New-York tribune., 1878-07-23
SCRIBNER.

The most attractive article in this number
is devoted to an account of the homes of Bryant pre-
pared before the death Of the poet, by Horatlo NJ
Powers, and containing many personal "reminiscences
and anecdotes that appear in print for the hrst
time Many Of the scenes in the poetry Of Bryant are
traced back to the influences Of his birthplace OF which
the writer presents faithful and vivid picture Ine
scenery OF Cummingon Mass is more impressive from It's
breadth elevation than from any feature OF singular
sublimity. The earth here is heaved up In broad
shOudered hills separated ny narrow gens AID leay
ravines On the slopes Of these great swels, almost
mountan-ie in heght-for are two THOUSAND feet
above the sea-are thrifty farms, with occasional
breadths Of barren SOIL spongy mead wild eopse, and
piles Of out-crOpping rock Frequent springs OF pure
water issue from the hills and the borders OF venerable
groves On the highest lands the forests have s their
primitive wildness The streams swift and shallow
over their rocky channels, with here and there deep
pools under the dark shadows where the trout hides
when the heats of Summer shrivel the veins
that feed the sylvan springs Of the bills above.
From the porch OF the Cummington mansion,
where the poet Bryant was born, one looks over q
wide andsce pc eight miles across, which embraces
all the featured 7t peculiar TO that section OF MAS
sachusca except the thickly wooded highlands to the
porthv s The centre of the view is followed to deep
and narrow t,ey, where flows branch of the West
field K7er. .ud the eastern rim are the pleasant
slopes Of PIained. Spring lags these high grounds
and Autumn here puts imperial splendors; for the
OF kind TO glow royalty under the effects OF frost In
Summer the Landscape is sumptuous with verdure, but
in Winter its aspect usually and drcary though
sometimes it has q magnificent desolation." "Gimpses
of New-England Farm Life" by Rowland f. Robinson
presents Of sketches from nature of the Old farm
ing homesteads on the EewEngland hills, written with
great aptness and sympathy, and literally illustrated
with designs by Swain Clifford McEntee Henry Farrer
Wnslow Homer, and other distinguished artists. The
contrast between the old time and the new is well set
forth In the following passage: "Tnough every farm
house now has its stting-rOom and paror, and most
dningroom the kitchen continues to be favorite with
farming fOlk-a liking probably inherited from our
grandfathers In many of their houses this was the
only large room which the family lived, and where
all meals taken guests entertained and merry
makngs held. At one end was the great Fireplace
wherein backlog and fOrestick burned sending forth
warmth and light, intense and bright over the broad
hearth but growing feebier toward the dim corners
where Jack urked and grotesque shadows eaped
and danced on the wall On the crane suspended by
hook or tramme, hung the big samp-kettle. bubbling
and seething. TIE open dresser shone with pohshed
pewter mug and trencher. OldfashiOned, splintbot-
toned chairs rude but comfortable, sent their long
shadows across the floor The tall clock measured the
moments with deliberate tick The big wheel and litte
the one for WOOL the other for fax the poles overhead
with their garnure OF Winter crooknecks and est0ons
Of dried apples the long-barreed fintock that had
borne its part in Indian fight, at Bennington and In
wolf and Dear Dunt, hanging WIN pO"ueI-horn
and bulletpouch against the chmney-all these made
ND homely interior, far more picturesque than
any to be found in modern farmhouses Those who re-
member Oldme cookery that In these degenerate
days there are no Johnuy-cakes sweet those
erandtnothers baked on board on the hearth,
meats 80 Juicy as those which slowly turned spts be-
fore the open fire. any brown bread baked beans
10 compare with those which the old brick and
bakeketes gave forth. In those old kitchens that have
party wthstood the march Of improvement the great
fireplace fallen into disuse Oener 1t has been torn
down. chimney oven and all, 20 make room now deemed
better than its company. and its place supplied by the
more pyenien coOkstOve The woodwork is painted
the smOkestaned whitewash Is covered by figured wall
paper; androns crane pohook and trammel have gone
for old the place of the open dresser usurped by
uriI close cupboard big and little wheel relics OF
almost lost and forgotten handicraf have long since
been banshed to the garrett There tOo has gone the
ancient clock and short dapper time-pece on whose
lower half is landscape OF startling colors, hurries
the hours away with swift loud tick. Everything
has undergone some change; even the old gun
has had it's hnt-lOck altered to percussion" Mr..
John Burroughs also contributes agreeable pa
per of country life, devoted mainly to the domes-
ticites of vernal birds and the number Is unusually
rich in poetry including OF scarborough" naval
ballad of the Revolution, by Bret Harte The Puri
tau,s Guest" by Dr. Holland, Wild. weird allegory,
even audacious In its bold fancies but effective by s
quaint beauty ana natural pathos; Old and Young"
by C. p. Cranch; Midsummer" by Andrew B. saxton;
and Mr. stedman's admirable anniversary poem OF the
Yale class OF 1853 The brief study tho poetry Of
Bryant in The Old Cabinet is criticism OF unusual
value approaching the heart Of the subject in few sig
n1cant words.