Class JPlT'._J^t£ S'
Book ' rfT
ip
^
O \ -
CONTENTS
Introduction v
How I Killed a Bear . . . Charles Dudley Warner 1
Camping Out Charles Dudley Warner 13
Goliath Thomas Bailey Aldrich 29
(From Two Bites at a Cherry)
Mr. Higginbotham's Catas-
trophe Nathaniel Hawthorne . 45
The Whistle Benjamin Franklin . . 64
Franklin's Boyhood .... Benjamin Franklin . . 66
The Christmas Dinner . . Washington Irving . . 82
(From The Sketch Book)
The Belated Travellers . . Washington Irving . . 99
(From Tales of a Traveller)
The House at Walden . . Henry D. Thoreau . . 121
(From Walden)
Neighbors of the Wilderness Henry D. Thoreau . . 130
(From Walden)
EosY Balm Alice Brown .... 144
(From The County Road)
The Ogillallah Village . . Francis Parkman . . 164
(From The Oregon Trail)
A White Heron Sarah Orne Jewett . . 187
Canoeing Robert Louis Stevenson . 204
(From An Inland Voyage)
The Archery Contest . . . Walter Scott .... 214
(From Ivanhoe^
iv CONTENTS
The Tournament Walter Scott .... 225
(From Ivanhoe)
A Young Marsh Hawk . . John Burroughs . . . 244:
(From Riverby)
The Purloined Letter . . Edgar Allan Poe . . 255
Letters :
Charles Lamb Introduces a Friend 281
Stevenson Writes to a Child 281
President Lincoln Acknowledges His Error to
General Grant 284
Washington Irving Writes of His Visit to Sir
Walter Scott 285
Hawthorne Writbs of His Life at Brook Farm . 286
INTKODUCTION
It has long been recognized that the three important
aims in the teaching of English in secondary schools
are (1) " to enable the pupil to understand ^^
the expressed thoughts of others " ; (2) to Teaching
enable him "to give expression to thoughts ^"^usii
of his own " ; (3) " to cultivate a taste for reading, to
give the pupil some acquaintance with good literature,
and to furnish him the means of extending that ac-
quaintance." ^ In order to accomplish these purposes
the secondary-school course in English has now gen-
erally been arranged to include the careful study in
class of a number of pieces of literature, the theory
and the practice of composition, and the reading of
considerable literature outside of the classroom. Not
infrequently these three elements have been considered
as separate and distinct subjects, and have been so
separated from one another in the course of study that
there has been little or no relation between them.
Under other conditions their mutual dependence has
been recognized, but the difficulties in the way of pro-
viding an effective means of correlation between them
have seemed so great that no vital relation has been
established in actual teaching.
That a close correlation between the study of litera-
ture in the classroom, the reading outside of class, and
the instruction in the principles of composi- ugi^y^^ ^j
tion with practice in writing, is desirable, Different
cannot be denied. The study of the thoughts
1 Report of Committee on Secondary School Studies (The Commit-
^ tee of Ten), Washington, 1893.
^
vi INTRODUCTION
of others as expressed in literature, if rightly done,
should lead the pupil to see how to express his own
thoughts more effectively in his composition work. All
study of good literature should result in a keener ap-
preciation of what is best in expression, and all read-
ing of good literature should tend to develop a taste
for reading. It therefore remains to develop methods
for bringing about a close and effective correlation be-
tween the several phases of the English work, in order
to accomplish the aims outlined for the high school
course.
In preparing this book, the purpose has been to fur-
nish material and suggestions by which the teacher can
Aim of the correlate successfully the reading and the
°^^ study of literature with the work in compo-
sition. The basis of the book, as the title indicates, is
the selections from literature for careful reading and
study. The material has been chosen with a view to
the fact that it is to serve as an introduction to the
reading and the study of literature.
In beginning the study of literature it is necessary
to interest the pupils in good reading. In order to do
Kind of *^^^' *^® subject matter of the selections must
Reading be interesting and the material must not be
so difficult that it discourages the pupils or makes the
reading too great a task. The piece of literature must
not be so long that the interest flags or that the pupil
cannot grasp it in its entirety and study it as a unit.
Prose narrative and descriptive sketches, short stories,
and tales seem to combine most of the desired elements
both for an introduction to the study of literature and
for the close correlation of composition and reading.
The advantages of studying prose literature for the
first years of the secondary school course rather than
INTRODUCTION vii
poetry or the poetical drama are important ones. First,
the training in grasping the expressed thoughts of
others as they appear in the simplest logical ^w study
order, which, of course, is that of prose Prose?
rather than of poetry, is one of the essential elements
of the first year's work. Second, poetic inversions and
figurative expressions add so much to the pupil's diffi-
culties in understanding what he reads that at the be-
ginning of the course it makes too great a task of what
should be a source of interest and pleasure. To pass
over these difficulties and emphasize only the story or
description in the study of poetry is to encourage the
bad habit of careless, inaccurate reading. If the pupil
is taught to understand fully the prose that he studies
in the first years of the course, he will be able to read
poetry with less effort and more interest in the later
years of his high school English. Third, short stories
and sketches are the most simple and natural material
with which to begin the study of literature, because
they interest the average pupil and arouse in him a
desire to read more. Fourth, simple narrative and de-
scriptive prose makes possible a closer and more effec-
tive correlation between the reading and the composi-
tion, since these forms of literature are of the same
kind as the themes which the pupils are able to write
most successfully during their first years of practice in
composition.
The first aim in the reading of literature must always
be to have the pupil understand the thought expressed
in the printed page. In order to accomplish pirst^jm
this, the pupil must be taught to get each inReaaing
idea as it is presented ; to combine these ideas to get
the thought of the sentence; and to follow the thought
from sentence to sentence until he grasps the meaning
viii INTRODUCTION
of the paragraph, sketch, or story as a whole. The only
way to teach him to grasp the author's thought is
to have understood each unit of expression of that
thought. The meanings of words, figures of speech,
allusions, etc., as expressions of the idea must be
clearly understood. Pupils should be taught the intel-
ligent use of the dictionary and of books of reference
at the beginning of the course. In order to encourage
them to use reference books, the notes on each selection
consist of only such information as cannot readily be
obtained by the pupils themselves from the books usu-
ally found in the average high school library.
The teacher must also make sure that the pupils get
a clear conception of the thought expressed in each
sentence, and of the topic, with its develop-
Grasp^Jtiie ment, in the paragraph. Various methods
Thought j^g^y ^Q used to accomplish these ends. In
narrative sketches, the retelling of the story paragraph
by paragraph will lead the pupils to get the details of
the narrative in logical groups. In description, the
pupils should be encouraged to visualize the scene, ob-
ject, or person portrayed, and often to make sketches
on the blackboard to show clearly the position of the
details presented. Such devices tend to emphasize con-
stantly to the pupils the importance of reading care-
fully and accurately in order to get the whole thought
of the author.
The teacher's methods of testing the extent to which
the pupils, in preparing an assignment in reading,
have grasped the author's thought, are of
Test Pupils' great importance. From the beginning, the
Grasp pupils should be made to realize that they
must prepare their lessons in literature with as much
care as they do those in other studies. Furthermore,
INTRODUCTION ix
the metliods of the teacher in the classroom must be
such as to demand this careful preparation. Pupils
should not be permitted to get the answers to the
teacher's questions from the books lying open before
them. If an assignment in literature has been studied
as carefully as it should be, the pupils should be able
to answer practically any question on the subject mat-
ter or expression of the thought without consulting the
book. In fact, recitations on the assignment in litera-
ture should frequently be conducted with closed books.
It is only in this way that the teacher can really deter-
mine how fully and accurately the pupils have grasped
and assimilated the author's ideas.
As the study of literature is different from that of
the other subjects of the high school course, much at-
tention must be ffiven by the teacher to show- „ ^
o J ^ Teach
ing the pupils how to read and study litera- Pupils to
ture. In assigning a lesson in reading, the ^ ^
teacher should indicate clearly to the pupils what is to
be done in preparing the lesson, and, to some extent
at least, how it is to be done. The failure of the pupils
to understand what is desired of them is the cause of %
many a poorly prepared recitation in English.
In the first years of the course, the teacher, in assign-
ing the lesson, should put on the blackboard a series
of questions or suggestions, so that the pupils may have
a number of definite points to consider in studying the
lesson assigned. The suggestions for study which are
given immediately after each selection in this book are
designed to indicate to the teacher the character and the
scope of such questions. They are not intended to be
sufficient in number for every lesson assigned in the
study of the selection. They are designed rather to be
general in character, and thus to furnish suggestions
X INTRODUCTION
which the teacher can amplify by the more specific
questions necessary to bring out all the details to be
considered in the recitation.
The other purpose of the reading is to 'stimulate the
pupil's interest in good literature and to lead him to
read, on his own initiative, what is worth
Interest In tp • • i i i i •
Outside while. If mterest is aroused by the study in
Reading ^j^^^ ^£ ^^^ ^ork of an author or of one type
of writing, it is easy to create a desire to read outside
of class other works of the same author or other pieces
of literature of the same kind. In order to assist the
teacher in directing the outside reading of the pupils,
a list of the author's other works and of books of a
similar character is given for each selection in this
book. Various methods can be used by the teacher to
interest the pupils in this outside reading. Every effort
should be made to encourage the pupils to read as
many books on these lists as their time permits. If the
pupils are required to read a certain number of these
books, precaution must be taken against making the
outside reading a formal task rather than a pleasure.
The pupils' interest in the books may be aroused in
several ways. By reading aloud to the class a chapter
or two of the book, the teacher may lead many of the
pupils to read the whole book. By referring in class
work to characters, plots, and other details of the books
on the reading list or by quoting from them, the
teacher will often stimulate the pupils' curiosity, and
create a desire to read the books. By considering the
tastes and the needs of the individual pupils, the
teacher can suggest to each the books most likely to
be of interest and value. To create and develop the
desire for good literature outside of the classroom is
one of the greatest privileges of the teacher of English.
INTRODUCTION xi
The principles of composition can be developed in-
ductively from the literature read and studied in class.
Durino: the first years of the course, when ,,
. , ... • . 1 Literature
particular attention is given to the principles and the
J. , 1 ^ J. j_- • Principles
or sentence and paragraph construction m ofOomposi-
the^composition work, these principles can be *^°^
developed and their application illustrated from the
selections. In order to get the thought clearly from
the printed page it is necessary, as has been pointed
out, to study with some degree of care the sentence and
paragraph structure. By noting the separate ideas as
expressed by words, phrases, and clauses, and by de-
termining their relation in the sentence as the expres-
sion of the thought, the pupil learns the principles of
sentence unity and sentence coherence. If his attention
is properly drawn to these principles as they are ex-
emplified in the literature before him, the application
of them may be clearly demonstrated without spoiling
the piece of literature.
To follow the chain of thought in the paragraph, it
is necessary to see clearly the relation of each thought
as expressed in the sentence to the preceding and the
succeeding thoughts, in order that the development of
the topic may be clear, and that the pupil may grasp
the subject in its entirety. In teaching the pupil to get
the whole thought of the paragraph, it is necessary to
consider the topic developed in the paragraph ; that is,
to study the unity of the paragraph ; and also to con-
sider the relation of each thought to the one central
topic ; that is, the principle of paragraph coherence.
Thus, in the effort to teach the pupils how to get the
thoughts of others by reading, the essential principles
of composition are absolutely necessary. In a similar
manner the principles of narration and description may
xii INTKODUCTION
be developed inductively from the literature. By see-
ing the application of rhetorical principles in litera-
ture, the pupil comes to realize their importance in
effective writing, and is impressed by the varied forms
of their application as he is not likely to be by exam-
ples isolated from their context, in textbooks.
Since it is by constant practice that the average
pupil learns to write clearly and accurately, the essen-
tial part of the composition work is not the
and Theme- study of the principles of composition, but
Writing rather the writing of themes. Close correla-
tion can be developed between the theme-writing and
the study of literature. Besides exemplifying the prin-
ciples of sentence and paragraph as well as the princi-
ples of narration and description, the literature can be
used to show the pupil how to write themes on similar
subjects taken from his own experience. In order to
indicate how the selections may serve to guide the
pupil in choosing a subject as well as in planning and
writing his theme, a number of theme subjects and
suggestions for developing them have been given after
each selection.
From the lists of subjects given, teachers and pupils
can select those best adapted to their needs, or can
readily supplement those suggested with
Theme others of a similar kind particularly related to
Subiects Iqq^i interests. To secure additional good
theme subjects, the teacher must familiarize himself
with local conditions, especially as they affect the life
and interests of the pupils. In general the theme sub-
jects should not be based on the subject matter of the
literature, but should be taken from the pupils' own
experiences, and especially from experiences that have
something in common with those presented in the selec-
INTRODUCTION xiii
tions studied. The possibility of writing interesting
themes on every-day incidents in the lives of the pupils
is indicated by the list of subjects given. After the
pupils come to see the inexhaustible supply of material
which their own experiences afford, it will be easy for
them to find their own subjects.
How the literature may be made to serve as a model
in one respect or another for the pupils' themes, is
shown to some extent by the suggestions for Literature
theme- writing. Only one or two subjects *3^™^°*i®i
have been developed in these suggestions to indicate
the method to be employed by the teacher. In assign-
ing a subject or several subjects for themes, the teacher
can be of much assistance to the pupils by discussing
with them the subjects upon which they are to write.
These discussions should aim to connect the theme sub-
jects with the literary models studied, and thus lead
the pupils to consider the best method of treating the
subject. Interest in the subject will also be stimulated
by this means, and a desire on the part of the pupils
to write upon it will be aroused.
That clear, logical thinking is prerequisite for clear
expression should be constantly emphasized in teach-
ing composition. Much of the work of get- clear
ting the pupils to express their thoughts ^^^t^e"^
clearly and accurately is really concerned Outline
with teaching them how to think clearly and logically.
For this purpose an outline is frequently of great value.
Here again the literature can be used to advantage.
An outline of a paragraph or of several paragraphs
analyzed in connection with the reading will make
clear the method of arranging the details in an orderly
form. A similar outline of a theme on a related sub-
ject, made in class by the cooperation of teacher and
xiv INTRODUCTION
pupils, will indicate the method of grouping and ar-
ranging thoughts in a logical manner. Like all formal
devices, the outline, if made mechanically, will tend to
curb the spontaneous expression of the pupils; but
rightly employed by teachers and pupils, it will readily
become a valuable aid to clear thinking and expression.
If the relation of the generally accepted aims in the
study of English to the plan and methods suggested
„„ ,, in this book have been made clear, it is evi-
Effective oc > i • <•
Correlation dent that a close, effective correlation of all
the important phases of the secondary school
course in English is both possible and desirable. The
methods suggested are not based upon theories, but
have been successfully carried out in a number of high
schools. Although the suggestions for study and out-
side reading, and the suggestions for subjects for
theme-writing are sufficient under ordinary conditions,
they were not intended to be comprehensive or final,
but rather, as their name implies, suggestive both to
teacher and pupils, who, it is hoped, will amplify and
develop them to meet their own needs and conditions.
PROSE LITERATURE
FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS
HOW I KILLED A BEAR
CHARLES DUDLEY WAKNER
So many conflicting accounts have appeared about
my casual encounter with an Adirondack bear last
summer, that in justice to the public, to myself, and
J to the bear, it is necessary to make a plain statement
V;of the facts. Besides, it is so seldom I have occasion
' to kill a bear, that the celebration of the exploit may
be excused. ■■■■ i v >|i y
The encounter was unpremeditated on both sides.
. I was not hunting for a bear, and I have no reason to
suppose that a bear was looking for me. The fact is,
that we were both out blackberrying, and met by
chance, — the usual way. There is among the Adiron-
dack visitors always a great deal of conversation about
bears, — a general expression of the wish to see one
in the woods, and much speculation as to how a person
would act if he or she chanced to meet one. But bears
are scarce and timid, and appear only to a favored
few.
It was a warm day in August, just the sort of day
when an adventure of any kind seemed impossible.
But it occurred to the housekeepers at our cottage —
there were four of them — to send me to the clearing,
on the mountain back of the house, to pick blackber-
ries. It was rather a series of small clearings, run«
2 CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER
ning up into the forest, much overgrown with bushes
and briers, and not unromantic. Cows pastured there,
penetrating through the leafy passages from one open-
- ing to another, and browsing among the bushes. I
was kindly furnished with a six-quart pail, and told
not to be gone long.
Not from any predatory instinct, but to save appear-
ances, I took a gun. It adds to the manly aspect of a
person with a tin pail if he also carries a gun. It was
possible I might start up a partridge ; though how I
was to hit him, if he started up instead of standing
still, puzzled me. Many people use a shot-gun for
partridges. I prefer the rifle: it makes a clean job of
death, and does not prematurely stuff the bird with
globules of lead. The rifle was a Sharp's, carrying a
ball cartridge (ten to the pound), — an excellent wea-
ppn. belonging ^o a friend of mine, who had intended,
for a good muny years backT'lJS^ kiU a-^^ier with it."* He J
could hit a tree with it — if the wind did not blow,^^i
and the atmosphere was just ri^ht, and the tree w^s^
not too far off — nearly every time. Of course, the
tree must have some size. Needless to say that I was
at that time no sportsman. Years ago I killed a robin
under the most humiliatinpr circumstances. The bird
was in a low cherry-tree. I loaded a big shot-gun
pretty full, crept up under the tree, rested the gun on
the fence, with the muzzle more than ten feet from
the bird, shut both eyes, and pulled the trigger.
When I got up to see what had happened, the robin
was scattered about under the tree in more than a
thousand pieces, no one of which was big enough to
enable a naturalist to decide from it to what species it
belonged. This disgusted me with the life of a sports-
man. I mention the incident to show that, although
HOW I KILLED A BEAR 3
I went blackberrying armed, there was not much in-
equality between me and the bear.
In this blackberry-patch bears had been seen. The
summer before, our colored cook, accompanied by a
little girl of the vicinage^ was picking berries there
one day, when a bear came out of the woods, and
walked towards them. The girl took to her heels, and
escaped. Aunt Chloe was paralyzed with terror. In-
stead of attempting to run, she sat down on the
ground where she was standing, and began to weep
and scream, giving herself up for lost. The bear was
bewildered by this conduct. He approached and
looked at her; he walked around and surveyed her.
Probably he had never seen a colored person before,
and did not know whether she would agree with him :
at any rate, after watching her a few moments, he
turned about, and went into the forest. This is an
authentic instance of the delicate consideration of a
Bear, and is much more remarkable than the forbear-
ance towards the African slave of the well-known lion,
because the bear had no thorn in his foot.
When I had climbed the hill, I set up my rifle
against a tree, and began picking berries, lured on
from bush to bush by the black gleam of fruit (that
always promises more in the distance than it realizes
when you reach it) ; penetrating farther and farther,
through leaf-shaded cow-paths flecked with sunlight,
into clearing after clearing. I could hear on all sides
the tinkle of bells, the cracking of sticks, and the
stamping of cattle that were taking refuge in the
thicket from the flies. Occasionally, as I broke through
a coyext, I encountered a meek cow, who stared at me
stupidly for a second, and then shambled off into the
brush. I became accustomed to this dumb society, and
4 CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER
picked on in silence, attributing all the wood noises
to the cattle, thinking nothing of any real bear. In
point of fact, however, I was thinking all the time of
a nice romantic bear, and, as I picked, was composing
a story about a 2:eiierous she-bear who had lost her
cub, and who seized a small girl in this very wood,
carried her tenderly off to a cave, and brought her up
on bear's milk and honey. When the girl got big
enough to run away, moved by her inherited instincts,
she escaped, and came into the valley to her father's
house (this part of the story was to be worked out, so
that the child would know her father by some family
resemblance, and have some language in which to ad-
dress him), and told him where the bear lived. The
father took his gun, and, guided by the unfeeling
daughter, went into the woods and shot the bear, who
never made any resistance, and only, when dying,
turned reproachful eyes upon her murderer. The
moral of the tale was to be kindness to animals.
I was in the midst of this tale, when I happened to
look some rods away to the other edge of the clearing,
and there was a bear! 'He was standing on his hind-
legs, and doing just what I was doing, — picking
blackberries. With one paw he bent down the bush,
while with the other he clawed the berries into his
mouth, — green ones and all. To say that I was as-
tonished is inside the mark. I suddenly discovered
that I did n't want to see a bear, after all. At about
the same moment the bear saw me, stopped eating
berries, and regarded me with a glad surprise. It is
all very well to imagine what you would do under such
circumstances. Probably you would n't do it : I did n't.
The bear dropped (down on his fore-feet, and came
slowly towards me. -Climbing a tree was of no use.
HOW I KILLED A BEAR 5
with so good a climber in the rear. If I started to
\ run, I had no doubt the bear would give chase ; and
althouo:h a bear cannot run down hill as fast as he
can run up hill, yet I felt that he could get over this
yough, brush-tangled ground faster than I could.
The bear was approaching. It suddenly occurred to
me how I could divert his mind until I could fall back
upon my military base. My pail was nearly full of
excellent berries, — much better than the bear could
pick himself. I put the pail on the ground, and slowly
backed away from it, keeping my eye, as beast-tamers
do, on the bear. The ruse succeeded.
The bear came up fo the berries, and stopped. Not
accustomed to eat out of a pail, he tipped it over, and
nosed about in the fruit, " gorming " (if there is such
a word) it down, mixed with leaves and dirt, like a
pig. The bear is a worse feeder than the pig. When-
ever he disturbs a maple-sugar camp in the spring, he
always upsets the buckets of syrup, and tramples
round in the sticky sweets, wasting more than he eats.
The bear's manners are thoroughly disagreeable.
As soon as my enemy's head was down, I started
and ran. Somewhat out of breath, and shaky, I reached
my faithful rifle. It was not a moment too soon. I
heard the bear crashing through the brush after me.
Enraged at my^ duplicity, he was now coming on with
blood in his eyeTTt felt that the time of one of us was
probably short. The rapidity of thought at such mo-
ments of peril is well known. I thought an .octavo
volume, had it illustrated and published, sold fifty
thousand copies, and went to Europe on the proceeds,
while that bear was loping across the clearing. As I
was cocking the gun, I made a hasty and unsatisfac-
tory review of my whole life. I noted that, even in
6 CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER
such a compulsory review, it is almost impossible to
think of any good thing you have done. The sins come
out uncommonly strong. I recollected a newspaper
subscription I had delayed paying years and years ago,
until both editor and newspaper were dead, and which
now never could be paid to all eternity.
.The bear was coming on.
\1 tried to remember what I had read about encoun-
ter^ with bears. I could n't recall an instance in which
a man had run away from a bear in the woods and
escaped, although I recalled plenty where the bear had
run from the man and got off. I tried to think what
is the best way to kill a bear with a gun, when you
are not near enough to club him with the stock. My
first thought was to fire at his head ; to plant the ball
between his eyes ; but this is a dangerous experiment.
The bear's brain is very small ; and unless you hit
that, the bear does not mind a bullet in his head ; that
is, not at the time. I remembered that the instant
death of the bear would follow a bullet planted just
back of his fore-leg, and sent into his heart. This
spot is also difficult to reach, unless the bear stands
off, side towards you, like a target. I finally deter-
mined to fire at him generally.
The bear was coming on.
The contest seemed to me very different from any-
thing at Creedmoor. I had carefully read the reports
of the shooting there ; but it was not easy to apply
the experience I had thus acquired. I hesitated whether
I had better fire lying on my stomach ; or lying on my
back, and resting the gun on my toes. But in neither
position, I reflected, could I see the bear until he
was upon me. The range was too short; and the bear
would n't wait for me to examine the thermometer
HOW I KILLED A BEAR 7
and note the direction of the wind. Trial of the Creed-
moor method, therefore, had to be abandoned ; and I
bitterly regretted that I had not read more accounts
of offhand shooting.
For the bear was coming on.
I tried to fix my last thoughts upon my family. As
my family is small, this was not difficult. Dread of
displeasing my wife, or hurting her feelings, was up-
permost in my mind. What would be her anxiety as
hour after hour passed on, and I did not return!
What would the rest of the household think as the
afternoon passed, and no blackberries came ! What
would be my wife's mortification when the news was
brought that her huslSand had been eaten by a bear !
I cannot imagine anything more ignominious than to
have a husband eaten by a bear. And this was not
my only anxiety. The mind at such times is not
under contrSET^W ith the gravest fears the most whim-
sical ideas will occur. I looked beyond the mourning
frien'ds, and. thought what kind of an epitaph they
would be compelled to put upon the stone. Some-
thing like this : —
HERE LIE THE REMAINS
OF
EATEN BY A BEAR
Aug. 20, 1877.
It is a very unheroic and even disagreeably epitaph.
That " eaten by a bear " is intolerable. It is gro-
tesque. And then I thought what an Jnade^uate lan-
guage the English is for compact expression. It would
not answer to put upon the stone simply " eaten " ; for
that is indefinite, and requires explanation : it might
8 CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER
mean eaten by a cannibal. This difficulty could not
occur in the German, where essen signifies the act of
feeding by a man, sindjr essen by a beast. How sim-
ple the thing would be in German ! —
HIEK LIEGT
HOCHWOHLGEBOREN
GEFRESSEN
Aug. 20, 1877.
That explains itself. The well-born one was eaten
by a beast, and presumably by a bear, — an animal
that has a bad reputation since the days of Elisha.
The bear was coming on ; he had, in fact, come on.
I judged that he could see the whites of my eyes. All
my subsequent reflections were confused. I raised
the gun, covered the bear's breast with the sight, and
let drive. Then I turned, and ran like a deer. I
did not hear the bear pursuing. I looked back. The
bear had stopped. He was lying down. I then re-
membered that the best thing to do after having fired
your gun is to reload it. I slipped in a charge, keep-
ing my eyes on the bear. He never stirred. I walked
back suspiciously. There was a quiver in the hind-
legs, but no other motion. Still he might be sham-
ming ; bears often sham. To make sure, I approached,
and put a ball into his head. He did n't mind it now :
he minded nothing. Death had come to him with a
merciful suddenness. He was calm in death. In order
that he might remain so, I blew his brains out, and
then started for home. I had killed a bear !
Notwithstanding my excitement, I managed to
saunter into the house with an unconcerned air. There
was a chorus of voices : —
HOW I KILLED A BEAR 9
" Where are your blackberries ? "
" Why were you gone so long ? "
" Where 's your pail ? "
" I left the pail."
" Left the pail ! What for ? "
" A bear wanted it."
" Oh, nonsense ! "
" Well, the last I saw of it, a bear had it."
" Oh, come ! You did n't really see a bear ? "
" Yes, but I did really see a real bear."
"Did he run?"
"Yes; he ran after me."
" I don't believe a word of it. What did you do?"
" Oh I nothing particular — except kill the bear."
Cries of " Gammon I " " Don't believe it ! " " Where's
the bear?"
" If you want to see the bear, you must go up into
the woods. 1 could n't bring him down alone."
Having satisfied the household that something ex-
traordinary had occurred, and excited the posthumous
fear of some of them for my own safety, I went down
into the valley to get help. The great bear- hunter,
who keeps one of the summer boarding-houses, re-
ceived my story with a smile of incredulity ; and the
incredulity spread to the other inhaMtaiits and to the
boarders as soon as the story was known. However,
as I insisted in all soberness, and offered to lead them
to the bear, a party of forty or fifty people at last
started off with me to bring the bear in. Nobody be-
lieved there was any bear in the case ; but everybody
who could get a gun carried one ; and we went into
the woods armed with guns, pistols, pitchforks, and
sticks, against all contingencies or surprises, — a crowd
made up mostly o£ scoffers and jeerers.
10 CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER
But wlien I led the way to the fatal spot, and
pointed out the bear, lying peacefully wrapped in his
own skin, something like terror seized the boarders,
and genuine excitement the natives. It was a no-
mistake bear, by George ! and the hero of the fight —
well, I will not insist upon that. But what a proces-
sion that was, carrying the bear home ! and what a
congregation was speedily gathered in the valley to
see the bear ! Our best preacher up there never drew
anything like it on Sunday.
And I must say that my particular friends, who
were sportsmen, behaved very well, on the whole.
They did n't deny that it was a bear, although they
said it was small for a bear. Mr. Deane, who is
equally good with a rifle and a rod, admitted that it
was a very fair shot. He is probably the best salmon-
fisher in the United States, and he is an equally good
hunter. I suppose there is no person in America who
is more desirous . to kill a moose than he. But he
needlessly remarked, after he had examined the wound
in the bear, that he had seen that kind of a shot made
by a cow's horn.
This sort of talk affected me not. When I went to
sleep that night, my last delicious thought was, " I 've
killed a bear ! "
NOTES
Creedinoor : — A village in Queen's County, New York, on
Long Island. The Rifle Range of the National Rifle Associa-
tion is situated here.
the African Slave : — Androclus, a Roman slave of the
first century after Christ, was condemned to be slain by wild
beasts ; but the lion that was sent into the arena refused to
attack him. This lion turned out to be the one from whose foot
Androclus had some time before, in the desert, extracted a
HOW I KILLED A BEAR 11
large thorn. Thus the gratitude of this wild creature saVed the
life of the slave.
Elisha : — See the Bible : II Kings, 2 : 23, 24.
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY
When we begin to read a story, we desire to know who the
characters in the story are, when and where the incidents took
place, and under what circumstances and why they happened.
The author usually explains the situation at the beginning by
answering the questions : Who ? When ? Where? What ? and
Why? Note how this is done in the story " How I Killed a Bear."
Who tells the story ? Is anything gained by telling the
story in this way ? Does the story seem real ? Are you inter-
ested at the beginning of the story? Does your interest increase
as you read further ? Where is the most exciting part of the
story ? How does the author make it interesting ? What is the
purpose of repeating the sentence in a separate paragraph,
" The bear was coming on " ? Why does not the story end when
the bear has been killed ?
THEME SUBJECTS
My First Shot at a Deer Following the Tracks in the
Alone in the Woods Snow
A Chance Shot Blueberrying
How I Was Frightened An Adventure in the Forest
A Rabbit Hunt When We Hunted Deer
When I Thought I Saw a Bear A Caged Bear
How We Caught the Wolf The Animals in the Zoo
An Adventure in Duck Shooting
SUGGESTIONS FOR THEME-WRITING
How I Was Frightened : — Can you give the reader the
circumstances under which you were frightened, such as the time
and the place, and the number and character of your com-
panions, as Warner does in the third, fourth, and sixth para-
graphs of " How I Killed a Bear " ? By what means can you
arouse the reader's interest in your subject as Warner does in
the seventh paragraph ? Try to increase the reader's interest at
each step in your story. Note how Warner describes his fright
12
CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER
and his thoughts as the bear approached. Try to make your
story equally exciting by telling what you thought and felt when
you were frightened. Decide what is the point of greatest ex-
citement in your adventure, and where this should be placed in
writing your theme. In a short theme recounting a simple ex-
perience such as you are telling, is it necessary to add anything
after the point of greatest interest is reached ?
My First Shot at a Deer : — Can you apply the same
method of story-telling suggested by the above questions, on the
subject " How I Was Frightened " ?
COLLATERAL READINGS
In the Wilderness
Being a Boy
My Summer in a Garden ....
On Horseback
The Wilderness Hunter ....
Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail .
The Hunting Trips of a Ranchman .
Outdoor Pastimes of an American
Hunter (Chapter II, A Colorado
Bear Hunt; Chapter V, A Shot at
a Mountain Sheep)
The Biography of a Grizzly
Johnny Bear
The Trail of the Sandhill Stag
Lives of the Hunted . .
Following the Deer . .
True Bear Stories . . .
Adventures of a Siberian Cub
The Animal Story Book .
The Deerslayer ....
Kindred of the Wild . .
Wilderness Pets at Camp Buckshaw
Charles Dudley Warner
«
(( ((
Theodore Roosevelt
tt
ti
«
tt
Ernest Thompson Seton
W. J. Long
Joaquin Miller
L. Golschmann
Andrew Lang (Ed.)
James Fenimore Cooper
Charles G. D. Roberts
Edward Breck
CAMPING OUT
CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER
It seems to be agreed that civilization is kept up
only by a constant effort. Nature claims its own speed-
ily when the effort is relaxed. If you clear a patch of
fertile ground in the forest, uproot the stumps and
plant it, year after year, in potatoes and maize, you
say you have subdued it. But if you leave it for a
season or two, a kind of barbarism seems to steal out
upon it from the circling woods; coarse grass and
brambles cover it; bushes spring up in a wild tangle;
the raspberry and the blackberry flower and fruit, and
the humorous bear feeds upon them. The last state of
the ground is worse than the first.
Perhaps the cleared spot is called Ephesus. There
is a splendid city on the plain; there are temples and
theatres on the hills ; the commerce of the world seeks
its port; the luxury of the Orient flows through its
marble streets. You are there one day when the sea
has receded: the plain is a pestilent marsh; the tem-
ples, the theatres, the lofty gates, have sunken and
crumbled, and the wild-brier runs over them; and, as
you grow pensive in the most desolate place in the
world, a bandit lounges out of a tomb, and offers to
relieve you of all that which creates artificial distinc-
tions in society. The higher the civilization has risen,
the more abject is the desolation of barbarism that
ensues. The most melancholy spot in the Adirondacks
is not a tamarack-swamp, where the traveller wades
in moss and mire, and the atmosphere is composed
14 CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER
of equal active parts of black-flies, mosquitoes, and
midges. It is the village of the Adirondack Iron-
Works, where the streets of gaunt houses are falling
to pieces, tenantless; the factory wheels have stopped;
the furnaces are in ruins; the iron and wooden ma-
chinery is strewn about in helpless detachment; and
heaps of charcoal, ore, and slag proclaim an arrested
industry. Beside this deserted village, even Calamity
Pond, shallow, sedgy, with its ragged shores of stunted
firs, and its melancholy shaft that marks the spot
where the proprietor of the iron-works accidentally
shot himself, is cheerful.
The instinct of barbarism that leads people periodi-
cally to throw away the habits of civilization, and seek
the freedom and discomfort of the woods, is explicable
enough ; but it is not so easy to understand why this
passion should be strongest in those who are most re-
fined, and most trained in intellectual and social fas-
tidiousness. Philistinism and shoddy do not like the
woods, unless it becomes fashionable to do so; and
then, as speedily as possible they introduce their arti-
ficial luxuries, and reduce the life in the wilderness to
the vulgarity of a well-fed picnic. It is they who have
strewn the Adirondacks with paper collars and tin
cans. The real enjoyment of camping and tramping
in the woods lies in a return to primitive conditions of
lodging, dress, and food, in as total an escape as may
be from the requirements of civilization. And it re-
mains to be explained why this is enjoyed most by
those who are most highly civilized. It is wonderful
to see how easily the restraints of society fall off. Of
course it is not true that courtesy depends upon clothes
with the best people ; but, with others, behavior hangs
almost entirely upon dress. Many good habits are
CAMPING OUT 15
easily got rid of in the woods. Doubt sometimes seems
to be felt whether Sunday is a legal holiday there.
It becomes a question of casuistry with a clergyman
whether he may shoot at a mark on Sunday, if none
of his congregation are present. He intends no harm :
he only gratifies a curiosity to see if he can hit the
mark. Where shall he draw the line ? Doubtless he
might throw a stone at a chipmunk or shout at a loon.
Might he fire at a mark with an air-gun that makes no
noise ? He will not fish or hunt on Sunday (although
he is no more likely to catch anything that day than
on any other) ; but may he eat trout that the guide
has caught on Sunday, if the guide swears he caught
them Saturday night ? Is there such a thing as a vaca-
tion in religion ? How much of our virtue do we owe
to inherited habits ?
I am not at all sure whether this desire to camp out-
side of civilization is creditable to human nature, or
otherwise. We hear sometimes that the Turk has been
merely camping for four centuries in Europe. I sus-
pect that many of us are, after all, really camping
temporarily in civilized conditions ; and that going
into the wilderness is an escape, longed for, into our
natural and preferred state. Consider what this
"camping out" is, that is confessedly so agreeable to
people most delicately reared. I have no desire to ex-
aggerate its delights.
The Adirondack wilderness is essentially unbroken.
A few bad roads that penetrate it, a few jolting wagons
that traverse them, a few barn-like boarding-houses
on the edge of the forest, where the boarders are
soothed by patent coffee, and stimulated to unnatural
gayety by Japan tea, and experimented on by unique
cookery, do little to destroy the savage fascination of
16 CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER
the region. In half an hour, at any point, one can put
himself into solitude and every desirable discomfort.
The party that covets the experience of the camp
comes down to^rimtitiy^^ conditions of dress and equip-
ment. There are guides and porters to carry the
blankets for beds, the raw provisions, and the camp
equipasre ; and the motley party of the temporarily de-
civilized files into the woods, and begins, perhaps by a
road, perhaps on a trail, its exhilarating and weary
march. The exhilaration arises partly from the casting
aside of restraint, partly from the adventure of explo-
ration ; and the weariness, from the interminable toil
of bad walking, a heavy pack, and the grim monotony
of trees and bushes, that shut out all prospect, except
an occasional glimpse of the sky. Mountains are pain-
fully climbed, streams forded, lonesome lakes paddled
over, long and muddy " carries " traversed. Fancy
this party the victim of political exile, banished by the
law, and a more sorrowful march could not be im-
agined; but the voluntary hardship becomes pleasure,
and it is undeniable that the spirits of the party rise
as the difficulties increase.
For this straggling and stumbling band the World
is young again: it has come to the beginnin,g of things ;
it has cut loose from tradition, and is free to make a
home anywhere : the movement has all the promise of
a revolution. All this yirgiaaL freshness invites the
primitive instincts of play and disorder. The free range
of the forests suggests endless possibilities of explora-
tion and possession. Perhaps we are treading where
man since the creation never trod before ; perhaps the
waters of this bubbling spring, which we deepen by
scraping out the decayed leaves and the black earth,
have never been tasted before, except by the wild deni-
CAMPING OUT 17
j; p.nR- nf these woods. We cross the trails of lurking^
animals, — paths that heighten our sense of seclusion
from the world. The hammering of the infrequent
woodpecker, the call of the lonely bird, the drumming
of the solitary partridge, — all these sounds do but
emphasize the lonesomeness of nature. The roar of the
mountain brook, dashing over its bed of pebbles, ris-
ing out of the ravine, and spreading, as it were, a mist
of sound through all the forest (continuous beating
waves that have the rhythm of eternity in them), and
the fitful movement of the air-tides through the bal-
sams and firs and the giant pines, — how these grand
symphonies shut out the little ^g^pg£atia»» of our
vexed life ! It seems easy to begin life over again on
the simplest terms. Probably it is not so much the
desire of the congregation to escape from the preacher,
or of the preacher to escape from himself, that drives
jop^histicated people into the wilderness, as it is the
unconquered craving for primitive simplicity, the re-
volt against the everlasting dress-parade of our civili-
zation. From this monstrous^pomposity even the arti-
ficial rusticity of a Petit Trianon is a relief. It was
only human nature that the jaded Frenchman of the
regency should run away to the New World, and live
in a forest-hut with an Indian squaw ; although he
found little satisfaction in his act of heroism, unless it
was talked about at Versailles.
When our trampers come, late in the afternoon, to
the bank of a lovely lake where they purpose to enter
the primitive life, everything is waiting for them in
virgin expectation. There is a little promontory jut-
ting into the lake, and sloping down to a sandy beach,
on which the waters idly lapse, and shoals of red-fins
and shiners come to greet the stranger ; the forest is
18 CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER
untouched by the axe ; the tender green sweeps the
water's edge ; ranks of slender firs are marshalled by
the shore ; clumps of white-birch stems shine in satin
purity among the evergreens ; the boles of giant
spruces, maples, and oaks, lifting high their crowns of
foliage, stretch away in endless galleries and arcades ;
through the shifting leaves the sunshine falls upon
the brown earth ; overhead are fragments of blue sky ;
under the boughs and in chance openings appear the
bluer lake and the outline of the gracious mountains.
The discoverers of this paradise, which they have en-
tered to destroy, note the babbling of the brook that
flows close at hand ; they hear the splash of the leap-
ing fish ; they listen to the sweet, metallic song of the
evening thrush, and the chatter of the red squirrel,
who angrily challenges their right to be there. But the
moment of sentiment passes. This party has come here
to eat and to sleep, and not to encourage Nature in her
poetic attitudinizing*
The spot for a shanty is selected. This side shall be
its opening, towards the lake ; and in front of it the
fire, so that the smoke shall drift into the hut, and
discourage the mosquitoes ; yonder shall be the cook's
fire and the path to the spring. The whole colony be-
stir themselves in the foundation of a new home, — an
enterprise that has all the fascination, and none of the
danger, of a veritable new settlement in the wilder-
ness. The axes of the guides resound in the echoing
spaces ; great trunks fall with a crash ; vista^ are opened
towards the lake and the mountains. The spot for the
shanty is cleared of underbrush ; forked stakes are
driven into the ground, cross-pieces are laid on them,
and poles sloping back to the ground. In an incredible
space of time there is the skeleton of a house, which is
CAMPING OUT 19
entirely open In front. The roof and sides must be
covered. For this purpose the trunks of great spruces
are skinned. The woodman rims the bark near the foot
of the tree, and again six feet above, and slashes it
perpendicularly; then, with a blunt stick, he crowds off
this thick hide exactly as an ox is skinned. It needs
but a few of these skins to cover the roof; and they
make a perfectly water-tight roof, except when it
rainSo Meantime, busy hands have gathered boughs of
the spruce and the feathery balsam, and shingled
the ground underneath the shanty for a bed. It is an
aromatic bed : in theory it is elastic and consoling.
Upon it are spread the blankets. The sleepers, of all
sexes and ages, are to lie there in a row, their feet to
the fire, and their heads under the edge of the sloping
roof. Nothing could be better contrived. The fire is in
front: it is not a fire, but a conflagration — a vast heap
of green logs set on fire — of pitch, and split dead-
wood, and crackling balsams, raging and roaring. By
the time twilight falls, the cook has prepared supper.
Everything has been cooked in a tin pail and a skillet,
— potatoes, tea, pork, mutton, slapjacks. You wonder
how everything could have been prepared in so: few
utensils. When you eat, the wonder ceases: everything
might have been cooked in one pail. It is a noble meal ;
and nobly it is disposed of by these amateur savages,
sitting about upon logs and roots of trees. Never were
there such potatoes, never beans that seemed to have
more of the bean in them, never such curly pork, never
trout with more Indian-meal on them, never mutton
more distinctly sheepy ; and the tea, drunk out of a
tin cup, with a lump of maple-sugar dissolved in it, —
it is the sort of tea that takes hold, lifts the hair, and
disposes the drinker to anecdote and hilariousness.
20 CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER
There is no deception about it: it tastes of tannin
and spruce and creosote. Everything, in short, has the
flavor of the wilderness and a free life. It is idyllic.
And yet, w^ith all our sentimentality, there is nothing
feeble about the cooking. The slapjacks are a solid
job of work, made to last, and not go to pieces in a
person's stomach like a trivial bun : we might record
on them, in cuneiform characters, our incipient civili-
zation; and future generations would doubtless turn
them up as Acadian bricks. Good, robust victuals are
what the primitive man wants.
Darkness falls suddenly. Outside the ring of light
from our conflagration the woods are black. There
is a tremendous impression of isolation and lonesome-
ness in our situation. "We are the prisoners of the
night. The woods never seemed so vast and myste-
rious. The trees are gigantic. There are noises that
we do not understand, — mysterious winds passing
overhead, and rambling in the great galleries, tree-
trunks grinding against each other, undefinable stirs
and uneasinesses. The shapes of those who pass into
the dimness are outlined in monstrous proportions.
The spectres, seated about in the glare of the fire,
talk about appearances and presentiments and reli-
gion. The guides cheer the night with bear -fights,
and catamount encounters, and frozen-to-death expe-
riences, and simple tales of great prolixity and no
point, and jokes of primitive lucidity. We hear cata-
mounts, and the stealthy tread of things in the leaves,
and the hooting of owls, and, when the moon rises,
the laughter of the loon. Everything is strange,
spectral, fascinating.
By and by we get our positions in the shanty for
the night, and arrange the row of sleepers. The
CAMPING OUT 21
shanty has become a smoke-house by this time :
waves of smoke roll into it from the fire. It is only
by lying down, and getting the head well under the
eaves, that one can breathe. No one can find her
" things " ; nobody has a pillow. At length the row
is laid out, with the solemn protestation of intention
to sleep. The wind, shifting, drives away the smoke.
Good-night is said a hundred times ; positions are re-
adjusted, more last words, new shifting about, final
remarks ; it is all so comfortable and romantic ; and
then silence. Silence continues for a minute. The
fire flashes up ; all the row of heads is lifted up simul-
taneously to watch it ; showers of sparks sail aloft into
the blue night ; the vast vault of greenery is a fairy
spectacle. How the sparks mount and twinkle and
disappear like tropical fire-flies, and all the leaves
murmur, and clap their hands ! Some of the sparks
do not go out : we see them flaming in the sky when
the flame of the fire has died down. Well, good-night,
good-night. More folding of the arms to sleep ; more
grumbling about the hardness of a hand-bag, or the
insufficiency of a pocket-handkerchief, for a pillow.
Good-night. Was that a remark ? — something about
a root, a stub in the ground sticking into the back.
" You could n't lie along a hair? " " Well, no : here 's
another stub." It needs but a moment for the conver-
sation to become general, — about roots under the
shoulder, stubs in the back, a ridge on which it is im-
possible for the sleeper to balance, the non-elasticity
of boughs, the hardness of the ground, the heat, the
smoke, the chilly air. Subjects of remarks multiply.
The whole camp is awake, and chattering like an
aviary. The owl is also awake ; but the guides who are
asleep outside make more noise than the owls. Water
22 CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER
is wanted, and is handed about in a dipper. Every-
body is yawning ; everybody is now determined to go
to sleep in good earnest. A last good-night. There is
an appalling silence. It is interrupted in the most
natural way in the world. Somebody has got the start,
and gone to sleep. He proclaims the fact. He seems
to have been brought up on the seashore, and to know
how to make all the deep-toned noises of the restless
ocean. He is also like a war-horse ; or, it is suggested,
like a saw-horse. How malignantly he snorts, and
breaks off short, and at once begins again in another
key ! One head is raised after another.
"Who is that?"
" Somebody punch him."
" Turn him over."
" Reason with him."
The sleeper is turned over. The turn was a mis-
take. He was before, it appears, on his most agree-
able side. The camp rises in indignation. The sleeper
sits up in bewilderment. Before he can go off again,
two or three others have preceded him. They are all
alike. You can never judge what a person is when he
is awake. There are here half a dozen disturbers of
the peace who should be put in solitary confinement.
At midnight, when a philosopher crawls out to sit on
a log by the fire, and smoke a pipe, a duet in tenor and
mezzo-soprano is going on in the shanty, with a chorus
always coming in at the wrong time. Those who are not
asleep want to know why the smoker does n't go to bed.
He is requested to get some water, to throw on another
log, to see what time it is, to note whether it looks like
rain. A buzz of conversation arises. She is sure she
heard something behind the shanty. He says it is all
nonsense. "Perhaps, however, it might be a mouse."
CAMPING OUT 23
"Mercy! Are there mice?"
" Plenty." ,
" Then that's what I heard nibbling by my head. I
shan't sleep a wink! Do they bite? "
" No, they nibble ; scarcely ever take a full bite out."
"It's horrid!"
Towards morning it grows chilly ; the guides have
let the fire go out ; the blankets will slip down. Anx-
iety begins to be expressed about the dawn.
" What time does the sun rise ?"
"Awful early. Did you sleep ? "
" Not a wink. And you? "
" In spots. I 'm going to dig up this root as soon as
it is light enough."
" See that mist on the lake, and the light just com-
ing on the Gothics ! I 'd no idea it was so cold : all the
first part of the night I was roasted."
" What were they talking about all night ? "
When the party crawls out to the early breakfast,
after it has washed its faces in the lake, it is disor-
ganized, but cheerful. Nobody admits much sleep;
but everybody is refreshed, and declares it delightful.
It is the fresh air all night that invigorates ; or maybe
it is the tea or the slapjacks. The guides have erected
a table of spruce bark, with benches at the sides ; so
that breakfast is taken in form. It is served on tin
plates and oak chips. After breakfast begins the day's
work. It may be a mountain-climbing expedition, or
rowing and angling in the lake, or fishing for trout in
some stream two or three miles distant. Nobody can
stir far from camp without a guide. Hammocks are
swung, bowers are built, novel-reading begins, worsted
work appears, cards are shuffled and dealt. The day
passes in absolute freedom from responsibility to one's
24 CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER
self. At night, when the expeditions return, the camp
resumes its animation. Adventures are recounted,
every statement of the narrator being disputed and
argued. Everybody has become an adept in wood-craft ;
but nobody credits his neighbor with like instinct.
Society getting resolved into its elements, confidence
is gone.
Whilst the hilarious party are at supper, a drop or
two of rain falls. The head guide is appealed to. Is it
going to rain ? He says it does rain. But will it be a
rainy night? The guide goes down to the lake, looks
at the sky, and concludes that if the wind shifts a
p'int more, there is no telling what sort of weather we
shall have. Meantime the drops patter thicker on the
leaves overhead, and the leaves, in turn, pass the water
down to the table; the sky darkens; the wind rises;
there is a kind of shiver in the woods; and we scud
away into the shanty, taking the remains of our supper,
and eating it as best we can. The rain increases. The
fire sputters and fumes. All the trees are dripping,
dripping, and the ground is wet. We cannot step out-
doors without getting a drenching. Like sheep, we are
penned in the little hut, where no one can stand erect.
The rain swirls into the open front, and wets the bot-
tom of the blankets. The smoke drives in. We curl
up, and enjoy ourselves. The guides at length con-
clude that it is going to be damp. The dismal situation
sets us all into good spirits ; and it is later than the
night before when we crawl under our blankets, sure
this time of a sound sleep, lulled by the storm and the
rain resounding on the bark roof. How much better
off we are than many a shelterless wretch ! We are
as snug as dry herrings. At the moment, however, of
dropping off to sleep, somebody unfortunately notes a
CAMPING OUT 25
drop of water on his face ; this is followed by another
drop ; in an instant a stream is established. He moves
his head to a dry place. Scarcely has he done so, when
he feels a dampness in his back. Reaching his hand
outside, he finds a puddle of water soaking through
his blanket. By this time, somebody inquires if it is
possible that the roof leaks. One man has a stream
of water under him ; another says it is coming into his
ear. The roof appears to be a discriminating sieve.
Those who are dry see no need of such a fuss. The
man in the corner spreads his umbrella, and the pro-
tective measure is resented by his neighbor. In the
darkness there is recrimination. One of the guides,
who is summoned, suggests that the rubber blankets
be passed out, and spread over the roof. The inmates
dislike the proposal, saying that a shower-bath is no
worse than a tub-bath. The rain continues to soak
down. The fire is only half alive. The bedding is
damp. Some sit up, if they can find a dry spot to sit
on, and smoke. Heartless observations are made. A
few sleep. And the night wears on. The morning opens
cheerless. The sky is still leaking, and so is the shanty.
The guides bring in a half -cooked breakfast. The roof
is patched up. There are reviving signs of breaking
away, delusive signs that create momentary exhilara-
tion. Even if the storm clears, the woods are soaked.
There is no chance of stirring. The world is only ten
feet square.
This life, without responsibility or clean clothes,
may continue as long as the reader desires. There are
those who would like to live in this free fashion for-
ever, taking rain and sun as heaven pleases ; and there
are some souls so constituted that they cannot exist
more than three days without their worldly baggage.
26 CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER
Taking the party altogether, from one cause or another
it is likely to strike camp sooner than was intended.
And the stricken camp is a melancholy sight. The
woods have been despoiled ; the stumps are ugly ; the
bushes are scorched ; the pine-leaf -strewn earth is trod-
den into mire ; the landing looks like a cattle-ford ;
the ground is littered with all the unsightly debris of
a hand-to-hand life ; the dismantled shanty is a shabby
object ; the charred and blackened logs, where the fire
blazed, suggest the extinction of family life. Man has
wrought his usual wrong upon Nature, and he can save
his self-respect only by moving to virgin forests.
And move to them he will, the next season, if not
this. For he who has once experienced the fascination
of the woods-life never escapes its enticement : in the
memory nothing remains but its charm.
NOTES
Ephesus : — A celebrated city of Asia Minor.
Orient : — The East.
Petit Trianon: — A little palace near the royal palace at Ver-
sailles, in France.
the regency: — When Louis XIV, of France, died, in 1715,
he left his crown to his great-grandson, Louis, then five years
old. Philip of Orleans seized the regency. The eight years dur-
ing which he ruled were full of wickedness and corruption at the
court.
Versailles: — A town somewhat west of Paris, in which the
royal palaces of France were built.
Acadian bricks : — (Usually spelled Accadian.) Bricks made
by an early race of people, supposed to have lived in Babylonia,
before the Assyrian conquest. See Accad^ Genesis, 10 : 10.
the Gothics: — A range of mountains.
QUESTIONS FOR STUDY
Can you make anything out of the first few paragraphs ? Why
does the author refer so many times to the Adirondacks ? Is there
CAMPING OUT 27
anything gained by the paragraph about the clergymen ? Can
you show how the piece grows less and less general, and more and
more particular ? Where does it begin to increase in interest ?
Where is the place at which a kind of story begins ? Note how
much, from that place onward, is story, how much is description,
and how much is explanation. In which kind of writing are you
most interested ? Why ? Is there anything humorous in this se-
lection ? Do you get a good idea of the camp at night ? How is
an effect of lonesomeness and isolation produced ? Are the people
who are described more, or less, good-natured than campers in
real life ? Can you describe (from your imagination) some par-
ticular person in the party ? Is the idea that the author gives of
camping a fair one ? Have your camping experiences been agree-
able, or not ?
