The Last of the Foresters

䃺The Last of the Foresters

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Last of the Foresters, by John Esten Cooke This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: The Last of the Foresters
Author: John Esten Cooke
Release Date: January 2, 2004 [EBook #10560]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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THE LAST OF THE FORESTERS:
OR,
HUMORS ON THE BORDER;
A STORY OF THE
Old Virginia Frontier.
BY
JOHN ESTEN COOKE
AUTHOR OF "THE VIRGINIA COMEDIANS," "LEATHER STALKING AND SILK," "ELLIE," "THE YOUTH OF JEFFERSON," INC.
1856

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.
--At Apple Orchard II.--Verty and his Companions III.--Introduces a Legal Porcupine IV.--How Verty thought, and played, and dreamed V.--Winchester VI.--In which Mr. Roundjacket flourishes his ruler VII.--In which Mr. Roundjacket reads his great Poem VIII.--How Verty shot a White Pigeon IX.--Hawking without a Hawk X.--Verty makes the acquaintance of Mr. Jinks XI.--How Verty discovered in himself a great fondness for Apples XII.--How Strephon talked with Chloe in an Arbor XIII.--Verty expresses a desire to imitate Mr. Jinks XIV.--The Thirteenth of October XV.--The Pedlar and the Necklace XVI.--Mr. Roundjacket makes himself agreeable XVII.--Mr. Jinks at Home XVIII.--How Miss Lavinia developed her Theories on Matrimony XIX.--Only a few tears XX.--How Miss Fanny slammed the door in Verty's face XXI.--In which Redbud suppresses her feelings, and behaves with decorum XXII.--How Miss Sallianna fell in love with Verty XXIII.--The Result XXIV.--Of the effect of Verty's violin-playing upon Mr. Rushton XXV.--A Young Gentleman just from William and Mary College XXVI.--The Necklace XXVII.--Philosophical XXVIII.--Consequences of Miss Sallianna's passion for Verty XXIX.--Interchange of Compliments XXX.--What occurred at Bousch's Tavern XXXI.--Mr. Jinks on Horseback going to take Revenge XXXII.--An old Bible XXXIII.--Fanny's views upon Heraldry XXXIV.--How Miss Sallianna alluded to vipers, and fell into hysterics XXXV.--How Miss Fanny made merry with the passion of Mr. Verty XXXVI.--Ralph makes love to Miss Sallianna XXXVII.--Verty states his private opinion of Miss Sallianna XXXVIII.--How Longears showed his gallantry in Fanny's service. XXXIX.--Up the Hill, and under the Chestnuts XL.--Under the Greenwood Tree XLI.--Use of Coats in a Storm XLII.--How Mr. Jinks requested Ralph to hold him XLIII.--Verty's heart goes away in a chariot XLIV.--In which the History returns to Apple Orchard XLV.--Hours in the October Woods XLVI.--The Happy Autumn Fields XLVII.--Days that are no more XLVIII.--The Harvest Moon XLIX.--Back to Winchester, where Editorial Iniquity is discoursed of L.--How Verty discovered a Portrait, and what ensued LI.--A Child and a Logician LII.--How Mr. Jinks determined to spare Verty LIII.--Projects of Revenge, involving Historical details LIV.--Exploits of Fodder LV.--Woman-traps laid by Mr. Jinks LVI.--Takes Verty to Mr. Roundjacket's LVII.--Contains an Extraordinary Disclosure LVIII.--How Mr. Rushton proved that all men were selfish, himself included LIX.--The Portrait smiles LX.--The Lodge in the Hills LXI.--Mrs. O'Calligan's Wooers LXII.--Verty Muses LXIII.--How Verty and Miss Lavinia ran a-tilt at each other, and who was overthrown LXIV.--The Rose of Glengary LXV.--Providence LXVI.--The Hour and the Necklace LXVII.--How St. Patrick encountered St. Michael, and what ensued LXVIII.--The End of the Chain LXIX.--Conclusion

PREFACE
Perhaps this story scarcely needs a Preface, but the child of the writer's invention comes to possess a place in his affections, and he is reluctant to send it forth into the wide world, without something in the nature of a letter of introduction, asking for it a kindly and charitable reception. It would be unjust to apply to this volume the tests which are brought to bear upon an elaborate romance. In his narrative of the adventures of Verty and Redbud, the writer has not endeavored to mount into the regions of tragedy, or chronicle the details of bloodshed on the part of heroes--but rather, to find in a picturesque land and period such traits of life and manners as are calculated to afford innocent entertainment. Written under the beautiful autumn skies of our beloved Virginia, the author would ask for the work only a mind in unison with the mood of the narrative--asking the reader to laugh, if he can, and, above all, to carry with him, if possible, the beautiful autumn sunshine, and the glories of the mountains.
Of the fine old border town, in which many of the scenes of the story are laid, much might be said, if it were here necessary, that Thomas Lord Fairfax, Baron of Cameron, and formerly half-owner of Virginia, sleeps there--that Morgan, the Ney of the Revolution, after all his battles, lies there, too, as though to show how nobles and commoners, lords and frontiersmen, monarchists and republicans, are equal in death--and that the last stones of old Fort Loudoun, built by Lieutenant, afterwards General, Washington, crumble into dust