of the boats1  
which1 hauled part of their length upon 
the sandy beach1 reached out some       
distance among the lily-pads which      
covered the shallow water1 and whose    

folded flowers dotted the surface1 the  
white points alone visible4 ,the uneasy 
question still stirred within me2 and   
now1 looking towards the northwest1     
where the sky yet glowed faintly with   
twilight1 a long line of pines1 gaunt   
and humanesque1 as no tree but our      
northern white-pine is1 was relieved in 
massy blackness against the golden gray1
 like a long procession of giants4 ,they
 were in groups of two and three1 with  
now and then an isolated one1 stretching
 along the horizon1 losing themselves in
 the gloom of the mountains at the      
north4 ,the weirdness of the scene      
caught my excited imagination in an     
instant1 and ,i became conscious of two 
mental phenomena4 ,the first was an     
impression of motion in the trees1      
which1 whimsical as it was1 ,i had not  
the slightest power to dispel4 ,i       
trembled from head to foot under the    
consciousness of this supernatural      
vitality4 ,my rational faculties were as
 clear as ever they had been1 and ,i    

understood perfectly that the semblance 
of motion was owing to two              
characteristics of the white-pine1      
namely1--that it follows the shores of  
the lakes in lines1 rarely growing back 
at any distance from the water1 except  
when it follows1 in the same orderly    
arrangement1 the rocky ridges1--and     
that1 from its height above all other   
forest-trees1 it catches the full force 
of the prevalent winds1 which here are  
from the west1 and consequently leans   
slightly to the east1 much as a person  
leans in walking4 ,these traits of the  
tree explained entirely the phenomenon2 
yet the knowledge of them had not the   
slightest effect to undeceive my        
imagination4 ,i was awe-struck1 as      
though the phantoms of some antediluvian
 race had arisen from the valleys of the
 ,adirondack and were marching in       
silence to their old fanes on the       
mountain-tops4 ,i cowered in the boat   
under an absolute chill of nervous      
apprehension4--,the second phenomenon   

was1 that ,i heard mentally a voice     
which said distinctly these words1-,the 
procession of the ,anakim6--and at the  
same time ,i became conscious of some   
disembodied spiritual being standing    
near me1 as we are sometimes aware of   
the presence of a friend without having 
seen him4 ,every one accustomed to      
solitary thought has probably recognized
 this kind of mental action1 and        
speculated on the strange duality of    
,nature implied in it4 ,the             
spiritualists call it impressional      
communication1 and abandon themselves to
 its vagaries in the belief that it is  
really the speech of angels2 men of     
thought find in it a mystery of mental  
organization1 and avail themselves of it
 under the direction of their reason4 ,i
 at present speculated with the         
philosophers2 but my imagination1 siding
 with the spiritualists1 assured me that
 some one spoke to me1 and reason was   
silenced4 ,i sat still as long as ,i    
could endure it1 alone1 and then crept  

back1 trembling1 to the camp1--feeling  
quiet only when surrounded by the rest  
of the party4  ,my attendant dmon did   
not leave me1 ,i found2 for now ,i heard
 the question asked1                    
half-tauntingly1--,subjective or        
objective8  ,i asked myself1 in         
reply1--,am ,i mad or sane8  ,quite     
sane1 but with your eyes opened to      
something new6 was the instantaneous    
reply4  ,on such expeditions1 men get   
back to the primitive usages and        
conditions of humanity4 ,we had arisen  
at daybreak2 darkness brought the       
disposition to rest4 ,we arranged       
ourselves side by side on the couch of  
balsam and cedar boughs which the guides
 had spread on the ground of the camp1  
our feet to the fire1 and all but myself
 soon slept4 ,i lay a long time1        
excited1 looking out through the open   
front of the camp at the stars which    
shone in through the trees1 and even    
they seemed partakers of my new state of
 existence1 and twinkled consciously and

 confidentially1 as to one who shared   
the secret of their own existence and   
purposes4 ,the pine-trees overhead had  
an added tone in their meanings1 and    
indeed everything1 as ,i regarded it1   
seemed to manifest a new life1 to become
 identified with me3 ,nature and ,i had 
all things in common4 ,i slept1 at      
length1--a strange kind of sleep2 for   
when the guides awoke me1 in the full   
daylight1 ,i was conscious of some one  
having talked with me through the night4
  ,in broad day1 with my companions1 and
 in motion1 the influences of the       
previous evening seemed to withdraw     
themselves to a remote distance1--yet ,i
 was aware of their awaiting me when ,i 
should be unoccupied4 ,the day was as   
brilliant1 as tranquil as its           
predecessor1 and the council decided    
that it should be devoted to a drive1   
for we had eaten the last of our venison
 for breakfast4 ,the party were assigned
 their places at those points of the    
lake where the deer would be most likely

 to take the water1 while my guide1     
,steve ,m----1 and myself went up ,bog  
,river1 to start him4 ,the river1 a     
dark1 sluggish stream1 about fifty feet 
wide1 the channel by which the ,mud     
,lakes and ,little ,tupper's ,lake1 with
 its connected lakes and ponds1 empty   
into ,tupper's ,lake1 is a favorite     
feeding-ground with the deer1 whose     
breakfast is made on the leaves of the  
,nuphar lutea which edge the stream4 ,we
 surprised one1 swimming around amongst 
the leaves1 snatching here and there the
 choicest of them1 and when he turned to
 go out and rose in the water1 as his   
feet touched bottom1 ,i gave him a ball 
without fatal effect1 and landing1 we   
put ,carlo on the track1 which was      
marked by occasional drops and clots of 
blood1 and hearing him well off into the
 woods1 and in that furious and deep bay
 which indicates close pursuit1 we went 
back to our boat and paddled upstream to
 a run-way ,steve knew of1 where the    
deer sometimes crossed the river4 ,we   

pushed the boat into the overhanging    
alders which fringe the banks1 leaning  
out into and over the water1 and        
listened to the far-off bay of the      
hound4 ,it died away and was entirely   
lost for a few minutes1 and then came   
into hearing from the nearer side of the
 ridge1 which lay back from the river a 
hundred rods or so1 and ,i cocked my    
rifle while ,steve silently pushed the  
boat out of the bushes1 ready for a     
start1 if the deer should water4 ,the   
baying receded again1 and this time in  
the direction of the lake4 ,the blood we
 had found on the trail was the bright1 
red1 frothy blood which showed that the 
ball had passed through the lungs1 and1 
as we knew that the deer would not run  
long before watering1 we were sure that 
this would be his last turn and that he 
was making in earnest for the lake1     
where some of the boats would certainly 
catch him4  ,the excitement of the hunt 
had brought me back to a natural state  
of feeling1 and now1 as ,i lay in the   

stern of the boat1 drifting slowly      
down-stream1 and looked up into the hazy
 blue sky1 in the whole expanse of which
 appeared no fragment of cloud1 and the 
softened sunshine penetrated both soul  
and body1 while the brain1 lulled into  
lethargy by the unbroken silence and    
monotony of forest around1 lost every   
trace of its midsummer madness1--,i     
looked back to the state of the last    
evening as to a curious dream4 ,i asked 
myself wherein it differed from a dream1
 and instantly my dmon replied1 ,in no  
wise4 ,the instant reply surprised me1  
without startling me from my lethargy4  
,i responded1 as a matter of course1    
,but if no more than a dream1 it amounts
 to nothing4 ,it answered me1 ,but when 
a man dreams wide awake8 ,i pondered an 
instant1 and it went on3 ,and how do you
 know that dreams are nothing8 ,they are
 real while they last1 and your waking  
life is no more2 you wake to one and    
sleep to the other4 ,which is the real1 
and which the false8 since you assume   

that one is false4 ,i only asked myself 
again the eternal question1 ,objective  
or subjective8 and the dmon made no     
further suggestion4 ,at this instant we 
heard the report of a gun from the lake4
 ,that's the ,doctor's shot-gun1 said   
,steve1 and pulled energetically        
down-stream2 for we knew1 that1 if the  
,doctor had fired1 the deer had come    
in1--and if he had missed the first     
shot1 he had a second barrel1 which we  
should have heard from4  ,among the most
 charming cascades in the world is      
certainly that which ,bog ,river makes  
where it falls into ,tupper's ,lake4    
,its amber water1 black in the deep     
channel above the fall1 dividing into   
several small streams1 slips with a     
plunge of1 it may be1 six feet over the 
granite rocks1 into a broad1 deep pool1 
round which tall pines stand1 and over  
which two or three delicate-leaved      
white-birches lean1 from which basin the
 waters plunge in the final foamy rush  
of thirty or forty feet over the        

irregularly broken ledge which makes the
 bold shore of the lake4 ,between the   
two points of rock which confine the    
stream is thrown a bridge1 part of the  
military road from the ,mohawk          
settlements to those on the ,st4        
,lawrence1 built during the war of      
#ahab4 ,on this bridge ,i waited until  
,steve had carried the boat around1 when
 we rembarked for the camp4  ,arriving  
at the landing1 we found two of the     
guides dressing the ,doctor's deer1 and 
the others preparing for dinner4 ,as    
night came on my excitement returned1   
and ,i remained in the camp while the   
others went out on the lake1--not from  
fear of such an experience as ,i had the
 night before1 for ,i enjoyed the wild  
emotions1 as one enjoys the raging of   
the sea around the rocks he stands on1  
with a kind of tremulous                
apprehension1--but to see what effect   
the camp would produce on the state of  
feeling which ,i had begun to look at as
 something normal in my mental          

development4 ,the rest of the party had 
gone out in two boats1 and three of the 
guides1 taking another1 went on an      
excursion of their own2 the two         
remaining1 having cleared the           
supper-things away and lighted their    
pipes1 were engaged in their tent1      
playing old sledge by the light of a    
single candle4 ,there was a race out on 
the lake1 and a far-off merriment1 with 
an occasional halloo1 like a suggestion 
of a busy world somewhere1 but all so   
softened and toned down that it did not 
jar on my tranquillity4 ,there was a    
crackling fire of green logs as large as
 the guides could lift and lay on1 and  
they simmered in the blaze1 and lit up  
the surrounding tree-trunks and the     
overhanging foliage1 and faintly        
explored the recesses of the forest     
beyond4 ,i lay on the blankets1 and near
 to me seemed to sit my dmon1 ready to  
be questioned4  ,at this instant there  
came a doubt of the theological position
 of my ghostly vis-a-vis1 and ,i        

abruptly thought the question1 ,who are 
you8  ,nobody1 replied the dmon1        
oracularly4  ,this ,i knew in one sense 
to be true2 and ,i replied1 ,but you    
know what ,i mean4 ,don't trifle4 ,of   
what nature is your personality8  ,do   
you think1 it replied1 that personality 
is necessary to existence8 ,we are      
spirit4  ,but wherein1 save in the      
having or not having a body1 do you     
differ from me8  ,in all the            
consequences of that difference4  ,very 
well1--go on4  ,don't you see that      
without your circumstances you are only 
half a being8--that you are shaped by   
the action and reaction between your own
 mind and surrounding things1 and that  
the body is the only medium of this     
action and reaction8 ,do you not see    
that without this there would have been 
no consciousness of self1 and           
consequently neither individuality nor  
personality8 ,remove those circumstances
 by removing the body1 and do you not   
remove personality8  ,but1 said ,i1 you 

certainly have individuality1 and       
wherein does that differ from           
personality8  ,possibly you commit two  
mistakes1 replied the dmon4 ,as to the  
distinction1 it is one with a           
difference4 ,you are personal to        
yourself1 individual to others2 and we1 
though individual to you1 may be still  
impersonal4 ,if spirit takes form from  
having something to act on1 the fact    
that we act on you is sufficient1 so far
 as you are concerned1 to cause an      
individuality4  ,i hesitated1 puzzled4  
,it went on3 ,don't you see that the    
inertia of spirit is motion1 as that of 
matter is rest8 ,now compare this       
universal spirit to a river flowing     
tranquilly1 and which in itself gives no
 evidence of motion1 save when it meets 
with some inert point of resistance4    
,this point of resistance has the effect
 of action in itself1 and you attribute 
to it all the eddies and ripples        
produced4 ,you must see that your own   
immobility is the cause of the phenomena

 of life which give you your apparent   
existence2--our individuality to you may
 be just as much the effect of your     
personality2 you find us only responsive
 to your own mental state4  ,i was      
conscious of a sophistry somewhere1 but 
could not1 for the life of me1 detect   
it4 ,i thought of the ,tempter2 ,i      
almost feared to listen to another word2
 but the dmon seemed so fair1 so        
rational1 and1 above all1 so confident  
of truth1 that ,i could not entertain my
 fears4  ,but1 said ,i1 finally1 if my  
personality is owing to my physical     
circumstances1 to my body and its       
immobility1 what is the body itself     
owing to8  ,all physical or organic     
existence is owing to the antagonism    
between certain particles of matter1    
fixed and resistant1 and the            
all-pervading1 ever-flowing spirit2 the 
different inerti conflict1 and end by   
combining in an organic being1 since    
neither can be annihilated or           
transmuted4 ,perhaps we can tell you1   

by-and-by1 how this antagonism          
commences2 at present1 you would        
scarcely be able to comprehend it       
clearly4  ,this ,i felt1 for ,i was     
already getting confused with the       
questions that occurred to me as to the 
relations between spirit and matter4  ,i
 asked once more1 ,have you never been  
personal1 as ,i am8--have you never had 
a body and a name8  ,perhaps1 was the   
reply1--but it must have been long      
since2 and the trifling circumstances   
which you call life1 with all their     
direct and recognizable effects1 pass   
away so soon1 that it is impossible to  
recall anything of it4 ,there seems a   
kind of consciousness when we have      
something to act against1 as against    
your mind at the present moment2 but as 
to name1 and all that kind of           
distinctiveness1 what is the use of it  
where there is no possibility of        
confusion or mistake as to identity8 ,we
 have said that we are spirit2 and when 
we say that spirit is one and matter    

one1 we have gone behind personal       
identity4  ,but1 asked ,i1 am ,i to lose
 my individual existence1--to become    
finally merged in a universal           
impersonality8 ,what1 then1 is the      
object of life8  ,you see the plants and
 animals all around you growing up and  
passing away1--each entering its little 
orbit1 and sweeping through this sphere 
of cognizance back again to the same    
mystery it emerged from2 you never ask  
the question as to them1 but for        
yourself you are anxious4 ,if you had   
not been1 would creation have been any  
less creation8--if you cease1 will it   
not still be as great8 ,truly1 though1  
your mistake is one of too little1 not  
of too much4 ,you assume that the       
animals become nothing2 but1 truly1     
nothing dies4 ,the very crystals into   
which all the so-called primitive       
substances are formed1 and which are the
 first forms of organization1 have a    
spirit in them2 for they obey something 
which inhabits and organizes them4 ,if  

you could decompose the crystal1 would  
you annihilate the soul which organized 
it8 ,the plant absorbs the crystal1 and 
it becomes a part of a higher           
organization1 which could no more exist 
without its soul2 and if the plant is   
cut down and cast into the oven1 is the 
organic impulse food for the flames8    
,you1 the animal1 do but exist through  
the absorption of these vegetable       
substances1 and why should you not obey 
the analogical law of absorption and    
aggregation8 ,you killed a deer         
to-day2--the flesh you will appropriate 
to supply the wants of your own material
 organization2 but the life1 the spirit 
which made that flesh a deer1 in        
obedience to which that shell of        
external appearance is moulded1--you    
missed that4 ,you can trace the body in 
its metamorphoses2 but for this         
impalpable1 active1 and only real part  
of the being1--it were folly to suppose 
it more perishable1 more evanescent1    
than the matter of which it was master4 

,and why should not you1 as well as the 
deer1 go back into the great ,life from 
which you came8 ,as to a purpose in     
creation1 why should there be any other 
than that which existence always        
shows1--that of existing8  ,i now began 
to notice that all the leading ideas    
which the dmon offered were put in the  
form of questions1 as if from a cautious
 non-committalism1 or as if it dared not
 in so many words say that they were the
 absolute truth4 ,i felt that there was 
another side to the matter1 and was     
confident that ,i should detect the     
sophistry of the dmon2 but then ,i did  
not feel able to carry the conversation 
farther1 and was sensible of a readiness
 on the part of my interlocutor to      
cease4 ,i wondered at this1 and if it   
implied weariness on its part1 when it  
was replied1--,we answer to your own    
mind2 of course1 when that ceases to    
act1 there ceases to be reaction4 ,i    
cried out in my own mind1 in utter      
bewilderment1--,objective or subjective8

 and ceased my questionings4  ,the      
camp-fire glowed splendidly through the 
overhanging branches and foliage1 and ,i
 longed for a revel of light4 ,i asked  
the guides to make a blaze1 and1 after a
 minute's delay and an ejaculation of   
,game1 to your high1 low1 jack1 they    
emerged from the tent and in a few      
minutes had cut down several small dead 
spruces and piled the tops on the fire1 
which flashed up through the pitchy1    
inflammable mass1 and we had a          
pyrotechnical display which startled the
 birds1 that had gone to rest in the    
assurance of night1 into a confused     
activity and clamor4 ,the heat          
penetrated the camp and gave me a       
drowsiness which my disturbed repose of 
the night before rendered extremely     
grateful1 and when the rest of the party
 returned from their row1 ,i was asleep4
  ,it was determined1 the next morning1 
in council1 to move2 and one of the     
guides having informed us of a          
newly-opened carry1 by which we could   

cross from ,little ,tupper's ,lake1 ten 
miles above us1 directly to ,forked     
,lake1 and thence following the usual   
route down the ,raquette ,river and     
through ,long ,lake1 we could reach     
,martin's on ,saranac ,lake without     
retracing our steps1 except over the    
short distance from the ,raquette       
through the ,saranac ,lakes1--after     
breakfast1 we hurriedly packed up our   
traps and were off as early as might be4
 ,it is hard boating up the ,bog ,river1
 and hard work both for guides and      
tourists4 ,all the boats and baggage had
 to be carried three miles1 on the backs
 of the guides1 and1 help them as much  
as we could1 the day had drawn nearly to
 its close before we were fairly        
embarked on ,little ,tupper's1 and we   
had then nearly ten miles to go before  
reaching ,constable's ,camp1 where we   
were to stop for the night4 ,i worked   
hard all day1 but in a kind of dream1 as
 if the dead weight ,i carried with     
weariness were only the phantom of      

something1 and ,i were a fantasy        
carrying it2--the actual had become     
visionary1 and my imaginings nudged me  
and jostled me almost off the path of   
reason4 ,but ,i had no time for a sance 
with my dmon4 ,the next day ,i devoted  
with the guides to bushing out the carry
 across to ,forked ,lake1 about three   
and a half miles1 through perfectly     
pathless woods2 for we found ,sam's     
statements as to the carry being chopped
 out entirely false2 only a blazed line 
existed2 so all the guides1 except one1 
set to work with myself bushing and     
chopping out1 while the other guide and 
the rest of the party spent the day in  
hunting4 ,at the close of the day we had
 completed nearly two miles of the path1
 and returned to ,constable's ,camp to  
sleep4 ,the next day we succeeded in    
getting the boats and baggage through to
 ,bottle ,pond1 two and a half miles1   
and the whole party camped on the       
carry1--the guides anathematizing ,sam1 
whose advice had led us on this road4   

,the next afternoon found us afloat on  
,forked ,lake1 weary and glad to be in  
the sunlight on blue water again4 ,hard 
work and the excitement of              
responsibility in engineering our       
road-making operations had kept my      
visitor from dream-land away1 and as we 
paddled leisurely down the beautiful    
lake1--one of the few yet untouched by  
the lumbermen1--,i felt a healthier tone
 of mind than ,i had known since we had 
entered the woods4 ,as we ran out of one
 of the deep bays which constitute a    
large portion of the lake1 into the     
principal sheet of water1 one of the    
most perfectly beautiful mountain-views 
,i have ever seen burst upon us4 ,we    
looked down the lake to its outlet1 five
 miles1 between banks covered with tall 
pines1 and far away in the hazy         
atmosphere a chain of blue peaks raised 
themselves sharp-edged against the sky4 
,one singularly-shaped summit1 far to   
the south1 attracted my attention1 and  
,i was about to ask its name1 when      

,steve called out1 with the air of one  
who communicates something of more than 
ordinary significance1--,blue ,mountain6
 ,the name1 ,steve's manner1 and ,i know
 not what of mysterious cause1 gave to  
the place a strange importance4 ,i felt 
a new and unaccountable attraction to   
the mountain4 ,some enchantment seemed  
to be casting its glamour over me from  
that distance even4 ,there was          
thenceforward no goal for my wanderings 
but the ,blue ,mountain4 ,it is a       
solitary peak1 one of the southernmost  
of the ,adirondacks1 of a very quaint   
form1 and lies in a circlet of lakes1   
three of which in a chain are named from
 the mountain4 ,the way by which the    
mountain is reached is through these    
lakes1 and their outlet1 which empties  
into ,raquette ,lake4 ,i had determined 
to remain in the woods some weeks1 and  
now concluded to return1 as soon as ,i  
had seen the rest of the party on their 
way home1 and take up quarters on       
,raquette ,lake for the rest of my stay4

  ,that night we camped at the foot of  
,forked ,lake1 and not one of the party 
will ever forget the thunder-storm that 
burst on us in our woods-encampment     
among the tall pines1 two of which1 near
 us1 were struck by the lightning4 ,i   
tried in vain1 when we were quiet for   
the night1 to get some information on   
the subject of my attraction to the     
,blue ,mountain4 ,my dmon appeared      
remote and made no responses4 ,it seemed
 as if1 knowing my resolution to stay   
alone there1 it had resolved to be      
silent until ,i was without any cause   
for interruption of our colloquies4     
,save the consciousness of its remote   
attendance1 ,i felt no recurrence of my 
past experience1 until1 having seen my  
friends on the road to civilization     
again1 ,i left ,martin's with ,steve and
 ,carlo for my quarters on the          
,raquette4 ,we hurried back up the river
 as fast as four strong arms could      
propel our light boat1 and resting1 the 
second night1 at ,wilbur's1 on ,raquette

