, 1874-10-25

spread open before me IN ool-time,-Virg!l
with blessed I" 0rdo " running down tue edge
OF the text, the clew Of tho labyrinth to take q
fellow through the dove-talj termiuatons ou:
into English light and Latin seuse.-before that
Cooperatown was Mecca to ue,-and not to ME
oulY, but to thousands. I fancled it was about
mile from the Celestial Gate, and stored with
countless wealth. Thence came tha books OF
birds and beasts, the blessed primers thin AZ
gold Leaf anu quito as precious" price,
one cent" t'plice, two cents;" ''p,ice,
eix cents." But, ah! the last was
magni6cence at tho cost OF q Spanish sixpence,
the scale from little silver ish that had been
mentally taken to Pieces, ever so often, resolved
into cents. reduced to mills, aud there they ere
sll rounded into tho smgll flake from the wllte
mines Of Peru! Since then l haya spert de-
lighted hours before Audubon's Book OF Birds
as 1t leaned MP against the wall like piers 6 lass
Had the partridge began to drum. nobody could
have wondered But never did that rondrous
ml'nlcry Of Nature give me half the JOY
that one Of those bits OF blue-covercd
primers did. with the imprint, I'll. d
E. PuISSEy." And here, while aeo, VAS
riding into Cooperstown in the October sunshine
OF perfect day, and, paasin. along the street,
an ancieut landmark OF q store caught my eye,
and across its trout WAS wooden sign, like q
railway passenger with his ticket in bis hat
band, and the words upon it were familiar as d
nurEcrE-rlyme. 1t Was IS il somebody you had
thought dead full forty yeara ago should meet
you with the old greeting. The sign was
" in words and letters following, to~wit:" Fl. j.
E. PH1SSEY. The peck Of care uud timo had
been carrying tumbied or in instant, lie
Christian Pilgrims knapsack Of sia. and again
waa the beatited master OF q silyor si1pence.
This WAS tho place. then. whittier tho jingIine
treasures in tie pockets OF my blue-striped
trousers found their way, and whence, in 1he old
time, came those tln-leayed tracts Of boyisl
happineEsi The modern stores, the fine old
mansions. the grand hotels, all faded cut like
mirage. and, for tho moment, no:hins remained
Of Cooperstown but the old sign.
We passed an ancient churchyard, where, like
lambs around tho door. stood tho white tablets
OF the forefathers. But the slabs leaned hithcr
and thither, as it thoy would lay the heavy en-
plasis Of marble Hal.cs upon human forge:fu1-
uess- And there lies tho Gust Of the Novelist
The living world has closed around the disused
acre, but had found the resting-p'ace of him
with whom, mapy year ago, BY tho
magic Of his story, I had wandered
in the wilderness; who had halted MT
heart many 3 time in houla OF mystery
an6 danger; had quickencd it to e1ultation in
the triumohing right, and inspired me With
love for American scenery by forest and prairie,
By valley aud mountain; with m admiration for
American purpose and prowess everywhere, That
lave never perished. HIS pictures we're appeals
for things noble aud lovely, and OF good report.
He suggested no evil. Eo mossed over no
wrong. In all llEnglishspeaklngl lands he compelled
Of tho Truth that American could
write III American novel. that, owing nothing to
the Old World, should spring as naturally from
the soil es the Gins snd pines OF OtseEo. A gay
and silded omnibus ratified By, blazoned with
HOTEL FESS1NoRE. Italics aud great capitals, -
weeds unrebuked and the pride OF life SO
runs the world away!"
The last trace Of the old Cooper mansion is
obllterated- Fire began it. luuovation COM
pleted it. Nothing remains but to BOW it
With salt TIE classic grounds have been
virtually FLASHED With public street,
ID eabre-etroke seams and disGgures noble
face, and houses stand about, and look fooliehlY
at each other, it they wero ashamed OF it.
Even come OF the old ancestral trees, they say,
have been deemed cumberers OF tho ground,
and have gone up sooty kitchen-chmneys
IN smoke. Nothing ct all this Is half
60 wonderful where tho willing
hands were folded. that ths spot WEB not rescued
from oblivion and where tho taete bad vanished
that would haz5 made q Leatherstocking Park,
and ttEeag6d it Hitb the creations of Cooper's
genius embodied luis characters in marble and
heonze, civilized. aayaGe, and sailor, the rod,
white, and blue Of his stoEes. and decided it all
to the people forever.
Then wc crossed picturesque rarine and
wound along The base OF the wooded bills, Ot-
Begos classic water at the left turned golden vino
in the descending river; and, terrace above ter
race, the city OF the silent at the right. The
very water whero the caroes Of the wilderness
glided With an arrows silence. Tho
very city waere, among tha sighing
pines, ard the Pickering shadows blown
about upon the ground and spotted with fallen
eayes by October winds, Cooper's monument
stands forth. It is an eloquent piece OF work.
Eloquent not much in what is craven rs in
Fhat ia left unsa;d. No word but CoorEn- No |
name his mother called him BY. No date OF
birth or death, Why should there be2
In everything that makes true living he
3 ..ot dsad. Leathers:ocking, in his |
'ringed hunting-suit aud frowsy cap,
-as classic, every whit, II the robe OF tho Ro- |
nan,-his faithful friends, the dog and rilo, |
ocarlng company, sulmounts the shaft. En- |
,lemB Of Cooper'a works by ship and snors en- |
JOSE the monument with brief biography. Tho |
rord Otsego had . meaning orce. Of salutation |
nd honor. The red-mana courtesy is in o1daz |
o-day, and 50 let mo sa;. O.sego to Cooper.
Miles Of hill and dale lar between us and reat, |
he sun was going down. and taking one look
more At lake aud hill, md aky and monument, |
urned silently aua7. I had come on pill /
!rimage to what men call the Dead: Eating salt
t no mans table. entoz;aS 10 atode Ut tho lig-
ng, welcomed by none, left Cooperstown,
nd, bcfczo many miles uere made, night fell |
ow1 upon all tho bills
Taking up q morning daily, read that
granddaughter Of Cooprn and and-nephev
4 IRVING are to be married. by and by. So At
nst, after all tue years. will tho blood Of the
lhambra and the Pioneer be blended. And now
ere's health to the Bridegroom and joy to the
i1idel
Tho age II nothing if not competitive. Our
Expositions, boat-races, rifle
aatchos and the like, stimulate competition.
ye have cAtt1e-shouR and poultry shows, horse
I3nwa and aYef 90 40 far AZ to stimulate ieal- |