Well, the next day, or ruther that night I begun to make preparations
to go to Waitstill White's. I got a early supper that night so's to
git to bed early so's to git up in good season; so's to git a early
breakfast the next mornin', so's to git a early dinner, so's to start
in good season for Ernest and Waitstill White's. And I kep' sayin'
that over and over the next mornin', "Ernest and Waitstill White's,"
it sounded dretful good to me, dretful.
I sez to Philury, "We must have dinner early, for we are invited to
Ernest and Waitstill White's."
And I sez the same to Josiah. And he sez, "You've said that to me a
dozen times already."
"Well," sez I cheerfully, "mebby I shall say it a dozen times more."
I felt well, dretful well in my mind. It had come out just as I had
hoped and prayed for, and why shouldn't I feel good.
Well, they greeted us with warm affection. And you don't know how
pretty their home looked. It had been fixed up in their absence and
Waitstill had put the finishin' touches to it when she come. It wuz a
gloomy spot under the Pooler regeem. But Waitstill wuz a true
homemaker and could make a barn seem home like, as folks can that have
that gift. You often see folks who think, or say they think, that one
set of faculties henders another set from workin'. But it hain't no
such thing. Miss Pooler wuz nothin' but a housekeeper, and as poor a
one at that as you would be apt to find in a day's travel, whilst
Waitstill wuz a philanthropist, a missionary, an angel on earth if
ever there wuz one, and a homemaker and a home lover added to it,
just as the Bible sez: "Seek first the kingdom of heaven and all these
things shall be added unto you," or words to that effect.
The settin'-room and parlor that used to seem like a dark-green
curtained mausoleum, sacred to the mournin' pieces on the wall, and
the hair wreaths of defunct Poolers wuz now the sunshinny hant of
Beauty and Cheerfulness. Bay windows bordered with soft-colored glass,
and curtained with fleecy white, let the sunshine stream into the
pretty, freshly-decorated room, where it seemed to love to stay and
shine. A conservatory full of blossoming plants made the settin' and
dinin'-rooms full of cheer and perfume.
One good stout German girl bore willin'ly the heaviest burdens of
housekeeping, but Waitstill and Love and Good Judgment wuz to the
hellum, and the result wuz beautiful. A happier household I don't want
to see, a better supper I don't want to eat. Waitstill had some briled
chicken, tender and toothsome, some creamed potatoes, fixed just
right, light white rolls, yellow sweet butter made from their own
Jersey cow's milk, clear amber honey from their own beehives, sliced
peaches from their own peach trees (it wuz a late kind, each one
rolled up in newspapers, and put in a box in the suller and kep' and
purple and white grapes kep' in the same way). Some pound cake made
from my own reseet, a noble one that fell onto me from Mother Allen,
and improved on by me, and some angel cake, made by Waitstill herself,
and as snowy and delicious as if it wuz made by a real angel with
wings, some fragrant coffee with rich cream to make it delicious, and
chocolate for them that preferred it. A big glass bowl of roses and
carnations wuz in the centre, and the table wuz spread with a snowy
linen cloth, and sot with beautiful china, white with a gold and pink
sprig on it, part of a big quantity sent by his rich folks, who wuz
delighted to have him marry such a sweet girl and settle down, and the
heavy shinin' silver marked "W. W. W.," lookin' some like a runnin'
vine, and the glossy linen tablecloths and napkins looking like satin
covered with posies, come from the same source, also marked with her
initials. Enough, Waitstill told me, to last 'em all their lives if
they should live to be as old as Methusaler and his wife.
Well, I wuz glad enough to see their prosperity and happiness and when
Ernest White sot to his own table by the side of Waitstill White and
in a few short, eloquent, heart-felt words asked the Lord's blessing
on this new home consecrated to his service, and on his dear friends
happily returned home agin, my heart echoed every word and there
wuzn't a dry eye in my head, not one.
After supper wuz over we sot out to go to the meetin' he had spoke on.
It wuz the openin' night of the new library, which wuz in a pretty
little buildin' jined onto the meetin'-house and only a few minutes'
walk from Ernest and Waitstill White's.
