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[Illustration: JAMES FENIMORE COOPER.]
JAMES
FENIMORE COOPER
by
MARY E. PHILLIPS
[Illustration: LEATHERSTOCKING.]
New York: John Lane Company London: John Lane: The Bodley Head Toronto: Bell and Cockburn MCMXIII
Copyright, 1912
By Mary E. Phillips
The University Press, Cambridge, U.S.A.
Dedicated To The Young Of All Ages From The Years Of Ten To Ten Times Ten
PREFACE
The intention of this simply told _personal_ life of James Fenimore Cooper, the creator of American romance, is to have all material _authentic_. The pictures of men, women, places and things are, as nearly as possible, of Cooper's association with them to reproduce a background of his time and to make the _man_--not the author--its central foreground figure. From every available source since the earliest mention of the author's name, both in print and out, material for these pages has been collected. In this wide gleaning in the field of letters--a rich harvest from able and brilliant pens--the gleaner hereby expresses grateful appreciation of these transplanted values. Much, precious in worth and attractive in interest, comes into these pages from the generous and good among the relatives, friends, and admirers of Fenimore Cooper. And more than all others, the author's grand-nephew, the late Mr. George Pomeroy Keese, of Cooperstown, New York, has paid rich and rare tribute to the memory of his uncle, with whom when a boy he came in living touch. Appeals to Cooper's grandson, James Fenimore Cooper, Esq., of Albany, New York, and also to his publishers have been met in a spirit so gracious and their giving has been so generous as to command the grateful service of the writer.
For rare values, in service and material, special credits are due to Mr. George Pomeroy Keese, Cooperstown, N.Y.; James Fenimore Cooper, Esq., Albany, N.Y.; Mr. Francis Whiting Halsey, New York City; Mr. Edwin Tenney Stiger, Watertown, Mass.; General James Grant Wilson, New York City; Mr. Horace G. Wadlin, Librarian, Messrs. Otto Fleischner, Assistant Librarian, O.A. Bierstadt, F.C. Blaisdell, and others, of the Boston Public Library; Miss Alice Bailey Keese, Cooperstown, N.Y.; Mrs. T. Henry Dewey, Paris, France; Mrs. Edward Emerson Waters, New York City; and Miss Mary C. Sheridan, Boston, Mass.
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: James Fenimore Cooper by Mary E. Phillips
- 2: Italsey' ILLUSTRATIONSJAMES FENIMORE COOPER
- 3: George Pomeroy KeeseBUFFALO BURNT
- 4: James Grant WilsonJOSEPH RODMAN DRAKE
- 5: NicholsonJAMES FENIMORE COOPER
- 6: From an old printLA GRANGE ARCHWAY ENTRANCE
- 7: By courtesy of Signor Agusto Ticci
- 8: James fenimore cooper and her son paul
- 9: George Pomeroy KeeseOTSEGO LAKE
- 10: TelferLEATHERSTOCKING MONUMENT
- 11: Illustration THE FENIMORE BOX
- 12: Illustration ORIGINAL OTSEGO HALL
- 13: Biddle was his confidant
- 14: Of this visit was Otsego n'est pas gai
- 15: When she married George Pomeroy
- 16: In due time the lad outgrew the Academy's instruction
- 17: Son of Bishop de Lancy of Western New York
- 18: As an employee of Judge Cooper
- 19: Illustration WILLIAM JAY IN YOUTH
- 20: The Stirling was taken into the stream
- 21: The Stirling met with various stirring adventures
- 22: Illustration OTSEGO HALL GATES
- 23: Such was a grand military ball in Oswego County in 1808 9
- 24: Stepped into these pages Natty
- 25: Although Cooper was ever a staunch American
- 26: John Peter de Lancey married Elizabeth
- 27: Illustration MAMARONECK CREEK SLOOPS
- 28: Made pleasant their evening hours and rainy days at Angevine
- 29: Beyond the valley below Cooper's Angevine farm
- 30: Owes her mature charm to the portrait of Mary Duyckinck
- 31: Illustration SAMUEL WOODWORTH
- 32: Illustration OLD LEATHERSTOCKING
- 33: Brought their boats to Lake Otsego
- 34: It was dedicated to William Branford Shubrick
- 35: Assisted by William Cullen Bryant
- 36: Early spring of 1825 found Fenimore Cooper in Washington
- 37: He chose the 'Horican' as better suiting simple Natty
- 38: Bryant did remember 'three four five
- 39: Also the first taste of the famous Isle of Wight butter
- 40: Illustration HOTEL DE JUMIEGES
- 41: In that of David to Victor Pavie
- 42: Illustration JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
- 43: De Talleyrand as grand chamberlin
- 44: Illustration OLD MILL AT NEWPORT
- 45: Illustration THE PRINCESS BARBARA VASSILIEWNA GALITZIN
- 46: Illustration LA GRANGE ARCHWAY ENTRANCE
- 47: Illustration SIR FRANCIS CHANTREY
- 48: Illustration SIR JAMES MACKINTOSH
- 49: Southby Cooper went to see Coleridge at Highgate
- 50: And the Lauterbrunnen valleys full of wonder and delight
- 51: And were charmed by the attractions of Ferney
- 52: Illustration PALAZZO RICASOLI
- 53: Printed in his city of the Arno
- 54: Of Genoa The seaward prospect was glorious
- 55: At Leghorn Cooper engaged a Genovese felucca
- 56: Illustration ADAM MICKIEOWICZ
- 57: Illustration FALLS OF MARMORA AT TERNI
- 58: She bore the sweet name of Gelsomina
- 59: Cooper tells of a monument Canova had designed for Titian
- 60: McLane to Louis Philippe at a Palais Royal evening
- 61: Illustration TUILERIES GARDENS
- 62: James fenimore cooper and her son paul
- 63: Illustration RUBENS' COLOGNE HOME
- 64: Unrolls miles of the beautiful Neckar valley country
- 65: Illustration FETE DES VIGNERONS
- 66: Keese that the large north bed rooms
- 67: This penman was frankly proud of his melons
- 68: Fenimore Cooper had a keen sense of the ridiculous
- 69: And Thurlow Weed among others in battle array against him
- 70: And Cooper with his aristocratic bearing
- 71: Illustration THE GLIMMERGLASS
- 72: It was once called Muskrat Cove
- 73: Cooper saw Napoleon's Elba home
- 74: By the felling of trees and stump extractor
- 75: And with dear Cally by his side
- 76: My dear miss alice worthington
- 77: The year 1845 brought from Cooper's pen Satanstoe quaint
- 78: The farmer seemed very knowing as to bees
- 79: 1848 Has not Scott achieved marvels
- 80: ' Illustration WILLIAM BRANDFORD SHUBRICK
- 81: Of this play Cooper's friend Hackett
- 82: Keese He was fond of picnic excursions on the lake
- 83: ' Illustration THE SWEDISH NIGHTINGALE JENNY LIND
- 84: But with December the author returned to Cooperstown
- 85: Letters from Cooperstown led Dr
- 86: Illustration THE DE LANCEY ARMS
- 87: And James Fenimore Cooper of Albany
- 88: Wondrous Leatherstocking stands
- 89: Keese well knew Fenimore Cooper
- 90: Portraits bust by d'Angers
- 91: James Fenimore Cooper by Mary E. Phillips
- 92: James Fenimore Cooper by Mary E. Phillips
- 93: James Fenimore Cooper by Mary E. Phillips
- 94: Cooper's book Sketches in Switzerland