THEME SUBJECTS
When Our Tent Blew Down Building a Camp Stove
An Unexpected Intruder in Camp Around the Camp Fire
How We Pitched Camp Camp Cooking
The Night That It Rained Breaking Camp
How to Build a Camp Fire Sounds at Night
A Rainy Day in Camp Some People Who Should
How to Make a Camp Bed Not Go Camping
The First Night in Camp An Incident of Camp Life
Is Camping Worth While ? An Ideal Camping Place
The Boy Who Spoiled Our Week An Accident on the Water
at Camp An Unsuccessful Sail
SUGGESTIONS FOR THEME-WRITING
The Night That It Rained : — How much explanation will
be necessary in order to make your reader understand the situa-
tion as to time and place ? Do you think a long explanation would
be interesting ? Describe the first suggestion of rain ; then the
gradual approach of the storm. Tell what you and your compan-
ions did, and how you felt. Can you report any of the remarks
made by various persons ? Can you make the remarks of each
person show his character ? Does Warner do so ? How can you
close up your story ? Can you give, in a brief way, a suggestion
of the passing of the storm (or the coming on of daylight) and
28 CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER
the gradual return to quiet and comfort ? Would it be wise to
refer again to the feelings of the party, under the changed con-
ditions ?
COLLATERAL READINGS
See the list of books by Warner, page 12.
The Mountains Stewart Edward White
The Forest " « «
Camp and Trail « « «
Trail and Camp Fire Grinnell and Roosevelt
Camping and Tramping with Roosevelt John Burroughs
A Woman Tenderfoot Grace G. Seton
A Moosehead Journal James Russell Lowell
The Maine Woods Henry D. Thoreau
Around the Camp Fire Charles G. D. Roberts
The Heart of the Ancient Wood . . « « « «
GOLIATH
THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH
(From Two Bites at a Cherry) ,
It was raining — softly, fluently, persistently — rain-
ing as it rains on the afternoon of the morning when
you hesitate a minute or two at the hat-stand, and
finally decide not to take your umbrella down town
with you. It was one of those fine rains — I am not
praising it — which wet you to the skin in about four
seconds. A sharp twenty-minutes' walk lay between
my office in Court Street and my rooms in Huntington
Avenue. I was standing meditatively in the doorway
of the former establishment on the lookout for a hack
or a herdic. An unusual number of these vehicles were
hurrying in all directions, but . as each approached
within the arc of my observation the face of some for-
tunate occupant was visible through the blurred glass
of the closed window.
Presently a coupe leisurely turned the corner, as if
in search of a fare. I hailed the driver, and though he
apparently took no notice of my gesture, the coupe
slowed up and stopped, or nearly stopped, at the curb-
stone directly in front of me. I dashed across the nar-
row sidewalk, pulled open the door, and stepped into
the vehicle. As I did so, some one else on the opposite
side performed the same evolution, and we stood mo-
tionless for an instant with the crowns of our hats
glued together. Then we seated ourselves simultane-
ously, each by this token claiming the priority of pos-
session.
30 THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH
" I beg your pardon, sir," I said, " but this is my
carriage.'^
" I beg your pardon, sir," was the equally frigid
reply ; " the carriage is mine."
" I hailed the man from that doorway," I said, with
firmness.
" And I hailed him from the crossing."
" But I signalled him first."
My companion disdained to respond to that state-
ment, but settled himself back on the cushions as if
he had resolved to spend the rest of his life there.
" We will leave it to the driver," I said.
^^ The subject of this coUo^uy^now twisted his body
round on the dripping box, and shouted —
"Where to, gentlemen?"
I lowered the plate glass, and addressed him —
"There's a mistake here. This gentleman and I
both claim the coup^. Which of us first called you ? "
But the driver " could n't tell t' other from which," as
he expressed it. Having two fares inside, he of course
had no wild desire to pronounce a decision that would
necessarily cancel one of them.
The situation had reached this awkward phase when
the intruder leaned forward and inquired, with a total
change in his intonation —
"Are you not Mr. David Willis?"
" That is my name."
" I am Edwin Watson ; we used to know each other
slightly at college."
All along there had been something familiar to me
in the man's face, but I had attributed it to the fact
that I hated him enough at first sight to have known
him intimately for ten years. Of course, after this,
there was no further dispute about the carriage. Mr.
GOLIATH 31
Watson wanted to go to the Providence Station, which
lay directly on the route to Huntington Avenue, and
I was charmed to have his company. We fell into
pleasant chat concerning the old Harvard days, and
were surprised when the coupe drew up in front of the
red-brick clock-tower of the station.
The acquaintance, thus renewed by chance, contin-
ued. Though we had resided six years in the same
city, and had not met before, we were now continually
meeting — at the club, at the down-town restaurant
where we lunched, at various houses where we visited
in common. Mr. Watson was in the banking business ;
he had been married one or two years, and was living
out of town, in what he called " a little box," on the
slope of Blue Hill. He had once or twice invited me
to run out to dine and spend the night with him, but
some engagement or other disability had interfered.
One evening, however, as we were playing billiards at
the St. Botolph I accepted his invitation for a certain
Tuesday. Watson, who was having a vacation at the
time, was not to accompany me from town, but was to
meet me with his pony-cart at Green Lodge, a small
flag-station on the Providence railroad, two or three
miles from The Briers, the name of his place.
" I shall be proud to show you my wife," he said,
" and the baby — and Goliath."
"Goliath?"
" That 's the dog," answered Watson, with a laugh.
" You and Goliath ought to meet — David and Goli-
ath ! "
If Watson had mentioned the dog earlier in the
conversation I might have shied at his hospitality. I
may as well at once confess that I do not like dogs,
and am afraid of them. Of some things I am not
32 THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH
afraid; there have been occasions when my courage
was not to be doubted — for example, the night I se-
cured the burglar in my dining-room, and held him
until the police came ; and notably the day I had an
interview with a young bull in the middle of a pasture,
where there was not so much as a burdock leaf to fly
to ; with my red silk pocket-handkerchief I deployed
him as coolly as if I had been a professional matador.
I state these unadorned facts in no vainglorious mood.
If that burglar had been a collie, or that bull a bull-
terrier, I should have collapsed on the spot.
No man can be expected to be a hero in all direc-
tions. Doubtless Achilles himself had his secret little
cowardice, if truth were known. That acknowledged
vulnerable heel of his was perhaps not his only weak
point. While I am thus covertly drawing a compari-
son between myself and Achilles, I will say that that
same extreme sensitiveness of heel is also unhappily
mine ; for nothing so sends a chill into it, and thence
along my vertebrae, as to have a strange dog come up
sniffing behind me. Some inscrutable instinct has ad-
vised all strange dogs of my antipathy and pusillanim-
^ " The little dogs and all,
Tray, Blanch, and Sweetheart, see, they bark at me."
They sally forth from picturesque verandas and un-
suspected hidings, to sliow their teeth as I go by. In
a spot where there is no dog, one will germinate if he
happens to find out that I am to pass that way. Some-
times they follow me for miles. Strange dogs that wag
their tails at other persons growl at me from over
fences, and across vacant lots, and at street corners.
*' So you keep a dog?" I remarked carelessly, as I
dropped the spot-ball into a pocket.
GOLIATH 33
"Yes,'* returned Watson. "What is a country-
place without a dog ? "
I said to myself, " I know what a country-place is
with a dog ; it 's a place I should prefer to avoid."
But as I had accepted the invitation, and as Wat-
son was to pick me up at Green Lodge station, and,
presumably, see me safely into the house, I said no
more.
Living as he did on a lonely road, and likely at any
hour of the night to have a burglar or two drop in on
him, it was proper that Watson should have a dog on
the grounds. In any event he would have done so, for
he had always had a maniacal passion for the canine
race. I remember his keeping at Cambridge a bull-pup
that was th© terror of the neighborhood. He had his
rooms outside the college yard in order that he might
reside with this fiend. A good mastiff or a good col-
lie — if there are any good collies and good mastiffs —
is perhaps a necessity to exposed country-houses ; but
what is the use of allowing him to lie around loose on
the landscape, as is generally done ? He ought to be
chained up until midnight. He should be taught to
distinguish between a burglar and an inoffensive per-
son passing along the highway with no intention of
taking anything but the air. Men with a taste for dogs
owe it to society not to cultivate dogs that have an in-
discriminate taste for men. ;.
The Tuesday on which I was to pass the night with
Watson was a day simply packed with evil omgjj^.
The feathered cream at breakfast struck the keynote
of the day's irritations. Everything went at eross-
purposes in the office, and at the last moment a tele-
gram imperatively demanding an answer nearly caused
me to miss that six o'clock train — the only train that
34 THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH
stopped at Green Lodge. There were two or three
thousand other trains which did not stop there. I was
in no frame of mind for rural pleasures when I finally
seated myself in the "six o'clock accommodation " with
my gripsack beside me.
The run from town to Green Lodge is about twenty-
five minutes, and the last stoppage before reaching
that station is at Eeadville. We were possibly half-
way between these two points when the train slackened
and camfe to a dead halt amid some ragged woodland.
Heads were instantly thrust out of the windows right
and left, and everybody's face was an interrogation.
Presently a brakeman, with a small red flag in his
hand, stationed himself some two hundred yards in
the rear of the train, in order to prevent the evening
express from telescoping; us. Then our engine sullenly
detached itself from the tender, and disappeared.
What had happened ? An overturned gravel-car lay
across the track a quarter of a mile beyond. It was
fully an hour before the obstruction was removed, and
our engine had backed down again to its coupling. I
smiled bitterly, thinking of Watson and his dinner.
The station at Green Lodge consists of a low plat-
form upon which is a shed covered on three sides with
unpainted deal boards hacked nearly to pieces by
tramps. In autumn and winter the wind here, sweep-
ing across the wide Neponset marshes, must be cruel.
That is probably why the tramps have destroyed their
only decent shelter between Readville and Canton.
On this evening in early June, as I stepped upon the
platform, the air was merely a ripple and a murmur
among the maples and willows.
I looked around for Watson and the pony-cart.
What had occurred was obviojis^ He had waited an
GOLIATH 35
hour for me, and then driven home with the conviction
that the train must have passed before he got there,
and that I, for some reason, had failed to come on it.
The capsized gravel-car was an episode of which he
could have known nothing.
A walk of three miles was not an inspiriting pro-
spect, and would not have been even if I had had some
slight idea of where The Briers was, or where I was
myself. At one side of the shed, and crossing the
track at right angles, ran a straight, narrow road that
quickly lost itself in an arbor of swamp-willows. Be-
yond the tree-tops rose the serrated line of the Blue
Hills, now touched with the twilight's tenderest ame-
thyst. Over there, in that direction somewhere, lay
Watson's domicile.
" What I ought to have done to-day," I reflected,
"was to stay in bed. This is one of the days when I
am unfitted to move among my fellow-men, and cope
with the complexities of existence."
Just then my ear caught the sound of a cart-wheel
grating on an un oiled axle. It was a withered farmer
in a rickety open wagon slowly approaching the rail-
road track, and going toward the hills — my own in-
tended destination. I stopped the man and explained
my dilemma. He was willing, after a suspicious in-
ventory of my person, to give me a lift to the end of
the Green Lodge road. There I could take the old
turnpike. He believed that the Watson place was half
a mile or so down the turnpike toward Milton way. I
climbed up beside him with alacrity.
Beyond giving vent to a sneeze or two left over from
the previous winter, the old man made no sign of life
as we drove along. He seemed to be in a state of sus-
pended animation. I was as little disposed to talk.
36 THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH
It was a balmy evening, the air was charged with
sweet wood-scents, and here and there a star half
opened an eyelid on the peaceful dusk. After the
frets of the day, it was soothing thus to be drawn at a
snail's pace through the fragrance and stillness of that
fern-fringed road, with the night weaving and unweav-
ing its mysteries of light and shade on either side.
Now and then the twitter of an oriole in some pendent
nest overhead added, as it were, to the silence. I was
yielding myself up wholly to the glamour of the time
and place, when suddenly I thought of Goliath. At
that moment Goliath was probably prowling about
Watson's front yard seeking whom he might devour;
and I was that predestined nourishment.
I knew what sort of watch-dog Watson would be
likely to keep. There was a tough streak in Watson
himself, a kind of thoroughbred obstinacy — the way
he had held on to that coupe months before illustrated
it. An animal with a tenacious grip, and on the verge
of hydrophobia, was what would naturally commend
itself to his liking. He had specified Goliath, but may
be he had half a dozen other dragons to guard his hill-
side Hesperides. I had depended on Watson meeting
me at the station, and now, when I was no longer ex-
pected, I was forced to invade his premises in the dark-
ness of the night, and run the risk of being torn limb
from limb before I could make myself known to the
family. I recalled Watson's inane remark, " You and
Goliath ought to meet — David and Goliath ! " It now
struck me as a most unseemly and heartless pleasantry.
These reflections were not calculated to heighten
my enjoyment of the beauties of nature. The gather-
ing darkness, with its few large, liquid stars, which a
moment before had seemed so poetical, began to fill
GOLIATH 37
me with apprehension. In the daylight one has re-
sources, but what on earth was I going to do in the
dark with Goliath, and, likely enough, a couple of
bloodhounds at my throat? I wished myself safely
back among the crowded streets and electric lights of
the city. In a few minutes more I was to be left alone
and defenceless on a dismal highway.
When we reached the junction of the Green Lodge
road and the turnpike, I felt that I was parting from
the only friend I had in the world. The man had not
spoken two words during the drive, and now rather
gruffly refused my proffered half-dollar ; but I would
have gone home with him if he had asked me. I hinted
that it would be much to his pecuniary advantage if
he were willing to go so far out of his course as the
door-step of Mr. Watson's house ; but either because
wealth had no charms for him, or because he had
failed to understand my proposition, he made no an-
swer, and, giving his mare a slap with the ends of the
reins, rattled off into space.
On turning into the main road I left behind me a
cluster of twinkling lights emitted from some dozen
or twenty little cottages, which, as I have since been
told, constitute the village of Ponkapog. It was ap-
parently alive with dogs. I heard them going off, one
after another, like a string of Chinese crackers, as the
ancient farmer with his creaking axle passed on
through the village. I was not reluctant to leave so
alert a neighborhood, whatever destiny awaited me
beyond.
Fifteen or twenty minutes later I stood in front of
what I knew at a glance to be The Briers, for Watson
had described it to me. The three sharp gables of his
description had not quite melted into the blackness
38 THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH
which was rapidly absorbing every object ; and there
too, but indistinct, were the twin stone gateposts with
the cheerful Grecian vases on top, like the entrance
to a cemetery.
I cautiously approached the paling and looked over
into the enclosure. It was gloomy with shrubbery,
dwarf spruces, and Norway pines, and needed nothing
but a few obelisks and lachrymal urns to complete the
illusion. In the centre of the space rose a circular
mound of several yards in diameter, piled with rocks,
on which probably were mosses and nasturtiums. It
was too dark to distinguish anything clearly ; even the
white gravel walk encircling the mound left one in
doubt. The house stood well back on a slight eleva-
tion, with two or three steps leading down from the
piazza to the walk. Here and there a strong light illu-
mined a lattice-window. I particularly noticed one on
the ground floor in an ell of the building, a wide win-
dow with diamond-shaped panes — the dining-room.
The curtains were looped back, and I could see the
pretty housemaid in her cap coming and going. She
was removing the dinner things: she must have long
ago taken away my unused plate.
The contrast between a brilliantly lighted, luxuri-
ous interior and the bleak night outside is a contrast
that never appeals to me in vain. I seldom have any
sympathy for the outcast in sentimental fiction until
the inevitable moment when the author plants her
against the area-railing under the windows of the
paternal mansion. I like to have this happen on an
inclement Christmas or Thanksgiving eve — and it
always does.
But even on a pleasant evening in early June it is
not agreeable to find one's self excluded from the
GOLIATH 39
family circle, especially wlien one has travelled fifteen
miles to get there. I regarded the inviting facade of
Watson's villa, and then I contemplated the sombre
and unexplored tract of land which I must needs tra-
verse in order to reach the door-step. How still it was !
The very stillness had a sort of menace in it. My im-
agination peopled those black interstices under the
trees with " Gorgons and Hydras and Chimaeras dire."
There certainly was an air of latent dog about the
place, though as yet no dog had developed. However,
unless I desired to rouse the inmates from their beds,
I saw that I ought to announce myself without much
further delay. I softly opened the gate, which, hav-
ing a heavy ball-and-chain attachment, immediately
slipped from my hand and slammed to with a bang as
I stepped within.
I was not surprised, but I was paralyzed all the
same, at instantly hearing the familiar sound of a
watch-dog suddenly rushing from his kennel. The
kennel in this instance was on a piazza : a convenient
arrangement — for the dog — in case of visitors.
The next sound I heard was the scrabble of the
animal's four paws as he landed on the gravelled path-
way. There he hesitated, irresolute, as if he were mak-
ing up his diabolical mind which side of the mound
he would take. He neither growled nor barked in the
interim, being evidently one of those wide-mouthed,
reticent brutes that mean business and indulge in no
vain flourish.
I held my breath, and waited. Presently I heard
him stealthily approaching me on the left. I at once
hastened up the right-hand path, having tossed my
gripsack in his direction, with the hope that while
he was engaged in tearing it to pieces, I might pos-
40 THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH
sibly be able to reach the piazza and ring the door-
bell.
My ruse failed, however, and the gripsack, which
might have served as a weapon of defence, had been
sacrificed. The dog continued his systematic approach,
and I was obliged to hurry past the piazza-steps. A
few seconds brought me back to the point of my de-
parture. Superficially considered, the garden- gate,
which now lay at my hand, offered a facile mode of
escape ; but I was ignorant of the fastenings ; I had
forgotten which way it swung; besides, it was unfor-
tunately, necessary that I should continue on my circu-
lar journey.
So far as I could judge, the dog was now about
three yards in my rear ; I was unable to see him, but
I could plainly detect his quick respiration, and his
deliberate footfalls on the gravel. I wondered why
he did not spring upon me at once ; but he knew he
had his prey, he knew I was afraid of him, and he was
playing with me as a cat plays with a mouse. In cer-
tain animals there is a refinement of cruelty which
sometimes makes them seem almost human. If I be-
lieved in the transmigration of souls, I should say that
the spirit of Caligula had passed into dogs, and that
of Cleopatra into cats.
It is easily conceivable that I made no such reflec-
tion at the moment, for by this time my brisk trot had
turned into a run, and I was spinning around the cir-
cle at the rate of ten miles an hour, with the dog at
my heels. Now I shot by the piazza, and now past the
gate, until presently I ceased to know which was the
gate and which the piazza. I believe that I shouted
"Watson!" once or twice, no doubt at the wrong
place, but I do not remember. At all events, I failed
GOLIATH 41
to make myself heard. My brain was in such confusion
that at intervals I could not for the soul of me tell
whether I was chasing the dog, or the dog was chasing
me. Now I almost felt his nose at my heel, and now
I seemed upon the point of trampling him underfoot.
My swift rotatory movement, combined with the
dinner which I had not had, soon induced a sort of
vertigo. It was a purely unreasoning instinct that pre-
vented me from flying off at a tangent and plunging
into the shrubbery. Strange lights began to come into
my eyes, and in one of those phosphorescent gleams I
saw a shapeless black object lying, or crouching, in
my path. I automatically kicked it into the outer
darkness. It was only my derby hat, which had fallen
off on one of the previous trips.
I have spoken of the confused state of my mind.
The right lobe of my brain had suspended all natural
action, but with the other lobe I was enabled to spec-
ulate on the probable duration of my present career.
In spite of my terror, an ironical smile crept to my
lips as I reflected that I might perhaps keep this thing
up until sunrise, unless a midnight meal was one of
the dog's regular habits. A prolonged angry snarl now
and then admonished me that his patience was about
exhausted.
I had accomplished the circuit of the mound for the
tenth — possibly the twentieth — time (I cannot be
positive), when the front door of the villa was opened
with a jerk, and Watson, closely followed by the
pretty housemaid, stepped out upon the piazza. He
held in his hand a German student-lamp, which he
came within an ace of dropping as the light fell upon
my countenance.
" Good heavens ! Willis ; is this you ? Where did
42 THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH
you tumble from? What 's become of your hat? How
did you get hereV
" Six o'clock train — Green Lodge — white horse —
old man — I — "
Suddenly the pretty housemaid descended the steps
and picked up from the gravelled path a little panting,
tremulous wad of something — not more than two hand-
fuls at most — which she folded tenderly to her bosom.
" What 's that ? " I asked.
" That 's Goliath," said Watson.
NOTES
herdic : — A kind of low-huug cab, named after Peter Her-
die, the inventor.
coup^: — A four-wheeled close carriage for two persons.
St. Botolph : — A Boston club-house.
David and Goliath : — The story of the j^outhful David's
fight with the giant Goliath is told in the Bible^ I Samuel, 17.
matador : — This is a Spanish word, meaning a killer ; the
matador is the man appointed to kill the bull, in a bull-fight.
Achilles : — One of the heroes of the Trojan war. It is re-
lated that Thetis, the mother of Achilles, dipped her child into
the River Styx, in order to make him immortal. She held him
by the heel, however, and that one spot was not touched by the
water ; hence Achilles was invulnerable (not to be wounded) in
all parts of his body except the heel.
The little dogs and all : — The quotation is from Shake-
speare's King Lear, Act III, Scene 6.
Cambridge : — This city in Massachusetts is the seat of Har-
vard University.
Neponset : — Marshes around the Neponset River, near Bos-
ton.
Hesperides : — The garden of the Hesperides (the daugh-
ters of Hesperus, or Night) was, according to Greek mythology,
a place where beautiful golden apples grew, guarded by a hide-
ous dragon. To secure some of these apples was one of the labors
of Hercules.
Gorgons and Hydras : — The line quoted is from the de-
GOLIATH 43
scription of Hades, in the second book of Milton's Paradise Losty
line 628.
Caligula : — A wicked and cruel emperor of Kome (12-41
A. D.).
Cleopatra : — A queen of Egypt (b. c. 69-30).
!
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY
Notice how tlie author introduces the story. What has the
weather to do with it ? How does the author bring in the refer-
ence to the dog ? Why does he say so much about dogs, and his
fear of them ? What kind of dog does the name Goliath suggest
to you ? What does Watson mean by speaking of David and
Goliath (see notes) ? What are the complications that make it
necessary for Mr. Willis to approach " The Briers " on foot ?
Do they all seem natural and possible ? Why are the beauties
of the evening described so specifically ? How does the author
make the reader feel the excitement of the adventure with the
dog ? Show how he has used suspense. Why does the story end
so abruptly ? In what ways do you consider the conclusion a
good one ? Could you write a short, humorous incident of this
type?
THEME SUBJECTS
A Chance Meeting of Old A Country Kailroad Station
Friends Finding My Friend's Home
A Walk along a Country Road Delayed by a Wreck
A House in the Country The Watch Dog
The Dog and his Master " No Trespassing Allowed '*
A Stranger in the Village Frightened
My Dog A Lonely Road at Night
Locked Out Some Dogs I Have Known
The Interloper A Series of Mishaps
SUGGESTIONS FOR THEME-WRITING
Some Dogs I Have Kno"wn : — Think of two or three of
the most interesting dogs that you have known. Tell about one
of them — his appearance, his peculiarities, his temper. To
whom did he belong ? Was he well treated ? Did he behave
well ? Tell some of the amusing or interesting things that he
44 THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH
did. What became of him ? Compare another dog with the first
one of which you have written. Kelate some anecdotes concern-
ing this second dog. Try to show by these stories how he differed
from the first. Finish your theme by telling about one or two
more interesting dogs and the things they did.
A Lonely Road at Night : — Explain the reason for taking
a trip through this lonely road. Tell what kind of night it was.
Describe the feelings of the person on the road. Did he have
any reason to be frightened ? What noises did he hear ? Did
anything really happen ? Tell how the person felt, and what he
did. Try to make use of suspense to keep up the reader's inter-
est. Tell how the adventure came out, and what resulted from
it.
COLLATERAL READINGS
The Story of a Bad Boy Thomas Bailey Aldrich
Marjorie Daw " "
The Stillwater Tragedy " "
My Cousin the Colonel " "
A Christmas Fantasy " "
The Little Violinist ....... " "
Quite So " "
For Bravery on the Field of Battle . « "
From Ponkapog to Pesth " "
Thomas Bailey Aldrich Ferris Greenslet
A Boy I Knew and Four Dogs . . . Laurence Hutton
A Boy I Knew and Some More Dogs " "
A Dog of Flanders Louise de la Ramde
Moufflon " " « "
Bob Son of Battle Alfred Ollivant
Bab and his Friends John Brown
The Call of the Wild ...... Jack London
White Fang " "
My Dogs in the Northland . . . . E. R. Young
Dogs of all Nations C. J. Miller
Wild Animals I Have Known (page
145 ; page 273) Ernest Thompson Seton
Lives of the Hunted (page 211) . . « « "
Krag and Johnny Bear (page 127) . " " "
Dogtown Mabel Osgood Wright
Dan Beard's Animal Book .... Dan Beard
MR. HIGGINBOTHAM'S CATASTROPHE
NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE
A YOUNG fellow, a tobacco peddler by trade, was on
his way from Morristown, where he had dealt largely
with the Deacon of the Shaker settlement, to the vil-
lage of Parker's Falls, on Salmon River. He had a
neat little cart, painted green, with a box of cigars dg;-
gicted^on each side panel, and an Indian chief holding
a pipe and a golden tobacco-stalk on the rear.^The ped-
dler d r o ve a smart little mare and was a young man of
excellent character, keen at a bargain,. but none the
worse liked by the Yankees ; who, as I have heard them
say, would rather be shaved with a sharp razor than a
dull one. Especially was he beloved by the pretty girls
along the Connecticut, whose favor he used to court
by presents of the best smoking tobacco in his stock;
knowing well that the country lasses of New England
are generally great performers on pipes. Moreover, as
will be seen in the course of my story, the peddler was
inquisitive and something of a tattler, always itching to
hear the news, and anxious to tell it again.
After an early breakfast at Morristown the tobacco
peddler, whose name was Dominicus Pike, had traveled
seven miles through a solitary piece of woods without
speaking a word to anybody but himself and his little
gray mare. It being nearly seven o'clock, he was as
eager to hold a morning gossip as a city shopkeeper to
read the morning paper. An opportunity seemed at
hand, when after lighting a cigar with a sun-glass, he
looked up and perceived a man coming over the brow
46 NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE
of the hill, at the foot of which the peddler had stopped
his green cart. Dominicus watched him as he de-
scended, and noticed that he carried a bundle over his
shoulder on the end of a stick, and traveled with a
weary yet determined pace. He did not look as if he
had started in the freshness of the morning, but had
footed it all night, and meant to do the same all day.
" Good morning, mister," said Dominicus, when
within speaking distance. " You go a pretty good
jog. What 's the latest news at Parker's Falls ? "
The man pulled the broad brim of a gray hat over
his eyes, and answered, rather sullenly, that he did not
come from Parker's Falls, which, as being the limit of
his own day's journey, the peddler had naturally men-
tioned in his inquiry.
" Well, then," reioined Dominicus Pike, "let 's have
the latest news wliere you did come from. I 'm not par-
ticular about Parker's Falls. Any place will answer."
Being thus importunedj the traveler — who was as
ill-looking a fellow as one would desire to meet in a sol-
itary piece of woods — appeared to hesitate a little, as
if he was either searching his memory for news, or
weighing the expediency;^of telling it. At last, mount-
ing on the step of the cart, he whispered in the ear of
Dominicus, though he might have shouted aloud, and
no other mortal would have heard him.
" I do remember one little trifle of news," said he.
" Old Mr. Higginbotham, of Kimballton, was murdered
in his orchard, at eight o'clock last night, by an Irish-
man and a nigger. They strung him up to the branch
of a St. Michael's pear-tree, where nobody would find
him till the morning."
As soon as this horrible intelligence was communi-
cated the stranger betook himself to his journey again,
MR. HIGGINBOTHAM'S CATASTROPHE 47
with more speed than ever, not even turning his head
when Dominicus invited him to smoke a Spanish cigar
and relate all the particulars. The peddler whistled to
his mare and went up the hill, pondering on the dole-
ful fate of Mr. Higginbotham, whom he had known in
the way of trade, having sold him many a bunch of
long-nines and a great deal of pig-tail, lady's twist, and
fig tobacco. He was rather astonished at the rapidity
with which the news had spread. Kimballton was nearly
sixty miles distant in a straight line ; the murder had
been perp e ^ia^^d only at eight o'clock the preceding
night ; yet Dominicus had heard of it at seven in the
morning, when, in all probability, poor Mr. Higginbo-
tham's own family had but just discovered his corpse
hanging on the St. Michael's pear-tree. The stranger on
foot must have worn seven-league boots to travel at
such a rate.
"Ill news flies fast, they say," thought Dominicus
Pike ; " but this beats railroads. The fellow ought to
be hired to go express with the president's message."
The difficulty was solved by supposing that the nar-
rator had made a mistake of one day in the date of the
occurrence ; so that our friend did not hesitate to intro-
duce the story at every tavern and country store along
the road, expending a whole bunch of Spanish wrap-
pers among at least twenty horrified audiences. He
found himself invariably ^the first bearer of the in-
telligence, and was so pestered with questions that
he could not avoid filling up the outline till it be-
came quite a respectable narrative. He met with one
piece of corroborative evidence. Mr. Higginbotham
was a trader ; and a former clerk of his, to whom
Dominicus related the facts, testified that the old gen-
tleman was accustomed to return home through the
48 NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE
orchard about nightfall, with the money and valuable
papers of the store in his pocket. The clerk manifested
but little grief at Mr. Higginbotham's catastrophe,
hinting, what the peddler had discovered in his own
dealings with him, that he was a cr ustyj ^ld fellow, as
close as a vis^ His property would descend to a pretty
niece who was now keeping school in Kimballton.
What with telling the news for the public good, and
driving bargains for his own, Dominions was so much
delayed on the road, that he chose to put up at a
tavern about five miles short of Parker's Falls. After
supper, lighting one of his prime cigars, he seated him-
self in the barroom, and went through the story of the
murder, which had grown so fast that it took him half
an hour to tell. There were as many as twenty people
in the room, nineteen of whom received it all for gospel.
But the twentieth was an elderly farmer who had ar-
rived on horseback a short time before, and was now
seated in a corner, smoking his pipe. When the story
was concluded, he rose up very deliberately, brought
his chair right in front of Dominions, and stared him
full in the face, puffing out the vilest tobacco smoke
the peddler had ever smelled.
" Will you make affidavij," demanded he, in the
tone of a country justice taking an examination, " that
old Squire Higginbotham, of Kimballton, was mur-
dered in his orchard the night before last, and found
hanging on his great pear-tree yesterday morning? "
" I tell the story as I heard it, mister," answered
Dominicus, dropping his half -burnt cigar ; " I don't say
that I saw the thing done. So I can't take my oath
that he was murdered exactly in that way."
" But I can take mine," said the farmer, " that if
Squire Higginbotham was murdered night before last,
MR. HIGGINBOTHAM'S CATASTROPHE 49
I drank a glass of bitters with his ghost this morning.
Being a neighbor of mine, he called me into his store as
I was riding by, and treated me, and then asked me to
do a little business for him on the road. He didn't seem
to know any more about his own murder than I did.'*
" Why, then it can't be a fact ! " exclaimed Domini-
cus Pike.
■• " I guess he 'd have mentioned it, if it was," said the
old farmer ; and he removed his chair back to the
corner, leaving Dominicus quite down in the mouth.
Here was a sad r esur rp.^tiii'^^ of old Mr. Higgin-
botham ! The peddler had no heart to mingle in the
conversation any more, but comforted himself with a
glass of gin and water and went to bed, where, all
night long, he dreamt of hanging on the St. Michael's
pear-tree. To avoid the old farmer (whom he so de-
tested, that his suspension would have pleased him
better than Mr. Higginbotham's), Dominicus rose in
the gray of the morning, put the little mare into the
green cart, and trotted swiftly away towards Parker's
Falls. The fresh breeze, the dewy road, and the pleas-
ant summer dawn revived his spirits, and might have
encouraged him to repeat the old story, had there been
anybody awake to hear it. But he met neither ox-
team, light wagon, chaise, horseman, nor foot-traveler,
till, just as he crossed Salmon River, a man came
trudging down to the bridge with a bundle over his
shoulder on the end of a stick.
" Good-morning, mister," said the peddler, reining
in his mare. " If you come from Kimballton or that
neighborhood, maybe you can tell me the real fact
about this affair of old Mr. Higginbotham. Was the
old fellow actually murdered two or three nights ago,
by an Irishman and a nigger ? "
60 NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE
Dominicus had spoken in too great a hurry to ob-
serve, at first, that the stranger himself had a deep
tinge of negro blood. On hearing this sudden question,
the Ethiopian appeared to change his skin, its yellow
hue becoming a ghastly white, while, shaking and
stammering, he thus replied : —
" No ! no ! There was no colored man ! It was an
Irishman that hanged him last night, at eight o'clock.
I came away at seven ! His folks can't have looked
for him in the orchard yet."
Scarcely had the yellow man spoken, when he inter-
rupted himself, and, though he seemed weary enough
before, continued his journey at a pace which would
have kept the peddler's mare on a smart trot. Domin-
icus stared after him in great perplexity. If the mur-
der had not been committed till Tuesday night, who
was the prophet that had foretold it, in all its circum-
stances, on Tuesday morning? If Mr. Higginbo-
tham's corpse were not discovered by his own family,
how came the mulatto, at above thirty miles distance,
to know that he was hanging in the orchard, especially
as he had left Kimballton before the unfortunate man
was hanged at all? These ambiguous circumstances,
with the stranger's surprise and terror, made Domini-
cus think of raising a hue and cry after him, as an ac-
complice in the murder ; since a murder, it seemed,
had really been perpetrated.
" But let the poor devil go," thought the peddler.
" I don't want his black blood on my head ; and hang-
ing the nigger would n't unhang Mr. Higginbotham.
Unhang the old gentleman ! It 's a sin, I know ; but
I should hate to have him come to life a second time,
and give me the lie ! "
With these meditations, Dominicus Pike drove into
MR. HIGGINBOTHAM'S CATASTROPHE 51
the street of Parker's Falls, which, as everybody
knows, is as thriving a village as three cotton factories
and a slitting-mill can make it. The machinery was
not in motion, and but a few of the shop-doors un-
barred, when he alighted in the stable yard of the
tavern, and made it his first business to order the
mare four quarts of oats. His second duty, of course,
was to impart Mr. Higginbotham's catastrophe to the
hostler. He deemed it advisabl§, however, not to be
too positive as to the date of the dir efuL fact. and also
to be uncertain whether it were perpetrated by an
Irishman and a mulatto, or by the son of [Erin alone.
Neither did he profess to relate it on his own author-
ity, or that of any one person ; but mentioned it as a
report generally diffused.
^ The story ran through the town, like fire among
girdled trees, and became so much the universal talk
that nobody could tell whence it had ori urinated. Mr.
Higginbotham was as well known at Parker's Falls as
any citizen of the place, being part owner of the slit-
ting-mill, and a considerable stockholder of the cotton
factories. The inhabitants felt their own prosperity
interested in his fate. Such was the excitement that
the Parker's Falls Gazette anticipated its resfular day
of publication, and came out with half a form of blank
paper and a column of double pica, emphasized with
capitals, and headed HOREID MUEDER OF ME.
HIGGINBOTHAM! Among other dreadful details,
the printed account described the mark of the cord
round the dead man's neck, and stated the number
of thousand dollars of which he had been robbed;
there was much pathos also about the affliction of his
niece, who had gone from one fainting-fit to another,
ever since her uncle was found hanging on the St.
52 > NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE
Michaers pear-tree with his pockets inside out. The
village poet likewise commemorated the young lady's
grief in seventeen stanzas of a ballad. The selectmen
held a meeting, and, in consideration of Mr. Higgin-
botham's claims on the town, determined to issue
handbills offering a reward of five hundred dollars
for the apprehension of his murderers and the re-
covery of the stolen property.
Meanwhile the whole population of Parker's Falls,
consisting of shopkeepers, mistresses of boarding-
houses, factory-girls, millmen, and schoolboys, rushed
into the street and kept up such a terrible lo(^uacity:^
as more than compensated for the silence of the cotton-
machines, which refrained from their usual din out of
respect to the ^jp^^a^eflU Had Mr. Higginbotham cared
about posthumous ^renown^. his untimely ghost would
have exulted in this tumult. Our friend Dominions,
in his vanity of heart, forgot his intended precautions^^
and mounting on the town-pump, announced himself
as the bearer of the authentic intelligence which had
caused so wonderful a sensation. He immediately be-
came the great man of the moment, and had just begun
a^new edition of the narrative, with a voice like a
field-preacher, when the mail-stage drove into the vil-
lage street. It had traveled all night, and must have
shifted horses at Kimballton at three in the morning.
"Now we shall hear all the particulars," shouted
the crowd.
The coach rumbled up to the piazza of the tavern,
followed by a thousand people ; for if any man had
been minding his own business till then, he now left
it at sixes and sevens, to hear the news. The peddler,
foremost in the race, discovered two passengers, both
of whom had been startled from a comfortable nap to
MR. HIGGINBOTHAM'S CATASTROPHE 53
find themselves in the center of a mob. Every man
assailing them with separate questions, all propounded
at once, the couple were struck speechless, though one
was a lawyer and the other a young lady.
" Mr. Higginbotham ! Mr. Higginbotham ! Tell us
the particulars about old Mr. Higginbotham ! " bawled
the mob. " What is the coroner's verdict ? Are the
murderers a^greh^o^cL? Is Mr. Higginbotham's niece
come out of her fainting-fits ? Mr. Higginbotham !
Mr. Higginbotham ! "
The coachman said not a word, except to swear
awfully at the hostler for not bringing him a fresh
team of horses. The lawyer inside had generally his
wits about him, even when asleep ; the first thing he
did, after learning the cause of the excitement, was to
produce a large red pocketbook. Meantime Dominicus
Pike, being an extremely polite young man, and also
suspecting that a female tongue would tell the story
as glibly as a lawyer's, had handed the lady out of the
coach. She was a fine smart girl, now wide awake and
bright as a button, and had such a sweet pretty mouth
that Dominicus would almost as lief have heard a love-
^ ,Jtale from it as a tale of murder.
f 'v " Gentlemen and ladies," said the lawyer to the
shopkeepers, the millmen, and the factory-girls, " I
\/\can assure you that some unaccountable mistake, or
more probably a willful falsehood maliciously con-
trived to injure Mr. Higginbotham's credit, has excited
this singular uproar. We passed through Kimballton
at three o'clock this morning, and most certainly
should have been informed of the murder, had any
been perpetrated. But I have proof nearly as strong
as Mr. Higginbotham's own oral testimony in the
negative. Here is a note relating to a suit of his in the
54 NATHANIEL HAWTHOENE
Connecticut courts, which was delivered me from that
gentleman himself. I find it dated at ten o'clock last
evening."
So saying, the lawyer exhibited the date and signa-
ture of the note, which4^|;efragably proved, either that
this perverse Mr. Higginbotham was alive when he
wrote it, or — as some deemed the more probable case
of two doubtful ones — that he was so absorbed in
worldly business as to continue to transact it even after
his death. But unexpected evidence was forthcoming.
The young lady, after listening to the peddler's expla-
nation, merely seized a moment to smooth her gown
and put her curls in order, and then appeared at the
tavern door, making a modest signal to be heard.
" Good people," said she, " I am Mr. Higgmbo-
tham's niece."
A wondering murmur passed through the crowd on
beholding her so rosy and bright, that same unhappy
niece whom they had supposed, on the authority of the
Parker's Falls Gazette^ to be lying at death's door in
a fainting-fit. But some shrewd fellows had doubted
all along whether a young lady would be quite so des-
perate at the hanging of a rich old uncle.
"You see," continued Miss Higginbotham with a
smile, "that this strange story is quite unfounded as
to myself, and I believe I may affirm it to be equally
so in regard to my dear uncle Higginbotham. He has
the kindness to give me a home in his house, though
I contribute to my own support by teaching a school.
I left Kimballton this morning to spend the vacation
of commencement-week with a friend, about five miles
from Parker's Falls. My generous uncle, when he
heard me on the stairs, called me to his bedside, and
gave me two dollars and fifty cents to pay my stage-
MR. HIGGINBOTHAM'S CATASTROPHE 55
fare, and another dollar for my extra expenses. He
then laid his pocketbook under his pillow, shook hands
with me, and advised me to take some biscuit in my
bag, instead of breakfasting on the road. I feel confi-
dent, therefore, that I left my beloved relative alive,
and trust that I shall find him so on my return."
The young lady courtesied at the close of her
speech, which was so sensible and well worded, and
delivered with such grace and propriety, that every-
body thought her fit to be preceptress of the best
academy in the state. But a stranger would have sup-
posed that Mr. Higginbotham was an object of abhor-
rence at Parker's Falls, and that a thanksgiving had
been proclaimed for his murder, so excessive was the
wrath of the inhabitants on learning their mistake.
The millmen resolved to bestow public honors on
Dominicus Pike, only hesitating whether to tar and
feather him, ride him on a rail, or refresh him with
an ablution at the town-pump, on the top of which he
had declared himself the bearer of the news. The se-
lectmen, by advice of the lawyer, spoke of prosecuting
him for a misdemeanoTj in circulating unfounded re-
ports, to the great disturbance of the peace of the
commonwealth. Nothing saved Dominicus either from
mob law or a court of justice but an eloquent appeal
made by the young lady in his behalf. Addressing a
few words of heartfelt gratitude to his benefactress,
he mounted the green cart and rode out of town, under
a discharge of artillery from the schoolboys, who
found plenty of ammunition in the neighboring clay-
pits and mud-holes. As he turned his head, to ex-
change a farewell glance with Mr. Higginbotham's
niece, a ball, of the consistence of hasty-pudding, hit
him slap in the mouth, giving him a most grim aspect.
56 NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE
His whole person was so bespattered with the like
filthy missiles, that he had almost a mind to ride back
and guppHcatia-^for the threatened ablution at the town-
pump, for, though not meant in kindness, it would
have been a deed of charity.
However, the sun shone bright on poor Dominicus,
and the mud, an emblem of all stains of undeserved
opprobrium, was easily brushed off when dry. Being
a funny rogue, his heart soon cheered up; nor could
he refrain from a hearty laugh at the uproar which
his story had excited. The handbills of the selectmen
would cause the commitment of all the vagabonds in
the state ; the paragraph in the Parker's Falls Gazette
would be reprinted from Maine to Florida, and per-
haps form an item in the London newspapers; and
many a miser would tremble for his money-bags and
life, on learning the catastrophe of Mr. Higginbotham.
The peddler meditated with much fervor on the charms
of the young schoolmistress, and swore that Daniel
Webster never spoke nor looked so like an angel as
Miss Higginbotham while defending him from the
wrathful populace at Parker's Falls.
Dominicus was now on the Kimballton turnpike, bav-
ing all along determined to visit that place, though
business had drawn him out of the most direct road
from Morristown. As he approached the scene of the
supposed murder he continued to revolve the circum-
stances in his mind, and was astonished at the aspect
which the whole case assumed. Had nothing occurred
to corroborate the story of the first traveler, it might
now have been considered as a hoax ; but the yellow
man was evidently acquainted either with the report
or the fact, and there was a mystery in his dismayed
and guilty look on being abruptly questioned. When
MR. HIGGINBOTHAM'S CATASTKOPHE 57
to this singular combination of incidents it was added
that the rumor tallied exactly with Mr. Higginbo-
tham's character and habits of life ; and that he had an
orchard, and a St. Michael's pear-tree, near which he
always passed at nightfall; the circumstantial evidence
appeared so strong that Dominicus doubted whether
the autograph produced by the lawyer, or even the
niece's direct testimony, ought to be equivalent. Mak-
ing cautious inquiries along the road, the peddler fur-
ther learned that Mr. Higginbotham had in his service
an Irishman of doubtful character, whom he had hired
without a recommendation, on the score of economy.
" May I be hanged myself," exclaimed Dominicus
Pike aloud, on reaching the top of a lonely hill, " if
I '11 believe old Higginbotham is unhanged till I see
him with my own eyes, and hear it from his own
mouth ! And as he 's a real shaver, I '11 have the min-
ister, or some other responsible man, for an indorser."
It was growing dusk when he reached the toll-
house on Kimballton turnpike, about a quarter of a
mile from the village of this name. His little mare
was fast bringing him up with a man on horseback,
who trotted through the gate a few rods in advance of
him, nodded to the toll-gatherer, and kept on towards
the village. Dominicus was acquainted with the toll-
man, and while making change, the usual remarks on
the weather passed between them.
" I suppose," said the peddler, throwing back his
whiplash to bring it down like a feather on the mare's
flank, " you have not seen anything of old Mr. Hig-
ginbotham within a day or two ? "
" Yes," answered the toll-gatherer. " He passed the
gate just before you drove up, and yonder he rides
now, if you can see him through the dusk. He 's been
58 NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE
to Woodfield tMs afternoon, attending a sheriff's sale
there. The old man generally shakes hands and has a
little chat with me; but to-night he nodded, — as if
to say, ' Charge my toll,' — and jogged on ; for wher-
ever he goes, he must always be at home by eight
o'clock."
" So they tell me," said Dominicus.
" I never saw a man look so yellow and thin as the
squire does," continued the toll-gatherer. " Says I to
myself, to-night, he 's more like a ghost or an old
mummy than good flesh and blood."
The peddler strained his eyes through the twilight,
and could just discern the horseman now far ahead on
the village road. He seemed to recognize the rear of
Mr. Higginbotham ; but through the evening shadows,
and amid the dust from the horse's feet, the figure
appeared dim and unsubstantial ; as if the shape of
the mysterious old man were faintly molded of dark-
ness and gray light. Dominicus shivered.
*' Mr. Higginbotham has come back from the
other world, by way of the Kimballton turnpike,"
thought he.
He shook the reins and rode forward, keeping about
the same distance in the rear of the gray old shadow,
till the latter was concealed by a bend of the road.
On reaching this point the peddler no longer saw the
man on horseback, but found himself at the head of
the village street, not far from a number of stores and
two taverns, clustered round the meeting-house steeple.
On his left was a stone wall and a gate, the boundary of
a wood-lot, beyond which lay an orchard, farther still
a mowing-field, and last of all a house. These were
the premises of Mr. Higginbotham, whose dwelling
stood beside the old highway, but had been left in the
MR. HIGGINBOTHAM'S CATASTROPHE 69
background by tbe KImballton turnpike. Dominieus
knew the place ; and the little mare stopped short by
instinct ; for he was not conscious of tightening the
reins.
"For the soul of me, I cannot get by this gate! "
said he, trembling. " I shall never be my own man
again till I see whether Mr. Higginbothan is hanging
, on the St. Michael's pear-tree!"
He leaped from the cart, gave the rein a turn round
the gate-post, and ran along the green path of the
wood-lot as if Old Nick were chasing behind. Just
then the village clock tolled eight, and as each deep
stroke fell Dominions gave a fresh bound and flew
faster than before, till, dim in the solitary center of
the orchard, he saw the fated pear-tree. One great
branch stretched from the old contorted trunk across
the path, and threw the darkest shadow on that one
spot. But something seemed to struggle beneath the
branch !
The peddler had never pretended to more courage
than befits a man of peaceable occupation, nor could
he account for his valor on this awful emergency. Cer-
tain it is, however, that he rushed forward, prostrated
a sturdy Irishman with the butt-end of his whip, and
found — not indeed hanging on the St. Michael's pear-
tree, but trembling beneath it, with a halter round his
neck — the old, identical Mr. Higginbotham !
"Mr. Higginbotham," said Dominieus tremulously,
"you're an honest man, and I'll take your word for
it. Have you been hanged, or not?"
If the riddle be not already guessed, a few words
will explain the simple machinery by which this " com-
ing event" was made to "cast its shadow before."
Three men had plotted the robbery and murder of Mr.
60 NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE
Higginbotham ; two of them successively lost courage
and fled, each delaying the crime one night, by their
disappearance ; the third was in the act of perpetra-
tion, when a champion, blindly obeying the call of fate
like the heroes of old romance, appeared in the person
of Dominicus Pike.
It only remains to say that Mr. Higginbotham took
the peddler into high favor, sanctioned his addresses
to the pretty schoolmistress, and settled his whole
property on their children, allowing themselves the
interest. In due time the old gentleman capped the
climax of his favors by dying a Christian death in bed,
since which melancholy event Dominicus Pike has re-
moved from Kimballton and established a large tobacco
manufactory in my native village.
NOTES
Shaker settlement : — The Shakers are members of a reli-
gious society which emigrated to the United States, from Eng-
land, in 1774, under the leadership of Mother Ann Lee.
sun-glass : A convex lens for producing heat by bringing the
rays of the sun to a focus ; a burning-glass.
long-nines : — Cigars of a cheap quality.
pig-tail : — Twisted chewing tobacco.
lady's t-wist : — A kind of chewing tobacco.
fig tobacco : — Tobacco in small pieces.
Spanish wrappers : — Imported cigars.
the Ethiopian : — See the Bible, Jeremiah, 13 : 23.
slitting-mill : — A mill in which iron bars or plates are slit
into narrow strips.
double pica : — Very large type.
shaver : — A sharper.
f
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY
Do you like the way the story begins ? Notice the way in
which the story part (narrative) is mixed with description. Is
MR. HIGGINBOTHAM'S CATASTROPHE 61
this a good way of carrying events along? Show the little
touches that make the character of Pike clear to us, even in the
first pages of the story. What effect on the reader is produced
by the tale of the murder, when it is first whispered by the trav-
eler ? Do you think that Pike ought to have spread the news ?
What contradictory stories are brought in to confuse the reader ?
Nearly all good stories have in them an entanglement or a mys-
tery of some sort: Notice how the author of this story manages
to keep the reader puzzled. Do you get a clear image of the
different persons that appear in the story ? Does the author de-
scribe each one completely ? Which one stands out most dis-
tinctly ? Of what use is the conversation with the toll-gatherer ?
What is the most exciting point (climax) of the story ? Does the
story end abruptly at this exciting point, or does it gradually
come to a stop ? Of what use is the last paragraph ? Do you
think that Dominicus Pike deserved his good fortune ?
THEME SUBJECTS
The Peddler A False Alarm
Solving a Mystery A Mysterious Disappearance
How the Story Grew Was He the Thief ?
A Bit of Gossip -^ Finding the Lost Ring
Spreading the Alarm A Harmless Hoax
How the False Report Started Hunting the Imaginary Monster
Catching the Culprit. How Gossip Hurts
Who Hid the Book ? The Newspaper Report of My
How'^piey Learned Our Foot- Accident
ball Signals The Unjust Suspicion
How We Unraveled the Mystery
SUGGESTIONS FOR THEME-WRITING
The Peddler : — Did you ever see a peddler ? When and
where ? Under what circumstances ? Can you write a vivid de-
scription of him (or her) ? Try to make your reader see the
exact appearance of the peddler — as to features (eyes, mouth,
hair, etc.), form (height, size, etc.), and clothing. How did he
walk ? Was he carrying something ? Did you see him try to sell
his wares ? To whom did he try to sell ? What did he say ? Can
you give some of his exact words ? How did his voice sound ?
What did he do while he was talking ? Did he show his goods ?
62 NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE
What were they like ? Did his listeners give good attention ?
What conversation did they have with him ? Did they buy ?
What did the peddler say when he went away ?
The Mysterious Disappearance : — Can you write a little
story on this subject, drawing either upon what you have heard,
or what you have imagined ? Try to make the story very simple
and straightforward. Tell who the person was that disappeared,
and describe him sufficiently so that we can judge of his looks,
his habits, and his character. Tell what this person was doing
when he was last seen. When did his friends first realize that he
had disappeared ? In order to gain suspense, tell how his friends
felt, what they said, and what they did. Give some varying opin-
ions that his friends expressed, as to his whereabouts. Will it be
better in these passages to use direct or indirect quotations ?
Was the person ever found ? Tell under what circumstances.
Can you make the finding of the person the climax of your story ?
Do you think it well to add anything after the climax is reached ?
COLLATERAL READINGS
The House of the Seven Gables . . Nathaniel Hawthorne.
The Blithedale Romance " "
The Marble Faun " "
Grandfather's Chair " "
Biographical Stories ' " " .
Tanglewood Tales " " ,
A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys . " " J
The Great Stone Face " « '
The Great Carbuncle " «
The Ambitious Guest " "
Roger Malvin's Burial " **
Drowne's Wooden Image .... " "
Ethan Brand « «
A Bell's Biography " "
Old Ticonderoga " **
Little Daffydowndilly " «
The Antique Ring " "
My Kinsman Major Molineux ... " "
The Ghost of Doctor Harris .... " «
The Snow-Image ....... " *'
The Bald Eagle " "
MR. HIGGINBOTHAM'S CATASTROPHE
63
The Duston Family ......
My Visit to Niagara .....
The Prophetic Pictures ....
The Gray Champion
The Gentle Boy
David Swan
Sights from a Steeple
Dr. Heidegger's Experiment . . .
A Rill from the Town Pump . .
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne and his Circle
Nathaniel Hawthorne.
G. E. Woodberry.
Julian Hawthorne.
THE WHISTLE
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
(To Madame Brillon)
Passy, November 10, 1779.
When I was a child of seven years old, my friends,
on a holiday, filled my pocket with coppers. I went
directly to a shop where they sold toys for children ;
and, being charmed with the sound of a whistle, that
I met by the way in the hands of another boy, I vol-
untarily offered and gave all my money for one. I then
came home, and went whistling all over the house,
much pleased with my whistle^ but disturbing all the
family. My brothers, and sisters, and cousins, under-
standing the bargain I had made, told me I had given
four times as much for it as it was worth ; put me in
mind what good things I might have bought with the
rest of the money; and laughed at me so much for
my folly, that I cried with vexation ; and the reflec-
tion gave me more chagrin than the whistle gave me
pleasure.