There wuz a good, large room for the library filled with good books
helpful and inspirin', bought partly by Ernest White and partly by
voluntary contributions by his people, a reading-room filled with
magazines and newspapers and which with the library wuz to be opened
every evening and two afternoons in the weeks. And there wuz a cozy
little settin'-room and bed-room with a kitchen back out for the
librarian. And who do you spoze wuz to be librarian and live here
clost to her idol? Oh, shaw! I might just as well told you right out
as to have said that; it wuz Arvilly. It wuz congenial work to her and
left her plenty of time to go round canvassin' if she wanted to.
We wuz a little late for the meetin', for a man come to see the Elder
just as we wuz startin', about marryin' him the next day, and as
anybody knows that has to be tended to 'tennyrate.
As we drawed nigh the library and meetin'-house we see they wuz
lighted up in as friendly and pleasant a way as if they wuz two
beacons set up to light our footsteps. And as we went in we see a
group of happy faced young people gathered round the organ practicin'
a piece they wuz learnin' for Thanksgivin'.
It wuz a sweet song of thankfulness and peace, filled with gratitude
for all the blessin's of the year. A sweet song full of love to God
and man and that would be apt to inspire the singers and hearers with
forbearance, justice, mercy, sane living and thinking. In another part
of the hall they wuz practicing some pretty pieces to speak at this
celebration, but when Elder White went in they all met him joyfully as
a beloved father is met by his children, and they bestowed a loving
greeting on Waitstill too.
These young men and women wuz ready to look through the magnifyin'
glass of love at any lesson Ernest White should set before them to fit
'em for life's battle.
The meeting that night wuz a sort of a social, where the young and
older folks met to get better acquainted with each other, and had a
good time visitin' back and forth and comparin' notes and bein'
introduced to Waitstill and the new library. One attracted just about
as much attention as the other, both wuz exceedingly interestin' to
'em and beloved.
Elder Cross wuz there, he sets store by Ernest White, though he is so
different from him. He is good natered and a Christian, I believe,
though Arvilly said he would have to be fixed over quite a good deal
before he got into the Kingdom.
And I sez, "Well, we all shall, Arvilly."
"Ernest White won't," sez she, "all they will have to do to him will
be to tack on a pair of wings and pin his crown on. He's a saint on
earth now," sez she.
Well, Elder Cross come up to Arvilly and welcomed her home and said a
few words about Ernest White's overwhelmin' success, which he
considered a mericale, and he couldn't understand it.
"Well, I can understand it," sez Arvilly, "I have always said that no
power could stand before the Church of Christ when it is fully
awakened to the enormity of the sin it is encouraging by its
indifference and neglect, and bands itself together to fight against
it. The saloon votes solid," sez Arvilly, "they are faithful to their
cause, they are fiery hot with zeal, the church a good many of 'em are
lukewarm, some like the Laodocians, and some like dish-water ready to
be emptied down into the drain. America is ruled by her cities, and
they are ruled by the saloon and unrighteous trusts and political
bosses. Foreigners from the old world slums flaunt the banner of
independence in the face of American womanhood. And the church of God
that might remedy the evils lets 'em go on."
Sez Elder Cross, "I know well that the saloon is a mighty power for
evil, it ruins our youth, soul and body, and I know that Monopoly is
the thief that steals the rewards of labor. But I pray, sister
Arvilly, I pray without ceasing that the Holy Spirit will come down,
and smite these offenders."
Sez Arvilly the dantless one, "You don't depend on prayer alone in
your church services, in taking up collections, etc., or in worldly
affairs," (Elder Cross is real rich, he keeps a hen dairy).
Sez Arvilly, "If you should depend on prayer alone to keep your big
shanghai rooster from fightin' the little bantys I guess you would be
apt to have considerable of a wake in your hen-yard. And you don't
kneel down and shet your eyes and pray for your young turkeys and
chickens when a pair of big wicked hawks are swoopin' down on 'em or a
heavy thunder-storm comin' on. No, you drive your little onprotected
broods into the first shelter you can find and go at the old hawks
with a club. Not that I approve of fightin'," sez Arvilly, "but there
is a time to pray and a time to use a horsewhip; our Lord, who was and
is our divine example, prayed thy kingdom come, and then helped it to
come by driving out the money-changers, and them that defiled the
temple. He might have prayed for them to be driv out and then folded
his hands and waited for the millennium. But He didn't, nor He didn't
say that human nature wuz too hard to handle, and that evil things had
got to be changed gradual. He didn't take their rich gifts, He didn't
make 'em church wardens, nor hang their pictures up in college halls
to stimulate young men to go and do likewise. And that is what
ministers of our Lord and his disciples want to do to-day, to drive
out of the temple and the country the fat thieves that infest it, and
the sanctified rascals wearin' sheep's clothin'. They have got a
powerful whip in a consecrated ballot that will drive the thieves out
and make them disgorge their ill-gotten gains."
