large/2093/ghost_stories_005_librivox_64kb_mp3/old_womans_tale_hawthorne_rkw_64kb_71
large/2093/ghost_stories_005_librivox_64kb_mp3/old_womans_tale_hawthorne_rkw_64kb
English
2093
The houses in that tract of country, long a wild and dangerous frontier, were rendered defensible by a strength of architecture that has preserved many of them till our own times, and I cannot describe the sort of pleasure with which, two summers since, I rode through the little town in question, while one object after another rose familiarly to my eye, like successive portions of a dream becoming realized. THE HOUSES IN THAT TRACTIVE COUNTRY LONG A WILD AND DANGEROUS FRONTIER WERE RENDERED DEFENSIBLE BY A STRENGTH OF ARCHITECTURE THAT HAS PRESERVED MANY OF THEM TILL OUR OWN TIMES AND I CANNOT DESCRIBE THE SORT OF PLEASURE WITH WHICH TWO SUMMERS SINCE I RODE THROUGH THE LITTLE TOWN IN QUESTION WHILE ONE OBJECT AFTER ANOTHER ROSE FAMILIARLY TO MY EYE LIKE SUCCESSIVE PORTIONS OF A DREAM BECOMING REALIZED
re are a thousand of her traditions lurking in the corners and by-places of my mind, some more marvellous than what is to follow, some less so, and a few not marvellous in the least, all of which I should like to repeat, if I were as happy as she in having a listener. But I am humble enough to own, that I do not deserve a listener half so well as that old toothless woman, whose narratives possessed an excellence attributable neither to herself, nor to any single individual. Her ground-plots, seldom within the widest scope of probability, were filled up with homely and natural incidents, the gradual accretions of a long course of years, and fiction hid its grotesque extravagance in this garb of truth, like the Devil (an appropriate simile, for the old woman supplies it) disguising himself, cloven-foot and all, in mortal attire. These tales generally referred to her birthplace, a village in the valley of the Connecticut, the aspect of which she impressed with great vividness on my fancy.  ROGERS IN THE PRIMMER THERE ARE A THOUSAND OF HER TRADITIONS LURKING IN THE CORNERS AND BY PLACES OF MY MIND SOME MORE MARVELLOUS THAN WHAT IS TO FOLLOW SOME LESS SO AND A FEW NOT MARVELLOUS IN THE LEAST ALL OF WHICH I SHOULD LIKE TO REPEAT IF I WERE AS HAPPY AS SHE IN HAVING A LISTENER BUT I AM HUMBLE ENOUGH TO OWN THAT I DO NOT DESERVE A LISTENER HALF SO WELL AS THAT OLD TOOTHLESS WOMAN WHOSE NARRATIVES POSSESS AN EXCELLENCE ATTRIBUTABLE NEITHER TO HERSELF NOR TO ANY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL HER GROUND PLOTS SELDOM WITHIN THE WIDEST SCOPE OF PROBABILITY WERE FILLED UP WITH HOMELY AND NATURAL INCIDENTS THE GRADUAL ACCRETIONS OF A LONG COURSE OF YEARS AND FICTION HID ITS GROTESQUE EXTRAVAGANCE IN THIS GARB OF TRUTH LIKE THE DEVIL AN APPROPRIATE SIMILE FOR THE OLD WOMAN SUPPLIES IT DISGUISING HIMSELF CLOVEN FOOT AND ALL IN MORTAL ATTIRE THESE TALES GENERALLY REFERRED TO HER BIRTHPLACE A VILLAGE IN THE VALLEY OF THE CONNECTICUT THE ASPECT OF WHICH SHE IMPRESSED WITH GREAT VIVIDNESS ON MY FANCY
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