The Graysons A Story of Illinois By: Edward Eggleston (1837-1902)
First Page: THE GRAYSONS A STORY OF ILLINOIS BY EDWARD EGGLESTON AUTHOR OF "THE HOOSIER SCHOOLMASTER," "ROXY," "THE CIRCUIT RIDER," ETC., ETC. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALLEGRA EGGLESTON THE CENTURY CO. NEW YORK. COPYRIGHT, 1887, BY EDWARD EGGLESTON. THE DEVINNE PRESS. [Illustration: TURNING THE BIBLE.] PREFACE. I had thought to close up the cycle of my stories of life in the Mississippi Valley with "Roxy" which was published in 1878. But when I undertook by request of the editor to write a short story for "The Century Magazine," and to found it on a legendary account of one of President Lincoln's trials, the theme grew on my hands until the present novel was the result. It was written mostly at Nervi, near Genoa, where I could not by any possibility have verified the story I had received about 1867 from one of Lincoln's old neighbors. To have investigated the accuracy of my version of the anecdote would have been, indeed, to fly in the face and eyes of providence, for popular tradition is itself an artist rough hewing a story to the novelist's hands. During the appearance of this novel in serial form I have received many letters from persons acquainted in one way or another with the actors and sufferers in the events, of which these here related are the ideal counterparts. Some of these letters contain information or relate incidents of so much interest that I have it in mind to insert them in an appendix to some later edition of this book. EDWARD EGGLESTON. Joshua's Rock, Lake George, 1888. This Book is respectfully inscribed to the Hon. Jonathan Chace, United States Senator from Rhode Island; the Hon. Joseph Hawley, United States Senator from Connecticut; the Hon. W. C. P. Breckenridge, Representative from Kentucky; and the Hon. Patrick A. Collins, Representative from Massachusetts, who have recently introduced or had charge of International Copyright Bills, and to those Members of both Houses of Congress who have coöperated with them in the effort to put down literary buccaneering. E. E. To my friend, Mabel Cooke, I Dedicate the Ideals of which these Illustrations are the Faint and Awkward Shadows. THE ILLUSTRATOR. CONTENTS. I TURNING THE BIBLE II WINNING AND LOSING III PAYING THE FIDDLER IV LOCKWOOD'S PLAN V THE MITTEN VI UNCLE AND NEPHEW VII LOCKWOOD'S REVENGE VIII BARBARA'S PRIVATE AFFAIRS IX BY THE LOOM X THE AFFAIR AT TIMBER CREEK CAMP MEETING XI FRIENDS IN THE NIGHT XII A TRIP TO BROAD RUN XIII A BEAR HUNT XIV IN PRISON XV ABRAHAM LINCOLN XVI THE CORONER'S INQUEST XVII A COUNCIL OF WAR XVIII ZEKE XIX THE MYTH XX LINCOLN AND BOB XXI HIRAM AND BARBARA XXII THE FIRST DAY OF COURT XXIII BROAD RUN IN ARMS XXIV FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED XXV LIKE A WOLF ON THE FOLD XXVI CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE XXVII LIGHT IN A DARK PLACE XXVIII FREE XXIX THE CLOSE OF A CAREER XXX TOM AND RACHEL XXXI HIRAM AND BARBARA XXXII THE NEXT MORNING XXXIII POSTSCRIPTUM List of Illustrations TURNING THE BIBLE. BARBARA AND HIRAM BY THE LOOM. MR. BRITTON AND BIG BOB. "TELL ME TRULY, TOM, DID YOU DO IT?" JANET AT THE WINDOW. "WHERE'S THAT PIECE OF CANDLE GONE TO?" ZEKE AND S'MANTHY'S OLDEST SON. "'WHERE IS HE?' ASKED THE JUDGE." "SAY, TOM, WON'T YOU WAIT FOR ME?" THE GRAYSONS I TURNING THE BIBLE The place of the beginning of this story was a country neighborhood on a shore, if one may call it so, that divided a forest and prairie in Central Illinois. The date was nearly a lifetime ago. An orange colored sun going down behind the thrifty orchard of young apple trees on John Albaugh's farm, put into shadow the front of a dwelling which had stood in wind and weather long enough to have lost the raw look of newness, and to have its tints so softened that it had become a part of the circumjacent landscape. The phebe bird, locally known as the pewee, had just finished calling from the top of the large barn, and a belated harvest fly, or singing locust, as the people call him, was yet filling the warm air with the most summery of all summery notes notes that seem to be felt as well as heard, pushing one another faster and yet faster through the quivering atmosphere, and then dying away by degrees into languishing, long drawn, and at last barely audible vibrations... Continue reading book >>

The Graysons A Story of Illinois By: Edward Eggleston (1837-1902)

First Page:

THE GRAYSONS

A STORY OF ILLINOIS

BY EDWARD EGGLESTON

AUTHOR OF "THE HOOSIER SCHOOLMASTER," "ROXY," "THE CIRCUIT RIDER," ETC., ETC.

