Litchfield enquirer., 1867-05-23
THE INTRODUCTION.

LettGei' We fead the Open1nB Ol henry Wafu Beecher's novel, 'Norwood, or Village Life in New En gland"
 THE INTRODUCTION
 ''Since the introduction of railways, thous- allds of curious travellers, every summer, have thronged New England, have seen its manufacturing villages, and admired it's general thrift. Bat those who know it's scenery only by the river valleys know little of it; and those who have seen it's people only ill cities, are little acquainted with New England character.
 '3Men speak of Yankee character, as If there was but one type which prevailed New England. It is true, that there are some marks which New England men have in common.
 But the differences are greater than the likeness. Nowhere else in the nation are men so differentiated. The loose structure of Southern society gave to it's citizens an and in the great Western States various causes have produced far more freedom Of manners, and more frankness and sponta neous geniality. Yet it will be found that neither in the South, nor in the West, is there so large 9 proportion of the popula- tlon which Is original, entrusted, and indi- vidualiZed in taste, manners and opinions as in New England If We should employ scientific method, and speak of a western genius, and a southern genius, and & Mid dle State genius, then If will be found, that none, nor all are so rich in species, as the genius New England.
 After some passages upon the scenery of New England, we are introduced to Nor wood, Q village of five thousand people. THE SCENE OF THE STORY
 "A traveller going north from Springfield him an abrupt barrier, running east and west, which, if compared with the country on either side, might be called mountain ous. The western-most summits are Mount Tom and Mount Holyoke. By q narrow passage between them comes i through the Connecticut River Passing between these hill mountains, we enter . great valley or basin, some twelve miles wide and thirty long, which one might cas- fly imagine once to have been lake; the Pelham hills on the east, Sugar loaf on the north, and the Holyoke range on the south forming barriers on three sides, while it's waters on the west were stayed by the slopes of those hills, which in the middle of west ern Massachusetts, are all that remain of the famous Green Mountains.
 1 Hook with my eyes, good reader, upon the town of Norwood, that, refusing to go down upon the fat-bottom lands of the Connecticut, daintily perches itself upon the irregular slopes west, and looks over upon the transcendent valley from under it's beautiful shade trees and you will say no fairer village glistens in the sunlight, or nestles under arching elms! It Is wonder that Norwood was ever allowed to venture so near to the low grounds of the Connect cut; for 1t was early settled, not far from thirty } ears after the Pilgrims landing How the temptation to build upon the top of the highest hill was resisted We know not!
 1 NEW ENGLAND VILLAGES AND ELMs Single spots finer than any in New Eng land, there may be in other lands, but such a series of villages over such breadth of country, amidst so much beauty of scenery, enriched though with charming and inex- pensive simplicity, with so much beauty of garden, yard and dwelling, cannot else where be found upon the globe. No man has seen America who has not become fam iliar with the villager of New England and the farmer of the North Western states. Yet every one will confess that large part of scenic beauty of New England is contribut- ed by trees-and particularly by the elm The Films of New England! They are as much part of her beauty as the ecolums of tue Parthenon were the glory of her archi- lecture.
 1.-The towering trunks, whose massiveness well symbolizes Puritan infexibility their over-arching tops, facile, wind borne and elastic, hint the endless placidity and adap- tableness of this people: e:-and both united form type of all true manhood. broad at the root, firm in the trunk, and yielding at the top, yet returning again, after every impulse, into position and symmetry What if they were sheared away from the village and farm house? Who would know the land Farm houses that now stop the tourist and the artist, would stand forth bare and homely; and villages that CO., quette with beauty through green leaves, would shine white and ghastly as sepul- chres Let any one imagine Conway or Lancaster without elms Or, Hadley, Hat field, Northampton or Springfield New Haven without elms would be like Jupiter without beard, or lion shaved of his mane r'
 KEW ENGLAND FARliER.
 In the second and third chapters are sketched. rapidly, the youth of Abiah Cath >NAS S~Ai>@ As<ASACi IAlSCO1uU ttuU tuG1T l0aTf1- age; their prosperous life being told In the fourth, where we find household of many children, two of whom. Barton and Alice we are to see more of.
 Abiah Cathcart was an honorable speci- men of 8 New England farmer Any one accustomed to judge of men would see at glance that he did not belong to that class of farm-drudges who tease nature for living, and make up for intelligent, skill and knowledge of their business by an in- satiable and tormenting industry. He thought out his work, and then worked out his thoughts. He was man of great bod fly strength; of calmness and patience joined to an infexible will. His face ac. curately recorded his nature It was larpe framed, not mobile, but clear and open in I expression; it exhibited more of goodness and wisdom, than of feeling or. imag;na- ton. Had he been clothed in the hah;ii- ments and seated on the bench of a conrt every one would have said, He looks ev. cry inch a judge 0'>'' " ''He received from his parents a bea,tb,, body, sound judgment, habits of indns. try, common school education, and he sides, nothing-saye their good name and wholesome example. In all his boyhood and till he was eighteen years old, he had