 ,lake1 ,i the next morning selected a  
site for a camp1 where we built a neat  
little bark-house1 proof against all    
discomforts of an elemental character1  
and that night ,i rested under my own   
roof1 squatter though ,i was4 ,the dmon 
seemed in no haste to renew our former  
intimate intercourse1--for what reason  
,i could not divine2 but a few days     
after my settling1 days spent in        
exploring and planning1 it resumed      
suddenly its functions4 ,it came to me  
out on the lake1 where ,i had paddled to
 enjoy the starlight in the delicious   
evening1 when the sky was filled with   
luminous vapor1 through which the stars 
struggled dimly1 and in which the       
landscape was almost as clearly visible 
as by moonlight4  ,well6 said ,i1       
familiarly1 as ,i felt it take its place
 by my side1 you have come back4  ,come 
back6 it replied2 will you never get    
beyond your miserable ideas of space1   
and learn that there is no separation   
but that of feeling1 no nearness but    

that of sympathy8 ,if you had cared     
enough for us1 we should have been with 
you constantly4  ,i was anxious to get  
to the subject of present interest1 and 
did not stop to discuss a point which1  
in one1 and the highest sense1 ,i       
admitted4  ,what1 ,i asked1 was that    
impulse which urged me to go to the     
,blue ,mountain8 ,shall ,i find there   
anything supernatural8  ,anything       
supernatural8 ,what is there above      
,nature1 or outside of it8  ,but nothing
 is without cause2 and for an emotion so
 strong as ,i experienced1 on the sight 
of those mountains1 there must have been
 one4  ,very likely6 if you go after it1
 you will find it4 ,you probably expect 
to find some beautiful enchantress      
keeping her court on the mountain-top1  
and a suite of fairies4  ,i started1    
for1 absurd as it may seem1 that very   
idea1 half-formed1 undeveloped from very
 shame at my superstition1 had rested in
 my mind4  ,and1 said ,i1 at a loss what
 to say1 are there no such things       

possible8  ,all things are possible to  
the imagination4  ,to create8  ,most    
certainly6 ,is not creation the act of  
bringing into existence8 and does not   
your ,hamlet exist as immortally as your
 ,shakspeare8 ,the only true existence1 
is it not that of the ,idea8 ,have you  
not seen the pines transfigured8  ,and  
if ,i imagined a race of fairies        
inhabiting the ,blue ,mountain1 should  
,i find them8  ,if you imagined them1   
yes6 ,but the imagination is not        
voluntary2 it works to supply a         
necessity2 its function is creation1 and
 creation is needed only to fill a      
vacuum4 ,the wild ,arab1 feeling his own
 insignificance1 and comprehending the  
necessity for a ,creating ,power1 finds 
between himself and that ,power1 which  
to him1 as to you the other day1 assumes
 a personality1 an immense distance1 and
 fills the space with a race half       
divine1 half human4 ,it was the         
necessity for the fairy which created   
the fairy4 ,you do not feel the same    

distance between yourself and a         
,creator1 and so you do not call into   
existence a creative race of the same   
character2 but has not your own         
imagination furnished you with images to
 which you may give your reverence8 ,it 
may be that you diminish that distance  
by degrading the ,great ,first ,cause to
 an image of your personality1 and so   
are not so wise as the ,arab1 who at    
once admits it to be unattainable4 ,each
 man shapes that which he looks up to by
 his desires or fears1 and these in     
their turn are the results of his degree
 of development4  ,but ,god1 is not ,he 
the ,supreme ,creator8  ,is it not as we
 said1 that you measure the ,supreme by 
yourself8 ,can you not comprehend a     
supreme law1 an order which controls all
 things8  ,in my meditations this doubt 
had often presented itself to me1 and ,i
 had as often put it resolutely aside2  
but now to hear it urged on me in this  
way from this mysterious presence       
troubled me1 and ,i shrank from further 

discussion of the topic4 ,i earnestly   
desired a fuller knowledge of the nature
 of my colloquist4  ,tell me1 said ,i1  
do you not take cognizance of my        
personality8--do you read my past and my
 future8  ,your past and future are     
contained in your present4 ,who can     
analyze what you are can see the things 
which made you such2 for effect contains
 its cause2--to see the future1 it needs
 only to know the laws which govern all 
things4 ,it is a simple problem3 you    
being given1 with the inevitable        
tendencies to which you are subject1 the
 result is your future2 the flight of   
one of your rifle-balls cannot be       
calculated with greater certainty4  ,but
 how shall we know those laws8 said ,i4 
,you contain them all1 for you are the  
result of them2 and they are always the 
same1--not one code for your beginning1 
and another for your continuance4 ,man  
is the complete embodiment of all the   
laws thus far developed1 and you have   
only to know yourself to know the       

history of creation4  ,this ,i could not
 gainsay1 and my mind1 wearied1 declined
 to ask further4 ,i returned to camp and
 went to sleep4  ,several days passed   
without any remarkable progress in my   
knowledge of this strange being1 though 
,i found myself growing more and more   
sensitive to the presence of it each    
day2 and at the same time the           
incomprehensible sympathy with ,nature1 
for ,i know not what else to call it1   
seemed growing stronger and more        
startling in the effects it produced on 
the landscape4 ,the influence was no    
longer confined to twilight1 but made   
noon-day mystical2 and ,i began to hear 
strange sounds and words spoken by      
disembodied voices1--not like that of my
 dmon1 but unaccompanied by any feeling 
of personal presence connected          
therewith4 ,it seemed as if the         
vibrations shaped themselves into words1
 some of them of singular significance4 
,i heard my name called1 and the        
strangest laughs on the lake at night4  

,my dmon seemed averse to answering any 
questions on the topic of these         
illusions4 ,the only reply was1--,you   
would be wiser1 not knowing too much4   
,ere many days of this solitary life had
 passed1 ,i found my whole existence    
taken up by my fantasies4 ,i determined 
to make my excursion to the ,blue       
,mountain1 and1 sending ,steve down to  
the post-office1 a three-days' journey1 
,i took the boat1 with ,carlo and my    
rifle1 and pushed off4 ,the outlet of   
the ,blue ,mountain ,lakes is like all  
the ,adirondack streams1 dark and shut  
in by forest1 which scarcely permits    
landing anywhere4 ,now and then a log   
fallen into the water compels the       
voyager to get out and lift his boat    
over2 then a shallow rapid must be      
dragged over2 and when the stream is    
clear of obstruction1 it is too narrow  
for any mode of propulsion but poling or
 paddling4  ,i had worked several weary 
hours1 and the sun had passed the       
meridian1 when ,i emerged from the      

forest into a wild1 swampy flat1--wild  
meadow1 the guides call it1--through    
which the stream wound1 and around which
 was a growth of tall larches backed by 
pines4 ,where the brook seemed to renter
 the wood on the opposite side1 stood   
two immense pines1 like sentinels1 and  
such they became to me2 and they looked 
grim and threatening1 with their huge   
arms reaching over the gateway4 ,i drew 
my boat up on the boggy shore at the    
foot of a solitary tamarack1 into which 
,i climbed as high as ,i could to look  
over the wood beyond4  ,never shall ,i  
forget what ,i saw from that swaying    
look-out4 ,before me was the mountain1  
perhaps five miles away1 covered with   
dense forest to within a few hundred    
feet of the summit1 which showed bare   
rock with firs clinging in the clefts   
and on the tables1 and which was crowned
 by a walled city1 the parapet of whose 
walls cut with a sharp1 straight line   
against the sky1 and beyond showed spire
 and turret and the tops of tall trees4 

,the walls must have been at least a    
hundred and fifty feet high1 and ,i     
could see here and there between the    
group of firs traces of a road coming   
down the mountain-side4 ,and ,i heard   
one of those mocking voices say1 ,the   
city of silence6--nothing more4 ,i felt 
strongly tempted to start on a flight   
through the air towards the city1 and   
why ,i did not launch forth on the      
impulse ,i know not4 ,my blood rushed   
through my veins with maddest energy1   
and my brain seemed to have been        
replaced by some ethereal substance1 and
 to be capable of floating me off as if 
it were a balloon4 ,yet ,i clung and    
looked1 my whole soul in my eyes1 and   
had no thought of losing the spectacle  
for an instant1 even were it to reach   
the city itself4 ,the glorious glamour  
of that place and moment1 who can       
comprehend it8 ,the wind swung my       
tree-top to and fro1 and ,i climbed up  
until the tree bent with my weight like 
a twig under a bird's4  ,presently ,i   

heard bells and strains of music1 as    
though all the military bands in the    
city were coming together on the walls2 
and the sounds rose and fell with the   
wind1--one moment entirely lost1 another
 full and triumphant4 ,then ,i heard the
 sound of hunting-horns and the baying  
of a pack of hounds1 deep-mouthed1 as if
 a hunting-party were coming down the   
mountain-side4 ,nearer and nearer they  
came1 and ,i heard merry laughing and   
shouting as they swept through the      
valley4 ,i feared for a moment that they
 would find me there1 and drive me1     
intruding1 from the enchanted land4     
,but ,i must fathom the mystery1 let    
what would come4 ,i descended the tree1 
and when ,i had reached the boat again  
,i found the whole thing changed4 ,i    
understood that my city was only granite
 and fir-trees1 and my music only the   
wind in the tree-tops4 ,the reaction was
 sickening2 the sunshine seemed dull and
 cold after the lost glory of that      
enchantment4 ,the ,blue ,mountain was   

reached1 its destiny fulfilled for me1  
and ,i returned to my camp1 sick at     
heart1 as one who has had a dear        
illusion dispelled4  ,the next day my   
mind was unusually calm and clear4 ,i   
asked my dmon what was the meaning of   
the enchantment of yesterday4  ,it was a
 freak of your imagination1 it replied4 
,but what is this imagination1 then1    
which1 being a faculty of my own1 yet   
masters my reason8  ,not at all a       
faculty1 but your very highest self1    
your own life in creative activity4     
,your reason is a faculty1 and is       
subordinate to the purposes of your     
imagination4 ,if1 instead of regarding  
imagination as a pendant to your mental 
organization1 you take it for what it   
is1 a function1 and the noblest one your
 mind knows1 you will see at once why it
 is that it works unconsciously1 just as
 you live unconsciously and             
involuntarily4 ,men set their reason and
 feeling to subdue what they consider a 
treacherous element in themselves2 they 

succeed only in dwarfing their natures1 
and imagination is inert while reason   
controls2 but when reason rests in      
sleep1 and you cease to live to the     
external world1 imagination resumes its 
normal power4 ,you dream2--it is only   
the revival of that which you smother   
when you are awake4 ,you consider the   
sights and sounds of yesterday follies2 
you reason2--imagination demonstrates   
its power by overturning your reason and
 deceiving your very senses4  ,you speak
 of its creations2 ,i understand this in
 a certain sense2 but if these were     
such1 should not they have permanence8  
and can anything created perish8        
,nonsense6 what will these trees be     
tomorrow8 and the rocks you sit on1 are 
they not changing to vegetation under   
you8 ,the only creation is that of      
ideas2 things are thin shadows4 ,if man 
is not creative1 he is still            
undeveloped4  ,but is not such an       
assumption trenching on the supremacy of
 ,god8 ,i asked4  ,what do you          

understand by ',god8'  ,an infinitely   
wise and loving ,controller of events1  
of course1 ,i replied4  ,did you ever   
find any one whose ideas on the subject 
agreed with yours8  ,not entirely4      
,then your ,god is not the same as the  
,god of other men2 from the ,fee-,jeean 
to the ,christian there is a wide range4
 ,of course there is a first great      
principle of life2 but this personality 
you all worship1 is it not a creation8  
,i now felt this to be the great point  
of the demon's urging2 it recurred too  
often not to be designed4 ,led on by the
 sophistry of my tempter1 ,i had floated
 unconsciously to this issue1           
practically admitting all2 but when this
 suggestion stood completely unclothed  
before me1 my soul rose in horror at the
 abyss before it4 ,for an instant all   
was chaos1 and the very order of ,nature
 seemed disorder4 ,life and light       
vanished from the face of the earth2 my 
night made all things dead and dark4 ,a 
universe without a ,god6 ,creation      

seemed to me for that moment but a      
galvanized corse4 ,what my emotions were
 no human being who has not felt them   
can conceive4 ,my first impulse was to  
suicide2 with the next ,i cried from the
 depths of my despair1 ,god deliver me  
from the body of this death6 ,it was but
 a moment1--and there came1 in the place
 of the cold questioning voice of my    
dmon1 one of ineffable music1 repeating 
words familiar to me from childhood1    
words linked to everything loved and    
lovely in my past3--,ye believe in ,god1
 believe also in me4 ,the hot tears for 
another moment blotted out the world    
from sight4 ,i said once more to the    
questioner1 ,now who are you8  ,your own
 doubts1 was the reply2 and it seemed as
 if only ,i spoke to myself4  ,since    
that day ,i have never reasoned with my 
doubts1 never doubted my imagination4   
,,all',s ,,well4       ,sweet-voicd     
,hope1 thy fine discourse               
,foretold not half life's good to me2   
,thy painter1 ,fancy1 hath not force    

,to show how sweet it is to be6         
,thy witching dream         ,and        
pictured scheme     ,to match the fact  
still want the power2       ,thy promise
 brave       ,from birth to grave       
,life's boon may beggar in an hour4     
,ask and receive1--'tis sweetly said2   
,yet what to plead for know ,i not2     
,for ,wish is worsted1 ,hope o'ersped1  
,and aye to thanks returns my thought4  
,if ,i would pray1         ,i've nought 
to say     ,but this1 that ,god may be  
,god still2         ,for ,him to live   
,is still to give1     ,and sweeter than
 my wish his will4      ,o wealth of    
life beyond all bound6       ,eternity  
each moment given6     ,what plummet may
 the ,present sound8       ,who promises
 a future heaven8         ,or glad1 or  
grieved1         ,oppressed1 relieved1  
,in blackest night1 or brightest day1   
,still pours the flood         ,of      
golden good1     ,and more than         
heartfull fills me aye4      ,my wealth 
is common2 ,i possess       ,no petty   

province1 but the whole2     ,what's    
mine alone is mine far less       ,than 
treasure shared by every soul4          
,talk not of store1         ,millions or
 more1--     ,of values which the purse 
may hold1--         ,but this divine6   
,i own the mine     ,whose grains       
outweigh a planet's gold4      ,i have a
 stake in every star1       ,in every   
beam that fills the day2     ,all hearts
 of men my coffers are1       ,my ores  
arterial tides convey2         ,the     
fields1 the skies1         ,and sweet   
replies     ,of thought to thought are  
my gold-dust1--         ,the oaks1 the  
brooks1         ,and speaking looks     
,of lovers' faith and friendship's      
trust4      ,life's youngest tides      
joy-brimming flow       ,for him who    
lives above all years1     ,who         
all-immortal makes the ,now1       ,and 
is not ta'en in ,time's arrears3        
,his life's a hymn         ,the seraphim
     ,might hark to hear or help to     
sing1         ,and to his soul          

,the boundless whole     ,its bounty all
 doth daily bring4      ,all mine is    
thine1 the sky-soul saith2       ,the   
wealth ,i am1 must thou become3         
,richer and richer1 breath by breath1-- 
,immortal gain1 immortal room6          
,and since all his         ,mine also   
is1     ,life's gift outruns my fancies 
far1         ,and drowns the dream      
,in larger stream1     ,as morning      
drinks the morning-star4     ,,the      
,,birds ,,of ,,the ,,pasture ,,and      
,,forest4   ,he who has always lived in 
the city or its suburbs1 who has seldom 
visited the interior except for purposes
 of trade1 and whose walks have not     
often extended beyond those roads which 
are bordered on each side by shops and  
dwelling-houses1 may never have heard   
the birds that form the subject of this 
sketch4 ,these are the birds of the     
pasture and forest1--those shy1         
melodious warblers1 who sing only in the
 ancient haunts of the ,dryads1 and of  
those nymphs who waited upon ,diana in  

her hunting-excursions1 but who are now 
recognized only by the beautiful plants 
which1 with unseen hands1 they rear in  
the former abodes of the celestial      
huntress4 ,these birds have not probably
 multiplied1 like the familiar birds1   
with the increase of human population   
and the extension of agriculture4 ,they 
were perhaps as numerous in the days of 
,king ,philip as they are now4 ,though  
they do not shun mankind1 they keep     
aloof from cultivated grounds1 living   
chiefly in the deep wood or on the edge 
of the forest1 and in the bushy pasture4
  ,there is a peculiar wildness in the  
songs of this class of birds1 that      
awakens a delightful mood of mind1      
similar to that which is excited by     
reading the figurative lyrics of a      
romantic age4 ,this feeling is1         
undoubtedly1 to a certain extent1 the   
effect of association4 ,having always   
heard their notes in rude1 wild1 and    
wooded places1 they never fail to bring 
this kind of scenery vividly before the 

imagination1 and their voices affect us 
like the sounds of mountain-streams4    
,there is a little ,sparrow which ,i    
often hear about the shores of          
unfrequented ponds1 and in their        
untrodden islets1 and never in any other
 situations4 ,the sound of his voice1   
therefore1 always enhances the sensation
 of rude solitude with which ,i         
contemplate this wild and desolate      
scenery4 ,we often see him perched upon 
a dead tree that stands in the water1 a 
few rods from the shore1 apparently     
watching our angling operations from his
 leafless perch1 where he sings so      
sweetly1 that the very desolation of the
 scene borrows a charm from his voice   
that renders every object delightful4   
,this bird ,i believe to be the         
,fringilla palustris of ,wilson4  ,it is
 certain that the notes of the solitary 
birds1 compared with those of the ,robin
 and ,linnet1 excite a different class  
of sensations4 ,i can imagine that there
 is a similar difference in the flavors 

of a cherry and a cranberry4 ,if the    
former is sweeter1 the latter has a     
spicy zest that is peculiar to what we  
call natural fruit4 ,the effect is the  
same1 however1 whether it be            
attributable to some intrinsic quality1 
or to association1 which is indeed the  
source of some of the most delightful   
emotions of the human soul4  ,nature has
 made all her scenes1 and the sights and
 sounds that accompany them1 more       
lovely1 by causing them to be           
respectively suggestive of a certain    
class of sensations4 ,the birds of the  
pasture and forest are not frequent     
enough in cultivated places to be       
associated with the garden or village   
inclosure4 ,nature has confined         
particular birds and animals to certain 
localities1 and thereby adds a poetic   
and a picturesque attraction to their   
features4 ,there are also certain       
flowers that cannot be cultivated in the
 garden1 as if they were designed for   
the exclusive adornment of those        

secluded arbors which the spade and the 
plough have never profaned4 ,here       
flowers grow which are too holy for     
culture1 and birds sing whose voices    
were never heard in the cage of the     
voluptuary1 and whose tones inspire us  
with a sense of freedom known only to   
those who often retire from the world1  
to live in religious communion with     
,nature4  ,when the flowers of early    
summer are gone1 and the graceful       
neottia is seen in the meadows1         
extending its spiral clusters among the 
nodding grasses1--when the purple orchis
 is glowing in the wet grounds1 and the 
roadsides are gleaming with the yellow  
blossoms of the hypericum1 the merry    
voice of the ,bobolink has ceased1 and  
many other familiar birds have become   
almost silent4 ,at this time1 if we     
stroll away from the farm and the       
orchard into more retired and wooded    
haunts1 we may hear1 at all times of the
 day and at frequent intervals1 the     
pensive and melodious notes of the      

,wood-,sparrow1 who sings as if he were 
delighted at being left almost alone to 
warble and complain to the benevolent   
deities of the grove4 ,he who in his    
youth has made frequent visits to these 
pleasant and solitary places1 and wished
 that he could live and love forever    
among the wild-roses1 the blushing      
azaleas1 the red summer-lilies1 and the 
thousands of beautiful and sweet-scented
 flowers that spring up among the       
various spicy and fruit-bearing shrubs  
which unite to form a genuine           
huckleberry-pasture1--he only knows the 
unspeakable delights which are awakened 
by the sweet1 simple notes of this      
little warbler4  ,the ,wood-,sparrow    
7,fringilla pusilla7 is somewhat less   
than a ,canary1 with a chestnut-colored 
crown2 above of a grayish brown hue1 and
 dusky white beneath4 ,though he does   
not seem to be a shy bird1 ,i have never
 seen him in cultivated grounds1 and the
 inmates of solitary cottages alone are 
privileged to hear his notes from their 

windows4 ,he loves the hills which are  
half covered with young pines1          
viburnums1 cornels1 and                 
huckleberry-bushes1 and feeds upon the  
seeds of grasses and wild lettuce1 with 
occasional repasts of insects and       
berries4  ,his notes are sweet and      
plaintive1 seldom consisting of more    
than one strain4 ,he commences slowly1  
as if repeating the syllable1 de de de  
de de de d' d' d' d' d' d' d' r' r'     
r'1--increasing in rapidity1 and at the 
same time rising as it were by          
semi-tones1 or chromatically1 to about a
 major fourth on the scale4 ,in         
midsummer1 when this bird is most       
musical1 he occasionally lengthens his  
song by alternately ascending and       
descending1 interposing a few chirping  
notes between the ascending and         
descending series4 ,the song loses a    
part of its simplicity1 and1 as it seems
 to me1 is not improved by this         
variation4  ,while listening to the     
notes of the ,wood-,sparrow1 we are     

continually saluted by the agreeable1   
though less musical song of the         
,chewink1 or ,ground-,robin1--a bird    
that frequents similar places4 ,this is 
a very beautiful bird1 elegantly spotted
 with white1 red1 and black1--the female
 being of a bright bay color where the  
male is red4 ,every rambler knows him1  
not only by his plumage and his peculiar
 note1 but also by his singular habit of
 lurking about among the bushes1        
appearing and disappearing like a       
squirrel1 and watching all our          
movements4 ,though he does not avoid our
 company1 it is with difficulty that a  
marksman can obtain a good aim at him1  
so rapidly does he change his position  
among the leaves and branches4 ,in this 
habit he resembles the ,wren4 ,while we 
are watching his motions1 he pauses in  
his song1 and utters that peculiar note 
of complaint from which he has derived  
his name1 ,chewink1 though the sound he 
utters is more like chewee1 accenting   
the second syllable4  ,the ,chewink     

