Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-01-12
ALITERARY BEWICK.
ROWLAND E. ROBINSON AND HIS WRITING.
From the RutlaI d nenlld.

about "A mile and half north of the
Ferrisburgh railroad station in a big,
old house occupied by his father aid
grandfather before him. The main
building square twO-stOry affair fac
ing the road-was put up IN 1872 or
Whereabouts, but the l. running back Is
considerably older and has wooden
latches on some of lis doors and other
evidences of early times. The house has
IA picturesque situation. standing back
from and above the road, facing the
west, with Lake Champlain and the
Adrondacks in front, and is richly sur
rounded by trees.
Mr. Robinson is of Quaker stock, and
has spent all his life on the farm here,
little time in New York ,city only eX-
cepted. While there he worked as an
artist, drawing on wood blocks for en-
gravii 9, for that was in his younger
years before the day of process
work lie had but scanty instruction in
the art and made no decided success.
His field was in illustrations for the
comic periodicals of the time and miscel-
laneous work of various kinds.
Mr.. Robinson is born artist. lie
has in very remarkable degree the
power of close observation and feeling
for the subject which marks the true
artist. and perhaps only because of ac-
cident failed to reach the power of eX-
pressing himself with the pencil. But
in recent years he has, as it seems al
most by accident, developed power
of expression by the pen which is in its
way wonderful. This work began few
years ago when he wrote a short sketch
and offered it to the magazines. 1t was
not accepted, and finally appeared in
Forest and Stream. The fact that Mr..
Robinson is, or rather has been, a keen
sportsman, perhaps explains the use of
this vehicle as well as much that Mr..
Robinson has written. This sketch was
writing in the line, but it had such
: recognition that others of similar ma
ture followed, and six years ago the
first collection was published by Forest
and Stream with the title, Uncle
Lisha's Shop."sA The book is perhaps
properly called collection of sketches,
although they are connected in natural
, way and there is bit of story running
through them. The introduction of an
old cobbler and his shop in the first
article written, about Uncle Lisha and
the bear, led to such "A sequence that the
quaint title became appropriate. The
scene of the book was in the town of
, "Danvis," and no one familiar with the
region who reads need be told that
= "panvis' meant Lincoln, a mountain
> town in this county. While reading the
author never lived among the scenes
he describes, but the fact is that Mr.
Robinson knows the town of Lincoln
and its inhabitants only as any Ferris
r burgh man may-the latter especially
because years ago Lincoln men used tC
frequently come down here and work
e through haying time, bringing theil
L mountain speech and ways to this sec
ton where rubbing against the world haC
more decidedly modified the old Yankee
1 manner.
Uncle Lisha's Shop was followed two
years later by Sam Lovel's Camps, il
r which Danvis Nimrod and the Danvi;
Canuck togetheri had couple of sea
u sons of fishing and trappngkon Lake
v fessedly an attempt to show Yankee
lite in Vermont mountain town as i
{ was 40 years ago. In the second ther,
I was, with the same thing, by all odd
i ton of the Yankified French Canadian
l. ever printed. Other authors have givel
more or less accurate descriptions o
|, the parsonage and indicated his speecl
|, with some success; "Antone" is living
Il creature The queer mixture of tw'
continents IN race and habits and tw,
u countries in language is given in sucl
q a way that any one who ever saw
r early comers-will recognize and laugl
n at the truth in every line. Antoine
IS immortal This book is now being fol
" lowed in: Forest and Stream with
series of the same nature called Danvi
n Folks, which have been mentioned b.
II the Herald. In this series Mr.. Robin
, son makes connected sequence of II
e cldents with nothing to be called
e story, and there is more of sentimen
and description of natural scenery tina
- in the others. Mr.. Robinson's sent
e ment is always tue and delightful, an
If his descriptions of natural sights an
sounds, brief as they are, go among tn
. masterpieces of the language in the
d way.
Is have spoken in detail of Mr.. Robir
IL sons work because, its character COZ
N sidered, knowledge of it is astonishing
W ly limited. Thousands of Nermonter'
r. evan who WOuld be Interested i'm I'll