This, however, was afterwards of use to me, the im-
pression continuing on my mind; so that often, when
I was tempted to buy some unnecessary thing, I said
to myself, DonH give too much for the whistle; and I
saved my money.
As I grew up, came into the world, and observed
the actions of men, I thought I met with many, very
many, who gave too much for the whistle.
When I saw one too ambitious of court favour, sac-
THE WHISTLE 65
rificing his time in attendance on levees, his repose,
his liberty, his virtue, and perhaps his friends, to at-
tain it, I have said to myself. This man gives too much
for his whistle.
If I knew a miser, who gave up every kind of com-
fortable living, all the pleasure of doing good to others,
all the esteem of his fellow citizens, and the joys of
benevolent friendship, for the sake of accumulating
wealth, I^oor man, said I, you pay too much for your
whistle.
If I see one fond of appearance, or fine clothes, fine
houses, fine furniture, fine equipages, all above his for-
tune, for which he contracts debts, and ends his career
in a prison, Alas! say I, he has paid dear, very dear^
for his whistle.
In short, I conceive that great part of the miseries
of mankind are brought upon them by the false esti-
mates they have made of the value of things, and by
their giving too much for their whistles.
B. Franklin.
FEANKLIN'S BOYHOOD
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
(From Chapter I of the Autobiography)
My elder brothers were all put to apprentices to
different trades. I was put to the grammar school at
eight years of age ; my father intending to devote me,
as the tithe of his sons, to the service of the Church.
My early readiness in learning to read, which must have
been very early, as I do not remember when I could
not read, and the opinion of all his friends that I should
certainly make a good scholar, encouraged him in this
purpose of his. My uncle Benjamin, too, approved of
it, and proposed to give me his short-hand volumes of
sermons, to set up with, if I would learn his short-
hand. /I continued, however, at the grammar school
rather less than a year, though in that time I had risen
gradually from the middle of the class of that year to
be at the head of the same class, and was removed into
the next class, whence I was to be placed in the third
at the end of the year.
But my father, burdened with a numerous family,
was unable, without inconvenience, to support the ex-
pense of a college education. Considering, moreover,
as he said to one of his friends, in my presence, the
little encouragement that line of life afforded to those
educated for it, he gave up his first intentions, took me
from the grammar school, and sent me to a school for
writing and arithmetic, kept by a then famous man,
Mr. George Brownwell. He was a skilful master, and
successful in his profession, employing the mildest and
FRANKLIN'S BOYHOOD , 67
most encouraging methods. Under him I learned to
write a good hand pretty soon ; but I failed entirely
in arithmetic. At ten years old I was taken to help
my father in his business, which was that of a tallow-
chandler and soap-boiler ; a business to which he was
not bred, but had assumed on his arrival in New Eng-
land, because he found that his dyeing trade, being in
little request, would not maintain his family. Accord-
ingly, I was employed in cutting wicks for the candles,
filling the moulds for cast candles, attending the shop,
going of errands, etc.
I disliked the trade, and had a strong inclination
to go to sea ; but my father declared against it. But,
residing near the water, I was much in it and on it.
I learned to swim well and to manage boats; and,
when embarked with other boys, I was commonly
allowed to govern, especially in any case of difficulty ;
and upon other occasions I was generally the leader
among the boys, and sometimes led them into scrapes,
of which I will mention one instance, as it shows an
early projecting public spirit, though not then justly
conducted. There was a salt marsh, which bounded
part of the millpond, on the edge of which, at high
water, we used to stand to fish for minnows. By much
trampling we had made it a mere quagmire. My pro-
posal was to build a wharf there for us to stand upon,
and I showed my comrades a large heap of stones
which were intended for a new house near the marsh,
and which would very well suit our purpose. Accord-
ingly in the evening, when the workmen were gone
home, I assembled a number of my playfellows, and
we worked diligently like so many emmets, sometimes
two or three to a stone, till we brought them all to
make our little wharf. The next morning the workmen
68 BENJAMIN FRAlSTKLIN
were surprised at missing the stones, which had formed
our wharf. Inquiry was made after the authors of this
transfer ; we were discovered, complained of, and
corrected by our fathers ; and though I demonstrated
the utility of our work, mine convinced me that that
which was not honest could not be truly useful.
I suppose you may like to know what kind of a man
my father was. He had an excellent constitution, was
of a middle stature, well set and very strong. He could,
draw prettily, and was skilled a little in music. His
voice was sonorous and agreeable, so that when he
played on his violin and sung withal, as he was accus-
tomed to do after the business of the day was over, it
was extremely agreeable to hear. He had some know-
ledge of mechanics, and on occasion was very handy
with other tradesmen's tools. But his great excellence
was his sound understanding, and his solid judgment
in prudential matters, both in private and public affairs.
It is true he was never employed in the latter, the nu-
merous family he had to educate, and the straitness of
his circumstances, keeping him close to his trade, but I
remember well his being frequently visited by lead-
ing men, who consulted him for his opinion in public
affairs, and those of the church he belonged to ; and
who showed a great respect for his judgment and
advice.
H© was also much consulted by private persons
about their affairs, when any difficulty occurred, and
frequently chosen an arbitrator between contending
parties. At his table he liked to have, as often as he
could, some sensible friend or neighbor to converse
with, and always took care to start some ingenious or
useful topic for discourse, which might tend to improve
the minds of his children. By this means he turned
FRANKLIN'S BOYHOOD 69
our attention to what was good, just, and prudent, in
the conduct of life, and little or no notice was ever taken
of what related to the victuals on the table ; whether
it was well or ill dressed, in or out of season, of good
or bad flavor, preferable or inferior to this or that
other thing of the kind ; so that I was brought up in
such a perfect inattention to those matters as to be
quite indifferent what kind of food was set before me.
Indeed, I am so unobservant of it, that to this day I
can scarce tell a few hours after dinner of what dishes
it consisted. This has been of great convenience to me
in traveling, where my companions have been some-
times very unhappy for want of a suitable gratification;/^
of their more delicate, because better instructed, tastes
and appetites.
To return : I continued thus employed in my father's
business for two years, that is, till I was twelve years
old ; and my brother John, who was bred to that busi-
ness, having left my father, married, and set up for
himself at Rhode Island, there was every appearance
that I was destined to supply his place, and become a
tallow-chandler. But my dislike to the trade continu-
ing, my father had apprehensions that, if he did not
put me to one more agreeable, I should break loose
and go to sea, as my brother Josiah had done, to his
great vexation. In consequence, he took me to walk
with him and see joiners, brick-layers, turners, bra-
ziers, etc., at their work, that he might observe my
inclination, and endeavor to fix it on some trade or
profession that would keep me on land. It has ever
since been a pleasure to me to see good workmen
handle their tools. And it has been often useful to
me, to have learned so much by it, as to be able to
70 . BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
do some trifling jobs in the house, when a workman
was not at hand, and to construct little machines for
my experiments, at the moment when the intention of
making these was warm in my mind. My father de-
termined at last for the cutler's trade, and placed me
for some days on trial with Samuel, son to my uncle
Benjamin, who was bred to that trade in London, and
had just established himself in Boston. But the sum
he exacted as a fee for my apprenticeship displeased
my father, and I was taken home again.
i From my infancy I was passionately fond of reading,
and all the money that came into my hands was laid
out in the purchasing of books. I was very fond' of voy-
ages. My first acquisition was Bunyan's work in sepa-
rate little volumes; I afterwards sold them to enable
me to buy E,. Burton's "Historical Collections." They
were small chapmen's books, and cheap ; forty volumes
in all. My father's little library consisted chiefly of
books in polemic divinity, most of which I read. I
have often regretted that, at a time when I had such
a thirst for knowledge, more proper books had not
fallen in my way, since it was resolved I should not be
bred to divinity. There was among them Plutarch's
"Lives," which I read abundantly, and I still think
that time spent to great advantage. There was also a
book of Defoe's, called " An Essay on Projects," and
another of Dr. Mather's, called "An Essay to do
Good," which perhaps gave me a turn of thinking,
that had an influence on some of the principal future
events of my life.
This bookish inclination at length determined my
father to make me a printer, though he had already
one son, James, of that profession. In 1717 my brother
James returned from England with a press and letters,
FRANKLIN'S BOYHOOD 71
to set up his business in Boston. I liked it mucli better
than that of my father, but still had a hankering for
the sea. To prevent the apprehended effect of such an
inclination, my father was impatient to have me bound
to my brother. I stood out some time, but at last was
persuaded, and signed the indenture, when I was yet
but twelve years old. I was to serve an apprenticeship
till I was twenty-one years of age, only I was to be al-
lowed journeyman's wages during the last year. In a
little time I made great progress in the business, and
became a useful hand to my brother. I now had access
to better books. An acquaintance with the apprentices
of book-sellers enabled me sometimes to borrow a small
one, which I was careful to return soon, and clean.
Often I sat up in my chamber the greatest part of the
night, when the book was borrowed in the evening,
and to be returned in the morning, lest it should be
found missing.
After some time a merchant, an ingenious, sensible
man, Mr. Matthew Adams, who had a pretty collec-
tion of books, frequented our printing-office, took
notice of me, and invited me to see his library, and
very kindly proposed to lend me such books as I chose
to read. I now took a strong inclination for poetry, and
wrote some little pieces. My brother, supposing it
might turn to account, encouraged me, and induced
me to compose two occasional ballads. One was called
"The Lighthouse Tragedy," and contained an account
of the shipwreck of Captain Worthilake with his two
daughters ; the other was a sailor's song, on the tak-
ing of the famous " Teach," or " Blackbeard," the
pirate. They were wretched stuff, in street-ballad
style ; and when they were printed, my brother sent
me about the town to sell them. The first sold prodi-
72 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
giously, the event being recent, and having made a
great noise. The success flattered my vanity ; but my
father discouraged me by criticising my performances,
and telling me verse-makers were generally beggars.
Thus I escaped being a poet, and probably a very
bad one; but as prose writing has been of very great
use to me in the course of my life, and was a principal
means of my advancement, I shall tell you how in such
a situation I acquired what little ability I may be sup-
posed to have in that way.
There was another bookish lad in the town, John
Collins by name, with whom I was intimately ac-
quainted. We sometimes disputed, and very fond
we were of argument; and very desirous of confuting
one another ; which disputatious turn, by the way, is
apt to become a very bad habit, making people often
extremely disagreeable in company, by the contradic-
tion that is necessary to bring it into practice ; and
thence, besides souring and spoiling the conversation,
it is productive of disgusts, and perhaps enmities, with
those who may have occasion for friendship. I had
caught this by reading my father's books of dispute
on religion. Persons of good sense, I have since ob-
served, seldom fall into it, except lawyers, university
men, and generally men of all sorts who have been
bred at Edinburgh. ,
A question was once, somehow or other, started be-
tween Collins and me, on the propriety of educating
the female sex in learning, and their abilities for
study. He was of opinion that it was improper, and
that they were naturally unequal to it. I took the
contrary side, perhaps a little for dispute's sake. He
was naturally more eloquent, having a greater plenty
of words, and sometimes, as I thought, I was van-
FRANKLIN'S BOYHOOD 73
quished more by his fluency than by the strength of
his reasons. As we parted without settling the point,
and were not to see one another again for some time,
I sat down to put my arguments in writing, which I
copied fair and sent to him. He answered and I re-
plied. Three or four letters on a side had passed,
when my father happened to find my papers, and read
them. Without entering into the subject in dispute,
he took occasion to talk to me about my manner of
writing; observed that though I had the advantage
of my antagonist in correct spelling and pointing
(which he attributed to the printing-house), I fell far
short in elegance of expression, in method, and in per-
spicuity, of which he convinced me by several in-
stances. I saw the justice of his remarks, and thence'
grew more attentive to my manner of writing, and
determined to endeavor to improve my style.
About this time I met with an odd volume of the
^Spectator. I had never before seen any of them. I
bought it, read it over and over, and was much de-
lighted with it. I thought the writing excellent, and
wished if possible to imitate it. With that view I took
some of the papers, and making short hints of the
sentiments in each sentence, laid them by a few days,
and then, without looking at the book, tried to com-
plete the papers again, by expressing each hinted sen-
timent at length, and as fully as it had been expressed
before, in any suitable words that should occur to me.
Then I compared my Spectator with the original, dis-
covered some of my faults, and corrected them. But
I found I wanted a stock of words, or a readiness in
recollecting and using them, which I thought I should
have acquired before that time, if I had gone on mak-
ing verses; since the continual search for words of the
74 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
same import, but of different lengtli to suit the mea-
sure, or of different sound for the rhyme, would have
laid me under a constant necessity of searching for
variety, and also have tended to fix that variety in my
mind, and make me master of it. Therefore, I took
some of the tales in the Spectator^ and turned them
into verse ; and, after a time, when I had pretty well
forgotten the prose, turned them back again.
I also sometimes jumbled my collection of hints
into confusion, and after some weeks endeavored to
reduce them into the best order before I began to form
the full sentences and complete the subject. This was
to teach me method in the arrangement of the thoughts.
By comparing my work with the original, I discovered
my faults, and corrected them; but I sometimes had
the pleasure to fancy that, in certain particulars of
small consequence, I had been fortunate enough to
improve the method or the language, and this encour-
aged me to think that I might in time come to be a
tolerable English writer, of which I was extremely
ambitious. The time I allotted for writing exercises,
and for reading, was at night, or before work began
in the morning, or on Sundays, when I contrived to
be in the printing-house, avoiding as much as I could
the constant attendance at public worship which my
father used to exact of me when I was under his care,
and which I still continued to consider a duty, though
I could not afford time to practise it.
When about sixteen years of age, I happened to
meet with a book, written by one Tryon, recommend-
ing a vegetable diet. I determined to go into it.
My brother, being yet unmarried, did not keep house,
but boarded himself and his apprentices in another
family. My refusing to eat flesh occasioned an incon-
FRANKLIN'S BOYHOOD 75
venience, and I was frequently chid for my singular-
ity. I made myself acquainted with Try on' s manner
of preparing some of his dishes, such as boiling pota-
toes or rice, making hasty pudding and a few others,
and then proposed to my brother that if he would give
me weekly half the money he paid for my board, I
would board myself. He instantly agreed to it, and I
presently found that I could save half what he paid
me. This was an additional fund for buying of books ;
but I had another advantage in it. My brother and
the rest going from the printing-house to their meals,
I remained there alone, and dispatching presently my
light repast (which was often no more than a biscuit,
or a slice of bread, a handful of raisins, or a tart from
the pastry-cook's, and a glass of water), had the rest
of the time, till their return, for study; in which I
made the greater progress from that greater clearness
of head and quicker apprehension which generally
attend temperance in eating and drinking. Now it
was that (being on some occasion made ashamed of
my ignorance in figures, which I had twice failed
learning when at school) I took Cocker's book on
" Arithmetic," and went through the whole by myself
with the greatest ease. I also read Seller's and Sturny's
book on "Navigation," which made me acquainted
with the little geometry it contains; but I never pro-
ceeded far in that science. I read about this time
Locke "On Human Understanding," and "The Art
of Thinking,'^ by Messrs. de Port Royal.
My brother had, in 1720 or 1721, begun to print a
newspaper. It was the second that appeared in Amer-
ica, and was called the The New England Courant.
The only one before it was the Boston News Letter.
76 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
I remember his being dissuaded by some of his friends
from the undertaking, as not likely to succeed, one
newspaper being in their judgment enough for Amer-
ica. At this time, 1771, there are not less than five and
twenty. He went on, however, with the undertaking.
I was employed to carry the papers to the customers,
after having worked in composing the types and print-
ing off the sheets.
He had some ingenious men among his friends, who
amused themselves by writing little pieces for this
paper, which gained it credit and made it more in de-
mand, and these gentlemen often visited us. Hearing
their conversations, and their accounts of the approba-
tion their papers were received with, I was excited to
try my hand among them. But, being still a boy, and
suspecting that my brother would object to printing
anything of mine in his paper, if he knew it to be mine,
I contrived to disguise my hand, and, writing an anony-
mous paper, I put it at night under the door of the
printing-house. It was found in the morning, and com-
municated to his writing friends when they called in
as usual. They read it, commented on it in my hear-
ing, and I had the exquisite pleasure of finding it met
with their approbation, and that, in their different
guesses at the author, none were named but men of
some character among us for learning and ingenuity. I
suppose that I was rather lucky in my judges, and that
they were not really so very good as I then believed
them to be. Encouraged, however, by this attempt, I
wrote and sent in the same way to the press several other
pieces, that were equally approved ; and I kept my se-
cret till all my fund of sense for such performances was
exhausted, and then discovered it, when I began to be
considered a little more by my brother's acquaintances.
FRANKLIN'S BOYHOOD 77
However, tliat did not quite please him, as he thought
it tended to make me vain. This might be one occa-
sion of the differences we began to have about this time.
Though a brother, he considered himself as my master,
and me as his apprentice, and accordingly expected the
same services of me as he would from another, while I
thought he degraded me too much in some he required
of me, who from a brother expected more indulgence.
Our disputes were often brought before our father, and
I fancy I was either generally in the right, or else a bet-
ter pleader, because the judgment was generally in my
favor. But my brother was passionate, and had often
beaten me, which I took extremely amiss ; and, think-
ing my apprenticeship very tedious, I was continually
wishing for some opportunity of shortening it, which
at length offered in a manner unexpected. Perhaps this
harsh and tyrannical treatment of me might be a
means of impressing me with the aversion to arbi-
trary power, that has stuck to me through my whole
life.
One of the pieces in our newspaper on some politi-
cal point, which I have now forgotten, gave offence to
the Assembly. He was taken up, censured and impris-
oned for a month by the Speaker's warrant, I suppose
because he would not discover the author. I, too, was
taken up and examined before the Council ; but, though
I did not give them any satisfaction, they contented
themselves with admonishing me, and dismissed me,
considering me perhaps as an apprentice, who was
bound to keep his master's secrets. During my bro-
ther's confinement, which I resented a good deal not-
withstanding our private differences, I had the manage-
ment of the paper ; and I made bold to give our rulers
some rubs in it, which my brother took very kindly,
78 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
while others began to consider me in an unfavorable
light, as a youth that had a turn for libeling and satire.
My brother's discharge was accompanied with an
order, and a very odd one, that " James Franldin
should no longer print the newspaper called The New
England Couranty On a consultation held in our
printing-office amongst his friends, what he should do
in this conjuncture, it was proposed to elude the order
by changing the name of the paper. But my brother,
seeing inconvenience in this, came to a conclusion, as
a better way, to let the paper in future be printed in
the name of Benjamin Franklin; and in order to
avoid the censure of the Assembly, that might fall on
him, as still printing it by his apprentice, he contrived
and consented that my old indenture should be returned
to me with a discharge on the back of it to show in case
of necessity ; and, in order to secure to him the benefit
of my service, I should sign new indentures for the re-
mainder of my time, which were to be kept private. A
very flimsy scheme it was ; however, it was immediately
executed, and the paper was printed accordingly, under
my name for several months.
NOTES
Bunyan: — A famous English writer (1628-1688), author of
many sermons and tracts, and other religious articles. His best
known work is the allegory, Pilgrirn's Progress.
Plutarch's Lives : — Plutarch (40-120) was a Greek philoso-
pher and historian. His Lives of Celebrated Greeks and Romans
is a well-known and interesting book.
Defoe: — An English writer and journalist (1661-1731), the
author of Robinson Crusoe.
Dr. Mather: — ♦Cotton Mather, a famous Puritan preacher
of Boston (1663-1728). He took a leading part in the attack
on witchcraft.
FRANKLIN'S BOYHOOD 79
' the indenture: — The agreement between a master-work-
man and his apprentice,
the Spectator: — A journal published in London, 1711-
1712 ; it was written chiefly by Addison and Steele, who are
justly noted for the excellence of their work.
Locke: —An English philosopher (1632-1704).
Messrs. de Port Royal: — The expression il/essiewrs de Port
Royal means the gentlemen of Port Royal. Port Royal was an ab-
bey founded in 1626. The writings here referred to were by the
Jansenists of Port Royal — followers of Cornelis Jansen, a
Dutch Roman Catholic.
the Assembly: — The Colonial legislative body.
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY
What is an autobiography? Can you name any one besides
Franklin who has written one? Do you think it is an easy thing
to write? Why? Why are autobiographies not more common ?
What kind of man was Franklin's father? What qualities does
Benjamin Franklin seem to have got from his father, either by
inheritance or by training? Was Benjamin like the usual boy ?
Were the books that he read as a boy very suitable and attrac-
tive? Do you think that his father did right in discouraging his
sou to write poetry? How did Franklin's father help him in
learning to write prose? Explain carefully Benjamin Franklin's
way of teaching himself to write. Do you believe it a good one?
If it is, why is it not more commonly used in teaching and
studying composition? Would Franklin have been so successful
in his writing if he had not been in a printing-office? What are
the differences between his time and ours, as far as books, pa-
pers, and magazines are concerned? Try to give an account of
yourself and some of your early experiences. Keep your work
simple, as Franklin's is.
THEME SUBJECTS
My Early Ambitions Doing the Chores
How I Helped My Father The First Books That I Read
An Incident of My Childhood Saving Money
My First Day at School Getting a Start in Life
Working in Vacation Time Why I Left School
80 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
How I Learned to Make Bread A Tragedy of Childhood
When I Tried to Help Mother An Autobiography of a Bad Boy
How I Earned My First Money My First Evening at the Thea-
Why I Wanted to Be a Soldier tre
Learning to Sew Learning How to Work
My First Penny My First Dollar
t
SUGGESTIONS FOR THEME-WRITING
My Early Ambitions : — What was the first ambition that
you ean remember? What suggested it? Did y6u look up to
some one as a person to be imitated? Did some story that was
told you give you an idea of what you would like to be? How
did you feel about the matter? Did you think about it much?
Did you tell any one of what you hoped to be when you grew
up? Did you do anything to make your wishes come true? If
so, did your attempts get you into trouble? When did your am-
bition begin to change? Why? How many times have your
ideas on the subject changed since then? Have you any real
ambition at the present time that you would care to tell?
The First Books That I Read : — Can you remember the
first books that you were interested in? Could you read them
through, or did you have help? What were they about? Which
one did you like best? Did any of them have any infliience upon
you? Tell about them in somewhat the same way as that in
which Franklin tells of the books that he read.
COLLATERAL READINGS
*>
Autobiography Benjamin Franklin
Home Life in Colonial Days . . . Alice Morse Earle
Customs and Fashions in Old New
England " " "
Costumes of Colonial Times . . . " " "
The Diary of Anna Green Winslow " " " (Ed.)
Colonial Days and Ways . . . . H. E. Smith
Colonial Days and Dames . . > . A, H. Wharton
Beneath Old Roof Trees .... A. E. Brown
How Our Grandfathers Lived . . A. B. Hart (Ed.)
Grandfather's Chair Nathaniel Hawthorne
Letters from Colonial Children . . E. M. Tappan
FKANKLIN'S BOYHOOD 81
The New England Primer . . . Paul Leicester Ford (Ed.)
Where American Independence Be-
gan M. D. Wilson
Hugh Wynne S. Weir Mitchell
In the Valley Harold Frederic
In Colonial Times Mary Wilkins
Men Who Have Risen ..... Hamilton W. Mabie
Poor Boys Who Became Famous . Sarah K. Bolton
Girls Who Became Famous ... « « «
Famous American Statesmen ... « « «
The Making of an American . . . Jacob Kiis
Up from Slavery Booker T. Washington
The Story of My Life Helen Keller
The Story of a Child Pierre Loti
An Indian Boyhood Charles Eastman
The One I Knew Best of All . . . Frances Hodgson Burnett
Autobiography Joseph Jefferson
Autobiography (in Life of Scott, by
Lockhart) Walter Scott
A New England Girlhood .... Lucy Larcom
The Autobiography of a Tomboy . Jeannette Gilder
The Many-sided Franklin .... Paul Leicester Ford
The True Benjamin Franklin . . S. G. Fisher
The True Story of Benjamin Frank-
lin E. S. Brooks
Captains of Industry James Parton
THE CHRISTMAS DINNER
WASHINGTON IRVING
(From The Sketch Book)
Lo, now ia come our joyful' st feast !
Let every man be jolly,
Each roome with yvie leaves is drest,
And every post with holly.
Now all our neighbours' chimneys smoke,
And Christmas blocks are burning ;
Their ovens they with bak'd meats choke,
And all their spits are turning
Without the door let sorrow lie,
And if, for cold, it hap to die,
Wee '1 bury it in a Christmas pye,
And evermore be merry.
WiTHEES, Juvenilia.
I HAD finished my toilet, and was loitering with
Frank Bracebridge in the library, when he heard a
distant thwacking sound, which he informed me was a
signal for the serving up of the dinner. The 'Squire
kept up old customs in kitchen as well as hall; and the
rolling-pin struck upon the dresser by the cook, sum-
moned the servants to carry in the meats.
Just in this nick the cook knock'd thrice,
And all the waiters in a trice
His summons did obey ;
Each serving man, with dish in hand,
Marched boldly up, like our train band,
Presented, and away.
The dinner was served up in the great hall, where
the 'Squire always held his Christmas banquet. A
blazing crackling fire of logs had been heaped on to
warm the spacious apartment, and the flame went
sparkling and wreathing up the wide-mouthed chim-
THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 83
ney. The great picture of tlie crusader and his white
horse had been profusely decorated with greens for
the occasion ; and holly and ivy had likewise been
wreathed round the helmet and weapons on the oppo-
site wall, which I understood were the arms of the
same warrior. I must own, by the bye, I had strong
doubts about the authenticity of the painting and
armor as having belonged to the crusader, they cer-
tainly having the stamp of more recent days; but I
was told that the painting had been so considered time
out of mind; and that, as to the armor, it had been
found in a lumber-room, and elevated to its present
situation by the 'Squire, who at once determined it to
be the armor of the family hero; and as he was abso-
lute authority on all such subjects in his own house-
hold, the matter had passed into current acceptation.
A sideboard was set out just under tbis chivalric
trophy, on which was a display of plate that might
have vied (at least in variety) with Belshazzar's parade
of the vessels of the temple; "flagons, cans, cups,
beakers, goblets, basins, and ewers"; the gorgeous
utensils of good companionship that had gradually
accumulated through many generations of jovial house-
keepers. Before these stood the two yule candles, beam-
ing like two stars of the first magnitude ; other lights
were distributed in branches, and the whole array
glittered like a firmament of silver.
We were ushered into this banqueting scene with,
the sound of minstrelsy ; the old barper being seated
on a stool beside the fireplace, and twanging his in-
strument with a vast deal more power than melody.
Never did Christmas board display a more goodly and
gracious assemblage of countenances ; those who were
not handsome, were, at least, happy ; and happiness is
84 WASHINGTON IRVING
a rare improver of your hard-favored visage. I always
consider an old English family as well worth studying
as a collection of Holbein's portraits, or Albert Durer's
prints. There is much antiquarian lore to be acquired ;
much knowledge of the physiognomies of former times.
Perhaps it may be from having continually before
their eyes those rows of old family portraits, with
which the mansions of this country are stocked ; cer-
tain it is, that the quaint features of antiquity are often
most faithfully perpetuated in these ancient lines ; and
I have traced an old family nose through a whole pic-
ture gallery, legitimately handed down from genera-
tion to generation, almost from the time of the Con-
quest. Something of the kind was to be observed in
the worthy company around me. Many of their faces
had evidently originated in a Gothic age, and been
merely copied by succeeding generations; and there
was one little girl, in particular, of staid demeanor,
with a high Roman nose, and an antique vinegar as-
pect, who was a great favorite of the 'Squire's, being,
as he said, a Bracebridge all over, and the very coun-
terpart of one of his ancestors who figured in the Court
of Henry VIII.
The parson said grace, which was not a short famil-
iar one, such as is commonly addressed to the Deity
in these unceremonious days ; but a long, courtly, well-
worded one of the ancient school. There was now a
pause, as if something was expected ; when suddenly
the butler entered the hall with some degree of bustle ;
he was attended by a servant on each side with a large
wax-light, and bore a silver dish, on which was an
enormous pig's head, decorated with rosemary, with
a lemou in its mouth, which was placed with great
formality at the head of the table. The moment this
THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 85
pageant made its appearance, the harper struck up a
flourish ; at the conclusion of which the young Oxo-
nian, on receiving a nod from the 'Squire, gave, with
an air of the most comic gravity, an old carol, the first
verse of which was as follows ;
Caput apri defero
Reddens laudes Domino.
The boar's head in hand bring I,
With garlands gay and rosemary.
I pray you all synge merily
Qui estis in convivio.
Though prepared to witness many of these little ec-
centricities, from being apprised of the peculiar hobby
of mine host, yet, I confess, the parade with which so
odd a dish was introduced somewhat perplexed me,
until I gathered from the conversation of the 'Squire
and the parson, that it was meant to represent the
bringing in of the boar's head — a dish formerly served
up with eeremony, and the sound of minstrelsy and
song, at great tables on Christmas day. " I like the old
custom," said the 'Squire, " not merely because it is
stately and pleasing in itself, but because it was ob-
served at the college at Oxford, at which I was edu-
cated. When I hear the old song chanted, it brings to
mind the time when I was young and gamesome — and
the noble old college hall — and my fellow-students
loitering about in their black gowns; many of whom,
poor lads, are now in their graves ! "
The parson, however, whose mind was not haunted
by such associations, and who was always more taken
up with the text than the sentiment, objected to the
Oxonian's version of the carol ; which he affirmed
was different from that sung at college. He went on,
with the dry perseverance of a commentator, to give
86 WASHINGTON IRVING
the college reading, accompanied by sundry annota-
tions ; addressing himself at first to the company at
large ; but finding their attention gradually diverted
to other talk, and other objects, he lowered his tone as
his number of auditors diminished, until he concluded
his remarks in an under voice, to a fat-headed old
gentleman next him, who was silently engaged in the
discussion of a huge plateful of turkey.
The table was literally loaded with good cheer, and
presented an epitome of country abundance, in this
season of overflowing larders. A distinguished post was
allotted to " ancient sirloin," as mine host termed it ;
being, as he added, " the standard of old English hos-
pitality, and a joint of goodly presence, and of full ex-
pectation." There were several dishes quaintly deco-
rated, and which had evidently something traditional
in their embellishments ; but about which, as I did not
like to appear over-curious, I asked no questions.
I could not, however, but notice a pie, magnificently
decorated with peacocks' feathers, in imitation of the
tail of that bird, which overshadowed a considerable
tract of the table. This, the 'Squire confessed, with
some little hesitation, was a pheasant pie, though a
peacock pie was certainly the most authentical ; but
there had been such a mortality among the peacocks
this season, that he could not prevail upon himself to
have one killed.
It would be tedious, perhaps, to my wiser readers,
who may not have that foolish fondness for odd
and obsolete things to which I am a little given, were
I to mention the other makeshifts of this worthy old
humorist, by which he was endeavoring to follow up,
though at humble distance, the quaint customs of an-
tiquity. I was pleased, however, to see the respect
THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 87
shown to his whims by his children and relatives ; who,
indeed, entered readily into the full spirit of them, and
seemed all well versed in their parts ; having doubtless
been present at many a rehearsal. I was amused, too,
at the air of profound gravity with which the butler
and other servants executed the duties assigned them,
however eccentric. They had an old-fashioned look ;
having, for the most part, been brought up in the
household, and grown into keeping with the antiquated
mansion, and the humors of its lord; and most prob-
ably looked upon all his whimsical regulations as the
established laws of honorable housekeeping.
When the cloth was removed, the butler brought in
a huge silver vessel, of rare and curious workmanship,
which he placed before the 'Squire. Its appearance was
hailed with acclamation ; being the Wassail Bowl, so
renowned in Christmas festivity. The contents had
been prepared by the 'Squire himself ; for it was a bev-
erage, in the skilful mixture of which he particularly
prided himself ; alleging that it was too abstruse and
complex for the comprehension of an ordinary servant.
It was a potation, indeed, that might well make the
heart of a toper leap within him ; being composed of
the richest and raciest wines, highly spiced and sweet-
ened, with roasted apples bobbing about the surface.
The old gentleman's whole countenance beamed with
a serene look of indwelling delight, as he stirred this
mighty bowl. Having raised it to his lips, with a hearty
wish of a merry Christmas to all present, he sent it
brimming round the board, for every one to follow his
example according to the primitive style ; pronouncing
it "the ancient fountain of good feeling, where all
hearts met together."
There was much laughing and rallying, as the hon-
88 WASHIN<iTON IRVING
est efmblem of Christmas joviality circulated, and was
kissed rather coyly by the ladies. But when it reached I
Master Simon, he raised it in both hands, and with
the air of a boon companion, struck up an old Wassail
Chanson :
The brown bowle,
The merry brown bowle,
As it goes round aboute-a,
Fill
Still,
Let the world say what it will,
And drink your fill all out-a.
The deep canne.
The merry deep canne.
As thou dost freely qua£E-a,
Sing
Fling,
Be as merry as a king.
And sound a lusty laugh-a. -^
Much of the conversation during dinner turned upon
family topics, to which I was a stranger. There w^as,
however, a great deal of rallying of Master Simon
about some gay widow, with whom he was accused of
having a flirtation. This attack was commenced by the
ladies ; but it was continued throughout the dinner by
the fat-headed old gentleman next the parson, with the
persevering assiduity of a slow hound ; being one of
these long-winded jokers, who, though rather dull at
starting game, are unrivaled for their talents in hunting
it down. At every pause in the general conversation, he
renewed his bantering in pretty much the same terms ;
winking hard at me with both eyes, whenever he gave
Master Simon what he considered a home thrust. The
latter, indeed, seemed fond of being teased on the sub-
ject, as old bachelors are apt to be ; and he took occa-
THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 89
sion to inform me, in an undertone, that the lady in
question was a prodigiously fine woman and drove her
own curricle. ''^
The dinner-time passed away in this flow of inno-
cent hilarity, and though the old hall may have re-
sounded in its time with many a scene of broader rout
and revel, yet I doubt whether it ever witnessed more
honest and genuine enjoj'-ment. How easy it is for one
benevolent being to diffuse pleasure around him ; and
how truly is a kind heart a fountain of gladness, making
everything in its vicinity to freshen into smiles ! The
joyous disposition of the worthy 'Squire was perfectly
contagious ; he was happy himself, and disposed to make
all the world happy ; and the little eccentricities of his
humor did but season, in a manner, the sweetness of
his philanthropy.
When the ladies had retired, the conversation, as
usual, became still more animated.
The 'Squire told several long stories of early college
pranks and adventures, in some of which the parson
had been a sharer ; though in looking at the latter, it
required some effort of imagination to figure such a
little dark anatomy of a man, into the perpetrator of
a madcap gambol. Indeed, the two college chums pre-
sented pictures of what men may be made by their dif-
ferent lots in life : the 'Squire had left the university
to live lustily on his paternal domains, in the vigorous
enjoyment of prosperity and sunshine, and had flour-
ished on to a hearty and florid old age ; whilst the poor
parson, on the contrary, had dried and withered away,
among dusty tomes, in the silence and shadows of his
study. Still there seemed to be a spark of almost extin-
guished fire, feebly glimmering in the bottom of his
soul; and, as the 'Squire hinted at a sly story of the
90 WASHINGTON IRVING
parson and a pretty milkmaid whom they once met on
the banks of the Isis, the old gentleman made an "al-
phabet of faces," which, as far as I could decipher his
physiognomy, I verily believe was indicative of laughter,
— indeed, I have rarely met with an old gentleman that
took absolute offence at the imputed gallantries of his
youth.
After the dinner-table was removed, the hall was
given up to the younger members of the family, who,
prompted to all kinds of noisy mirth by the Oxonian
and Master Simon, made its old walls ring with their
merriment, as they played at romping games. I delight
in witnessing the gambols of children, and particularly
at this happy holiday season, and could not help steal-
ing out of the drawing-room on hearing one of their
peals of laughter. I found them at the game of blind-
man's-buff. Master Simon, who was the leader of their
revels, and seemed on all occasions to fulfill the office
of that ancient potentate, the Lord of Misrule, was
blinded in the midst of the hall. The little beings were
as busy about him as the mock fairies about Falstaff ;
pinching him, plucking at the skirts of his coat, and
tickling him with straws. One fine blue-eyed girl of
about thirteen, with her flaxen hair all in beautiful con-
fusion, her frolic face in a glow, her frock half torn off
her shoulders, a complete picture of a romp, was the
chief tormentor ; and from the slyness with which
Master Simon avoided the smaller game, and hemmed
this wild little nymph in corners, and obliged her to
jump shrieking over chairs, I suspected the rogue of
being not a whit more blinded than was convenient.
When I returned to the drawing-room, I found the
company seated round the fire, listening to the parson,
who was deeply ensconced in a high-backed oaken chair,
THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 91
the work of some cunning artificer of yore, which had
been brought from the library for his particular accom-
modation. From this venerable piece of furniture, with
which his shadowy figure and dark weazen face so ad-
mirably accorded, he was dealing forth strange accounts
of the popular superstitions and legends of the sur-
rounding country, with which he had become acquainted
in the course of his antiquarian researches. I am in-
clined to think that the old gentleman was himself
somewhat tinctured with superstition, as men are very
apt to be, who live a recluse and studious life in a se-
questered part of the country, and pore over black-letter
tracts, so often filled with the marvellous and super-
natural. He gave us several anecdotes of the fancies
of the neighboring peasantry, concerning the effigy of
the crusader, which lay on the tomb by the church al-
tar. As it was the only monument of the kind in that
part of the country, it had always been regarded with
feelings of superstition by the good wives of the village.
It was said to get up from the tomb and walk the
rounds of the churchyard in stormy nights, particularly
when it thundered ; and one old woman whose cottage
bordered on the churchyard, had seen it through the
windows of the church, when the moon shone, slowly
pacing up and down the aisles. It was the belief that
some wrong had been left unredressed by the deceased,
or some treasure hidden, which kept the spirit in a
state of trouble and restlessness. Some talked of gold
and jewels buried in the tomb, over which the spectre
kept watch ; and there was a story current of a sexton,
in old times, who endeavored to break his way to the
coffin at night ; but just as he reached it received a
violent blow f ron\ the marble hand of the effigy, which
stretched him senseless on the pavement. These tales
92 WASHINGTON IRVING
were often laughed at by some of the sturdier among
the rustics ; yet, when night came on, there were many
of the stoutest unbelievers that were shy of venturing
alone in the footpath that led across the church-
yard.
From these and other anecdotes that followed, the
crusader appeared to be the favorite hero of ghost
stories throughout the vicinity. His picture, which
hung up in the hall, was thought by the servants to
have something supernatural about it : for they re-
marked that, in whatever part of the hall you went,
the eyes of the warrior wiere still fixed on you. The
old porter's wife, too, at the lodge, who had been born
and brought up in the family, and was a great gossip
among the maid-servants, affirmed, that in her young
days she had often heard say, that on Midsummer eve,
when it was well known all kinds of ghosts, goblins,
and fairies, become visible and walk abroad, the cru-
sader used to mount his horse, come down from his
picture, ride about the house, down the avenue, and
so to the church to visit the tomb ; on which occasion
the church door most civilly swung open of itself; not
that he needed it — for he rode through closed gates
and even stone walls, and had been seen by one of
the dairy-maids to pass between two bars of the
great park gate, making himself as thin as a sheet of
paper.
All these superstitions I found had been very much
countenanced by the 'Squire, who though not supersti-
tious himself, was very fond of seeing others so. He
listened to every goblin tale of the neighboring gossips
with infinite gravity, and held the porter's wife in
high favor on account of her talent for the marvellous.
He was himself a great reader of old legends and ro-
THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 93
mances, and often lamented that he could not believe
in them ; for a superstitious person, he thought, must
live in a kind of fairy-land.
Whilst we were all attention to the parson's stories,
our ears were suddenly assailed by a burst of hetero-
geneous sounds from the hall, in which were mingled
something like the clang of rude minstrelsy, with the
uproar of many small voices and girlish laughter. The
door suddenly flew open, and a train came trooping
into the room, that might almost have been mistaken
for the breaking up of the court of Fairy. That inde-
fatigable spirit. Master Simon, in the faithful dis-
charge of his duties as Lord of Misrule, had conceived
the idea of a Christmas mummery, or masking ; and
having called in to his assistance the Oxonian and the
young officer, who were equally ripe for anything that
should occasion romping and merriment, they had car-
ried it into instant effect. The old housekeeper had
been consulted ; the antique clothes-presses and ward-
robes rummaged, and made to yield up the relics of
finery that had not seen the light for several genera-
tions : the younger part of the company had been pri-
vately convened from parlor and hall, and the whole
had been bedizened out, into a burlesque imitation of
an antique masque.
Master Simon led the van as " Ancient Christmas,"
quaintly apparelled in a ruff, short cloak, which had
very much the aspect of one of the old housekeeper's
petticoats, and a hat that might have served for a vil-
lage steeple and must indubitablj^ have figured in the
days of the Covenanters. From under this, his nose
curved boldly forth, flushed with a frost-bitten bloom
that seemed the very trophy of a December blast. He
was accompanied by the blue-eyed romp, dished up as
94 WASHINGTON IRVING
"Dame Mince Pie," in the venerable magnificence of
faded brocade, long stomacher, peaked hat and high-
heeled shoes.
The young officer appeared as Robin Hood, in a
sporting dress of Kendal green, and a foraging cap
with a gold tassel.
The costume, to be sure, did not bear testimony to
deep research, and there was an evident eye to the
picturesque natural to a young gallant in presence of
his mistress. The fair Julia hung on his arm in a
pretty rustic dress, as " Maid Marian." The rest of
the train had been metamorphosed in various ways ;
the girls trussed up in the finery of the ancient belles
of the Bracebridge line, and the striplings bewhiskered
with burnt cork, and gravely clad in broad skirts,
hanging sleeves, and full-bottomed wigs, to represent
the characters of Roast Beef, Plum Pudding, and
other worthies celebrated in ancient maskings. The
whole was under the control of the Oxonian, in the
appropriate character of Misrule ; and I observed that
he exercised rather a mischievous sway with his wand
over the smaller personages of the pageant.
The irruption of this motley crew, with beat of
drum, according to ancient custom, was the consum-
mation of uproar and merriment. Master Simon cov-
ered himself with glory by the stateliness with which,
as Ancient Christmas, he walked a minuet with the
peerless, though giggling, Dame Mince Pie. It was
followed by a dance from all the characters, which,
from its medley of costumes, seemed as though the old
family portraits had skipped down from their frames
to join in the sport. Different centuries were figuring
at cross-hands and right and left ; the Dark Ages were
cutting pirouettes and rigadoons; and the days of
THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 95
Queen Bess, jigging merrily down the middle, through
a line of succeeding generations.
The worthy 'Squire contemplated these fantastic
sports, and this resurrection of his old wardrobe, with
the simple relish of childish delight. He stood chuck-
ling and rubbing his hands, and scarcely hearing a
word the parson said, notwithstanding that the latter
was discoursing most authentically on the ancient and
stately dance of the Pa von, or peacock, from which he
conceived the minuet to be derived. For my part, I
was in a continual excitement from the varied scenes
of whim and innocent gayety passing before me. It
was inspiring to see wild-eyed frolic and warm-hearted
hospitality breaking out from among the chills and
glooms of winter, and old age throwing off his apathy,
and catching once more the freshness of youthful en-
joyment. I felt also an interest in the scene, from the
consideration that these fleeting customs were posting
fast into oblivion, and that this was, perhaps, the only
family in England in which the whole of them were
still punctiliously observed. There was a quaintness,
too, mingled with all this revelry, that gave it a pecu-
liar zest : it was suited to the time and place ; and as
the old Manor-house almost reeled with mirth and
wassail, it seemed echoing back the joviality of long-
departed years.
NOTES
Frank Bracebridge : — See Bracehridge Hall, by Irving.
'Squire: — Esquire ; a title of office and courtesy,
the Crusader : — See Christmas Eve in the Sketch Book.
Belshazzar : — Daniel, 5 : 1, 2, 3.
Holbein : — A German painter (1497-1543).
Albert Durer: — Usually spelled DUrer. A German painter
and engraver (1471-1528).
96 WASHINGTON IRVING
Conquest : — The conquering of England by William of
Normandy, in 1066, generally known as the Norman Conquest. *"
Gothic : — Pertaining to the art of Western Europe in the
thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries.
Oxonian : — A student or graduate of Oxford University, in
England.
Caput apri defero: — *' I bring in the head of the boar."
The old ceremony of serving up tlie boar's head on Christmas
Day is here referred to.
A peacock pie : — A peacock pie was in ancient times con-
sidered a most fitting dish for stately entertainments. The
crust was adorned with the plumage of the bird.
wassail : — A spiced drink used on festive occasions in Eng-
land, for the drinking of healths. Wassail means. Health to you !
It is formed from the two Old English words, wees heel, — Be
thou healthy. Heel is an earlier form of the modern English
hale ; cf . hale and hearty.
chanson : — The French word for song.
the brown bowl : — From Poor Robin's Almanack.
Master Simon : — See Christmas Eve in the Sketch Book.
the banks of the Isis : — The Isis River in England.
the Lord of Misrule : — The master of the revels at
Christmas, in a nobleman's house.
Falstaff : — A fat and jolly, but greedy and selfish knight,
appearing in several of Shakespeare's plays. The incident here
referred to is found in the Merry Wives of Windsor, Act V,
S©ene 5.
black letter tracts : — Tracts or pamphlets printed in Old
English or Gothic lettering of very ancient style.
mummery : — Masking; frolic in disguise.
Covenanters : — Those who agreed to preserve the reformed
religion in Scotland, in 1638.
Robin Hood : — A famous English outlaw, whose exploits
have been the subject of many tales and ballads.
Kendal green : — A cloth colored green by dye used by
the Flemish weavers at Kendal, England. Robin Hood's men are
usually represented as wearing kendal green.
Maid Marian: — The wife of Robin Hood.
Dark Ages : — A period of ignorance and lack of progress,
lasting from (about) 500 A. D. to (about) 1500 A. D.
pirouettes and rigadoons : — A pirouette is a turning or
THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 97
twisting of the toes in dancing. A rigadoou is a gay, lively dance
for one couple.
Queen Bess : — Queen Elizabeth, who ruled England from
1558 to 1603.
pavon : — Pavo (gen. pavonis) is the Latin word for peacock.
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY
Do you get a good idea of the banquet hall ? Is the picture
made clearer by the remarks concerning the crusader and his
portrait ? Of what value are these lines ? Does the author give
a straightforward account of the situation, or does he digress
(wander away) occasionally ? Is his method good or bad? What
kind of man is the 'Squire ? The parson ? What is the meaning
of " ancient " as applied to the sirloin ? What is the connection
with the word " standard " in the next line ? Do you get any
idea of the character of Master Simon ? What parts of the
Christmas celebration particularly suggest the olden time ? Do
you think it a good thing to copy the customs of the past ? Why,
and why not ? Does there seem to be any plan about the selec-
tion ? What are its good qualities ? Is it clear ? lively ? vivid ?
humorous ? interesting ? Can you describe some Christmas fes-
tivities that you have seen ?
THE^IE SUBJECTS
Hiding the Christmas Tree Preparing the Christmas Din-
Our Family Reunion at Christ- ner
mas A Christmas Party
How We Trimmed the Tree Getting the Presents Ready
My First Recollections of Santa The Christmas Tree at Our
Claus Sunday School
How I Spent the Holidays In the Kitchen at Christmas
A Christmas Visit Time
When the Tree Caught Fire Christmas at Home
Seeing the Old Year Out An Old-Fashioned Christmas
The Night before Christmas How We Celebrated New
How We Decorated the Church Year's Day
SUGGESTIONS FOR THEME-WRITING
In the Kitchen at Christmas Time : — What are the first
preparations made for the Christmas dinner ? How does the
98 WASHINGTON IRVING
kitchen look when the supplies all come in ? What part of the
cooking is done first ? Who does it ? How does this person look
and talk while at work ? What persons help, and what do
they do ? Give an idea of the confusion in the kitchen. Describe,
in their order, the process of getting the things ready. How do
they look, and smell and taste ? When the dinner is all ready,
how does the kitchen look ? How do the cooks feel about it ?
The Christmas Tree at Our Sunday School: — Tell
about some particular Christmas tree at your Sunday School.
What persons prepared it ? Where was the tree placed ? Did
you see it while it was being decorated, or after all the decora-
tions were on ? How did it look ? Tell us as much about it as
you can, trying by means of picture-words to give a complete
idea of the tree. What did the children say about it ? Mention
one or two children in particular. Did the little ones wait pa-
tiently while the songs were being sung, and the pieces spoken?
Give an idea of the services and the people who took part. Did
anything funny happen ? Give as clear a picture as you can of
the distributing of the presents. Tell what the children received,
and what they said and did. Close your description with the de-
parture of the people from the church.
COLLATERAL READINGS
See the list of books by Washington Irving, page 120
Christmas Books William M. Thackeray
The Cricket on the Hearth
A Christmas Carol ....
The First Christmas Tree . .
The Other Wise Man . . .
Christmas Eve on Lonesome .
Betty Leicester's Christmas
Santa Clans' s Partner . . .
A Little Book of Profitable Tales
Colonel Carter's Christmas . .
A Christmas Wreck and Other Stories Frank R. Stockton
Christmas Jenny (in A New England
Nun) Mary E. Wilkins
The Birds' Christmas Carol . . . Kate Douglas Wiggin
A Suitable Child Norman Duncan
Christmas Sermon Robert Louis Stevenson
Charles Dickens
it «
Henry van Dyke
(< ti «
John Fox
Sarah Orne Jewett
Thomas Nelson Page
Eugene Field
F. Hopkinson Smith
THE BELATED TRAVELLERS
WASHINGTON IRVING
(From Tales of a Traveller)
It was late one evening that a carriage, drawn by
mules, slowly toiled its way up one o£ the passes of the
Apennines. It was through one of the wildest defiles,
where a hamlet occurred only at distant intervals,
perched on the summit of some rocky height, or the
white towers of a convent peeped out from among the
thick mountain foliage. The carriage was of ancient
and ponderous construction. Its faded embellishments
spoke of former splendor, but its crazy springs and axle-
trees creaked out the tale of present decline. Within
was seated a tall, thin old gentleman in a kind of mil-
itary travelling dress, and a foraging cap trimmed
with fur, though the gray locks which stole from
under it hinted that his fighting days were over. Be-
side him was a pale, beautiful girl of eighteen, dressed
in something of a northern or Polish costume. One
servant was seated in front, a rusty, crusty looking
fellow, with a scar across his face, an orange-tawny
schnurrbart or pair of mustaches, bristling from under
his nose, and altogether the air of an old soldier.
It was, in fact, the equipage of a Polish nobleman ;
a wreck of one of those princely families which had
lived with almost oriental magnificence, but had been
broken down and impoverished by the disasters of
Poland. The Count, like many other generous spirits,
had been found guilty of the crime of patriotism, and
was, in a manner, an exile from his country. He had
100 WASHINGTON IRVING
resided for some time in the first cities of Italy, for
the education of his daughter, in whom all his cares and
pleasures were now centred. He had taken her into
society, where her beauty and her accomplishments
had gained her many admirers; and had she not been
the daughter of a poor broken-down Polish nobleman,
it is more than probable many would have contended
for her hand. Suddenly, however, her health had be-
come delicate and drooping ; her gayety fled with the
roses of her cheek, and she sank into silence and de-
bility. The old Count saw the change with the solici-
f tude of a parent. " We must try a change of air and
i scene," said he ; and in a few days the old family car-
I riage was rumbling among the Apennines.
Their only attendant was the veteran Caspar, who
had been born in the family, and grown rusty in its
service. He had followed his master in all his fortunes ;
had fought by his side ; had stood over him when
fallen in battle ; and had received, in his defence, the
sabre-cut which added such grimness to his counte-
nance. He was now his valet, his steward, his butler,
his factotum. The only being that rivalled his master
in his affections was his youthful mistress. She had
grown up under his eye, he had led her by the hand
when she was a child, and he now looked upon her
with the fondness of a parent. Nay, he even took
the freedom of a parent in giving his blunt opinion
on all matters which he thought were for her good ;
and felt a parent's vanity at seeing her gazed at and
admired.
The evening was thickening; they had been for
some time passing through narrow gorges of the moun-
tains, along the edge of a tumbling stream. The
scenery was lonely and savage. The rocks often
THE BELATED TRAVELLERS 101
beetled over the road, with flocks of white goats
browsing on their brinks, and gazing down upon the
travellers. They had between two or three leagues yet
to go before they could reach any village ; yet the
muleteer, Pietro, a tippling old fellow, who had re-
freshed himself at the last halting-place with a more
than ordinary quantity of wine, sat singing and talk-
ing alternately to his mules, and suffering them to lag
on at a snail's pace, in spite of the frequent entreaties
of the Count and the maledictions of Caspar.
The clouds began to roll in heavy masses along the
mountains, shrouding their summits from the view.
The air of these heights, too, was damp and chilly.
The Count's solicitude on his daughter's account over-
came his usual patience. He leaned from the carriage,
and called to old Pietro in an angry tone:
" Forward ! " said he. " It will be midnight before
we arrive at our inn."
" Yonder it is, Signor," said the muleteer.
" Where," demanded the Count.
"Yonder," said Pietro, pointing to a desolate pile
of buildings about a quarter of a league distant.
" That the place ? — why, it looks more like a ruin
than an inn. I thought we were to put up for the
night at a comfortable village."
