Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-05-13
MONTPELIER, Vr.:
WEDNESDAY, NAY IS, 1868,


.. Norwood " although so far as the public
are concerned the story might have been
more appropriately called in advance . Great
Expectations' MIR Beecher's fame as a
preacher, as q lecturer, as Il political speak
er. and as writer, led people to anticipate
= great success for him in this new field OF
intellectual labor and perhaps the wonder
tuI popularity Of Mrs Stoves . Uncle Tom Is
Cabin" may have given ground for hope
that Mr. Beecher, when turning his genius
to the same kind Of labor, would achieve
more charming results than had been reached
by his gifted sister
The success Of = Norwood however, has
by no means answered this confident antici-
patton. After the first few chapters of the
story had appeared in the Ledger, it became
evident that the writer was not at home in
his work, OF rather that his previous habits
of thought. and the = bent " of his genius,
were quite too strong to be turned into the
channels Of mere fiction and = Norwood, =
a. completed, and given to the public in a
volume by Seribncr Il Co, of New York, is
very generally regarded as a failure as a
nJvel-not to be compared in interest, plot,
or dramatic power. 20 Scott, or Dickens, or
Copper even 70 Hawthorne or Longfel-
low.whom we mention in this connection be
cause. while their novels show subtle genius,
they have a reputation rather as authors
who charm by delightful fancies, brilliant
Imagination and VIVID descriptive powers,
rhau a. mere srOrv-teIIers
3. Norwood : is story of New England
village life and people, the principal scene
being town on the Connecticut river in
western Massachusetts. A. we have said,
az a novel OF story the volume is certainly
not such a success as the public expected
But the book gives discriminating estimate
# New England character, and is full of
most entertaining and valuable thoughts and
delightful descriptions of nature-which
seems t. speak to Mr.. Beecher an ineligible
language. and whose moods and varying
beauties he never wearies of describing. The
story is nothing, but the philosophy and hu-
man nature. and intellectual and moral and
religious life which are found in its pages
give - Norwood, after all. a permanent
value for which it's author can we'll afford to
exchange the feeting popularity of the mere
novelist.
We give below the Introductory chapter,
in which the writer felicitously sketches some
features Of
NED ENGLAND SCENERY AND NEW ENGLAND
CHARACTER.
Since the introduction Of railways, thou
sands Of curious trave ers every summer
have thr )ngcd New England, have seen ite
manufacturing villages, and admired its gen
ertl thrift Bat thuse who know its scenery
only by the river-vallcys, know little of it
and those who have seen its people only III
cities, are little acquainted with New-Eng-
land char ,cter.
Men speak Of Yankee character, as if there
was but one type which pervaded New
England. 1t Is true, that there are some
few marks which New England men have in
common But the differences are greater
than the likeness Nowhere else in the ma
ton are men 50 differentiated The loose
structure OF Southern society gave to its cltl-
zens an appearance of greater personal free
dJ1n and in the grelt Western State,
various causes have produced far more
freedom Of IN nners, and more frankness and
spontaneous geniality. Yet it will be found
that neither in the South, nor in the West
- there 50 large proportion of the pOpula-
ton which il original, cOntrasted, and indi-
vIdualized in taste, m4nners and opinions. as
in New England If we should employ a
scientific method, and speak of a Western
genus. and a Southern genus. and a Middle
State genus, then it will be found, that none
nor all, are - rich in species, AZ the genus
New England
The scenery of New England is picturesque
rather than grand. Scarcely any other ex-
cursiOn could b. planned which would SC
well fill summer vacation, as one which
windin. leIsurely up through the western
portions Of Connecticut, Of Massachusetts
and of Vermont, reached a climax at St
Adams on the eastern shore of Lake Cham
plain; q place in the midst of greater
variety of scenic beauty than any other thai
that I remember in America On the east
rise the successive masses of the White
Mountains. seemingly close at hand on The
west Is lake Champlain swarming with greer
islands. and beyond its waters, westward
rise the Adlrondacs not in chains or single
peaks, but in vast hroods, promscuOu,
m altitude OF forest-elothed mountains. Or
the north l. scDJpcd out in mighty lines the
valley Of the St Lawrence and, in cleal
days, the eye may spy the faint glimmer o
Montreal
Sucl a ride from New Haven to St Adams
from J. bug Island S)dnd to Lake Champlai
can scare, " be matched for the charms of il
scenery. the number and beauty of its vii
lages, for the general intelligence and cultur
of it's people, for the universal thrift follow
ing universal industry, and for cris
originalities Of character.
The maritime population of New Englan
j. very unlike all the rest. The foreig
clement has greatly modified society. Com
rnerce and manufacturing have worn ava
many Of the primitive New England traits
and the wealth and refinement Of the cite
have to some extent ovcrlaid the pcculir
New England element nv a compositio
gliding. The remote neighborhoods an
hilltowns yet retain the manners, morals
institutions, customs and religion of til
fathers The interior villages of New Enc
land are her brp0d-combs
Our simple story Of domestic life will tax
us TO point intermediate between til
rugged simplicity Of mountain towns an
the easier life Of the cities
traveller going north from Springfield
in Massachusetts, soon perceives before hir
an abrupt barrier, running east and wes
which, if compared with the country o
either side, might be called mountainous
The two westernm0st submits are Noun
Tom and Mount HJlvoke Bv a narro,
passage between them comes through tn
Connecticut Rlv,r. Passing between thes
hlll-nOUntaIns. We enter a great valley 0
basin, some twelve miles wide and thirt
long, which one might easily imagine to hav
been once a lake; the Pelham hills on tn
east, Sugar-loaf on the north, and the Hol
yoke range on the south, forming barriers OF
three sides. while its waters on the ives
we're stayed by the slopes Of those hill
which, in the middle of western Massachu