University of Virginia Library

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CONTENTS.

CONTENTS.

• CHAPTER I.
  Living in the Country—Rural Anticipations—Early Rising—Baked Hippoppotaml
  —Our New Chickens—A Discovery—The Advantages of having a Watch-Dog
  in the Country—A Finale to the First Garden, and Unpleasant Prospects for
  the Future.—Page 13.

• CHAPTER II.
  We conclude to give the Country another Year's Trial—Spring Birds—Mr.
  Sparrowgrass becomes the Owner of a Boat—A Visit from a Friend—First
  Experience with a Fish-net—An Irishman in a Fyke—Exchange of Civilities
  and Cucumbers—Bate's Cow, and a Hint to Horticulturists—Local Designations.—
  Page 19

• CHAPTER III.
  The Clouds in the Country—A Thunder-Shower—Mr. Sparrowgrass buys a
  Bugle—Ineffectual Music—A Serenade and an Interruption—First Fruits—A
  Surprise, and the Entire Loss of our Cherry Crop.—Page 20.

• CHAPTER IV.
  Mrs. Sparrowgrass discourses of Social Life in the Rural Districts—Town and
  Country—A Rural Party—The Advantages of dressing in a Plain Way—Our
  New Dog—Autumnal Scenery—A Family Acqueduct.—Page 41.

• CHAPTER V.
  Children in Town and Country—A Mistake about a Lady—The Menagerie—
  Amusement for Children—Winter Scenery—Another Amusement for Children
  —Sucker Fishing—General Washington.—Page 52.

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• CHAPTER VI.
  An Event—Wolfert's Roost—The Nepperhan and its Legends—Mr. Sparrowgrass
  descends to the Infernal Regions on a Dumb Waiter—Carrier Pigeons
  and Roosters—The great Polish Exile—Poetry—Altogether a Chapter of
  Birds.—Page 64.

• CHAPTER VII.
  A Country Fire-place—Lares and Penates—Sentiment—Spring Vegetables in
  the Germ—A Garden on Paper—Warm Weather—A Festa—An Irruption of
  Noseologists—Constitutional Law, and so forth.—Page 79.

• CHAPTER VIII.
  Mr. Sparrowgrass concludes to buy a Horse—Reminiscences of Bloomingdale—
  The difference between now and then—A Horse as can go—An Artist Story
  —Godiva—Homeward and Outward bound—The Curtained Dais of the Life
  School—A new “Lady of Coventry.”—Page 94.

• CHAPTER IX.
  A Horse of another color—Ancient and Modern Points of a Horse—A suspected
  Organ and Retrograde Movement—Mr. Sparrowgrass buys the Horse that
  belongs to the Man's Brother—A valuable Hint as to Stable-building—A
  Morning Ride, and a Discovery—Old Dockweed—An Evening Ride, and a
  Catastrophe.—Page 118.

• CHAPTER X.
  Children—An Interrupted Discourse—Mrs. Sparrowgrass makes a Brilliant
  Remark—Philadelphia Phrases—Auother Interruption—Quarkers—A few
  Quakeristics—A Quaker Baby—The Early Quakers—John Woolman—Thomas
  Lurting—Broadbrims in a Cathedral—And a Friendly Suggestion.—Page 132.

• CHAPTER XI.
  Our new Horse improves—He is loaned to to a Neighbor, and disgraces himself
  —Autumnal Vegetation—The Palisades and Rock Cataract—An agreeable
  Surprise—Mr. Sparrowgrass takes a short trip to the County of Broome—
  —Meets with a Disappointment on his Return, but indulges in a flowing vein
  of “Adversity's sweet milk.”—Page 146.

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• CHAPTER XII.
  Our New Barber—Reminiscences of our Old Barber—A Dog of another Color—
  October Woods—A Party on the Water—Home, Sweet Home, with Variations
  (flute obligato)—A row to the Palisades—Iroquois Legend—Return to the
  Cottage.—Page 160.

• CHAPTER XIII.
  The Children are sent to School—Old Soldiers—An Invitation, and Cruel Disappointment—Our
  Eldest begins to show Symptoms of the Tender Passion—
  Poetry—The Melodies of Mother Goose—Little Posterity by the Wayside—A
  Casualty—The Drowning of Poor Little Tommy.—Page 183

• CHAPTER XIV.
  Winter once more—Mr. Sparrowgrass feels as if he would like to Chirp a little—
  Thomas Fuller, D.D.—The Good Wife—Old Dockweed again—A Barrel of
  Cider—News of the Saddle and Bridle—Superior Tactics of the Village Teamster—Christmas—Great
  Preparations—Christmas Carols and Masques—A Suggestion
  of Mrs. Sparrowgrass.—Page 195.

• CHAPTER XV.
  An offer for the Horse—Difficulty of Shipping him according to the Terms of
  Bill of Lading—Anticipations—Marine Sketch—Mrs. Sparrowgrass buys a
  Patent Bedstead—An essay on Mechanical Forces, and Suggestions in regard
  to a Bronze Legislature—The New Bedstead is tried and found—“not available.”—
  Page 208.

• CHAPTER XVI.
  Casualties will occur—Ice and ice-houses—A hint from the Flowery Nation—
  Baldwin's Pond—Skaters—Our horse gets into business and is launched upon
  an ice island—A Derrick—The result thereof.—Page 225.

• CHAPTER XVII.
  The great Snow-storm—A quotation from Samuel—Recollections of Town—What
  we then thought—A Song—Scraps in a Commonplace-book—An old epistle—
  And anticipations.—Page 233.

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• CHAPTER XVIII.
  A Conference in the Library—Mr. Sparrowgrass writes an Essay—Life in Town
  and Life in the Rural Districts—Mrs. Sparrowgrass continues the theme—Two
  Pictures from Nature—and the Last Word.—Page 244.

• Captain Davis,—a California Ballad, 267

• Captain Belgrave, 288