Elder Cross wuz agitated; the argument wuz driving him into a corner
where he didn't want to stand; he turned the conversation:
"This is a great work dear brother White is doing, but some criticise
the idea of his opening the house of God every evening for amusements
as well as prayer. Some don't believe in mingling secular things with
sacred."
Sez Arvilly, "What is more sacred to the Lord than a saved soul, a
lost one redeemed, a prodigal brought back. What headway is one church
opened three hours a week goin' to make aginst twenty saloons open
every day and night." Arvilly begun to be powerful agitated and I
spoke up quick, for I knew how hash she wuz when she got to goin', and
I didn't want this beautiful day marred by hashness even if it wuz
deserved.
Sez I, "We all know how much good the church has done in the past. And
now that the churches are beginning to band themselves together, and
vote as they pray, this enormous force of righteousness is going to be
victorious over sin and darkness, and the Saloon and the Canteen, the
licensed houses of shame, monument of woman's degradation, the unjust
monopoly, the high fence separating the few enormously rich from the
masses of the suffering, starving poor, will all have to fall. Christ
did not die in vain," sez I, "nor the blood of the martyrs has not
been in vain. The Lord has promised and he will fulfill."
"God speed that day!" sez Elder Cross shettin' his eyes and claspin'
his hands.
"Amen!" sez I.
But I hearn Arvilly behind me mutter, "You'll have to open your old
eyes, Elder, and go to work, or you won't have much hand in it."
But I guess he didn't hear her.
Well, goin' home that night, my heart sung for joy a anthem, more than
a ordinary sam tune. The bright moonlight rested on the democrat and
my pardner, and gilded the way in front of us, and further off we
could see it lay on the lake, and it seemed to make a silver path on
it. Life seemed worth livin', the cold waves of death seemed lit up
with a heavenly glow, the hosts of evil seemed to back off before the
Angel of Deliverance.
I don't spoze that from Maine to Florida, or from Jonesville to San
Francisco there wuz a happier Thanksgivin' party than we had. Havin'
such sights and sights of things to be thankful for, I laid out as I
say to begin to be thankful before candle light in the mornin' and
keep it up all day long till bed time, and so I did.
It wuz a lovely day, the sun shone into our bedroom winder through the
beautiful knit fringe, made by my own hands, and rested on me lovin'ly
as I combed my hair in front of the lookin'-glass. There had been a
fall of snow the night before, as if nater had done her best for the
occasion and spread her white ermine down for the feet of the angel,
Thanksgivin'.
Philury got breakfast most ready by candle light, and I'd been bein'
thankful ever since she put the tea kettle over.
"Josiah," sez I, "do you realize what a glorious day this is and how
much, how much we have to be thankful for?"
He had broke one of his shue strings and wuz bent down breathin'
kinder hard and tusslin' with it and his answer wuzn't what I could
wished it wuz. But I knowed that it wuz because the blood had rushed
to his head. He got it tied up in a few minutes and eat his breakfast
with a splendid appetite. Philury had good tender lamb chops and baked
potatoes and light muffins and a fragrant cup of coffee, and Josiah
recovered his usual flow of sperits before we got half through. And we
read together a chapter out of The Book, and Josiah made a prayer full
of thankfulness that come from his very heart for the blessings of
home and love and all the precious gifts the Father bestowed on us
durin' the year.
The children come early and brought some lovely presents to us. We
make a practice of givin' presents in our own family Thanksgivin', for
it always seemed so kinder appropriate that while we wuz givin' thanks
we might just as well give a few more. And their presents to us wuz
just what we wanted and ourn to them proved to be just what they
wanted. Of course it wuzn't all a happen; we had throwed out hints and
perspected round as well as we could before we selected 'em, kinder
throwed out the line of wonder and surmises, and ketched opinions and
wishes on it.