7,fringilla erythrophthalma7 is a very  
constant singer during four months of   
the year1 from the middle of ,april4 ,he
 is very untiring in his lays1 seldom   
resting for any considerable time from  
morning till night1 being never weary in
 rain or in sunshine1 or at noon-day in 
the hottest weather of the season4 ,his 
song consists of two long notes1 the    
first about a third above the second1   
and the last part is made up of several 
rapidly uttered notes about one tone    
below the first note4  ,there is an     
expression of great cheerfulness in     
these notes2 but music1 like poetry1    
must be somewhat plaintive in its       
character1 to take strong hold of the   
feelings4 ,i have never known a person  
to be affected by these notes as by     
those of the ,wood-,sparrow4 ,while     
engaged in singing1 the ,chewink is     
usually perched on the lower branch of a
 tree1 near the edge of a wood1 or on   
the top of a tall bush4 ,he is a true   
forest-bird1 and builds his nest in the 

thickets that conceal the boundaries of 
the wood4  ,the notes of the ,chewink   
and his general appearance and habits   
are well calculated to render him       
conspicuous1 and they cause him to be   
always noticed and remembered4 ,our     
birds are like our men of genius4 ,as in
 the literary world there is a          
description of talent that must be      
discovered and pointed out by an        
observing few1 before the great mass can
 understand it or even know its         
existence1--so the sweetest songsters of
 the wood are unknown to the mass of the
 community1 while many very ordinary    
performers1 whose talents are           
conspicuous1 are universally known and  
admired4  ,as we advance into the wood1 
if it be near mid-day1 or before the    
decline of the sun1 the notes of two    
small birds will be sure to attract our 
attention4 ,these notes are very        
similar1 and as slender and piercing as 
the chirp of a grasshopper1 being       
distinguished from the latter only by a 

different and more pleasing modulation4 
,the birds to which ,i refer are the    
,red ,start 7,muscicapa ruticilla7 and  
the ,speckled ,creeper 7,sylvia varia74 
,the first is the more rarely seen of   
the two1 being a bird of the deep       
forest1 and shunning observation by     
hiding himself in the most obscure parts
 of the wood4 ,in general appearance1   
and in the color of his plumage1 he     
bears a resemblance to the              
,ground-,robin1 though not more than    
half his size4 ,he lives entirely on    
insects1 catching them while they are   
flying in the air4  ,his song is similar
 to that of the ,summer ,yellow-,bird1  
so common in our gardens among the      
fruit-trees1 but it is more shrill and  
feeble4 ,the ,creeper's song does not   
differ from it more than the songs of   
different individuals of the same       
species may differ4 ,this bird may be   
seen creeping like a ,woodpecker around 
the branches of trees1 feeding upon the 
grubs and insects that are lodged upon  

the bark4 ,he often leaves the forest1  
and may be seen busily searching the    
trees in the orchard and garden4 ,the   
restless activity of the birds of this  
species affords a proof of the countless
 myriads of insects that must be        
destroyed by them in the course of one  
season1--insects which1 if not kept in  
check by these and other small birds1   
would multiply to such an extreme as to 
render the earth uninhabitable by man4  
,while listening with close attention to
 the slender notes of either of the     
last-named birds1 often hardly audible  
amidst the din of grasshoppers1 the     
rustling of leaves1 and the sighing of  
winds among the tall oaken boughs1      
suddenly the wood resounds with a loud1 
shrill song1 like the sharpest notes of 
the ,canary4 ,the bird that startles one
 with this vociferous note is the       
,oven-,bird1 7,turdus aurocapillus71 or 
,golden-,crowned ,thrush4 ,it is the    
smallest of the ,thrushes1 is confined  
exclusively to the wood1 and when       

singing is particularly partial to      
noon-day4 ,there is no melody in his    
song4 ,he begins rather low1 increasing 
in loudness as he proceeds1 until the   
last notes are so loud as to seem almost
 in our immediate presence4 ,he might be
 supposed to utter ,his words1 ,i see1  
,i see1 ,i see1 etc41--emphasizing the  
first word1 and repeating the words six 
or eight times1 louder and louder with  
each repetition4 ,no other bird equals  
this little ,thrush in the emphasis with
 which he delivers his brief            
communication4 ,his notes are associated
 with summer noon-days in the deep      
woods1 and1 when bursting upon the ear  
in the silence of noon1 they disperse   
all melancholy thoughts1 and inspire one
 with a vivid consciousness of life4    
,the most remarkable thing connected    
with the history of this bird is his    
oven-shaped nest4 ,it is commonly placed
 on the ground1 under a knoll of moss or
 a tuft of grass and bushes1 and is     
formed almost entirely of long grass    

neatly woven4 ,it is covered with a roof
 of the same materials1 and a round     
opening is made at the side1 for the    
bird's entrance4 ,the nest is so        
ingeniously covered with grass and      
disguised with the appearance of the    
general surface around it1 that it is   
very seldom discovered4 ,the            
,cow-,bunting1 however1 is able to find 
it1 and often selects it as a depository
 for its own eggs4  ,those who are      
addicted to rambling in pursuit of      
natural curiosities may have observed   
that pine-woods are remarkable for      
certain collections of mosses which have
 cushioned a projecting rock or the     
decayed stump of a tree4 ,when weary    
with heat and exercise1 it is delightful
 to sit down upon one of these green    
velveted couches and take note of the   
objects immediately around us4 ,we are  
then prepared to hear the least sound   
that invades our retreat4 ,some of the  
sweetest notes ever uttered in the wood 
are distinctly heard only at such times2

 for when we are passing over the       
rustling leaves1 the noise made by our  
progress interferes with the perfect    
recognition of all delicate sounds4 ,it 
was when thus reclining1 after half a   
day's search for flowers1 under the     
grateful shade of a pine-tree1 now      
watching the white clouds that sent a   
brighter day-beam into these dark       
recesses1 as they passed luminously     
overhead1 and then noting the peculiar  
mapping of the grounds underneath the   
wood1 diversified with mosses in        
swelling knolls1 little islets of fern1 
and parterres of ginsengs and           
,solomon's-seals1--in one of these      
cloisters of the forest1 ,i was first   
greeted by the pensive note of the      
,green ,warbler1 as he seemed to titter 
in supplicatory tones1 very slowly      
modulated1 ,hear me1 ,saint ,theresa6   
,this strain1 as ,i have observed many  
times since1 is1 at certain hours1      
repeated constantly for ten minutes at a
 time1 and it is one of those melodious 

sounds that seem to belong exclusively  
to solitude4  ,the ,green ,warbler      
7,sylvia virens7 is a small bird1 and   
though his notes may be familiar to all 
who have been accustomed to strolling in
 the woods1 the species is not numerous 
in ,massachusetts1 the greater number   
retiring farther north in the           
breeding-season4 ,nuttall remarks in    
reference to this bird1 ,his simple1    
rather drawling1 and somewhat plaintive 
song1 uttered at short intervals1       
resembled the syllables 'te d teritsc1  
sometimes te derisca1 pronounced pretty 
loud and slow1 and the tones proceeded  
from high to low4 ,in the intervals1 he 
was perpetually busied in catching small
 cynips1 and other kinds of             
flies1--keeping up a smart snapping of  
his bill1 almost similar to the noise   
made by knocking pebbles together4      
,there is a plaintive expression in this
 musical supplication1 that is apparent 
to all who hear it1 no less than if the 
bird were truly offering prayers to some

 tutelary deity4 ,it is difficult1 in   
many cases1 to determine why a certain  
combination of sounds should affect one 
with an emotion of sadness1 while       
another1 under the same circumstances1  
produces a feeling of joy4 ,this is a   
part of the philosophy of music which   
has not been explained4  ,while treating
 of the ,sylvias1 ,i must not omit to   
notice one of the most important of the 
tribe1 and one with which almost        
everybody is acquainted1--the ,maryland 
,yellow-,throat 7,sylvia trichas74 ,this
 species is quite common and familiar4  
,he is most frequently seen in a        
willow-grove that borders a stream1 or  
in the shrubbery of moist and low       
grounds4 ,the angler is greeted by his  
notes on the rushy borders of a pond1   
and the botanist listens to them when   
hunting for those rose-plants that hide 
themselves under dripping rocks in some 
wooded ravine4 ,the song of the         
,yellow-,throat resembles that of the   
,warbling ,vireo1 delivered with        

somewhat more precision1 as if he were  
saying1 ,i see you1 ,i see you1 ,i see  
you4 ,his notes are simply lively and   
agreeable2 there is nothing plaintive   
about them4 ,the bird1 however1 is very 
attractive in his appearance1 being of a
 bright olive-color above1 with a yellow
 throat and breast1 and a black band    
extending from the nostrils over the    
eye4 ,this black band and the yellow    
throat are the marks by which he is most
 easily identified4 ,the ,yellow-,throat
 remains tuneful till near the last week
 in ,august4  ,but if we leave the wood 
while those above described are the only
 singing-birds we have heard1 we have   
either returned too soon1 or we did not 
penetrate deeply enough into the forest4
 ,the ,wood-,sparrow prepared our ears  
for a concert more delightful than the  
,red ,start or the ,yellow-,throat are  
capable of presenting1 and we have spent
 our time almost in vain1 if we have not
 heard the song of the ,wood-,thrush    
7,turdus melodus74 ,his notes are not   

startling or conspicuous2 some dull ears
 might not hear them1 though poured     
forth only a few rods distant1 if their 
attention were not directed to them4    
,yet they are loud1 liquid1 and         
sonorous1 and they fail to attract      
attention only on account of the long   
pauses between the different strains4   
,we must link all these strains together
 to enjoy the full pleasure which the   
song of this bird is capable of         
affording1 though any single strain     
alone is sufficient to entitle the bird 
to considerable reputation as a         
songster4  ,the song of the             
,wood-,thrush consists of about eight or
 ten different strains1 each of         
considerable length4 ,after each strain 
the bird makes a pause of about three or
 four seconds4 ,i think the effect of   
this sylvan music is somewhat diminished
 by the length of the pauses or rests4  
,it may be said1 however1 that during   
each pause our susceptibility is        
increased1 and we are thus prepared to  

be more deeply affected by the next     
notes4 ,whether the one or the other    
opinion be correct1 it is certain that  
any one who stops to listen to this bird
 will become spellbound1 and deaf to    
almost every other sound in the grove1  
as if his ears were enchained to the    
song of the ,siren4  ,the ,wood-,thrush 
sings at almost all hours of the day1   
though seldom after sunset4 ,he delights
 in a dusky retreat1 and is evidently   
inspired by solitude1 singing no less in
 gloomy weather than in sunshine4 ,late 
in ,august1 when other birds have mostly
 become silent1 he is sometimes the only
 songster in the wood4 ,there is a      
liquid sound in his tones that slightly 
resembles that of a glassichord2 though 
in some parts of the country he has     
received the name of ,fife-,bird1 from  
the clearness of his intonations4 ,by   
many persons this species is called the 
,hermit-,thrush4  ,the ,veery 7,turdus  
,wilsonii7 has many habits like those of
 the ,wood-,thrush1 and some similarity 

of song4 ,he is about the size of a     
,blue-,bird1 and resembles the ,red     
,thrush1 except that the brown of his   
back is slightly tinged with olive4 ,he 
arrives early in ,may1 and is first     
heard to sing during some part of the   
second week of that month1 when the sons
 of the ,bobolink commences4 ,he is not 
one of our familiar birds2 and unless we
 live in close proximity to a wood that 
is haunted by a stream1 we shall never  
hear his voice from our doors or        
windows4 ,he sings neither in the       
orchard1 nor the garden1 nor in the     
suburbs of the city4 ,he shuns the      
exhibitions of art1 and reserves his    
wild notes for those who frequent the   
inner sanctuary of the groves4 ,all who 
have once become familiar with his song 
await his arrival with impatience1 and  
take note of his silence in midsummer   
with regret4 ,until this little bird has
 arrived1 ,i always feel as an audience 
do at a concert1 before the chief singer
 has made her appearance1 while the     

other performers are vainly endeavoring 
to soothe them by their inferior        
attempts4  ,this bird is more retiring  
than any other important singing-bird1  
except the ,wood-,thrush1--being heard  
only in solitary groves1 and usually in 
the vicinity of a pond or stream4 ,here1
 especially after sunset1 he pours forth
 his brilliant and melancholy strains   
with a peculiar cadence1 and fills the  
whole forest with sound4 ,it seems as if
 the echoes were delimited with his     
notes1 and took pleasure in passing them
 round with multiplied reverberations4  
,i am confident this bird refrains from 
singing when others are the most vocal1 
from the pleasure he feels in listening 
either to his own notes1 or to the      
melodious responses which others of his 
own kindred repeat in different parts of
 the wood4 ,hence he chooses the dusk of
 evening for his vocal hour1 when the   
little chirping birds are mostly silent1
 that their voices may not interrupt his
 chant4 ,at this hour1 during a period  

of nine or ten weeks1 he charms the     
evening with his strains1 and often     
prolongs them in still weather till     
after dusk1 and whispers them sweetly   
into the ear of night4  ,no bird of his 
size has more strength of voice2 but his
 song1 though loud1 is modulated with   
such a sweet and flowing cadence1 that  
it comes to the ear with all the        
mellowness of the softest warbling4 ,it 
would be difficult to describe his song4
 ,it seems at first to be wanting in    
variety4 ,i was long of this opinion1   
though ,i was puzzled to account for its
 pleasing and extraordinary effect on   
the mind of the listener4 ,the song of  
the ,veery consists of five distinct    
strains or bars4 ,they might1 perhaps1  
be represented on the musical staff1 by 
commencing the first note on ,d above   
the staff and sliding down with a trill 
to ,c1 one fifth below4 ,the second1    
third1 fourth1 and fifth bars are       
repetitions of the first1 except that   
each commences and ends a few tones     

lower than the preceding4  ,were we to  
attempt to perform these notes with an  
instrument adapted to the purpose1 we   
should probably fail1 from the          
difficulty of imitating the peculiar    
trilling of the notes1 and the liquid   
ventriloquial sounds at the conclusion  
of each strain4 ,the whole is warbled in
 such a manner as to produce upon the   
ear the effect of harmony4 ,it seems as 
if we heard two or three concordant     
notes at the same moment4 ,i have never 
noticed this effect in the song of any  
other bird4 ,i should judge that it     
might be produced by the rapid descent  
from the commencing note of each strain 
to the last note about a fourth or fifth
 below1 the latter being heard          
simultaneously with the reverberation of
 the first note4  ,another remarkable   
quality of the song is a union of       
brilliancy and plaintiveness4 ,the first
 effect is produced by the commencing   
notes of each strain1 which are sudden  
and on a high key2 the second1 by the   

graceful chromatic slide to the         
termination1 which is inimitable and    
exceedingly solemn4 ,i have sometimes   
thought that a part of the delightful   
influence of these notes might be       
attributable to the cloistered          
situations from which they were         
delivered4 ,but ,i have occasionally    
heard them while the bird was singing   
from a tree in an open field1 when they 
were equally pleasing and impressive4 ,i
 am not peculiar in my admiration of    
this little songster4 ,i have observed  
that people who are strangers to the    
woods1 and to the notes of birds1 are   
always attracted by the song of the     
,veery4  ,in my early days1 when ,i was 
at school1 ,i boarded in a house near a 
grove that was vocal with these         
,thrushes2 and it was then ,i learned to
 love their song more than any other    
sound in ,nature1 and above the finest  
strains of artificial music4 ,since that
 time ,i have lived in town1 apart from 
their sylvan retreats1 which ,i have    

visited only during my hours of leisure2
 but ,i have seldom failed1 each        
returning year1 to make frequent visits 
to the wood to listen to their notes1   
which cause full half the pleasure ,i   
derive from a summer-evening walk4 ,if  
in any year ,i fail to hear the song of 
the ,veery1 ,i feel a painful sense of  
regret1 as when ,i have missed an       
opportunity to see an absent friend1    
during a periodical visit4  ,the ,veery 
is not one of our latest singers4 ,his  
notes are not often heard after the     
middle of ,july4  ,we should not be     
obliged to penetrate the wood to learn  
the habits of another ,thrush1 not so   
remarkable for his musical powers as    
interesting on account of his manners4  
,i allude to the ,cat-,bird1 7,turdus   
felivox17 well known from his           
disagreeable habit of mewing like a     
kitten4 ,he is most frequently seen on  
the edge of a wood1 among the bushes    
that have come up1 as it were1 to hide  
its baldness and to harmonize it with   

the plain4 ,he is usually attached to   
low1 moist1 and retired situations1     
though he is often very familiar in his 
habits4 ,his nest of dry sticks is      
sometimes woven into a currant-bush in a
 garden that adjoins a wood1 and his    
quaint voice may be heard there as in   
his own solitary haunts4 ,the ,cat-,bird
 is not an inveterate singer1 and never 
seems to make music his employment1     
though at any hour of the day1 from dawn
 until dusk in the evening1 he may be   
heard occasionally singing and          
complaining4  ,though ,i have been all  
my life familiar with the notes and     
manners of the ,cat-,bird1 ,i have not  
yet been able to discover that he is a  
mocker4 ,he seems to me to have a       
definite song1 unlike that of any other 
bird1 except the ,red ,mavis1--not made 
up of parts of the songs of other birds1
 but as unique and original as that of  
the ,song-,sparrow or the ,robin4 ,in   
the songs of all birds we may detect    
occasional strains that resemble parts  

of the song of some other species2 but  
the ,cat-,bird gives no more of these   
imitations than we might reasonably     
regard as accidental4 ,the modulation of
 his song is somewhat similar to that of
 the ,red ,thrush1 and it is sometimes  
difficult to determine1 at first1 when  
the bird is out of sight1 whether we are
 listening to the one or the other2 but 
after a few seconds1 we detect one of   
those quaint turns that distinguish the 
notes of the ,cat-,bird4 ,i never yet   
mistook the note of the ,cat-,bird for  
that of any species except the ,red     
,thrush4 ,the truth is1 that the        
,thrushes1 though delightful songsters1 
possess inferior powers of execution1   
and cannot equal the ,finches in their  
capacity of learning and performing the 
notes of other birds4 ,even the         
,mocking-,bird1 as compared with many   
other species1 is a very imperfect      
imitator of any notes which are         
difficult of execution4  ,the mewing    
note of the ,cat-,bird1 from which his  

name is derived1 has been the occasion  
of many misfortunes to his species1     
causing them to share a portion of that 
contempt which almost every human being 
feels towards the feline race1 and that 
contempt has been followed by           
persecution4 ,the ,cat-,bird has always 
been proscribed by the ,new ,england    
farmers1 who from the first settlement  
of the country have entertained a       
prejudice against many of the most      
useful birds4 ,the ,robin and a few     
diminutive ,fly-,catchers are almost the
 only exceptions4 ,but the ,robin is now
 in danger of proscription4 ,within a   
few years past1 the horticulturists1 who
 are unwilling lo lose their cherries   
for the general benefit of agriculture1 
have made an effort to obtain an edict  
of outlawry against him1 accusing him of
 being entirely useless to the farmer   
and the gardener4 ,their efforts have   
caused the friends of the ,robin to     
examine his claims to protection1 and   
the result of their investigations is   

demonstrative proof that the ,robin is  
among the most useful birds in          
existence4 ,the ,cat-,bird and other    
,thrushes are similar in their habits of
 feeding and in their services to       
agriculture4  ,the ,red ,mavis 7,turdus 
rufus7 has many habits similar to those 
of the ,cat-,bird1 but he is not partial
 to low grounds4 ,he is one of the most 
remarkable of the ,american birds1 and  
is generally considered the finest      
songster in the ,new ,england forest4   
,nuttall says1 ,he is inferior only to  
the ,mocking-,bird in musical talent2   
but ,i should question his inferiority4 
,he is superior to the ,mocking-,bird in
 variety1 and is surpassed by him only  
in the intonation of some of his notes4 
,but no person is ever tired of         
listening to the ,red ,mavis1 who       
constantly varies his song1 while the   
,mocking-,bird tires us with his        
repetitions1 which are often continued  
to a ludicrous extreme4  ,it is         
unfortunate that our ornithologists     

should1 in any cases1 have adopted the  
disagreeable names which our singularly 
unpoetical countrymen have given to the 
birds4 ,the little ,hair-,bird1 for     
example1 is called the                  
,chipping-,sparrow1 as if he were in the
 habit of making chips1 like the        
,carpenter-,bird2 and the ,red ,thrush  
is called the ,thrasher1 which is a low 
corruption of ,thrush1 and would signify
 that the bird had some peculiar habit  
of threshing with his wings4 ,the word  
chipping1 when used for chirping1 is    
incorrect ,english2 and thrasher is     
incorrect in point of fact4 ,no such    
names should find sanction in books4    
,let us repudiate the name of ,thrasher 
for the ,red ,thrush1 as we would       
repudiate any other solecism4  ,the ,red
 ,mavis1 or ,thrush1 is most musical in 
the early part of the season1 when he   
first arrives1 or in the month of ,may2 
the ,veery is most vocal in ,june1 and  
the ,wood-,thrush in ,july2 the         
,cat-,bird begins early and sings late1 

and fills out with his quaint notes the 
remainder of the singing season1 after  
the others have become silent4 ,when one
 is in a thoughtful mood1 the songs of  
the ,wood-,thrush and the ,veery surpass
 all others on their delightful         
influence2 and when ,i am strolling in  
the solitary pastures1 it seems to me   
that nothing can exceed the simple      
melody of the ,wood-,sparrow4 ,but      
without claiming for the ,red ,thrush   
any remarkable power of exciting poetic 
inspiration1 his song in the open field 
has a charm for all ears1 and can be    
appreciated by the dullest of minds4    
,without singing badly1 he pleases the  
millions4 ,he sings occasionally at all 
hours of the day1 and1 when employed in 
singing1 devotes himself entirely to    
song1 with evident enthusiasm4  ,it     
would be difficult1 either by word or by
 note1 to give one who has never heard  
the song of the ,red ,thrush a correct  
idea of it4 ,this bird is not a rapid   
singer4 ,his performances seem to be a  

sort of recitative1 often resembling    
spoken words1 rather than musical notes1
 many of which are short and guttural4  
,he seldom whistles clearly1 like the   
,robin1 but he produces a charming      
variety of tone and modulation4         
,thoreau1 in one of his quaint          
descriptions1 gives an off-hand sketch  
of the bird1 which ,i will quote3--,near
 at hand1 upon the topmost spray of a   
birch1 sings the ,brown ,thrasher1 or   
,red ,mavis1 as some love to call       
him1--all the morning glad of your      
society1 that would find out another    
farmer's field1 if yours were not here4 
,while you are planting the seed1 he    
cries1--',drop it1 drop it1--cover it   
up1 cover it up1--pull it up1 pull it   
up1 pull it up4'  ,we have now left the 
forest and are approaching the          
cultivated grounds1 under the shade of  
those fully expanded trees which have   
grown without restraint in the open     
field4 ,here as well as in the wood we  
find the ,pewee1 or ,phoebe4 7,muscicapa

