Chapter I: Front Matter

PETER PARLEY'S

OWN STORY.

_FROM THE PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF THE LATE
SAMUEL G. GOODRICH_, ("_PETER PARLEY_.")

With Illustrations.

NEW YORK:
PUBLISHED BY SHELDON & COMPANY,
335 BROADWAY, COR. WORTH ST,
1864.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1863, by
THE HEIRS OF S. G. GOODRICH,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for
the Southern District of New York.

ELECTROTYPED BY SMITH & MCDOUGAL, 82 & 84 BERKMAN ST.
PRINTED BY C. S. WESTCOTT & CO., 79 JOHN ST.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
PAGE

Birth and Parentage--The Old House--Ridgefield--The
Meeting-house--Parson Mead--Keeler's Tavern--The
Cannon-ball--Lieutenant Smith 9

CHAPTER II.

The New House--High Ridge--Nathan Kellogg's Spy-glass--The
Shovel--The Black Patch in the Road--Distrust of British
Influence--Old Chich-es-ter--Aunt Delight--Return after Twenty
Years 16

CHAPTER III.

Ridgefield Society--Trades and Professions--Chimney-Corner
Courtships--Domestic Economy--Dram-drinking--Family
Products--Molly Gregory and Church Music--Travelling
Artisans--Festival of the Quilts--Clerical Patronage--Raising
a Church--The Retired Tailor and His Farm 30

CHAPTER IV.

Habits of the People--Their Costume--Amusements--Festivals--
Marriages--Funerals--Dancing--Winter Sports--My Two
Grandmothers--Mechanical Genius--Importance of
Whittling--Pigeons--Sporting Adventures 45

CHAPTER V.

Death of Washington--Jerome Bonaparte and Miss Patterson--Sunday
Travelling--Oliver Wolcott--Timothy Pickering--American
Politeness quite natural--Locomotion--Public Conveyances--My
Father's Chaise 58

CHAPTER VI.

The Upper and Lower Classes of Ridgefield--Master Stebbins
and his School--What is a Noun?--Deacon Benedict and his Man
Abijah--My Latin Acquirements--Family Worship--Widow
Bennett--The Temple of Dagon 65

CHAPTER VII.

The Clergy of Fairfield--A Laughing Parson--The Three Deacons 79

CHAPTER VIII.

Mat Olmstead, the Town Wit--The Salamander Hat--Solar
Eclipse--The Old Hen and the Philosopher--Lieutenant
Smith--Extraordinary Meteor--Fulton and his Steam-boat--Granther
Baldwin and his Wife--Sarah Bishop and her Cave 87

CHAPTER IX.

Farewell to Home--Danbury--My New Vocation--My Brother-in-law--
His Conversations with Lawyer Hatch--Clerical Anecdotes 108

CHAPTER X.

New Haven--Distinguished Men--Whitney's Cotton-gin--Durham--My
Grandmother's Indian Puddings--In Search of a Doctor--Return
to Danbury--The Cold Friday--Factory Workmen--Mathematics 117

CHAPTER XI.

Arrival at Hartford--My Occupation There--Restlessness--My
Friend George Sheldon 129

CHAPTER XII.

War with England--In the Army--My Uncle's Advice--
Campaigning--On the March--Our Military Costume--My first
Soldier's Supper 134

CHAPTER XIII.

New London--Our Military Reputation--Sent with a Letter--British
Cannon-balls--Out of Harm's Way--An Alarm--On Guard--Take a
Prisoner--Strange Emotions--My Left-hand Chum--A Grateful
Country 138

CHAPTER XIV.

Effects of War in New England--Personal Experience--News of
Peace--Illuminations--Confessions 145

CHAPTER XV.

Evil Effects of Night Study--Commencement of a Literary
Career--Thoughts on Dancing--New York--Saratoga--Death of my
Uncle--Become a Bookseller--Cold Summer--T'other Side of Ohio 149

CHAPTER XVI.

Marriage--Walter Scott--Byron--Sidney Smith's Taunt--Publication
of Original American Works--Mrs. Sigourney 159

CHAPTER XVII.

Domestic Troubles--Sketch of Brainard--Aunt Lucy's
Back-Parlor--The Fall of Niagara--Death of Brainard 164

CHAPTER XVIII.

My First Visit to Europe--Hurricane--Arrival at Liverpool--
London--Travel on the Continent--Return to Bristol--Interview
with Hannah More--Design in Travelling--Visit to Ireland and
Scotland 172

CHAPTER XIX.

The Edinburgh Lions--Literary Celebrities--Jeffrey in
the Forum--Sir Walter at the Desk--Riding with Scotch
Ladies--Beautiful Scenery--A Scotch Mist 179

CHAPTER XX.

Blackwood--The General Assembly--Sir Walter Scott--Mr. and
Mrs. Lockhart--Origin of "Tam O'Shanter"--Last Words of Scott 187

CHAPTER XXI.

En Route for London--"The Laird o'Cockpen"--Localities of
Legendary Fame--Difference between English and American
Scenery 195

CHAPTER XXII.

London again--Jacob Perkins and his Steam-gun--Dukes of
Wellington, Sussex, and York--British Ladies at a Review--House
of Commons and its Orators--Catalani--Distinguished
Foreigners--Edward Irving compared to Edmund Kean--Byron lying
in State 202

CHAPTER XXIII.

Return to the United States--Boston and its Worthies--Business
Operations--Ackermann's Forget-Me-Not the Parent of all other
Annuals--The American Species--Their Decline 216

CHAPTER XXIV.

"The Token"--N. P. Willis and Nathaniel Hawthorne--Comparison
between them--Lady Authors--Publishers' Profits--Authors and
Publishers 222

CHAPTER XXV.

I become an Author--His real Name a profound Secret--How it was
divulged--Great Success--Illness--The Doctors disagree--English
Imitations--Conduct of a London Bookseller--Objections to
Parley's Tales--Mother Goose 232

CHAPTER XXVI.

Children my first Patrons--A Visit to New Orleans--Feelings of
Humiliation--The Mice eat my Papers--A Wrong Calculation 251

CHAPTER XXVII.

I make a Speech--Lecture on Ireland--Politics--Personal
Attacks--Become a Senator--The "Fifteen Gallon Law"--A Pamphlet
in its Favor--"My Neighbor Smith"--A Political Career
unprofitable 257

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Am appointed U. S. Consul to Paris--Louis XVIII.--A few Jottings
upon French Notabilities--Cure for Hydrocephalus--Unsettled
State of Things in Paris 266

CHAPTER XXIX.

Louis Philippe and the Revolution--List of Grievances--The Mob
at the Madeleine--Barricades--"Down with Guizot!"--The Fight
commenced--Flight of the King and Queen--Scene in the Chamber
of Deputies--Sack of the Tuileries 274

CHAPTER XXX.

After the Revolution--"Funeral of the Victims"--The Constituent
Assembly--Paris in a State of Siege--Cavaignac--Louis Napoleon
chosen President 296

CHAPTER XXXI.

The Author's Duties as Consul--Aspect of Things in Paris--Louis
Napoleon's Designs--The 2nd of December, 1852--The New Reign
of Terror complete--Louis Napoleon as Emperor--Out of
Office--Return to New York--Conclusion 301

CHAPTER XXXII.

The Death of Peter Parley 313

ILLUSTRATIONS.

AUNT DELIGHT (_Frontispiece_)

MAKING MAPLE SUGAR 37

DEACON OLMSTEAD 82

FIRST ADVENTURE ON THE SEA 119

THE COLD FRIDAY 124

WHITTLING 167

PETER PARLEY'S OWN STORY.