At ten A.M. we all got into two big sleighs and went to Jonesville to
meetin'. It wuz a union meetin' and Elder White wuz chose to preach
the Thanksgivin' sermon. It wuz a beautiful discourse, it come from
the depths of a thankful, lovin' Christian heart and went right to
ourn.
The party I had invited went home with us from the meetin'-house,
Philury had the house all warm and it wuzn't long before we had dinner
ready, of course we had got everything cooked we could the day
before.
The dinner, though of course I ortn't to say it, but they all said,
and of course it must be so, they said it wuz the best Thanksgivin'
dinner that wuz ever cooked in this world, and Josiah whispered to me
as he helped himself to the third helpin' of turkey and dressin', that
he knowed that there never wuz such a meal cooked in Jupiter or Mars
or any other planet.
But I whispered back, it wuzn't safe to say such things, sez I. "Most
probably they have many and lots of things we don't know anything
about."
"Manny!" sez he, "how would manny show off by the side of this
dressin'?" and he took another spunful.
I spoze my dressin' duz go ahead of most, though it hain't made me
hauty. Well, how happy everybody wuz; how good they looked to me and I
to them, I knew it by their liniments. How the children doted on me
and their Pa, how dear little Tommy hung round us. How softened down
Arvilly wuz by her happiness in havin' Waitstill back agin, but still
she kep' her faculties from rustin', and sold two books that day for
presents, and one to Elder Minkley for a Sabbath School prize.
How adorable Waitstill looked in her pretty cashmere gown of pale
violet color with white roses at her bosom and belt, she had throwed
off her black as a reasonable widder should, I never approved of
mournin' for one man whilst weddin' another, that is mournin' in
public in crape and weeds. I don't believe she had a black rag on her,
she might you know if she had been sly have put a black bindin' on her
petticoat or a black pocket. I remember the Widder Doodle did, but I
never approved of it. No, mournin' weeds are right in their place, and
orange blossoms in theirn, but I never believed in mixin' the two.
Down deep in Waitstill's heart, hid from every eye but the one who
made that heart, wuz a place where her thought must retire into now
and then and weep. Yes, I knowed that whilst her loyal love and
respect and reverence wuz all given to the man she loved, who wuz
strong, her thought would anon or oftener have to go into that sombry
room and weep for the young lover who wuz weak, but whose weakness
would never have blossomed into crime had not his country hung the
Sodom apple before his eyes and his weak appetite yielded to it, had
overthrown the labor and efforts of years, tempted him with low
temptations that had been stronger than love, stronger than religion,
stronger than life. All his life long he had fought against inherited
tastes as they fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, and he would have
come off conqueror had it not been for licensed evils and the
weaknesses in high and low places that permitted it to be.
Yes, into that closely locked, sombry chamber I knowed that Waitstill
would go alone and stay there for quite a spell. But after a time I
mistrusted the sweet peace and happiness of her life would be such
that she would go seldomer and make shorter visits when she did go.
And its black gloom would be lighted by tones of living love and
gleams of light and warmth from tender eyes. And I hoped that the time
would come when dimpled baby fingers would gently bar the doorway and
she wouldn't go there to stay for any length of time.
Well, the happy company stayed till nine P.M., when they departed with
many pleasant and loving words, I being thankful every minute of the
time, even when I see 'em drive off. You know sometimes as glad as you
are to have company, and as well as you like 'em, you are kinder glad
to set down quiet, and think over all the happy time, and rest your
head.
Well, the next day after Thanksgivin', early in the afternoon, Josiah
said he had got to go over to Jonesville, and proposed that I should
ride over with him. He said the mair kinder needed shuein', and sez
he, "We might bring Tommy home with us, for there wuzn't any school
Saturday, and he could stay over Sunday with us."
It duz seem now as if we can't help settin' a little more store by
Tommy than we do by the other grandchildren. But it better not be told
I said it, it would make feelin's amongst the rest.
Well, we made lovely calls on the children, and got Tommy, who wuz
more than willin' to come, and returned home about ten a.m., Tommy
settin' between us and drivin' the mair, Thomas J. and Maggie sayin'
they would drive over Sunday night after him and take tea with us.