Here Pietro uttered a string of piteous explana-
tions and ejaculations, such as are ever at the tip of
the tongue of a delinquent muleteer. " Such roads !
and such mountains ! and then his poor animals were
way-worn, and leg- weary ; they would fall lame ; they
would never be able to reach the village. And then
what could his Eccellenza wish for better than the
inn ; a perfect castello — a palazzo — and such people !
— and such a larder ! — and such beds ! — His Eccel-
102 WASHINGTON IRVING
lenza might fare as sumptuously and sleep as soundly
there as a prince ! "
The Count was easily persuaded, for he was anxious
to get his daughter out of the night air ; so in a
little while the old carriage rattled and jingled into
the great gateway of the inn.
The building did certainly in some measure answer
to the muleteer's description. It was large enough for
either castle or palace ; built in a strong, but simple
and almost rude style ; with a great quantity of waste
room. It had in fact been, in former times, a hunt-
ing-seat for one of the Italian princes. There was
space enough within its walls and its out-buildings
to have accommodated a little army.
A scanty household seemed now to people this dreary
mansion. The faces that presented themselves on the
arrival of the travellers were begrimed with dirt, and
scowling in their expression. They all knew old Pietro,
however, and gave him a welcome as he entered, sing-
ing and talking, and almost whooping, into the gate-
way.
The hostess of the inn waited, herself, on the Count
and his daughter, to show them the apartments. They
were conducted through a long gloomy corridor, and
then through a suite of chambers opening into each
other, with lofty ceilings, and great beams extending
across them. Everythiog, however, had a wretched,
squalid look. The walls were damp and bare, except-
ing that here and there hung some great painting, large
enough for a chapel, and blackened out of all distinc-
tion.
They chose two bedrooms, one within another; the
inner one for the daughter. The bedsteads were mas-
sive and misshapen^ but on examining the beds
THE BELATED TRAVELLERS 103
so vaunted by old Pietro they found tliem stuffed
with fibres of hemp knotted in great lumps. The
Count shrugged his shoulders, but there was no
choice left.
The chilliness of the apartment crept to their bones ;
and they were glad to return to a common chamber or
kind of hall, where was a fire burning in a huge cavern,
miscalled a chimney. A quantity of green wood had
just been thrown on, which puffed out volumes of
smoke. The room corresponded to the rest of the man-
sion. The floor was paved and dirty. A great oaken
table stood in the centre, immovable from its size and
weight.
The only thing that contradicted this prevalent air
of indigence was the dress of the hostess. She was a
slattern, of course ; yet her garments, though dirty and
negligent, were of costly materials. She wore several
rings of great value on her fingers, and jewels in her
ears, and round her neck was a string of large pearls,
to which was attached a sparkling crucifix. She had
the remains of beauty, yet there was something in the
expression of her countenance that inspired the young
lady with singular aversion. She was officious and ob-
sequious in her attentions, and both the Count and his
daughter felt relieved when she consigned them to the
care of a dark, sullen-looking servant-maid, and went
off to superintend the supper.
Caspar was indignant at the muleteer for having,
either through negligence or design, subjected his mas-
ter and mistress to such quarters ; and vowed by his
mustaches to have revenge on the old varlet the mo-
ment they were safe out from among the mountains.
He kept up a continual quarrel with the sulky servant-
maid, which only served to increase the sinister expres-
104 WASHINGTON IRVING
sion with which she regarded the travellers from under
her strong dark eyebrows.
As to the Count, he was a good-humored, passive
traveller. Perhaps real misfortunes had subdued his
spirit, and rendered him tolerant of many of those
petty evils which make prosperous men miserable.
He drew a large broken arm-chair to the fireside for
his daughter, and another for himself, and seizing
an enormous pair of tongs, endeavored to rearrange
the wood so as to produce a blaze. His efforts,
however, were only repaid by thicker puffs of smoke,
which almost overcame the good gentleman's pa-
tience. He would draw back, cast a look upon his deli-
cate daughter, then upon the cheerless, squalid apart-
ment, and, shrugging his shoulders, would give a
fresh stir to the fire.
Of all the miseries of a comfortless inn, however,
there is none greater than sulky attendance : the good
Count for some time bore the smoke in silence, rather
than address himself to the scowling servant-maid. At
length he was compelled to beg for drier firewood.
The woman retired muttering. On re-entering the
room hastily, with an armful of fagots, her foot slipped ;
she fell, and striking her head against the corner of a
chair, cut her temple severely.
The blow stunned her for a time, and the wound
bled profusely. When she recovered, she found the
Count's daughter administering to her wound, and
binding it up with her own handkerchief. It was such
an attention as any woman of ordinary feeling would
have yielded ; but perhaps there was something in the
appearance of the lovely being who bent over her, or
in the tones of her voice, that touched the heart of the
woman, unused to be ministered to by such hands.
THE BELATED TKAVELLBRS 105
Certain it is, she was strongly affected. She caught the
delicate hand of the Polonaise, and pressed it fervently
to her lips :
"May San Francesco watch over you, Signora!"
exclaimed she.
A new arrival broke the stillness of the inn. It was
a Spanish princess with a numerous retinue. The court-
yard was in an uproar ; the house in a bustle. The
landlady hurried to attend such distinguished guests :
and the poor Count and his daughter, and their supper,
were for the moment forgotten. The veteran Caspar
muttered Polish maledictions enough to agonize an
Italian ear ; but it was impossible to convince the host-
ess of the superiority of his old master and young mis-
tress to the whole nobility of Spain.
The noise of the arrival had attracted the daughter
to the window just as the newcomers had alighted. A
young cavalier sprang out of the carriage and handed
out the Princess. The latter was a little shrivelled old
lady, with a face of parchment and a sparkling black
eye ; she was richly and gayly dressed, and walked with
the assistance of a gold-headed cane as high as herself.
The young man was tall and elegantly formed. The
Count's daughter shrank back at sight of him, though
the deep frame of the window screened her from obser-
vation. She gave a heavy sigh as she closed the case-
ment. What that sigh meant I cannot say. Perhaps
it was at the contrast between the splendid equipage
of the Princess, and the crazy rheumatic-looking old
vehicle of her father, which stood hard by. Whatever
might be the reason, the young lady closed the case-
ment with a sigh. She returned to her chair — a slight
shivering passed over her delicate frame : she leaned
her elbow on the arm of the chair, rested her pale
106 WASHINGTON IRVING
cheek in the palm of her hand, and looked mournfully
into the fire.
The Count thought she appeared paler than usual.
" Does anything ail thee, my child ? " said he.
" Nothing, dear father ! " replied she, laying her
hand within his, and looking up smiling in his face;
but as she said so, a treacherous tear rose suddenly to
her eye, and she turned away her head.
" The air of the window has chilled thee," said the
Count, fondly, " but a good night's rest will make all
well again.*'
The supper table was at length laid, and the supper
about to be served, when the hostess appeared, with
her usual obsequiousness, apologizing for showing in
the newcomers ; but the night air was cold, and there
was no other chamber in the inn with a fire in it. She
had scarcely made the apology when the Princess en-
tered, leaning on the arm of the elegant young man.
The Count immediately recognized her for a lady
whom he had met frequently in society, both at Eome
and Naples ; and at whose conversaziones, in fact, he
had been constantly invited. The cavalier, too, was
her nephew and heir, who had been greatly admired
in the gay circles both for his merits and prospects,
and who had once been on a visit at the same time
with his daughter and himself at the villa of a noble-
man near Naples. Report had recently affianced him
to a rich Spanish heiress*
The meeting was agreeable to both the Count and
the Princess. The former was a gentleman of the old
school, courteous in the extreme ; the Princess had
been a belle in her youth, and a woman of fashion all
her life, and liked to be attended to.
The young man approached the daughter, and be-
THE BELATED TRAVELLERS 107
gan something of a complimentary observation ;
but his manner was embarrassed, and his compli-
ment ended in an indistinct murmur ; while the
daughter bowed without looking up, moved her
lips without articulating a word, and sank again
into her chair, where she sat gazing into the fire,
with a thousand varying expressions passing over
her countenance.
This singular greeting of the young people was not
perceived by the old ones, who were occupied at the time
with their own courteous salutations. It was arranged
that they should sup together ; and as the Princess
travelled with her own cook, a very tolerable supper
soon smoked upon the board. This, too, was assisted
by choice wines, and liquors, and delicate confitures
brought from one of her carriages ; for she was a vet-
eran epicure, and curious in her relish for the good
things of this world. She was, in fact, a vivacious little
old lady, who mingled the woman of dissipation with
the devotee. She was actually on her way to . Loretto
to expiate a long life of gallantries and peccadilloes by
a rich offering at the holy shrine. . . .
The Princess and the Count chatted much during
supper about the scenes and society in which they had
mingled, and did not notice that they had all the con-
versation to themselves ; the young people were silent
and constrained. The daughter ate nothing, in spite
of the politeness of the Princess, who continually
pressed her to taste of one or other of the delicacies.
The Count shook his head.
" She is not well this evening," said he. " I thought
she would have fainted just now as she was looking
out of the window at your carriage on its arrival."
A crimson glow flushed to the very temples of the
108 WASHINGTON IRVING
daughter ; bmt she leaned over her plate, and her
tresses cast a shade over her countenance.
When supper was over, they drew their chairs
about the great fireplace. The flame and smoke had
subsided, and a heap of glowing embers diffused
a grateful warmth. A guitar, which had been brought
from the Count's carriage, leaned against the wall ;
the Princess perceived it : " Can we not have a lit-
tle music before parting for the night ? " demanded
she.
The Count was proud of his daughter's accomplish-
ment, and joined in the request. The young man made
an effort of politeness, and taking up the guitar, pre-
sented it, though in an embarrassed manner, to the
fair musician. She would have declined it, but was too
much confused to do so ; indeed, she was so nervous
and agitated, that she dared not trust her voice to
make an excuse. She touched the instrument with a
faltering hand, and after preluding a little, accompa-
nied herself in several Polish airs. Her father's eyes
glistened as he sat gazing on her. Even the crusty
Caspar lingered in the room, partly through a fondness
for the music of his native country, but chiefly through
his pride in the musician. Indeed, the melody of the
voice and the delicacy of the touch were enough to
have charmed more fastidious ears. The little Princess
nodded her head and tapped her hand to the music,
though exceedingly out of time ; while the nephew sat
buried in profound contemplation of a black picture
on the opposite wall.
" And now," said the Count, patting her cheek
fondly, " one more favor. Let the Princess hear that
little Spanish air you were so fond of. You can't
think," added he, " what a proficiency she has made in
THE BELATED TRAVELLERS 109
your laDguage ; though she has been a sad girl and
neglected it of late."
The color flushed the pale cheek of the daughter.
She hesitated, murmured something ; but with sudden
effort, collected herself, struck the guitar boldly, and
began. It was a Spanish romance, with something of
love and melancholy in it. She gave the first stanza
with great expression, for the tremulous melting tones
of her voice went to the heart ; but her articulation
failed, her lip quivered, the song died away, and she
burst into tears.
The Count folded her tenderly in his arms. " Thou
art not well, my child," said he, "and I am tasking
thee cruelly. Retire to thy chamber, and God bless
thee ! " She bowed to the company without raising her
eyes, and glided out of the room.
The Count shook his head as the door closed. "Some-
thing is the matter with that child," said he, " which I
cannot divine. She has lost all health and spirits lately.
She was always a tender flower, and I had much pains
to rear her. Excuse a father's foolishness," continued
he, " but I have seen much trouble in my family ; and
this poor girl is all that is now left to me ; and she used
to be so lively — "
" Maybe she 's in love I " said the little Princess,
with a shrewd nod of the head.
" Impossible ! " replied the good Count, artlessly.
" She has never mentioned a word of such a thing tome."
How little did the worthy gentleman dream of the
thousand cares, and griefs, and mighty love concerns
which agitate a virgin heart, and which a timid girl
scarcely breathes unto herself.
The nephew of the Princess rose abruptly and walked
about the room.
110 WASHINGTON IRVING
When she found herself alone in her chamber, the
feelings of the young lady, so long restrained, broke
forth with violence. She opened the casement that the
cool air might blow upon her throbbing temples. Per-
haps there was some little pride or pique mingled with
her emotions ; though her gentle nature did not seem
calculated to harbor any such angry inmate.
"He saw me weep!" said she, with a sudden man-
tling of the cheek and a swelling of the throat — " but
no matter ! — no matter ! "
And so saying, she threw her white arms across the
window frame, buried her face in them, and abandoned
herself to an agony of tears. She remained lost in a
reverie, until the sound of her father's and Caspar's
voices in the adjoining room gave token that the party
had retired for the night. The lights gleaming from
window to window, showed that they were conducting
the Princess to her apartments, which were in the op-
posite wing of the inn ; and she distinctly saw the figure
of the nephew as he passed one of the casements.
She heaved a deep, heart-drawn sigh, and was about
to close the lattice, when her attention was caught by
words spoken below her window by two persons who
had just turned an angle of the building.
" But what will become of the poor young lady ? "
said a voice, which she recognized for that of the ser-
vant-woman.
" Pooh, she must take her chance," was the reply
from old Pietro.
" But cannot she be spared ? " asked the other en-
treatingly ; " she 's so kind-hearted ! "
" Cospetto ! what has got into thee ? " replied the
other petulantly : " Would you mar the whole business
for the sake of a silly girl ? " By this time they had
THE BELATED TRAVELLERS 111
got so far from the window that the Polonaise could
hear nothing further.
/ There was something in this fragment of conversa-
tion calculated to alarm. Did it relate to herself ? —
and if so, what was this impending danger from which
it was entreated that she might be spared ? She was
Several times on the point of tapping at her father's
door, to tell him what she had heard, but she might
have been mistaken; she might have heard indis-
tinctly ; the conversation might have alluded to some/
one else ; at any rate, it was too indefinite to lead to any
conclusion. While in this state of irresolution, she was
startled by a low knocking against the wainscot in a
remote part of her gloomy chamber. On holding up
the light, she beheld a small door there, which she had
not before remarked. It was bolted on the inside. She
advanced, and demanded who knocked, and was an-
swered in the voice of the female domestic. On open-
ing the door, the woman stood before it pale and
agitated. She entered softly, laying her finger upon
her lips in sign of caution and secrecy.
" Fly ! " said she : " leave this house instantly, or
you are lost ! "
The young lady, trembling with alarm, demanded an
explanation.
" I have no time," replied the woman, " I dare not
— I shall be missed if I linger here — but fly instantly,
or you are lost."
" And leave my father ? "
"Where is he?"
" In the adjoining chamber."
" Call him, then, but lose no time."
The young lady knocked at her father's door. He
was not yet retired to bed. She hurried into his room,
112 WASHINGTON IRVING
and told him of the fearful warning she had received.
The Count returned with her into her chamber, fol-
lowed by Caspar. His questions soon drew the truth
out of the embarrassed answers of the woman. The inn
was beset by robbers. They were to be introduced after
midnight, when the attendants of the Princess and the
rest of the travellers were sleeping, and would be an
easy prey.
" But we can barricade the inn — we can defend our-
selves," said the Count.
" What ! when the people of the inn were in league
with the banditti ? "
" How then are we to escape ? Can we not order out
the carriage and depart ? "
" San Francesco ! for what ? to give the alarm that
the plot is discovered ? That would make the robbers
desperate, and bring them on you at once. They have
had notice of the rich booty in the inn, and will not
easily let it escape them.'*
" But how else are we to get off ? "
" There is a horse behind the inn," said the woman,
" from which the man has just dismounted who has
been to summon the aid of a part of the band who
were at a distance."
" One horse ; and there are three of us ! " said the
Count.
"And the Spanish Princess!" cried the daughter
anxiously — "How can she be extricated from the
danger?"
" Diavolo ! what is she to me ? " said the woman in
sudden passion. " It is you I come to save, and you
will betray me, and we shall all be lost ! Hark ! " con-
tinued she, " I am called — I shall be discovered —
one word more. This door leads by a staircase to the
THE BELATED TRAVELLERS 113
courtyard. Under the shed, in the rear of the yard, is
a small door leading out [to the fields. You will find
a horse there; mount it; make a circuit under the
shadow of a ridge of rocks that you will see ; proceed
cautiously and quietly until you cross a brook, and find
yourself on the road just where there are three white
crosses nailed against a tree; then put your horse to
his speed, and make the best of your way to the village
— but recollect, my life is in your hands — say nothing
of what you have heard or seen, whatever may hap-
pen at this inn."
The woman hurried away. A short and agitated con-
sultation took place between the Count, his daughter,
and the veteran Caspar. The young lady seemed to
have lost all apprehension for herself in her solicitude
for the safety of the Princess. " To fly in selfish si-
lence, and leave her to be massacred ! " — A shudder-
ing seized her at the very thought. The gallantry of
the Count, too, revolted at the idea. He could not con-
sent to turn his back upon a party of helpless travel-
lers, and leave them in ignorance of the danger which
hung over them.
" But what is to become of the young lady," said
Caspar, " if the alarm is given, and the inn thrown in
tumult ? What may happen to her in a chance-medley
affray?"
Here the feelings of the father were roused ; he
looked upon his lovely, helpless child, and trembled at
the chance of her falling into the hands of ruffians.
The daughter, however, thought nothing of herself.
" The Princess ! the Princess ! — only let the Prin-
cess know her danger." She was willing to share it
with her.
At length Caspar interfered with the zeal of a faith-
114 WASHINGTON IRVING
ful old servant. No time was to be lost — the first thing
was to get the young lady out of danger. " Mount the
horse," said he to the Count, " take her behind you,
and fly ! Make for the village, rouse the inhabitants,
and send assistance. Leave me here to give the alarm
to the Princess and her people. I am an old soldier,
and I think we shall be able to stand siege until you
send us aid."
The daughter would again have insisted on staying
with the Princess —
" For what? " said old Caspar bluntly. " You could
do no good — you would be in the way ; — we should
have to take care of you instead of ourselves."
There was no answering these objections ; the Count
seized his pistols, and taking his daughter under his
arm, moved towards the staircase. The young lady
paused, stepped back, and said, faltering with agita-
tion — "There is a young cavalier with the Prin-
cess — her nephew — perhaps he may — "
" I understand you. Mademoiselle," replied old Cas-
par with a significant nod ; " not a hair of his head
shall suffer harm if I can help it."
The young lady blushed deeper than ever ; she had
not anticipated being so thoroughly understood by the
blunt old servant.
" That is not what I mean," said she, hesitating.
She would have added something, or made some ex-
planation, but the moments were precious, and her
father hurried her away.
They found their way through the courtyard to the
small postern gate where the horse stood, fastened to
a ring in the wall. The Count mounted, took his
daughter behind him, and they proceeded as quietly
as possible in the direction which the woman had
THE BELATED TRAVELLERS 115
pointed out. Many a fearful and an anxious look did
the daughter cast back upon the gloomy pile of build-
ings ; the lights which had feebly twinkled through
the dusky casements were one by one disappearing, a
sign that the house was gradually sinking to repose;
and she trembled with impatience, lest succor should
not arrive until that repose had been fatally inter-
rupted.
They passed silently and safely along the skirts of
the rocks, protected from observation by their over-
hanging shadows. They crossed the brook, and reached
the place where three white crosses nailed against a
tree told of some murder that had been committed
there. Just as they had reached this ill-omened spot
they beheld several men in the gloom coming down a
craggy defile among the rocks.
" Who goes there ? " exclaimed a voice. The Count
put spurs to his horse, but one of the men sprang for-
ward and seized the bridle. The horse became restive,
started back, and reared, and had not the young lady
clung to her father, she would have been thrown off.
The Count leaned forward, put a pistol to the very
head of the ruffian, and fired. The latter fell dead.
The horse sprang forward. Two or three shots were
fired which whistled by the fugitives, but only served
to augment their speed. They reached the village in
safety.
The whole place was soon aroused ; but such was the
awe in which the banditti were held, that the inhabit-
ants shrank at the idea of encountering them. A des-
perate band had for some time infested that pass
through the mountains, and the inn had long been sus-
pected of being one of those horrible places where the
unsuspicious wayfarer is entrapped and silently dis-
116 WASHINGTON IRVING
posed of. The rich ornaments worn by the slatternly
hostess of the inn had excited heavy suspicions. Sev-
eral instances had occurred of small parties of travel-
lers disappearing mysteriously on that road, who, it i
was supposed at first, had been carried off by the rob- I
bers for the sake of ransom, but who had never been
heard of more. Such were the tales buzzed in the ears
of the Count by the villagers, as he endeavored to
rouse them to the rescue of the Princess and her train
from their perilous situation. The daughter seconded
the exertions of her father with all the eloquence of
prayers, and tears, and beauty. Every moment that
elapsed increased her anxiety until it became agoniz-
ing. Fortunately there was a body of-, gensdarmes
resting at the village. A number of the young villagers l
volunteered to accompany them, and the little army
was put in motion. The Count, having desposited his
daughter in a place of safety, was too much of the old
soldier not to hasten to the scene of danger. It would
be difficult to paint the anxious agitation of the young
lady while awaiting the result.
The party arrived at the inn just in time. The rob-
bers, finding their plans discovered, and the travellers
prepared for their reception, had become open and
furious in their attack. The Princess's party had bar-
ricaded themselves in one suite of apartments, and re-
pulsed the robbers from the doors and windows. Cas-
par had shown the generalship of a veteran, and the
nephew of the Princess the dashing valor of a young
soldier. Their ammunition, however, was nearly ex-
hausted, and they would have found it difficult to hold
out much longer, when a discharge from the musketry
of the gensdarmes gave them the joyful tidings of suc-
cor.
THE BELATED TRAVELLERS 117
A fierce fight Ensued, for part of the robbers were
surprised in the inn, and had to stand siege in their
turn; while their comrades made desperate attempts
to relieve them from under cover of the neighboring
rocks and thickets.
I cannot pretend to give a minute account of the
fight, as I have heard it related in a variety of ways.
Suffice it to say, the robbers were defeated ; several of
them killed, and several taken prisoners ; which last,
together with the people of the inn, were either exe-
cuted or sent to the galleys.
I picked up these particulars in the course of a jour-
ney which I made some time after the event had taken
place. I passed by the very inn. It was then disman-
tled, excepting one wing, in which a body of gensdarmes
was stationed. They pointed out to me the shot-holes
in the window-frames, the walls, and the panels of the
doors. There were a number of withered limbs dan-
gling from the branches of a neighboring tree, and
blackening in the air, which I was told were the limbs
of the robbers who had been slain, and the culprits
who had been executed. The whole place had a dismal,
wild, forlorn look.
"Were any of the Princess's party killed?" in-
quired the Englishman.
" As far as I can recollect, there were two or three."
" Not the nephew, I trust ?" said the fair Venetian.
" Oh no ; he hastened with the Count to relieve the
anxiety of the daughter by the assurances of victory.
The young lady had been sustained through the inter-
val of suspense by the very intensity of her feelings.
The moment she saw her father returning in safety,
accompanied by the nephew of the Princess, she uttered
a cry of rapture, and fainted. Happily, however, she
118 WASHINGTON IRVING
soon recovered, and what is more, was married shortly
afterwards to the young cavalier, and the whole party
accompanied the old Princess in her pilgrimage to Lo-
retto, where her votive* offerings may still be seen in
the treasury of the Santa Casa."
NOTES
the Apennines : — The great mountain range of Italy.
schnurrbart: — The German word for mustache.
the disasters of Poland: — There were three divisions of
Poland (called the partitions of Poland) during the latter part
of the 18th century. Large tracts of country were parceled out
to different nations.
Pietro: — Peter.
Ecoellenza: — Excellency.
Castello : — Castle.
palazzo : — Palace.
Polonaise: — The French name for a Polish woman.
San Francesco: — Saint Francis.
conversaziones: — Literary gatherings.
Loretto : — A famous shrine in Ancona.
peccadilloes: — Small sins.
Cospetto: — An exclamation of impatience, " Plague on it!"
gensdarmes: — Armed policemen.
the Englishman: — One of the party at the inn, where the
story of The Belated Travellers was told.
Santa Casa: — The Holy House; i. e., the house of the Vir-
gin Mary, reputed to have been miraculously brought from Naz-
areth to Loretto.
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY
How much of the first four paragraphs is description? How
much is narration? Are the two kinds of writing well combined?
What reason is given for the journey that is being taken by the
nobleman and his daughter? What effect is produced by the de-
scription of the inn and the persons who lived in it? What does
one expect, from the description? What does the awkward fall
of the servant have to do with the story? What does the arrival
THE BELATED TRAVELLERS 119
of another party of travelers have to do with it? Do you think
that the author would bring in these incidents if they were not
important? Why does the daughter of the nobleman appear dis-
turbed? What is the meaning of the incident relating to the
guitar? Have the young girl and the Princess's nephew known
each other before? Who are the people who talk under the
young lady's window? When plans are being made for escape,
about whom is the young lady concerned? Why? What is the
most exciting point in the story? Does the story close abruptly,
or gradually? What is the purpose of the last conversation?
THEME SUBJECTS
An Adventure on the Road The Highwayman
When I Thought I Heard a The Secret Passage
Burglar Chasing the Thieves
Night among the Hills When the Store Was Robbed
The Country Hotel The Gypsy Camp
A Gloomy Room Searching the Haunted House
Supper at the Inn Frightened by a Ghost
An Exciting Adventure How We Routed the Tramps
A Country Road at Night
SUGGESTIONS FOR THEME-WRITING
An Adventure on the Road; — Try to write in a few hun-
dred words, a little story based either on reality or on what you
have imagined. Decide, before you begin, just what the story
is to contain. It must be simple, or you will find it getting so
long that you will become confused. In a short story, such as
you are writing, do you think you ought to have so long a de-
scriptive introduction as Irving has in his ? Try to let the reader
know, very early in the story, the time and place in which the
incident occurs; also, who the travelers are, how they look, how
they are traveling, and where they are going. Give some of
their conversation, if you can. If you think it wise, you might
tell one or two minor incidents that happen to the travelers:
this will gain suspense. Go on, and tell, in as lively a way as
possible, the adventure that takes place. Remember that di-
rectly quoted conversation makes a story lively. Tell what
each person does and says. Decide what is the climax of your
story, and try to make that the strongest point. Do you think
120 WASHINGTON IRVING
that there should be much material added, after the climax is
reached?
A Gloomy Room: — Tell where the room is, that you are
describing. Can you give a general idea of how it looks as you
enter the door? Describe the details that help to make it look
dark and uninviting. Can you explain how one feels when he is
in this particular room?
COLLATERAL READINGS
Tales of a Traveller Washington Irving
The Sketch Book « «
Knickerbocker's History of New
York « «
The Alhambra « "
Astoria " "
Bracebridge Hall " "
Adventures of Captain Bonneville . " "
Wolfert's Roost " «
Monsieur Beaucaire Booth Tarkington
The King of the Mountains . . . E. About (Trans. Mrs.
Kingsbury)
Buccaneers and Pirates of Our Coast Frank R. Stockton
The Express Messenger .... Cy Warman
Held for Orders F. H. Spearman
Washington Irving CD. Warner
THE HOUSE AT WALDEN
HENRY D. THOREAU
(From Chapter I of Walden)
Near tlie end of March, 1845, I borrowed an axe
and went down to the woods by Walden Pond, nearest
to where I intended to build my house, and began to
cut down some tall arrowy white pines, still in their
youth, for timber. It is difficult to begin without bor-
rowing, but perhaps it is the most generous course thus
to permit your fellow-men to have an interest in your
enterprise. The owner of the axe, as he released his
hold on it, said that it was the apple of his eye ; but I
returned it sharper than I received it. It was a pleasant
hillside where I worked, covered with pine woods,
through which I looked out on the pond, and a small
open field in the woods where pines and hickories
were springing up. The ice in the pond was not yet
dissolved, though there were some open spaces, and it
was all dark colored and saturated with water. There
were some slight flurries of snow during the days that
I worked there ; but for the most part when I came
out on to the railroad, on tiiy way home, its yellow sand
heap stretched away gleaming in the hazy atmosphere,
and the rails shone in the spring sun, and I heard the
lark and pewee and other birds already come to com-
mence another year with us. They were pleasant spring
days, in which the winter of man's discontent was thaw-
ing as well as the earth, and the life that had lain tor-
pid began to stretch itself. One day, when my axe had
come off and I had cut a green hickory for a wedge,
122 HENRY D. THOREAU
driving it with a stone, and had placed the whole to
soak in a pond hole in order to swell the wood, I saw a
striped snake run into the water, and he lay on the
bottom, apparently without inconvenience, as long as
I staid there, or more than a quarter of an hour ; per-
haps because he had not fairly come out of the torpid
state. It appeared to me that for a like reason men re-
main in their present low and primitive condition ; but
if they should feel the influence of the spring of springs
arousing them, they would of necessity rise to a higher
and more ethereal life. I had previously seen the snakes
in frosty mornings in my path with portions of their
bodies still numb and inflexible, waiting for the sun to
thaw them. On the 1st of April it rained and melted
the ice, and in the early part of the day, which was
very foggy, I heard a stray goose groping about over
the pond and cackling as if lost, or like the spirit of
the fog. '
So I went on for some days cutting and hewing tim-
ber, and also studs and rafters, all with my narrow
axe, not having many communicable or scholar-like
thoughts, singing to myself, —
Men say they know many things,
But lo ! they have taken wings —
The arts and sciences,
And a thousand appliances j
The wind that blows
Is all that any body knows.
I hewed the main timbers six inches square, most of
the studs on two sides only, and the rafters and floor
timbers on one side, leaving the rest of the bark on, so
that they were just as straight and much stronger than
sawed ones. Each stick was carefully mortised or ten-
oned by its stump, for I had borrowed other tools by
JHE HOUSE AT WALDEN 123
this time. My days in the woods were not very long
ones ; yet I usually carried my dinner of bread and
butter, and read the newspaper in which it was wrapped,
at noon, sitting amid the green pine boughs which I
had cut off, and to my bread was imparted some of their
fragrance, for my hands were covered with a thick coat
of pitch. Before I had done I was more the friend than
the foe of the pine tree, though I had cut down some
of them, having become better acquainted with it.
Sometimes a rambler in the wood was attracted by the
sound of my axe, and we chatted pleasantly over the
chips which I had made.
By the middle of April, for I made no haste in my
work, but rather made the most of it, my house was
framed and ready for the raising. I had already bought
the shanty of James Collins, an Irishman who worked
on the Fitchburg Eailroad, for boards. James Collins'
shanty was considered an uncommonly fine one. When
I called to see it he was not at home. I walked about
the outside, at first unobserved from within, the window
was so deep and high. It was of small dimensions, with
a peaked cottage roof, and not much else to be seen, the
dirt being raised five feet all around as if it were a
compost heap. The roof was the soundest part, though
a good deal warped and made brittle by the sun. Door-
* sill there was none, but a perennial passage for the hens
under the door board. Mrs. C. came to the door and
asked me to view it from the inside. The hens were
driven in by my approach. It was dark, and had a dirt
floor for the most part, dank, clammy, and aguish, only
here a board and there a board which would not bear
removal. She lighted a lamp to show me the inside of the
roof and the walls, and also that the board floor extend-
ed under the bed, warning me not to step into the cellar,
124 HENRY D. THOREAU
a sort of dust hole two feet deep. In her own words,
they were "good boards overhead, good boards all
around, and a good window," — of two whole squares
originally, only the cat had passed out that way lately.
There was a stove, a bed, and a place to sit, an infant
in the house where it was born, a silk parasol, gilt-
framed looking-glass, and a patent new coffee mill
nailed to an oak sapling, all told. The bargain was
soon concluded, for James had in the meanwhile re-
turned. I to pay four dollars and twenty-five cents to-
night, he to vacate at five to-morrow morning, selling
to nobody else meanwhile : I to take possession at six. It
were well, he said, to be there early, and anticipate cer-
tain indisdinct but wholly unjust claims on the score of
ground rent and fuel. This he assured me was the only
encumbrance. At six I passed him and his family on
the road. One large bundle held their all, — bed, coif ee-
mill, looking-glass, hens, — all but the cat, she took to
the woods and became a wild cat, and, as I learned
afterward, trod in a trap set for woodchucks, and so
became a dead cat at last.
I took down this dwelling the same morning, draw-
ing the nails, and removed it to the pond side by small
cart-loads, spreading the boards on the grass there to
bleach and warp back again in the sun. One early thrush
gave me a note or two as I drove along the woodland
path. I was informed treacherously by a young Pat-
rick that neighbor Seeley, an Irishman, in the intervals
of the carting, transferred the still tolerable, straight,
and drivable nails, staples, and spikes to his pocket,
and then stood when I came back to pass the time of
day, and look freshly up, unconcerned, with spring
thoughts, at the devastation; there being a dearth of
work, as he said. He was there to represent spectator-
THE HOUSE AT WALDEN 125
dom, and help make this seemingly insignificant event
one with the removal of the gods of Troy.
I dug my cellar in the side of a hill sloping to the
south, where a woodchuck had formerly dug his bur-
row, down through sumach and blackberry roots, and
the lowest stain of vegetation, six feet square by seven
deep, to a fine sand where potatoes would not freeze in
any winter. The sides were left shelving, and not stoned;
but the sun having never shone on them, the sand still
keeps its place. It was but two hours' work. I took
particular pleasure in this breaking of ground, for in al-
most all latitudes men dig into the earth for an equable
temperature. Under the most splendid house in the
city is still to be found the cellar where they store their
roots as of old, and long after the superstructure has
disappeared posterity remark its dent in the earth. The
house is still but a sort of porch at the entrance of a
burrow.
At length, in the beginning of May, with the help
of some of my acquaintances, rather to improve so good
an occasion for neighborliness than from any necessity,
I set up the frame of my house. No man was ever
more honored in the character of his raisers than I.
They are destined, I trust, to assist at the raising of
loftier structures one day. I began to occupy my house
on the 4th of July, as soon as it was boarded and
roofed, for the boards were carefully feather-edged and
lapped, so that it was perfectly impervious to rain ; but
before boarding, I laid the foundation of a chimney at
one end, bringing two cartloads of stones up the hill
from the pond in my arms. I built the chimney after
my hoeing in the fall, before a fire became necessary
for warmth, doing my cooking in the meanwhile out
of doors on the ground, early in the morning: which
126 HENRY D. THOREAU
mode I still think is in some respects more convenient
and agreeable than the usual one. When it stormed be-
fore my bread was baked, I fixed a few boards over
the fire, and sat under them to watch my loaf, and
passed some pleasant hours in that way. In those days,
when my hands were much employed, I read but
little, but the least scraps of paper which lay on the
ground, my holder, or tablecloth, afforded me as much
entertainment, in fact, answered the same purpose as
the Iliad.
Before winter, I built a chimney, and shingled the
sides of my house, which were already impervious to
rain, with imperfect and sappy shingles made of the
first slice of the log, whose edges I was obliged to
straighten with a plane.
I have thus a tight shingled and plastered house, ten
feet wide by fifteen long, and eight-feet posts, with a
garret and a closet, a large window on each side, two
trap doors, one door at the end, and a brick fireplace
opposite. The exact cost of my house, paying the usual
price for such materials as I used, but not counting the
work, all of which was done by myself, was as follows ;
and I give the details because very few are able to tell
exactly what their houses cost, and fewer still, if any,
the separate cost of the various materials which com-
pose them : —
Boards $8.03^, mostly shanty boards.
Refuse shingles for x'oof and sides . 4.00
Laths 1.25
Two second-hand windows with glass 2.43
One thousand old brick 4.00
Two casks of lime 2.40 That was high.
Hair 0.31 More than I needed.
Mantle-tree iron 0.15
Nails 3.90
THE HOUSE AT WALDEN 127
Hinges and screws ....... 0.14 »»•
Latch 0.10
Chalk 0.01
Transportation 140 j. I carried a good part
^ ) on my back.
In all $28.12^
These are all the materials exceptiDg the timber,
stones and sand, which I claimed by squatter's right.
I have also a small wood-shed adjoining, made chiefly
of the stuff which was left after building the house.
I intend to build me a house which will surpass any
on the main street in Concord in grandeur and luxury,
as soon as it pleases me as much and will cost me no
more than my present one.
NOTES
I borro-wed an axe : — The axe was borrowed from Mr.
Amos Bronson Alcott.
Walden Pond : — A small lake near Concord, Massachu-
setts. The land in which Thoreau " squatted " belonged to Emer-
son.
the gods of Troy : — Troy, an ancient city in Asia Minor,
figures in the Greek story of the Iliad.
some of my acquaintances : — A. B. Alcott, Edmund
Hosmer, G. W. Curtis, Ralph Waldo Emerson, W. E. Channing,
and others.
the Iliad : — The famous Greek poem dealing with the ten
years' siege of Ilium (Troy) by the confederated states of
Greece.
Concord : — A town seventeen miles from Boston ; the home
of a number of noted literary persons, — Thoreau, Emerson,
Hawthorne, the Alcotts, and others.
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY
What do you think of Thoreau for borrowing an axe with
which to begin his house ? Why did he not buy one ? Do you
consider it " generous " to borrow, as the author suggests ? What
128 HENRY D. THOREAU
do you learn from the fact that he returned the axe sharper than
he found it ? Why does the author stop to describe the weather
and the scenery ? Explain what he means by comparing people
to the snake that he saw in the pond. Why did Thoreau " make
the most " of his work instead of hurrying with it ? Do you think,
judging from the dates given, that he got along rapidly, or
slowly ? What kind of house do you think could be made from
James Collins's shanty ? When Thoreau's house is finished, does
it seem to you an attractive one ? How do the prices of materials
compare with present prices ? What is the meaning of the last
paragraph in the selection ? What should you judge to be the
character of Thoreau, from reading what he says of building this
cottage at Walden ? Can you find out what his neighbors thought
of him ?
THEME SUBJECTS
Building a Shack The Hermit
When the Ice Breaks Up Some of Thoreau's Friends
How One May Live Simply Our Play House
A Visit to a Squatter's Cabin The Barn-Raising
Putting Up a Tent Watching the Carpenters
The Old Trapper's Shack How Our House Was Built
How I Built a Dog Kennel Putting Up a Sky Scraper
Thoreau's Life at Walden How Concrete Is Used for
Building a Chicken Coop Buildings.
How I Made a Piece of Furniture.
SUGGESTIONS FOR THEME-WRITING
HoTV I Made a Piece of Furniture : — What piece of fur-
niture did you make ? Why did you make it ? Was there any
conversation over it, before you began ? What persons did the
talking, and what did they say ? What wood did you choose for
your work ? Why did you choose that particular kind ? Where
did you get your tools ? How did you begin ? Go on and describe
the making of the article. How did you finish it up ? Was there
any conversation about it when it was finished ? Were you satis-
fied with it ? What was its cost to you in materials ? in time ?
in labor ? What did you do with it, after it was done ?
THE HOUSE AT WALDEN 129
Thoreau's Life at Walden : * — Have you read any more of
Thoreau's Walden than the selection in this book ? Can you find
out how Thoreau lived, virhile he was in his little shack on the
edge of the pond ? How many rooms had this house ? What fur-
niture did he have ? What food did he eat ? How did he prepare
it ? How did he occupy his time ? Did he have any guests ? Who
were they, and what did they come for ? How long did Thoreau
live at Walden ? Was he happy there ? What do you think that
his life there shows of the man himself ?
COLLATERAL READINGS
See List of Books by Thoreau, page 142.
Wilderness Homes Oliver Kemp
Rudder Grange Frank R. Stockton.
Roof-Tree (in Signs and Seasons, Chapter
XIII) John Burroughs
1 The teacher might read to the class some of the more interesting
and appropriate passages from the Walden ; also some brief selections
from the various biographies of Thoreau.
NEIGHBORS OF THE WILDERNESS
HENRY D. THOREAU
^^ (From Chapter XII of TFaWen)
The mice which haunted my house were not the
common ones, which are said to have been introduced
into the country, but a wild native kind not found in
the village. I sent one to a distinguished naturalist,
and it interested him much. When I was building,
one of these had its nest underneath the house, and
before I had laid the second floor, and swept out the
shavings, would come out regularly at lunch time and
pick up the crumbs at my feet. It probably had never
seen a man before ; and it soon became quite familiar,
and would run over my shoes and up my clothes. It
could readily ascend the sides of the room by short
impulses, like a squirrel, which it resembled in its mo-
tions. At length, as I leaned with my elbow on the
bench one day, it ran up my clothes, and along my
sleeve, and round and round the paper which held my
dinner, while I kept the latter close, and dodged and
played at bo-peep with it ; and when at last I held still
a piece of cheese between my thumb and finger, it
came and nibbled it, sitting in my hand, and afterward
cleaned its face and paws, like a fly, and walked away.
A phoebe soon built in my shed, and a robin for
protection in a pine which grew against the house. In
June the partridge (^Tetrao imihelhis^, which is so
shy a bird, led her brood past my windows, from the
woods in the rear to the front of my house, clucking
and calling to them like a hen, and in all her behavior
NEIGHBORS OF THE WILDERNESS 131
proving herself tlie hen of the woods. The young sud-
denly disperse on your approach, at a signal from the
mother, as if a whirlwind had swept them away, and
they so exactly resemble the dried leaves and twigs
that many a traveller has placed his foot in the midst
of a brood, and heard the whir of the old bird as she
flew off, and her anxious calls and mewing, or seen her
trail her wings to attract his attention, without sus-
pecting their neighborhod. The parent will sometimes
roll and spin round before you in such a dishabille,
that you cannot, for a few moments, detect what kind
of creature it is. The young squat still and flat, often
running their heads under a leaf, and mind only their
mother's directions given from a distance, nor will your
approach make them run again and betray themselves.
You may even tread on them, or have your eyes on
them for a minute, without discovering them. I have
held them in my open hand at such a time, and still
their only care, obedient to their mother and their in-
stinct, was to squat there without fear or trembling.
So perfect is this instinct, that once, when I had laid
them on the leaves again, and one accidentally fell on
its side, it was found with the rest in exactly the same
position ten minutes afterward. They are not caEow
like the young of most birds, but more perfectly de-
veloped and precocious even than chickens. The re-
markably adult yet innocent expression of their open
and serene eyes is very memorable. All intelligence
seems reflected in them. They suggest not merely the
purity of infancy, but a wisdom clarified by experi-
ence. Such an eye was not born when the bird was,
but is coeval with the sky it reflects. The woods do
not yield another such a gem. The traveller does not
often look into such a limpid well. The ignorant or
132 HENRY D. TBOREAU
reckless sportsman often shoots the parent at such a
time, and leaves these innocents to fall a prey to some
prowling beast or bird, or gradually mingle with the
decaying leaves which they so much resemble. It is
said that when hatched by a hen they will directly dis-
perse on some alarm, and so are lost, for they never
hear the mother's call which gathers them again. These
were my hens and chickens.
It is remarkable how many creatures live wild and
free though secret in the woods, and still sustain them-
selves in the neighborhood of towns, suspected by hunt-
ers only. How retired the otter manages to live here !
He grows to be four feet long, as big as a small boy,
perhaps without any human being getting a glimpse
of him. I formerly saw the raccoon in the woods behind
where my house is built, and probably still heard their
whinnering at night. Commonly I rested an hour or
two in the shade at noon, after planting, and ate my
lunch, and read a little by a spring which was the
source of a swamp and of a brook, oozing from under
Brister's Hill, half a mile from my field. The approach
to this was through a succession of descending grassy
hollows, full of young pitch pines, into a larger wood
about the swamp. There, in a very secluded and shaded
spot, under a spreading white-pine, there was yet a
clean firm sward to sit on. I had dug out the spring
and made a well of clear gray water, where I could
dip up a pailful without roiling it, and thither I went
for this purpose almost every day in midsummer, when
the pond was warmest. Thither too the woodcock led
her brood, to probe the mud for worms, flying but a
foot above them down the bank, while they ran in a
troop beneath ; but at last, spying me, she would leave
her young and circle round and round me, nearer and
NEIGHBORS QE.THE WILDERNESS 133
nearer till within four or five feet, pretending broken
wings and legs, to attract my attention, and get off her
young, who would already have taken up their march,
with faint wiry peep, single file through the swamp,
as she directed. Or 1 heard the peep of the young when
I could not see the parent bird. There too the turtle
doves sat over the spring, or fluttered from bough to
bough of the soft white pines over my head; or the
red squirrel, coursing down the nearest bough, was
particularly familiar and inquisitive. You only need sit
still long enough in some attractive spot in the woods
that all its inhabitants may exhibit themselves to you
by turns.
I was witness to events of a less peaceful character.
One day when I went out to my wood-pile, or rather
my pile of stumps, I observed two large ants, the one
red, the other much larger, nearly half an inch long,
and black, fiercely contending with one another. Hav-
ing once got hold they never let go, but struggled and
wrestled and rolled on the chips incessantly. Looking
farther, I was surprised to find that the chips were
covered with such combatants, that it was not a duellum^
but a helium^ a war between two races of ants, the red
always pitted against the black, and frequently two
red ones to one black. The legions of these Myrmidons
covered all the hills and vales in my wood-yard, and
the ground was already strewn with the dead and dy-
ing, both red and black. It was the only battle-field
which I have ever witnessed, the only battle-field I
ever trod while the battle was raging ; internecine war ;
the red republicans on the one hand, and the black im-
perialists on the other. On every side they were en-
gaged in deadly combat, yet without any noise that I
could hear, and human soldiers never fought so reso-
134 HENRY D. THOREAU
lutely. I watched a couple that were fast locked in
each other's embraces, in a little sunny valley amid the
chips, now at noon-day prepared to fight till the sun
went down, or life went out. The smaller red champion
had fastened himself like a vice to his adversary's front,
and through all the tumblings on that field never for
an instant ceased to gnaw at one of his feelers near the
root, having already caused the other to go by the
board; while the stronger black one dashed him from
side to side, and, as I saw on looking nearer, had al-
ready divested him of several of his members. They
fought with more pertinacity than bull-dogs. Neither
manifested the least disposition to retreat. It was evi-
dent that their battle-cry was " Conquer or die." In the
mean while there came along a single red ant on the
hill- side of this valley, evidently full of excitement,
who either had despatched his foe, or had not yet
taken part in the battle ; probably the latter, for he
had lost none of his limbs ; whose mother had charged
him to return with his shield or upon it. Or perchance
he was some Achilles, who had nourished his wrath
apart, and had now come to avenge or rescue 'his Pa-
troclus. He saw this unequal combat from afar, — for
the blacks were nearly twice the size of the red, — he
drew near with rapid pace till he stood on his guard
within half an inch of the combatants ; then, watching
his opportunity, he sprang upon the black warrior, and
commenced his operations near the root of his right
foreleg, leaving the foe to select among his own mem-
bers ; and so there were three united for life, as if a
new kind of attraction had been invented which put
all other locks and cements to shame. I should not
have wondered by this time to find that they had their
respective musical bands stationed on some eminent
NEIGHBORS OF THE WILDERNESS 135
chip, and playing their national airs the while, to ex-
cite the slow and cheer the dying combatants. I was
myself excited somewhat even as if they had been men.
The more you think of it, the less the difference. And
certainly there is not the fight recorded in Concord his-
tory, at least, if in the history of America, that will
bear a moment's comparison with this, whether for
the numbers engaged in it, or for the patriotism and
heroism displayed. For numbers and for carnage it
was an Austerlitz or Dresden. Concord Fight! Two
killed on the patriots' side, and Luther Blanchard
wounded ! Why here every ant was a Buttrick, —
" Fire ! for God's sake fire ! " — and thousands shared
the fate of Davis and Hosmer. There was not one hire-
ling there. I have no doubt that it was a principle they
fought for, as much as our ancestors, and not to avoid
a three-penny tax on their tea ; and the results of this
battle will be as important and memorable to those
whom it concerns as those of the battle of Bunker Hill,
at least.
I took up the chip on which the three I have parti-
cularly described were struggling, carried it into my
house, and placed it under a tumbler on my window-sill,
in order to see the issue. Holding a microscope to the
first-mentioned red ant, I saw that, though he was as-
siduously gnawing at the near fore-leg of his enemy,
having severed his remaining feeler, his own breast was
all torn away, exposing what vitals he had there to the
jaws of the black warrior, whose breast-plate was ap-
parently too thick for him to pierce ; and the dark car-
buncles of the sufferer's eyes shone with ferocity such
as war only could excite. They struggled half an hour
longer under the tumbler, and when I looked again the
black soldier had severed the heads of his foes from
136 HENRY D. THOREAU
their bodies, and the still living heads were hanging on
either side of him like ghastly trophies at his saddle-
bow, still apparently as firmly fastened as ever, and he
was endeavoring with feeble struggles, being without
feelers and with only the remnant of a leg, and I know
not how many other wounds, to divest himself of them;
which at length, after half an hour more, he accom-
plished. I raised the glass, and he went off over the
window-sill in that crippled state. Whether he finally
survived that combat, and spent the remainder of his
days in some Hotel des Invalides, I do not know ; but
I thought that his industry would not be worth much
thereafter. I never learned which party was victorious,
nor the cause of the war ; but I felt for the rest of that
day as if I had had my feelings excited and harrowed
by witnessing the struggle, the ferocity and carnage,
of a human battle before my door.
In the fall the loon ( Colymbus glacialis) came, as
usual, to moult and bathe in the pond, making the
woods ring with his wild laughter before I had risen.
At rumor of his arrival all the Mill-dam sportsmen
are on the alert, in gigs and on foot, two by two and
three by three, with patent rifles and conical balls and
spy- glasses. They come rustling through the woods
like autumn leaves, at least ten men to one loon. Some
station themselves on this side of the pond, some on
that, for the poor bird cannot be omnipresent ; if he
dive here he must come up there. But now the kind
October wind rises, rustling the leaves and rippling
the surface of the water, so that no loon can be heard
or seen, though his foes sweep the pond with spy-
glasses, and make the woods resound with their dis-
NEIGHBORS OF THE WILDERNESS 137
charges. The waves generously rise and dash angrily,
taking sides with all waterfowl, and our sportsmen
must beat a retreat to town and shop and unfinished
jobs. But they were too often successful. When I went
to get a pail of water early in the morning I frequently
saw this stately bird sailing out of my cove within a
few rods. If I endeavored to overtake him in a boat,
in order to see how he would manoeuvre, he would dive
and be completely lost, so that I did not discover him
again, sometimes, till the latter part of the day. But
I was more than a match for him on the surface. He
commonly went off in a rain.
As I was paddling along the north shore one very
calm October afternoon, for such days especially they
settle on to the lakes, like the milkweed down, having
looked in vain over the pond for a loon, suddenly one,
sailing out from the shore toward the middle a few
rods in front of me, set up his wild laugh and betrayed
himself. I pursued with a paddle and he dived, but
when he came up I was nearer than before. He dived
again, but I miscalculated the direction he would take,
and we were fifty rods apart when he came to the sur-
face this time, for I had helped to widen the interval ;
and again he laughed loud and long, and with more
reason than before. He manoeuvred so cunningly that
I could not get within half a dozen rods of him. Each
time, when he came to the surface, turning his head
this way and that, he coolly surveyed the water and the
land, and apparently chose his course so that he might
come up where there was the widest expanse of water
and at the greatest distance from the boat. It was
surprising how quickly he made up his mind and put
his resolve into execution. He led me at once to the
widest part of the pond, and could not be driven from
138 - HENKY D. THOREAU
it. While he was thinking one thing in his brain, I
was endeavoring to divine his thought in mine. It was
a pretty game, played on the smooth surface of the
pond, a man against a loon. Suddenly your adver-
sary's checker disappears beneath the board, and the
problem is to place yours nearest to where his will ap-
pear again. Sometimes he would come up unexpect-
edly on the opposite side of me, having apparently
passed directly under the boat. So long-winded was he
and so unweariable, that when he had swum farthest
he would immediately plunge again, nevertheless ; and
then no wit could divine where in the deep pond, be-
neath the smooth surface, he might be speeding his
way like a fish, for he had time and ability to visit the
bottom of the pond in its deepest part. It is said that
loons have been caught in the New York lakes eighty
feet beneath the surface, with hooks set for trout, —
though Walden is deeper than that. How surprised
must the fishes be to see this ungainly visitor from an-
other sphere speeding his way amid their schools ! Yet
he appeared to know his course as surely under water
as on the surface, and swam much faster there. Once
or twice I saw a ripple where he approached the sur-
face, just put his head out to reconnoitre, and instantly
dived again. I found that it was as well for me to rest
on my oars and wait his reappearing as to endeavor to
calculate where he would rise; for again and again,
when I was straining my eyes over the surface one
way, I would suddenly be startled by his unearthly
laugh behind me. But why, after displaying so much
cunning, did he invariably betray himself the moment
he came up by that loud laugh? Did not his white
breast enough betray him ? He was indeed a silly loon,
I thought. I could commonly hear the plash of the
NEIGHBORS OF THE WILDERNESS 139
water when he came up, and so also detected him. But
after an hour he seemed as fresh as ever, dived as will-
ingly and swam yet farther than at first. It was sur-
prising to see how serenely he sailed off with unruffled
breast when he came to the surface, doing all the work
with his webbed feet beneath. His usual note was this
demoniac laughter, yet somewhat like that of a water-
fowl; but occasionally, when he had balked me most
successfully and come up a long way off, he uttered a
long-drawn unearthly howl, probably more like that
of a wolf than any bird; as when a beast puts his
muzzle to the ground and deliberately howls. This was
his looning, — perhaps the wildest sound that is ever
heard here, making the woods ring far and wide. I
concluded that he laughed in derision of my efforts,
confident of his own resources. Though the sky was
by this time overcast, the pond was so smooth that I
could see where he broke the surface when I did not
hear him. His white breast, the stillness of the air,
and the smoothness of the water were all against him.
At length, having come up fifty rods off, he uttered
one of those prolonged howls, as if calling on the god
of loons to aid him, and immediately there came a
wind from the east and rippled the surface, and filled
the whole air with misty rain, and I was impressed as
if it were the prayer of the loon answered, and his
god was angry with me ; and so I left him disappear-
ing far away on the tumultuous surface.