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALLEGRA EGGLESTON

THE CENTURY CO. NEW YORK.

THE DEVINNE PRESS.

[Illustration: TURNING THE BIBLE.]

PREFACE.

I had thought to close up the cycle of my stories of life in the Mississippi Valley with "Roxy" which was published in 1878. But when I undertook by request of the editor to write a short story for "The Century Magazine," and to found it on a legendary account of one of President Lincoln's trials, the theme grew on my hands until the present novel was the result. It was written mostly at Nervi, near Genoa, where I could not by any possibility have verified the story I had received about 1867 from one of Lincoln's old neighbors. To have investigated the accuracy of my version of the anecdote would have been, indeed, to fly in the face and eyes of providence, for popular tradition is itself an artist rough hewing a story to the novelist's hands. During the appearance of this novel in serial form I have received many letters from persons acquainted in one way or another with the actors and sufferers in the events, of which these here related are the ideal counterparts. Some of these letters contain information or relate incidents of so much interest that I have it in mind to insert them in an appendix to some later edition of this book.

EDWARD EGGLESTON.

Joshua's Rock, Lake George, 1888.

This Book is respectfully inscribed to the Hon. Jonathan Chace, United States Senator from Rhode Island; the Hon. Joseph Hawley, United States Senator from Connecticut; the Hon. W. C. P. Breckenridge, Representative from Kentucky; and the Hon. Patrick A. Collins, Representative from Massachusetts, who have recently introduced or had charge of International Copyright Bills, and to those Members of both Houses of Congress who have coöperated with them in the effort to put down literary buccaneering.

E. E.

To my friend, Mabel Cooke, I Dedicate the Ideals of which these Illustrations are the Faint and Awkward Shadows.

THE ILLUSTRATOR.

CONTENTS.

I TURNING THE BIBLE

II WINNING AND LOSING

III PAYING THE FIDDLER

IV LOCKWOOD'S PLAN

V THE MITTEN

VI UNCLE AND NEPHEW

VII LOCKWOOD'S REVENGE

VIII BARBARA'S PRIVATE AFFAIRS

IX BY THE LOOM

X THE AFFAIR AT TIMBER CREEK CAMP MEETING

XI FRIENDS IN THE NIGHT

XII A TRIP TO BROAD RUN

XIII A BEAR HUNT

XIV IN PRISON

XV ABRAHAM LINCOLN

XVI THE CORONER'S INQUEST

XVII A COUNCIL OF WAR

XVIII ZEKE

XIX THE MYTH

XX LINCOLN AND BOB

XXI HIRAM AND BARBARA

XXII THE FIRST DAY OF COURT

XXIII BROAD RUN IN ARMS

XXIV FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED

XXV LIKE A WOLF ON THE FOLD

XXVI CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE

XXVII LIGHT IN A DARK PLACE

XXVIII FREE

XXIX THE CLOSE OF A CAREER

XXX TOM AND RACHEL

XXXI HIRAM AND BARBARA

XXXII THE NEXT MORNING

XXXIII POSTSCRIPTUM

List of Illustrations

TURNING THE BIBLE.

BARBARA AND HIRAM BY THE LOOM.

MR. BRITTON AND BIG BOB.

"TELL ME TRULY, TOM, DID YOU DO IT?"

JANET AT THE WINDOW.

"WHERE'S THAT PIECE OF CANDLE GONE TO?"

ZEKE AND S'MANTHY'S OLDEST SON.

"'WHERE IS HE?' ASKED THE JUDGE."

"SAY, TOM, WON'T YOU WAIT FOR ME?"

THE GRAYSONS

TURNING THE BIBLE

The place of the beginning of this story was a country neighborhood on a shore, if one may call it so, that divided a forest and prairie in Central Illinois. The date was nearly a lifetime ago. An orange colored sun going down behind the thrifty orchard of young apple trees on John Albaugh's farm, put into shadow the front of a dwelling which had stood in wind and weather long enough to have lost the raw look of newness, and to have its tints so softened that it had become a part of the circumjacent landscape. The phebe bird, locally known as the pewee, had just finished calling from the top of the large barn, and a belated harvest fly, or singing locust, as the people call him, was yet filling the warm air with the most summery of all summery notes notes that seem to be felt as well as heard, pushing one another faster and yet faster through the quivering atmosphere, and then dying away by degrees into languishing, long drawn, and at last barely audible vibrations... Continue reading book >>

eBook links
Wikipedia – Edward Eggleston
Wikipedia – The Graysons A Story of Illinois

eBook Downloads
ePUB eBook • iBooks for iPhone and iPad • Nook • Sony Reader	Kindle eBook • Mobi file format for Kindle
Read eBook • Load eBook in browser	Text File eBook • Computers • Windows • Mac