We stopped at the post-office, and Tommy run in and got three letters
for me, two on 'em which I opened and read when I first got home,
whilst Josiah and Tommy drove over to Deacon Henzy's on a errent. As I
say I read two on 'em, but of the third one more anon. One of my
letters wuz from Cousin John Richard, who had gone back to Victor
workin' for his Lord in his own appointed way, teachin' the young,
comfortin' the aged, and exhortin' the strong, helpin' to bear the
burdens of the weak, and doin' it all in the name of Him who is
invisible, waitin' patient till the summons should be sent him to go
home to his own land, for the Bible sez that "them that do such things
show plainly that they seek a country."
Fur acrost that dark continent from another oasis like Victor
beginnin' to be illuminated with the white light beamin' from the
uplifted cross, come a message to me from another consecrated
missionary and child of Heaven, Evangeline Noble. She told me of the
blessed work she wuz doin' in Africa and how happy she wuz in it, for
her Master wuz with her tellin' her what to do from day to day, and
she happy in carryin' out that work and seein' the light from heaven
stream into dark minds and souls.
How much store I set by her, I lay out to send her a barrel of things
this fall, some dried apples, canned fruit, good books, a piece of rag
carpet and a crazy quilt, not rarin' ravin' crazy, but sort o'
beautifully delerious, embroidered with cat stitch round every block.
And the other letter wuz from Miss Meechim. I read Cousin John
Richard's and Evangeline's, but I put hern on the mantletry piece and
thought I wouldn't read it till about a hour after dinner, mistrustin'
that it would agitate and work me up, so that my food wouldn't set
good.
Dorothy's marriage to Robert Strong had took place a week before, but
not a word had I heard from Miss Meechim, and I didn't know what
effect the blow had had on her. Josiah and I had been warmly invited
to attend the weddin', but not feelin' willin' to embark on another
tower we sent her a pretty present and love, lots and lots of love,
and the earnest best wishes of our hearts.
They wuz married in Dorothy's home in San Francisco, and went
immegiately after the ceremony to their new home in the City of
Justice to begin their life work there. Dorothy had writ me all the
particulars of their marriage. They didn't want any show and display
she said, and they took the money they would have had to spend to make
a big wedding with a crowd of guests, elaborate dressing, rich viands,
music, flowers, etc. They took this money and gave a holiday to the
children in the City of Justice, a beautiful dinner, music and gifts
for all.
And they wuz married in a plain, quiet way in the presence of a few
relatives and close friends, she dressed in a pretty white muslin (and
lookin' sweet as a rose I knew, though, of course, she didn't say so).
And after a simple lunch, they drove out to their new home. But I
hearn, and it come straight, too, that the children of the City of
Justice, just worshippin' Robert Strong as they did, they all on 'em
dressed in white, their pretty heads crowned with roses, filled
baskets with the sweetest flowers they could find and went out to meet
the young couple beyend the gate. And as they approached, they met 'em
with rejoicing songs sung in their sweet clear voices and scattered
roses and sweet posies in their path, their bright, happy eyes and
smilin' lips givin' 'em just as sweet a greetin'.
And as they entered into the city at sunset, the workmen met 'em all
dressed in holiday attire, and their cheers and blessings followed the
carriage till they reached their own door, which wuz banked up with
odorous blossoms as high as ever a snow drift blocked up the houses in
Jonesville, and they had to fairly wade through the sweet posies to
git to their door.
So, surrounded and blessed with love and rejoicings rising from
grateful adoring hearts, Robert and Dorothy Strong begun their married
life. Love and Mercy standin' right by their sides like maids of
honor, and Honesty and Justice like usher and best man, usherin' 'em
into a useful and happy life of work and toil sweetened forever with
gratitude and love. Lovin' each other as dearly as ever a man and
woman did, lovin' their Lord supremely and showing that love in the
way He bade his disciples to in caring for and blessing humanity. They
begun that day a power of helpful inspiring influences that would
bless the world, go through life with 'em and wait on 'em clear
through the swellin' flood and lead 'em up onto the other shore from
their City of Justice and love here, to that sweet continuing City of
Rest and Reward.
I felt well about Robert and Dorothy--yes, my heart sung for Joy
carryin' the hull four parts, base, altore, bear tone and sulfireno.
That is to say, the different faculties of my head and heart all jined
in and sung together in happiness and made a full orkestry.