 nunciola17 one of our most common and  
interesting birds4 ,he seems to court   
solitude1 and his peculiar note         
harmonizes well with his obscure and    
shady retreats4 ,he sits for the most   
part in the shade1 catching his feast of
 insects without any noise1 merely      
flitting from his perch1 seizing his    
prey1 and then resuming his station4    
,this movement is performed in the most 
graceful manner1 and he often turns a   
somerset1 or appears to do so1 if the   
insect at first evades his pursuit1--and
 he seldom fails in capturing it4 ,all  
this is done in silence1 for he is no   
singer4 ,the only sounds he utters are  
an occasional clicking cherup1 and now  
and then1 with a plaintive cadence1 he  
seems to speak the word pewee4 ,as the  
male and female bird cannot be readily  
distinguished1 ,i have not been able to 
determine whether this sound is uttered 
by both sexes1 or by the male alone4    
,so plainly expressive of sadness is    
this peculiar note1 that it is difficult

 to believe that the little being that  
utters it can be free from sorrow4      
,certainly he can have no congeniality  
of feeling with the sprightly ,bobolink4
 ,perhaps1 with the rest of his species1
 he represents only the fragment of a   
superior race1 which1 according to the  
metempsychosis1 have fallen from their  
original importance1 and this melancholy
 note is but the partial utterance of   
sorrow that still lingers in their      
breasts after the occasion of it is     
forgotten4  ,though a shy and retiring  
bird1 the ,pewee is known to almost     
every person1 on account of its         
remarkable note4 ,like the swallow1 he  
builds his nest under a sheltering roof 
or rock1 and it is often fixed upon a   
beam or plank under a bridge that       
crosses a small stream4 ,near this place
 he takes his station1 on the branch of 
a tree or the top of a fence1 and sits  
patiently waiting for every moth1       
chafer1 or butterfly that passes along4 
,fortunately1 there are no prejudices   

existing in the community against this  
bird that provoke men to destroy him4   
,as he is known to feed entirely on     
insects1 he cannot be suspected of doing
 mischief on the farm or in the garden1 
and is considered worthy of protection4 
,i would remark in this place1 that the 
,fly-,catchers and ,swallows1 and a few 
other species that enjoy an immunity in 
our land1 would1 though multiplied to   
infinity1 perform only those offices    
which are assigned them by ,nature4 ,it 
is a vain hope that leads one to        
believe1 while he is engaged in         
exterminating a certain species of small
 birds1 that their places can be        
supplied and their services performed by
 other species which are allowed to     
multiply to excess4 ,the preservation of
 every species of indigenous birds is   
the only means that can prevent the     
over-multiplication of injurious        
insects4  ,as we return homeward1 we    
soon find ourselves surrounded by the   
familiar birds that shun the forest and 

assemble around the habitations of men4 
,among them the ,blue-,bird meets our   
sight1 upon the roofs and fences as well
 as in the field and orchard4 ,at the   
risk of introducing him into a company  
to which he does not strictly belong1 ,i
 will attempt in this place to describe 
some of his habits4 ,the ,blue-,bird    
7,sylvia sialis7 arrives very early in  
spring1 and is detained late in the     
autumn by his habit of raising two or   
more broods of young in the season4 ,he 
is said to bear a strong resemblance to 
the ,english ,robin-,redbreast1 being   
similar in form and size1 each having a 
red breast and short tail-feathers1 with
 only this manifest difference1 that one
 is olive-colored above where the other 
is blue4 ,but the ,blue-,bird does not  
equal the ,redbreast as a songster4 ,his
 notes are few1 not greatly varied1     
though melodious and sweetly and        
plaintively modulated1 and never loud4  
,on account of their want of variety1   
they do not enchain a listener1 but they

 constitute a delightful part in the    
woodland melodies of morn4  ,the        
importance of the inferior singers in   
making up a general chorus is not always
 appreciated4 ,in an artificial musical 
composition1 as in an oratorio or an    
anthem1 though there is a leading part1 
which is commonly the air1 that gives   
character to the whole1 yet this        
principal part would often be a very    
indifferent piece of melody1 if         
performed without its accompaniments4   
,these accompaniments by themselves     
would seem still more unimportant and   
trifling4 ,yet if the composition be the
 work of a master1 however trifling and 
comparatively insignificant these brief 
strains or snatches1 they are intimately
 connected with the harmony of the      
piece1 and could not be omitted without 
a serious derangement of the grand      
effect4 ,the inferior singing-birds1 on 
the same principle1 are indispensable as
 aids in giving additional effect to the
 notes of the chief singers4  ,though   

the ,robin is the principal musician in 
the general orison of dawn1 his notes   
would become tiresome1 if heard without 
accompaniments4 ,nature has so arranged 
the harmony of this chorus1 that one    
part shall assist another2 and so       
exquisitely has she combined all the    
different voices1 that the silence of   
any one can never fail to be immediately
 perceived4 ,the low1 mellow warble of  
the ,blue-,bird seems a sort of echo to 
the louder voice of the ,robin2 and the 
incessant trilling or running           
accompaniment of the ,hair-,bird1 the   
twittering of the ,swallow1 and the loud
 and melodious piping of the ,oriole1   
frequent and short1 are sounded like the
 different parts of a regular band of   
instruments1 and each performer seems to
 time his part as if by design4 ,any    
discordant sound1 that may happen to be 
made in the midst of this performance1  
never fails to disturb the equanimity of
 the singers1 and some minutes must     
elapse before they recommence their     

parts4  ,it would be difficult to draw a
 correct comparison between the         
different birds and the various         
instruments in an orchestra4 ,it would  
be more easy to signify them by notes on
 the gamut4 ,but if the ,robin were     
supposed to represent the ,german flute1
 the ,blue-,bird might be considered as 
the flageolet1 frequently1 but not      
incessantly1 interposing a few mellow   
strains1 the ,swallow and the           
,hair-,bird the octave flute1 and the   
,golden ,robin the bugle1 sounding      
occasionally a low but brief strain4    
,the analogy could not be carried       
farther without losing force and        
correctness4  ,all the notes of the     
,blue-,bird--his call-notes1 his notes  
of alarm1 his chirp1 and his song--are  
equally plaintive1 and closely resemble 
each other4 ,i am not aware that this   
bird ever utters a harsh note4 ,his     
voice1 which is one of the earliest to  
be heard in the spring1 is associated   
with the early flowers and with all     

pleasant vernal influences4 ,when he    
first arrives1 he perches upon the roof 
of a barn or upon some still leafless   
tree1 and pours forth his few and       
frequent notes with evident fervor1 as  
if conscious of the delights that await 
him4 ,these mellow notes are all the    
sounds he titters for several weeks1    
seldom chirping1 crying1 or scolding    
like other birds4 ,his song is          
discontinued in the latter part of      
summer2 but his peculiar plaintive call1
 consisting of a single note pensively  
modulated1 continues all day1 until the 
time of frost4 ,this sound is one of the
 melodies of summer's decline1 and      
reminds us1 like the notes of the green 
nocturnal grasshopper1 of the fall of   
the leaf1 the ripened harvest1 and all  
the melancholy pleasures of autumn4     
,the ,blue-,bird builds his nest in     
hollow trees and posts1 and may be      
encouraged to breed and multiply around 
our habitations1 by erecting boxes for  
his accommodation4 ,in whatever vicinity

 we may reside1 whether in the clearing 
or in the heart of the village1 if we   
set up a little bird-house in ,may1 it  
will certainly be occupied by a         
,blue-,bird1 unless preoccupied by a    
bird of some other species4 ,there is   
commonly so great a demand for such     
accommodations among the feathered      
tribes1 that it is not unusual to see   
birds of several different species      
contending for the possession of one    
box4  ,after the middle of ,august1 as a
 new race of winged creatures awake into
 life1 the birds1 who sing of the       
seed-time1 the flowers1 and of the early
 summer harvests1 give place to the     
inferior band of insect-musicians4 ,the 
reed and the pipe are laid aside1 and   
myriads of little performers have taken 
up the harp and the lute1 and make the  
air resound with the clash and din of   
their various instruments4 ,an anthem of
 rejoicing swells up from myriads of    
unseen harpists1 who heed not the fate  
that awaits them1 but make themselves   

merry in every place that is visited by 
sunshine or the south-wind4 ,the        
golden-rod sways its beautiful nodding  
plumes in the borders of the fields and 
by the rustic roadsides2 the purple     
gerardia is bright in the wet meadows1  
and the scarlet lobelia in the channels 
of the sunken streamlets4 ,but the birds
 heed them not2 for these are not the   
wreaths that decorate the halls of their
 festivities4 ,since the rose and the   
lily have faded1 they have ceased to be 
tuneful2 some1 like the ,bobolink1      
assemble in small companies1 and with a 
melancholy chirp seem to mourn over some
 sad accident that has befallen them2   
others still congregate about their     
usual resorts1 and seem almost like     
strangers in the land4  ,nature provides
 inspiration for every sentiment that   
contributes to the happiness of man1 as 
she provides sustenance for his various 
physical wants4 ,but all is not gladness
 that elevates the soul into bliss2 we  
may be made happy by sentiments that    

come not from rejoicing1 even from      
objects that waken tender recollections 
of sorrow4 ,as if ,nature designed that 
the soul of man should find sympathy1 in
 all its healthful moods1 from the      
voices of her creatures1 and from the   
sounds of inanimate objects1 she has    
provided that all seasons should pour   
into his ear some pleasant intimations  
of heaven4 ,in autumn1 when the         
harvest-hymn of the day-time has ceased1
 at early nightfall1 the green nocturnal
 grasshoppers commence their autumnal   
dirge1 and fill the mind with a keen    
sense of the rapid passing of time4     
,these sounds do not sadden the mind1   
but deepen the tone of our feelings1 and
 prepare us for a renewal of            
cheerfulness1 by inspiring us with the  
poetic sentiment of melancholy4 ,this   
sombre state of the mind soon passes    
away1 effaced by the exhilarating       
influence of the clear skies and        
invigorating breezes of autumn1 and the 
inspiriting sounds of myriads of        

chirping insects that awake with the    
morning and make all the meadows resound
 with the shout of their merry voices4  
,,song ,,of ,,the ,,wood-,,sparrow4     
,illustration3 de de de d d d d d r r r 
r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r 
r r r r r r r r r re4  ,,note4--,in the 
early part of the season the song ends  
with the first double bar2 later in the 
season it is extended1 in frequent      
instances1 as in the notes that follow4 
,,song ,,of ,,the ,,chewink4            
,illustration3 twee ta t' we we we we   
twee tu t' we we we we  ,,song ,,of     
,,the ,,green ,,warbler4  ,illustration3
 ,hear me ,st4 ,the - re - sa4 ,hear me 
,st4 ,the - re - sa4  ,,song ,,of ,,the 
,,wood-,,thrush4  ,illustration3 too too
 tillere ilere tillere tilere  too      
issele issele tse se se se s s s s se   
too tillery tillery oo villilil villilil
 too too illery ilery  eh villia villia 
villia oo airvee ehu1 etc4   ,,note4--,i
 have not been able to detect any order 
in the succession of these strains1     

though some order undoubtedly exists1   
and might be discovered by              
long-continued observation4 ,the        
intervals in the above sketch cannot be 
given with exactness4   ,,song ,,of     
,,the ,,veery4  ,illustration3 e-e ve re
 a e-e verea e-e verea e-e verea vere   
lil lily  or1  ,illustration3 e villia  
villia villia villia ve rehu4           
,,note4--,i am far from being satisfied 
with the above representation of the    
song of the ,veery1 in which there are  
certain trilling and liquid sounds that 
hardly admit of notation4  ,,song ,,of  
,,the ,,red ,,mavis4  ,illustration3    
drop it drop it cover it up cover it up 
pull it up pull it up tut tut tut see   
see see there you have it hae it hae it 
see tut tut work away work away drop it 
drop it cover it up cover it up4        
,,note4--,the ,red ,mavis makes a short 
pause at the end of each bar4 ,these    
pauses are irregular in time1 and cannot
 be correctly noted4   ,,note ,,of ,,the
 ,,pewee4  ,illustration3 pe - a - wee  

pe - a - wee4   ,,song ,,of ,,the       
,,blue-,,bird4  ,illustration     ,,the 
,,minister',s ,,wooing4   ,,chapter ,i4 
,mrs4 ,katy ,scudder had invited ,mrs4  
,brown1 and ,mrs4 ,jones1 and ,deacon   
,twitchel's wife to take tea with her on
 the afternoon of ,june second1 ,a4,d4  
#ag--4  ,when one has a story to tell1  
one is always puzzled which end of it to
 begin at4 ,you have a whole corps of   
people to introduce that you know and   
your reader doesn't2 and one thing so   
presupposes another1 that1 whichever way
 you turn your patchwork1 the figures   
still seem ill-arranged4 ,the small item
 that ,i have given will do as well as  
any other to begin with1 as it certainly
 will lead you to ask1 ,pray1 who was   
,mrs4 ,katy ,scudder8--and this will    
start me systematically on my story4    
,you must understand that in the then   
small seaport-town of ,newport1 at that 
time unconscious of its present fashion 
and fame1 there lived nobody in those   
days who did not know the ,widow        

,scudder4  ,in ,new ,england settlements
 a custom has obtained1 which is        
wholesome and touching1 of ennobling the
 woman whom ,god has made desolate1 by a
 sort of brevet rank which continually  
speaks for her as a claim on the respect
 and consideration of the community4    
,the ,widow ,jones1 or ,brown1 or       
,smith1 is one of the fixed institutions
 of every ,new ,england village1--and   
doubtless the designation acts as a     
continual plea for one whom bereavement1
 like the lightning of heaven1 has made 
sacred4  ,the ,widow ,scudder1 however1 
was one of the sort of women who reign  
queens in whatever society they move in2
 nobody was more quoted1 more deferred  
to1 or enjoyed more unquestioned        
position than she4 ,she was not rich1--a
 small farm1 with a modest1             
gambrel-roofed1 one-story cottage1 was  
her sole domain2 but she was one of the 
much-admired class who1 in the speech of
 ,new ,england1 are said to have        
faculty1--a gift which1 among that      

shrewd people1 commands more esteem than
 beauty1 riches1 learning1 or any       
otherworldly endowment4 ,faculty is     
,yankee for savoir faire1 and the       
opposite virtue to shiftlessness4       
,faculty is the greatest virtue1 and    
shiftlessness the greatest vice1 of     
,yankee man and woman4 ,to her who has  
faculty nothing shall be impossible4    
,she shall scrub floors1 wash1 wring1   
bake1 brew1 and yet her hands shall be  
small and white2 she shall have no      
perceptible income1 yet always be       
handsomely dressed2 she shall have not a
 servant in her house1--with a dairy to 
manage1 hired men to feed1 a boarder or 
two to care for1 unheard-of pickling and
 preserving to do1--and yet you commonly
 see her every afternoon sitting at her 
shady parlor-window behind the lilacs1  
cool and easy1 hemming muslin           
cap-strings1 or reading the last new    
book4 ,she who hath faculty is never in 
a hurry1 never behindhand4 ,she can     
always step over to distressed ,mrs4    

,smith1 whose jelly won't come1--and    
stop to show ,mrs4 ,jones how she makes 
her pickles so green1--and be ready to  
watch with poor old ,mrs4 ,simpkins1 who
 is down with the rheumatism4  ,of this 
genus was the ,widow ,scudder1--or1 as  
the neighbors would have said of her1   
she that was ,katy ,stephens4 ,katy was 
the only daughter of a shipmaster1      
sailing from ,newport harbor1 who was   
wrecked off the coast one cold ,december
 night and left small fortune to his    
widow and only child4 ,katy grew up1    
however1 a tall1 straight1 black-eyed   
girl1 with eyebrows drawn true as a bow1
 a foot arched like a ,spanish woman's1 
and a little hand which never saw the   
thing it could not do1--quick of speech1
 ready of wit1 and1 as such girls have a
 right to be1 somewhat positive withal4 
,katy could harness a chaise1 or row a  
boat2 she could saddle and ride any     
horse in the neighborhood2 she could cut
 any garment that ever was seen or      
thought of2 make cake1 jelly1 and wine1 

from her earliest years1 in most        
precocious style2--all without seeming  
to derange a sort of trim1 well-kept air
 of ladyhood that sat jauntily on her4  
,of course1 being young and lively1 she 
had her admirers1 and some well-to-do in
 worldly affairs laid their lands and   
houses at ,katy's feet2 but1 to the     
wonder of all1 she would not even pick  
them up to look at them4 ,people shook  
their heads1 and wondered whom ,katy    
,stephens expected to get1 and talked   
about going through the wood to pick up 
a crooked stick1--till one day she      
astonished her world by marrying a man  
that nobody ever thought of her taking4 
,george ,scudder was a grave1 thoughtful
 young man1--not given to talking1 and  
silent in the society of women1 with    
that kind of reverential bashfulness    
which sometimes shows a pure1 unworldly 
nature4 ,how ,katy came to fancy him    
everybody wondered1--for he never talked
 to her1 never so much as picked up her 
glove when it fell1 never asked her to  

ride or sail2 in short1 everybody said  
she must have wanted him from sheer     
wilfulness1 because he of all the young 
men of the neighborhood never courted   
her4 ,but ,katy1 having very sharp eyes1
 saw some things that nobody else saw4  
,for example1 you must know she         
discovered by mere accident that ,george
 ,scudder always was looking at her1    
wherever she moved1 though he looked    
away in a moment1 if discovered1--and   
that an accidental touch of her hand or 
brush of her dress would send the blood 
into his cheek like the spirit in the   
tube of a thermometer2 and so1 as women 
are curious1 you know1 ,katy amused     
herself with investigating the causes of
 these little phenomena1 and1 before she
 knew it1 got her foot caught in a      
cobweb that held her fast1 and          
constrained her1 whether she would or   
no1 to marry a poor man that nobody     
cared much for but herself4  ,george    
was1 in truth1 one of the sort who      
evidently have made some mistake in     

coming into this world at all1 as their 
internal furniture is in no way suited  
to its general courses and currents4 ,he
 was of the order of dumb poets1--most  
wretched when put to the grind of the   
hard and actual2 for if he who would    
utter poetry stretches out his hand to a
 gainsaying world1 he is worse off still
 who is possessed with the desire of    
living it4 ,especially is this the case1
 if he be born poor1 and with a dire    
necessity upon him of making immediate  
efforts in the hard and actual4 ,george 
had a helpless invalid mother to        
support2 so1 though he loved reading and
 silent thought above all things1 he put
 to instant use the only convertible    
worldly talent he possessed1 which was a
 mechanical genius1 and shipped at      
sixteen as a ship-carpenter4 ,he studied
 navigation in the forecastle1 and found
 in its calm diagrams and tranquil      
eternal signs food for his thoughtful   
nature1 and a refuge from the brutality 
and coarseness of sea-life4 ,he had a   

healthful1 kindly animal nature1 and so 
his inwardness did not ferment and turn 
to ,byronic sourness and bitterness2 nor
 did he needlessly parade to everybody  
in his vicinity the great gulf which lay
 between him and them4 ,he was called a 
good fellow1--only a little             
lumpish1--and as he was brave and       
faithful1 he rose in time to be a       
shipmaster4 ,but when came the business 
of making money1 the aptitude for       
accumulating1 ,george found himself     
distanced by many a one with not half   
his general powers4  ,what shall a man  
do with a sublime tier of moral         
faculties1 when the most profitable     
business out of his port is the         
slave-trade8 ,so it was in ,newport in  
those days4 ,george's first voyage was  
on a slaver1 and he wished himself dead 
many a time before it was over1--and    
ever after would talk like a man beside 
himself1 if the subject was named4 ,he  
declared that the gold made in it was   
distilled from human blood1 from        

mothers' tears1 from the agonies and    
dying groans of gasping1 suffocating men
 and women1 and that it would scar and  
blister the soul of him that touched it2
 in short1 he talked as whole-souled    
unpractical fellows are apt to talk     
about what respectable people sometimes 
do4 ,nobody had ever instructed him that
 a slave-ship1 with a procession of     
expectant sharks in its wake1 is a      
missionary institution1 by which        
closely-packed heathens are brought over
 to enjoy the light of the gospel4  ,so1
 though ,george was acknowledged to be a
 good fellow1 and honest as the         
noon-mark on the kitchen floor1 he let  
slip so many chances of making money as 
seriously to compromise his reputation  
among thriving folks4 ,he was wastefully
 generous1--insisted on treating every  
poor dog that came in his way1 in any   
foreign port1 as a brother1--absolutely 
refused to be party in cheating or      
deceiving the heathen on any shore1 or  
in skin of any color1--and also took    

pains1 as far as in him lay1 to spoil   
any bargains which any of his           
subordinates founded on the ignorance or
 weakness of his fellow-men4 ,so he made
 voyage after voyage1 and gained only   
his wages and the reputation among his  
employers of an incorruptibly honest    
fellow4  ,to be sure1 it was said that  
he carried out books in his ship1 and   
read and studied1 and wrote observations
 on all the countries he saw1 which     
,parson ,smith told ,miss ,dolly        
,persimmon would really do credit to a  
printed book2 but then they never were  
printed1 or1 as ,miss ,dolly remarked of
 them1 they never seemed to come to     
anything1--and coming to anything1 as   
she understood it1 meant standing in    
definite relations to bread and butter4 
,george never cared1 however1 for money4
 ,he made enough to keep his mother     
comfortable1 and that was enough for    
him1 till he fell in love with ,katy    
,stephens4 ,he looked at her through    
those glasses which such men carry in   

their souls1 and she was a mortal woman 
no longer1 but a transfigured1 glorified
 creature1--an object of awe and wonder4
 ,he was actually afraid of her2 her    
glove1 her shoe1 her needle1 thread1 and
 thimble1 her bonnet-string1 everything1
 in short1 she wore or touched1 became  
invested with a mysterious charm4 ,he   
wondered at the impudence of men that   
could walk up and talk to her1--that    
could ask her to dance with such an     
assured air4 ,now he wished he were     
rich2 he dreamed impossible chances of  
his coming home a millionnaire to lay   
unknown wealth at ,katy's feet2 and when
 ,miss ,persimmon1 the ambulatory       
dress-maker of the neighborhood1 in     
making up a new black gown for his      
mother1 recounted how ,captain          
,blatherem had sent ,katy ,stephens     
'most the splendidest ,india shawl that 
ever she did see1 he was ready to tear  
his hair at the thought of his poverty4 
,but even in that hour of temptation he 
did not repent that he had refused all  

