The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-09-14


ted States Legation at London, and
it was after his return to England,
that he brought out The |oyoges Of
the Compoaio.w Of Co'"@5"s, and
The .llhamJlW. These two works
were tbs fruits of his soiou'n III
Spain.
4 In 1882, Irving returned to Amer
lea after an absence of seventeen
years. The hold he had obtained in
! the affections of tie American pco-
Eplc, was made manifest by the royal
welcome given him at this time 1t
| is said that none of his predecessors
had ever been rendered greeting sc
expressive of true regard, as was of
fered him. In 1880 he published the
Legends Of the Conquest Of Spain:
in 1S49, Mobomet and His Success
cessors. The productions, as indica-
| ted by the title, were on Spanish
subjects, and were written from notes
taken while in Spain.
| At this point occurs the dividing
,lline between his writing on Spanish
and American subjects. His ready
comprehension soon caused him to
notice the material America could
furnish to seekers in his line, and
his subsequent works were almost
all written on American subjects. In
1886 appeared astoria; 1866, Vol
4ert's Roost; 1869, Life Of Gold
smith: Life Ct Washington.
In 1912 he was appointed United
States Minister, at Madrid, which
position he filled until 1916. After
returning to America he retired to
his residence at Sunnyside, near Tar
rytown, on the Hudson. All of Ir-
wings methods in business, and uni
formly throughout his life were in
perfect harmony with his tastes for
the romantic, the ancient, and his
toric. Even in selecting home for
his declining years, we find himsad-
herring to and consult ting his love of
the antiquated, by purchasing a
Dutch manors which was one of the
oldest not only in the State of New
York, but also, in America. This he
fitted up, and there his last days
were spent. He died in 1859, at the
age of seyenty-six.
Irving's character was of that
pleasant combination that makes
friends out of everybody. His gen
iality of disposition, his natural
courtesy towards Others, and his
warm sympathy for others, were the
excellent qualities that endeared him
to many of his readers. HIS well
come abroad was such as is rarely |
ever accorded to Americans. While
in Europe, the twenty years of his
stay there, found him with such
companions as Scott, Moore, Camp
bell, Byron, and nearly all the lead
ing literary characters, of the day.
In America he was the idol of the
times.
AS an author, Irving was undoubt-
edly at the head of his class, and |
his rank to-day, among all writer's,
places him among the leaders of Ell
ther continent.
Sleepy Hollow, Ichdbod Crane,
and Rip Tdn Jyinkle, are household
terms, and will not lose their inter- |
est with succeeding generations.
They will please the readers of any
age, mo other creations of the inn
agination have taken such promi-
nencc in American literature. They
are not so subtle or so grand as
Hawthorne's, but they are more life
like, more genial, more generally |
comprehended." AS historian he
is subject to the fault already men,
toned, namely, that of being too diff
fuse in his treatment of the subject.
Taken in all, however, he has the !
honor of being universally consider
ed the leader of American writers.
Every American interested in the
literature, ,ofihis country, should OBJ
tain and peruse all of his works.
They are an education in themselves,
and should be found in every libra
ry in America. Hisiprincipal works
are those given in this sketch and
we're produced in the order here Civ
en-.
GA Connecticut farmer drove
4 horse attached to rack wagon TO
the wood lot for small load OF
wood. The animal would not pull
| mound He did not haat him hut