The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-04-30
Ely. limiting Tnles.

ries, or rather sketches. descriptive of
hunting in as many different regions-Caps
Cod. the Rangeley Lakes in Maine. Fon-
tainebleau in France, the Jotunheim in
Norway, and Robins Island. The illustra-
tions are numerous and good
While there are some flaws in the au-
thor's style. he is always entertaining. and
that despite Mr.. Richard Grant White and
other hypercriticsl persons. covers a null
iitude of literary sins. WHEN Mr.. Sears
introduces us 10 creatures so quaint and
individual as Henry Eldredge and Indian
William one can forgive sentences of awk-
ward construction like this:
In my case. 10 look back upon that cup Of
tea and mes OF bacon which William aud l
psriook 81 by large fire is far more attractive
than was the eating and drinking thereof
The interest Of the book lies mainly in
the authors power Of observation and de-
scrip;ion. and in the essential interest of
what he aas 10 say. The variety of sub
iec;s treated by him contributes largely to
this interest. A whole book on duck
shooting on Cape Cod would interes, a
comparatively small class OF readers; 10
veteran hunters IL would be an old story.
and for those interested in other game /;
might be wearisome. But when this chap
ter is followed by the story Of a meet
at the Marquis OF Brammont's kennels a;
Fontainehleau, and the subsequent chase
OF stag after the most approved French
fashion, and this again by the history OF
a moose hunt in the north OF Maine. the
most aiase will be likely 20 find something
OF which be has not heard before. The
other two chapters describe a deer hunt
in Norway and a day of bird shooting on
q Long Island estate. There are few men
who have had these varied experiences
and can tell of each in so delightful a
manner.
In two or three of the tales we are in
troduced TO cicerones who are in them
selves additions to literature. The frs; of
these is Henry Eldredge. one of those
queer geniuses who are discovered by the
sharp-eyed student of human nature in
out-of-the-way corners of the country.
This type OF man has an instructive aver
sion TO profitable work. In southern eli
mates he is apt 10 do nothing at all, sit
ting in the doorway. day after day. con-
tent 20 smoke. philosophize. and OCCASION
ally do some small odd Job. or 20 for a days
hunting. In New England he contrives TO
be doing something all the time, but not
the sort OF thing by which he can make
money Sometimes he supports himself
and his family, sometimes he DOS rot; but
never does he secure any more than bare
living. He is busy ell day long in one
sort of iaborious idleness or another. and
oontTives withal to suck tbs last drop of
comfort out OF his nany-siied. dilatory
hand-to-mouth existence In Mr.. Sears
book, Henry is a carriage builder, who &C.
cupies some of his spare time in building
houses for his own use, and in pauses Of
work finds half-hours for violin-playing.
Hospitality, and the concoction of unriyaIei
eiderberry wine Besides this he is the
champion duck hunter of the neighborhood
The picture of Henry is worth reproducing.
ct least in part. To absorb the full favor
Of his delightful individuality one must
read the whole sketch
On the appearance OF the first black duck sail
ing the dunes Of Cape Cod Henry would
calmly and seriously close the door of his wheel
wright shop iendery lay away the bul-iiddie.
and leave the last unfinished house to stand or
iaii, az II should deciee- The time had come Tor
oiier thii'gsf and taking sip of the
VINE Of lns heari he wonid call TO him his thirty
tame DUCKS, put them in their movable crib,
ana urging his WORKOUT, moth-eatsn steed,
make All haste 10 reach Cliff Pond and his
Shooting box. Once there, with the ducks flying
lie would 7eInain till late winter making uncer.
tam desocHts upon his home and family Tor food
put aiwa,s returning as soon IS possible 10 the
''pswnd."
1t did not trouble Henry, II il ever occurred
to him, that Cape Cod, and especially Brewster
had been shot out years ago. that ten 10 fifteen
brace OF duck an enormous davis work
lie did not shoot TO kill; he had the trl,cst
Sporting spirit-thc spirit that enjoyed tricking
tine game; and he was satisfied with one dues
Well shot as with hundred merely slaughtered.
Nhht did cause him 10 pour forth the walls of
his wrath. hOweyer-biiter vals they were too
accompanied by most extraordinary variety OF
isngusge-was 20 find that he had harbored in his
bosom-that Is TO say, in his shooting-stand-a
tenderfoot, man who did not know enough TO
refrain from sneezing when ducks were in the
pond, or who insisted on kiappng his freezing
eArs at the moment an enormous gandcr was
slking deliberately over the waves into gunshot
Then neither ducks nor geese, neither courtesy
nor the tenoG senses Of those present. were CON
lidered by Henry. Everything was forgotten in
The immediate necessity he felt for stating in
hls high nasal tones the views he entertained as
70 the propriety Of such persons being in warmer
places than Cliff Pond, or even the earth upon
which that rested.
At the time of my arrival Henry was shooting
day after day at The old stand, which he main
Iained physically while several of us main
aimed il financially. Henry's son re-
ieyed me Of both the guns, promptly took them
at in corner Tending and adIniring them
until after L that night Meanwhile, Henry
sHd I sat with or feet on the stove, while the |
;lildrcn brought all their choice possessions
Put OF the one room which five shared jointly. |
And all tins while the New England northwest |
winds whistied along over the sandhills out |
SIDE.
In an indefnable way there were comfort |
md hospitality about the whole place some |
thing that made you feel thankful you were |
born New Highlander, and that New England /
ankeeism was stiil running along better than |
good third in the race. Henry had perhaps |
Is little politesse any human being could |
Iave. and yet his very lack Of it, his gruff, !
amiiiar manner, his offer Of his worst-that is
10 sst, his beSt-black stub of a clay pipe, was |
distinctly hospitabe. Here were his seven chill |
3ren and wife within one room, talking TO me on |
III sides. Yet none was sent away. There was |
Nothing to be ashamed Of in them. They were |
III his. The dirt upon their faces his. lie |
lad with Ids own hands put every board in its |
proper place upon the walls and roof that |
heliered US. Tomorrow We would drive TO the |
1ond in a carriage made by himself, and though \
or il Henry had little or no money. but he owed 1
rot a cent and be could look any man, whether |
rom New England or old England. or from the |
south or West, IN the eye, telling him he was !
IS good as he and no mistake. Even Henry's |
tories we're his own They had picturesque, |
,riginal charm that is INDISPENSABLE. They were /
4 dcczs aud guns. and sometimes OF men
lie advanced his idea of sport and OF slaughter, |
nd then We driftcd of, as ANYBODY will under /
inch circumstances, into discussions religion.
business, and politics. Through il all that |
o wei with sharp noee and big kindly eyes
ahich is satire in its best sense rather than |
afeasin, which seems 70 grasp the pith Of n
natter, and 70 haze rugged integrity that de-
ion, whether the question be Of politics or re-
igion OF ducks.
Mr.. Sears also declares that when Henry
vent duck-shooting he had the power OF
becoming duck at will. quacking so suc-
'essfully as to deceive. not only the birds,
tut an unsusDecting sportsman, who lay
behind some rocks for half an hour one
morning waiting for the appearance of the
ineks thus perfectly initiated by Henry.
greater contrast to this primitive
base could hardly be found than the hunt
described In the next chapter, carefully