part and lot in the ship by which       
,captain ,blatherem's money was made1   
for he knew every timber of it to be    
seasoned by the groans and saturated    
with the sweat of human agony4 ,true    
love is a natural sacrament2 and if ever
 a young man thanks ,god for having     
saved what is noble and manly in his    
soul1 it is when he thinks of offering  
it to the woman he loves4 ,nevertheless1
 the ,india-shawl story cost him a      
night's rest2 nor was it till ,miss     
,persimmon had ascertained1 by a private
 confabulation with ,katy's mother1 that
 she had indignantly rejected it1 and   
that she treated the ,captain real      
ridiculous1 that he began to take heart4
 ,he ought not1 he said1 to stand in her
 way now1 when he had nothing to offer4 
,no1 he would leave ,katy free to do    
better1 if she could2 he would try his  
luck1 and if1 when he came home from the
 next voyage1 ,katy was disengaged1 why1
 then he would lay all at her feet4     
,and so ,george was going to sea with a 

secret shrine in his soul1 at which he  
was to burn unsuspected incense4  ,but1 
after all1 the mortal maiden whom he    
adored suspected this private           
arrangement1 and contrived--as women    
will--to get her own key into the lock  
of his secret temple2 because1 as girls 
say1 she was determined to know what was
 there4 ,so1 one night1 she met him     
quite accidentally on the sea-sands1    
struck up a little conversation1 and    
begged him in such a pretty way to bring
 her a spotted shell from the ,south    
,sea like the one on his mother's       
mantel-piece1 and looked so simple and  
childlike in saying it1 that our young  
man very imprudently committed himself  
by remarking1 that1 ,when people had    
rich friends to bring them all the world
 from foreign parts1 he never dreamed of
 her wanting so trivial a thing4  ,of   
course ,katy didn't know what he        
meant1--she hadn't heard of any rich    
friends4 ,and then came something about 
,captain ,blatherem2 and ,katy tossed   

her head1 and said1 ,if anybody wanted  
to insult her1 they might talk to her   
about ,captain ,blatherem1--and then    
followed this1 that1 and the other till 
finally1 as you might expect1 out came  
all that never was to have been said2   
and ,katy was almost frightened at the  
terrible earnestness of the spirit she  
had evoked4 ,she tried to laugh1 and    
ended by crying1 and saying she hardly  
knew what2 but when she came to herself 
in her own room at home1 she found on   
her finger a ring of ,african gold that 
,george had put there1 which she did not
 send back like ,captain ,blatherem's   
presents4  ,katy was like many intensely
 matter-of-fact and practical women1 who
 have not in themselves a bit of poetry 
or a particle of ideality1 but who yet  
worship these qualities in others with  
the homage which the ,indians paid to   
the unknown tongue of the first whites4 
,they are secretly weary of a certain   
conscious dryness of nature in          
themselves1 and this weariness          

predisposes them to idolize the man who 
brings them this unknown gift4          
,naturalists say that every defect of   
organization has its compensation1 and  
men of ideal natures find in the favor  
of women the equivalent for their       
disabilities among men4  ,do you        
remember1 at ,niagara1 a little cataract
 on the ,american side1 which throws its
 silver sheeny veil over a cave called  
the ,grot of ,rainbows8 ,whoever stands 
on a rock in that grotto sees himself in
 the centre of a rainbow-circle1 above1 
below1 around4 ,in like manner1 merry1  
chatty1 positive1 busy1 housewifely     
,katy saw herself standing in a         
rainbow-shrine in her lover's inner     
soul1 and liked to see herself so4 ,a   
woman1 by-the-by1 must be very          
insensible1 who is not moved to come    
upon a higher plane of being1 herself1  
by seeing how undoubtingly she is       
insphered in the heart of a good and    
noble man4 ,a good man's1 faith in you1 
fair lady1 if you ever have it1 will    

make you better and nobler even before  
you know it4  ,katy made an excellent   
wife2 she took home her husband's old   
mother and nursed her with a dutifulness
 and energy worthy of all praise1 and   
made her own keen outward faculties and 
deft handiness a compensation for the   
defects in worldly estate4 ,nothing     
would make ,katy's black eyes flash     
quicker than any reflections on her     
husband's want of luck in the material  
line4 ,she didn't know whose business it
 was1 if she was satisfied4 ,she hated  
these sharp1 gimlet1 gouging sort of men
 that would put a screw between body and
 soul for money4 ,george had that in him
 that nobody understood4 ,she would     
rather be his wife on bread and water   
than to take ,captain ,blatherem's      
house1 carriages1 and horse1 and        
all1--and she might have had 'em fast   
enough1 dear knows4 ,she was sick of    
making money when she saw what sort of  
men could make it1--and so on4 ,all     
which talk did her infinite credit1     

because at bottom she did care1 and was 
naturally as proud and ambitious a      
little minx as ever breathed1 and was   
thoroughly grieved at heart at ,george's
 want of worldly success2 but1 like a   
nice little ,robin ,redbreast1 she      
covered up the grave of her worldliness 
with the leaves of true love1 and sung a
 ,who cares for that8 above it4  ,her   
thrifty management of the money her     
husband brought her soon bought a snug  
little farm1 and put up the little brown
 gambrel-roofed cottage to which we     
directed your attention in the first of 
our story4 ,children were born to them1 
and ,george found1 in short intervals   
between voyages1 his home an earthly    
paradise4 ,ho was still sailing1 with   
the fond illusion1 in every voyage1 of  
making enough to remain at home1--when  
the yellow fever smote him under the    
line1 and the ship returned to ,newport 
without its captain4  ,george was a     
,christian man2--he had been one of the 
first to attach himself to the unpopular

 and unworldly ministry of the          
celebrated ,dr4 ,h41 and to appreciate  
the sublime ideality and unselfishness  
of those teachings which then were      
awakening new sensations in the         
theological mind of ,new ,england4      
,katy1 too1 had become a professor with 
her husband in the same church1 and his 
death1 in the midst of life1 deepened   
the power of her religious impressions4 
,she became absorbed in religion1 after 
the fashion of ,new ,england1 where     
devotion is doctrinal1 not ritual4 ,as  
she grew older1 her energy of character1
 her vigor and good judgment1 caused her
 to be regarded as a mother in ,israel2 
the minister boarded at her house1 and  
it was she who was first to be consulted
 in all matters relating to the         
well-being of the church4 ,no woman     
could more manfully breast a long       
sermon1 or bring a more determined faith
 to the reception of a difficult        
doctrine4 ,to say the truth1 there lay  
at the bottom of her doctrinal system   

this stable corner-stone1--,mr4 ,scudder
 used to believe it1--,i will4 ,and     
after all that is paid about independent
 thought1 isn't the fact1 that a just   
and good soul has thus or thus believed1
 a more respectable argument than many  
that often are adduced8 ,if it be not1  
more's the pity1--since two-thirds of   
the faith in the world is built on no   
better foundation4  ,in time1 ,george's 
old mother was gathered to her son1 and 
two sons and a daughter followed their  
father to the invisible1--one only      
remaining of the flock and she a person 
with whom you and ,i1 good reader1 have 
joint concern in the further unfolding  
of our story4   ,,chapter ,,ii4  ,as ,i 
before remarked1 ,mrs4 ,katy ,scudder   
had invited company to tea4 ,strictly   
speaking1 it is necessary to begin with 
the creation of the world1 in order to  
give a full account of anything4 ,but1  
for popular use1 something less may     
serve one's turn1 and therefore ,i shall
 let the past chapter suffice to        

introduce my story1 and shall proceed to
 arrange my scenery and act my little   
play on the supposition you know enough 
to understand things and persons4       
,being asked to tea in our ,new ,england
 in the year #ag-- meant something very 
different from the same invitation in   
our more sophisticated days4 ,in those  
times1 people held to the singular      
opinion1 that the night was made to     
sleep in2 they inferred it from a       
general confidence they had in the      
wisdom of ,mother ,nature1 supposing    
that she did not put out her lights and 
draw her bed-curtains and hush all noise
 in her great world-house without       
strongly intending that her children    
should go to sleep2 and the consequence 
was1 that very soon after sunset the    
whole community very generally set their
 faces bedward1 and the toll of the     
nine-o'clock evening-bell had an awful  
solemnity in it1 sounding to the full4  
,good society in ,new ,england in those 
days very generally took its breakfast  

at six1 its dinner at twelve1 and its   
tea1 at six4 ,company tea1 however1     
among thrifty1 industrious folk1 was    
often taken an hour earlier1 because    
each of the invites had children to put 
to bed1 or other domestic cares at home1
 and1 as in those simple times people   
were invited because you wanted to see  
them1 a tea-party assembled themselves  
at three and held session till sundown1 
when each matron rolled up her          
knitting-work and wended soberly home4  
,though ,newport1 even in those early   
times1 was not without its families     
which affected state and splendor1      
rolled about in carriages with armorial 
emblazonments1 and had servants in      
abundance to every turn within-doors1   
yet there1 as elsewhere in ,new         
,england1 the majority of the people    
lived with the wholesome1 thrifty       
simplicity of the olden time1 when labor
 and intelligence went hand in hand1 in 
perhaps a greater harmony than the world
 has ever seen4  ,our scene opens in the

 great old-fashioned kitchen1 which1 on 
ordinary occasions1 is the family dining
 and sitting-room of the ,scudder       
family4 ,i know fastidious moderns think
 that the working-room1 wherein are     
carried on the culinary operations of a 
large family1 must necessarily be an    
untidy and comfortless sitting-place2   
but it is only because they are ignorant
 of the marvellous workings which       
pertain to the organ of faculty1 on     
which we have before insisted4 ,the     
kitchen of a ,new ,england matron was   
her throne-room1 her pride2 it was the  
habit of her life to produce the        
greatest possible results there with the
 slightest possible discomposure2 and   
what any woman could do1 ,mrs4 ,katy    
,scudder could do par excellence4       
,everything there seemed to be always   
done and never doing4 ,washing and      
baking1 those formidable disturbers of  
the composure of families1 were all over
 with in those two or three             
morning-hours when we are composing     

ourselves for a last nap1--and only the 
fluttering of linen over the green yard1
 on ,monday mornings1 proclaimed that   
the dreaded solemnity of a wash had     
transpired4 ,a breakfast arose there as 
by magic2 and in an incredibly short    
space after1 every knife1 fork1 spoon1  
and trencher1 clean and shining1 was    
looking as innocent and unconscious in  
its place as if it never had been used  
and never expected to be4  ,the         
floor1--perhaps1 ,sir1 you remember your
 grandmother's floor1 of snowy boards   
sanded with whitest sand2 you remember  
the ancient fireplace stretching quite  
across one end1--a vast cavern1 in each 
corner of which a cozy seat might be    
found1 distant enough to enjoy the      
crackle of the great jolly wood-fire2   
across the room ran a dresser1 on which 
was displayed great store of shining    
pewter dishes and plates1 which always  
shone with the same mysterious          
brightness2 and by the side of the fire1
 a commodious wooden settee1 or settle1 

offered repose to people too little     
accustomed to luxury to ask for a       
cushion4 ,oh1 that kitchen of the olden 
times1 the old1 clean1 roomy ,new       
,england kitchen6--who that has         
breakfasted1 dined1 and supped in one   
has not cheery visions of its thrift1   
its warmth1 its coolness8 ,the noon-mark
 on its floor was a dial that told of   
some of the happiest days2 thereby did  
we right up the shortcomings of the     
solemn old clock that tick-tacked in the
 corner1 and whose ticks seemed         
mysterious prophecies of unknown good   
yet to arise out of the hours of life4  
,how dreamy the winter twilight came in 
there1--as yet the candles were not     
lighted1--when the crickets chirped     
around the dark stone hearth1 and       
shifting tongues of flame flickered and 
cast dancing shadows and elfish lights  
on the walls1 while grandmother nodded  
over her knitting-work1 and puss purred1
 and old ,rover lay dreamily opening now
 one eye and then the other on the      

family group6 ,with all our ceiled      
houses1 let us not forget our           
grandmothers' kitchens6  ,but we must   
pull up1 however1 and back to our       
subject-matter1 which is in the kitchen 
of ,mrs4 ,katy ,scudder1 who has just   
put into the oven1 by the fireplace1    
some wondrous tea-rusks1 for whose      
composition she is renowned4 ,she has   
examined and pronounced perfect a loaf  
of cake1 which has been prepared for the
 occasion1 and which1 as usual1 is done 
exactly right4 ,the best room1 too1 has 
been opened and aired1--the white       
window-curtains saluted with a friendly 
little shake1 as when one says1 ,how    
d'ye do8 to a friend2--for you must     
know1 clean as our kitchen is1 we are   
genteel1 and have something better for  
company4 ,our best room in here has a   
polished little mahogany tea-table1 and 
six mahogany chairs1 with claw talons   
grasping balls2 the white sanded floor  
is crinkled in curious little waves1    
like those on the sea-beach2 and right  

across the corner stands the buffet1 as 
it is called1 with its transparent glass
 doors1 wherein are displayed the solemn
 appurtenances of company tea-table4    
,there you may see a set of real ,china 
teacups1 which ,george bought in        
,canton1 and had marked with his and his
 wife's joint initials1--a small silver 
cream-pitcher1 which has come down as an
 heirloom from unknown                  
generations1--silver spoons and delicate
 ,china cake-plates1 which have been all
 carefully reviewed and wiped on napkins
 of ,mrs4 ,scudder's own weaving4  ,her 
cares now over1 she stands drying her   
hands on a roller-towel in the kitchen1 
while her only daughter1 the gentle     
,mary1 stands in the doorway with the   
afternoon sun streaming in spots of     
flickering golden light on her smooth   
pale-brown hair1--a petite figure in a  
full stuff petticoat and white short    
gown1 she stands reaching up one hand   
and cooing to something among the       
apple-blossoms1--and now a ,java dove   

comes whirring down and settles on her  
finger1--and we1 that have seen         
pictures1 think1 as we look on her      
girlish face1 with its lines of         
statuesque beauty1 on the tremulous1    
half-infantine expression of her lovely 
mouth1 and the general air of simplicity
 and purity1 of some old pictures of the
 girlhood of the ,virgin4 ,but ,mrs4    
,scudder was thinking of no such ,popish
 matter1 ,i can assure you1--not she6 ,i
 don't think you could have done her a  
greater indignity than to mention her   
daughter in any such connection4 ,she   
had never seen a painting in her life1  
and therefore was not to be reminded of 
them2 and furthermore1 the dove was     
evidently1 for some reason1 no          
favorite1--for she said1 in a quick1    
imperative tone1 ,come1 come1 child6    
don't fool with that bird1--it's high   
time we were dressed and ready1--and    
,mary1 blushing1 as it would seem1 even 
to her hair1 gave a little toss1 and    
sent the bird1 like a silver fluttering 

cloud1 up among the rosy apple-blossoms4
 ,and now she and her mother have gone  
to their respective little bedrooms for 
the adjustment of their toilettes1 and  
while the door is shut and nobody hears 
us1 we shall talk to you about ,mary4   
,newport at the present day blooms like 
a flower-garden with young ladies of the
 best ton1--lovely girls1 hopes of their
 families1 possessed of amiable tempers 
and immensely large trunks1 and capable 
of sporting ninety changes of raiment in
 thirty days and otherwise rapidly      
emptying the purses of distressed       
fathers1 and whom yet travellers and the
 world in general look upon as genuine  
specimens of the kind of girls formed by
 ,american institutions4  ,we fancy such
 a one lying in a rustling silk nglige1 
and1 amid a gentle generality of rings1 
ribbons1 puffs1 laces1 beaux1 and       
dinner-discussion1 reading our humble   
sketch2--and what favor shall our poor  
heroine find in her eyes8 ,for though   
her mother was a world of energy and    

faculty1 in herself considered1 and had 
bestowed on this one little lone chick  
all the vigor and all the care and all  
the training which would have sufficed  
for a family of sixteen1 there were no  
results produced which could be made    
appreciable in the eyes of such company4
 ,she could not waltz or polk1 or speak 
bad ,french or sing ,italian songs2 but1
 nevertheless1 we must proceed to say   
what was her education and what her     
accomplishments4  ,well1 then1 she could
 both read and write fluently in the    
mother-tongue4 ,she could spin both on  
the little and the great wheel1 and     
there were numberless towels1 napkins1  
sheets1 and pillow-cases in the         
household store that could attest the   
skill of her pretty fingers4 ,she had   
worked several samplers of such rare    
merit1 that they hung framed in         
different rooms of the house1 exhibiting
 every variety and style of possible    
letter in the best marking-stitch4 ,she 
was skilful in all sewing and           

embroidery1 in all shaping and cutting1 
with a quiet and deft handiness that    
constantly surprised her energetic      
mother1 who could not conceive that so  
much could be done with so little noise4
 ,in fact1 in all household lore she was
 a veritable good fairy2 her knowledge  
seemed unerring and intuitive2 and      
whether she washed or ironed1 or moulded
 biscuit or conserved plums1 her gentle 
beauty seemed to turn to poetry all the 
prose of life4  ,there was something in 
,mary1 however1 which divided her as by 
an appreciable line from ordinary girls 
of her age4 ,from her father she had    
inherited a deep and thoughtful nature1 
predisposed to moral and religious      
exaltation4 ,had she been born in       
,italy1 under the dissolving influences 
of that sunny1 dreamy clime1 beneath the
 shadow of cathedrals1 and where        
pictured saints and angels smiled in    
clouds of painting from every arch and  
altar1 she might1 like fair ,st4        
,catherine of ,siena1 have seen beatific

 visions in the sunset skies1 and a     
silver dove descending upon her as she  
prayed2 but1 unfolding in the clear1    
keen1 cold ,new ,england clime1 and     
nurtured in its abstract and positive   
theologies1 her religious faculties took
 other forms4 ,instead of lying         
entranced in mysterious raptures at the 
foot of altars1 she read and ponder     
treatises on the ,will1 and listened in 
rapt attention while her spiritual      
guide1 the venerated ,dr4 ,h41 unfolded 
to her the theories of the great        
,edwards on the nature of true virtue4  
,womanlike1 she felt the subtile poetry 
of these sublime abstractions which     
dealt with such infinite and unknown    
quantities1--which spoke of the         
universe1 of its great ,architect1 of   
man1 of angels1 as matters of intimate  
and daily contemplation2 and her        
teacher1 a grand-minded and             
simple-hearted man as ever lived1 was   
often amazed at the tread with which    
this fair young child walked through    

these high regions of abstract          
thought1--often comprehending through an
 ethereal clearness of nature what he   
had laboriously and heavily reasoned    
out2 and sometimes1 when she turned her 
grave1 childlike face upon him with some
 question or reply1 the good man started
 as if an angel had looked suddenly out 
upon him from a cloud4 ,unconsciously to
 himself1 he often seemed to follow her1
 as ,dante followed the flight of       
,beatrice1 through the ascending circles
 of the celestial spheres4  ,when her   
mother questioned him1 anxiously1 of her
 daughter's spiritual estate1 he        
answered1 that she was a child of a     
strange graciousness of nature1 and of a
 singular genius2 to which ,katy        
responded1 with a woman's pride1 that   
she was all her father over again4 ,it  
is only now and then that a             
matter-of-fact woman is sublimated by a 
real love2 but if she is1 it is         
affecting to see how impossible it is   
for death to quench it2 for in the child

 the mother feels that she has a        
mysterious and undying repossession of  
the father4  ,but1 in truth1 ,mary was  
only a recast in feminine form of her   
father's nature4 ,the elixir of the     
spirit that sparkled within1 her was of 
that quality of which the souls of poets
 and artists are made2 but the keen ,new
 ,england air crystalizes emotions into 
ideas1 and restricts many a poetic soul 
to the necessity of expressing itself   
only in practical living4  ,the rigid   
theological discipline of ,new ,england 
is fitted to produce rather strength and
 purity than enjoyment4 ,it was not     
fitted to make a sensitive and          
thoughtful nature happy1 however it     
might ennoble and exalt4  ,the system of
 ,dr4 ,h4 was one that could have had   
its origin in a soul at once reverential
 and logical1--a soul1 moreover1 trained
 from its earliest years in the habits  
of thought engendered by monarchical    
institutions4 ,for although he1 like    
other ministers1 took an active part as 

a patriot in the ,revolution1 still he  
was brought up under the shadow of a    
throne1 and a man cannot ravel out the  
stitches in which early days have knit  
him4 ,his theology was1 in fact1 the    
turning to an invisible ,sovereign of   
that spirit of loyalty and unquestioning
 subjugation which is one of the noblest
 capabilities of our nature4 ,and as a  
gallant soldier renounces life and      
personal aims in the cause of his king  
and country1 and holds himself ready to 
be drafted for a forlorn hope1 to be    
shot down1 or help make a bridge of his 
mangled body1 over which the more       
fortunate shall pass to victory and     
glory1 so he regarded himself as devoted
 to the ,king ,eternal1 ready in ,his   
hands to be used to illustrate and build
 up an ,eternal ,commonwealth1 either by
 being sacrificed as a lost spirit or   
glorified as a redeemed one1 ready to   
throw not merely his mortal life1 but   
his immortality even1 into the forlorn  
hope1 to bridge with a never-dying soul 

the chasm over which white-robed victors
 should pass to a commonwealth of glory 
and splendor whose vastness dwarf the   
misery of all the lost infinitesimal4   
,it is not in our line to imply the     
truth or the falsehood of those systems 
of philosophic theology which seem for  
many years to have been the principal   
outlet for the proclivities of the ,new 
,england mind1 but as psychological     
developments they have an intense       
interest4 ,he who does not see a grand  
side to these strivings of the soul     
cannot understand one of the noblest    
capabilities of humanity4  ,no real     
artist or philosopher ever lived who has
 not at some hours risen to the height  
of utter self-abnegation for the glory  
of the invisible4 ,there have been      
painters who would have been crucified  
to demonstrate the action of a          
muscle1--chemists who would gladly have 
melted themselves and all humanity in   
their crucible1 if so a new discovery   
might arise out of its fumes4 ,even     