For hours, in fall days, I watched the ducks cun-
ningly tack and veer and hold the middle of the pond,
far from the sportsman ; tricks which they will have
less need to practice in Louisiana bayous. When com-
pelled to rise they would sometimes circle round and
round and over the pond at a considerable height, from
140 HENRY D. THOREAU
which they could easily see to other ponds and the river,
like black motes in the sky ; and, when I thought they
had gone off thither long since, they would settle down
by a slanting flight of a quarter of a mile on to a dis-
tant part which was left free ; but what beside safety
they got by sailing in the middle of Walden I do not
know, unless they love its water for the same reason
that I do.
NOTES
duellum: — A duel.
bellum: — A war.
Myrmidons : — The men whom Achilles led in the Trojan
War.
Tvith his shield or upon it: — Without disgrace whether
dead or alive.
Achilles : — A Greek warrior ; the hero of the Iliad, and the
slayer of Hector.
Patroclus : — The intimate friend of Achilles. Patroclus,
fighting in the armor of Achilles, is slain by Hector.
Austerlitz : — A town in Moravia, Austria-Hungary, where
in 1805 the French under Napoleon overturned the Russo- Aus-
trian army. The French had 60,000 men; the Austrians 80,000.
Dresden : — The capital of the kingdom of Saxony. In 1813
the French under Napoleon defeated the Allies at Dresden. The
French army numbered 120,000; that of the allies, 200,000.
Concord fight : — The fight between the British and the
colonial minute-men, which took place at Concord, Massachu-
setts, April 19, 1775.
Buttrick : — Commander (with Colonel Barrett) of three
hundred Provincial troops that met the British at Concord, April
19, 1775.
Hotel des Invalides (o tel' da zan val ed') : — A great estab-
lishment founded in 1670 at Paris, for disabled and infirm sol-
diers.
plectrum : — A small piece of wood or ivory, used in playing
upon a stringed instrument.
lingua vernacula : — Native language.
NEIGHBORS OF THE WILDERNESS 141
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY
Does it seem strange to you that any one should take the trou-
ble to watch mice, and write about them ? Have you ever heard
anything similar to what is told here about the partridge? Is the
language here easy to follow? Do you think that the author ap-
proved of hunting game? Did you ever hear of ants fighting in
the manner described? What do you think of comparing the bat-
tle of the ants to certain battles fought by men ? How does the
author make you feel the excitement of the battle ? What good
points has the account of the chase after the loon ? Could you
write a brief account of a chase after some bird or animal ? What
does the whole selection show as to the interests and the charac-
ter of the author ?
THEME SUBJECTS
A Robin's Nest How the Ants Work
How a Gull Catches Fish Catching the Gopher in the Garden
Trying to Shoot a Loon A Shy Animal
Life in an Ant-Hill How We Caught the 'Coon
A Muskrat An Ant's View of the World
My Pet Crow Catching the Rat
Marsh Hens and Snipes How My Dog Defends Himself
A Fight between Animals Tracking a Rabbit
Making Friends with the Birds
SUGGESTIONS FOR THEME-WRITING
Making Friends with the Birds: — Did you ever try to
make friends with the birds ? What kind of birds were they ?
Where did they have their nests ? Were they shy, or bold ? Did
they come to your home, or did you go to them ? What method
did you first use for attracting them ? Why ? How did they
receive your advances ? Tell how they acted, and what they did.
Did you try any other methods ? Were you successful ? Show
just how friendly the birds became. Did you enjoy your acquain-
tance with them ? Should you advise any one else to try to make
friends with the birds ? Why ?
A Shy Animal : — Give an account of some experience which
you have had in watching a shy animal. See how Thoreau ex-
plains the habits and peculiar tricks of animals. Can you do some-
142 HENRY D. THOREAU
thing of the kind in your theme ? Notice how Thoreau enlivens
his narrative, and at the same time makes his descriptions more
vivid, by comparisons with human traits and situations. See if
you can do this. Use, in your analogies, familiar traits of
people, or a well-known incident or two drawn from history or
fiction ; but be sure that your analogies or allusions really enforce
your writing.
COLLATERAL READINGS
The Maine Woods . Henry D. Thoreau
A Week on the Concord and Merrimack
Rivers « " "
Walden " "
Excursions " " "
Behind the Scenes with Wild Animals . . Ellen Velvin
The Training of Wild Animals .... Frank Bostock
Wild Animals I Have Known Ernest Thompson
Seton
The House in the Water C. G. D. Roberts
The Kindred of the Wild " «
The Watchers of the Trails ...... « «
The Heart of the Ancient Wood . . . . « «
Red Fox « «
Little People of the Sycamore " "
The Haunters of the Silences " "
Squirrels and Other Fur-Bearers .... John Burroughs
Wild Neighbors Ernest Ingersoll
Beasts of the Field W. J. Long
Wilderness Ways . . " " "
Ways of Wood Folk " « «
Wood Folk at School " « «
A Watcher in the Woods Dallas Lore Sharp
Wild Life near Home " " "
My Woodland Intimates E. Bignell
Mooswa W. A. Eraser
The Outcasts « « «
Flash- Lights on Nature Grant Allen
W^ild Animals at Work and Play .... C. J. Cornish
Eye Spy ... W. H. Gibson
Sharp Eyes « " «
NEIGHBORS OF THE WILDERNESS 143
The Call of the Wild Jack London
Before Adam « "
White Fang « "
Ants, Bees, and Wasps Sir John Lubbock
Up and Down the Brooks . . , . . M. E. Bamford
Wasps, Social and Solitary . . . . G. W. and E. Peckham
Spiders « « « «
Dan Beard's Animal Book Dan Beard
Thoreau Frank B. Sanborn
Thoreau Annie R. Marble
ROSY BALM
ALICE BROWN
(In The County Road)
Miss Arletta was seeing the minister out through
the kitchen, because he had tied his horse at the barn,
and it was easier to go that way. He was a tall, stoop-
ing man with thin gray hair and a long, benevolent
face. Miss Arietta, behind him, looked very small;
yet she was a woman of good height, though of excep-
tional thinness. Her little face showed all its bones
pathetically, and a perpetual smile dwelt upon it and
behind the glitter of her gold-bowed spectacles. People
said she wore off her flesh by being spry.
Midway in the large kitchen, comfortably lighted by
pale winter sunlight, the minister paused. He sniffed
a little, and his mild face took on a look of pleasure.
" Why, Miss Arietta, I smell flowers."
Miss Arietta laughed.
" No," she said, " it 's rose water. I 've be'n fixin' it up
with glycerine an' some other trade I know, to put on my
hands. They git terrible chapped, this winter weather."
" Yes," the minister agreed, " so my wife says."
" Why, look here ! " called Miss Arietta, her hand
upon the door. *' You wait a minute, an' I'll fill a vial
for her ; I got some right here."
" Well," said the minister hesitatingly ; but he
threw back his coat again, and loosed his comforter,
while Arietta ran to the cellar way for her bottle, and,
after much rinsing and peering through it at the sun,
proceeded to fill it from her larger store.
ROSY BALM 145
" You tell Mis' Hardy to put it on nights, an' after
she 's washed her hands," she counseled. " Tell her I'll
drop in an' see how 't works. Tell her I 've enjoyed
your call ; but she must n't leave off comin' now it 's
cold."
" She would have come," the minister explained
again, " I have no doubt ; but this question of the
missionary fund keeps her much occupied."
" Poor little creatur's ! " said Miss Arietta. Her
mind had flown to the heathen on foreign shores.
" Don't seem 's if there could be anybody these times
without gospel privileges. Makes me terrible ashamed
to think I ain't got more 'n that poor miserable dollar
to give."
" The widow's mite," said the minister kindly. Miss
Arietta was wrapping the bottle in a piece of newspaper.
" It is not the size of the offering that renders it blessed,
Miss Arietta. Remember the parable."
"There! " said she. "Don't ye tip it over in your
pocket. That cork ain't none too good. You tell Mis'
Hardy, if she likes it there'll be more where that come
from."
The minister spoke his gentle thanks, and now Miss
Arietta opened the door. The December wind blew up
an outer fringe of her thin hair, and the minister also
bent his head to its inclemency.
"I am obliged. Miss Arietta," he called back. " You
ought not to be so generous with your recipe. You
might sell it."
Arietta, nodding and smiling, watched him out of
the yard, and then shut the door and turned back to
the warmth of her still house. She liked people. Visitors
were like the wind itself : they brought vigor and tid-
ings. But she was always glad when the wind was over
146 ALICE BROWN
and the visitors had gone. After she had tucked a
stick of wood into the kitchen stove, and warmed her
hands there, she went into the sitting-room and took
her low rocker by the window. She was turning sheets
that day. They were scarcely worn at all ; but it was
pretty work, and she did it more times a year than she
would have liked to tell. Presently she dropped her
sewing in her lap and began musing over unhappy
India as the minister had described it. Miss Arietta
would not have been altogether willing to tell the min-
ister how hard it was to keep from dwelling, in keen
delight, on his picture of foreign lands, nor how easy
to forget the pity of it that suffering should invade
that paradise of bloom. She remembered the heathen's
godless state, and said, " Poor creatur's ! " But even
at the utterance, she knew this was the guilty protest
of a mind secretly in love with heathendom itself. She
prized her gospel privileges, but she liked also to be
warm, and her irrepressible fancy cast up before her
the picture of wintry Sundays in church when hot
soapstones cooled with the feet that sought them, and
heaven itself was nothing but a sizzling coral strand.
Yet that way stretched a dangerous latitude. She
caught herself back to the old dutiful regret that she
could give so little, and took up her sewing. But sud-
denly she dropped the work again into her lap, and
spoke aloud :
" My land ! mebbe that 's the way."
Immediately she saw herself making a lotion for
the hands and selling it broadcast. Arietta's mind
always moved by leaps, straight for the brightest
goal. In that moment of conception, she saw her
scheme full grown. She was making the lotion by
quarts, by gallons, in vats and reservoirs. Her house.
ROSY BALM 147
her clothes, were redolent of rose-water and sweet
essences. Bottles with printed labels were on drug-
gists' shelves all over the country, and ladies with
chapped hands were crowding counters in throngs, all
asking, " Have you Rosy Balm ? " That was to be
its name. And all the profits that came flowing in
would be put scrupulously into the bank, and, at the
end of every month, sent off to India for the breaking
of error's chain.
That night Miss Arietta slept intermittently ; but
she dreamed of rose-gardens and dusky maidens on
sea-beaches where the pebbles were pink beads, and she
awoke to action. When her breakfast dishes were
done, she ran across the field and asked Tommy Beale
to harness up and take her to town ; and there she
drew five dollars out of the savings-bank, and at the
wondering druggist's stocked up with glycerine and
rosewater and the rest.
For two days Miss Arietta's kitchen smelled di-
vinely to her, as she mixed and measured. She seemed
to be living in an enchanted spot, and doing something
that was going to turn out very precious and wonder-
ful. She had always made her lotion with a zealous
care, but now she wrought with a nicety proportionate
to the greatness of her task. She began to think of
precious ointment, and got out the big picture Bible to
read the story, as if her own little every-day Testa-
ment were not enough. And one morning, when the
sun fell on the winter crust and turned it into a dazzle,
she started forth, carrying a bag filled with small bot-
tles, all alike and neatly labeled in her fine old-fash-
ioned hand. Arietta took the Lower Road because the
houses there were nearer together, and she was im-
patient to begin to sell. She could not remember having
148 ALICE BROWN
felt so happy for years, nor so full of youth. She was on
a track, she felt, that might lead anywhere.
The first place on the Lower Road was Lawrence
Gilson's, a little one-story house, unpainted, but in
summer a picture of beauty in the midst of vines and
tangles. Now it was a part of the cold rigor of the
time, and when Mrs. Gilson came to the door, Miss
Arietta was ready to say, with a shiver :
" My ! ain't this winter weather ? "
"I guess 't is," said Mrs. Gilson, "an we've all been
down sick with colds. Come right in. I 'm terrible glad
to see ye."
There was no one in the kitchen but little Anna
May, and she sat in a high chair at the table, packing
six raisins into a small round box and then taking
them out and packing them over again. There was a
clove apple before her, and an Infant Samuel in
plaster.
" I let her have 'em out o' the best room," Mrs.
Gilson explained, as Miss Arietta paused to admire
these trophies. " She 's jest gettin' over her cold, an'
much as she can do to find anything to take up her
mind." She was tucking a stick of wood into the
stove, and now she turned to Miss Arietta with a newly
welcoming smile. " Take your things right off," she
bade her. " Now, don't you say you ain't come to pass
the day."
" I '11 unpin my shawl," said Arietta. " No, I can't
stop more 'n a minute. I was only goin' by, an' I
thought I 'd drop in. She 's be'n real sick, ain't she?"
They exchanged a sympathetic glance over Anna
May. She was a pathetic little picture, with her wan
face, her flaxen pigtails, and her painstaking intent-
ness over the raisins. Mrs. Gilson nodded.
ROSY BALM 149
" Her cough 's be'n the worst of any of us," she said
proudly. " ' Most tore her to pieces. I thought one time
't was whoopin'-cough, but the doctor says it 's spas-
motic."
They talked on for a time, while the wood blazed
and the stove reddened, and finally Miss Arietta pinned
her shawl and rose to go. Then she opened her bag.
Anna May was looking at her for the first time. Her
blue eyes glistened with something like expectation.
In spite of herself, Miss Arietta spoke and said the
word she had not premeditated.
" What do you s'pose I got in this bag ? " she asked
softly. Her own eyes gleamed as brightly as the
child's.
Anna May shook her head.
" Well," said Miss Arietta, " I got a little bottle o'
suthin' I fixed up to rub on folks' hands. I 'm goin' to
give it to you. Mebbe you '11 let mother have a mite 'fore
she goes to bed, an' when you git out slidin', it '11 be nice
for yoH, too. It smells real good." She set the bottle on
the table beside the Infant Samuel, and hurried out.
" Now, ain't you kind ! " Mrs. Gilson was calling
after her, down the path ; but Miss Arietta only waved
her mittened hand and hurried on. She was muttering
to herself:
" If I ain't a fool ! Poor little creatur', though !
Well, it 's only one bottle, anyways. I 've got plenty
left." She put up her head again and quickened her
steps.
Old Rhody came next. She lived alone in another
little house, one that was adorned neither by summer
nor winter. There was no answer to Miss Arietta's
knock, and she went in. Old Rhody sat by the fire,
gaunt and gray.
150 ALICE BROWN
She began at once, in her high voice full of wailing
circumflexes :
" I says to myself, there won't be a soul come into
the house this day. I dunno' what possessed you to
start out this weather, but now you 're here, Arietta
Black, you jest set down there in that chair an' tell me
what 's goin' on in the world. I dunno' no more 'n if
this was the tomb an' I was walled up in it."
Miss Arietta threw off her shawl at once and put
down her bag.
" You pretty lame, Rhody ? " she inquired warmly.
" Pretty lame ? I guess I be. I 'm so lame I can't
git from kitchen to pantry without hoUerin' right out,
as if somebody 's jabbin' a knife into me. Took me two
hours by the clock this mornin' to get my work done
up, an' you can guess how much I have, livin' alone
so."
Miss Arietta was beaming through her glasses.
" Ain't there suthin' I can do, now I 'm here ? " she
inquired. " Stir up some biscuits or a batch o' pies?"
" No ! no! makes me nervous as a witch to have any-
body messin' round amongst my things. No, you se'
down an' tell me what 's goin' on in the world. I might
as well be dead, for all I hear."
Miss Arietta began with the upper end of the town^
and took the houses in turn. She told about Jabez
Lane's steer, and Mary Dwight's new melodeon. She
had plenty of news, for her own house was a centre of
social intercourse. Khody listened greedily. No one
came to see her, as she said, and she was too poor to
take the county paper. At the end of an hour Miss
Arietta rose and threw on her shawl.
" Mebbe I '11 be in again next week," she said.
"You heard from Lucy lately?"
ROSY BALM 151
" She writes pretty reg'lar," said Rhody gloomily.
** But I dunno' when 't '11 stop. She 's nothin' but a
niece by marriage, an' you can't expect folks to act as
if they were your own. Last Christmas she sent me
a half a dozen handkerchers, as nice as ever you see,
with a letter worked in the corner. I don't look for
nothin' this year. Don't expect nothin', I say, an' ye
won't be disappointed."
Miss Arietta opened her bag with a snap. Her
mouth curled scornfully, but that was for her own in-
firmity of purpose.
" 'T ain't quite Christmas," she said rapidly, as if
she were ashamed, "but mebbe I shouldn't git round
jest then. So I brought you this little vial, Rhody.
Mebbe 't '11 keep your hands kinder nice an' smooth,
doin' your housework an' all."
Rhody took the neat bottle and looked at it with a
softened gaze.
" Well, if that ain't complete ! " she said. "You 're
real good. Arietta. What made you think on 't ? "
Miss Arietta was getting out at the door as fast as
possible.
" I '11 be over next week," she called. " I '11 bring
my knittin' an' we '11 have a dish o' discourse."
''4^ This section of the Lower Road was familiarly
known as Lonesome Hill, because each of the four
houses had but one inmate. The next was Uncle
Blake's, and there Miss Arietta was sure of a response.
Uncle Blake came at once to the door, and she hesi-
tated, seeing his white shirtfront and scrupulous silk
stock.
" You got company ? " she asked.
Uncle Blake laughed, a little dry note. He was a
tall old man with a noble profile.
152 ALICE BROWN
" No, no," he answered. " Walk right in. You see I
was dressed up, did n't ye ? Well, so I be. Se' down,
an' I '11 tell ye what put it into my head."
She took the Boston rocker by the hearth, and
Uncle Blake sank into his own armchair. The room
was beautiful in its cleanliness and order.
" Ye see," he continued, " passon asked me to come
over to dinner to-day ; but that wa'n't why I dressed
up. I done it the minute I got my chores done up. I
kinder wanted to. Arietta Black," — he rose, and looked
down upon her in a proud dignity, — " Arietta Black,
I 'm eighty-five year old to-day."
Miss Arietta also rose. She put out her hand, and
he shook it solemnly. Then, having pledged the day,
they sat gravely down again.
" Eighty-five ! " repeated the old man. His face took
on the musing look, reflected from his meditations of
the hour before. "I've seen a good deal. Arietta."
*' I guess you have." Miss Arietta's eyes were wet.
She thought of the dead days she had loved, and knew
that he also had been a neighborly witness of them.
" Well, I hope you'll have a good spell yet."
"I dunno' why I shouldn't," said the old man.
"I'm as lively as a cricket. I fried me some cakes this
mornin', for my breakfast, an' I eat 'era, too. Mebbe
I shall see a good many more winters. Mebbe I shan't.
I 'm livin' on borrered time. But I 'm thankful for 't,
Arietta. I 'm thankful. "
" You remember grandsir, don't you ? " asked Miss
Arietta. " He was older 'n you be, by a good ten year,
as I remember him. He 'd kep' everything but his
hearin'."
Uncle Blake's face creased into a reminiscent smile.
" 'T was he that used to set up 'most all night to see
ROSY BALM 153
what time I went home from Adelaide True's," he re-
joined. " I used to do 'most every which way to out-
wit him. Well, he needn't ha' troubled himself. I
never got her."
" She married Elder Hale, did n't she? " asked Miss
Arietta, swaying back and forth, in a pleasant muse
of recollection. " 'T was her grandson that preached
down to Sudleigh, t' other Sunday."
"Yes," agreed the old man, — "yes. There ain't
nobody to carry on my name. But I '11 carry it my-
self," he added presently, looking up with his warm
smile. " I ain't hurt it much yet, an' I don't believe I
shall now. It '11 last as long as my headstone does, an'
mebbe somebody '11 be glad to hear it in the next
world."
They went hand in hand over the backward track
of the town life. Miss Arietta had heard so many
stories of the olden time that it seemed to her as if she
were of an equal age with him, and that they were
walking along a pleasant road among shadowy scenes,
unchanging now forever, and so incapable of hurting
them any more. For they could reject the ill of those
ultimate times and revive only the good. The clock
struck, and Miss Arietta rose.
" If you 're goin' to passon's," she said, " you '11
have to be gittin' along. So must I, too. See here,
Uncle Blake, I dunno 's you care anything about birth-
day presents. I never had but one in my life. That 's
when I was seventeen, an' I set the world by it. Here,
you take this. It 's a kind of a lotion for your hands.
I gi'n Mis' Hardy some jest like it, t' other day. You
tell her you 've got some, too."
"Well," said Uncle Blake, " I never! " He stood
there in the middle of the room, the bottle in his hand.
154 ALICE BROWN
Miss Arietta, who had meant only to be kind, was
amazed at finding that she had been something more
to a degree she could not understand. " I don't know,"
continued Uncle Blake slowly, " as I 've had such a
present sence I was twenty-one. I had one then. Ade-
laide True was out by the wall that day, when I went
by, an' she reached over an' gi'n me a Provence rose.
This — I believe to my soul, Arietta, you 've put rose
into this, too."
The tears were in Arietta's eyes.
" It 's Rosy Balm," she said, with a brisk cheerful-
ness. "That's what I call it — Rosy Balm. You use
it. Uncle Blake. Good-by. Le' 's shake hands once
more, for sake of old times. Good-by."
Hurrying along the road, with her head down, she
took up a corner of her shawl and wiped her eyes.
" Law ! " she said, smiling and crying at once. " I
should think I wa'n't more 'n two year old. — Why,
Jane Dunham, that you ? "
Jane lived in the next house, but she was speeding
along in her best bonnet and shawl, a small neat woman
with a round face and young, pathetic eyes. Jane
caught Arietta's hand, as it lay under her shawl, and
held it. She was all sensibility, and quick tears came
into her eyes. Why she did not know, nor did Ar-
ietta : but every one was used to Jane Dunham's kindly
tears.
"You comin' to pass the day, 'Letta?" she asked.
" I was goin' on down to the Corners to git me some
samples, but I 'd ruther by half turn back home an'
set with you."
"No, no, I'm full o' business. I've talked away
most o' the mornin' a'ready. Look-a-here, Jane. I got
suthin' here in my bag." She made her way out into
ROSY BALM 155
the snow by the side of the road, and set her bag on a
stump, to open it. Jane was instantly by her side, her
bright eyes questioning.
" Eosy Balm ! " she read, taking the bottle and
holding it at a comfortable distance. " Land sakes,
'Letta! what's that?"
Arietta's eyes were shining. Now at last she seemed
to have entered on the fruitage of her plan.
" It 's some trade I mixed up for chapped hands,"
she explained. " It 's got glycerine in it an' rose-
water — "
"'T ain't that old receipt Aunt Silvy used to be so
private about ! "
" Yes, 't is. I found it in her desk, arter she died.
Did n't I tell you that ? Well, I found it, an' I used
it, an' mine's jest as good as her'n."
They looked at each other in a knowing triumph.
They had both had long experience of Aunt Silvy. It
had not seemed that the cleverest could outwit her,
even after death.
" You remember how we used to go there to tea? "
asked Jane. " Little mites we were, an' scared eena-
most to death, she was so toppin' with us. There was
one arternoon we made poppy dolls an' tea sets in the
gardin an' she ketched us — "
" An' said them were the very poppies she was savin'
for seed ! "
Their faces creased into a wrinkled mirth. They
were two staid elderly women lingering by a snow-
bank, with the mind's eye fixed upon a sunny past.
" You remember the time when she told you to git
me a cooky out o' the parlor cluset — "
" An' I went in an' sliced us both off a junk o' fruit
cake an' hid it under my tier! I guess I do."
'^^v-^J^
/yt . .
156 ALICE BROWN
" If ever there was two tykes, 'Letta," said Jane,
with relish, " 't was you an' me. To think you 've got
that receipt, too, arter all these years."
Arietta spoke immediately, and it seemed to her
that her voice came forth without her will :
" You take it, Jane. You take this vial. 'T will
kinder bring back old times, an' it '11 keep your hands
good, too." She shut her bag, and strode out in the
road again.
Jane followed. Her eyes were wet with tears.
" You didn't come 'way up here to give this to me,
'Letta? " she asked meltingly.
" You keep it," Arietta counseled, moving on her
way. " It 's got a real good smell. I guess 't will bring
back some o' them old times."
"Come down next week," Jane was calling, and
Arietta nodded and waved her hand.
At this point Arietta omitted to scorn herself. She
tried to act as if she had meant to do nothing in the
world but come out and give away bottles that were
made to sell. Arrived at the Yeaseys' house, she
passed it with a fleeting glance. They were old-maid
sisters who would skin a flint or split a shilling. Then
there was Miss Susannah Means, who lived alone with
her brother and did good works. She was sitting by the
window, a faded little woman with an eager glance, and
all one sandy color from hair to skin. Arietta opened
the side door and walked in upon her, and Susannah
glanced up warmly without moving otherwise.
"Set right down," she said, in her high treble.
" Lay off your things. I ain't got a minute to give, or
I'd take 'em for ye."
"For the land sake, Susannah," said Arietta, ad-
vancing upon her, " what you doin' ? "
ROSY BALM 157
Scraps of coarse lace lay in Susannah's lap, with
knots of bright-red worsted.
"I'mrunnin' up some candy-bags for the tree," she
explained, stabbing her needle in and out. " Do lay off
your things. I 'm worried to death, too. They say there 's
two families — them miserable Hendersons landed at
the poor-farm this week, an' six child'en between 'em,
an' if they go to the tree like 's not there won't be a
present for 'em, less'n we can scrape up suthin'."
Miss Arietta's mittened hand was at her bag. Her
eyes gleamed defiantly behind their glasses.
"Law, Susannah, don't you be concerned," she
said. " Here 's suthin'. You look-a-here." One after
another she took out six bottles, and pushing back the
worsted on the table, ranged them there in a soldierly
row. Susannah looked up over her glasses, and then
took one of them in her hand.
"Rosy Balm," she read. "What kind o' trade is
that. Arietta?"
" It 's a nice scented wash to put on your hands,"
returned Arietta proudly. "You can tie some slips o'
paper on 'em an' mark 'em for them poor little crea-
tur's that ain't got nothin' else. Mebbe they 'd like a
jumpin'-jack or a doll ; but ye have to give what ye
can, an' I made this, an' I can't make nothin' else.
Good-day, Susannah."
But Susannah was sitting in a pleasant dream, hold-
ing the bottle in her hand and saying to herself , ■ —
" Rosy Balm ! Forever ! Rosy Balm ! "
Arietta saw that there were visions before her of
little paupers in winter quarters, soothing rough hands
and smelling at the bottles. She had done well. Yet
again she tried not to jeer at herself, though her bag
was very light. Arietta stopped at the fence on the
168 ALICE BROWN
way out, and rested the bag there while she sought
within it.
"One bottle!" she ejaculated. "Well, if I'd ha'
known " — but if she had known, would it have been
different? Her mouth widened in a whimsical smile,
and again she spoke : " I might as well give this away,
quick 's ever I can, so 's not to break my record. No,
I won't, either. I '11 be whipped if I will. I '11 sell it,
or I '11 die for V
"Kide?" called Cap'n Tom.
He pulled up at the gate, in his shabby old wagon,
and waited for her. The cap'n was a thin man with a
lean face, a satirical mouth, and about his eyes certain
lines that nobody liked. Yet they liked the cap'n. He
had a great fund of dry humor ; but he was a stingy
man. He owned it frankly.
"I set the world by money," he often said. "I like
to see it roll up same 's a boy loves to roll a snowball.
'T ain't much importance, snow nor money neither, but
it's terrible excitin' to see 'em grow." His title came
from that, and clung to him. He was a captain of swift
enterprise.
" I 'm goin' along home," said Arietta, pausing with
her foot on the step.
"So 'm I. Git in. How are ye, 'Letta?" he asked,
when they were jogging along.
"I dunno'," returned Arietta recklessly. "I'm
pretty well in health, but I've got reason to think my
mind 's affected. I guess I 'm a born fool."
The cap'n flicked his horse and chuckled.
"Common complaint," said he.
"Cap'n," began Arietta, out of the fullness of ex-
perience, "I'm goin' to tell you suthin', an' if you ever
pass it on to anybody else, I'll set your barn afire.
ROSY BALM 159
My brother Tom used to say you was the closest-
mouthed feller in the county."
"I guess that's right," said the cap'n, with pride.
"Close-fisted an' close-mouthed. That's right."
Then Miss Arietta began and told him the story of
her day. He did not speak, and she turned and looked
at him. The cap'n was, shaking silently.
"I s'pose you think it's funny," said Arietta, smil-
ing herself unwillingly. "Well, mebbe 't is ; but if you
was the one to do it, you 'd laugh out o' t' other side
o' your mouth."
" Took 'em out to sell, did ye ? " asked the cap'n.
" Yes, I took 'em out to sell."
"An' gi'n 'em all away?"
" All but one bottle. You need n't ask for 't, cap'n.
I wouldn't give it away for love nor money."
The cap'n was silent for a moment. Then he said :
"You take the reins, Arietta." He unbuttoned his
coat, thrust a hand deep into his pocket, and brought
out a roll of bills. "Arietta," said the cap'n slowly,
" last week I sold a yoke of oxen. To-day I driv' over
to git my pay. You pass me out that trade."
He took the reins, and Arietta sought within her
bag and gave him her last vial. The cap'n took it
gravely, held it far off and read the title, "Rosy
Balm." Then he put it in his pocket, pulled a bank-
note from his roll, and passed it to her. After that he
tucked the money into his pocket and buttoned it up
again. "I dunno. Arietta," said he, "as I ever give
any money to foreign missions ; but if you want to turn
that in, you can. I dunno 's ever I heerd anything
that pleased me more 'n your goin' out peddlin' ; I 'm a
close man, but it's wuth that amount o' money to me."
Arietta sat looking at the bill, in bright amaze.
160 ALICE BROWN
"My land, cap'n," she said at length, "you know
what you've gi'n me? It's a five-dollar bill."
Instinctively he turned to look at it, and Arietta
laid her hand upon the reins.
" Here," she called, in high excitement, " you le' me
git right out an' go in an' hand it over to passon."
She was out over the wheel before the horse had
stopped. There she faced the cap'n, flushed and smil-
ing. " I dunno 's I could ha' trusted ye through that
strip o' woods, cap'n," she called. " You might ha' re-
pented an' ketched it away from me. Much obleeged
to ye. Good -by."
She sped up the path to the minister's door, and the
cap'n drove on chuckling. He was the poorer by five
dollars, and there was a small sore spot in his heart.
But he reflected on the story, and laughed again.
"Rosy Balm!" he wheezed, and pondered. "Rosy
Balm!"
NOTES
trade : — A colloquial New England expression meaning stuff,
or material.
the widow's mite : — See Mark, 12 : 41-44.
the breaking of error's chain : — This is a partial quotation
from a line in a well-known missionary hymn, From Greenland's
Icy Mountains. The stanza that Miss Arietta was thinking of runs
thus :
From Greenland's icy mountains,
From India's coral strand ;
Where Afric's sunny fountains
Roll down their golden sand ;
From many an ancient river,
From many a palmy plain.
They call us to deliver
Their land from error's chain.
precious ointment : — See Matthew, 26 : 6-13.
an Infant Samuel in plaster : — A plaster of paris statuette
of Samuel ; see I Samuel, 3 : 1-12.
ROSY BALM 161
QUESTIONS FOR STUDY
What has the minister to do with the story ? What idea of
Miss Arietta do you get from the first two pages ? What do you
think of her plan for making money for the heathen ? How does
the author make you see little Anna May clearly ? Why are the
characters in the story made to talk so ungrammatically ? Do
you think that the author ought to use such language ? Did Miss
Arietta intend to give the " Rosy Balm " to Anna May ? Who
are the other people to whom she gives the bottles ? Can you
picture them clearly to yourself ? How does the author make
you understand what sort of people they are ? Which one of
them do you like best ? Do you think the gifts appropriate ?
Why does " Cap'n Tom " give Miss Arietta the five dollars ?
What is meant by the " small sore spot in his heart " ? How do
you like the way the story ends ? Try to think out the best
words with which to describe Miss Arietta's character. One of
the best things about the story is the vividness with which each
person's character is brought out by what he says and does. Can
you, in a smaller way, do something of the same kind ? Try to
make each person's conversation lively and suitable.
THEME SUBJECTS
A Winter Walk '" The Parade of the Veterans
Making Calls in the Country How We Raised Money for the
A Call from the Minister Church
Selling Tickets for Our Enter- Making Candy for the Church
tainment Fair
An Old Man That I Know Coloring the Easter Eggs
Aunt Susan Children in the " Heathen "
A Queer Present Lands
Getting Ready for the Christ- A Woman Peddler
mas Tree Talking Over Old Times
What I Think about Miss Arietta
SUGGESTIONS FOR THEME-WRITING
Making Calls in the Country : — Did you ever have any
occasion to go from house to house in a country district ? Can
you write something about the different homes that you saw ?
162 ALICE BROWN
Tell who came to the door, and how these persons looked and
acted. What did they say ? Did they speak carefully and gram-
matically ? Describe several of the rooms that you were in. Tell
about some of the people. Were there children ? What did they
say and do ? Did anything funny happen ? Were you successful
in your errand ? Tell how you finished your round of calls, and
how you felt when you were through.
Coloring the Easter Eggs : — Who helped you to color the
Easter eggs ? Were you doing it for some little children, or for
the Sunday School ? Was there any secret about it ? Did you
hunt for the eggs yourself, or did you buy them ? Where did
you get the coloring matter ? Tell how you put the ingredients
together, and how you colored the eggs. Was there any conver-
sation while you were doing the work ? How did the kitchen
look ? Was anybody cross about it ? How did the eggs " turn
out " ? What did you do with them ?
COLLATERAL READINGS
Meadow Grass Alice Brown
Tiverton Tales " «
Country Neighbors " **
The County Road « «
By Oak and Thorn « «
A New England Nun Mary E. Wilkins-Freeman
A Humble Romance and Other
Stories « " " "
Jerome : A Poor Man « « m u
Six Trees « " " «*
The Debtor « " " "
The Wind in the Rosebush ... «« " " «
Historic Towns of New England . Lyman P. Powell
The Romance of Old New England
Roof Trees Mary C. Crawford
Quaint Nantucket W. R. Bliss
Old Paths and Legends of the New
England Border (for illustra-
tions) Katharine M. Abbott
Glimpses of Old New England
Life : Legends of Old Bedford . A. E. Brown
ROSY BALM 163
The Story of Concord, Told by
Concord Writers Josephine L. Swayne (Ed.)
Sketches from Concord and Apple-
dore Frank P. Stearns
Old Concord ; Her Highways and
Byways Margaret Sidney
The Country School in New Eng-
land Clifton Johnson
Aunt Jane of Kentucky .... Eliza C. Hall
See also the list of New England stories by Sarah Orne Jew-
ett, page 202.
THE OGILLALLAH VILLAGE
FRANCIS PABKMAN
(From Chapter XIV of The Oregon Trail)
This is hardly the place for portraying the mental
features of the Indians. The same picture, slightly
changed in shade and coloring, would serve with very
few exceptions for all the tribes north of the Mexican
territories. But with this similarity in their modes of
thought, the tribes of the lake and ocean shores, of the
forests and of the plains, differ greatly in their manner
of life. Having been domesticated for several weeks
among one of the wildest of the hordes that roam over
the remote prairies, I had unusual opportunities of ob-
serving them, and flatter myself that a sketch of the
scenes that passed daily before my eyes may not be
devoid of interest. They were thorough savages. Nei-
ther their manners nor their ideas were in the slightest
degree modified by contact with civilization. They knew
nothing of the power and real character of the white
men, and their children would scream in terror when
they saw me. Their religion, superstitions, and preju-
dices were the same handed down to them from im-
memorial time. They fought with the weapons that
their fathers fought with, and wore the same garments
of skins. They were living representatives of the
" stone age " ; for though their lances and arrows were
tipped with iron procured from the traders, they still
used the rude stone mallet of the primeval world.
Great changes are at hand in that region. With the
stream of emigration to Oregon and California, the
THE OGILLALLAH VILLAGE 165
buffalo will dwindle away, and the large wandering
communities who depend on them for support must be
broken and scattered. The Indians will soon be abased
by whiskey and overawed by military posts ; so that
within a few years the traveler may pass in tolerable
security through their country. Its danger and its charm
will have disappeared together.
As soon as Raymond and I discovered the village
from the gap in the hills, we were seen in our turn ;
keen eyes were constantly on the watch. As we rode
down upon the plain, the side of the village nearest us
was darkened with a crowd of naked figures. Several
men came forward to meet us. I could distinguish
among them the green blanket of the Frenchman Rey-
nal. When we came up the ceremony of shaking hands
had to be gone through in due form, and then all were
eager to know what had become of the rest of my
party. I satisfied them on this point, and we all moved
together towards the village.
" You 've missed it," said Reynal ; " if you 'd been
here day before yesterday, you 'd have found the whole
prairie over yonder black with buffalo as far as you
could see. There were no cows, though ; nothing but
bulls. We made a ' surround ' every day till yesterday.
See the village there ; don't that look like good liv-
ing
?"
In fact I could see, even at that distance, long cords
stretched from lodge to lodge, over which the meat, cut by
the squaws into thin sheets, was hanging to dry in the
sun. I noticed too that the village was somewhat smaller
than when I had last seen it, and I asked Reynal the
cause. He said that old Le Borgne had felt too weak
to pass over the mountains, and so had remained be-
hind with all his relations, including Mahto-Tatonka
166 FRANCIS PAKKMAN
and his brothers. The Whirlwind too had been un-
willing to come so far, because, as Reynal said, he was
afraid. Only half a dozen lodges had adhered to
him, the main body of the village setting their chief's
authority at naught, and taking the course most agree-
able to their inclinations.
" What chiefs are there in the village now ? "
asked I.
"Well," said Keynal, "there's old Ked- Water, and
the Eagle-Feather, and the Big Crow, and the Mad
Wolf, and The Panther, and the White Shield, and —
what's his name ? — the half-breed Shienne."
So, still followed by a crowd of Indians, Raymond
and I rode up to the entrance of the Big Crow's lodge.
A squaw came out immediately and took our horses.
I put aside the leather flap that covered the low open-
ing, and stooping, entered the Big Crow's dwelling.
There I could see the chief in the dim light, seated at
one side, on a pile of buffalo-robes. He greeted me
with a guttural " How, cola ! " I requested Reynal to
tell him that Raymond and I were come to live with
him. The Big Crow gave another low exclamation.
The announcement may seem intrusive, but, in fact,
every Indian in the village would have deemed himself
honored that white men should give such preference
to his hospitality.
The squaw spread a buffalo-robe for us in the guest's
place at the head of the lodge. Our saddles were
brought in, and scarcely were we seated upon them be-
fore the place was thronged with Indians, crowding in
to see us. The Big Crow produced his pipe and filled
it with the mixture of tobacco and shongsasha^ or red
willow bark. Round and round it passed, and a lively
THE OGILLALLAH VILLAGE 167
conversation went forward. Meanwhile a squaw placed
before the two guests a wooden bowl of boiled buffalo-
meat; but unhappily this was not the only banquet
destined to be inflicted on us. One after another, boys
and young squaws thrust their heads in at the opening,
to invite us to various feasts in different parts of the
village. For half an hour or more we were actively
engaged in passing from lodge to lodge, tasting in each
of the bowl of meat set before us, and inhaling a whiff
or two from our entertainer's pipe. A thunder-storm
that had been threatening for some time now began
in good earnest. We crossed over to ReynaFs lodge,
though it hardly deserved the name, for it consisted
only of a few old buffalo-robes, supported on poles,
and was quite open on one side. Here we sat down,
and the Indians gathered round us.
" What is it," said I, " that makes the thunder ? '*
" It 's my belief," said Reynal, " that it 's a big stone
rolling over the sky."
" Very likely," I replied ; " but I want to know
what the Indians think about it."
So he interpreted my question, which produced some
debate. There was a difference of opinion. At last old
Mene-Seela, or Red- Water, who sat by himself at one
side, looked up with his withered face, and said he
had always known what the thunder was. It was a great
black bird ; and once he had seen it, in a dream, swoop-
ing down from the Black Hills, with its loud roaring
wings ; and when it flapped them over a lake, they
struck lightning from the water.
" The thunder is bad," said another old man, who
sat muffled in his buffalo-robe ; " he killed my brother
last summer."
Reynal. at my request, asked for an explanation ;
168 FRANCIS PARKMAN
but the old man remained doggedly silent, and would
not look up. Some time after, I learned hem the acci-
dent occurred. The man who was killed belonged to
an association which, among other mystic functions,
claimed the exclusive power and privilege of fighting
the thunder. Whenever a storm which they wished
to avert was threatening, the thunder-fighters would
take their bows and arrows, their guns, their magic
drum, and a sort of whistle, made out of the wing-bone
of the war-eagle, and, thus equipped, run out and fire
at the rising cloud, whooping, yelling, whistling, and
beating their drum, to frighten it down again. One
afternoon, a heavy black cloud was coming up, and
they repaired to the top of a hill, where they brought
all their magic artillery into play against it. But the
undaunted thunder, refusing to be terrified, darted out
a bright flash, which struck one of the party dead as
he was in the very act of shaking his long iron-pointed
lance against it. The rest scattered and ran yelling
in an ecstasy of superstitious terror back to their lodges.
The lodge of my host Kongra-Tonga, or the Big
Crow, presented a picturesque spectacle that evening.
A score or more of Indians were seated around it in a
circle, their dark naked forms just visible by the dull
light of the smouldering fire in the middle. The pipe
glowed brightly in the gloom as it passed from hand
to hand. Then a squaw would drop a piece of buffalo-
fat on the dull embers. Instantly a bright flame would
leap up, darting its light to the very apex of the tall con-
ical structure, where the tops of the slender poles that
supported the covering of hide were gathered together.
It gilded the features of the Indians, as with animated
gestures they sat around it, telling their endless stories
of war and hunting, and displayed rude garments of
^THE OGILLALLAH VILLAGE 169
skins that hung around the lodge ; the bow, quiver,
and lance, suspended over the resting-place of the
chief, and the rifles and powder-horns of the two white
guests. For a moment all would be bright as day ; then
the flames would die out ; fitful flashes from the em-
bers would illumine the lodge, and then leave it in
darkness. Then the light would wholly fade, and the
lodge and all within it be involved again in obscurity.
When feasting is in question, one hour of the day
serves an Indian as well as another. My entertainment
came off at about eleven o'clock. At that hour, Reynal
and Raymond walked across the area of the village,
to the admiration of the inhabitants, carrying the two
kettles of dog meat slung on a pole between them.
These they placed in the centre of the lodge, and then
went back for the bread and the tea. Meanwhile I had
put on a pair of brilliant moccasins, and substituted
for my old buck-skin frock a coat which I had brought
with me in view of such public occasions. I also made
careful use of the razor, an operation which no man
will neglect who desires to gain the good opinion,
of Indians. Thus attired, I seated myself between
Reynal and Raymond at the head of the lodge. Only
a few minutes elapsed before all the guests had come
in and were seated on the ground, wedged together in
a close circle. Each brought with him a wooden bowl
to hold his share of the repast. When all were assem-
bled, two of the officials, called " soldiers " by the
white men, came forward with ladles made of the horn
of the Rocky Mountain sheep, and began to distribute
the feast, assigning a double share to the old men and
chiefs. The dog vanished with astonishing celerity, and
each guest turned his dish bottom upward to show that
170 FRANCIS PARKMAN
all was gone. Then the bread was distributed in its turn,
and finally the tea. As the " soldiers " poured it out
into the same wooden bowls that had served for the
substantial part of the meal, I thought it had a par-
ticularly curious and uninviting color.
"Oh," said Keynal, "there was not tea enough, so
I stirred some soot in the kettle, to make it look
strong."
Fortunately an Indian's palate is not very discrimi-
nating. The tea was well sweetened, and that was all
they cared for.
Now, the feast being over, the time for speech-mak-
ing was come. The Big Crow produced a flat piece of
wood on which he cut up tobacco and shongsasha, and
mixed them in due proportions. The pipes were filled
and passed from hand to hand around the company.
Then I began my speech, each sentence being inter-
preted by Reynal as I went on, and echoed by the
whole audience with the usual exclamations of assent
and approval. As nearly as I can recollect, it was as
follows : —
"I had come," I told them, "from a country so far
distant, that at the rate they travel, they could not
reach it in a year."
" How ! how ! "
" There the Meneaska were more numerous than
the blades of grass on the prairie. The squaws were
far more beautiful than any they had ever seen, and
all the men were brave warriors."
"How ! how ! how ! "
I was assailed by twinges of conscience as I uttered
these last words. But I recovered myself and began
again.
" While I was living in the Meneaska lodges, I had
THE OGILLALLAH VILLAGE 171
heard of the Ogillallah, how great and brave a nation
they were, how they loved the whites, and how well
they could hunt the buffalo and strike their enemies.
I resolved to come and see if all that I heard was
true."
" How ! how ! how ! how ! "
" As I had come on horseback through the moun-
tains, I had been able to bring them only a very few
presents."
" How ! "
" But I had enough tobacco to give them all a small
piece. They might smoke it and see how much better
it was than the tobacco which they got from the trad-
ers."
"How! how! how!"
" I had plenty of powder, lead, knives, and tobacco
at Fort Laramie. These I was anxious to give them,
and if any of them should come to the fort before I
went away, I would make them handsome presents."
" How ! how ! how ! how ! "
Raymond then cut up and distributed among them
two or three pounds of tobacco, and old Mene-Seela
began to make a reply. It was long, but the following
was the pith of it.
" He had always loved the whites. They were the
wisest people on earth. He believed they could do any-
thing, and he was always glad when any of them came
to live in the Ogillallah lodges. It was true I had not
made them many presents, but the reason of it was
plain. It was clear that I liked them, or I never should
have come so far to find their village."
Several other speeches of similar import followed,
and then this more serious matter being disposed of,
there was an interval of smoking, laughing, and con-
172 FRANCIS PARKMAN
versation. Old Mene-Seela suddenly interrupted it
with a loud voice : —
"Now is a good time," lie said, "when all the old
men and chiefs are here together, to decide what the
people shall do. We came over the mountains to make
our lodges for next year. Our old ones are good for
nothing, they are rotten and worn out. But we have
been disappointed. We have killed buffalo-bulls
enough, but we have found no herds of cows, and the
skins of bulls are too thick and heavy for our squaws
to make lodges of. There must be plenty of cows about
the Medicine Bow Mountain. We ought to go there.
To be sure it is farther westward than we have ever
been before, and perhaps the Snakes will attack us,
for those hunting-grounds belong to them. But we
must have new lodges at any rate ; our old ones will
not serve for another year. We ought not to be afraid
of the Snakes. Our warriors are brave, and they are
all ready for war. Besides, we have three white men
with their rifles to help us."
This speech produced ^ good deal of debate. As
Reynal did not interpret what was said, I could only
judge of the meaning by the features and gestures of
the speakers. At the end of it however the greater
number seemed to have fallen in with Mene-Seela's
opinion. A short silence followed, and then the old man
struck up a discordant chant, which I was told was a
song of thanks for the entertainment I had given them.
"Now," said he, "let us go and give the white men
a chance to breathe."
So the company all dispersed into the open air, and
for some time the old chief was walking round the
village, singing his song in praise of the feast, after
the custom of the nation.
THE OGILL ALLAH VILLAGE 173
At last the day drew to a close, and as the sun went
down the horses came trooping from the surrounding
plains to be picketed before the dwellings of their re-
spective masters. Soon within the great circle of lodges
appeared another concentric circle of restless horses ;
and here and there fires glowed and flickered amid the
gloom, on the dusky figures around them. I went over
and sat by the lodge of Reynal. The Eagle-Feather,
who was a son of Mene-Seela, and brother of my host
the Big Crow, was seated there already, and I asked
him if the village would move in the morning. He
shook his head, and said that nobody could tell, for
since old Mahto-Tatonka had died, the people had
been like children that did not know their own minds.
They were no better than a body without a head. So
I, as well as the Indians themselves, fell asleep that
night without knowing whether we should set out in
the morning towards the country of the Snakes.
At daybreak however, as I was coming up from the
river after my morning's ablutions, I saw that a move-
ment was contemplated. Some of the lodges were re-
duced to nothing but bare skeletons of poles ; the
leather covering of others was flapping in the wind as
the squaws pulled it off. One or two chiefs of note had
resolved, it seemed, on moving ; and so having set their
squaws at work, the example was followed by the rest
of the village. One by one the lodges were sinking
down in rapid succession, and where the great circle
of the village had been only a few moments before,
nothing now remained but a ring of horses and In-
dians, crowded in confusion together. The ruins of the
lodges were spread over the ground, together with ket-
tles, stone mallets, great ladles of horn, buffalo-robes,
and cases of painted hide, filled with dried meat.
174 FRANCIS PARKMAN
Squaws bustled about in busy preparation, tbe old
hags screaming to one another at the stretch of their
leathern lungs. The shaggy horses were patiently
standing while the lodge-poles were lashed to their
sides, and the baggage piled upon their backs. The
dogs, with tongues lolling out, lay lazily panting, and
waiting for the time of departure. Each warrior sat on
the ground by the decaying embers of his fire, un-
moved amid the confusion, holding in his hand the
long trail-rope of his horse.
As their preparations were completed, each family
moved off the ground. The crowd was rapidly melting
away. I could see them crossing the river, and passing
in quick succession along the profile of the hill on the
farther side. When all were gone, I mounted and set
out after them, followed by Raymond, and, as we
gained the summit, the whole village came in view at
once, straggling away for a mile or more over the bar-
ren plains before us. Everywhere glittered the iron
points of lances. The sun never shone upon a more
strange array. Here were the heavy-laden pack-horses,
some wretched old woman leading them, and two or
three children clinging to their backs. Here were mules
or ponies covered from head to tail with gaudy trap-
pings, and mounted by some gay young squaw, grin-
ning bashf ulness and pleasure as the Meneaska looked
at her. Boys with miniature bows and arrows wan-
dered over the plains, little naked children ran along
on foot, and numberless dogs scampered among the feet
of the horses. The young braves, gaudy with paint and
feathers, rode in groups among the crowd, often gal-
loping two or three at once along the line, to try the
speed of their horses. Here and there you might see a
rank of sturdy pedestrians stalking along in their white
THE OGILLALLAH VILLAGE 175
buffalo-robes. These were the dignitaries of the village,
the old men and warriors, to whose age and experience
that wandering democracy yielded a silent deference.
With the rough prairie and the broken hills for its
background, the restless scene was striking and pic-
turesque beyond description. Days and weeks made
me familiar with it, but never impaired its effect upon
my fancy.
As we moved on, the broken column grew yet more
scattered and disorderly, until, as we approached the
foot of a hill, I saw the old men before mentioned
seating themselves in a line upon the ground, in
advance of the whole. They lighted a pipe and
sat smoking, laughing, and telling stories, while the
people, stopping as they successively came up, were
soon gathered in a crowd behind them. Then the old
men rose, drew their buffalo-robes over their shoulders,
and strode on as before. Gaining the top of the hill,
we found a steep declivity before us. There was not a
minute's pause. The whole descended in a mass, amid
dust and confusion. The horses braced their feet as
they slid down, women and children screamed, dogs
yelped as they were trodden upon, while stones and
earth went rolling to the bottom. In a few moments
I could see the village from the summit, spreading
again far and wide over the plain below.
Our encampment that afternoon was not far from a
spur of the Black Hills, whose ridges, bristling with
fir-trees, rose from the plains a mile or two on our
right. That they might move more rapidly towards
their proposed hunting-grounds, the Indians deter-
mined to leave at this place their stock of dried meat
and other superfluous articles. Some left even their
176 FRANCIS PARKMAN
lodges, and contented themselves witli carrying a few
hides to make a shelter from the sun and rain. Half
the inhabitants set out in the afternoon, with loaded
pack-horses, towards the mountains. Here they sus-
pended the dried meat upon trees, where the wolves
and grizzly bears could not get at it. All returned
at evening. Some of the young men declared that they
had heard the reports of guns among the mountains to
the eastward, and many surmises were thrown out as
to the origin of these sounds. For my part, I was in
hopes that Shaw and Henry Chatillon were coming to
join us. I little suspected that at that very moment
my unlucky comrade was lying on a buffalo-robe at
Fort Laramie, fevered with ivy poison, and solacing
his woes with tobacco and Shakespeare.
As we moved over the plains on the next morn-
ing, several young men rode about the country as
scouts ; and at length we began to see them occasion-
ally on the tops of the hills, shaking their robes as
a signal that they saw buffalo. Soon after, some bulls
came in sight. Horsemen darted away in pursuit,
and we could see from the distance that one or two
of the buffalo were killed. Raymond suddenly became
inspired,
"This is the country for me ! " he said ; " if I could
only carry the buffalo that are killed here every month
down to St. Louis, I 'd make my fortune in one winter.
I 'd grow as rich as old Papin, or Mackenzie either. I
call this the poor man's market. When I 'm hungry,
I 've only got to take my rifle and go out and get bet-
ter meat than the rich folks down below can get, with
all their money. You won't catch me living in St. Louis
another winter."
THE OGILLALLAH VILLAGE 177
Here he interrupted himself with an oath, and ex-
claimed : " Look! look ! The ' Panther ' is running an
antelope ! "
The Panther, on his black and white horse, one of
the best in the village, came at full speed over the hill
in hot pursuit of an antelope, that darted away like
lightning before him. The attempt was made in mere
sport and bravado, for very few are the horses that can
for a moment compete in swiftness with this little ani-
mal. The antelope ran down the hill towards the main
body of the Indians, who were moving over the plain
below. Sharp yells were given, and horsemen galloped
out to intercept his flight. At this he turned sharply to
the left, and scoured away with such speed that he dis^
tanced all his pursuers, even the vaunted horse of The
Panther himself. A few moments after, we witnessed
a more serious sport. A shaggy buffalo-bull bounded
out from a neighboring hollow, and close behind him
came a slender Indian boy, riding without stirrups or
saddle, and lashing his eager little horse to full speed.
