Cooper, Susan Fenimore, 1813-1894 [1846], Elinor Wyllys, or, The young folk at Longbridge: a tale, volume 1 (Carey & Hart, Philadelphia) [word count] [eaf083v1].
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Front matter
Covers, Edges and Spine
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Preliminaries
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Title Page
ELINOR WYLLYS;
OR, THE
YOUNG FOLK OF LONGBRIDGE.
A TALE.
BY
AMABEL PENFEATHER.
“Familiar matter of to-day;
Some natural sorrow, loss or gain,
That has been, and may be again.”
Wordsworth
IN TWO VOLUMES,
VOL. I.
EDITED BY J. FENIMORE COOPER.
PHILADELPHIA:
CAREY AND HART.
1846.
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Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1845, by
J. FENIMORE COOPER,
in the clerk's office of the District Court for the Northern District
of New York.
STEREOTYPED BY J. FAGAN.
PRINTED BY T. K. AND P. G. COLLINS.
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EDITOR'S PREFACE.
There is so much of mystification resorted
to, at the present time, in the publication of
books, that it has become proper that the editor
of Elinor Wyllys should explain what has been
his own connection with this particular work.
The writer of this book is a valued female
friend, who had a right to ask, and did ask, its
editor's advice and assistance, in presenting it
to the public. That advice and assistance
have been cheerfully afforded, though neither
has properly extended to the literary character
of the work. As the author has not wished to
appear, the name of the editor has been used
in obtaining the copy-right, and his assistance
given in forwarding and returning proof-sheets.
Over a few of the last, the editor has cast an
eye; but, believing the author of the book to
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be fully competent herself, to superintend her
own work, as it has gone through the press,
this supervision on the part of the editor has
been very slight.
The editor has great confidence in the principles,
taste, and intelligence of the real author
of Elinor Wyllys. She has seen much of that
portion of the world with which a lady becomes
acquainted, and has seen that much under the
most favourable circumstances. As usually
happens in such cases, her book will be found
free from exaggerations of every sort; and will
be more likely to be well received by persons
of her own class, than by those who are less
familiar with its advantages. Imagination,
feeling, sound principles, and good taste, are
all to be found in this book, though in what
degree, the public will necessarily decide for
itself.
J. FENIMORE COOPER.
Philadelphia, Oct. 8, 1845.
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PREFACE.
It will be well, perhaps, that the reader bear in
mind, while running over the following pages, that
many passing observations, many trifles, which naturally
find their way into any sketch of social life,
refer chiefly to things and notions in favour some ten
years since; a period which is certainly not beyond
the memory of man, but very possibly beyond the
clear recollection of some young lady reader, just
within her teens. New opinions, new ideas, new
fashions have appeared among us since then, and
made their way perceptibly. Twenty years' possession
constitute a legal title, if we may believe the
lawyers; but a single season is often sufficient for a
new fancy—fancies of a serious nature too, sometimes—
to take full possession of the public mind,
and assume arbitrary control of the premises for the
time being, at least.
It will be more honest to confess at once, before
the reader undertakes the first chapter, that the tale
now before him is a first appearance in print—a first
appearance, too, of one who, even now that the formidable
step is taken, feels little disposed to envy
the honours of authorship. Writing may be a very
pleasant pastime; but printing seems to have many
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disagreeable consequences attending every stage of
the process; and yet, after all, reading is often the
most irksome task of the three. In this last case,
however, the remedy is generally easy; one may
throw aside the volume, and abuse the author. If
there are books which must be read, stupid or not,
owing to the claim of some great name on the binding,
the present story is not one of the number; and
perhaps the perfect liberty enjoyed by the reader
under such circumstances—to like or dislike independent
of critics, to cut every leaf, or skip a dozen
chapters at a time without fear of reproach—will
incline him to an amiable mood. It is to be hoped
so; it will be unfortunate if, among many agreeable
summer excursions both on terra firma and in the
regions of fancy, the hour passed at Longbridge
should prove a tedious one: in such a case the fault
will belong entirely to the writer of the narrative,
for there are certainly some very pleasant and very
worthy people among the good folk of Longbridge.
—, August, 1845.
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Cooper, Susan Fenimore, 1813-1894 [1846], Elinor Wyllys, or, The young folk at Longbridge: a tale, volume 1 (Carey & Hart, Philadelphia) [word count] [eaf083v1].
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