Evening star., 1899-03-25

environment did not stand the test of time.
| The highway and the village were not far
away, two lines of railway threaded the
valley, and :he Hudson with its commerce
was always before his eyes. These things
| Jared on his sensibilities. The place was
| too public, the prospect too cultivated and
too much associated with trade and traffic,
and he felt more and more lack Of the
primitive simplicity that was his especial
delight.
Hiding Deeper in the Forest.
AS the land in the vicinity recedes from
| the river it grows wilder, and at a little
| remove ris9s in rocky. tree-clad ridges, that
| in places are mountain high. Mr.. Bur-
| roughs in his leisure often tramped those
! wooded wilds, and the desire grew on him
| to live among them. As a result he finally
bought several acres of swamp land in
| hollow high among the hills and entered
| with enthusiasm the task of draining
the marsh, clearing out the brush and
stumps and building himself a cabin.
The spot is mile and half from the
Riverby home, and its only approach is by
a circuitoCS and seldom-Used wood road.
Indeed, 1t Is so sequestered that when
strangers come 20 seek out the famous ma
| ture writer they sometimes get lost and
| wander for hours about the stony noun
tairs before they find the little glen where
stands his cabin.
This cabin is built on ledge of rock at
| the borders of the swamp. 1t is fair
| sized story ry-and-a-half structure with one
| room below stairs and a loft above. Along
| one side is a broad piazza with shaggy
cedar posts. The outer walls are of slabs
| and this has led its owner to call ii Slab
I sides,'' name not altogether liked by the
authors friends. They find the title too
| rude but Mr.. Burroughs says, 1T is a
| rough-and-ready place, and why shouldn't
| it have a rCugh-and-ready name? / can't
| stand anything that has the least taint Of
sentimentalism or affectation. and | think
| a coarse-fSered desiSnati tion like 'Slabsides'
| viii grow constantly more significant and
| pleasing, while one would tire of name
that merely pretty"
| The interior of the cabin is hardly less
! rustic than its outer aspect. There are no
| carpets or rugs. the unhewn josts of the
| floor above are exposed and have still their
| natural covering of bark, and much of the
| woodwork in the walls and in the furniture
| is of yellow birch sap!ings. 1t is all of Mr.
| Burroughs planning and his personal la
| Dor has entered more or less into nearly ev-
Crything.
MIR. burroughs at Home.
The feature of all others that he takes
| pride in is the great stone chimney. 1t is
warranted to draw well in all weathers and
| not to smoke in spite OF its having a fire.
| place that in amplitude rivals those of the
| oden times. The fireplace was not made
| merely for the company of its blaze and its
social warmth on chilly evenings. 1t is a
domestic fireplace. built 10 cook by. and a
black teakettle is almost always suspended
| from the iron crane and other kettles and
pots repose about the borders of the hearth
I Slabsides is Mr.. Burroughs home all
Trough the year save in the coldest
| months. There he eats sleeps and writes
and the solitude of the spot and primitive
| living agree with him mentally and physi-
cally. He is in the midst of the woods The
rocks and the ridges hem him in and shut
out all sight and sounds of the modern
world of railroads, steamers and business
| hurly-burly The softened roar of a water
| fall steals to the ears from some distant
| ravne the wind whispers in the LEAKAGE of
the near trees. birds sing and twitter
| through the summer days and at night the
| WhippOorwill calls from the neighbori ng
! rocks. In the spring the evenings are nlu-
| sical with the voices of the frogs and toads
| and in the autumn the katydids make the
air resonant with their disputing, crows and