Yard after yard he drew closer to his gigantic victim,
though the bull, with his short tail erect and his tongue
lolling out a foot from his foaming jaws, was straining
his unwieldy strength to the utmost. A moment more,
and the boy was close alongside. It was our friend the
Hail-Storm. He dropped the rein on his horse's neck,
and jerked an arrow like lightning from the quiver at
his shoulder.
" I '11 tell you," said Reynal, " that in a year's time
that boy will match the best hunter in the village.
There, he has given it to him ! — and there goes an-
other ! You feel well, now, old bull, don't you, with
two arrows stuck in your lights ! There, he has given
him another I Hear how the Hail-Storm yells when he
178 FRANCIS PARKMAN
shoots ! Yes, jump at him ; try it again, old fellow !
You may jump all day before you get your horns into
that pony I "
The bull sprang again and again at his assailant,
but the horse kept dodging with wonderful celerity.
At length the bull followed up his attack with a furi-
ous rush, and the Hail- Storm was put to flight, the
shaggy monster following close behind. The boy clung
in his seat like a leech, and secure in the speed of his
little pony, looked round towards us and laughed. In
a moment he was again alongside the bull, who was now
driven to desperation. His eyeballs glared through his
tangled mane, and the blood flew from his mouth and
nostrils. Thus, still battling with each other, the two
enemies disappeared over the hill.
Many of the Indians rode at full gallop towards the
spot. We followed at a more moderate pace, and soon
saw the bull lying dead on the side of the hill. The
Indians were gathered around him, and several knives
were already at work. These little instruments were
plied with such wonderful address, that the twisted
sinews were cut apart, the ponderous bones fell asunder
as if by magic, and in a moment the vast carcass was
reduced to a heap of bloody ruins.
"We encamped that night, and marched westward
through the greater part of the following day. On the
next morning we again resumed our journey. It was
the seventeenth of July, unless my note-book misleads
me. At noon we stopped by some pools of rain-water,
and in the afternoon again set forward. This double
movement was contrary to the usual practice of the
Indians, but all were very anxious to reach the hunt-
ing-ground, kill the necessary number of buffalo.
THE OGILLALLAH VILLAGE 179
and retreat as soon as possible from the dangerous
neighborhood. I pass by for the present some curious
incidents that occurred during these marches and en-
campments. Late in the afternoon of the last-mentioned
day we came upon the banks of a little sandy stream,
of which the Indians could not tell the name ; for they
were very ill acquainted with that part of the country.
So parched and arid were the prairies around, that they
could not supply grass enough for the horses to feed
upon, and we were compelled to move farther and far-
ther up the stream in search of ground for encamp-
ment. The country was much wilder than before. The
plains were gashed with ravines and broken into hol-
lows and steep declivities, which flanked our course,
as, in long scattered array, the Indians advanced up
the side of the stream. Mene-Seela consulted an ex-
traordinary oracle to instruct him where the buffalo
were to be found. When he with the other chiefs sat
down on the grass to smoke and converse, as they often
did during the march, the old man picked up one of
those enormous black and green crickets, which the
Dahcotah called by a name that signifies " They who
point out the buffalo." The " Root-Diggers," a wretched
tribe beyond the mountains, turn them to good account
by making them into a sort of soup, pronounced by
certain unscrupulous trappers to be extremely rich.
Holding the bloated insect respectfully between his
fingers and thumb, the old Indian looked attentively
at him and inquired, *' Tell me, my father, where must
we go to-morrow to find the buffalo ? " The cricket
twisted about his long horns in evident embarrass-
ment. At last he pointed, or seemed to point, them
westward. Mene-Seela, dropping him gently on the
grass, laughed with great glee, and said that if we
180 FRANCIS PAEKMAN
went that way in the morning we should be sure to
kill plenty of game.
Towards evening we came upon a fresh green meadow,
traversed by the stream, and deep-set among tall sterile
bluffs. The Indians descended its steep bank ; and as
I was at the rear, I was one of the last to reach this
point. Lances were glittering, feathers fluttering, and
the water below me was crowded with men and horses
passing through, while the meadow beyond swarmed
with the restless crowd of Indians. The sun was just
setting, and poured its softened light upon them through
an opening in the hills.
I remarked to Reynal, that at last we had found a
good 'camping-ground.
" Oh, it 's very good," replied he, ironically, " espe-
cially if there is a Snake war-party about, and they take
it into their heads to shoot down at us from the top of
these hills. It 's no plan of mine, 'camping in such a
hole as this."
The Indians also seemed anxious. High up on the
top of the tallest bluff, conspicuous in the bright even-
ing sunlight, sat a naked warrior on horseback, look-
ing around over the neighboring country ; and Ray-
mond told me that many of the young men had gone
out in different directions as scouts.
The shadows had reached to the very summit of the
bluffs before the lodges were erected, and the village
reduced again to quiet and order. A cry was suddenly
raised, and men, women, and children came running
out with animated faces, and looked eagerly through
the opening in the hills by which the stream entered
from the westward. I could discern afar off some dark,
heavy masses, passing over the sides of a low hill. They
disappeared, and then others followed. These were
THE OGILLALLAH VILLAGE 181
bands of buffalo-cows. The hunting-ground was reached
at last, and everything promised well for the morrow's
chase. Being fatigued and exhausted, I lay down in
Kongra-Tonga's lodge, when Raymond thrust in his
head, and called upon me to come and see some sport.
A number of Indians were gathered, laughing, along
the line of lodges on the western side of the village,
and at some distance, I could plainly see in the twilight
two huge black monsters stalking, heavily and solemnly,
directly towards us. They were buffalo-bulls. The wind
blew from them to the village, and such was their
blindness and stupidity, that they were advancing upon
the enemy without the least consciousness of his pre-
sence. Raymond told me that two young men had
hidden themselves with guns in a ravine about twenty
yards in front of us. The two bulls walked slowly on,
heavily swinging from side to side in their peculiar
gait of stupid dignity. They approached within four
or five rods of the ravine where the Indians lay in
ambush. Here at last they seemed conscious that some-
thing was wrong, for they both stopped and stood
perfectly still, without looking either to the right or to
the left. Nothing of them was to be seen but two black
masses of shaggy mane, with horns, eyes, and nose in
the centre, and a part of hoofs visible at the bottom.
At last the more intelligent of them seemed to have
concluded that it was time to retire. Very slowly, and
with an air of the gravest and most majestic delibera-
tion, he began to turn round, as if he were revolving
on a pivot. Little by little his ugly brown side was
exposed to view. A white smoke sprang out, as it were
from the ground ; a sharp report came with it. The
old bull gave a very undignified jump, and galloped
off. At this his comrade wheeled about with consider-
182 FRANCIS PARKMAN
able expedition. The other Indian shot at him from
the ravine, and then both the bulls ran away at full
speed, while half the juvenile population of the village
raised a yell and ran after them. The first bull soon
stopped, and while the crowd stood looking at him at
a respectful distance, he reeled and rolled over on his
side. The other, wounded in a less vital part, galloped
away to the hills and escaped.
In half an hour it was totally dark. I lay down to
sleep, and ill as I was, there was something very ani-
mating in the prospect of the general hunt that was to
take place on the morrow.
NOTES
Ogillallah : — A tribe of Western Indians.
the " stone age " : — A state of savagery in which men use
stone weapons, not having learned the use of metals.
Raymond : — A Western hunter who was in Parkman's party
in the journey here described. See page 116 (Chapter X) of The
Oregon Trail.
Reynal : — "A vagrant Indian trader," as Parkman says on
page 116 of The Oregon Trail.
Le Borgne : — An old Indian described in Chapter XI of The
Oregon Trail.
Mahto Tatonka : — A young nephew of Le Borgne. The
Mahto Tatonka mentioned further on is the old chief of the
same name as the young warrior, his son. At the time of which
Parkman writes, old Mahto Tatonka was dead. See Chapter XI
of The Oregon Trail.
Shienne : — Cheyenne, the name of a tribe of Indians.
Meneaska : — An Indian word for white men.
Medicine Bow Mountain : — A range of the Rocky Moun-
tains, in Wyoming and Colorado. It forms the southwestern
boundary of the Laramie Plain.
Snakes : — A tribe of war-like Western Indians.
Shaw and Henry Chatillon : — Quincy Adams Shaw, a
relative of Parkman, took the trip with the author. See page 1
THE OGILLALLAH VILLAGE 183
of The Oregon Trail. Henry Chatillon was Parkman's guide. He
is described at length in Chapter II.
Fort Laramie : — A fort in the territory which is now the
State of Wyoming. See Chapter IX of The Oregon Trail.
Papin : — Parkman says on page 69 of The Oregon Trail that
Papin was " the boss of Fort Laramie."
Mackenzie : — Possibly this is Roderick Mackenzie, a fur-
trader, connected with the Northwest Fur Company, He lived
during the latter part of the eighteenth and the first part of the
nineteenth century, but the exact dates of his birth and death
are unknown.
Hail-Storm: — A young Indian spoken of on page 116 of
The Oregon Trail.
QUESTIONS FOR STUDY
What is Parkman's purpose in giving the general sketch of In-
dian character, at first ? Have the changes that he prophesies in
the second paragraph already taken place ? What is the value of
the conversation that occurs as the travelers approach the vil-
lage ? What do you think of Parkman's method of sprinkling
conversation all through the piece ? Why does the author stop
to give the Indians' ideas about the thunder ? In what ways is
the description of the feast made clear and lively ? Pick out
what you think are the most striking details. How does Park-
man give an effect of confusion in the departure of the Indians
from camp ? In the account of the antelope-hunt, and the bison-
hunt, what method is used in order to make the reader feel the
liveliness of the events ? Pick out the words and expressions
that help to give an effect of rapidity and excitement in the ac-
tion. Go through the whole selection, and see, by looking at the
beginnings of the paragraphs, how Parkman leads the reader on
from one scene to another ; that is, take note of his use of transi-
tion. What is your general idea of the state of civilization in
which the Ogillallahs were at the time that Parkman visited
them?
THEME SUBJECTS
My Visit to an Indian Camp A Visit to the Indian Reserva-
The Indian in the City tion
The Gypsies' Camp The Pioneer and the Indians
184 FRANCIS PARKMAN
When the Indians Came to Town When the Indians Lived on
The Adventures of an Indian Boy the Site of Our Town
An Indian Peddler Smoking the Pipe of Peace
An Adventure with the Indians Playing Indian
The Indians at the Amusement How the White Men Have
Park Treated the Indians
The Wild West Show
SUGGESTIONS FOR THEME-WRITING
When the Indians Came to To"wn : — Can you give an
idea of the point of view from which you caught your first
glimpse of the Indians at the time of which you are writing ?
Would it be better to speak first of the particular Indians, or of
the whole group ? Were you frightened, or amused ? In either
case, explain why. What sort of clothes and decorations did the
Indians wear ? Can you use some color-words that would make
your picture of them clear ? In speaking of individual Indians
can you show in what way they differed from others ? Did they
vrear peculiar garments, act strangely, or say anything particu-
larly interesting ? See if you can use one of the following ideas
for closing up your theme : The way the townspeople regarded
the Indians ; the last you saw of them ; the length of their stay;
their departure.
An Adventure -with the Indians: — Tell in your own
words an incident that you have heard, read, or imagined, about
some white person's adventure with Indians. Try to make clear
to your reader, at the very first, the time and the place of the
occurrence, and the circumstances that led up to it. Tell what
each person said, in the first part of the adventure. Explain how
the Indians looked, and what they said and did. See if you can
make your picture of the Indians as striking and vivid as Park-
man makes his ; and try to make the actions of the Indians show
their characters. Keep before the reader, as much as possible,
the person who is having the adventure. Do not let him be for-
gotten while you are describing the Indians. Tell what he
thought, felt, said, and did. Show clearly his state of mind,
especially as to whether he was frightened or not. Go on and
tell what happened, and how the adventure came out. Finish by
telling how the hero felt when it was over.
THE OGILLALLAH VILLAGE 185
COLLATERAL READINGS
The Oregon Trail Francis Parkmaii
The Conspiracy of Pontiac ... " "
The Jesuits in North America . . " '*
La Salle and the Discovery of the
Great West « "
Pioneers of France in the New
World « ««.
The Old Regime in Canada ..." «
A Half-Century of Conflict ..." «
Heroes of the Middle West . . . Mary Hartwell Catherwood
Rocky Mountain Exploration . . Reuben G. Thwaites
Wisconsin " "
The Discorery of the Old North-
west James Baldwin
French Pathfinders in North Amer-
ica W. H. Johnson
The Romance of Discovery . . . W. E. Griffis
American Indians Frederick Starr
The Master of the Stronghearts . E. S. Brooks
The Magic Forest Stewart Edward White
The Wampum Belt Hezekiah Butterworth
An Indian Boyhood Charles Eastman
Indian Story and Song . . . . A. C. Fletcher
Indians of To-day G. B. Grinnell
Blackfoot Lodge Tales ...."" «
The Story of the Indian ....«« "
The Great Salt Lake Trail . . . Inman and Cody
The Old Santa ¥4 Trail . . . . H. Inman
The Expedition of Lewis and
Clark J. K. Hosmer
The Trail of Lewis and Clark . . O. D. Wheeler
Boots and Saddles E. Custer
Tenting on the Plains . . . . " "
Following the Guidon ....""
Far West Sketches Jessie B. Fremont
Pony Tracks Frederic Remington
Across the Plains R. L. Stevenson
The Land of Little Rain . . . Mary Austin
Old Indian Legends Zitkala-Sa
186 FRANCIS PARKMAN"
The Book of Legends .... Horace E. Scudder
Indian History for Young Folks F. S. Drake
The Last of the Mohicans . . . James Fenimore Cooper
The Prairie « « «
Francis Parkman H. D. Sedgwick
Francis Parkman E. H. Farnham
A WHITE HERON
SARAH ORNE JEWETT
(From A White Heron and Other Stories)
I
/ The woods were already filled with shadows one ]
/ June evening, just before eight o'clock, though a bright /
sunset still glimmered faintly among the trunks of the
S trees. A little girl was driving home her cow, a plod-
/ding, dilatory, provoking creature in her behavior, but
/ a valued companion for all that. They were going away
j from whatever light there was, and striking deep into
the woods, but their feet were familiar with the path,
and it was no matter whether their eyes could see it or
not.
There was hardly a night the summer through when
the old cow could be found waiting at the pasture
bars; on the contrary, it was her greatest pleasure to
hide herself away among the huckleberry bushes, and
though she wore a loud bell she had made the discov-
ery that if one stood perfectly still it would not ring.
So Sylvia had to hunt for her until she found her, and
call Co' ! Co' ! with never an answering Moo, until her
childish patience was^ quite spent. If the creature had
not given good milk and plenty of it, the case would
have seemed very different to her owners. Besides,
Sylvia had all the time there was, and very little use to
make of it. Sometimes in pleasant weather it was a con-
solation to look upon the cow's pranks as an intelligent
attempt to play hide and seek, and as the child had no
playmates she lent herself to this amusement with a
188 SARAH ORNE JEWETT
good deal of zest. Though this chase had been so long
that the wary animal herself had given an unusual sig-
nal of her whereabouts, Sylvia had only laughed when
she came upon Mistress MooUy at the swampside, and
urged her affectionately homeward with a twig of birch
leaves. The old cow was not inclined to wander farther ;
she even turned in the right direction for once as they
left the pasture, and stepped along the road at a good
pace. She was quite ready to be milked now, and seldom
stopped to browse. Sylvia wondered what her grand-
mother would say because they were so late. It was a
great while since she had left home at half -past five
o'clock, but everybody knew the difficulty of making
this errand a short one. Mrs. Tilley had chased the
horned torment too many summer evenings herself to
blame anyone else for lingering, and was only thank-
ful as she waited that she had Sylvia, nowadays, to
give such valuable assistance. The good woman sus-
pected that Sylvia loitered occasionally on her own ac-
count; there never was such a child for straying about
out-of-doors sine© the world was made ! Everybody
said that it was a good change for a little maid who
had tried to grow for eight years, in a crowded manu-
facturing town, but, as for Sylvia herself, it seemed as
if she never had been alive at all before she came to
live at the farm. She thought often with wistful com-
passion of a wretched geranium that belonged to a town
neighbor.
" ' Afraid of folks,' " old Mrs. Tilley said to herself,
with a smile, after she had made the unlikely choice
of Sylvia from her daughter's houseful of children,
and was returning to the farm. " ' Afraid of folks,'
they said ! I guess she won't be troubled no great with
'em up to the old place ! " When they reached the
A WHITE HERON 189
door of the lonely house and stopped to unlock it, and
the cat came to purr loudly, and rub against them, a
deserted pussy, indeed, but fat with young robins,
Sylvia whispered that this was a beautiful place to live
in, and she never should wish to go home.
The companions followed the shady wood-road, the
cow taking slow steps and the child very fast ones.
The cow stopped long at the brook to drink, as if the
pasture were not half a swamp, and Sylvia stood still
and waited, letting her bare feet cool themselves in
the shoal water, while the great twilight moths struck
softly against her. She waded on through the brook
as the cow moved away, and listened to the thrushes
with a heart that beat fast with pleasure. There was
a stirring in the great boughs overhead. They were
full of little birds and beasts that seemed to be wide
awake, and going about their world, or else saying
good-night to each other in sleepy twitters. Sylvia her-
self felt sleepy as she walked along. However, it was
not much farther to the house, and the air was soft
and sweet. She was not often in the woods so late as
this, and it made her feel as if she were a part of the
gray shadows and the moving leaves. She was just
thinking how long it seemed since she first came to
the farm a year ago, and wondering if everything went
on in the noisy town just the same as when she was
there ; the thought of the great red-faced boy who used
to chase and frighten her made her hurry along the
path to escape from the shadow of the trees.
Suddenly this little woods-girl was horror-stricken
to hear a clear whistle not very far away. Not a bird's-
whistle, which would have a sort of friendliness, but a
boy's whistle, determined, and somewhat aggressive.
190 SARAH ORNE JEWETT
Sylvia left the cow to whatever sad fate might await
her, and stepped discreetly aside into the bushes, but
she was just too late. The enemy had discovered her,
and called out in a very cheerful and persuasive tone,
" Halloa, little girl, how far is it to the road ? " and
trembling Sylvia answered almost inaudibly, " A good
ways."
She did not dare to look boldly at the tall young
man, who carried a gun on his shoulder, but she came
out of her bush and again followed the cow, while he
walked alongside.
" I have been hunting for some birds," the stranger
said kindly, " and I have lost my way, and need a friend
very much. Don't be afraid," he added gallantly.
" Speak up and tell me what your name is, and whether
you think I can spend the night at your house, and go
out gunning early in the morning."
Sylvia was more alarmed than before. Would not
her grandmother consider her much to blame ? But
who could have foreseen such an accident as this? It
did not seem to be her fault, and she hung her head
as if the stem of it were broken, but managed to an-
swer " Sylvy," with much effort when her companion
again asked her name.
Mrs. Tilley was standing in the doorway when the
trio came into view. The cow gave a loud moo by way
of explanation.
"Yes, you'd better speak up for yourself, you old
trial ! Where 'd she tucked herself away this time,
Sylvy ? " But Sylvia kept an awed silence ; she knew
by instinct that her grandmother did not comprehend
the gravity of the situation. She must be mistaking
the stranger for one of the farmer-lads of the region.
The young man stood his gun beside the door, and
A WHITE HERON 191
dropped a lumpy game-bag beside it ; tben he bade
Mrs. Tilley good-evening, and repeated his wayfarer's
story, and asked if he could have a night's lodging.
" Put me anywhere you like," he said. " I must
be off early in the morning, before day ; but I am very
hungry, indeed. You can give me some milk at any
rate, that 's plain."
" Dear sakes, yes," responded the hostess, whose
long slumbering hospitality seemed to be easily awak-
ened. " You might fare better if you went out to the
main road a mile or so, but you 're welcome to what
we 've got. I '11 milk right off, and you make yourself
at home. You can sleep on husks or feathers," she prof-
fered graciously. " I raised them all myself. There 's
good pasturing for geese just below here towards the
ma'sh. Now step round and set a plate for the gentle-
man, Sylvy ! " And Sylvia promptly stepped. She was
glad to have something to do, and she was hungry
herself.
It was a surprise to find so clean and comfortable a
little dwelling in this New England wilderness. The
young man had known the horrors of its most primi-
tive housekeeping, and the dreary squalor of that level
of society which does not rebel at the companionship
of hens. This was the best thrift of an old-fashioned
farmstead, though on such a small scale that it seemed
like a hermitage. He listened eagerly to the old
woman's quaint talk, he watched Sylvia's pale face
and shining gray eyes with ever growing enthusiasm,
and insisted that this was the best supper he had eaten
for a month, and afterward the new-made friends sat
down in the door-way together while the moon came
up.
Soon it would be berry-time, and Sylvia was a great
192 SARAH ORNE JEWETT
help at picking. The cow was a good milker, though a
plaguy thing to keep track of, the hostess gossiped
frankly, adding presently that she had buried four
children, so Sylvia's mother, and a son (who might be
dead) in California were all the children she had left.
" Dan, my boy, was a great hand to go gunning," she
explained sadly. " I never wanted for pa'tridges or gray
squer'ls while he was to home. He 's been a great
wand'rer, I expect, and he 's no hand to write letters.
There, I don't blame him, I 'd ha' seen the world my-
self if it had been so I could."
" Sylvy takes after him," the grandmother contin-
ued affectionately, after a minute's pause. " There ain't
a foot o' ground she don't know her way over, and the
wild creaturs counts her one o' themselves. Squer'ls
she '11 tame to come an' feed right out o' her hands,
and all sorts o' birds. Last winter she got the jaybirds
to bargeing here, and I believe she 'd 'a' scanted her-
self of her own meals to have plenty to throw out
amongst 'em, if I had n't kep' watch. Anything but
crows, I tell her, I 'm willin' to help support — though
Dan he had a tamed one o' them that did seem to have
reason same as folks. It was round here a good spell
after he went away. Dan an' his father they did n't
hitch, — but he never held up his head ag'in after
Dan had dared him an' gone off."
The guest did not notice this hint of family sorrows
in his eager interest in something else.
" So Sylvy knows all about birds, does she ? " he
exclaimed, as he looked round at the little girl who
sat, very demure but increasingly sleepy, in the moon-
light. " I am making a collection of birds myself. I
have been at it ever since I was a boy." (Mrs. Tilley
smiled.) " There are two or three very rare ones I
A WHITE HERON 193
have been hunting for these five years. I mean to
get them on my own ground if they can be found."
"Do you cage 'em up? " asked Mrs. Tilley doubt-
fully, in response to this enthusiastic announcement.
" Oh no, they 're stuffed and preserved, dozens and
dozens of them," said the ornithologist, " and I have
shot or snared every one myself. I caught a glimpse
of a white heron a few miles from here on Saturday,
and I have followed it in this direction. They have
never been found in this district at all. The little
white heron, it is," and he turned again to look at
Sylvia with the hope of discovering that the rare bird
was one of her acquaintances.
But Sylvia was watching a hop-toad in the narrow
footpath.
" You would know the heron if you saw it," the
stranger continued eagerly. " A queer, tall white bird
with soft feathers and long thin legs. And it would
have a nest perhaps in the top of a high tree, made
of sticks, something like a hawk's nest."
Sylvia's heart gave a wild beat; she knew that
strange white bird, and had once stolen softly near
where it stood in some bright green swamp grass,
away over at the other side of the woods. There was
an open place where the sunshine always seemed
strangely yellow and hot, where tall, nodding rushes
grew, and her grandmother had warned her that she
might sink in the soft black mud underneath and
never be heard of more. Not far beyond were the salt
marshes just this side the sea itself, which Sylvia
wondered and dreamed much about, but never had
seen, whose great voice could sometimes be heard
above the noise of the woods on stormy nights.
" I can't think of anything I should like so much as
194 SARAH ORNE JEWETT
to find tliat heron's nest," the handsome stranger was
saying. " I would give ten dollars to anybody who
could show it to me," he added desperately, " and I
mean to spend my whole vacation hunting for it if need
be. Perhaps it was only migrating, or had been chased
out of its own region by some bird of prey."
Mrs. Tilley gave amazed attention to all this, but
Sylvia still watched the toad, not divining, as she
might have done at some calmer time, that the creature
wished to get to its hole under the door-step, and was
much hindered by the unusual spectators at that hour
of the evening. No amount of thought, that night,
could decide how many wished-for treasures the ten
dollars, so lightly spoken of, would buy.
The next day the young sportsman hovered about
the woods, and Sylvia kept him company, having lost
her first fear of the friendly lad, who proved to be
most kind and sympathetic. He told her many things
about the birds and what they knew and where they
lived and what they did with themselves. And he gave
her a jack-knife, which she thought as great a treasure
as if she were a desert-islander. All day long he did
not once make her troubled or afraid except when he
brought down some unsuspecting singing creature from
its bough. Sylvia would have liked him vastly better
without his gun ; she could not understand why he
killed the very birds he seemed to like so much. But
as the day waned, Sylvia still watched the young man
with loving admiration. She had never seen anybody
so charming and delightful ; the woman's heart, asleep
in the child, was vaguely thrilled by a dream of love.
Some premonition of that great power stirred and
swayed these young creatures who traversed the solemn
A WHITE HERON 195
woodlands with soft-footed silent care. They stopped
to listen to a bird's song ; they pressed forward again
eagerly, parting the branches — speaking to each other
rarely and in whispers ; the young man going first and
Sylvia following, fascinated, a few steps behind, with
her gray eyes dark with excitement.
She grieved because the longed-for white heron was
elusive, but she did not lead the guest, — she only fol-
lowed, and there was no such thing as speaking first.
The sound of her own unquestioned voice would have
terrified her, — it was hard enough to answer yes or
no when there was need of that. At last evening began
to fall, and they drove the cow home together, and
Sylvia smiled with pleasure when they came to the
place where she heard the whistle and was afraid only
the night before.
II
Half a mile from home, at the farther edge of the
woods, where the land was highest, a great pine-
tree stood, the last of its i;g^ne ration. Whether it was
left for a boundary mark, or for what reason, no one
could say '; the woodchoppers who had felled its mates
were dead and gone long ago, and a whole forest of
sturdy trees, pines and oaks and maples, had grown
again. But the stately head of this old pine towered
above them all and made a landmark for sea and shore
miles and miles away. Sylvia knew it well. She had
always believed that whoever climbed to the top of it
could see the ocean; and the little girl had often laid
her hand on the great rough trunk and looked up
>^istfully at those dark boughs that the wind always
stirred, no matter how hot and still the air might be
below. Now she thought of the tree with a new excite-
196 SARAH OENE JEWETT
ment, for why, if one climbed it at break of day, could
not one see all the world, and easily discover from
whence the white heron flew, and mark the place, and
find the hidden nest?
What a spirit of adventure, what wild ambition!
What fancied triumph and delight and glory for the
later morning when she could make known the secret !
It was almost too real and too great for the childish
heart to bear.
All night the door of the little house stood open and
the whippoorwills came and sang upon the very step.
The young sportsman and his old hostess were sound
asleep, but Sylvia's great design kept her broad awake
and watching. She forgot to think of sleep. The short
summer night seemed as long as the winter darkness,
and at last when the whippoorwills ceased, and she
was afraid the morning would after all co.me too soon,
she stole out of tHenouse and followed the pasture
path through the woodsy ha;stening_jtQward the open
ground beyond^ listening with a~sens€~o£-CQmf ort^andr^
companionship to tKe drowsy^^witterof -a hall-awakened
bird, whose perch she had jarred in passing. Alas, if
the^great wave of_human:interest which flooded f or the^^
first time this dull little life should sweep away th^
satisfactions oFaiTexktencehe^rtJbo heart with^afure
and the dumb life of the forest ! /
There was the huge -tree asleep yet inr-the_^alin§—
moonlight, and small and silly Sylvia began with ut-
most bravery to mount to the top of it, with tingling,
eager blood coursing the channels of her whole frame,
and with her bare feet and fingers, that pinched and
held like bird's claws to the monstrous ladder reaching
up, up, almost to the sky itself. First she must mount
the white oak tree that grew alongside, where she was
A WHITE HERON 197
almost lost among the dark branches and the green
leaves heavy and wet with dew ; a bird fluttered off
its nest, and a red squirrel ran to and fro and scolded
pettishly at the harmless house-breaker. Sylvia felt her
way easily. She had often climbed there, and knew that
higher still one of the oak's upper branches chafed
against the pine trunk, just where its lower boughs were
set close together. There, when she made the dangerous
pass from one tree to the other, the great enterprise
would really begin.
She crept out along the swaying oak limb at last,
and took the daring step across into the old pine tree.
The way was harder than she thought ; she must reach
far and hold fast, the sharp dry twigs caught and held
her and scratched her like angry talons, the pitch made
her thin little fingers clumsy and sliSTas she went round
and round the tree's great stem, higher and higher up-
ward. The sparrows and robins in the woods below
were beginning to wake and twitter to the dawn, yet it
seemed much lighter there aloft in the pine tree, and
the child knew she must hurry if her project were to
be of any use. ** i,^
The tree seemed to lengthen itself out as she went
up, and to reach farther and farther upward. It was
like a great main-mast to the voyaging earth; it must
truly have been amazed that morning through all its
ponderous frame as it felt this determined spark of
human spirit wending its way from higher branch to
branch. Who l^nows "How steadily the least twigs held
themselves to advantage this light, weak creature on
her way ! The old pine must have loved his new de-
pendent. More than all the hawks, and bats, and
moths, and even the sweet-voiced thrushes, was the
brave, beating heart of the solitary gray-eyed child.
198 SARAH ORNE JEWETT
And the tree stood still and frowned away the winds
that June morning while the dawn grew bright in the
east.
Sylvia's face was like a pale star, if one had seen it
from the ground, when the last thorny bough was past,
and she stood trembling and tired but wholly tri-
umphant, high in the treetop. Yes, there was the sea
with the dawning sun making a golden dazzle over it,
and toward that glorious east flew two hawks with slow-
moving jginions. How low they looked in the air from
that heightwhen one had only seen them before far
up, and dark against the blue sky. Their gray feathers
were as soft as moths ; they seemed only a little way
from the tree, and Sylvia felt as if she too could go
flying away among the clouds. Westward, the wood-
lands and farms reached miles and miles into the dis-
tance ; here and there were church steeples, white vil-
lages ; truly it was a vast and awesgme world !
The birds sang louder and louder. At last the sun
came up bewilderingly bright. Sylvia could see the
white sails of sEips out"a^ "sea, and the clouds that were
purple and rose-colored and yellow at first began to
fade away. Where was the white heron's nest in the
sea of green branches, and was this wonderful sight
and pageant of the world the only reward for having
climbed to such a giddy height ? Now look down again,
Sylvia, where the green marsh is set among the shining
birches and dark hemlocks ; there where you saw the
white heron once you will see him again ; look, look !
a white spot of him like a single floating feather comes
up from the dead hemlock and grows larger, and rises,
and comes close at last, and goes by the landmark pine
with steady sweep of wing and outstretched slender
neck and crested head. And wait! wait! do not move
A WHITE HERON 199
a foot or a finger, little girl, do not send an arrow of
light and consciousness from your two eager eyes, for
the heron has perched on a pine bough not far beyond
yours, and cries back to his mate on the nest and
plumes his feathers for the new day !
The child gives a long sigh a minute later when a
company of shouting cat-birds come also to the tree,
and vexed by their fluttering and lawlessness the
solemn heron goes away. She knows his secret now,
the wild, light, slender bird that floats and wavers, and
goes back like an arrow presently to his home in
the green world beneath. Then Sylvia, well satisfied,
makes her perilous way down again, not daring to look
far below the branch she stands on, ready to cry some-
times because her fingers ache and her lamed feet slip ;
wondering over and over again what the stranger
would say to her, and what he would think when she
told him how to find his way straight to the heron's
nest.
" Sylvy, Sylvy ! " called the busy old grandmother
again and again, but nobody answered, and the small
husk bed was empty and Sylvia had disappeared.
The guest waked from a dream, and remembering
his day's pleasure hurried to dress himself that it
might sooner begin. He was sure from the way the shy
little girl looked once or twice yesterday that she had
at least seen the white heron, and now she must really
be made to tell. Here she comes now, paler than ever,
and her worn old frock is torn and tattered, and
smeared with pine pitch. The grandmother and the
sportsman stand in the door together and question her,
and the splendid moment has come to speak of the
dead hemlock-tree by the green marsh.
200 SARAH ORNE JEWETT
But Sylvia does not speak after all, though the old
grandmother fretfully rebukes her, and the young
man's kind, appealing eyes are looking straight in her
own. He can make them rich with money ; he has
promised it, and they are poor now. He is so well
worth making happy, and he waits to hear the story
she can tell.
No, she must keep silence ! What is it that suddenly
forbids her and makes her dumb? Has she been nine
years growing and now, when the great world for the
first time puts out a hand to her, must she thrust it
aside for a bird's sake? The murmur of the pine's
green branches is in her ears, she remembers how the
white heron came flying through the golden air and
how they watched the sea and the morning together,
and Sylvia cannot speak; she cannot tell the heron's
secret and give its life away.
Dear loyalty, that suffered a sharp pang as the guest
went away disappointed later in the day, that could
have served and followed him and loved him as a dog
loves ! Many a night Sylvia heard the echo of his whis-
tle haunting the pasture path as she came home with
the loitering cow. She forgot even her sorrow at the
sharp report of his gun and the sight of thrushes and
sparrows dropping silent to the ground, their songs
hushed and their pretty feathers stained and wet with
blood. Were the birds better friends than their hunter
might have been, — who can tell? Whatever treasures
were lost to her, woodlands and summer-time, remem-
ber ! Bring your gifts and graces and tell your secrets
to this lonely country child !
A WHITE HERON 201
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY
In the first three paragraphs what do you learn about Sylvia
and her grandmother ? Do you know what the name Sylvia
means ? Why should the author choose it for the little girl in
the story ? How old was the stranger ? How did he look ? What
is your first idea of him ? What does the old woman's talk tell
you about herself ? About Sylvia ? Why does Mrs. Tilley smile
when the stranger says, "ever since I was a boy " ? Do you think
that the author tells enough of what happened the next day ?
Why does Sylvia not tell the young man what she knows about
the heron ? Why does she go so secretly to the old pine tree ?
Is this an important part of the story ? Does Sylvia find out what
she wishes to ? What is meant by " The splendid moment is
come " ? Why does Sylvia not tell the young man what she has
discovered ? Do you think she wanted the money ? Do you think
she cared about pleasing the stranger ? What diflference would
it have made in her life if she had told where the heron's nest
was ? Do you think that she did right not to tell ?
THEME SUBJECTS
Early Morning in the Woods The Autobiography of a Heron
When I Was Lost in the Woods Meeting a Stranger in the Woods
The Sights from the Top of the A Morning with a Bird Class
Hill Sylvia's Trip to Town
Going for the Cows A Girl's Life on the Farm
Evening in the Woods When I Got Up Early
A Visit to a Lonely Farm House Another of Sylvia's Adventures
Early Morning in the City What I Saw from the Tree Top
Did Sylvia Choose Rightly ? Sylvia's New Friend
SUGGESTIONS FOR THEME-WRITING
Another of Sylvia's Adventures: — Can you imagine some-
thing very pleasant that might have happened to Sylvia ? Try
to tell it in the form of a little story. Imagine Sylvia at work
about the house, doing some task for her grandmother, A
stranger arrives, or a neighbor, bringing a message or a letter
for Sylvia. What is the appearance of the person who has just
come ? What does he (or she) say ? What does Mrs. Tilley say ?
202 SARAH ORNE JEWETT
What does Sylvia say, and how does she feel ? Tell what hap-
pens next. If Sylvia is going somewhere, tell what preparations
she makes. Try to make the conversation tell as much as possi-
ble ; try, too, to make each person speak as he would in real life.
Go on and tell the rest of the story, making it as lively and in-
teresting as possible. Do not forget that Sylvia is the chief char-
acter, and that her actions and feelings are more important than
any one's else. How does the story " come out " ? Does this event
that you are writing about make any difference in Sylvia's life ?
Can you show this, without telling too much about it, and making
your story move slowly ? What is a good way to end the story ?
Read your story through, after you have finished it, or read it to
some one, and see if you have made it clear. Is Sylvia before the
reader all the time ? Could you improve the story by any more
conversation ? By any little touches of description ? Have you
given the impression that something really pleasant has hap-
pened to Sylvia, and that she is happy about it ?
COLLATERAL READINGS
A White Heron and Other Stories . Sarah Orne Jewett
The Country of the Pointed Firs . . " " «
Tales of New England " « «
A Country Doctor " " «
The Queen's Twin and Other Stories " " «
The King of Folly Island and Other
People " « "
Deephaven " " "
A Marsh Island « " «
Betty Leicester's Christmas ..." " "
Betty Leicester " « «
A Native of Winby and Other Tales " " "
Country By- Ways « « "
The Story of the Sand Hill Stag . . Ernest Thompson Seton
How to Attract the Birds .... Neltje Blanchan
Little Brothers of the Air .... Olive Thorne Miller
A Bird-Lover in the West . . . . « « «
In Nesting Time' « " "
The Story of a Bird-Lover . . . . W. E. D. Scott
Fowls of the Air W. J. Long
The Woodpeckers F. H. Eckstorm
A WHITE HERON 203
Everyday Birds Bradford Torrey
Birds in the Bush " "
Birds and Bees John Burroughs
Citizen Bird Mabel Osgood Wright
The Lord of the Air Charles G. D. Roberts
Sarah Orne Jewett. Critic, 39 : 292, Oct. 1901 (Portrait) ; New
England Magazine, 22 : 737, Aug. 1900 ; Outlook, 69 : 423.
An article helpful to the teacher may be found in the Atlantic
Monthly, 94 : 485.
A brief sketch of Miss Jewett's life is given in Little Pilgrim-
ages among the Women Who Have Written Famous Books, by
E. F. Harkins and C. H. L. Johnston.
CANOEING^
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
(From An Inland Voyage)
Before nine next morning the two canoes were
installed on alight country cart at Etreux; and we were
soon following them along the side of a pleasant
valley full of hop-gardens and poplars. Agreeable
villages lay here and there on the slope of the hill:
notably, Tupigny, with the hop poles hanging their
garlands in the very street, and the houses clustered
with grapes. There was a faint enthusiasm on our
passage ; weavers put their heads to the windows ;
children cried out in ecstasy: at sight of the two
"boaties " — harquettes ; and bloused pedestrians, who
were acquainted with our charioteer, jested with him
on the nature of his freight.
We had a shower or two, but light and flying.
The air was clean and sweet among all these green
fields and green things growing. There was not a
touch of autumn in the weather. And when, at Vaden-
court, we launched from a little lawn opposite a mill,
the sun broke forth and set all the leaves shining in
the valley of the Oise.
The river was swollen with the long rains. From
Yadencourt all the way to Origny it ran with ever-
quickening speed, taking fresh heart at each mile,
and racing as though it already smelt the sea. The
water was yellow and turbulent, swung with an angry
eddy among half- submerged willows, and made a noisy
^ By courtesy of Messrs. Charles Scribner's Sons.
CANOEING 205
clatter along stony shores. The course kept turning and
turning in a narrow and well-timbered valley. Now the
river would approach the side, and run gliding along
the chalky base of the hill, and show us a few open colza
fields among the trees. Now it would skirt the garden-
walls of houses, where we might catch a glimpse
through a doorway and see a priest pacing in the
checkered sunlight. Again, the foliage closed so
thickly in front that there seemed to be no issue ; only a
thicket of willows overtopped by elms and poplars,
under which the river ran flush and fleet, and where a
king-fisher flew past like a piece of the blue sky. On
these different manifestations the sun poured its clear
and catholic looks. The shadows lay as solid on the swift
surface of the stream as on the stable meadows. The
light sparkled golden in the dancing poplar leaves, and
brought the hills into communion with our eyes. And
all the while the river never stopped running or took
breath ; and the reeds along the whole valley stood
shivering from top to toe.
There should be some myth (but if there is, I know
it not) founded on the shiverings of the reeds. There
are not many things in nature more striking to man's
eye. It is such an eloquent pantomime of terror ; and
to see such a number of terrified creatures taking
sanctuary in every nook along the shore is enough
to infect a silly human with alarm. Perhaps they are
only acold, and no wonder, standing waist deep in
the stream. Or, perhaps, they have never got accus-
tomed to the speed and fury of the river's flux, or the
miracle of its continuous body. Pan once played upon
their forefathers ; and so by the hands of his river, he
still plays upon these later generations down all the
valleys of the Oise ; and plays the same air, both
206 ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
sweet and shrill, to tell us of the beauty and the terror
of the world.
The canoe was like a leaf in the current. It took it
up and shook it, and carried it masterfully away, like a
Centaur carrying off a nymph. To keep some command
on our direction required hard and diligent plying
of the paddle. The river was in such a hurry for the
sea ! Every drop of water ran in a panic, like so many
people in a frightened crowd. But what crowd was
ever so numerous or so single-minded ? All the objects
of sight went by at a dance measure; the eyesight
raced with the racing river ; the exigencies of every
moment kept the pegs screwed so tight that our beings
quivered like a well-tuned instrument, and the blood
shook off its lethargy, and trotted through all the
highways and byways of the veins and arteries, and
in and out of the heart, as if circulation were but a
holiday journey and not the daily moil of three-score
years and ten. The reeds might not nod their heads in
warning, and with tremendous gestures tell how the
river was as cruel as it was strong and cold, and how
death lurked in the eddy underneath the willows. But
the reeds had to stand where they were; and those who
stand still are always timid advisers. As for us, we
could have shouted aloud. If this lively and beautiful
river were, indeed, a thing of death's contrivance, the
old ashen rogue had famously outwitted himself with us.
I was living three to the minute. I was scoring points
against him every stroke of my paddle, every turn of
the stream. I have rarely had better profit of my life.
Towards the afternoon we got fairly drunken with
the sunshine and the exhilaration of the pace. We
could no longer contain ourselves in our content. The
CANOEING ' 207
canoes were too small for us ; we must be out and
stretcli ourselves on shore. And so in a green meadow
we bestowed our limbs on the grass, and smoked dei-
fying tobacco, and proclaimed the world excellent. It
was the last good hour of the day, and I dwelt upon it
with extreme complacency.
On one side of the valley, high upon the chalky
summit of the hill, a ploughman with his team ap-
peared and disappeared at regular intervals. At each
revelation he stood still f@r a few seconds against the
sky, for all the world (as the Cigarette declared) like
a toy Burns who had just ploughed up the Mountain
Daisy. He was the only living thing within view, un-
less we are to count the river.
On the other side of the valley a group of red roofs
and a belfry showed among the foliage. Thence some
inspired bell-ringer made the afternoon musical on a
chime of bells. There was something very sweet and
taking in the air he played, and we thought we had
never heard bells speak so intelligibly or sing so me-
lodiously as these. It must have been in some such
measure that the spinners and young maids sang,
" Come away. Death," in the Shakespearian Illyria.
There is so often a threatening note, something blatant
and metallic in the voice of bells, that I believe we
have fully more pain than pleasure from hearing them ;
but these as they sounded abroad, now high, now low,
now with a plaintive cadence that caught the ear like
the burden of a popular song, were always moderate and
tunable, and seemed to fall in with the spirit of still,
rustic places, like the noise of a waterfall or the babble
of a rookery in spring. I could have asked the bell-ringer
for his blessing, good, sedate old man, who swung the
rope so gently to the time of his meditations. I could
208 ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
have blessed the priest or the heritors, or whoever may-
be concerned with such affairs in France, who had left
these sweet old bells to gladden the afternoon, and not
held meetings, and made collections, and had their
names repeatedly in the local paper, to rig up a peal
of brand-new, brazen, Birmingham-hearted substitutes,
who should bombard their sides to the provocation of
a brand-new bell-ringer, and fill the echoes of the valley
with terror and riot.
At last the bells ceased, and with their note the sun
withdrew. The piece was at an end ; shadow and silence
possessed the valley of the Oise. We took to the pad-
dle with glad hearts, like people who have sat out a
noble performance and return to work. The river was
more dangerous here ; it ran swifter, the eddies were
more sudden and violent. All the way down we had had
our fill of difficulties. Sometimes it was a weir which
could be shot, sometimes one so shallow and full of
stakes that we must withdraw the boats from the water
and carry them round. But the chief sort of obstacle
was a consequence of the late high winds. Every two
or three hundred yards a tree had fallen across the
river, and usually involved more than another in its
fall. Often there was free water at the end, and we
could steer round a leafy promontory and hear the
water sucking and bubbling among the twigs. Often,
again, when the tree reached from bank to bank, there
was room, by lying close, to shoot through underneath,
canoe and all. Sometimes it was necessary to get out
upon the trunk itself and pull the boats across ; and
sometimes, where the stream was too impetuous for
this, there was nothing for it but to land and " carry
over." This made a fine series of accidents in the day's
career, and kept us aware of ourselves.
CANOEING 209
Shortly after our re-embarkation, while I was leading
by a long way, and still full of a noble, exulting spirit
in honor of the sun, the swift pace, and the church
bells, the river made one of its leonine pounces round
a corner, and I was aware of another fallen tree within
a stone's-cast. I had my back-board down in a trice,
and aimed for a place where the trunk seemed high
enough above the water, and the branches not too thick
to let me slip below. When a man has just vowed
eternal brotherhood with the universe he is not in a
temper to take great determinations coolly, and this,
which might have been a very important determination
for me, had not been taken under a happy star. The
tree caught me about the chest, and while I was yet
struggling to make less of myself and get through, the
river took the matter out of my hands and bereaved me
of my boat. The Arethusa swung around broadside
on, leaned over, ejected so much of me as still remained
on board, and, thus disencumbered, whipped under the
tree, righted, and went merrily away down stream.
I do not know how long it was before I scrambled
on to the tree to which I was left clinging, but it was
longer than I cared about. My thoughts were of a grave
and almost sombre character, but I still clung to my
paddle. The stream ran away with my heels as fast
as I could pull up my shoulders, and I seemed, by the
weight, to have all the water of the Oise in my trou-
sers pocket. You can never know, till you try it, what
a dead pull a river makes against a man. Death him-
self had me by the heels, for this was his last ambus-
cade, and he must now join personally in the fra^
"ffird* still I held to my paddle. At last I dragged my-
self on to my stomach on the trunk, and lay there a
breathless sop, with a mingled sense of humor and
210 KOBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
injustice. A poor figure I must have presented to
Burns upon the hill-top with his team. But there was
the paddle in my hand. On my tomb, if ever I have
one, I mean to get these words inscribed : " He clung
to his paddle."
The Cigarette had gone past a while before ; for, as
I might have observed, if I had been a little less pleased
with the universe at the moment, there was a clear way
around the tree-top at the farther side. He had offered
his services to haul me out, but, as I was then already
on my elbows, I had declined, and sent him down-
stream after the truant Arethusa. The stream was too
rapid for a man to mount with one canoe, let alone
two, upon his hands. So I crawled along the trunk to
shore and proceeded down the meadow by the river-
side. I was so cold that my heart was sore. I had
now an idea of my own why the reeds so bitterly shiv-
ered. I could have given any of them a lesson. The
Cigarette remarked, facetiously, that he thought I was
" taking exercises " as I drew near, until he made out
for certain that I was only twittering with cold. I had
a rub-down with a towel, and donned a dry suit from
the india-rubber bag. But I was not my own man
again for the rest of the voyage. I had a queasy sense
that I wore my last dry clothes upon my body. The
struggle had tired me ; and, perhaps, whether I knew
it or not, I was a little dashed in spirit. The devour-
ing elements of the universe had leaped out against
me, in this green valley quickened by a running stream.
The bells were all very pretty in their way, but I had
heard some of the hollow notes of Pan's music. Would
the wicked river drag me down by the heels, indeed?
and look so beautiful all the time ? Nature's good hu-
mor was only skin deep, after all.
CANOEING 211
There was still a long way to go by the winding
course of the stream, and darkness had fallen, and a
late bell was ringing in Origny Sainte-Benoite when
we arrived.
NOTES
In 1876, Stevenson in company with his friend Sir Walter
Simpson, took a canoeing trip from Antwerp to Pontoise. The
events of the journey are told in Stevenson's book, An Inland
Voyage.
Etreux : — Etreux, Tupigny, and Vadencourt are small places
on the Oise River in France.
Oise : — (Pronounced waz). A river in France flowing into the
Seine.
Origny, later, page 211, Origny Sainte-Benoite (o reen yee'
sant beh nwat') : — A town in France on the Oise River.
catholic : — The word here (note that it begins with a small
letter) means free, or liberal.
Pan : — Pan, in the Greek mythology, was the god of pas-
tures, forests, and flocks. Sudden terror without apparent cause
was supposed to be due to his influence. He was said to have in-
vented the shepherd's pipe (a kind of flute) by cutting and blow-
ing through reeds.
the Cigarette : — This was the name of the boat that was
paddled by Stevenson's companion, Sir Walter Simpson. Here
the name is used as if it were that of Simpson himself.
the Mountain Daisy: — The Scottish poet, Robert Burns,
wrote a poem. To a Mountain Daisy, in which he speaks of the
daisy as having been ploughed up by a farmer, in the field.
Come away, Death : — See the Song in Act II, Scene 4, of
Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. The setting of Twelfth Night is,
nominally, the country called Illyria, a part of Austria.
Birmingham-hearted : — Birmingham, in England, is one of
the chief centres of the world for brass, iron, and other metallic
wares. It is frequently taken as the type of the modern large
manufacturing centre.
Arethusa : — The canoe in which Stevenson rode was called
the Arethusa.
212
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY
Notice how simply and easily Stevenson gives you the whole
situation, — the time and the place, together with the persons,
the scene, and the action. What phrases does he use to suggest
the pleasantness of the day, and the first scenes ? Notice care-
fully how he makes you feel the rapid flowing of the river. What
words like racing^ swung ^ etc., does he use to carry out this effect
of the swiftness of the water ? Do you understand what he says
about Pan and the reeds ? Does Stevenson make the action clear
when he tells of the landing, and the resting on the bank ? What
is the use of the passage about the bells ? Notice how he intro-
duces the story of his accident by explaining about the fallen
trees. Read carefully the story of the accident. What are the
clearest sentences, and those that tell the most ? How much does
the author tell of his own feelings ? How does he make you un-
derstand how cold he was ? Does the reading of the incident leave
you distressed, or amused ? Which effect do you think that the
author intended ? Go through the selection and pick out the clear
little pictures that Stevenson has scattered through it.
THEME SUBJECTS
When the Canoe Upset
Paddling around the Snags
How We Crossed the Portage
A Narrow Escape
On the Lake in a Storm
Along the Banks of the River
Carried Away by the Current
When the Gasoline Engine
Stopped
When I Learned to Swim
Adrift without Oars
My First Dip in the Oceau
Going Sixty Miles an Hour
When We Broke through the
Ice
Glimpses of the Country from
the Train
Floating down the Stream
At the Mercy of the Waves
SUGGESTIONS FOR THEME-WRITING
A Narrcw Escape : — Think of some accident that has
happened to you, or to some one you know, and that you can
write about for this theme. Tell clearly just when and where
the accident took place. Notice how Stevenson gets an effect of
contrast by describing the peacefulness of the country. See if
CANOEING 213
you can do the same thing. Notice, also, how unsuspecting the vic-
tim is before the accident ; he is thinking of very pleasant things.
Can you represent the victim in your story as feeling pleasant
and happy, and then being overtaken by his accident? Tell in a
lively way just what occurred. Explain clearly what was said
and done, and how the person concerned in the accident felt.
Show how the escape was brought about. Express, in a clear,
brief way, the feeling of the persons involved, after the affair
was all over.
Floating do-wn the Stream : — Notice what vivid interest-
ing little pictures Stevenson has given of the country through
which he passed in his canoe. Can you do something of the same
kind, describing scenes that you know, along some river or
small stream ?
COLLATERAL READINGS
An Inland Voyage Robert Louis Stevenson
The Ebb Tide " « "
Treasure Island " " "
Kidnapped « « «
David Balfour « « «
The Black Arrow " « "
St. Ives « " «
New Arabian Nights " " "
The Merry Men « « «
The Master of Ballantrae . . . . " " "
Across the Plains " " "
Travels with a Donkey " " "
The Silverado Squatters " " "
In the South Seas « " "
The Wrong Box . " " "
The Wrecker . " " "
Little Rivers Henry van Dyke
The Conjurer's House Stewart Edward White
Pepacton John Burroughs
THE ARCHERY CONTEST
WALTER SCOTT
(From Ivanhoe, Chapter XIII)
The sound of the trumpets soon recalled those spec-
tators who had already begun to leave the field ; and
proclamation was made that Prince John, suddenly
called by high and ^peremptoi^ public duties, held
himself obliged to discontinue the entertainments of
to-morrow's festival: nevertheless, that, unwilling so
many good yeomen should depart without a trial of
skill, he was pleased to appoint them, before leaving
the ground, presently to execute the competition of ar-
chery intended for the m^row. To the best archer a
prize was to be awarded, being a bugle-horn, mounted
with silver, and a silver baldric richly ornamented with
a medallion of St. Hubert, the patron of silvan sport.
More than thirty yeomen at first presented them-
selves as competitors, several of whom were rangers
and under-keepers in the royal forests of Needwood
and Charnwood. When, however, the archers under-
stood with whom they were to be matched, upwards of
twenty withdrew themselves from the contest, unwill-
ing to encounter the dishonour of almost certain de-
feat. For in those days the skill of each celebrated
marksman was as well known for many miles round
him, as the qualities of a horse trained at Newmarket
are familiar to those who frequent that well-known
meetmg.
