E-text prepared by Mark C. Orton
and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
Grand Canyon.
STORIES OF AMERICAN LIFE AND ADVENTURE
By
EDWARD EGGLESTON
Author of
"Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans,"
"A First Book in American History," and
"A History of the United States and its People for the Use of Schools"
American Book Company
New York : Cincinnati : Chicago
1895 and 1923
PREFACE.
This book is intended to serve three main purposes.
One of these is to make school reading pleasant by supplying mattersimple and direct in style, and sufficiently interesting and excitingto hold the reader's attention in a state of constant wakefulness;that is, to keep the mind in the condition in which instruction can bereceived with the greatest advantage.
A second object is to cultivate an interest in narratives of fact byselecting chiefly incidents full of action, such as are attractive tothe minds of boys and girls whose pulses are yet quick with youthfullife. The early establishment of a preference for stories of this sortis the most effective antidote to the prevalent vice of readinginferior fiction for mere stimulation.
But the principal aim of this book is to make the reader acquaintedwith American life and manners in other times. The history of lifehas come to be esteemed of capital importance, but it finds, as yet,small place in school instruction. The stories and sketches in thisbook relate mainly to earlier times and to conditions very differentfrom those of our own day. They will help the pupil to apprehend thelife and spirit of our forefathers. Many of them are such as makehim acquainted with that adventurous pioneer life, which thus far hasbeen the largest element in our social history, and which has givento the national character the traits of quick-wittedness, humor,self-reliance, love of liberty, and democratic feeling. These traitsin combination distinguish us from other peoples.
Stories such as these here told of Indian life, of frontier peril andescape, of adventures with the pirates and kidnappers of colonialtimes, of daring Revolutionary feats, of dangerous whaling voyages, ofscientific exploration, and of personal encounters with savages andwild beasts, have become the characteristic folklore of America. Booksof history rarely know them, but they are history of the highestkind,—the quintessence of an age that has passed, or that is swiftlypassing away, forever. With them are here intermingled sketches of thehomes, the food and drink, the dress and manners, the schools andchildren's plays, of other times. The text-book of history is chieflybusy with the great events and the great personages of history: thisbook seeks to make the young American acquainted with the daily lifeand character of his forefathers. In connection with the author's"Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans," it is intended toform an introduction to the study of our national history.
It has been thought desirable to make the readings in this book coverin a general way the whole of our vast country. The North and theSouth, the Atlantic s