persons of mere artistic sensibility are
 at times raised by music1 painting1 or 
poetry to a momentary trance of         
self-oblivion1 in which they would offer
 their whole being before the shrine of 
an invisible loveliness4 ,these hard old
 ,new ,england divines were the poets of
 metaphysical philosophy1 who built     
systems in an artistic fervor1 and felt 
self exhale from beneath them as they   
rose into the higher regions of thought4
 ,but where theorists and philosophers  
tread with sublime assurance1 woman     
often follows with bleeding             
footsteps2--women are always turning    
from the abstract to the individual1 and
 feeling where the philosopher only     
thinks4  ,it was easy enough for ,mary  
to believe in self-renunciation1 for she
 was one with a born vocation for       
martyrdom2 and so1 when the idea was put
 to her of suffering eternal pains for  
the glory of ,god and the good of being 
in general1 she responded to it with a  
sort of sublime thrill1 such as it is   

given to some natures to feel in view of
 uttermost sacrifice4 ,but when she     
looked around on the warm1 living faces 
of friends1 acquaintances1 and          
neighbors1 viewing them as possible     
candidates for dooms so fearfully       
different1 she sometimes felt the walls 
of her faith closing round her as an    
iron shroud1--she wondered that the sun 
could shine so brightly1 that flowers   
could flaunt such dazzling colors1 that 
sweet airs could breathe1 and little    
children play1 and youth love and hope1 
and a thousand intoxicating influences  
combine to cheat the victims from the   
thought that their next step might be   
into an abyss of horrors without end4   
,the blood of youth and hope was        
saddened by this great sorrow1 which lay
 ever on her heart1--and her life1      
unknown to herself1 was a sweet tune in 
the minor key2 it was only in prayer1 or
 deeds of love and charity1 or in rapt  
contemplation of that beautiful         
millennial day which her spiritual guide

 most delighted to speak of1 that the   
tone of her feelings ever rose to the   
height of joy4  ,among ,mary's young    
associates was one who had been as a    
brother to her childhood4 ,he was her   
mother's cousin's son1--and so1 by a    
sort of family immunity1 had always a   
free access to her mother's house4 ,he  
took to the sea1 as the most bold and   
resolute young men will1 and brought    
home from foreign parts those new modes 
of speech1 those other eyes for received
 opinions and established things1 which 
so often shock established              
prejudices1--so that he was held as     
little better than an infidel and a     
castaway by the stricter religious      
circles in his native place4 ,mary's    
mother1 now that ,mary was grown up to  
woman's estate1 looked with a severe eye
 on her cousin4 ,she warned her daughter
 against too free an association with   
him1--and so----,we all know what comes 
to pass when girls are constantly warned
 not to think of a man4 ,the most       

conscientious and obedient little person
 in the world1 ,mary resolved to be very
 careful4 ,she never would think of     
,james1 except1 of course1 in her       
prayers2 but as these were constant1 it 
may easily be seen it was not easy to   
forget him4  ,all that was so often told
 her of his carelessness1 his trifling1 
his contempt of orthodox opinions1 and  
his startling and bold expressions1 only
 wrote his name deeper in her           
heart1--for was not his soul in peril8  
,could she look in his frank1 joyous    
fate and listen to his thoughtless      
laugh1 and then think that a fall from  
mast-head1 or one night's storm1        
might----,ah1 with what images her faith
 filled the blank6 ,could she believe   
all this and forget him8  ,you see1     
instead of getting our tea ready1 as we 
promised at the beginning of this       
chapter1 we have filled it with         
descriptions and meditations1 and now we
 foresee that the next chapter will be  
equally far from the point4 ,but have   

patience with us2 for we can write only 
as we are driven1 and never know exactly
 where we are going to land4   ,,chapter
 ,,iii4  ,a quiet1 maiden-like place was
 ,mary's little room4 ,the window looked
 out under the overarching boughs of a  
thick apple-orchard1 now all in a blush 
with blossoms and pink-tipped buds1 and 
the light came golden-green1 strained   
through flickering leaves1--and an      
ever-gentle rustle and whirr of branches
 and blossoms1 a chitter of birds1 and  
an indefinite whispering motion1 as the 
long heads of orchard-grass nodded and  
bowed to each other under the trees1    
seemed to give the room the quiet hush  
of some little side-chapel in a         
cathedral1 where green and golden glass 
softens the sunlight1 and only the sigh 
and rustle of kneeling worshippers break
 the stillness of the aisles4 ,it was   
small enough for a nun's apartment1 and 
dainty in its neatness as the waxen cell
 of a bee4 ,the bed and low window were 
draped in spotless white1 with fringes  

of ,mary's own knotting4 ,a small table 
under the looking-glass bore the library
 of a well-taught young woman of those  
times4 ,the ,spectator1 ,paradise ,lost1
 ,shakspeare1 and ,robinson ,crusoe     
stood for the admitted secular          
literature1 and beside them the ,bible  
and the works then published of ,mr4    
,jonathan ,edwards4 ,laid a little to   
one side1 as if of doubtful reputation1 
was the only novel which the stricter   
people in those days allowed for the    
reading of their daughters3 that        
seven-volumed1 trailing1 tedious1       
delightful old bore1 ,sir ,charles      
,grandison1--a book whose influence in  
those times was so universal1 that it   
may be traced in the epistolary style   
even of the gravest divines4 ,our little
 heroine was mortal1 with all her       
divinity1 and had an imagination which  
sometimes wandered to the things of     
earth2 and this glorious hero in lace   
and embroidery1 who blended rank1       
gallantry1 spirit1 knowledge of the     

world1 disinterestedness1 constancy1 and
 piety1 sometimes walked before her1    
while she sat spinning at her wheel1    
till she sighed1 she hardly knew why1   
that no such men walked the earth now4  
,yet it is to be confessed1 this        
occasional raid of the romantic into    
,mary's balanced and well-ordered mind  
was soon energetically put to rout1 and 
the book1 as we have said1 remained on  
her table under protest1--protected by  
being her father's gift to her mother   
during their days of courtship4 ,the    
small looking-glass was curiously       
wreathed with corals and foreign shells1
 so disposed as to indicate an artistic 
eye and skilful hand2 and some curious  
,chinese paintings of birds and flowers 
gave rather a piquant and foreign air to
 the otherwise homely neatness of the   
apartment4  ,here in this little retreat
 ,mary spent those few hours which her  
exacting conscience would allow her to  
spare from her busy-fingered            
household-life2 here she read and wrote 

and thought and prayed2--and here she   
stands now1 arraying herself for the tea
 company that afternoon4 ,dress1 which  
in our day is becoming in some cases the
 whole of woman1 was in those times a   
remarkably simple affair4 ,true1 every  
person of a certain degree of           
respectability had state and festival   
robes2 and a certain camphor-wood       
brass-bound trunk1 which was always kept
 solemnly locked in ,mrs4 ,katy         
,scudder's apartment1 if it could have  
spoken1 might have given off quite a    
catalogue of brocade satin and laces4   
,the wedding-suit there slumbered in all
 the unsullied whiteness of its stiff   
ground broidered with heavy knots of    
flowers2 and there were scarfs of       
wrought ,india muslin and embroidered   
crape1 each of which had its            
history1--for each had been brought into
 the door with beating heart on some    
return voyage of one who1 alas1 should  
return no more6 ,the old trunk stood    
with its histories1 its imprisoned      

remembrances1--and a thousand tender    
thoughts seemed to be shaping out of    
every rustling fold of silk and         
embroidery1 on the few yearly occasions 
when all were brought out to be aired1  
their history related1 and then solemnly
 locked up again4 ,nevertheless1 the    
possession of these things gave to the  
women of an establishment a certain     
innate dignity1 like a good conscience2 
so that in that larger portion of       
existence commonly denominated among    
them every day1 they were content with  
plain stuff and homespun4 ,mary's       
toilette1 therefore1 was sooner made    
than those of ,newport belles of the    
present day2 it simply consisted in     
changing her ordinary short gown and    
petticoat for another of somewhat nicer 
materials1--a skirt of ,india chintz and
 a striped jacconet short-gown4 ,her    
hair was of the kind which always lies  
like satin2 but1 nevertheless1 girls    
never think their toilette complete     
unless the smoothest hair has been      

shaken down and rearranged4 ,a few      
moments1 however1 served to braid its   
shining folds and dispose them in their 
simple knot on the back of the head2 and
 having given a final stroke to each    
side with her little dimpled hands1 she 
sat down a moment at the window1        
thoughtfully watching where the         
afternoon sun was creeping through the  
slats of the fence in long lines of gold
 among the tall1 tremulous              
orchard-grass1 and unconsciously she    
began warbling1 in a low1 gurgling      
voice1 the words of a familiar hymn1    
whose grave earnestness accorded well   
with the general tone of her life and   
education3--      ,life is the time to  
serve the ,lord1     ,the time to insure
 the great reward4  ,there was a swish  
and rustle in the orchard-grass1 and a  
tramp of elastic steps2 then the        
branches were brushed aside1 and a young
 man suddenly emerged from the trees a  
little behind ,mary4 ,he was apparently 
about twenty-five1 dressed in the       

holiday rig of a sailor on shore1 which 
well set off his fine athletic figure1  
and accorded with a sort of easy1       
dashing1 and confident air which sat not
 unhandsomely on him4 ,for the rest1 a  
high forehead shaded by rings of the    
blackest hair1 a keen1 dark eye1 a firm 
and determined mouth1 gave the          
impression of one who had engaged to do 
battle with life1 not only with a will1 
but with shrewdness and ability4  ,he   
introduced the colloquy by stepping     
deliberately behind ,mary1 putting his  
arms round her neck1 and kissing her4   
,why1 ,james6 said ,mary1 starting up1  
and blushing4 ,come1 now6  ,i have come1
 haven't ,i8 said the young man1 leaning
 his elbow on the window-seat and       
looking at her with an air of comic     
determined frankness1 which yet had in  
it such wholesome honesty that it was   
scarcely possible to be angry4 ,the fact
 is1 ,mary1 he added1 with a sudden     
earnest darkening of the face1 ,i won't 
stand this nonsense any longer4 ,aunt   

,katy has been holding me at arm's      
length ever since ,i got home2 and what 
have ,i done8 ,haven't ,i been to every 
prayer-meeting and lecture and sermon1  
since ,i got into port1 just as regular 
as a psalm-book8 and not a bit of a word
 could ,i get with you1 and no chance   
even so much as to give you my arm4     
,aunt ,kate always comes between us and 
says1 ',here1 ,mary1 you take my arm4'  
,what does she think ,i go to meeting   
for1 and almost break my jaws keeping   
down the gapes8 ,i never even go to     
sleep1 and yet ,i'm treated in this way6
 ,it's too bad6 ,what's the row8 ,what's
 anybody been saying about me8 ,i always
 have waited on you ever since you were 
that high4 ,didn't ,i always draw you to
 school on my sled8 didn't we always use
 to do our sums together8 didn't ,i     
always wait on you to singing-school8   
and ,i've been made free to run in and  
out as if ,i were your brother2--and now
 she is as glum and stiff1 and always   
stays in the room every minute of the   

time that ,i am there1 as if she was    
afraid ,i should be in some mischief4   
,it's too bad6  ,oh1 ,james1 ,i am sorry
 that you only go to meeting for the    
sake of seeing me2 you feel no real     
interest in religious things2 and       
besides1 mother thinks now ,i'm grown so
 old1 that----,why1 you know things are 
different now1--at least1 we mustn't1   
you know1 always do as we did when we   
were children4 ,but ,i wish you did feel
 more interested in good things4  ,i am 
interested in one or two good things1   
,mary1--principally in you1 who are the 
beat ,i know of4 ,besides1 he said      
quickly1 and scanning her face          
attentively to see the effect of his    
words1 don't you think there is more    
merit in my sitting out all these       
meetings1 when they bore me so          
confoundedly1 than there is in your and 
,aunt ,katy's doing it1 who really seem 
to find something to like in them8 ,i   
believe you have a sixth sense1 quite   
unknown to me2 for it's all a maze1--,i 

can't find top1 nor bottom1 nor side1   
nor up1 nor down to it1--it's you can   
and you can't1 you shall and you        
sha'n't1 you will and you won't1----    
,james6  ,you needn't look at me so4    
,i'm not going to say the rest of it4   
,but1 seriously1 it's all anywhere and  
nowhere to me2 it don't touch me1 it    
don't help me1 and ,i think it rather   
makes me worse2 and then they tell me   
it's because ,i'm a natural man1 and the
 natural man understandeth not the      
things of the ,spirit4 ,well1 ,i am a   
natural man1--how's a fellow to help it8
  ,well1 ,james1 why need you talk      
everywhere as you do8 ,you joke1 and    
jest1 and trifle1 till it seems to      
everybody that you don't believe in     
anything4 ,i'm afraid mother thinks you 
are an infidel1 but ,i know that can't  
be2 yet we hear of all sorts of things  
that you say4  ,i suppose you mean my   
telling ,deacon ,twitchel that ,i had   
seen as good ,christians among the      
,mahometans as any in ,newport4 ,didn't 

,i make him open his eyes8 ,it's true1  
too6  ,in every nation1 he that feareth 
,god and worketh righteousness is       
accepted of ,him1 said ,mary2 and if    
there are better ,christians than us    
among the ,mahometans1 ,i am sure ,i'm  
glad of it4 ,but1 after all1 the great  
question is1 ',are we ,christians       
ourselves8' ,oh1 ,james1 if you only    
were a real1 true1 noble ,christian6    
,well1 ,mary1 you have got into that    
harbor1 through all the sandbars and    
rocks and crooked channels2 and now do  
you think it right to leave a fellow    
beating about outside1 and not go out to
 help him in8 ,this way of drawing up1  
among you good people1 and leaving us   
sinners to ourselves1 isn't generous4   
,you might care a little for the soul of
 an old friend1 anyhow6  ,and don't ,i  
care1 ,james8 ,how many days and nights 
have been one prayer for you6 ,if ,i    
could take my hopes of heaven out of my 
own heart and give them to you1 ,i      
would4 ,dr4 ,h4 preached last ,sunday on

 the text1 ',i could wish myself        
accursed from ,christ for my brethren1  
my kinsmen'2 and he went on to show how 
we must be willing to give up even our  
own salvation1 if necessary1 for the    
good of others4 ,people said it was hard
 doctrine1 but ,i could feel my way     
through it very well4 ,yes1 ,i would    
give my soul for yours2 ,i wish ,i      
could4  ,there was a solemnity and      
pathos in ,mary's manner which checked  
the conversation4 ,james was the more   
touched because he felt it all so real1 
from one whose words were always yea and
 nay1 so true1 so inflexibly simple4    
,her eyes filled with tears1 her face   
kindled with a sad earnestness1 and     
,james thought1 as he looked1 of a      
picture he had once seen in a ,european 
cathedral1 where the youthful ,mother of
 ,sorrows is represented1      ,radiant 
and grave1 as pitying man's decline2    
,all youth1 but with an aspect beyond   
time2     ,mournful1 but mournful of    
another's crime2     ,she looked as if  

she sat by ,ellen's door1     ,and      
grieved for those who should return no  
more4  ,james had thought he loved      
,mary2 he had admired her remarkable    
beauty1 he had been proud of a certain  
right in her before that of other young 
men1 her associates2 he had thought of  
her as the keeper of his home2 he had   
wished to appropriate her wholly to     
himself2--but in all this there had     
been1 after all1 only the thought of    
what she was to be to him2 and this1 for
 this poor measure of what he called    
love1 she was ready to offer1 an        
infinite sacrifice4  ,as a subtile flash
 of lightning will show in a moment a   
whole landscape1 tower1 town1 winding   
stream1 and distant sea1 so that one    
subtile ray of feeling seemed in a      
moment to reveal to ,james the whole of 
his past life2 and it seemed to him so  
poor1 so meagre1 so shallow1 by the side
 of that childlike woman1 to whom the   
noblest of feelings were unconscious    
matters of course1 that a sort of awe   

awoke in him2 like the ,apostles of old1
 he feared as he entered into the cloud2
 it seemed as if the deepest string of  
some eternal sorrow had vibrated between
 them4  ,after a moment's pause1 he     
spoke in a low and altered voice3--     
,mary1 ,i am a sinner4 ,no psalm or     
sermon ever taught it to me1 but ,i see 
it now4 ,your mother is quite right1    
,mary2 you are too good for me2 ,i am no
 mate for you4 ,oh1 what would you think
 of me1 if you knew me wholly8 ,i have  
lived a mean1 miserable1 shallow1       
unworthy life4 ,you are worthy1 you are 
a saint1 and walk in white6 ,oh1 what   
upon earth could ever make you care so  
much for me8  ,well1 then1 ,james1 you  
will be good8 ,won't you talk with ,dr4 
,h48  ,hang ,dr4 ,h46 said ,james4 ,now1
 ,mary1 ,i beg your pardon1 but ,i can't
 make head or tail of a word ,dr4 ,h4   
says4 ,i don't get hold of it1 or know  
what he would be at4 ,you girls and     
women don't know your power4 ,why1      
,mary1 you are a living gospel4 ,you    

have always had a strange power over us 
boys4 ,you never talked religion much1  
but ,i have seen high fellows come away 
from being with you as still and quite  
as one feels when one goes into a       
church4 ,i can't understand all the hang
 of predestination1 and moral ability1  
and natural ability1 and ,god's         
efficiency1 and man's agency1 which ,dr4
 ,h4 is so engaged about2 but ,i can    
understand you1 you can do me good6     
,oh1 ,james1 can ,i8  ,mary1 ,i'm going 
to confess my sins4 ,i saw1 that1       
somehow or other1 the wind was against  
me in ,aunt ,katy's quarter1 and you    
know we fellows who take up the world in
 both fists don't like to be beat4 ,if  
there's opposition1 it sets us on4 ,now 
,i confess ,i never did care much about 
religion1 but ,i thought1 without being 
really a hypocrite1 ,i'd just let you   
try to save my soul for the sake of     
getting you2 for there's nothing surer  
to hook a woman than trying to save a   
fellow's soul4 ,it's a dead-shot1       

generally1 that4 ,now our ship sails    
to-night1 and ,i thought ,i'd just come 
across this path in the orchard to speak
 to you4 ,you know ,i used always to    
bring you peaches and juneatings across 
this way1 and once ,i brought you a     
ribbon4  ,yes1 ,i've got it yet1 ,james4
  ,well1 now1 ,mary1 all this seems mean
 to me1 mean1 to try and trick and snare
 you1 who are so much too good for me4  
,i felt very proud this morning that ,i 
was to go out first mate this time1 and 
that ,i should command a ship next      
voyage4 ,i meant to have asked you for a
 promise1 but ,i don't4 ,only1 ,mary1   
just give me your little ,bible1 and    
,i'll promise to read it all through    
soberly1 and see what it all comes to4  
,and pray for me2 and if1 while ,i'm    
gone1 a good man comes who loves you1   
and is worthy of you1 why1 take him1    
,mary1--that's my advice4  ,james1 ,i am
 not thinking of any such things2 ,i    
don't ever mean to be married4 ,and ,i'm
 glad you don't ask me for any          

promise1--because it would be wrong to  
give it2 mother don't even like me to be
 much with you4 ,but ,i'm sure all ,i   
have said to you to-day is right2 ,i    
shall tell her exactly all ,i have said4
  ,if ,aunt ,katy knew what things we   
fellows are pitched into1 who take the  
world headforemost1 she wouldn't be so  
selfish4 ,mary1 you girls and women     
don't know the world you live in2 you   
ought to be pure and good3 you are not  
as we are4 ,you don't know what men1    
what women--no1 they're not women6--what
 creatures1 beset us in every foreign   
port1 and boarding-houses that are gates
 of hell2 and then1 if a fellow comes   
back from all this and don't walk       
exactly straight1 you just draw up the  
hems of your garments and stand close to
 the wall1 for fear he should touch you 
when he passes4 ,i don't mean you1      
,mary1 for you are different from most2 
but if you would do what you could1 you 
might save us4 ,but it's no use talking1
 ,mary4 ,give me the ,bible2 and please 

be kind to my dove1--for ,i had a hard  
time getting him across the water1 and  
,i don't want him to die4  ,if ,mary had
 spoken all that welled up in her little
 heart at that moment1 she might have   
said too much2 but duty had its habitual
 seal upon her lips4 ,she took the      
little ,bible from her table and gave it
 with a trembling hand1 and ,james      
turned to go4 ,in a moment he turned    
back1 and stood irresolute4  ,mary1 he  
said1 we are cousins2 ,i may never come 
back2 you might kiss me this once4  ,the
 kiss was given and received in silence1
 and ,james disappeared among the thick 
trees4  ,come1 child1 said ,aunt ,katy1 
looking in1 there is ,deacon ,twitchel's
 chaise in sight1--are you ready8  ,yes1
 mother4  ,to be continued4     ,,the   
,,autocrat ,,gives ,a ,,breakfast ,,to  
,,the ,,public4   ,before my friend the 
,professor takes his place at our old   
table1 where1 ,providence permitting1 he
 means to wish you all a happy ,new     
,year on or about the ,first of ,january

 next1 ,i wish you to do me the favor of
 being my guests at the table which you 
see spread before you4  ,this table is a
 very long one4 ,legs in every ,atlantic
 and inland city1--legs in ,california  
and ,oregon1--legs on the shores of     
',quoddy and of ,lake                   
,pontchartrain1--legs everywhere1 like a
 millipede or a banian-tree4  ,the      
schoolmistress that was1--and           
is1--7there are her little scholars at  
the side-table47--shall pour out coffee 
or tea for you as you like4  ,sit down  
and make yourselves comfortable4--,a    
teaspoon1 my dear1 for                  
,minnesota4--,sacramento's cup is out4  
,bridget has become a thought1 and      
serves us a great deal faster than the  
sticky lightning of the submarine par   
vagum1 as the ,professor calls          
it4--,pepper for ,kansas1 ,bridget4--,a 
sandwich for ,cincinnati4--,rolls and   
sardines for ,washington4--,a bit of the
 ,cape ,ann turkey for ,boston4--,south 
,carolina prefers dark meat4--,fifty    

