DEDICATORY LETTER ADDRESSED TO WASHINGTON IRVING.
My Dear Sir:
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I do not know to whom I could more
appropriately dedicate this little book than to
one who has been so long my teacher; and
who has seemed to be, so long, my friend.
It is true, that until six months ago, I had
never the honor of meeting with you: but,
there are thousands, Sir, who have never seen
you who yet know you, and esteem you, as
fully as myself.
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If I have attained to any facility in the use
of language, or have gained any fitness of
expression, in which to dress my thoughts,—I
know not to what writer of the English
language, I am more indebted, than to you.
And if I have shown—as I have tried to
show—a truthfulness of feeling, that is not
lighted by any counterfeit of passion, but
rather, by a close watchfulness of nature, and a
cordial sympathy with human suffering—I
know not to what man's heart, that truthfulness
will come home sooner, than to your's.
Believe me, Dear Sir, it is from no wish to
associate my name with the names of the
great, that I ask your acceptance of this little
token of respect. My aims are humbler than
this: I would simply pay homage to the
Author, who has wrought our language into
the most exquisite forms of beauty; and to the
man, who has touched our hearts, with the
tenderness of a friend.
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And if I might hope, that this simple mark
of my admiration, and of my esteem, would
commend me to your charity—to say nothing
of your regard—it is all that I would ask.
Donald G. Mitchell.
Preliminaries
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CONTENTS.
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PAGE
INTRODUCTORY.
I. With my Aunt Tabithy, 11
II. With my Reader, 20
DREAMS OF BOYHOOD.
Spring, 33
I. Rain in the Garret, 38
II. School Dreams, 45
III. Boy Sentiment, 56
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IV. A Friend Made and Friend Lost, 62
V. Boy Religion, 74
VI. A New England Squire, 82
VII. The Country Church, 94
VIII. A Home Scene, 103
DREAMS OF YOUTH.
Summer, 113
I. Cloister Life, 120
II. First Ambition, 132
III. College Romance, 138
IV. First Look at the World, 150
V. A Broken Home, 161
VI. Family Confidence, 170
VII. A Good Wife, 178
VIII. A Broken Hope, 186
DREAMS OF MANHOOD.
Autumn, 199
I. Pride of Manliness, 204
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II. Man of the World, 211
III. Manly Hope, 219
IV. Manly Love, 228
V. Cheer and Children 234
VI. Dream of Darkness, 243
VII. Peace, 251
DREAMS OF AGE.
Winter, 261
I. What is Gone, 265
II. What is Left, 271
III. Grief and Joy of Age, 277
IV. The End of Dreams, 283
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Mitchell, Donald Grant, 1822-1908 [1851], Dream life: a fable of the seasons. By Ik. Marvel. (Charles Scribner, New York) [word count] [eaf648T].