The diminished list of competitors for silvan fame still
amounted to eight. Prince John stepped from his royal
THE ARCHERY CONTEST 215
seat to view more nearly the persons of these chosen
yeomen, several of whom wore the royal livery. Hav-
ing satisfied his curiosity by this investigation, he looked
for the object of his res entm^ t, whom he observed
standing on the same spot, and with the same composed
countenance which he had exhibited upon the preced-
ing day.
"Fellow," said Prince John, "I guessed by thy in-
solent babble thou wert no true lover of the long-bow,
and I see thou darest not adventure thy skill among
such merry-men as stand yonder."
"Under favour, sir," replied the yeoman, "I have
another reason for refraining to shoot, besides the fear-
ing discomfiture and disgrace."
" And what is thy other reason ? " said Prince John,
who, for some cause which perhaps he could not him-
self have explained, felt a painful curiosity respecting
this individual.
" Because," replied the woodsman, " I know not if
these yeomen and I are used to shoot at the same
marks ; and because, moreover, I know not how your
Grace might relish the winning of a third prize by one
who has unwittingly fallen under your displeasure."
Prince John coloured as he put the question, " What
is thy name, yeoman ? "
" Locksley," answered the yeoman.
"Then, Locksley," said Prince John, "thou shalt
shoot in thy turn, when these yeomen have displayed
their skill. If thou carriest the prize, I will add to it
twenty nobles ; but if thou losest it, thou shalt be stript
of thy Lincoln green, and scourged out of the lists
with bowstrings, for a wordy and insolent braggart."
" And how if I refuse to shoot on such a wasrer ? "
said the yeoman. — "Your Grace's power, supported,
216 WALTER SCOTT
as it is, by so many men-at-arms, may indeed easily strip
and scourge me, but cannot compel me to bend or to
draw my bow."
" If thou refusest my fair proffer," said the Prince,
" the provost of the lists shall cut thy bowstring, break
thy bow and arrows, and expel thee from the presence
as a faint-hearted craven."
" This is no fair cKance you put on me, proud Prince,"
said the yeoman, " to compel me to peril myself against
the best archers of Leicester and Staffordshire, under
the penalty of infamy if they should overshoot me.
Nevertheless, I will obey your pleasure."
" Look to him close, men-at-arms," said Prince John,
" his heart is sinking ; I am jealous lest he attempt
to escape the trial. — And do you, good fellows, shoot
boldly round ; a buck and a butt of wine are ready for
your refreshment in yonder tent, when the prize is
won."
A target was placed at the upper end of the southern
avenue which led to the lists. The contending archers
took their station in turn, at the bottom of the south-
ern access, the distance between that station and the
mark allowing full distance for what was called a shot
at rovers. The archers, having previously determined
by lot their order of precedence, were to shoot each
three shafts in succession. The sports were regulated
by an officer of inferior rank, termed the Provost of
the Games ; for the high rank of the marshals of the
lists would have been held degraded, had they conde-
scended to superintend the sports of the yeomanry.
One by one the archers, stepping forward, delivered
their shafts yeomanlike and bravely. Of twenty-four
arrows, shot in succession, ten were fixed in the target,
and the others ranged so near it, that, considering the
THE ARCHERY CONTEST 217
distance of the mark, it was accounted good archery.
Of the ten shafts which hit the target, two within the
inner ring were shot by Hubert, a forester in the ser-
vice of Malvoisin, who was accordingly pronounced
victorious.
" Now, Locksley," said Prince John to the bold yeo-
man, with a bitter smile, "wilt thou try conclusions
with Hubert, or wilt thou yield up bow, baldric, and
quiver, to the Provost of the sports ? "
"§ith it be no better," said Locksley, " I am eon-
tent to try my fortune; on condition that when I
have shot two shafts at yonder mark of Hubert's,
he shall be bound to shoot one at that which I shall
propose."
" That is but fair," answered Prince John, " and it
shall not be refused thee. If thou dost beat this brag-
gart, Hubert, I will fill the bugle with silver-pennies
for thee."
" A man can do but his best," answered Hubert ;
" but my grandsire drew a good long bow at Hastings,
and I trust not to dishonour his memory."
The former target was now removed, and a fresh
one of the same size placed in its room. Hubert, who,
as victor in the first trial of skill, had the right to shoot
first, took his aim with great deliberation, long meas-
uring the distance with his eye, while he held in his
hand his bended bow, with the arrow placed on the
string. At length he made a step forward, and raising
the bow at the full stretch of his left arm, till the
centre or grasping- place was nigh level with his face,
he drew his bowstring to his ear. The arrow whistled
through the air, and lighted within the inner ring of
the target, but not exactly in the centre.
" You have not allowed for the wind, Hubert," said
218 WALTER SCOTT
his antagonist, bending his bow, " or that had been a
better shot."
So saying, and without showing the least anxiety to
pause upon his aim, Locksley stept to the appointed
station, and shot his arrow as carelessly in appearance
as if he had not even looked at the mark. He was
speaking almost at the instant that the shaft left the
bowstring, yet it alighted in the target two inches nearer
to the white spot which marked the centre than that
of Hubert.
" By the light of heaven ! " said Prince John to Hu-
bert, " an thou suffer that rynagatetknave to overcome
thee, thou art worthy of the gallows ! "
Hubert had but one set speech for all occasions.
" An your highness were to hang me," he said, " a
man can do but his best. Nevertheless, my grandsire
drew a good bow" —
" The foul %nd on thy grandsire and all his gen-
eration ! " interrupted John, " shoot, knave, and shoot
thy best, or it shall be the worse for thee! "
Thus exhorted, Hubert resumed his place, and not
neglecting the caution which he had received from his
adversary, he made the necessary allowance for a very
light air of wind, which had just arisen, and shot so
successfully that his arrow alighted in the very centre
of the target.
" A Hubert ! a Hubert ! " shouted the populace,
more interested in a known person than in a stranger.
" In the clout ! — in the clout ! — a Hubert for ever ! "
" Thou canst not mend that shot, Locksley," said
the Prince, with an insulting smile.
"I will notch his shaft for him, however," replied
Locksley.
And letting fly his arrow with a little more precau-
THE ARCHERY CONTEST 219
tion than before, it lighted right upon that of hi s com-
petitor, which it split to shivers. The people who stood
around were so astonished at his wonderful dexterity,
that they could not even give vent to their surprise in
their usual clamour. " This must be the devil, and no
man of flesh and blood," whispered the yeomen to each
other ; " such archery was never seen since a bow was
first bent in Britain."
"And now," said Locksley, "I will^^jgje your
Grace's permission to plant such a mark as is used in
the North Country ; and welcome every brave yeoman
who shall try a shot at it to win a smile from the bonny
lass he loves best."
He then turned to leave the lists. " Let your guards
attend me," he said, " if you please — I go but to cut
a rod from the next willow-bush."
Prince John made a signal that some attendants
should follow him in case of his escape : but the cry
of " Shame ! shame ! " which burst from the multitude,
induced him to alter his UJftg^^J^pilS purpose.
Locksley returned almost instantly with a willow
wand about six feet in length, perfectly straight, and
rather thicker than a man's thumb. He began to peel
this with great composure, observing at the same time,
that to ask a good woodsman to shoot at a target so
broad as had hitherto been used, was to put shame
upon his skill. " For his own part," he said, " and in
the land where he was bred, men would as soon take
for their mark King Arthur's round-table, which held
sixty knights around it. A child of seven years old,'*
he said, " might hit yonder target with a headless
shaft; but," added he, walking deliberately to the
other end of the lists, and sticking the willow wand
upright in the ground, " he that hits that rod at five-
220 WALTER SCOTT
score yards, I call him an archer fit to bear both bow
and quiver before a king, an it were the stout King
Richard himself."
"My grandsire," said Hubert, "drew a good bow at
the battle of Hastings, and never shot at such a mark
in his life — and neither will I. If this yeoman can
cleave that rod, I give him the bucklers — or rather,
I yield to the devil that is in his jerkin, and not to any
human skill ; a man can but do his best, and I will not
shoot where I am sure to miss. I might as well shoot
at the edge of our parson's whittle, or at a wheat
straw, or at a sunbeam, as at a twinkling white streak
which I can hardly see."
"Cowardly dog!" said Prince John. — "Sirrah
Locksley, do thou shoot ; but, if thou hittest such a
mark, I will say thou art the first man ever did so.
Howe'er it be, thou shalt not crow over us with a mere
show of superior skill."
" I will do my best, as Hubert says," answered
Locksley, " no man can do more."
So saying, he again bent his bow, but on the present
occasion looked with attention to his weapon, and
changed the string, which he thought was no longer
truly round, having been a little frayed by the two
former shots. He then took his aim with some delib-
eration, and the multitude awaited the event in breath-
less silence. The archer vindicated their opinion of his
skill : his arrow split the willow rod against which it
was aimed. A jubilee of acclamations followed ; and
even Prince John, in admiration of Locksley's skill,
lost for an instant his dislike to his person. " These
twenty nobles," he said, " which, with the bugle, thou
hast fairly won, are thine own ; we will make them
fifty, if thou wilt take livery and service with us as a
THE ARCHERY CONTEST 221
yeoman of our body guard, and be near to our person.
For never did so strong a hand bend a bow, or so true
an eye direct a shaft."
'^ Pardon me, noble Prince," said Locksley ; " but I
have vowed, that if ever I take service, it should be
with your royal brother King Richard. These twenty
nobles I leave to Hubert, who has this day drawn as
brave a bow as his grandsire did at Hastings. Had his
modesty not refused the trial, he would have hit the
wand as well as I."
Hubert shook his head as he received with reluc-
tance the bounty of the stranger, and Locksley, anxious
to escape further observation, mixed with the crowd,
and was seen no more.
NOTES
Prince John : — Son of Henry II and brother of King Richard ;
was ruling during Richard's absence on the Crusades and was
hostile to him and his followers. See Ivanhoe, Chapter YII.
St. Hubert : — A bishop of Liege, who died in 727. He was
the traditional patron of hunters.
Newmarket : — A town fifty-five miles northeast of Lon-
don, where horse races have been held annually for three hun-
dred years.
the object of his resentment: — See Chapter VII of Ivan-
hoe, in which the following description occurs : " The complaints
of the old man, however, excited the indignation of the bystand-
ers. One of these, a stout, well-set yeoman, arrayed in Lincoln
green, having twelve arrows stuck in his belt, with a baldric and
badge of silver, and a bow of six feet length in his hand,
turned short round; . . . his countenance, which his constant ex-
posure to weather had rendered as brown as a hazel nut, grew
darker with anger."
Locksley: — A name for Robin Hood, who is said to have
been born at Locksley, Nottinghamshire, about the year 1160.
t-wenty nobles: — A noble was an old English coin, worth
about ^1.60.
222 WALTER SCOTT
Lincoln green: — A woolen cloth of a green color, made in
Lincoln, England, and worn by foresters.
a good long bow at Hastings : — At the battle of Senlac,
or Hastings, Oct. 14, 1066, William the Norman defeated the
English under Harold. Much of the best fighting was done by
archers with " long bows."
King Arthur's round table : — A table made by the ma-
gician Merlin, for Uther Pendragon, who gave it to the father
of Guinevere, from whom Arthur received it with 100 knights,
as a wedding gift. It would seat 150 knights. Century Dictionary.
King Richard : — Richard I, of England, called Richard
Cceur de Lion, or Lion Heart, was born about 1157 and died in
1199. He was king for ten years, from 1189 to the time of his
death.
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY
What details are given for the purpose of explaining the situ-
ation ? What is your first idea of Prince John ? Why should he
feel " a painful curiosity " concerning the yeoman ? Why does
he say thou to Locksley ? How does Locksley answer ? Why ?
What effect is produced by Hubert's repeated reference to his
grandfather ? What is gained by mixing conversation and de-
scription in the manner here shown ? Show how each man's talk
is made to give us an idea of the man himself. What do you
notice about the length of the sentences, in the paragraph be-
ginning, "So saying" ? Why does Locksley refuse the money ?
Do you think that Prince John would be pleased by the mention
of King Richard ? What is your opinion of Locksley's character ?
What have you learned from this selection as to the way in which
the story of a contest might be told ?
THEME SUBJECTS
The Touch-down That Won How He Kicked the Goal from
the Game the Field
The Last Five Minutes of the Lost in the Tenth Inning
Basket Ball Game On the Rifle Range
How the Winning Run was The Bowling Match
Made Winning the Pennant
Losing the Hockey Contest The Hundred Yard Dash
The Skating Race The Finish of the Race
THE ARCHERY CONTEST 223
Winning the Golf Match Shooting at the Target
A Wrestling Match The Declamatory Contest
Why Our Teani Lost In the Days of Robin Hood
When Skill Beat Strength The High-School Debate
SUGGESTIONS FOR THEME-WRITING
The Hundred Yard Dash: — Tell what event in the track
meet has just been finished, explaining as simply and briefly as
possible what schools are competing. Why is the hundred-yard
dash especially important ? What boys are to take part in it ?
Notice how the conversation in Scott's account of the contest
makes the piece lively and interesting. Can you bring in some
conversation, in writing your theme, telling what certain people
say ? Can you bring in a person who scoffs, and predicts that
your side will lose — as John does in the selection ? Describe
the " getting set " — the appearance of the racers, and the silence
of the crowd. Tell the story of the race, making clear just who
is ahead, at different times, who drops out, etc. Tell what the
crowd is doing in the meantime. Describe quickly and briefly
the winning of the race. Tell how the spectators feel, and what
they say and do.
The Declamatory Contest: — Try to tell of a declamatory
contest, making your reader feel the rivalry between the schools,
or among the particular persons taking part. Give a clear picture
of the crowd and the speakers. Can you make use of class or
school yells in telling of the excitement ? Give briefly the pro-
gress of the contest, until the most important speakers are
reached. Then explain more in detail how they looked and acted.
Tell how the listeners felt. Make the announcement of the
judges' decision as lively and true to life as possible.
* COLLATERAL READINGS
See list of books by Scott, pages 242 and 243.
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood . . Howard Pyle
Tom Brown's School Days Thomas Hughes
Tom Brown at Oxford " "
For the Honor of the School R. H. Barbour
The Half Back « « «
224 WALTER SCOTT
The Captain of the Crew R. H. Barbour
The Prize Cup J. T. Trowbridge
Princeton Stories Jesse L. Williams
Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest
(in Crayon Miscellany) Washington Irving
The New Boy Arthur Stanwood Pier
Harding of St. Timothy's " « "
The Contest on the Green (in The
Camp-Fire of Mad Anthony) . . Everett T. Tomlinson
The Lobsters and Ropemakers (in
Daughters of the Revolution) . . Charles Carleton Coffin
The Snow Fort on Slatter's Hill (in
The Story of a Bad Boy) .... Thomas Bailey Aldrich
The Charming Sally, Privateer
Schooner of New York .... James Otis
THE TOURNAMENT
WALTER SCOTT
(From Ivanhoe, Chapter XII)
Morning arose in unclouded splendour, and ere the
sun was much above the horizon, the idlest or the most
eager of the spectators appeared on the common, mov-
ing to the lisls^'asTo a general centre, in order to secure
a favourable situation for viewing the continuation of
the expected games.
The marshals and their attendants appeared next on
the field, together with the heralds, for the purpose of
receiving the names of the knights who intended to
jou^with the side which each chose to espouse. This
was a necessary precaution, in order to secure equality
betwixt the two bodies who should be opposed to each
other.
According to due formality, the Disinherited Knight
was to be considered as leader of the one body, while
Brian de Bois-Guilbert, who had been rated as having
done second-best in the preceding day, was named first
champion of the other band. Those who had conc^rgcL
in the challenge adhered to his party of course, except-
ing only Ralph de Vipont, whom his fall had rendered
unfit so soon to put on his armour. There was no want
of distinguished and noble candidates to fill up the
ranks on either side.
In fact, although the general tournament, in which all
knights fought at once, was more dangerous than single
encounters, they were, nevertheless, more frequente,^
and practised by the chivalry of the age. Many knights,
226 WALTER SCOTT
who had not sufficient comfidence in their own skill to
defy a single adversary of high reputation, were, never-
theless, desir6u§t)f°dtsplay in g their valour in the general
combat, where they might meet others with whom they
"were more upon an equality. On the present occa-
ssion, about fifty knights were inscribed as desirous of
combating upon each side, when the marshals declared
that no more could be admitted, to the disappointment
of several who were too late in preferring their claim
to be included.
About the hour of ten o'clock, the whole plain was
crowded with horsemen, horsewomen, and foot-passen-
gers hastening to the tournament ; and shortly after, a
grand flourish of trumpets announced Prince John and
his retinue,"altended by many of those knights who
meant to take share in the game, as well as others who
had no such intention.
About the same time arrived Cedric the Saxon, with
the Lady Rowena, unattended, however, by Athelstane.
This Saxon Lord had arrayed his tall and strong person
in armour, in order to take his place among the com-
batants ; and, considerably to the surprise of Cedric,
had chosen to enlist himself on the part of the Knight
Templar. The Saxon, indeed, had remonstrajted strongly
with his friend upon the injudicious choice he had made
of his party; but he had only received that sort of answer
usually given by those who are more obstinate in fol-
lowing their own course, than strong in justifying it.
His best, if not his only reason, for adhering to the
party of Brian de Bois-Guilbert, Athelstane had the
prudence to keep to himself. Though his apathy of dis-
position prevented his taking any means to recommend
himself to the Lady Rowena, he was, nevertheless, by
no means insensible to her charms, and considered his
THE TOURNAMENT 227
union with her as a matter already fixed beyond doubt,
by the assent of Cedric and her other friends. It had
therefore been with smothered displeasure that the
proud though indolent Lord of Coningsburgh beheld
the victor of the preceding day select Eowena as the
object of that honour which it became his privilege to
confer. In order to punish him for a preference which
seemed to interfere with his own suit, Athelstane, con-
fident of his strength, and to whom his flatterers, at
least, ascribed great skill in arms, had determined not
only to deprive the Disinherited Knight of his powerful
succour, but, if an opportunity should occur, to make
him feel the weight of his battle-axe.
DeBracy,and other knights attached to Prince John,
in obedience to a hint from him, had joined the party
of the challengers, John being desirous to secure, if
possible, the victory to that side. On the other hand,
many other knights, both English and Norman, natives
and strangers, took part against the challengers, the
more readily that the opposite band was to be led by
so distinguished a champion as the Disinherited Knight
had approved himself.
As soon as Prince John observed that the destined
Queen of the day had arrived upon the field, assuming
that air of courtesy which sat well upon him when he
was pleased to exhibit it, he rode forward to meet her,
doffed his bonnet, and, alighting from his horse, as-
sisted the Lady Rowena from her saddle, while his fol-
lowers uncovered at the same time, and one of the
most distinguished dismounted to hold her palfrey.
" It is thus," said Prince John, " that we set the
beautiful example of loyalty to the Queen of Love and
Beauty, and are ourselves her guide to the throne which
she must this day occupy. — Ladies," he said, " attend
228 WALTER SCOTT
your Queen, as you wish in your turn to be distin-
guished by like honours."
So saying, the Prince marshalled Rowena to the seat
of honour opposite his own, while the fairest and most
distinguished ladies present crowded after her to obtain
places as near as possible to their temporary sover-
eign.
No sooner was Kowena seated, than a burst of music,
half drowned by the shouts of the multitude, greeted
her new dignity. Meantime, the sun shone fierce and
bright upon the polished arms of the knights of either
side, who crowded the opposite extremities of the lists,
and held eager conference together concerning the best
mode of arranging their line of battle, and supporting
the conflict.
The heralds then proclaimed silence until the laws
of the tourney should be rehearsed. These were calcu-
lated in some degree to abate the dangers of the day ;
a precaution the more necessary, as the conflict was to
be maintained with sharp swords and pointed lances.
The champions were therefore prohibited to thrust
with the sword, and were confined to striking. A
knight, it was announced, might use a mace or battle-
axe at pleasure, but the dagger was a prohibited
weapon. A knight unhorsed might renew the fight on
foot with any other on the opposite side in the same
predicament ; but mounted horsemen were in that
case forbidden to assail him. When any knight could
force his antagonist to the extremity of the lists, so as
to touch the palisade with his person or arms, such op-
ponent was obliged to yield himself vanquished, and
his armour and horse were placed at the disposal of
the conqueror. A knight thus overcome was not per-
mitted to take further share in the combat. If any com-
THE TOURNAMENT 229
batant was struck down, and unable to recover his feet,
his squire or page might enter the lists, and drag his
master out of the press ; but in that case the knight was
adjudged vanquished, and his arms and horse declared
forfeited. The combat was to cease as soon as Prince
John should throw down his leading staff, or truncheon ;
another precaution usually taken to prevent the un-
necessary effusion of blood by the too long endurance of
a sport so desperate. Any knight breaking the rules
of the tournament, or otherwise transgressing the rules
of honourable chivalry, was liable to be stript of his
arms, and, having his shield reversed, to be placed in
that posture astride upon the bars of the palisade, and
exposed to public derision, in punishment of his un-
knightly conduct. Having announced these precautions
the heralds concluded with an exhortation to each good
knight to do his duty, and to merit favour from the
Queen of Beauty and Love.
The proclamation having been made, the heralds
withdrew to their stations. The knights, entering at
either end of the lists in long procession, arranged
themselves in a double file, precisely opposite to each
other, the leader of each party being in the centre of
the foremost rank, a post which he did not occupy until
each had carefully arranged the ranks of his party,
and stationed every one in his place.
It was a goodly, and at the same time an anxious, sight,
to behold so many gallant champions, mounted bravely,
and armed richly, stand ready prepared for an encoun-
ter so formidable, seated on their war-saddles like so
many pillars of iron, and awaiting the signal of en-
counter with the same ardour as their generous steeds,
which, by neighing and pawing the ground, gave signal
of their impatience.
230 WALTER SCOTT
As yet the knights held their long lances upright,
their bright points glancing to the sun, and the stream-
ers with which they were decorated fluttering over the
plumage of the helmets. Thus they remained while the
marshals of the field surveyed their ranks with the ut-
most exactness, lest either party had more or fewer
than the appointed number. The tale was found ex-
actly complete. The marshals then withdrew from the
lists, and William de Wyvil, with a voice of thunder,
pronounced the signal words — Laissez alter! The
trumpets sounded as he spoke — the spears of the cham-
pions were at once lowered and placed in the rests —
the spurs were dashed into the flanks of the horses,
and the two foremost ranks of either party rushed upon
each other in full gallop, and met in the middle of the
lists with a shock, the sound of which was heard at a
mile's distance. The rear rank of each party advanced
at a slower pace to sustain the defeated, and follow up
the success of the victors of their party.
The consequences of the encounter were not instantly
seen, for the dust raised by the trampling of so many
steeds darkened the air, and it was a minute ere the
anxious spectators could see the fate of the encoun-
ter. When the fight became visible, half the knights
on each side were dismounted, some by the dexterity of
their adversary's lance, — some by the superior weight
and strength of opponents, which had borne down both
horse and man, — some lay stretched on earth as if never
more to rise, — some had already gained their feet, and
were closing hand to hand with those of their antag-
onists who were in the same predicament, — and several
on both sides, who had received wounds by which they
were disabled, were stopping their blood by their scarfs,
and endeavouring to extricate themselves from the
THE TOURNAMENT 231
tumult. The mounted knights, whose lances had been
almost all broken by the fury of the encounter, were
now closely engaged with their swords, shouting their
war-cries, and exchanging buffets, as if honour and life
depended on the issue of the combat.
The tumult was presently increased by the advance
of the second rank on either side, which, acting as a
reserve, now rushed on to aid their companions. The
followers of Brian de Bois-Guilbert shouted, — " Ha !
Beau-seant ! Beau-seant ! — For the Temple — For
the Temple ! " The opposite party shouted in answer
— " Desdichado ! Desdichado ! " — which watchword
they took from the motto upon their leader's shield.
The champions thus encountering each other with
the utmost fury, and with alternate success, the tide of
battle seemed to flow now toward the southern, now
toward the northern extremity of the lists, as the one
or the other party prevailed. Meantime the clang of
the blows, and the shouts of the combatants, mixed
fearfully with the sound of the trumpets, and drowned
the groans of those who fell, and lay rolling defenceless
beneath the feet of the horses. The splendid armour
of the combatants was now defaced with dust and
blood, and gave way at every stroke of the sword and
the battle-axe. The gay plumage, shorn from the crests,
drifted upon the breeze like snow-flakes. All that was
beautiful and graceful in the martial array had disap-
peared, and what was now visible was only calculated
to awake terror or compassion.
Yet such is the force of habit, that not only the vul-
gar spectators, who are naturally attracted by sights
of horror, but even the ladies of distinction, who
crowded the galleries, saw the conquest with a thrill-
ing interest certainly, but without a wish to withdraw
232 WALTER SCOTT
their eyes from a sight so terrible. Here and there,
indeed, a fair cheek might turn pale, or a faint scream
might be heard, as a lover, a brother, or a husband
was struck from his horse. But, in general, the ladies
around encouraged the combatants, not only by clap-
ping their hands and waving their veils and kerchiefs,
but even by exclaiming, "Brave lance! Good sword!"
when any successful thrust or blow took place under
their observation.
Such being the interest taken by the fair sex in this
bloody game, that of the men is the more easily under-
stood. It showed itself in loud acclamations upon every
change of fortune, while all eyes were so riveted on
the lists, that the spectators seemed as if they them-
selves had dealt and received the blows which were
there so freely bestowed. And between every pause
was heard the voice of the heralds, exclaiming, " Fight
on, brave knights ! Man dies, but glory lives ! — Fight
on — death is better than defeat! — Fight on, brave
knights ! — for bright eyes behold your deeds ! "
Amid the fortunes of the combat, the eyes of
all endeavoured to discover the leaders of each band,
who, mingling in the thick of the fight, encouraged
their companions both by voice and example. Both
displayed great feats of gallantry, nor did either Bois-
Guilbert or the Disinherited Knight find in the ranks
opposed to them a champion who could be termed their
unquestioned match. They repeatedly endeavoured to
single out each other, spurred by mutual animosity,
and aware that the fall of either leader might be con-
sidered as decisive of victory. Such, however, was the
crowd and confusion, that, during the earlier part of
the conflict, their efforts to meet were unavailing, and
they were repeatedly separated by the eagerness of
THE TOURNAMENT 233
their followers, each of whom was anxious to win hon-
our, by measuring his strength against the leader of
the opposite party.
But when the field became thin by the numbers on
either side who had yielded themselves vanquished, had
been compelled to the extremity of the lists, or been
otherwise rendered incapable of continuing the strife,
the Templar and the Disinherited Knight at length
encountered hand to hand, with all the fury that mor-
tal animosity, joined to rivalry of honour, could inspire.
Such was the address of each in parrying and striking,
that the spectators broke forth into a unanimous and
involuntary shout, expressive of their delight and ad-
miration.
But at this moment the party of the Disinherited
Knight had the worst; the gigantic arm of Front-de-
Boeuf on the one flank, and the ponderous strength of
Athelstane on the other, bearing down and dispersing
those immediately exposed to them. Finding them-
selves freed from their immediate antagonists, it seemed
to have occurred to both these knights at the same
instant, that they would render the most decisive ad-
vantage to their party, by aiding the Templar in his
contest with his rival. Turning their horses, therefore,
at the same moment, the Norman spurred against the
Disinherited Knight on the one side, and the Saxon
on the other. It was utterly impossible that the object
of this unequal and unexpected assault could have sus-
tained it, had he not been warned by a general cry
from the spectators, who could not but take interest in
one exposed to such disadvantage.
" Beware ! beware ! Sir Disinherited ! " was shouted
so universally, that the knight became aware of his
danger ; and, striking a full blow at the Templar, he
234 WALTER SCOTT
reined back his steed in the same moment, so as to
escape the charge of Athelstane and Front-de-Boeuf.
These knights, therefore, their aim being thus eluded,
rushed from opposite sides betwixt the object of their
attack and the Templar, almost running their horses
against each other ere they could stop their career.
Recovering their horses, however, and wheeling them
round, the whole three pursued their united purpose
of bearing to the earth the Disinherited Knight.
Nothing could have saved him, except the remark-
able strength and activity of the noble horse which he
had won on the preceding day.
This stood him in the more stead, as the horse o£
Bois-Guilbert was wounded, and those of Front-de-
Boeuf and Athelstane were both tired with the weight
of their gigantic masters, clad in complete armour,
and with the preceding exertions of the day. The
masterly horsemanship of the Disinherited Knight,
and the activity of the noble animal which he mounted,
enabled him for a few minutes to keep at sword's point
his three antagonists, turning and wheeling with the
agility of a hawk upon the wing, keeping his enemies
as far separate as he could, and rushing now against
the one, now against the other, dealing sweeping blows
with his sword, without waiting to receive those which
were aimed at him in return.
But although the lists rang with the applauses of
his dexterity, it was evident that he must at last be
overpowered ; and the nobles around Prince John im-
plored him with one voice to throw down his warder,
and to save so brave a knight from the disgrace of be-
ing overcome by odds.
" Not I, by the light of Heaven ! " answered Prince
John ; " this same springal, who conceals his name,
THE TOURNAMENT 235
and despises our proffered hospitality, hath already
gained one prize, and may now afford to let others
have their turn." As he spoke thus, an unexpected
incident changed the fortune of the day.
There was among the ranks of the Disinherited
Knight a champion in black armour, mounted on a
black horse, large of size, tall, and to all appearance
powerful and strong, like the rider by whom he was
mounted. This knight, who bore on his shield no de-
vice of any kind, had hitherto evinced very little in-
terest in the event of the fight, beating off with seeming
ease those combatants who attacked him, but neither
pursuing his advantages, nor himself assailing any one.
In short, he had hitherto acted the part rather of a
spectator than of a party in the tournament, a circum-
stance which procured him among the spectators, the
name of Le Noir Faineant^ or the Black Sluggard.
At once this knight seemed to throw aside his apathy,
when he discovered the leader of his party so hard
bested ; for, setting spurs to his horse, which was quite
fresh, he came to his assistance like a thunderbolt,
exclaiming, in a voice like a trumpet-call, ''^ Desdi-
chado^ to the rescue ! " It was high time ; for, while
the Disinherited Knight was pressing upon the Tem-
plar, Front-de-Boeuf had got nigh to him with his
uplifted sword ; but ere the blow could descend, the
Sable Knight dealt a stroke on his head, which, glanc-
ing from the polished helmet, lighted with violence
scarcely abated on the cJiamfron of the steed, and
Front-de-Bceuf rolled on the ground, both horse and
man equally stunned by the fury of the blow. Le Noir
Faineant then turned his horse upon Athelstane of
Coningsburgh; and his own sword having been broken
in his encounter with Front-de-Boeuf, he wrenched
236 WALTER SCOTT
from the hand of the bulky Saxon the battle-axe
which he wielded, and, like one familiar with the use
of the weapon, bestowed him such a blow upon the
crest, that Athelstane also lay senseless on the field.
Having achieved this double feat, for which he was
the more highly applauded that it was totally unex-
pected from him, the knight seemed to resume the
sluggishness of his character, returning calmly to the
northern extremity of the lists, leaving his leader to
cope as he best could with Brian de Bois-Guilbert.
This was no longer matter of so much difficulty as
formerly. The Templar's horse had bled much, and
gave way under the shock of the Disinherited Knight's
charge. Brian de Bois-Guilbert rolled on the field,
encumbered with the stirrup, from which he was
unable to draw his foot. His antagonist sprung from
horseback, waved his fatal sword over the head of his
adversary, and commanded him to yield himself ; when
Prince John, more moved by the Templar's dangerous
situation than he had been by that of his rival, saved
him the mortification of confessing himself vanquished,
by casting down his warder, and putting an end to
the conflict.
It was, indeed, only the relics and embers of the
fight which continued to burn ; for of the few knights
who still continued in the lists, the greater part had,
by tacit consent, forborne the conflict for some time,
leaving it to be determined by the strife of the
leaders.
The squires, who had found it a matter of danger
and difficulty to attend their masters during the en-
gagement, now thronged into the lists to pay their
dutiful attendance to the wounded, who were removed
with the utmost care and attention to the neighbouring
THE TOURNAMENT 237
pavilions, or to the quarters prepared for them in the
adjoining village.
Thus ended the memorable field of Ashby-de-la-
Zouche, one of the most gallantly contested tourna-
ments of that age ; for although only four knights, in-
cluding one who was smothered by the heat of his ar-
mour, had died upon the field, yet upwards of thirty
were desperately wounded, four or ^ye of whom never
recovered. Several more were disabled for life ; and
those who escaped best carried the marks of the con-
flict to the grave with them. Hence it is always men-
tioned in the old records, as the Gentle and Joyous
Passage of Arms of Ashby.
It being now the duty of Prince John to name the
knight who had done best, he determined that the
honour of the day remained with the knight whom the
popular voice had termed Le JVoir Faineant. It was
pointed out to the Prince, in impeachment of this de-
cree, that the victory had been in fact won by the Dis-
inherited Knight, who, in the course of the day, had
overcome six champions with his own hand, and who
had finally unhorsed and struck down the leader of
the opposite party. But Prince John adhered to his
own opinion, on the ground that the Disinherited
Knight and his party had lost the day but for the
powerful assistance of the Knight of the Black Ar-
mour, to whom, therefore, he persisted in awarding the
prize.
To the surprise of all present, however, the knight
thus preferred was nowhere to be found. He had left
the lists immediately when the conflict ceased, and had
been observed by some spectators to move down one
of the forest glades with the same slow pace and list-
less and indifferent manner which had procured him
238 WALTER SCOTT
the epithet of the Black Sluggard. After he had been
summoned twice by sound of trumpet, and proclama-
tion of the heralds, it became necessary to name an-
other to receive the honours which had been assigned
to him. Prince John had now no further excuse for
resisting the claim of the Disinherited Knight, whom,
therefore, he named the champion of the day.
Through a field slippery with blood, and encumbered
with broken armour and the bodies of slain and
wounded horses, the marshals of the lists again con-
ducted the victor to the foot of Prince John's throne.
" Disinherited Knight," said Prince John, " since
by that title only you will consent to be known to us,
we a second time award to you the honours of this
tournament, and announce to you your right to claim
and receive from the hands of the Queen of Love and
Beauty, the Chaplet of Honour which your valour has
justly deserved." The Knight bowed low and grace-
fully, but returned no answer.
While the trumpets sounded, while the heralds
strained their voices in proclaiming honour to the
brave and glory to the victor — while ladies waved
their silken kerchiefs and embroidered veils, and while
all ranks joined in a clamorous shout of exultation,
the marshals conducted the Disinherited Knight across
the lists to the foot of that throne of honour which was
occupied by the Lady Rowena.
On the lower step of this throne the champion was
made to kneel down. Indeed his whole action since the
fight had ended, seemed rather to have been upon the
impulse of those around him than from his own free
will; and it was observed that he tottered as they
guided him the second time across the lists. Rowena,
descending from her station with a graceful and dig-
THE TOURNAMENT 239
nified step, was about to place the chaplet which she
held in her hand upon the helmet of the champion,
when the marshals exclaimed with one voice, " It must
not be thus — his head must be bare." The knight
muttered faintly a few words, which were lost in the
hollow of his helmet, but their purport seemed to be a
desire that his casque might not be removed.
Whether from love of form, or from curiosity, the
marshals paid no attention to his expressions of reluc-
tance, but unhelmed him by cutting the laces of his
casque, and undoing the fastening of his gorget. When
the helmet was removed, the well-formed, yet sun-burnt
features of a young man of twenty-five were seen,
amidst a profusion of short fair hair. His countenance
was as pale as death, and marked in one or two places
with streaks of blood.
Kowena had no sooner beheld him than she uttered
a faint shriek ; but at once summoning up the energy
of her disposition, and compelling herself, as it were,
to proceed, while her frame yet trembled with the vio-
lence of sudden emotion, she placed upon the drooping
bead of the victor the splendid chaplet which was the
destined reward of the day, and pronounced, in a clear
and distinct tone, these words : " I bestow on thee this
chaplet. Sir Knight, as the meed of valour assigned
to this day's victor." Here she paused a moment, and
then firmly added, " And upon brows more worthy
could a wreath of chivalry never be placed! "
The knight stooped his head, and kissed the hand of
the lovely Sovereign by whom his valour had been re-
warded; and then, sinking yet farther forward, lay
prostrate at her feet.
There was a general consternation. Cedric, who had
been struck mute by the sudden appearance of his '
240 WALTER SCOTT
banished son, now rushed forward, as if to separate
him from Rowena. But this had been already accom-
plished by the marshals of the field, who, guessing the
cause of Ivanhoe's swoon, had hastened to undo his
armour, and found that the head of a lance had pene-
trated his breastplate, and inflicted a wound in his
side.
NOTES
the lists : — The enclosed field used for the tournament. For
a description of the lists on this particular occasion, see Chapter
VII of Ivanhoe.
the Disinherited Knight: — Previously described in Chap-
ters VIII, IX, and X of Ivanhoe.
Prince John : — Son of Henry II of England ; he was born
about 1167, and died in 1216. At the time of which the story
tells, John was acting in place of his brother, King Richard, who
was away on a crusade. See the opening paragraphs of Chapter
VII of Ivanhoe.
Cedric ; Rcwena ; Athelstane : — Saxons of high rank who
figure in the preceding parts of the story.
The Lord of Coningsburgh : — Athelstane.
the tale : — The number.
Laissez aller : — Let go ! Start !
Beau-seant : — Beau-seant was the name of the Templars'
banner, which was half black, half white, to show that the Tem-
plars were fair and kindly toward Christians, but black and ter-
rible toward infidels.
Desdichado (des de tchah' do) : — The Spanish word for
unfortunate, or miserable; applied here to the Disinherited Knight.
In Chapter VIII, the following description occurs : "His suit of
armour was formed of steel, richly inlaid with gold, and the de-
vice of his shield was a young oak-tree pulled up by the roots,
with the Spanish word Desdichado, signifying Disinherited."
chamf ron : — The armor in front of a war horse's head.
casque : — A piece of armor covering the head.
gorget : — A piece of armor protecting the neck.
THE TOURNAMENT 241
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY
Of what use are the opening paragraphs ? What information
do they give ? What do you learn about Athelstane in the para-
graph beginning, " His best " ? Who is the " destined Queen of
the day," mentioned in the paragraph beginning, " As soon as
Prince John " ? What kind of person does Prince John seem to
be ? Of what value is the long paragraph beginning, " The cham-
pions were therefore prohibited " ? Why was this material not
put with the other explanations at the first of the piece ? What
paragraphs include a general account of the struggle ? Where
does the story begin to tell about particular men ? What is the
effect on the reader's interest ? Where in this selection is the
Disinherited Knight first mentioned? Show how the author keeps
up our interest in him. Why is the Black Sluggard not mentioned
earlier ? What good qualities has the account of his part in the
fight ? Does the account of the tournament come to an end ab-
ruptly, or gradually ? Do you think that the method used is a
good one ? Do you think that the author shows any skill in the
way he ends his chapter ? Go through the piece and see how much
of it gives a picture, and how much tells a story. When conver-
sation occurs, does it help the picture, or story? Have you learned
anything from the selection as to how narration, description, and
conversation can be mixed to produce a good effect ?
THEME SUBJECTS
Our Track Meet The Black Knight at a Football
Scoring the Only Run Game
How He Made the Winning The Horse Race
Touch-down How the Little Jockey Won
An Automobile Race Sailing on the Winning Yacht
Why We Lost the Cup A Motor Boat Contest
A Polo Game Finishing Last
How the Hurdle Race Was Lost The Race is Not Always to the
When the Lighter Team Won Swift
The End of the Basket Ball How We Entertained the Team
Game The Wild West Show
A Twentieth Century Tourna- The Circus in Our Town
ment The Regatta
242 WALTER SCOTT
SUGGESTIONS FOR THEME-WRITING
The End of the Basket Ball Game : — Do you think that,
in this account of a game, you should try to write a long descrip-
tive passage, as an introduction ? Can you begin in a livelier way,
— by telling what somebody said, or by giving a quick account
of the early part of the game ? Tell briefly what teams were
playing, and why the rivalry was great. Who were the best
players ? How did the on-lookers regard these players ? Tell
what was said about them. Relate, in a lively way, the succession
of plays made, being careful to keep clear the advantage or loss
to each side. What kind of sentences would be best for this pur-
pose ? Explain what the spectators said and did. Tell how the
important players looked. Go on with your account of the plays,
up to the end, taking care not to tell so much that you weary
your reader. Bring out clearly the play that decided the game.
Tell what remarks were made as the game was ended, — or what
the players and the spectators did.
If you have been in an exciting basket ball game, you might
tell the story from the standpoint, not of a spectator, but of one
who took part in the game.
The Circus in Our Town : Describe the circus procession,
being careful to pick out the details that give interest and vivid-
ness to the scene. See how color words and sound words can help
you in your attempt to make a clear description.
COLLATERAL READINGS
Ivanhoe . Sir Walter Scott
The Talisman "
Quentin Durward "
Kenilworth "
The Pirate "
The Fortunes of Nigel **
Rob Roy "
Guy Mannering "
Peveril of the Peak "
Anne of Geierstein "
Men of Iron Howard Pyle
Otto of the Silver Hand „ " "
The Story of King Arthur « «
THE TOURNAMENT 243
Champions of the Round Table . . . Howard Pyle
Chivalric Days E. S. Brooks
Heroes of Chivalry and Romance . . . A. J. Church
The Story of Roland James Baldwin
The Boy's King Arthur Sidney Lanier
The Boy's Mabinogion " "
Froissart: Chronicles " "
The Chronicles of Sir John Froissart . A. Singleton
Stories from Froissart Henry Newbolt
With Spurs of Gold Greene and Kirk
The Queen's Story Book G. L. Gomme (Ed.)
The King's Story Book " " "
The Prince's Story Book « « «
The Princess's Story Book " " «
Stories of Early England E. M. Wilmot-Buxton
The Story of Don Quixote Judge Parry
Don Quixote M. Cervantes
Sir Walter Scott R. H. Hutton
Life of Walter Scott J. G. Lockhart
The Scott Country W. S. Crockett
A YOUNG MARSH HAWK
JOHN BURROUGHS
(From Riverby)
Most country boys, I fancy, know the marsh hawk.
It is he you see flying low over the fields, beating about
bushes and marshes and dipping over the fences, with
his attention directed to the ground beneath him. He
is a cat on wings. He keeps so low that the birds and
mice do not see him till he is fairly upon them. The
hen-hawk swoops down upon the meadow-mouse from
his position high in air, or from the top of a dead
tree ; but the marsh hawk stalks him and comes sud-
denly upon him from over the fence, or from behind
a low bush or tuft of grass. He is nearly as large
as the hen-hawk, but has a much larger tail. When
I was a boy I used to call him the long-tailed hawk.
The male is a bluish slate color ; the female a red-
dish brown, like the hen-hawk, with a white rump.
Unlike the other hawks, they nest on the ground in
low, thick marshy places. For several seasons a pair
have nested in a bushy marsh a few miles back of me,
near the house of a farmer friend of mine, who has a
keen eye for the wild life about him. Two years ago
he found the nest, but when I got over to see it the
next week, it had been robbed, probably by some boys
in the neighborhood. The past season, in April or
May, by watching the mother bird, he found the nest
again. It was in a marshy place, several acres in
extent, in the bottom of a valley, and thickly grown
A YOUNG MARSH HAWK 245
with hardback, prickly ash, smilax, and other low
thorny bushes. My friend brought me to the brink of
a low hill, and pointed out to me in the marsh below
us, as nearly as he could, just where the nest was lo-
cated. Then we crossed the pasture, entered upon the
marsh, and made our way cautiously toward it. The
wild thorny growths, waist high, had to be carefully
dealt with. As we neared the spot I used my eyes the
best I could, but I did not see the hawk till she
sprang into the air not ten yards away from us. She
went screaming upward, and was soon sailing in a
circle far above us. There, on a coarse matting of
twigs and weeds, lay five snow-white eggs, a little more
than half as large as hens' eggs. My companion said
the male hawk would probably soon appear and join
the female, but he did not. She kept drifting away to
the east, and was soon gone from our sight.
We soon withdrew and secreted ourselves behind
the stone wall, in hopes of seeing the mother hawk re-
turn. She appeared in the distance, but seemed to
know she was being watched, and kept away. About
ten days later we made another visit to the nest. An
adventurous young Chicago lady also wanted to see a
hawk's nest, and so accompanied us. This time three
of the eggs were hatched, and as the mother hawk
sprang up, either by accident or intentionally, she threw
two of the young hawks some feet from the nest.
She rose up and screamed angrily. Then, turning
toward us, she came like an arrow straight at the
young lady, a bright plume in whose hat probably
drew her fire. The damsel gathered up her skirts about
her and beat a hasty retreat. Hawks were not so pretty
as she thought they were. A large hawk launched
at one's face from high in the air is calculated to make
246 JOHN BURROUGHS
one a little nervous. It is such a fearful incline down
which the bird comes, and she is aiming exactly to-
ward your eye. When within about thirty feet of you,
she turns upward with a rushing sound, and, mounting
higher, falls toward you again. She is only firing blank
cartridges, as it were ; but it usually has the desired
effect, and beats the enemy off.
After we had inspected the young hawks, a neigh-
bor of my friend offered to conduct us to a quail's
nest. Anything in the shape of a nest is always wel-
come, — it is such a mystery, such a centre of interest
and affection, and, if upon the ground, is usually
something so dainty and exquisite amid the natural
wreckage and confusion. A ground-nest seems so ex-
posed, too, that it always gives a little thrill of plea-
surable surprise to see the group of frail eggs resting
there behind so slight a barrier. I will walk a long dis-
tance any day just to see a song sparrow's nest amid
the stubble or under a tuft of grass. It is a jewel in a
rosette of jewels, with a frill of weeds or turf. A quail's
nest I had never seen, and to be shown one within
the hunting-ground of this murderous hawk would
be a double pleasure. Such a quiet, secluded, grass-
grown highway as we moved along was itself a rare
treat. Sequestered was the word that the little val-
ley suggested, and peace the feeling the road evoked.
The farmer, whose fields lay about us, half grown with
weeds and bushes, evidently did not make stir or noise
enough to disturb anything. Beside this rustic high-
way, bounded by old mossy stone walls, and within a
stone's throw of the farmer's barn, the quail had made
her nest. It was just under the edge of a pr ostrate
thorn-bush.
" The nest is right there," said the farmer, pausing
A YOUNG MARSH HAWK 247
within ten feet of it, and pointing to the spot with his
stick.
In a moment or two we could make out the mottled
brown plumage of the sitting bird. Then we ap-
proached her cautiously till we bent above her.
She never moved a feather.
Then I put my cane down in the brush behind her.
We wanted to see the eggs, yet did not want rudely
to disturb the sitting hen.
She would not move.
Then I put down my hand within a few inches of
her ; still she kept her place. Should we have to lift
her off bodily ?
Then the young lady put down her hand, probably
the prettiest and the whitest hand the quail had ever
seen. At least it started her, and off she sprang, uncov-
ering such a crowded nest of eggs as I had never before
beheld. Twenty-one of them ! a ring or disk: of white
like a china tea-saucer. You could not help saying
how pretty, how cunning, like baby hens' eggs, as if
the bird was playing at sitting as children play at
housekeeping.
If I had known how crowded her nest was, I should
not have dared disturb her, for fear she would break
some of them. But not an egg suffered harm by her
sudden flight ; and no harm came to the nest afterward.
Every egg hatched, I was told, and the little chicks,
hardly bigger than bumblebees, were led away by the
mother into the fields.
In about a week I paid another visit to the hawk's
nest. The eggs were all hatched, aud the mother bird
was hovering near. I shall never forget the curious
expression of those young hawks sitting there on the
ground. The expression was not one of youth, but of
248 JOHN BURROUGHS
extreme age. Such an ancient, infirm look as they had,
— the sharp, dark, and shrunken look about the face
and eyes, and their feeble, tottering motions ! They
sat upon their elbows and the hind part of their bodies,
and their pale, withered legs and feet extended before
them in the most helpless fashion. Their angular bod-
ies were covered with a pale yellowish down, like that
of a chicken ; their heads had a plucked, seedy appear-
ance ; and their long, strong, naked wings hung down
by their sides till they touched the ground : power and
ferocity in the first rude draught, shorn of everything
but its sinister ugliness. Another curious thing was
the gradation oJ the young in size ; they tapered down
regularly from the first to the fifth, as if there had
been, as probably there was, an interval of a day or
two between the hatching of each.
The two older ones showed some signs of fear on
our approach, and one of them threw himself upon his
back, and put up his jmpotent legs, and glared at us
with open beak. The two smaller ones regarded us not
at all. Neither of the parent birds appeared during our
stay.
When I visited the nest again, eight or ten days
later, the birds were much grown, but of as marked a
difference in size as before, and with the same look of
extreme old age, — old age in men of the aquiline type,
nose and chin coming together, and eyes large and
sunken. They now glared upon us with a wild, savage
look, and opened their beaks threateningly.
The next week, when my friend visited the nest, the
larger of the hawks fought him savagely. But on^e of
the brood, probably the last to hatch, had made but
little growth. It appeared to be on the point of starva-
tion. The mother hawk (for the male seemed to have
A YOUNG MARSH HAWK 249
disappeared) had doubtless found her family too large
for her, and was deliberately allowing one of the num-
ber to perish ; or did the larger and stronger young
devour all the food before the weaker member could
obtain any ? Probably this was the case.
Arthur brought the feeble nestling away, and the
same day my little boy got it and brought it home,
wrapped in a woolen rag. It was clearly a starved bant-,
ling. It cried feebly, but would not lift up its head.
We first poured some warm milk down its throat,
which soon revived it, so that it would swallow small
bits of flesh. In a day or two we had it eating raven-
ously, and its growth became noticeable. Its voice had
the sharp whistling character of that of its parents,
and was stilled only when the bird was asleep. We
made a pen for it, about a yard square, in one end of
the study, covering the floor with several thicknesses
of newspapers ; and here, upon a bit of brown woolen
blanket for a nest, the hawk waxed, strong day by day.
An uglier-looking pet, tested by all the rules we usu-
ally apply to such things, would have been hard to
find. There he would sit upon his elbows, his helpless
feet out in front of him, his great featherless wings
touching the floor, and shrilly cry for more food. For
a time we gave him water daily from a stylograph-pen
filler, but the water he evidently did not need or relish.
Fresh meat, and plenty of it, was his demand. And
we discovered that he liked game, such as mice, squir-
rels, birds, much better than butcher's meat.
Then began a lively campaign on the part of my
little boy against all the vermin and small game in the
neighborhood to keep the hawk supplied. He trapped
and hunted, he enlisted his mates in his service, he
even robbed the cats to feed the hawk. His usefulness
250 JOHN BURROUGHS
as a boy of all work was seriously impaired. " Where
is J ? " " Gone after a squirrel for his hawk."
And often the day would be half gone before his hunt
was successful. The premises were very soon cleared
of mice, and the vicinity of chipmunks and squirrels.
Farther and farther he was compelled to hunt the sur-
rounding farms and woods to keep up with the de-
mands of the hawk. By the time the hawk was ready
to fly he had consumed twenty-one chipmunks, four-
teen red squirrels, sixteen mice, and twelve English
sparrows, besides a lot of butcher's meat.
His plumage very soon began to show itself, crowd-
ing off the tufts of the down. The quills on his great
wings sprouted and grew apace. What a ragged, un-
canny appearance he presented ! but his look of ex-
treme age gradually became modified. What a lover
of the sunlight he was ! We would put him out upon
the grass in the full blaze of the morning sun, and he
would spread his wings and bask in it with the most
intense enjoyment. In the nest the young must be ex-
posed to the full power of the midday sun during our
first heated terms in June and July, the thermometer
often going up to ninety-three or ninety-five degrees,
so that sunshine seemed to be a need of his nature.
He liked the rain equally well, and when put out in
a shower would sit down and take it as if every drop
did him good.
His legs developed nearly as slowly as his wings.
He could not stand steadily upon them till about ten
days before he was ready to fly. The talons were limp
and feeble. When we came with food he would hobble
along toward us like the worst kind of a cripple, drop-
ping and moving his wings, and treading upon his legs
from the foot back to the elbow, the foot remaining
A YOUNG MARSH HAWK 251
closed and useless. Like a baby learning to stand, he
made many trials before he succeeded. He would rise
up on his trembling legs only to fall back again.
One day, in the summer-house, I saw him for the
first time stand for a moment squarely upon his legs
with the feet fully spread beneath them. He looked
about him as if the world suddenly wore a new aspect.
His plumage now grew quite rapidly. One red
squirrel per day, chopped fine with an axe, was his
ration. He began to hold his game with his foot while
he tore it. The study was full of his shed down. His
dark brown mottled plumage began to grow beautiful.
The wings drooped a little, but gradually he got con-
trol of them, and held them in place.
It was now the 20th of July, and the hawk was
about five weeks old. In a day or two he was walking
or jumping about the ground. He chose a position un-
der the edge of a Norway spruce, where he would sit
for hours dozing, or looking out upon the landscape.
When we brought him game he would advance to meet
us with wings slightly lifted, and uttering a shrill cry.
Toss him a mouse or sparrow, and he would seize it
with one foot and hop off to his cover, where he would
bend above it, spread his plumage, look this way and
that, uttering all the time the most exultant and satis-
fied chuckle.