thousand glasses of eau sucre at once1  
and the rest simultaneously4--,now give 
us the nude mahogany1 that we may talk  
over it4--,bridget becomes as a mighty  
wind and peels off the immeasurable     
table-cloth as a northwester strips off 
the leafy damask from the autumn woods4 
,at this point of the entertainment the 
,reporter of the ,oceanic ,miscellany   
was introduced1 and to his fluent and   
indefatigable pen we owe the further    
account of the proceedings4--,editors of
 the ,oceanic ,miscellany4  --,the      
liberal and untiring editors of the     
,oceanic ,miscellany commissioned their 
special reporter to be present at the   
,great ,breakfast given by the personage
 known as the ,autocrat of the          
,breakfast-,table1 furnishing him with  
one of the caput-mortuum tickets usually
 distributed on such occasions4  ,the   
tables groaned with the delicacies of   
the season1 provided by the             
distinguished caterers whose names are  
familiar in our mouths as household     

words4 ,after the usual contest for     
places1--a proceeding more honored in   
the breach than the observance1--the    
band discoursed sweet music4 ,the       
creature comforts were then discussed1  
consisting of the various luxuries that 
flesh is heir to1 together with fish and
 fowl1 too numerous to mention4 ,after  
the material banquet had cloyed the     
hungry edge of appetite1 began the feast
 of reason and the flow of soul4 ,as1   
take him for all in all1 the bright     
particular star of the evening was the  
distinguished individual who played the 
part of mine host1 we shall make no     
apology for confining our report to the 
,,speech ,,of ,,the ,,autocrat4  ,i     
think on the whole we have had a good   
time together1 since we became          
acquainted4 ,so many pleasant looks and 
words as have passed between us must    
mean something4 ,for one person who     
speaks well or ill of us we may safely  
take it for granted that there are ten  
or a hundred1 or an indefinite number1  

who feel in the same way1 but are shy of
 talking4  ,now the first effect of     
being kindly received is unquestionably 
a pleasing internal commotion1 out of   
which arises a not less pleasing        
secondary sensation1 which the          
unthinking vulgar call conceit1 but     
which is in reality an increased        
consciousness of life1 and a most       
important part of the mechanism by which
 a man is advertised of his ability to  
serve his fellows1 and stirred up to use
 it4  ,in the present instance1 the     
immediate effects of the warm general   
welcome received were the following     
demonstrations3--  #a4 ,the purchase of 
a glossy bell-crowned hat1 which is worn
 a little inclined to one side1 at the  
angle of self-reliance1--this being a   
very slight dip1 as compared to the     
outrageous slant of country dandies and 
the insolent obliquity indulged in by a 
few unpleasantly conspicuous city-youth1
 who prove that it takes three          
generations to make a gentleman4  #b4 ,a

 movement towards the acquisition of a  
pair of pantaloons with a stripe running
 down the leg2 also of a slender        
canary-colored cane1 to be carried as   
formerly in the time when ,mr4 ,van     
,buren was ,president4--,a mild veto    
from the schoolmistress was interposed4 
#c4 ,a manifest increase of that        
monstraridigitativeness1--if you will   
permit the term1--which is so remarkable
 in literary men1 that1 if public       
opinion allowed it1 some of them would  
like to wear a smart uniform1 with an   
author's button1 so that they might be  
known and hailed everywhere4  #d4 ,an   
undeniable aggravation of the natural   
tendency to caress and cosset such      
products of the writer's literary       
industry as have met with special favor4
 ,this is shown by a willingness to     
repeat any given stanza1 a line of which
 is referred to1 and a readiness to     
listen to even exaggerated eulogy with a
 twinkling stillness of feature and     
inclination of the titillated ear to the

 operator1 such as the ,mexican ,peccary
 is said to show when its dorsal surface
 is gently and continuously irritated   
with the pointed extremity of a reed or 
of a magnolia-branch4 ,what other people
 think well of1 we certainly have a     
right to like1 ourselves4  ,all this    
self-exaltation1 which some folks make  
so much scandal of1 is the most natural 
thing in the world when one gets an     
over-dose of fair words4 ,the more ,i   
reflect upon it1 the more ,i am         
convinced that it is well for a man to  
think too highly of himself while he is 
in the working state4 ,sydney ,smith    
could discover no relation between      
,modesty and ,merit1 excepting that they
 both began with an ,m4 ,considered     
simply as a machine out of which work is
 to be got1 the wheels of intellect run 
best when they are kept well oiled by   
the public and the publisher4           
,therefore1 my friends1 if any of you   
have uttered words of kindness1 of      
flattery1 of extreme over-praise1 even1 

let me thank you for it4 ,criticism with
 praise in it is azotized food2 it makes
 muscle2 to expect a man to write       
without it is like giving nothing but   
hay to a roadster and expecting to get  
ten miles an hour out of him4 ,a young  
fellow cannot be asked to go on making  
love forever1 if he does not get a smile
 now and then to keep hope alive4 ,the  
truth is1 ,bridget would have whisked   
off the table-cloth and given notice of 
quitting1 and the whole establishment   
would have gone to pieces at the end of 
,no4 #a1 if you had not looked so very  
good-natured about it that it was       
impossible to give up such amiable      
acquaintance4  ,the above               
acknowledgments and personal revelations
 are preliminary to the following more  
general statement1 which will show how  
they must be qualified4  ,every man of  
sense has two ways of looking at        
himself4 ,the first is an everyday      
working view1 in which he makes the most
 of his gifts and accomplishments4 ,it  

is the superficial stratum in which     
praise and blame find their sphere of   
action1--the region of comparisons1--the
 habitat where envy and jealousy are to 
be looked for1 if they have not been    
weeded out and flung into the           
compost-heap of dead vices1 with which1 
if we understand moral husbandry1 we    
fertilize our living virtues4 ,it is    
quite foolish to abuse this thin upper  
layer of our mental soil4 ,the grasses  
do not strike their roots deep in       
towards the centre1 like the oaks1 but  
they are the more useful and necessary  
vegetable of the two4 ,the cheap1 but   
perpetual activities of life grow out of
 this upper stratum of our being4 ,how  
silly to try to be wiser than           
,providence6 ,don't tell me about the   
vain illusions of self-love4 ,there is  
nothing so real in this world as        
,illusion4 ,all other things may desert 
a man1 but this fair angel never leaves 
him4 ,she holds a star a billion miles  
over a baby's head1 and laughs to see   

him clawing and batting himself as he   
tries to reach it4 ,she glides before   
the hoary sinner down the path which    
leads to the inexorable gate1 jingling  
the keys of heaven at her girdle4       
,underneath this surface-soil lies      
another stratum of thought1 where the   
tap-roots of the larger mental growths  
penetrate and find their nourishment4   
,out of this comes heroism in all its   
shapes2 here the enterprises that       
overshadow half the planet1 when full   
grown1 lie1 tender1 in their cotyledons4
 ,here there is neither praise nor      
blame1 nothing but a passionless        
self-estimate1 quite as willing to      
undervalue as to rate too highly4 ,the  
less clay and straw the task-master has 
given his servant1 the smaller the tale 
of bricks he will be required to        
furnish4 ,many a man not remarkable for 
conceit has shuddered as some effort or 
accident has revealed to him a depth of 
power of which he never thought himself 
the possessor and broken his peace with 

the fatal words1 ,sleep no more6  ,this 
deeper self-appreciation is a slow and  
gradual process4 ,at first1 a child     
thinks he can do everything4 ,i remember
 when ,i thought ,i could lift a house1 
if ,i would only try hard enough4 ,so ,i
 began with the hind wheel of a heavy   
old family-coach1 built like that in    
which my ,lady ,bountiful carried little
 ,king ,pippin1 if you happen to        
remember the illustrations of that      
story4 ,i lifted with all my might1 and 
the planet pulled down with all its     
might4 ,the planet beat4 ,after that1 my
 ideas of the difference between my will
 and my muscular force were more        
accurately defined4 ,then came the      
illusion1 that ,i could1 of course1     
lick1 serve out1 or polish off1 various 
small boys who had been or might be     
obnoxious to me4 ,the event of the      
different set-tos to which1 this        
hypothesis led not uniformly confirming 
it1 another limitation of my            
possibilities was the consequence4 ,in  

this way ,i groped along into a         
knowledge of my physical relations to   
the organic and inorganic universe4  ,a 
man must be very stupid indeed1 if1 by  
the time he is fully ripened1 he does   
not know tolerably well what his        
physical powers are4 ,his weight1 his   
height1 his general development1 his    
constitutional force1 his good or ill   
looks1 he has had time to find out2 and 
he is a fool1 if he does not carry a    
reasonable consciousness of these       
conditions with him always4 ,it is a    
little harder with the mind2 but some   
qualities are generally estimated fairly
 enough by their owners4 ,thus1 a man   
may be trusted when he says he has a    
good or a bad memory4 ,not so of his    
opinion of his own judgment or          
imagination4 ,it is only by a very slow 
process that he finds out how much or   
how little of those qualities he        
possesses4 ,but it is one of the blessed
 privileges of growing older1 that we   
come to have a much clearer sense of    

what we can do and what we cannot1 and  
settle down to our work quietly1 knowing
 what our tools are and what we have to 
do with them4  ,therefore1 my friends1  
if ,i should at any time put on any airs
 on the strength of your good-natured   
treatment1 please to remember that these
 are only the growth of that thin upper 
stratum of character ,i was telling you 
of4 ,i conceive that the fact of a man's
 coming out in a book or two1 even      
supposing them to have a success such as
 ,i should never think of1 is to the sum
 total of that man's life and character 
as the bed of tulips and hyacinths you  
may see in spring1 at the feet of the   
,great ,elm1 on our ,boston ,common1 is 
to the solemn old tree itself4 ,the     
serene1 strong life1 reaching deep      
underground and high overhead1 robed    
itself in ,april and disrobed itself in 
,october when the ,common was a         
cow-pasture1 and observes the same      
seasons now that the old tree is belted 
with an iron girdle and finds its feet  

covered with flowers4 ,alas6 my friends1
 the fence and the tulips are painfully 
suggestive4 ,authorship is an iron      
girdle1 and the blossoms of flattery    
that are scattered at its feet are      
useful to it only as their culture keeps
 the soil open to the sun and rain4 ,no 
man can please the reading public ever  
so little without being too highly      
commended for it in the heat of the     
moment2 and so1 if he thinks of starting
 again for the prize of public          
approbation1 he finds himself heavily   
handicapped1 and perhaps weighted down1 
simply because he has made good running 
for some former stakes4  ,i don't like  
the position of my friend the           
,professor4 ,i consider him fully as    
good a man as myself4--,i have1 you     
know1 often referred to him and quoted  
him1 and sometimes got so mixed up with 
him1 that1 like the ,schildbrgers at    
their town-meeting1 ,i was puzzled to   
disentangle my own legs from his1 when  
,i wanted to stand up by myself1 they   

were got into such a snarl              
together4--,but ,i don't like the       
position of my friend the ,professor4   
,the first thing1 of course1 when he    
opens his mouth1 will be to compare him 
with his predecessor4 ,now1 if he has   
the least tact in the world1 he will    
begin dull1 so as to leave a wide margin
 for improvement4 ,you may be perfectly 
certain that he can talk and write just 
as well as ,i can2 but you don't think1 
surely1 that he is going to begin where 
,i left off4 ,not unless we are to have 
a wedding in the first number2--and you 
are not sure whether or not there is to 
be any wedding at all while the         
,professor holds my seat at the table4  
,but ,i will tell you one thing1--if you
 sit a year or so at a long table1 you  
will see what life is4 ,christenings1   
weddings1 funerals1--these are the three
 legs it stands on2 and you have a      
chance to see them all in a twelvemonth1
 if the table is really a long one4 ,i  
don't doubt the ,professor will have    

something to tell besides his opinions  
and fancies2 and if you like a book of  
thoughts with occasional incidents1 as  
well as a book of incidents with        
occasional thoughts1 why1 ,i see no     
reason why you should not accept this   
talk of the ,professor's as kindly as if
 it had a fancy name and called itself a
 novel4  ,life may be divided into two  
periods1--the hours of taking food1 and 
the intervals between them1--or1        
technically1 into the alimentary and the
 non-alimentary portions of existence4  
,now our social being is so intensified 
during the first of these periods1 that 
whoso should write the history of a     
man's breakfasts or dinners or suppers  
would give a perfect picture of his most
 important social qualities1 conditions1
 and actions1 and might omit the        
non-alimentary portion of his life      
altogether from consideration4 ,thus ,i 
trust that the breakfasts of which you  
have had some records have given you a  
pretty clear idea1 not only of myself1  

but of those more interesting friends   
and fellow-boarders of mine to whom ,i  
have introduced you1 and with some of   
whom1 in company with certain new       
acquaintances1 my friend the ,professor 
will keep you in relation during the    
following year4 ,so you see that over   
the new table-cloth which is going to be
 spread there may very possibly be a new
 drama of life enacted2 but all that1 if
 it should be so1 is incidental and by  
the way2--for what the ,professor wishes
 particularly to do1 and means to do1 is
 to talk about life and men and things  
and books and thoughts2 but if there    
should be anything better than talk     
occurring before his eyes1 either at the
 small world of the breakfast-table or  
in the greater world without1 he holds  
himself at liberty to relate it or      
discourse upon it4  ,i suppose the      
,professor will receive a good many     
letters1 as ,i did1 containing          
suggestions1 counsel1 and articles in   
prose and verse for publication4 ,he    

desires me to state that he is very     
happy to hear from known and unknown    
friends1 provided they will not mistake 
him for an editor1 and will not be      
offended if their communications are not
 made the subject of individual notice4 
,there may be times when1 having nothing
 to say1 he will be very glad to print  
somebody's note or copy of verses2 ,i   
don't think it very likely2 for life1 is
 short1 and the world is brimful1 and   
rammed down hard1 with strange things   
worth seeing and telling1 and ,mr4      
,worcester's great ,quarto ,dictionary  
is soon coming out1 crammed with all    
manner of words to talk with1--so that  
the ,professor will probably find little
 room1 except for an answer to a        
question now and then1 or the           
acknowledgment of some hint he may have 
thought worth taking4         99        
99       99       99       99  --,the   
speaker shut himself off like a         
gas-burner at this point1 and the       
company soon dispersed4 ,i sauntered    

down to the landlady's1 and obtained    
from her the following production from  
the papers left by the gentleman1 whose 
pen1 ranging from grave to gay1 from    
lively to severe1 has held the mirror up
 to ,nature1 and given the form and     
pressure of his thoughts and feelings   
for the benefit of the numerous and     
constantly-increasing multitudes of     
readers of the ,oceanic ,miscellany1 a  
journal which has done and is doing so  
much for the gratification and          
improvement of the masses4   ,a ,poem   
from the ,autocrat's ,lose ,papers4  ,i 
find the following note written in      
pencil on the ,,mss4--,reporter ,oc4    
,misc4  ,this is a true story4 ,avis1   
,avise1 or ,avice1 7they pronounce it   
,arris17 is a real breathing person4    
,her home is not more than an hour and a
 half's space from the palaces of the   
great ladies who might like to look at  
her4 ,they may see her and the little   
black girl she gave herself to1 body and
 soul1 when nobody else could bear the  

sight of her infirmity1--leaving home at
 noon1 or even after breakfast1 and     
coming back in season to undress for the
 evening's party4   ,,avis4      ,i may 
not rightly call thy name1--            
,alas6 thy forehead never knew     ,the 
kiss that happier children claim1       
,nor glistened with baptismal dew4      
,daughter of want and wrong and woe1    
,i saw thee with thy sister-band1       
,snatched from the whirlpool's narrowing
 flow       ,by ,mercy's strong yet     
trembling hand4      --,avis6--,with    
,saxon eye and cheek1       ,at once a  
woman and a child1     ,the saint       
uncrowned ,i came to seek       ,drew   
near to greet us1--spoke and smiled4    
,god gave that sweet sad smile she wore 
,all wrong to shame1 all souls to win1--
     ,a heavenly sunbeam sent before    
,her footsteps through a world of sin4  
--,and who is ,avis8--,hear the tale    
,the calm-voiced matrons gravely tell1--
     ,the story known through all the   
vale       ,where ,avis and her sisters 

dwell4      ,with the lost children     
running wild1       ,strayed from the   
hand of human care1     ,they find one  
little refuse child       ,left helpless
 in its poisoned lair4      ,the primal 
mark is on her face1--       ,the       
chattel-stamp1--the pariah-stain        
,that follows still her hunted race1--  
,the curse without the crime of ,cain4  
,how shall our smooth-turned phrase     
relate       ,the little suffering      
outcast's ail8     ,not ,lazarus at the 
rich man's gate       ,so turned the    
rose-wreathed revellers pale4      ,ah1 
veil the living death from sight        
,that wounds our beauty-loving eye6     
,the children turn in selfish fright1   
,the white-lipped nurses hurry by4      
,take her1 dread ,angel6 ,break in love 
,this bruised reed and make it thine6-- 
,no voice descended from above1         
,but ,avis answered1 ,she is mine4      
,the task that dainty menials spurn     
,the fair young girl has made her own2  
,her heart shall teach1 her hand shall  

learn       ,the toils1 the duties yet  
unknown4      ,so ,love and ,death in   
lingering strife       ,stand face to   
face from day to day1     ,still        
battling for the spoil of ,life         
,while the slow seasons creep away4     
,love conquers ,death2 the prize is won2
       ,see to her joyous bosom pressed 
,the dusky daughter of the sun1--       
,the bronze against the marble breast6  
,her task is done2 no voice divine      
,has crowned her deed with saintly fame2
     ,no eye can see the aureole shine  
,that rings her brow with heavenly      
flame4      ,yet what has holy page more
 sweet1       ,or what had woman's love 
more fair     ,when ,mary clasped her   
,saviour's feet       ,with flowing eyes
 and streaming hair8      ,meek child of
 sorrow1 walk unknown4       ,the ,angel
 of that earthly throng1     ,and let   
thine image live alone       ,to hallow 
this unstudied song6     ,,literary     
,,notices4   ,sir ,walter ,raleigh and  
his ,time1 with other ,papers4 ,by      

,,charles ,,kingsley1 ,author of        
,hypatia1 ,two ,years ,ago1 etc4        
,boston3 ,ticknor  ,fields4 #abmo4      
,this collection of ,mr4 ,kingsley's    
miscellaneous writings is marked by the 
same qualities of mind and temper which 
have given celebrity and influence to   
his novels4 ,an earnest man1 with strong
 convictions springing from a fervid    
philanthropy1 fertile in thought1       
confident in statement1 resolute in     
spirit1 with many valuable ideas and not
 a few curious crotchets1 and master of 
a style singularly bold1 vivid1         
passionate1 and fluent1 he always       
stimulates the mind1 if he does not     
always satisfy it4 ,the defects of his  
intellect1 especially in the treatment  
of historical questions1 proceed from   
the warmth of his temperament4 ,his     
impulses irritate his reason4           
,intellectually impatient with all facts
 and arguments which obstruct the full  
sweep of his theory1 he has an offensive
 habit of escaping from objections he   

will not pause to answer1 by the calling
 of names and the introduction of       
,providence4 ,he is most petulantly     
disdainful of others when he has nothing
 but paradoxes with which to oppose     
their truisms4 ,he has a trick of       
adopting the manner and expressions of  
,carlyle1 in speaking of incidents and  
characters to which they are ludicrously
 inapplicable1 and becomes flurried and 
flippant on occasions where ,carlyle    
would put into the same words his whole 
scowling and scornful strength4 ,he     
frequently mistakes sympathy with       
suffering for insight into its causes1  
and an eloquent statement of what he    
thinks desirable for an interpretation  
of what really is4 ,he has bright       
glimpses of truth1 but they are due     
rather to the freedom of his thinking   
than to its depth2 and in the hurry and 
impatient pressure of his impulses1 he  
does not discriminate between his ideas 
and his whims4 ,he seems to be in a     
state of insurrection against the       

limitations of his creed1 his           
profession1 and his own mind1 and the   
impression conveyed by his best passages
 is of splendid incompleteness4 ,it     
would be ungracious to notice these     
defects in a writer who possesses so    
many excellences1 were it not that he   
forces them upon the attention1 and in  
their expression is unjust to other     
thinkers4 ,his intellectual conceit     
finds its vent in intellectual          
sauciness1 and is all the worse from    
appearing to have its source in conceit 
of conscience and benevolence4  ,in     
spite of these faults1 however1 ,mr4    
,kingsley's reputation is not greater   
than he deserves4 ,he is one of the most
 sincere2 truthful1 and courageous of   
writers1 has no reserves or             
concealments1 and pours out his feelings
 and opinions exactly as they lie in his
 own heart and brain4 ,we at least feel 
assured that he has no imperfections    
which he does not express1 and that     
there is no disagreement between the    

book and the man4 ,he is commonly on the
 right side in the social and political 
movements of the day1 if he does not    
always give the right reasons for his   
position4 ,his love1 both of ,nature and
 human nature1 is intense and deep1 and 
this gives a cordiality1 freshness1 and 
frankness to his writings which more    
than compensate for their defects4  ,the
 present volume of his miscellanies     
contains not only his essays and        
reviews1 but his four lectures on       
,alexandria and her ,schools1 and his   
,loose ,thoughts for ,loose ,thinkers4  
,of the essays1 those on ,north ,devon  
and ,my ,winter ,garden are the best    
specimens of his descriptive power1 and 
those on ,raleigh and ,england from     
,wolsey to ,elizabeth1 of his talents   
and accomplishments as a thinker on     
historical subjects4 ,the literary      
papers on ,tennyson1 ,burns1 ,the       
,poetry of ,sacred and ,literary ,art1  
and ,hours with the ,mystics1 are full  
of striking and suggestive1 if somewhat 

perverse1 thought4 ,the volume1 as a    
whole1 is read with mingled feelings of 
vexation and pleasure2 but whether      
provoked or delighted1 we are always    
interested both in the author and his   
themes4   ,a ,journey due ,north3 ,being
 ,notes of a ,residence in ,russia4 ,by 
,,george ,,augustus ,,sala4 ,boston3    
,ticknor  ,fields4 #afmo4  ,although the
 matter of this brilliant volume is of  
intrinsic interest1 its charm is due    
more to the mode of description than    
even to the things described4 ,it gives 
us ,russia from a ,bohemian point of    
view4 ,the characteristics of ,mr4 ,sala
 are keen observation1 vivid            
description1 lively wit1 indomitable    
assurance1 and incapacity of being      
surprised4 ,to his resolute belief in   
himself1 in what he sees with his own   
eyes and conceives with his own brain1  
the book owes much of its raciness1 its 
confident1 decisive1 knowing tone1 its  
independence of the judgments of others1
 and its freedom from all the deceptions