You know when you hear of some marriages a part of you is pleased,
mebby it is Common Sense, whilst Romance and Fancy has to set dumb and
demute. Or mebby Fancy sings whilst cold Reason is spreadin' a wet
blanket on her part of the band, chillin' the notes and spilein' the
instrument. But here Reason, Romance, Love and Common Sense all jined
in together and sung the wedding anthem loud and clear.
But Miss Meechim, I felt dubersome about her; Dorothy didn't mention
her in her letter, bein' so took up with Robert and Love, so I spozed.
I knowed well how repugnant matrimony wuz to her and how sternly
resolved she wuz that Dorothy should go through life a bachelor maid.
I hated to read Miss Meechim's letter, I dreaded it like a dog. How
did I know but her great disappointment and crushin' grief to see her
hull life work smashed and demolished, had smit her down, and she had
passed away writin' my name on a envelope with her last flicker of
life and some stranger pen had writ me of the tragedy.
I put the letter up on the mantletry piece and thought I wouldn't read
it till about a hour after dinner.
And whilst I wuz gittin' dinner and eatin' it and went about doin' up
my work afterwards, I eyed that letter some as a cat eyes a dog kennel
and hung off from readin' it. But wantin' to git the hard job over
before night sot in, about the middle of the afternoon I read a few
verses of Foxe's Book of Martyrs, put two cushions in the rockin'
chair, took a swaller of spignut and thorough-o'-wort to kinder hold
up my strength, and a few whiffs of camfire, and then I put on my
near-to specs, opened the letter with a deep sithe and begun to read.
But good land! I needn't have foreboded so; I might have knowed that
though her hatred of matrimony wuz great, her egotism and self esteem
wuz bigger yet.
The letter stated in glowin' terms her gratefulness to her Creator to
think she had a nephew so bound up in her interest and welfare. She
said that she had mentioned one day, durin' a severe attack of
bilerous colic her fears and forebodin's about Dorothy's future if she
should succumb to the colic and leave her alone. She said that it
wuzn't a week after this that her nephew and Dorothy had confided to
her the fact of their engagement.
Sez she, "Not one word to Dorothy have I mentioned or ever shall
mention as to Robert's reasons for sacrificin' himself to ease my
mind, and make me more care free. I wouldn't for the world," sez she,
"have Dorothy suspect why Robert has made a martyr of himself, and to
no one but you, Josiah Allen's wife," sez she, "shall I ever breathe
it." But she felt that she could confide in me, and wanted me to know
just how it wuz.
So her colossial self esteem carried her through safely, and she wuz
as happy as any on 'em. She wuz goin' to live in a little house Robert
had bought for her in San Francisco. Martha, the steady English maid,
wuz goin' to live with her, as she had proved faithful. And she added
a few heart breakin' words of grief and mournfulness about our dear
lost Aronette.
And she gin me to understand that sence Aronette's dretful death in
New York she had gradually changed her mind about drinking.
I believe Arvilly's talk helped convince her, though Miss Meechim
would never own it to her dyin' day, and I d'no as Arvilly would want
her to, they just naterally abominate each other.
But 'tennyrate she said she felt that nothing that could lead on to
that awful termination and terrible tragedy, could be called genteel.
And she said she had had a argument with Rev. Mr. Weakdew, in which
they had both got genteelly angry (tearin' mad I should call it from
what she told me of their interview). But I will pass over particulars
which filled eight pages of large note paper, the upshot bein' that
she had left his church for good and all, and jined a Temperance
mission church down in the city. And she wuz now writin' tracts to
prove that intemperance wuz the beast with seven horns mentioned in
Scripture.
Good land! it has got more than seven horns, I believe, and all of 'em
dagger sharp and wet with tears and heart's blood.
She expected, she said, that these tracts would make a end to the
liquor power and the social evil, and temperance would rain in the
world some time durin' the comin' fall.
But they won't. These evils are sot too firm on American soil, it will
take a greater power than Miss Meechim's tracts to upheave 'em. But I
am glad she is sot that way, for every little helps, and the breath of
Miss Meechim's converted soul is blowin' the right way and when the
hull Christian world shall be converted, the united influence will
move along a mighty overwhelmin' power that will sweep these ungodly
evils from the face of the earth. Then will come the golden days of
peace, righteousness, the reign of the Lord Jesus, for which we pray
every day when we say "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as
it is in Heaven."
