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_FROM THE PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF THE LATE SAMUEL G. GOODRICH_, ("_PETER PARLEY_.")

Peter Parley's Own Story

NEW YORK: PUBLISHED BY SHELDON & COMPANY, 335 BROADWAY, COR. WORTH ST, 1864.

Peter Parley's Own Story

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1863, by THE HEIRS OF S. G. GOODRICH, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District of New York.

Peter Parley's Own Story

ELECTROTYPED BY SMITH & MCDOUGAL, 82 & 84 BERKMAN ST. PRINTED BY C. S. WESTCOTT & CO., 79 JOHN ST.

Birth and Parentage--The Old House--Ridgefield--The Meeting-house--Parson Mead--Keeler's Tavern--The Cannon-ball--Lieutenant Smith 9

The New House--High Ridge--Nathan Kellogg's Spy-glass--The Shovel--The Black Patch in the Road--Distrust of British Influence--Old Chich-es-ter--Aunt Delight--Return after Twenty Years 16

Ridgefield Society--Trades and Professions--Chimney-Corner Courtships--Domestic Economy--Dram-drinking--Family Products--Molly Gregory and Church Music--Travelling Artisans--Festival of the Quilts--Clerical Patronage--Raising a Church--The Retired Tailor and His Farm 30

Habits of the People--Their Costume--Amusements--Festivals-- Marriages--Funerals--Dancing--Winter Sports--My Two Grandmothers--Mechanical Genius--Importance of Whittling--Pigeons--Sporting Adventures 45

Death of Washington--Jerome Bonaparte and Miss Patterson--Sunday Travelling--Oliver Wolcott--Timothy Pickering--American Politeness quite natural--Locomotion--Public Conveyances--My Father's Chaise 58

The Upper and Lower Classes of Ridgefield--Master Stebbins and his School--What is a Noun?--Deacon Benedict and his Man Abijah--My Latin Acquirements--Family Worship--Widow Bennett--The Temple of Dagon 65

The Clergy of Fairfield--A Laughing Parson--The Three Deacons 79

Mat Olmstead, the Town Wit--The Salamander Hat--Solar Eclipse--The Old Hen and the Philosopher--Lieutenant Smith--Extraordinary Meteor--Fulton and his Steam-boat--Granther Baldwin and his Wife--Sarah Bishop and her Cave 87

Farewell to Home--Danbury--My New Vocation--My Brother-in-law-- His Conversations with Lawyer Hatch--Clerical Anecdotes 108