 which proceed from such emotions as    
wonder and admiration4 ,the volume is   
read with a pleasure similar to that we 
experience in listening to the animated 
talk of an acquaintance fresh from novel
 scenes of foreign travel1 who          
reproduces his whole experience in      
recalling his adventures1 and gives us  
not merely incidents and pictures1 but  
his own feelings of delight and         
self-elation4  ,the three introductory  
chapters1 describing the journey to ,st4
 ,petersburg1 are perhaps the most      
brilliant portions of the book4 ,the    
delineations of his fellow-passengers1  
in the voyage from ,stettin to          
,cronstadt1 especially the portraits of 
the swearing ,captain ,smith and the    
accomplished ,hussian noble1 are        
admirable equally for their humor and   
their sagacity4 ,the account of the     
landing at ,cronstadt1 the scenes at the
 ,custom-,house1 the author's first walk
 in ,st4 ,petersburg1 and his first     
drive in a droschky1 are masterpieces of

 familiar narration1 and fairly convert 
the readers of his hook into companions 
of his journey4 ,the description of the 
manners and customs of the ,russian     
people1 the shrewd occasional comments  
on the policy of the government1 and the
 thorough analysis of the rascality of  
the ,russian police1 are admirable in   
substance1 if somewhat flippant in      
expression4 ,in power of holding the    
amused attention of the reader1 equally 
by the pertinence of the matter and the 
impertinence of the tone1 the volume is 
unexcelled by any other book on the     
subject of ,russia4   ,the ,new ,priest 
in ,conception ,bay4 ,boston3 ,phillips1
 ,sampson  ,co4 #aheh4 #b vols4 #abmo4  
,the southeastern portion of the island 
of ,newfoundland1 as may be seen by a   
glance at the map1 may be well described
 by that expressive epithet of          
nook-shotten1 which in ,shakspeare is   
applied to the mother-island of which it
 is a dependent4 ,the land is indented  
by bays and estuaries1 so that it bears 

the same relation to the water that the 
parted fingers of an outstretched hand  
do to the spaces of air that are between
 them4 ,one of these inlets bears the   
name of ,conception ,bay2 and it is     
around the shores of this bay that the  
scene of this novel is laid4 ,everything
 in it suffers a sea-change2 everything 
is set to the music of the winds and the
 waves4 ,we find ourselves among a      
people with whom the sea is all1 and the
 land only an appendage to the sea1--a  
place to dry fish1 and mend nets1 and   
haul up boats1 and caulk ships4 ,but    
though the view everywhere1 morally and 
physically1 is bounded by the sea1 and  
though one of the finest of the         
characters is a fisherman1 yet the      
moving springs of the story are found in
 elements only accidentally connected   
with the sea1 and by no means new to    
novel-writers or playwrights4 ,the plot 
of the novel is taken from1 or founded  
upon1 the peculiar relations existing   
between the ,roman ,catholic priesthood 

and the female sex2 and1 with only a    
change in costume and scenery1 the      
events might have taken place in        
,maryland1 ,louisiana1 or ,france4  ,the
 novel is one of a peculiar class4 ,to  
borrow a convenient phraseology recently
 introduced into the language1 its      
interest is more subjective than        
objective1--or1 in other words1 is      
derived more from marked and careful    
delineations of individual character    
than from the march of events or        
brilliant procession of incidents4 ,with
 a single exception1--the abduction of  
the fisherman's daughter1--the          
occurrences narrated are such as might  
happen any day in any small community   
living near the sea4 ,novels constructed
 on this plan are less likely to be     
popular than those in which the interest
 is derived from a skilfully-contrived  
plot and a rapid and stirring succession
 of moving events4 ,to what extent the  
work before us may be popular we wilt   
not undertake even to guess2 for we have

 had too frequent experience of the     
capriciousness of public taste to hazard
 any prediction as to the reception a   
particular book may meet with1          
especially if it rely exclusively upon  
its own merits1 and be not helped by the
 previous reputation of the writer4 ,but
 we certainly can and will say that to  
readers of a certain cast it will       
present strong attractions1 and that no 
candid critic can read it without       
pronouncing it to be a remarkable work  
and the production of an original mind4 
,the author we should judge to be a man 
who had lived a good deal in solitude1  
or at least removed from his            
intellectual peers1--who had been       
through much spiritual struggle in the  
course of his life1--who had been more  
accustomed to think than to write1 at   
least for the press1--and whose own     
observation had revealed to him some of 
the darker aspects of the ,roman        
,catholic faith and practice4  ,there is
 very little skill in the construction  

of the plot4 ,most of the events stand  
to each other in the relation of        
accidental and not of necessary         
succession1 and might be transposed     
without doing any harm4 ,many pages are 
written simply as illustrations of      
character2 and a fair proportion of the 
novel might be called with strict       
propriety a series of sketches connected
 by a slight thread of narrative4 ,but  
it would be unreasonable to deal sharply
 with an author for this defect2 for the
 faculty of making a well-constructed   
story1 in which every event shall come  
in naturally1 and yet each bring us one 
step nearer to the journey's end1 is now
 one of the lost arts of earth4 ,but    
this is not all4 ,a considerable portion
 of it must be pronounced decidedly     
slow4 ,we use the word not in its slang 
application1 but in the sense in which  
,goldsmith used it in the first line of 
,the ,traveller1 or rather1 as ,johnson 
told him he used it1 when he said to    
him1--,you do not mean tardiness of     

locomotion2 you mean that sluggishness  
of mind which comes upon a man in       
solitude4 ,but the slowness of which    
novel-readers will complain is not mere 
commonplace1 least of all is it dulness4
 ,it is the leisurely movement of a     
contemplative mind full of rich thought 
and stored with varied learning4 ,such a
 writer could not have any sympathy with
 the mercurial1 vivacious1 light-of-foot
 story-tellers of the ,french school4   
,the author of ,the ,new ,priest in     
,conception ,bay1 we surmise1 has not   
been in the habit of packing up his     
thoughts for the market1 by either      
writing for the press1 or conversing    
with clever and nimble-witted men and   
women1 and thus does not always         
distinguish between cargo and dunnage4  
,the current of the story often flows   
with a very languid movement4 ,it       
happens1 rather unluckily1 that this is 
particularly true of the first seventy  
pages of the first volume4 ,we fear that
 many professional novel-readers may    

break down in the course of these pages2
 and we confess ourselves to have been a
 little discouraged4 ,but after the     
ninth chapter1 and the touching account 
which ,skipper ,george gives of the     
death of his boys1--a story which the   
most indifferent cannot peruse without  
emotion1--the reader may be safely left 
in the author's hands4 ,they will go on 
together to the end1 after this1 on good
 terms4 ,and the prospect brightens1 and
 the horses are whipped up1 as we       
advance4 ,the second volume is much more
 interesting1 in the common sense of the
 word1--more stirring1 more rapid1 more 
animated1 than the first4  ,it is but   
putting our criticism into another form 
to say that the novel is too long1 and1 
as a mere story1 might with advantage be
 compressed into at least two-thirds of 
its present bulk4 ,there are1           
especially1 two departments or points to
 which this remark is applicable4 ,in   
the first place1 the conversations are  
too numerous1 too protracted1 and run   

too much into trivialities and details4 
,in the second place1 the descriptions  
of scenery are too frequently           
introduced1 and pushed to a wearisome   
enumeration of particulars and minute   
delineation of details4 ,in this        
peculiarity the author is kept in       
countenance by most respectable literary
 associates4 ,this sort of              
,pre-,raphaelite style of               
scenery-painting in words is a          
characteristic of most recent ,american 
novel1 especially such as are written by
 women4 ,every rock1 every clump of     
trees1 every strip of sea-shore1 every  
sloping hillside1 sits for its portrait1
 and is reproduced with a tender        
conscientiousness of touch wholly       
disproportioned to the importance of the
 subject4 ,when human hearts and human  
passions are animating or darkening the 
scene1 we do not want to be detained by 
a botanist's description of plants or a 
geologist's sketch of rocks4 ,the broad1
 free sweeps of ,scott's brush in ,the  

,pirate are more effective than the     
delicate needle-point lines of the      
writer before us4  ,we think1 too1 that 
too much use is made of those strange   
and uncouth dialects which have to be   
represented to the eye by bad spelling4 
,we have the familiar ,yankee type in   
,mr4 ,bangs1 and a new form of          
phraseology in the speech of the        
,newfoundland fishermen4 ,a little of   
this is well enough1 but it should not  
be pushed to an extreme4 ,the author's  
style1 in general1 is vigorous and      
expressive2 it is the garb of an        
original mind1 and often takes striking 
forms2 but in grace and simplicity there
 is room for improvement1 and we doubt  
not that improvement will come with     
practice4  ,there are many passages     
which we should like to quote as        
specimens of the imaginative power1     
forcible description1 and apt           
illustration which are shown in this    
work4 ,whether the author has ever      
written verse or not1 he is a poet in   

the best sense of that much-abused word4
 ,to him ,nature in all its forms is    
animated2 it sympathizes with all his   
moods1 and takes on the hues of his     
thought4 ,there are very few of these   
paragraphs that are easily separable2   
they are fixed in the page1 and cannot  
be understood apart from it4 ,besides1  
many of these beauties are minute1--a   
gleaming word here and there1--but      
making the track of the story glow like 
the phosphorescent waters of the        
tropics4  ,we give a few paragraphs at  
random3--       ,does the sea hold the  
secret8       ,along the wharves1 along 
the little beaches1 around the          
circuit of the little coves1 along the  
smooth or broken face of      rock1 the 
sea1 which cannot rest1 is busy4 ,these 
little waves      and this long swell1  
that now are here at work1 have been ere
      now at home in the great inland   
sea of ,europe1 breathed on by          
soft1 warm winds from fruit-groves1     
vineyards1 and wide fields      of      

flowers1--have sparkled in the          
many-colored lights1 and felt      the  
trivial oars and dallying fingers of the
 loiterers1 on the      long canals of  
,venice1--have quenched the ashes of the
      ,dutchman's pipe1 thrown overboard
 from his dull1 laboring                
treckschuyt1--have wrought their patient
 tasks in the dim      caverns of the   
,indian ,archipelago1--have yielded to  
the little      builders under water    
means and implements to rear their      
towering altar1 dwelling1 monument4     
,these little waves have crossed the    
ocean1 tumbling like      porpoises at  
play1 and1 taking on a savage nature in 
the ,great      ,wilderness1 have       
thundered in close ranks and countless  
numbers      against man's floating     
fortress1--have stormed the breach and  
climbed up over the walls in the ship's 
riven side1--have      followed1 howling
 and hungry as mad wolves1 the crowded  
raft1--have leaped upon it1 snatching   
off1 one by one1 the      weary1        

worn-out men and women1--have taken up  
and borne aloft1      as if on hands and
 shoulders1 the one chance human body   
that is      brought in to land1 and the
 long spur1 from which man's dancing    
cordage wastes by degrees1 find yields  
its place to long1 green      streamers1
 much like those that clung to this     
tall1 taper tree      when it stood in  
the ,northern forest4       ,these waves
 have rolled their breasts about amid   
the wrecks      and weeds of the hot    
stream that comes up many thousands of  
miles out of the ,gulf of ,mexico1 as   
the great ,mississippi goes      down   
into it1 and by-and-by these waves will 
move1 all numb and      chilled1 among  
the mighty icebergs and ice-fields that 
must be      brought down from the      
poles4         99       99       99     
99       99       ,she asked1 ',have you
 given up being a priest1 ,mr4 ,urston8'
       ',yes6' he answered1 in a single 
word1 looking before him1 as      it    
were along his coming life1 like a      

quoit-caster1 to see how      far the   
uttered word would strike2 then1 turning
 to her1 and in      a lower voice1     
added1 ',i've left that1 once and       
forever4'         99       99       99  
99       99       ,he stood still with  
his grief2 and1 as ,mr4 ,wellon pressed 
his      honest1 hard hand1 he lifted to
 his pastor one of those      childlike 
looks that only come out on the face of 
the true man1      that has grown1 as   
oaks grow1 ring around ring1 adding each
      after-age to the childhood that   
has never been lost1 but has      been  
kept innermost4 ,this fisherman seemed  
like one of those      that plied their 
trade1 and were the ,lord's disciples1  
at the      ,sea of ,galilee1 eighteen  
hundred years ago4 ,the very flesh and  
blood inclosing such a nature keep a    
long youth through life4      ,witness  
the genius1 7who is only the more       
thorough man17 poet1      painter1      
sculptor1 finder-out1 or whatever2 how  
fresh and fair      such an one looks   

out from under his old age6 ,let him be 
,christian1 too1 and he shall look as   
if--shedding this      outward--the     
inward being would walk forth a         
glorified one4         99       99      
99       99       99       ,as he       
mentioned his fruitless visits1 a       
startling1 most      repulsive leer just
 showed itself in ,ladford's face2 but  
it      disappeared as suddenly and     
wholly as a monster that has come       
up1 horrid and hideous1 to the surface  
of the sea1 and then has      sunk      
again1 bodily1 into the dark deep1 and  
is gone1 as if it      had never come1  
except for the fear and loathing that it
 leaves      behind4 ,this face1 after  
that look1 had nothing repulsive in     
it1 but was only the more subdued and   
sad4  ,the author's mind so teems with  
images1 that he does not always         
discriminate between the good and the   
bad4 ,occasionally we find some that are
 manifestly faulty and overstrained4    
,it is one on which the tenderness of   

the deep heart of the      ,common      
,mother breaks itself2 over which the   
broad1 dark1      silent wings of a     
dread mystery are stretched4         99 
99       99       99       99       ,her
 voice had in it that tender touch which
 lays itself1      warm and loving1 on  
the heart4         99       99       99 
99       99       ,and then her voice   
began to drop down1 as it were1 from    
step to step1--and the steps seemed cold
 and damp1 as it went      down them    
lingeringly3--'or for                   
trial1--disappointment1--whatever       
comes6'--and at the last1 it      seemed
 to have gone down into a sepulchral    
vault4  ,we do not admire any one of the
 above1--least of all the last1 in which
 the human voice is embodied as a sexton
 going down the steps of a tomb4 ,why1  
too1 as a matter of verbal criticism1   
should the author use such words as     
tragedist1 exhibitress1 and cheaty8  ,in
 the delineation of character the author
 shows uncommon power and is entitled to

 high praise4 ,his portraits are        
animated1 life-like1 and individual4    
,father ,terence is drawn with a firm   
and skilful touch4 ,the task which the  
author prescribed to himself--to present
 an ecclesiastic without learning1      
without intellectual power1 without     
enthusiasm1 and with the easy habits of 
a careless and enjoyable temperament1   
and yet who should be respectable1 and  
even venerable1 by reason of the        
soundness of his instincts and his      
thorough right-heartedness--was not an  
easy one2 but in the execution he has   
been entirely successful4 ,we cannot but
 surmise that he has met sometime and   
somewhere a living man with some of the 
characteristic traits of ,father        
,terence4 ,father ,ignatius1 the        
conventional type of the dark1 wily1 and
 dangerous ecclesiastical intriguer1 is 
an easier subject1 but not so well done4
 ,he is a little too melodramatic2 and  
we apply with peculiar force to him a   
criticism to which all the characters   

are more or less obnoxious1 that he is  
too constantly and uniformly manifesting
 the peculiar traits by which the author
 distinguishes him from others4 ,father 
,debree and ,mrs4 ,barr are drawn with  
powerful and discriminating touch1 and  
we recognize the skill of the writer in 
the fact that we had read a considerable
 portion of the novel before we had any 
suspicion of the former relations       
between them4 ,we may here say that we  
think that the women who may read this  
work will want to know1 a little more   
fully and distinctly than the author has
 seen fit to tell1 what were the causes 
and influences which led to the severing
 of those relations4 ,we cannot state   
our meaning more clearly1 without doing 
what we think should never be done in   
the review of a new novel1 and that is1 
telling the story1 and thus removing    
half the impulse to read it4 ,skipper   
,george and his household1 and the      
smuggler ,ladford1 are very well        
drawn1--not distinctly original1 and yet

 with distinctive individual traits1    
which sharp observation must1 to some   
extent1 have furnished the author with4 
,but to our commendation of the         
characters we must make one exception3  
we humbly and respectfully submit that  
,mr4 ,bangs is a portentous bore1 and we
 heartily wish that he had been drowned 
before he ever set his foot upon the    
shores of ,newfoundland4 ,it is         
possible1 however1 that in this case we 
are not impartial judges2 for we        
confess1 that1 for our own private      
reading1 we are heartily weary of the   
,yankee1--we mean as a literary         
creation1--of the eternal repetition of 
the character of which ,sam ,slick is   
the prototype1--which is for the most   
part a caricature1 and no more to be    
found upon the solid earth than a       
griffin or a centaur4 ,and in our       
judgment the theological discussions    
between this worthy and ,father ,terence
 are not in good taste4 ,the author     
surely would not have us suppose that   

the wretched1 skimble-skamble stuff     
which the latter is made to talk is any 
fair representative of the arguments by 
which the ,church of ,rome maintains its
 dogmas and vindicates its claims4 ,a   
considerable amount of literary skill   
and a quick perception of the ludicrous 
are shown in the ridiculous aspect which
 the good ,father's statements and      
reasonings are made to assume in passing
 through ,mr4 ,bangs's mind2 but we     
doubt whether such exhibitions are      
profitable to the cause of good         
religion1 and whether the advantage     
thereby secured to ,protestantism is not
 purchased at the price of some danger  
to ,christianity4 ,it is not well to    
teach men the art of making mysteries   
ridiculous4  ,but we take leave of our  
author and his book with high respect   
for his powers1--we do not know but that
 we may say his genius1--and with no    
small admiration for this particular    
expression of them4 ,the very minuteness
 of our criticism involves a compliment4

 ,it has been truly said1 that many men 
never write a book at all1 but that very
 few write only one4 ,we think that the 
author of ,the ,new ,priest in          
,conception ,bay must and will write    
more4 ,a mind so fruitful and inventive1
 a spiritual nature so high and earnest1
 and an observation so keen and correct1
 cannot fail to accumulate materials for
 future use4 ,we predict that his next  
novel will be better than this1--that it
 will have all its substantial and      
essential merits1 and will show more    
constructive skill and a more practised 
hand in literary artisanship4 ,his gold 
will be more neatly wrought1 and not    
less pure and abundant4   ,summer ,time 
in the ,country4 ,by ,rev4 ,,robert     
,,aris ,,willmott4 ,london and ,new     
,york3 ,george ,routledge4 ,square      
#abmo4 ,illustrated4  ,we first made the
 acquaintance of this work in a shilling
 volume1 a railway-library edition1 and 
were charmed with its genial tone1 its  
nice appreciation of rural scenery1 its 

agreeable and unpedantic learning4 ,it  
is a diary for the summer months1 with  
notes upon the changing aspects of      
,nature1 reminiscences from the poets1  
and appropriate comments4 ,we are glad  
now to welcome the book in this form1   
wherein satin paper1 careful typography1
 delicate engravings1 and handsome      
binding have been employed to give it an
 appropriate dress4   ,annual ,obituary 
,notices of ,eminent ,persons who died  
in the ,united ,states during the ,year 
#aheg4 ,by ,,nathan ,,crosby4 ,boston3  
,phillips1 ,sampson1  ,co4 #hvo4 pp4    
#dcj4  ,the object of this work is best 
stated in the words of the author1 as   
being the result of a long and earnest  
desire to give a more permanent and     
accessible memorial to those who have   
originated and developed our            
institutions1--those whose names should 
be remembered by the generations to     
come1 as the statesmen1 the soldiers1   
the men of science and skill1 the       
sagacious merchants1 the eminent        

clergymen and philanthropists1--those   
who have brought our country to the     
prosperity and distinction it now       
enjoys4  ,eulogies1 funeral sermons1 and
 obituaries soon pass out of            
remembrance1 and an annual compilation  
like this cannot fail to be of service4 
,the work appears to have been done with
 impartiality and care4   ,the ,poetical
 ,works of ,edgar ,allan ,poe1 with an  
,original ,memoir4 ,illustrated by ,f4  
,r4 ,,pickersgill1 ,,john ,,tenniel1    
,,birket ,,foster1 ,,felix ,,darley1 and
 others4 ,new ,york3 ,j4 ,s4 ,redfield4 
#hvo4 pp4 #bej4  ,the poems of ,poe have
 taken their place in literature2 it is 
too late to attempt anything like a     
contemporaneous criticism1 too early to 
anticipate the judgement of posterity4  
,but whatever were the faults of this   
gifted and erratic genius1 much that he 
has written has become a part of the    
thought and memory of the present       
generation of readers1 and will         
doubtless go to our children with equal 

claims4  ,in this volume it would seem  
that the arts connected with book-making
 have culminated2 paper1 typography1    
drawing1 and engraving are all          
admirable4 ,there are no fewer than     
fifty-three wood-engravings1 of various 
degrees of excellence1 but all          
exquisitely finished4 ,the lovers of    
fine editions of poetry will find this a
 gift-book which the most fastidious    
taste will approve4 ,if we could add    
that this mechanical excellence was from
 ,american hands1 it would be much more 
grateful to our national pride4         
,black's ,atlas of ,north ,america4     
,boston3 ,little1 ,brown1  ,co4         
,nothing could well be more convenient  
than this series of twenty maps4 ,they  
are carefully executed1 of a size not   
too large for easy handling1 and bound  
in a thin1 light volume4 ,they are      
preceded by some introductory           
statistical matter which is very useful 
for purposes of ready reference1 and    
accompanied by an index so arranged that

 one can find the name he seeks on any  
map with great facility4 ,we have seen  
no maps of ,north ,america which seemed 
to us1 on the whole1 at once so cheap   
and good4         99       99       99  
99       99  ,among the announcements of
 illustrated works in press1 we notice  
,the ,stratford ,gallery1 comprising    
,forty-five ,ideal ,portraits described 
by ,mrs4 ,j4 ,w4 ,palmer4 ,illustrated  
with ,fine ,engravings on ,steel1 from  
,designs by ,eminent ,hands4  ,in one   
vol4 #hvo4 ,antique morocco4 ,new ,york3
 ,d4 ,appleton  ,co4         99       99
       99       99       99  ,the many  
admirers of the ,,autocrat will learn   
with pleasure that a fine edition of his
 charming volume is in preparation1 with
 tinted paper1 illustrated by ,hoppin1  
and bound in elegant style4 ,probably no
 holiday-book will be in such demand    
this season4