HELPS TO STUDY

Irving's humorous history of old New York, then called New Amsterdam, pretended to be written by a quaint little Dutchman, of great learning but not quite sound in his mind. There are many chapters of it that you would enjoy reading.

1. How was the front, or "best," part of old Dutch houses kept? Where did the family live? 2. Describe the fireplace and the family gathered about it? 3. What did they do at their tea-parties? What refreshments did they serve? 4. How were young people expected to behave? Are young people as modest nowadays?

Yah yes; Mynheer = Sir;

=

=

Vrouw Madam;

olykoek (pronounced ō'-le-kook), a kind of doughnut. Haman is in the story of Esther, and Tobit in the Apocrypha in the story of Tobit, and Jonah, of course, in the story of that name.

Phrases: Sanctum sanctorum, the most sacred place of all; community of privilege, sharing all rights equally.

For Study with the Glossary: Inundation, amphibious, rhomboids, crone, noblesse, harpoon, olykoeks, adroitness, replenishing, primitive, divertisements, demurely.

BIOGRAPHY OF IRVING

Washington Irving was the first of our great writers. His lovable character and the grace and humor of his writings won the affection of England as well as of America. He was born in New York City in 1783. When a very little fellow, he was patted on the head by Washington. He grew 5 up to be a handsome young man with unusually attractive manners and a keen sense of fun. His first important book was the Knickerbocker History of New York, which gives

in an amusing way the history, mostly invented, of the Dutch governors and people of New York.

When Irving was thirty-two he went to England. He was there eleven years, trying to straighten out the busi5 ness of his bankrupt brother, and when he did not succeed, setting himself to work with his pen. All the time he was also enjoying English society. He visited Sir Walter Scott at Abbotsford and had a gay time in Paris with Tom Hood, an English poet. His Sketch Book, written under the name of 10 Geoffrey Crayon, won immediate success. Two short stories in it, about Dutch life near New York, set every one to laughing. One was "Rip Van Winkle"; the other was "A Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Many of the sketches show a loving appreciation of the beautiful old customs of England such as 15 America was too young to possess.

Later Irving went to Spain, where he was so delighted with the old Moorish palace of the Alhambra that he wrote a sort of "Spanish Sketch Book" entitled Tales of the Alhambra. He also wrote his Life of Columbus in Spain. 20 When Irving came back to America after seventeen years' absence, he bought Sunnyside near Sleepy Hollow, at Tarrytown, New York, and with two of his brothers settled down to the happy life of a country gentleman. Except for the interruption of four years as Minister to Spain, he 25 spent the rest of his life at Sunnyside, and there, cared for by his nieces, he died in 1859, mourned by many friends. His last important book was a life of Washington.

AN ENGLISHMAN IN PRAISE OF IRVING

Irving was the first ambassador whom the New World of Letters sent to the Old. He was born almost with the republic; the pater patriæ had laid his hand on the child's head. He bore Washington's name: he came amongst us bringing the kindest sympathy, the most artless, smiling 5 good-will. His new country could send us, as he showed in his own person, a gentleman who, though himself born in no very high sphere, was most finished, polished, easy, witty, quiet; and, socially, the equal of the most refined Europeans. If Irving's welcome in England was a kind one, was it not 10 also gratefully remembered? If he ate our salt, did he not pay us with a thankful heart? Who can calculate the amount of friendliness and good feeling for our country which this writer's generous and untiring regard for us disseminated in his own? His books are read by millions 15 of his countrymen, whom he has taught to love England, and why to love her. It would have been easy to speak otherwise than he did to inflame national rancors, which, at the time when he first became known as a public writer, war had just renewed: to cry down the old civilization at 20 the expense of the new: to point out our faults, arrogance, shortcomings, and give the republic to infer how much she was the parent state's superior. There are writers enough in the United States, honest and otherwise, who preach that kind of doctrine. But the good Irving, the peaceful, the 25

friendly, had no place for bitterness in his heart, and no scheme but kindness. Received in England with extraordinary tenderness and friendship (Scott, Southey, Byron, a hundred others have borne witness to their liking for him), 5 he was a messenger of good-will and peace between his country and ours. "See, friends!" he seems to say, "these English are not so wicked, rapacious, callous, proud, as you have been taught to believe them. I went amongst them a humble man; won my way by my pen; and, when 10 known, found every hand held out to me with kindliness and welcome. Scott is a great man, you acknowledge. Did not Scott's King of England give a gold medal to him, and another to me, your countryman, and a stranger?"

Tradition in the United States still fondly retains the 15 history of the feasts and rejoicings which awaited Irving on his return to his native country from Europe. He had a national welcome; he stammered in his speeches, hid himself in confusion, and the people loved him all the better. He had worthily represented America in Europe. 20 In that young community a man who brings home with him abundant European testimonials is still treated with respect (I have found American writers, of world-wide reputation, strangely solicitous about the opinions of quite obscure British critics, and elated or depressed by their judgments); 25 and Irving went home medaled by the King, diplomatized by the University, crowned and honored and admired. He had not in any way intrigued for his honors, he had fairly won them; and, in Irving's instance, as in others, the old country was glad and eager to pay them.

In America the love and regard for Irving was a national sentiment. Party wars are perpetually raging there, and are carried on by the press with a rancor and fierceness against individuals which exceed British, almost Irish, virulence. It seemed to me, during a year's travel in the 5 country, as if no one ever aimed a blow at Irving. All men held their hand from that harmless, friendly peacemaker. I had the good fortune to see him at New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, and remarked how in every place he was honored and welcome. Every large city has its 10 "Irving House." The country takes pride in the fame of its men of letters. The gate of his own charming little domain on the beautiful Hudson River was forever swinging before visitors who came to him. He shut out no one. I had seen many pictures of his house, and read descriptions of it, in 15 both of which it was treated with a not unusual American exaggeration. It was but a pretty little cabin of a place; the gentleman of the press who took notes of the place, whilst his kind old host was sleeping, might have visited the whole house in a couple of minutes.

20

And how came it that this house was so small, when Mr. Irving's books were sold by hundreds of thousands, nay, millions, when his profits were known to be large, and the habits of life of the good old bachelor were notoriously modest and simple? He had loved once in his life. The lady he 25 loved died; and he, whom all the world loved, never sought to replace her. I can't say how much the thought of that fidelity has touched me. Does not the very cheerfulness of his after life add to the pathos of that untold story? To