Chapter I: Front Matter

THE GREAT VALLEY

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
NEW YORK · BOSTON · CHICAGO · DALLAS
ATLANTA · SAN FRANCISCO

MACMILLAN & CO., LIMITED
LONDON · BOMBAY · CALCUTTA
MELBOURNE

THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD.
TORONTO

THE GREAT VALLEY

_By_
EDGAR LEE MASTERS
AUTHOR OF “SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY”,
“SONGS AND SATIRES,” ETC.

New York
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
1916
_All rights reserved_

COPYRIGHT, 1916,
BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.

Set up and electrotyped. Published November, 1916.
Reprinted November, 1916.

Norwood Press
J. S. Cushing Co.--Berwick & Smith Co.
Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.

TO THE MEMORY
OF
SQUIRE DAVIS AND LUCINDA MASTERS
WHO, CLOSE TO NATURE, ONE IN DEEP RELIGIOUS FAITH, THE OTHER
IN PANTHEISTIC RAPTURE AND HEROISM, LIVED NEARLY A
HUNDRED YEARS IN THIS LAND OF ILLINOIS
I INSCRIBE
THE GREAT VALLEY
IN ADMIRATION OF THEIR GREAT STRENGTH, MASTERY
OF LIFE, HOPEFULNESS, CLEAR AND
BEAUTIFUL DEMOCRACY

EDGAR LEE MASTERS

CONTENTS

PAGE

FORT DEARBORN 1

CAPT. JOHN WHISTLER 5

EMILY BROSSEAU: IN CHURCH 12

THE OUIJA BOARD 19

HANGING THE PICTURE 21

LINCOLN AND DOUGLAS DEBATES 26

AUTOCHTHON 33

GRANT AND LOGAN AND OUR TEARS 43

THE MUNICIPAL PIER 49

GOBINEAU TO TREE 53

OLD PIERY 60

THE TYPICAL AMERICAN? 68

COME, REPUBLIC 72

PAST AND PRESENT 76

ROBERT G. INGERSOLL 77

AT HAVANA 78

THE MOURNER’S BENCH 80

THE BAY WINDOW 83

MAN OF OUR STREET 90

ACHILLES DEATHERIDGE 93

SLIP SHOE LOVEY 95

THE ARCHANGELS 98

SONG OF CHANGE 101

MEMORABILIA 102

TO A SPIROCHÆTA 104

CATO BRADEN 106

WINSTON PRAIRIE 120

WILL BOYDEN LECTURES 125

THE DESPLAINES FOREST 129

THE GARDEN 131

THE TAVERN 134

O SAEPE MECUM 138

MALACHY DEGAN 141

MY DOG PONTO 144

THE GOSPEL OF MARK 147

MARSYAS 154

WORLDS BACK OF WORLDS 160

THE PRINCESS’ SONG 164

THE FURIES 166

APOLLO AT PHERÆ 168

STEAM SHOVEL CUT 173

THE HOUSES 178

THE CHURCH AND THE HOTEL 185

SUSIE 188

HAVING HIS WAY 190

THE ASP 198

THE FAMILY 206

THE SUBWAY 207

THE RADICAL’S MESSAGE 211

BOMBYX 216

THE APOLOGY OF DEMETRIUS 218

A PLAY IN FOUR ACTS 224

THEODORE DREISER 228

JOHN COWPER POWYS 231

NEW YEAR’S DAY 234

PLAYING BLIND 240