A FEW FROM HUNDREDS OF PRESS NOTICES OF
SAMANTHA AT THE ST. LOUIS EXPOSITION
by JOSIAH ALLEN'S WIFE--(Marietta Holley)
Few characters of fiction will live longer than Samantha. A fund of
old-fashioned, homely but decidedly sound philosophy, yet an eye for
the facetious phases of human nature, witty as well as philosophical.
Older readers can remember a few who have pleased for a time and been
forgotten, and the few in recent years like David Harum and Eben
Holden have been most enthusiastically appreciated. The philosophy of
Samantha is broader and deeper than any of these characters. Her
insight when dealing with hidden motives is sharper and her wit
keener. It is not surprising that the character has so long stood the
test of time, and that a new book from the author is regarded as an
important event in the book world.
_Pittsburg Press_
Those who went to the St. Louis Exposition--and those who wished to
but did not, can have a good souvenir of the great show, and an
account of it that will be interesting years hence as now, in
"Samantha at the St. Louis Exposition."
Samantha and Josiah went to the Fair, "took it all in," and Samantha
relates their experiences in her well-known quaint style. The
characteristic illustrations of their adventures by C. Grunwald are
great.
_Cleveland Plain Dealer_
The main points of interest at the Exposition are discussed and
moralized over in her inimitable way by Samantha.
_The Outlook_
Samantha at the St. Louis Exposition, by Josiah Allen's wife, is a
revival of what was perhaps one of the most popular humorous series
ever issued. The present volume contains the same pathos and shrewd
rustic sense with all the humor of her previous works.
_Baker & Taylor's Monthly Bulletin of Best Selling Books_
She has sampled the glories of the St. Louis Fair and described them
in language of enduring worth.
_Boston Advertiser_
A story full of the mixture of wit, pathos, eloquence and common
sense.
_New York Globe_
Very unlike her earlier books in appearance. It has a smart up-to-date
binding and striking modern illustrations by Grunwald. But Miss
Holley's part is perfectly natural and familiar. It has lost none of
its mirth, none of its common sense, none of its good clear-eyed
religious way of looking at things. It is faithful to the spirit of a
great deal that is best in American life.
_Syracuse Post Standard_
G. W. DILLINGHAM COMPANY
PUBLISHERS--NEW YORK
WHAT THE CRITICS SAY OF
SAMANTHA AT THE ST. LOUIS EXPOSITION
By CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY
_The New York Tribune_ says--and it is true--that "Mr. Brady is fond
of dashing themes and certainly here he has found a subject to suit
his most exacting mood. He has taken a rascal for the hero of his
picaresque and rattling romance. The author is lavish in incident and
handles one thrilling situation after another with due sense of all
the dramatic force that is to be got out of it. His description of the
last moments of the old pirate is one of the most effective pieces of
writing he has put to his credit. SIR HENRY MORGAN--BUCCANEER is an
absorbing story."
"Cyrus Townsend Brady has had the hardihood to set aside the romantic
pirate of fictional tradition and paint a genuine historic pirate;
lustful, murderous, brutal, relentless. The story has force and
dramatic interest."--_The Lamp._
"Mr. Brady has never before been so successful in creating a character
who so completely fills the scene. Morgan dominates the book from the
first line to the last."--_Philadelphia Item._
"The story is a fascinating one--a concentration of all the pirate
stories that ever were written."--_Rochester Herald._
"Mr. Brady has a graphic and realistic power of description. The novel
is full measure and running over with thrills."--_Brooklyn Eagle._
"A thrilling pirate story, a lively romance sufficiently sensational
yet not lacking in delicacy."--_Boston Transcript._
"The story is full of incident and has an appropriate measure of love
and sword play."--_N. Y. Times._
"It is as rakish and dashing a craft on seas literary as any of the
hero's black-flagged ships on seas actual."--_N. Y. World._
"There is 'hot stuff' in SIR HENRY MORGAN--BUCCANEER."--_N. Y. Evening
Sun._
"The interest of the action, pitched high in the beginning, is held to
the point of utmost tension throughout."--_St. Louis Star._
_Profusely and beautifully illustrated from paintings by J. N. Marchand
and drawings by Will Crawford. Cloth-bound, $1.50._
Sold Everywhere, or Sent Postpaid Free on Receipt of Price.
G. W. DILLINGHAM CO., Publishers, NEW YORK
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