| CHAPTER I. |
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| PAGE |
| The founder of New Castle—A search for quietness—Life inthe city and in the village—Why the latter is preferable—Peculiaritiesof the village—A sleepy old town—We erect ourfamily altar | [25] |
| CHAPTER II. |
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| A very dangerous invention—The patent combination step-ladder—Domesticservants—Advertising for a girl—Thepeasant-girl of fact and fiction—A contrast | [36] |
| CHAPTER III. |
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| The view upon the river—A magnificent panorama—Mr. andMrs. Cooley—Matrimonial infelicities—The case of Mrs.Sawyer—A blighted life—A present—Our century plant andits peculiarities | [47] |
| CHAPTER IV. |
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| Judge Pitman—His experiment in the barn—A lesson in naturalhistory—Catching the early train—One of the miseriesof living in the village—Ball's lung exercise—Mr. Cooley'simpertinence | [56] |
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| CHAPTER V. |
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| A little love affair—Cowardice of Mr. Parker—Popular interestin amatory matters—The Magruder family—An event in itshistory—Remarkable experiments by Mrs. Magruder—An indignanthusband—A question answered | [68] |
| CHAPTER VI. |
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| The editor of our daily paper—The appearance and personalcharacteristics of Colonel Bangs—The affair with the tombstone—Artnews—Colonel Bangs in the heat of a politicalcampaign—Peculiar troubles of public singers—The phenomenaof menageries—Extraordinary sagacity of the animals—TheWild Man of Afghanistan | [84] |
| CHAPTER VII. |
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| The Battery and its peculiarities—A lovely scene—Swede andDutchman two hundred years ago—Old names of the river—Indiannames generally—Cooley's boy—His adventure inchurch—The long and the short of it—Mr. Cooley's dog andour troubles with it | [99] |
| CHAPTER VIII. |
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| The Morning Argus creates a sensation—A new editor—Mr.Slimmer the poet—An obituary department—Mr. Slimmeron death—Extraordinary scene in the sanctum of ColonelBangs—Indignant advertisers—The colonel violently assaulted—Observationsof the poet—The final catastrophe—Mysteriousconduct of Bob Parker—The accident on Magruder'sporch—Mrs. Adeler on the subject of obituary poetryin general | [113] |
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| CHAPTER IX. |
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| The reason why I purchased a horse—A peculiar characteristic—Drivingby the river—Our horse as a persecutor—He becomesa genuine nightmare—Experimenting with his tail—How ourhorse died—In relation to pirates—Mrs. Jones's bold corsair—Alamentable tale | [134] |
| CHAPTER X. |
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| A picturesque church—Some reflections upon church music—BobParker in the choir—Our undertaker—A gloomy man—Ourexperience with the hot-air furnaces—A series of accidents—Mr.Collamer's vocalism—An extraordinary mistake | [152] |
| CHAPTER XI. |
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| A fishing excursion down the river—Difficulties of the voyage—Aseries of unfortunate incidents—Our return home, and howwe were received—A letter upon the general subject of angling—Thesorrows of the fishermen—Lieutenant Smiley—Hisrecollections of Rev. Mr. Blodgett—A very remarkable missionary | [164] |
| CHAPTER XII. |
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| How the plumber fixed my boiler—A vexatious business—Howhe didn't come to time, and what the ultimate result was—Anaccident; and the pathetic story of young Chubb—Reminiscencesof General Chubb—The eccentricities of an absent-mindedman—The rivals—Parker versus Smiley | [183] |
| CHAPTER XIII. |
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| An evil day—Flogging-time in New Castle—How the punishmentis inflicted—A few remarks upon the general merits ofthe system—A singular judge—How George WashingtonBusby was sentenced—Emotions of the prisoner—A cruel infliction,and a code that ought to be reformed | [200] |
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| CHAPTER XIV. |
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| A Delaware legend—A story of the old time—The Christmasplay—A cruel accusation—The flight in the darkness alongthe river shore—The trial and the condemnation—St. Pillory'sday seventy years ago—Flogging a woman—The deliverance | [211] |
| CHAPTER XV. |
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| A very disagreeable predicament—Wild exultation of Parker—Hemakes an important announcement—An interview withthe old man—The embarrassment of Mr. Sparks, and how heovercame it—A story of Bishop Potts—The miseries of toomuch consolidation—How Potts suffered, and what his endwas | [237] |
| CHAPTER XVI. |
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| Old Fort Kasimir—Two centuries ago—The goblins of the lane—Anoutrage upon Pitman's cow—The judge discusses thesubject of bitters—How Cooley came home—Turning off thegas—A frightful accident in the Argus office—The terriblefate of Archibald Watson—How Mr. Bergner taught Sunday-school | [255] |
| CHAPTER XVII. |
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| A dismal sort of day—A few able remarks about umbrellas—Theumbrella in a humorous aspect—The calamity that befellColonel Coombs—An ambitious but miserable monarch—Theinfluence of umbrellas on the weather—An improved weathersystem—A little nonsense—Judge Pitman's views of weatherof various kinds | [278] |
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| CHAPTER XVIII. |
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| Trouble for the hero and heroine—A broken engagement anda forlorn damsel—Bob Parker's suffering—A formidable encounter—Thepeculiar conduct of a dumb animal—Cooley'sboy and his home discipline—A story of an echo | [293] |
| CHAPTER XIX. |
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| A certificate concerning Pitman's hair—Unendurable persecution—Awarning to men with bald-headed friends—An explanation—Theslanderer discovered—Benjamin P. Gunn—Amodel life-insurance agent | [306] |
| CHAPTER XX. |
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| A certain remarkable book—A few suggestions respecting Boston—Delusionsof childhood—Bullying General Gage—JudgePitman and the catechism—An extraordinary blunder—Thefacts in the case of Hillegass—A false alarm | [324] |
| CHAPTER XXI. |
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| Settling the business—Vindication of Mr. Bob Parker—A completereconciliation—The great Cooley inquest—The uncertaintyin regard to Thomas Cooley—A phenomenal coroner—Thesolution of the mystery | [334] |
| CHAPTER XXII. |
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| An arrival—A present from a Congressman—Meditation uponhis purpose—The patent-office report of the future—A planfor revolutionizing public documents and opening a new departmentin literature—Our trip to Salem—A tragical event—Thelast of Lieutenant Smiley | [350] |
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| CHAPTER XXIII. |
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| Pitman as a politician—He is nominated for the Legislature—Howhe was serenaded, and what the result was—I take ahand at politics—The story of my first political speech—yreception at Dover—Misery of a man with only one speech—Thescene at the mass meeting—A frightful discomfiture | [363] |
| CHAPTER XXIV. |
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| The wedding-day—Enormous excitement in the village—Preparationsfor the event—The conduct of Bob Parker—Theceremony at the church, and the company at Magruder's—Alast look at some old friends—Departure of the bride andgroom—Some uncommonly solemn reflections, and then—Theend | [387] |
