The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-05-09
song from Sophie, who was as well versed
in border minstrelsy as her father"

| oOu6 AOm OORulC, WuO WAS as WoIl VcIScU
in border minstrelsy as her father"
Irving, while in London, was offered q
$4,000 appointment in the Navy Depart
ment at Washington, and his brothers urg.
ed him to accept it. But, though at that
time depending entirely on bis literary Ia.
bors for existence, the destinations of lit.
erary life were too strong for him even to
accept this favorable certainty. His am.
bltlon was to make name as an author.
he was now thirty-fve years old, and had,
as he himself confesses, wasted in unthink>
ing idleness some of the best years of his
life. He wrote to his brother at this time:
In fact, I consider myself at present as
making literary experiment, in the course
OF which only care to be kept in bread
and cheese. Should it not succeed-should
nay writings not acquire literary applause,
am content to throw up the pen and take
to any commonplace employment. But if
they should succeed it would repay me TOR
world OF privation to be placed among
the established authors of my country, and
to win the affections of my countrymen."
And little later, speaking CT his own
writings, and especially of the Sketch
Book" he adds:
81 feel great dil1idence about this reap
pearaDce IN literature. | am conscious Of
my imperfections, and my mind has beer for
long time past so preyed upon and agita-
ted by various cares ard anxieties that l
fear it has lost much of it's cheerfulness and
some of its activity.
have attempted no lofty theme, nor
sought to look wise and learned, which
seems to be the fashion among cur Ameri-
can writers at present. | have preferred
addressing myself to the feeling and fancy
OF the reader more than to his Judgment.
My writings, therefore, may appear light
and tritiing in our country of philosophers
and politicians; but if they possess merit in
the class of literature to which they belong,
it is all to which l aspire in the work. |
seek only to blow flute accompaniment in
the national concert, and leave others to
play the fiddle and French horn"
But we have already given so much space
to this interesting volume, that we cannot
quote any further from the very interesting
letters from Scott and Others, which appear
in the latter part OF the volume. Mr.. Pr
ere Irving has arranged his material with
admirable skill and Matchmaking a most
charming piece of literary mosaic-and has
the modeaty not to obtrude himself upon
the reader; we see nowhere the personality
of the biographer interfering with that Of
his subject.
This volume gives us better idea than
anything yet published of the early youth
and manhood of Irving. We see him
laughing, mischievous boy, pleasure>lov>
ing youth. an enthusiastic young traveller,
disappointed lover, and would be lawyer
and man of business. His real literary
ambition awoke late. The success of bis
first literary efforts surprised him. and his
greatest bit was, as viewed by himself, an
experiment, which succeeded, and from that
moment bis highest ambition was to win,
by his writings, place in the hearts of his
countrymen. He made sacrifices for liter
allure, and he was subsequently rewarded
with fame and competency.
His charming modesty is admirably
proved by his letters; he judged his own
style and degree of literary merit with sim
gular impartiality and fairness, though the
estimate he placed upon them was far lower
than that of his friends in the reading world
of England and America; and this good
opinion of an admiring public will be en-
HANGED by these chapters from his private
life, which his nephew so gracefully re.
counts, and which form but the first volume
of most interesting series.