Ye romance of old York

I. Casco Bay

Old

York.

The

SOKOKI

Teail.

IV. Pemaquid.

V. The Land of St. Castin.

MAINE COAST ROMANCE j^^ Iftomance ot

HERBERT MILTON SYLVESTER

BOSTON Stanbopc press

AUG il 1906

COPY B.

Copyright, by Herbert M. Sylvester, 190G All rights reserved

AUTHOR'S EDinuN

This edition is limited to one thousand copies printed from the face type. This is No.

THE ROMANCE OF OLD YORK

IS IN.SCIMIJUII To THK

HON. CHARLES F. LIBBY

OK i'OKTLAND, MAINE,

BY THE AUTHOR.

THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY

HA\'E inscribed the Romance of Old York, — the writing of which afforded the author a deal of pleasure, — to you, my good friend, in recognition of the cherished acquaintance which began in the days when the author stood at the doorway of a strenuous life, and when you, as well, had entered upon what has proven a notably successful and honorable career. ^ As the years have gone,

experiences have multiplied; points of view have changed; but the same kindly glint is in your eye; the same sympathetic greeting in your hand ; the same accents of friendly interest, good cheer and r_: THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY

eiu-ouruffcnicnt fall from y )u: lii)s, as in the days when the blood ran warmer and more impetuously. A sprinkle of gray has come to each .'ince we took to the open, each to hitch his wagon to hi^ particular star; yet Time has dealt kindly, whatever the remriining elemental forces may have accompUshed in their turn, and the retrospect may be likened to a road over which we have come, familiar enough in these days, but once strange and beset with arduous labors, with no fabled 0;dv of Dodona to drop its whispering leaves at our feet.

It is fortunate that ambitions differ. Were it otherwise, the hardships of accomplishment would be something indeed discouraging. I apprehend, however, that the finest ambitions in the human life are those which seek the achievement of things which come to one's hand in a way to enable others as well as one's self to find a wholesome enjoyment in the realizing of their legitimate fruits. I apprehend, further, that the choicest pleasures have their origin in the realm of Thought, nor do I forget the admonishment of the Preacher, that " of makmg books there is no end; an 1 much stu ly is a wear'.ne-^s of t'.u^ flesh."

Perhaps I ought to have some hesitation in the bringing of this volimie to you, but aware of your scholarly attainment and your ripe discrimmation in matters of belles lettres in these days of India paper, Roxburgh bindings, and vest-pocket editions in limp leather, I am fortified in my desire to discover to you in a way my inclination.

THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY 13

I do not assume to have made any startling discoveries in the back-lots of the pioneer days, but the rather to have plucked a patch of lichen here and there from some old memorial stone, that its mystery, sadly forgotten and neglected, might catch anew the sunlight of a familiar horizon.

I sincerely hope that you may find the matter between covers more palatable than may appear at first glance, and as all good things in life are of a dependable character, no one standing l^y itself alone, so I hope "Ye Romance of Old York" may find its weak places strengthened by the remembrance of a friendship which the author reckons among the props by which his ambitions have been upheld. As to the making of these pages, the procuring the matter for them has been like the exploring of a land of f!nchantment. As to matters of history, they may be accepted as accurate, or as expressing the consensus of opinion of those familiar with the ancient doings of the days that made up the century following the discoveries of Samuel de Champlain, Very little of authentic record remains of the earliest years, and one is somewhat dependent upon his color box and his palette knife, which, as a lover of the fine arts, will be appreciated by yourself.

It is a pleasant curiosity — of which many are ignorant or immindful — this acquaintance with the Cobweb Country, and which is to be regarded as a commendable one; for, as the good Montgomery says,

" 'Tis not the whole of Ufe to Hve.'

THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY

The sordid things in hving have their place and their use. If kept in place, they are to be endured; but with them in the saddle, I would as soon play Skipper Mitchell with Old Aunt Polly of Brimstone Hill and hor horde of im])s on my ))ack, to jje harried from Chauncey's Creek to lira'boat Harbor for a sixpence worth o' luUibut.

It is better to let the odd sixpence get away occasionally, especially if it has a sixpence worth of good in it for one's neighbor; not that this volume is to be taken at mint rates, but the rather for what it is worth, is the desire of your good friend and well wisher, who subscribes himself,

Cordialh'' j'ours,

Sylvester.