AN EASTERN TOUR AT HOME. BY JOEL COOK, AUTHOR OF "A HOLIDAY TOUR IN EUROPE," "ENGLAND PICTURESQUE REPRINTED FROM THE PHILADELPHIA PHILADELPHIA: DAVID MCKAY, PUBLISHER, 23 SOUTH NINTH STREET. 1889. M.Sm. INTRODUCTORY. IT is the belief of the writer of the prefatory note to this book that neither the book itself nor its author needs to be introduced, for its contents already enjoy high favor with a large portion of the reading public by reason of the original serial publication of the articles in the Public Ledger, and the author is widely known through his other contributions to this class of descriptive literature. Still, as the Publisher prefers an introduction, the undersigned performs the ceremony of presentation with real satisfaction. While the volume is entitled AN EASTERN TOUR, it is not to be understood that it means a tour in "Oriental" countries. On the contrary, it is limited to that near-by region embraced in the Eastern States of our own country between Pennsylvania and Maine, including portions of the States of New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire as well—a region much more important in all ways to every-day Americans than any Oriental country can be, and in many respects quite as interesting. Mr. Cook has certainly made his narrative extremely interesting, so much so as to cause a demand that his serial articles should be reproduced in collected form in a book. He has the faculty of seeing in familiar scenes and places notable features and aspects usually overlooked 3 4 by other writers, and of giving to his narrative and descriptions the sparkle of sprightliness, freshness, and life, in company with marked graphic power. These characteristics give such a charm to his descriptive writings that many people are at a loss to couple them with his matterof-fact and prosaic vocation of Financial Editor of the Public Ledger. But the volume has merit of far more importance than commonly comes with a tourist's narrative. The book, besides the general interest always aroused by vividlydescribed travel, is valuable because of the interwoven facts, data, history, tradition, poetry, and anecdote that exhibit the very life, great activities, and wealth of resource of the country traversed by the author. W. V. MCKEAN, PUBLIC LEDGER OFFICE, October 1, 1889. } Editor-in-Chief. |