About this time he began to practice striking with
his talons, as an Indian boy might begin practicing
with his bow and arrow. He would strike at a dry leaf
in the grass, or at a fallen apple, or at some imaginary
object. He was learning the use of his weapons. His
wings also, — he seemed to feel them sprouting from his
shoulder. He would lift them straight up and hold them
expanded, and they would seem to quiver with excite-
252 JOHN BURROUGHS
ment. Every hour in the day he would do this. The
pressure was beginning to centre there. Then he would
strike playfully at a leaf or a bit of wood, and keep
his wings lifted.
The next step was to spring into the air and beat
his wings. He seemed now to be thinking entirely of
his wings. They itched to be put to use.
A day or two later he would leap and fly several
feet. A pile of brush ten or twelve feet below the bank
was easily reached. Here he would perch in true hawk
fashion, to the bewilderment and scandal of all the
robins and catbirds in the vicinity. Here he would
dart his eye in all directions, turning his head over
and glancing it up into the sky.
H^e was now a lovely creature, fully fledged, and as
tame as a kitten. But he was not a bit like a kitten in
one respect, — he could not bear to have you stroke or
even touch his plumage. He had a horror of your
hand, as if it would hopelessly defile him. But he
would perch upon it, and allow you to carry him
about. If a dog or cat appeared, he was ready to give
battle instantly. He rushed up to a little dog one day,
and struck him with his foot savagely. He was afraid
of strangers, and of any unusual object.
The last week in July he began to fly quite freely,
and it was necessary to clip one of his wings. As the
clipping embraced only the ends of his primaries, he
soon overcame the difficulty, and by carrying his
broad long tail more on that side, flew with consider-
able ease. He made longer and longer excursions into
the surrounding fields and vineyards, and did not al-
ways return. On such occasions we would go find him
and fetch him back.
Late one rainy afternoon he flew away into the vine-
\
A YOUNG MARSH HAWK 253
yard, and when, an hour later, I went after him, he
could not be found, and we never saw him again. We
hoped hunger would soon drive him back, but we have
had no clew to him from that day to this.
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY
Does the quail's nest have anything to do with the hawks ?
Why is it put in ? Do you think that the author's method here
is a good one ? Is the description of the young hawks clear and
truthful ? What details with regard to the pet hawk are men-
tioned from time to time ? Are they important ? Do you think
that the conclusion of the selection is good ? Why ? Look through
the piece : Are there any long, hard words, or any long, tangled
sentences ? What should you say of the way in which the author
writes ?
THEME SUBJECTS
My Pet Bird When Our Canary Flew Away
A Ground Sparrow's Nest Taking Care of the Young Tur-
How a Bird Learns to Fly keys
An Owl in Captivity When the Chicks Were Hatched
The Tame Crow An Odd Nest
How I Trained Our Canary Feeding Sparrows in Winter
Just Out of the Nest The Home of the Martins
The Young Pigeon How Swallows Build Their Nests
Watching the Little Robins Some Winter Birds
An Ugly Duckling The Birds at the Zoo
Caring for Incubator Chickens
SUGGESTIONS FOR THEME-WRITING
"Watching the Little Robins : — Did you ever see a family
of newly hatched robins in the nest ? How did they look when
you first saw them ? Were they pleasing to look at ? Were they
quiet and well-behaved ? Did you try to feed them ? Can you
describe the change in their appearance as you looked at them
from time to time ? Did you see them when they were learning
to fly ? Tell how they looked and acted. Did they all succeed in
learning to fly ? What became of them at last ?
4
254 JOHN BURROUGHS '
My Pet Bird : — Tell where you got the bird, and how it
looked when it first came into your possession. Where did you
put it, and how did it like its new home ? What did you feed it ?
Did it change any in appearance while it belonged to you ? Why ?
Did you ever forget to care for it ? What was the result of your
carelessness ? Did your bird ever escape ? Tell some of its adven-
tures. Did you try to train it, or teach it any tricks ? What be-
came of your bird ?
COLLATERAL READINGS
Riverby John Burroughs
Pepacton
Locusts and Wild Honey
Signs and Seasons
Wake-Robin
Winter Sunshine
Squirrels and Other Fur-Bearers
Camping and Tramping with Roosevelt . .
The Credible and Incredible in Natural History. Independent,
62 : 1344 (June, 1907).
Fake Natural History. Outing, 49 : 665 (Feb., 1907). Outing,
50: 124 (April, 1907).
See also Outing, 44 : 112 and 45 : 115; Harper's, 109 : 360;
Century, 45 : 509.
See the Reference List for Neighbors of the Wilderness,
page 142.
See also the books about birds in the reference list for A
White Heron, pages 202 and 203.
An interesting portrait of Mr. Burroughs is given in the Out-
look, 78 : 878 (Dec. 3, 1904).
An article by Washington Gladden, A Day at Slabsides
(Burroughs's home), appears in the Outlook, 66 : 351.
THE PURLOINED LETTER
EDGAR ALLAN POE
Nil sapientiae odiosius acumine nimio.
Seneca.
At Paris, just after dark one gusty evening in the
autumn of 18 — , I was enjoying the twofold luxury of
meditation and a meerschaum, in company with my
friend C. Auguste Dupin, in his little back library, or
book closet, au troisieme, No. 33 Rue Dunot, Fau-
bourg St. Germain. For one hour at least we had
maintained a profound silence ; while each, to any cas-
ual observer, might have seemed intently and exclu-
sively occupied with the curling eddies of smoke that
oppressed the atmosphere of the chamber. For myself,
however, I was mentally discussing certain topics which
had formed matter for conversation between us at an
earlier period of the evening ; I mean the affair of the
Rue Morgue, and the mystery attending the murder of
Marie Roget. I looked upon it, therefore, as something
of a coincidence, when the door of our apartment was
thrown open and admitted our old acquaintance. Mon-
sieur G , the Prefect of the Parisian police.
We gave him a hearty welcome ; for there was nearly
half as much of the entertaining as of the contemptible
about the man, and we had not seen him for several
years. We had been sitting in the dark, and Dupin now
arose for the purpose of lighting a lamp, but sat down
again, without doing so, upon G 's saying that he
had called to consult us, or rather to ask the opinion
256 EDGAR ALLAN POE
of my friend, about some official business which had
occasioned a great deal of trouble.
" If it is any point requiring reflection," observed
Dupin, as he forbore to enkindle the wick, " we shall
examine it to better purpose in the dark."
" That is another of your odd notions," said the
Prefect, who had a fashion of calling everything " odd "
that was beyond his comprehension, and thus lived
amid an absolute legion of " oddities."
" Very true," said Dupin, as he supplied his visitor
with a pipe, and rolled towards him a comfortable chair.
"And what is the difficulty now," I asked. "No-
thing more in the assassination way, I hope ? "
" Oh, no ; nothing of that nature. The fact is, the
business is very simple indeed, and I make no doubt
that we can manage it sufficiently well ourselves; but
then I thought Dupin would like to hear the details
of it, because it is so excessively ocZcZ."
" Simple and odd," said Dupin.
" Why, yes ; and not exactly that, either. The fact
is, we have all been a good deal puzzled because the
affair is so simple, and yet baffles us altogether."
"Perhaps it is the very simplicity of the thing
which puts you at fault," said my friend.
" What nonsense you do talk ! " replied the Prefect,
laughing heartily.
" Perhaps the mystery is a little too plain," said
Dupin.
" Oh, good Heavens ! who ever heard of such an
idea?"
" A little too self-evident."
" Ha ! ha ! ha ! ha ! ha ! ha ! ho ! ho ! ho ! " roared
our visitor, profoundly amused. " O Dupin, you will
be the death of me yet ! "
THE PURLOINED LETTER 257
" And what after all is the matter on hand ? " I
asked.
" Why, I will tell you," replied the Prefect, as he
gave a long, steady, and contemplative puff, and set-
tled himself in his chair. " I will tell you in a few
words ; but, before I begin, let me caution you that
this is an affair demanding the greatest secrecy, and
that I should most probably lose the position I now
hold were it known that I confided it to any one."
" Proceed," said I.
" Or not," said Dupin.
" Well, then ; I have received personal informa-
tion from a very high quarter that a certain document
of the last importance has been purloined from the
royal apartments. The individual who purloined it is
known ; this beyond a doubt ; he was seen to take it.
It is known, also, that it still remains in his posses-
sion."
" How is this known ? " asked Dupin.
"It is clearly inferred," replied the Prefect, "from
the nature of the document, and from the non-appear-
ance of certain results which would at once arise from
its passing out of the robber's possession ; that is to
say, from his employing it as he must design in the
end to employ it."
" Be a little more explicit," I said.
"Well, I may venture so far as to say that the
paper gives its holder a certain power in a certain
quarter where such power is immensely valuable."
The Prefect was fond of the cant of diplomacy.
" Still I do not quite understand," said Dupin.
" Ko ? well ; the disclosure of the document to a
third person, who shall be nameless, would bring in
question the honor of a personage of most exalted sta-
258 EDGAR ALLAN POE
tion ; and this fact gives the holder of the document
an ascendancy over the illustrious personage whose
honor and peace are so jeopardized."
" But this ascendancy," I interposed, " would de-
pend upon the robber's knowledge of the loser's know-
ledge of the robber. Who would dare — "
" The thief," said G , " is the Minister D ,
who dares all things, those unbecoming as well as
those becoming a man. The method of the theft was
not less ingenious than bold. The document in ques-
tion — a letter, to be frank — had been received by
the personage robbed while alone in the royal boudoir.
During its perusal she was suddenly interrupted by
the entrance of the other exalted personage, from
whom especially it was her wish to conceal it. After a
hurried and vain endeavor to thrust it in a drawer,
she was forced to place it, open as it was, upon a
table. The address, however, was uppermost, and, the
contents thus exposed, the letter escaped notice. At
this juncture enters the Minister D . His lynx
eye immediately perceives the paper, recognizes the
handwriting of the address, observes the confusion of
the personage addressed, and fathoms her secret. After
some business transactions, hurried through in his or-
dinary manner, he produces a letter somewhat similar
to the one in question, opens it, pretends to read it, and
then places it in close juxtaposition to the other. Again
he converses for some fifteen minutes upon the public
affairs. At length in taking leave he takes also from
the table the letter to which he had no claim. Its right-
ful owner saw, but of course dared not call attention to
the act, in the presence of the third personage, who
stood at her elbow. The minister decamped, leaving his
own letter — one of no importance — upon the table."
THE PURLOINED LETTER 259
" Here, then," said Dupin to me, "you have pre-
cisely what you demand to make the ascendancy com-
plete, — the robber's knowledge of the loser's know-
ledge of the robber."
"Yes," replied the Prefect; "and the power thus
attained has, for some months past, been wielded, for
political purposes, to a very dangerous extent. The
personage robbed is more thoroughly convinced, every
day, of the necessity of reclaiming her letter. But
this, of course, cannot be done openly. In fine, driven
to despair, she has committed the matter to me."
"Than whom," said Dupin, amid a perfect whirl-
wind of smoke, "no more sagacious agent could, I
suppose, be desired, or even imagined."
" You flatter me," replied the Prefect ; " but it is
possible that some such opinion may have been enter-
tained."
"It is clear," said I, "as you observe, that the let-
ter is still in possession of the minister; since it is
this possession, and not any employment of the letter,
which bestows the power. With the employment the
power departs."
"True," said G ; "and upon this conviction I
proceeded. My first care was to make thorough search
of the minister's hotel ; and here my chief embarrass-
ment lay in the necessity of searching without his
knowledge. Beyond all things, I have been warned of
the danger which would result from giving him rea-
son to suspect our design."
" But," said I, " you are quite aufait in these in-
vestigations. The Parisian police have done this thing
often before."
" Oh, yes ; and for this reason I did not despair.
The habits of the minister gave me, too, a great ad-
260 EDGAR ALLAN POE
vantage. He is frequently absent from home all night.
His servants are by no means numerous. They sleep
at a distance from their master's apartment, and, be-
ing chiefly Neapolitans, are readily made drunk. I
have keys, as you know, with which I can open any
chamber or cabinet in Paris. For three months a
night has not passed, during the greater part of which
I have not been engaged, personally, in ransacking
the D Hotel. My honor is interested, and, to men-
tion a great secret, the reward is enormous. So I did
not abandon the search until I had become fully sat-
isfied the thief is a more astute man than myself. I
fancy that I have investigated every nook and corner
of the premises in which it is possible that the paper
can be concealed."
" But is it not possible," I suggested, " that although
the letter may be in possession of the minister, as it
unquestionably is, he may have concealed it elsewhere
than upon his own premises ? "
"This is barely possible," said Dupin. "The pre-
sent peculiar condition of affairs at court, and espe-
cially of those intrigues in which D is known to
be involved, would render the instant availability of
the document — its susceptibility of being produced
at a moment's notice — a point of nearly equal impor-
tance with its possession."
"Its susceptibility of being produced?" said I.
" That is to say, of being destroy ed^^^ said Dupin.
" True," I observed ; " the paper is clearly then upon
the premises. As for its being upon the person of the
minister, we may consider that as out of the question."
"Entirely," said the Prefect. "He has been twice
waylaid, as if by footpads, and his person rigorously
searched under my own inspection."
THE PURLOINED LETTER 261
"You might have spared yourself the trouble," said
Dupin. " D , I presume, is not altogether a fool,
and, if not, must have anticipated these waylayings
as a matter of course."
" Not altogether a fool," said G ; " but then he 's
a poet, which I take to be only one remove from a fool."
" True," said Dupin, after a long and thoughtful
whiff from his meerschaum, " although I have been
guilty of certain doggerel myself."
" Suppose you detail," said I, " the particulars of
your search."
" Why, the fact is, we took our time, and we
searched everywhere. I have had long experience in
these affairs. I took the entire building, room by
room, devoting the nights of a whole week to each.
We examined, first, the furniture of each apartment.
We opened every possible drawer; and I presume
you know that, to a properly trained police agent, such
a thing as a secret drawer is impossible. Any man is
a dolt who permits a 'secret' drawer to escape him in
a search of this kind. The thing is so plain. There
is a certain amount of bulk — of space — to be ac-
counted for in every cabinet. Then we have accurate
rules. The fiftieth part of a line could not escape us.
After the cabinets we took the chairs. The cushions
we probed with the fine long needles you have seen
me employ. From the tables we removed the tops."
"Why so?"
" Sometimes the top of a table, or other similarly
arranged piece of furniture, is removed by the person
wishing to conceal an article ; then the leg is exca-
vated, the article deposited within the cavity, and the
top replaced. The bottoms and tops of bed-posts are
employed in the same way."
262 EDGAR ALLAN POE
" But could not the cavity be detected by sound-
ing?" I asked.
" By no means, if, when the article is deposited, a
sufficient wadding of cotton be placed around it. Be-
sides, in our case we were obliged to proceed without
noise."
" But you could not have removed — you could not
hafve taken to pieces all articles of furniture in which
it would have been possible to make a deposit in the
manner you mention. A letter may be compressed in
a thin spiral roll, not differing much in shape or bulk
from a large knitting-needle, and in this form it might
be inserted into the rung of a chair, for example. You
did not take to pieces all the chairs ! "
" Certainly not ; but we did better — we examined
the rungs of every chair in the hotel, and, indeed, the
jointings of every description of furniture, by the aid
of a most powerful microscope. Had there been any
traces of recent disturbance we should not have failed
to detect it instantly. A single grain of gimlet-dust,
for example, would have been as obvious as an apple.
Any disorder in the gluing — any unusual gaping in
the joints — would have sufficed to insure detection."
" I presume you looked to the mirrors, between the
boards and the plates, and you probed the beds and
the bedclothes, as well as the curtains and carpets ? "
" That, of course; and when we had absolutely com-
pleted every article of the furniture in this way, then
we examined the house itself. We divided its entire
surface into compartments, which we numbered, so
that none might be missed ; then we scrutinized each
individual square inch throughout the premises, in-
cluding the two houses immediately adjoining, with
the microscope, as before."
THE PURLOINED LETTER 263
"The two houses adjoining!" I exclaimed; "you
must have had a great deal of trouble."
" We had ; but the reward offered is prodigious."
"You include the grounds about the houses?"
" All the grounds are paved with bricks. They gave
us comparatively little trouble. We examined the moss
between the bricks, and found it undisturbed."
" You looked among D 's papers, of course, and
into the books of the library?"
" Certainly ; we opened every package and parcel ;
we not only opened every book, but we turned over
every leaf in each volume, not contenting ourselves
with a mere shake, according to the fashion of some
of our police officers. We also measured the thickness
of every hook-cover^ with the most accurate admeasure-
ment, and applied to each the most jealous scrutiny of
the microscope. Had any of the bindings been recently
meddled with, it would have been utterly impossible
that the fact should have escaped observation. Some
five or six volumes, just from the hands of the binder,
we carefully probed, longitudinally, with the needles."
"You explored the floors beneath the carpets?"
" Beyond doubt. We removed every carpet, and ex-
amined the boards with the microscope."
" And the paper on the walls ? "
"Yes."
"You looked into the cellars? "
" We did."
"Then," I said, " you have been making a miscalcu-
lation, and the letter is not on the premises, as you
suppose."
" I fear you are right there," said the Prefect. " And
now, Dupin, what would you advise me to do ? "
" To make a thorough re-search of the premises."
264 EDGAR ALLAN POE
"That is absolutely needless," replied G . "I
am not more sure that I breathe than I am that the
letter is not at the Hotel."
" I have no better advice to give you," said Dupin.
" You have, of course, an accurate description of the
letter?"
" Oh, yes." And here the Prefect, producing a
memorandum-book, proceeded to read aloud a minute
account of the internal, and especially of the external
appearance of the missing document. Soon after finish-
ing the perusal of this description, he took his depart-
ure, more entirely depressed in spirits than I had ever
known the good gentleman before.
In about a month afterward he paid us another visit,
and found us occupied very nearly as before. He took
a pipe and a chair, and entered into some ordinary
conversation. At length I said: —
" Well, but G , what of the purloined letter ?
I presume you have at last made up your mind that
there is no such thing as overreaching the minister?"
" Confound him, say I — yes; I made the reexami-
nation, however, as Dupin suggested — but it was all
labor lost, as I knew it would be."
" How much was the reward offered, did you say ? "
asked Dupin.
" Why, a very great deal — a very liberal reward —
I don't like to say how much precisely ; but one thing
I will say, that I would n't mind giving my individual
check for fifty thousand francs to any one who could
obtain me that letter. The fact is, it is becoming of
more and more importance every day ; and the reward
has been lately doubled. If it were trebled, however,
I could do no more than I have done."
" Why, yes," said Dupin drawlingly, between the
THE PURLOINED LETTER 265
whiffs of his meerschaum, " I really — think, G ,
you have not exerted yourself — to the utmost in this
matter. You might — do a little more, I think, eh?"
" How ? in what way ? "
" Why (puff, puff), you might (puff, puff) employ
counsel in the matter, eh (puff, puff, puff) ? Do you
remember the story they tell of Abernethy?"
" No; hang Abernethy ! "
" To be sure ! hang him and welcome. But once
upon a time, a certain rich miser conceived the design
of sponging upon this Abernethy for a medical opin-
ion. Getting up, for this purpose, an ordinary conver-
sation in a private company, he insinuated his case to
the physician, as that of an imaginary individual.
" ' We will suppose,' said the miser, ' that his symp-
toms are such and such ; now, doctor, what would you
have directed him to take ? '
" ' Take ! ' said Abernethy, ' why, take advice, to be
sure.'"
" But," said the Prefect, a little discomposed, " I am
perfectly willing to take advice, and to pay for it. I
would really give fifty thousand francs to any one who
would aid me in the matter."
" In that case," replied Dupin, opening a drawer,
and producing a check-book, " you may as well fill me
up a check for the amount mentioned. When you have
signed it, I will hand you the letter."
I was astounded. The Prefect appeared absolutely
thunderstricken. For some minutes he remained
speechless and motionless, looking incredulously at my
friend with open mouth, and eyes that seemed starting
from their sockets ; then, apparently recovering him-
self in some measure, he seized a pen, and after sev-
eral pauses and vacant stares, finally filled up and
266 EDGAR ALLAN POE
signed a check for fifty thousand francs, and handel
it across the table to Dupin. The latter examined it
carefully and deposited it in his pocketbook; then, un-
locking an escritoire, took thence a letter and gave it
to the Prefect. This functionary grasped it in a perfect
agony of joy, opened it with a trembling hand, cast a
rapid glance at its contents, and then, scrambling and
struggling to the door, rushed at length unceremoni-
ously from the room and from the house, without hav-
ing uttered a syllable since Dupin had requested him
to fill up the check.
When he had gone, my friend entered into some ex-
planations.
" The Parisian police," he said, " are exceedingly
able in their way. They are persevering, ingenious,
cunning, and thoroughly versed in the knowledge
which their duties seem chiefly to demand. Thus, when
G detailed to us his mode of searching the pre-
mises at the Hotel D , I felt entire confidence in
his having made a satisfactory investigation — so far
as his labors extended."
" So far as his labors extended ? " said I.
" Yes," said Dupin. " The measures adopted were
not only the best of their kind, but carried out to ab-
solute perfection. Had the letter been deposited within
the range of their search, these fellows would, beyond
a question, have found it."
I merely laughed — but he seemed quite serious in
all that he said.
" The measures, then," he continued, "were good in
their kind, and well executed ; their defect lay in their
being inapplicable to the case, and to the man. A cer-
tain set of highly ingenious resources are, with the
Prefect, a sort of Procrustean bed to which he forcibly
THE PURLOINED LETTER 267
adapts his designs. But he perpetually errs by being
too deep or too shallow, for the matter in hand ; and
many a schoolboy is a better reasoner than he. I knew
one about eight years of age, whose success at guess-
ing in the game of ' even and odd' attracted universal
admiration. This game is simple, and is played with
marbles. One player holds in his hand a number of
these toys, and demands of another whether that num-
ber is even or odd. If the guess is right, the guesser
wins one ; if wrong, he loses one. The boy to whom I
allude won all the marbles of the school. Of course he
had some principle of guessing ; and this lay in mere
observation and admeasurement of the astuteness of
his opponents. For example an arrant simpleton is his
opponent, and, holding up his closed hand asks, ' Are
they even or odd ? ' Our schoolboy replies, ' Odd,' and
loses; but upon the second trial he wins, for he then
says to himself, ' The simpleton had them even upon
the first trial, and his amount of cunning is just suf-
ficient to make him have them odd upon the second ;
I will therefore guess odd' ; he guesses odd, and wins.
Now, with a simpleton a degree above the first he
would have reasoned thus : ' This fellow finds that in
the first instance I guessed odd, and in the second he
will propose to himself, upon the first impulse, a sim-
ple variation from even to odd, as did the first simple-
ton ; but then a second thought will suggest that this
is too simple a variation, and finally he will decide
upon putting it even as before. I will therefore guess
even ' ; he guesses even, and wins. Now this mode of
reasoning in the schoolboy, whom his fellows term
lucky' — what, in its last analysis, is it ? "
"It is merely," I said, "an identification of the
reasoner's intellect with that of his opponent."
268 EDGAR ALLAN POE
" It is,'' said Dupin ; " and, upon inquiring of the
boy by what means he effected the thorough identifica-
tion in which his success consisted, I received answer
as follows : ' When I wish to find out how wise, or how
stupid, or how good, or how wicked is any one, or what
are his thoughts at the moment, I fashion the expres-
sion of my face, as accurately as possible, in accordance
with the expression of his, and then wait to see what
thoughts or sentiments arise in my mind or heart, as if
to match or correspond with the expression.' This re-
sponse of the schoolboy lies at the bottom of all the
spurious profundity which has been attributed to Roche-
foucauld, to La Bruyere, to Machiavelli, and to Cam-
panella."
"And the identification," I said, "of the reasoner's
intellect with that of his opponents, depends, if I un-
derstand you aright, upon the accuracy with which the
opponent's intellect is admeasured."
" For its practical value it depends upon this," re-
plied Dupin, " and the Prefect and his cohort fail so
frequently, first, by default of this identification, and
secondly, by ill-admeasurement, or rather through non-
admeasurement, of the intellect with which they are en-
gaged. They consider only their own ideas of ingenu-
ity ; and, in searching for anything hidden, advert only
to the modes in which they would have hidden it. They
are right in this much, — that their own ingenuity is a
faithful representative of that of the mass ; but when
the cunning of the individual felon is diverse in char-
acter from their own, the felon foils them, of course.
This always happens when it is above their own, and
very usually when it is below. They have no variation
of principle in their investigations ; at best, when urged
by some unusual emergency, by some extraordinary
THE PURLOINED LETTER 269
reward, they extend or exaggerate their old modes of
practice^ without touching their principles. What, for
example, in this case of D , has been done to vary
the principle of action ? What is all this boring, and
probing, and sounding, and scrutinizing with the mi-
croscope, and dividing the surface of the building into
registered square inches — what is it all but an exag-
geration of the application of the one principle or set
of principles of search, which are based upon the one
set of notions regarding human ingenuity, to which
the Prefect, in the long routine of his duty, has been
accustomed ? Do you not see he has taken it for granted
that all men proceed to conceal a letter — not exactly
in a gimlet-hole bored in a chair leg — but, at least, in
some out-of-the-way hole or corner suggested by the
same tenor of thought whi«h would urge a man to se-
crete a letter in a gimlet-hole bored in a chair leg ?
And do you not see, also, that such recJiercJies nooks
for concealment are adapted only for ordinary occasions
and would be adopted only by ordinary intellects ? for,
in all cases of concealment, a disposal of the article
concealed — a disposal of it in this recherche manner —
is, in the very first instance, presumable and presumed ;
and thus its discovery depends, not at all upon the acu-
men, but altogether upon the mere care, patience, and
determination of the seekers ; and where the case is of
importance — or, what amounts to the same thing in
policial eyes, when the reward is of magnitude — the
qualities in question have never been known to fail.
You will now understand what I meant in suggesting
that, had the purloined letter been hidden anywhere
within the limits of the Prefect's examination — in
other words, had the principle of its concealment been
comprehended within the principles of the Prefect, its
270 EDGAR ALLAN POE
discovery would have been a matter altogether beyond
question. This functionary, however, has been thor-
oughly mystified; and the remote source of his defeat
lies in the supposition that the minister is a fool be-
cause he has acquired renown as a poet. All fools are
poets ; this the Prefect/eeZs; and he is merely guilty
of a non distributio medii in thence inferring that all
poets are fools."
" But is this really the poet ? " I asked. " There are
two brothers, I know ; and both have attained reputa-
tion in letters. The minister, I believe, has written
learnedly on the Differential Calculus. He is a mathe-
matician and no poet."
" You are mistaken ; I know him well ; he is both.
As poet and mathematician he would reason well ;
as mere mathematician he could not have reasoned at
all, and thus would have been at the mercy of the
Prefect."
" You surprise me," I said, " by these opinions,
which have been contradicted by the voice of the
world. You do not mean to set at naught the well-
digested idea of centuries. The mathematical reason
has long been regarded as the reason par excellence,^^
" I mean to say," continued Dupin, while I merely
laughed at his last observations, " that if the minister
had been no more than a mathematician the Prefect
would have been under no necessity of giving me this
check. I knew him, however, as both mathematician
and poet, and my measures were adapted to his capa-
city with reference to the circumstances by which he
was surrounded. I knew him as a courtier, too, and as
a bold intriguant. Such a man, I considered, could
not fail to be aware of the ordinary policial modes of
THE PURLOINED LETTER 271
action. He could not have failed to anticipate — and
events have proved that he did not fail to anticipate —
the waylayings to which he was subjected. He must
have foreseen, I reflected, the secret investigations of
his premises. His frequent absences from home at
night, which were hailed by the Prefect as certain
aids to his success, I regarded only as ruses, to afford
opportunity for thorough search to the police, and
thus the sooner to impress them with the conviction
to which G , in fact, did finally arrive, — the con-
viction that the letter was not upon the premises. I
felt, also, that the whole train of thought, which I was
at some pains in detailing to you just now, concerning
the invariable principle of policial action in searches
for articles concealed — I felt that this whole train
of thought must necessarily pass through the mind
of the minister. It would imperatively lead him to
despise all the ordinary nooks of concealment. He
could not, I reflected, be so weak as not to see that
the most intricate and remote recess of his hotel would
be as open as his commonest closets to the eyes, to the
probes, to the gimlets, and to the microscopes, of the
Prefect. I saw, in fine, that he would be driven, as a
matter of couTse, to simplicity^ if not deliberately in-
duced to it as a matter of choice. You will remember,
perhaps, how desperately the Prefect laughed when I
suggested, upon our first interview, that it was just
possible this mystery troubled him so much on account
of its being so very self-evident."
" Yes," said I, " I remember his merriment well.
I really thought he would have fallen into convul-
sions."
" The material world," continued Dupin, " abounds
with very strict analogies to the immaterial ; and thus
272 EDGAR ALLAN POE
some color of truth has been given to the rhetorical
dogma, that metaphor, or simile, may be made to
strengthen an argument, as well as to embellish a
description. The principle of the vis inertiae, for
example, seems to be identical in physics and meta-
physics. It is not more true in the former, that a
large body is with more difficulty set in motion than
a smaller one, and that its subsequent momentum is
commensurate with this difficulty, than it is, in the
latter, that intellects of the vaster capacity, while
more forcible, more constant, and more eventful in
their movements than those of inferior grade, are yet
the less readily moved, and more embarrassed and full
of hesitation in the first few steps of their progress.
Again : have you ever noticed which of the street
signs over the shop doors are the most attractive of
attention ? "
" I have never given the matter a thought," I said.
" There is a game of puzzles," he resumed, " which
is played upon a map. One party playing requires
another to find a given word, — the name of town,
river, state, or empire, — any word, in short, upon the
motley and perplexed surface of the chart. A novice
in the game generally seeks to embarrass his op-
ponents by giving them the most minutely lettered
names ; but the adept selects such words as stretch in
large characters, from one end of the chart to the
other. These, like the over-largely lettered signs and
placards of the street, escape observation by dint of
being excessively obvious ; and here the physical over-
sight is precisely analogous with the moral inappre-
hension by which the intellect suffers to pass unnoticed
those considerations which are too obtrusively and too
palpably self-evident. But this is a point, it appears,
THE PURLOINED LETTER 273
somewliat above or beneath the understanding of the
Prefect. He never once thought it probable, or pos-
sible, that the minister had deposited the letter imme-
diately beneath the nose of the whole world, by way of
best preventing any portion of that world from per-
ceiving it.
" But the more I reflected upon the daring, dashing,
and discriminating ingenuity of D ; upon the fact
that the document must always have been at hand^ if
he intended to use it to good purpose ; and upon the
decisive evidence, obtained by the Prefect, that it was
not hidden within the limits of that dignitary's ordi-
nary search — the more satisfied I became that, to
conceal this letter, the minister had resorted to the
comprehensive and sagacious expedient of not attempt-
ing to conceal it at all.
*' Full of these ideas, I prepared myself with a pair
of green spectacles, and called one fine morning, quite
by accident, at the ministerial hotel. I found D
at home, yawning, lounging, and dawdling, as usual,
and pretending to be in the last extremity of ennui.
He is, perhaps, the most really energetic human being
now alive — but that is only when nobody sees him.
" To be even with him, I complained of my weak
eyes, and lamented the necessity of the spectacles,
under cover of which I cautiously and thoroughly sur-
veyed the whole apartment, while seemingly intent
only upon the conversation of my host.
" I paid especial attention to a large writing-table
near which he sat, and upon which lay confusedly
some miscellaneous letters and other papers, with one
or two musical instruments and a few books. Here,
however, after a long and very deliberate scrutiny, I
saw nothing to excite particular suspicion.
274 EDGAR ALLAN POE
" At length my eyes, in going the circuit of the
room, fell upon a trumpery filigree card-rack of paste-
board, that hung dangling, by a dirty blue ribbon,
from a little brass knob just beneath the middle of
the mantelpiece. In this rack, which had three or
four compartments, were five or six visiting cards
and a solitary letter. This last was much soiled and
crumpled. It was torn nearly in two, across the mid-
dle — as if a design, in the first instance, to tear it
entirely up as worthless had been altered, or stayed,
in the second. It had a large black seal, bearing the
D cipher 'cery conspicuously, and was addressed,
in a diminutive female hand, to D , the minister
himself. It was thrust carelessly, and even, as it
seemed, contemptuously, into one of the uppermost
divisions of the rack.
" No sooner had I glanced at this letter than I con-
cluded it to be that of which I was in search. To be
sure, it was, to all appearance, radically different from
the one of which the Prefect had read us so minute a
description. Here the seal was large and black, with
the D cipher ; there it was small and red, with the
ducal arms of the S family. Here, the address, to
the minister, was diminutive and feminine ; there, the
superscription, to a certain royal personage, was mark-
edly bold and decided ; the size alone formed a point
of correspondence. But, then, the radicalness of these
differences, which was excessive ; the dirt, the soiled
and torn condition of the paper, so inconsistent with
the true methodical habits of D , and so sugges-
tive of a design to delude the beholder into an idea of
the worthlessness of the document ; these things, to-
gether with the hyper-obtrusive situation of this docu-
ment, full in the view of every visitor, and thus exactly
THE PURLOINED LETTER 275
in accordance witli the conclusions to which I had pre-
viously arrived ; these things, I say, were strongly cor-
roborative of suspicion, in one who came with the in-
tention to suspect.
" I protracted my visit as long as possible, and while
I maintained a most animated discussion with the minis-
ter, upon a topic which I kne.w well had never failed
to interest and excite him, I kept my attention really
riveted upon the letter. In this examination, I com-
mitted to memory its external appearance and arrange-
ment in the rack ; and also fell, at length, upon a dis-
covery which set at rest whatever trivial doubt I might
have entertained. In scrutinizing the edges of the
paper, I observed them to be more chafed than seemed
necessary. They presented the hrohen appearance which
is manifested when a stiff paper, having been once
folded and pressed with a folder, is refolded in a re-
versed direction, in the same creases or edges which
had formed the original fold. This discovery was suffi-
cient. It was clear to me that the letter had been turned,
as a glove, inside out, re-directed, and resealed. I bade
the minister good-morning, and took my departure at
once, leaving a gold snuff-box upon the table.
" The next morning I called for the snuff-box, when
we resumed, quite eagerly, the conversation of the pre-
ceding day. While thus engaged, however, a loud re-
port, as if of a pistol, was heard immediately beneath
the windows of the hotel, and was succeeded by a se-
ries of fearful screams, and the shoutings of a mob.
D rushed to a casement, threw it open, and looked
out. In the meantime, I stepped to the card-rack, took
the letter, put it in my pocket, and replaced it by a
facsimile {^6 far as regards externals) which I had
carefully prepared at my lodgings — imitating the
276 EDGAR ALLAN POE
D cipher very readily by means of a seal formed
of bread.
" The disturbance in the street had been occasioned
by the frantic behavior of a man with a musket. He
had fired it among a crowd of women and children. It
proved, however, to have been without a ball, and the
fellow was suffered to go his way as a lunatic or a drunk-
ard. When he had gone, D came from the win-
dow, whither I had followed him immediately upon se-
curing the object in view. Soon afterwards I bade him
farewell. The pretended lunatic was a man in my own
pay."
"But what purpose had you," I asked, " in replacing
the letter by 2i facsimile? Would it not have been bet-
ter, at the first visit, to have seized it openly and de-
parted ? "
" D ," replied Dupin, " is a desperate man, and
a man of nerve. His hotel, too, is not without attendants
devoted to his interest. Had I made the wild attempt
you suggest, I might never have left the ministerial
presence alive. The good people of Paris might have
heard of me no more. But I had an object apart from
these considerations. You know my political preposses-
sions. In this matter I act as a partisan of the lady
concerned. For eighteen months the minister has had
her in his power. She has now him in hers — since, be-
ing unaware that the letter is not in his possession, he
will proceed with his exactions as if it was. Thus will
he inevitably commit himself at once to his political
destruction. His downfall, too, will not be more precipi-
tate than awkward. It is all very well to talk about the
facilis descensus Averni ; but in all kinds of climbing,
as Catalani said of singing, it is far more easy to get
up than to come down. In the present instance I have
THE PURLOINED LETTER 277
no sympathy — at least no pity — for him who descends.
He is that monstrum horrendum^ an unprincipled man
of genius. I confess, however, that I should like very
well to know the precise character of his thoughts,
when, being defied by her whom the Prefect terms ' a
certain personage,' he is reduced to opening the letter
which I left for him in the card-rack."
" How ? Did you put anything particular in it ? "
" Why, it did not seem altogether right to leave the
interior blank — that would have been insulting. D ,
at Vienna once, did me an evil turn, which I told
him quite good-humoredly, I should remember. So,
as I knew he would feel some curiosity in regard to the
identity of the person who had outwitted him, I thought
it a pity not to give him a clew. He is well acquainted
with my MS., and I just copied into the middle of the
blank sheet the words : —
' — Un dessein si f uneste,
S'il n'est digne d'Atrde, est digne de Thyeste.'
They are to be found in Crebillon's ' Atree.' "
NOTES
Nil sapientiae odiosius acumine nimio : — Nothing is so
odious to wisdom as too great shrewdness.
Seneca : — A Roman philosopher. He died in 65 a. d.
au troisi^me : — Up three flights; that is, on the fourth floor.
Rue Morgue : — See the story by Poe, The Murders in the
Rue Morgue. The detective Dupin appears in this story.
Marie Roget : — See Poe's story, The Mystery of Marie
Roget, in which Monsieur G is one of the characters.
Prefect : — In France, a superintendent of a department.
the personage robbed : — The queen?
boudoir : — A private room.
the other exalted personage : — The king ?
au fait : — Fully informed ; expert.
278 EDGAR ALLAN POE
Neapolitans : — People from Naples, Italy.
hdtel : — Note that this word has the French meaning of
palace or mansion.
fifty thousand francs : — A franc is worth about twenty
cents of American money.
Abernethy : — John Abernethy, a celebrated English sur-
geon (1764-1831).
escritoire : — A writing desk.
Procrustean bed : — Procrustes was a notorious robber of
Attica who would tie his victims to a bed, and cut them to fit it
if they were too long, or stretch them if they were too short.
Rochefoucauld : — Francois, Due de la Rochefoucauld
(1613-1680), and Jean de la Bruy^re (1645-1696) were great
French moralists. Machiavelli (1469-1527) was a Florentine
statesman ; Campanella (1568-1639) was an Italian philosopher.
recherches : — Carefully sought out.
non distributio medii : — The fallacy which, in logic, is
known as " the undistributed middle."
par excellence : — chief, or most excellent.
intriguant : — A scheming person.
vis inertiae : — The force of inertia.
turned, as a glove : — At the time of which the author
writes, letters were not enclosed in envelopes, but were folded,
and sealed with wax or a wafer.
facsimile : — An exact copy.
facilis descensus Averni : — The descent to Avernus (hell)
is easy.
Catalani : — A celebrated Italian singer.
monstrum horrendum : — A monster to be shuddered at.
ITn dessein si funeste : — "So sinister a design, if it is not
worthy of Atreus, is worthy of Thyestes."
Cr^billon : — A French writer (1674-1762).
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY
Why is purloined a better word than stolen, for the title of the
story ? How many facts necessary for the reader to know are
told in the first sentence ? What does the second sentence show,
concerning the two men in Dupin's room ? Why does Dupin not
light the lamp when G enters ? Why does the author choose
to reveal the situation by means of a conversation when he could
THE PURLOINED LETTER 279
do It in so much less time by means of an explanation ? Does the
author wish us to admire the Prefect ? Who was the person
robbed ? Who was " the other exalted personage," from whom
she wished to conceal the theft ? Why does D (the thief)
not destroy the letter ? Do you think that a house could be so
thoroughly searched, in the manner described, that the letter in
question could not be overlooked ? What is the reason for hav-
ing a month elapse before the letter is found ? What is the
effect on the reader of the paragraph beginning, " In that case " ?
Do you think that the reader ought to have been told before
that Dupin had the letter ? Why does G not stay to hear
how it was discovered ? What is the most interesting point in the
story ? Why does the author not stop when the mystery is
solved ? Why does he use so many words in explaining how the
letter was found ? Could he have made his explanation briefer ?
How did Dupin reason, in working out the problem as to where
the stolen paper was concealed ? What is the object of this story ?
What do you think of Dupin ? Of the author of the tale ?
THEME SUBJECTS
Finding a Lost Article The Real Culprit
A Bit of Detective Work Tracing a Lost Trunk
The Mysterious Disappearance The Evidence against Him
How They Caught the Thief How the Ring Was Recovered
Finding the Owner of the Where to Hide a Christmas
Pocketbook Present
Convicted on Circumstantial When Father Played Detective
Evidence The Wrong Clew
The Telltale Footprints How a Detective Works
SUGGESTIONS FOR THEME-WRITING
The Evidence against Him : — Try to write a story about
a boy who is unjustly suspected of some wrong-doing. Suppose
that he is thought to have taken some money, or a valuable book,
or an important letter, from an office, or from some one's desk.
Think of a good way to begin your story. Can you begin it with
a conversation ? If you use conversation, try to make it tell the
important things that the reader must know. Try also to let it
tell something of the characters of the persons speaking. Tell
280
EDGAR ALLAN POE
why it is that the boy is suspected. Spend some time and thought
on the ways in which the evidence seemed to show that he was
the one who did the stealing. Did he have some reason for tak-
ing the article ? Did any one see him near the place where the
stealing occurred ? Was something belonging to him found near
the place ? Was he seen to have more money than usual, or a
book or a letter like the one in question ? Was there any hard
feeling between him and the person whose' property was taken ?
Bring out some of these ideas by means of a conversation, if you
can. Tell how the boy feels, and what he does. Try to make the
reader understand something of the boy's character. Tell how
the mystery is solved, and how the boy is proved innocent.
COLLATERAL READINGS
The Cask of Amontillado
The Gold-Bug
The Pit and the Pendulum . . . .
MS. Found in a Bottle
The Unparalleled Adventure of One
Hans Pfaall
A Descent into the Maelstrom . . .
The Fall of the House of Usher . .
William Wilson
The Man of the Crowd
The Oval Portrait
The Masque of the Red Death . . .
The Balloon Hoax
The Oblong Box
The Black Cat
The Murders in the Rue Morgue . .
The Tell-Tale Heart
Narrative of A. Gordon Pym . . .
Mystery and Detective Stories (6 vols.)
The Moonstone
In the Fog
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes . .
Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes . . .
The Sign of the Four
The Great K. & A. Robbery ....
Little Classics (Mystery)
Edgar Allan Poe
((
«
«
((
<(
tl
((
a
<(
«
((
«
((
((
{(
«
((
«
((
((
((
((
«
<(
Julian Hawthorne (Ed.)
Wilkie Collins
Richard Harding Davis
A. Conan Doyle
Paul Leicester Ford
R. Johnson (Ed.)
LETTERS
CHARLES LAMB INTRODUCES A FRIEND
East India House, May 21, 1819.
Dear Eickman, — The gentleman who will pre-
sent this letter holds a situation of considerable im-
portance in the East India House, and is my very
good friend. He is desirous of knowing whether it is
too late to amend a mere error in figures which he
has just discovered in an account made out by him
and laid before the House yesterday. He will explain
to you what he means, and I am sure you will help
him to the best of your power. Phillips is too ill for
me to think of applying to him.
Why did we not see you last night ?
Yours truly,
Charles Lamb.
stevenson writes to a child
(To Thomas Archer)
Tautira, Island of Tahiti [November, 1888].
Dear Tom archer, — This is a pretty state of
things ! seven o'clock and no word of breakfast ! And
I was awake a good deal last night, for it was full
moon, and they had made a great fire of cocoanut husks
down by the sea, and as we have no blinds or shutters,
this kept my room very bright. And then the rats had
a wedding or a school-feast under my bed. And then
I woke early, and I have nothing to read except Vir-
gil's ^neid^ which is not good fun on an empty
stomach, and a Latin dictionary, which is good for
282 LETTERS
naught, and by some humorous accident, your dear
papa's article on Skerryvore. And I read the whole of
that, and very impudent it is, but you must not tell
your dear papa I said so, or it might come to a battle in
which you might lose either a dear papa or a valued
correspondent, or both, which would be prodigal. And
still no breakfast; so I said "Let's write to Tom-
archer."
This is a much better place for children than any I
have hitherto seen in these seas. The girls (and some-
times the boys) play a very elaborate kind of hop-
scotch. The boys play horses exactly as we do in Eu-
rope ; and have very good fun on stilts, trying to knock
each other down, in which they do not often succeed.
The children of all ages go to church and are allowed
to do what they please, running about the aisles, rolling
balls, stealing mamma's bonnet and publicly sitting on
it, and at last going to sleep in the middle of the floor.
I forgot to say that the whips to play horses, and the
balls to roll about the church, — at least I never saw
them used elsewhere, — grow ready-made on trees;
which is rough on toy-shops. The whips are so good
that I wanted to play horses myself ; but no such luck !
my hair is grey, and I am a great, big, ugly man. The
balls are rather hard, but very light and quite round.
When you grow up and become offensively rich, you
can charter a ship in the port of London, and have it
come back to you entirely loaded with these balls,
when you could satisfy your mind as to their charac-
ter, and give them away when done with to your uncles
and aunts. But what I really wanted to tell you was
this : besides the tree-top toys (Hush-a-by, toy-shop,
on the tree-top!), I have seen some real made toys,
the first hitherto observed in the South Seas.
LETTERS 283
This was how. You are to imagine a four-wheeled
gig ; one horse ; in the front seat two Tahiti natives,
in their Sunday clothes, blue coat, white shirt, kilt (a
little longer than the Scotch) of a blue stuff with big
white or yellow flowers, legs and feet bare ; in the
back seat me and my wife, who is a friend of yours ;
under our feet, plenty of lunch and things : among us
a great deal of fun in broken Tahitian, one of the na-
tives, the subchief of the village, being a great ally of
mine. Indeed we have exchanged names ; so that he is
now called Rui, the nearest they can come to Louis,
for they have no I and no s in their language. E,ui is
six feet three in his stockings, and a magnificent man.
We all have straw hats, for the sun is strong. We drive
between the sea, which makes a great noise, and the
mountains ; the road is cut through a forest mostly of
fruit trees, the very creepers, which take the place of
our ivy, heavy with a great and delicious fruit, bigger
than your head and far nicer, called Barbedine. Pre-
sently we came to a house in a pretty garden, quite by
itself, very nicely kept, the doors and windows open,
no one about, and no noise but that of the sea. It
looked like a fairy tale, and just beyond we must ford
a river, and there we saw the inhabitants. Just in the
mouth of the river, where it met the sea waves, they
were ducking and bathing and screaming together like
a covey of birds : seven or eight little naked brown
boys and girls as happy as the day was long ; and on the
banks of the stream beside them, real toys — toy ships,
full rigged, and with their sails set, though they were
lying in the dust on their beam ends. And then I knew
for sure they were all children in a fairy story, living
alone together in that lonely house with the only toys
in all the island; and that I had myself driven, in my
284 LETTERS
four-wheeled gig, into a corner of the fairy story, and
the question was, should I get out again ? But it was
all right ; I guess only one of the wheels of the gig had
got into the fairy story ; and the next jolt the whole
thing vanished, and we drove on in our seaside forest
as before, and I have the honor to be Tomarcher's
valued correspondent, Teriitera, which he was previ-
ously known as
Robert Louis Stevenson.
PRESIDENT LINCOLN ACKNOWLEDGES HIS ERROR TO
GENERAL GRANT
Executive Mansion, Washington, July 13, 1863.
Major-General Grant.
My Dear General, — I do not remember that you
and I ever met personally. I write this now as a grate-
ful acknowledgment for the almost inestimable service
you have done the country. I wish to say a word fur-
ther. When you first reached the vicinity of Vicks-
burg, I thought you should do what you finally did
— march the troops across the neck, run the batter-
ies with the transports, and thus go below ; and I never
had any faith, except a general hope that you knew
better than I, that the Yazoo Pass expedition and the
like could succeed. When you got below and took
Fort Gibson, Grand Gulf, and vicinity, I thought you
should go down the river and join General Banks,
and when you turned northward, east of the Big
Black, I feared it was a mistake. I now wish to make
the personal acknowledgment that you were right and
I was wrong.
Yours very truly,
A. Lincoln.
LETTERS 285
WASHINGTON IRVING WRITES OF HIS VISIT TO
SIR WALTER SCOTT
(To Peter Irving)
Abbotsford, Sept. 1, 1817.
My Dear Brother, — I have barely time to
scrawl a line before the gossoon goes off with the
letters to the neighboring postoffice. . . .
On Friday, in spite of sullen, gloomy weather, I
mounted the top of the mail coach, and rattled off to
Selkirk. It rained heavily in the course of the after-
noon, and drove me inside. On Saturday morning
early I took chaise for Melrose ; and on the way
stopped at the gate of Abbotsford, and sent in my
letter of introduction, with a request to know whether
it would be agreeable for Mr. Scott to receive a visit
from me in the course of the day. The glorious old
minstrel himself came limping to the gate, and took
me by the hand in a way that made me feel as if we
were old friends ; in a moment I was seated at his hos-
pitable board among his charming little family, and
here have I been ever since. I had intended certainly
being back to Edinburgh to-day (Monday), but Mr.
Scott wishes me to stay until Wednesday, that we
may make excursions to Dryburgh Abbey, Yarrow,
&c., as the weather has held up and the sun begins to
shine. I cannot tell how truly I have enjoyed the
hours I have passed here. They fly by too quick, yet
each is loaded with story, incident, or song ; and when
I consider the world of ideas, images, and impressions
that have been crowded upon my mind since I have
been here, it seems incredible that I should only have
been two days at Abbotsford. I have rambled about
286 LETTERS
the hills with Scott ; visited the haunts of Thomas the
Khymer, and other spots rendered classic by border
tale and witching song, and have been in a kind of
dream or delirium.
As to Scott, I cannot express my delight at his
character and manners. He is a sterling golden-hearted
old worthy, full of the joyousness of youth, with an
imagination continually furnishing forth pictures, and
a charming simplicity of manner that puts you at ease
with him in a moment. It has been a constant source
of pleasure to me to remark his deportment towards
his family, his neighbors, his domestics, his very dogs
and cats; everything that comes within his influence
seems to catch a beam of that sunshine that plays
around his heart; but I shall say more of him here-
after, for he is a theme on which I shall love to
dwell. . . .
Your affectionate brother,
W.I.
P. S. — This morning we ride to Dryburgh Abbey
and see also the old Earl of Buchan — who, you
know, is a queer one. . . .
HAWTHORNE WRITES OF HIS LIFE AT BROOK FARM
Brook Farm, West Roxbury, May 3, 184L
As the weather precludes all possibility of plough-
ing, hoeing, sowing, and other such operations, I be-
think me that you may have no objections to hear
something of my whereabout and whatabout. You are
to know, then, that I took up my abode here on the
12th ultimo, in the midst of a snow-storm, which kept
LETTERS 287
us all idle for a day or two. ... I have planted po-
tatoes and pease, cut straw and hay for the cattle, and
done various other mighty works. This very morning I
milked three cows, and I milk two or three every night
and morning. The weather has been so unfavorable that
we have worked comparatively little in the fields ; but,
nevertheless, I have gained strength wonderfully, —
grown quite a giant, in fact, — and can do a day's
work without the slightest inconvenience. In short, I
am transformed into a complete farmer.
This is one of the most beautiful places I ever saw
in my life, and as secluded as if it were a hundred
miles from any city or village. There are woods, in
which we can ramble all day without meeting anybody
or scarcely seeing a house. Our house stands apart
from the main road, so that we are not troubled even
with passengers looking at us. Once in a while we
have a transcendental visitor, such as Mr. Alcott ; but
generally we pass whole days without seeing a single
face, save those of the brethren. The whole fraternity
eat together ; and such a delectable way of life has
never been seen on earth since the days of the early
Christians. We get up at half-past four, breakfast at
half-past six, dine at half-past twelve, and go to bed
at nine.
The thin frock which you made for me is consid-
ered a most splendid article, and I should not wonder
if it were to become the summer uniform of the
Community. I have a thick frock, likewise ; but it is
rather deficient in grace, though extremely warm and
comfortable. I wear a tremendous pair of cowhide
boots, with soles two inches thick, — of course when I
come to see you I shall wear my farmer's dress.
We shall be very much occupied during mpst of
288 LETTERS
this montli, ploughing and planting ; so that I doubt
whether you will see me for two or three weeks. You
have the portrait by this time, I suppose ; so you can
very well dispense with the original. When you write
to me (which I beg you will do soon), direct your
letter to West Roxbury, as there are two post-offices
in the town. I would write more, but William Allen
is going to the village, and must have this letter.
So good-by. —-^^^;^y^^
Nath. HawthShne, Ploughman.
SUBJECTS FOR LETTERS
You have just arrived at home after a visit in the family of a
friend : Write an appropriate letter to your hostess — a " bread-
and-butter" letter.
You are sending a gift to a friend : Write a suitable note to
accompany it.
You have received a gift : Write a letter of thanks.
A friend of yours in another town has just won some honor or
distinction (taken a prize for declamation, secured first place in
a contest, broken a record in athletics, received an appointment
to the Naval School at Annapolis) : Write a letter of congratula-
tion.
The dramatic club to which you belong is to give a private per-
formance of The Merchant of Venice : Write a note inviting a
friend of your mother's.
Write the answer to the same.
Write to some man of local prominence, asking him to address
the school upon a certain date. Give him all necessary informa-
tion.
Write his reply.
Suppose that you are secretary of the Helping Hand Society :
Write a letter asking for a contribution for charitable purposes.
Last summer you worked for some one who has never paid you
what you earned : Write a letter asking for the money.
Write a reply to such a letter.
You are seeking a place to work : Write to the principal of
the high school, asking him for a recommendation.
Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process.
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide
Treatment Date: Jan. 2009
PreservationTechnologies
A WORLD LEADER IN COLLECTIONS PRESERVATION
111 Thomson Park Drive
Cranberry Township, PA 16066
(724)779-2111