PREFACE This volume had its origin in a belief that the most appropriate memorial of my father would be a collection of his stories and reviews, which, having been written anonymously in his youth as a means of support while preparing for the bar, were unknown even to his best friends, together with some excerpts from his beautiful letters to members of his family and others. What was begun as a brief biographical introduction to the stories and essays, and as a thread of narrative on which to string extracts from his letters, has grown into this rather full history of his life, particularly of his early life. A short account is prefixed of his family, and especially of his father, whom he loved and revered and to whose memory he was to the day of his death deeply devoted. Some of the letters possess no little general or historic interest; and, perhaps, from this material, a book, or at least a small pamphlet or article, that would have been not uninteresting to the general public, might have been prepared. But by deliberate choice this matter has been overlaid with details that can hardly be of interest outside the family. This volume of letters and biography is, therefore, designed primarily for my father's family and a few personal friends; and if it should come to the hands of any outside that circle, I beg them to remember the object which has been in view in its preparation, and not to infer the existence of any vain idea that all the details of family history here recorded would attract or deserve any general attention. The volume deals chiefly with my father's earlier life— his youthful struggles and his rise to professional eminence. Several reasons for this restriction may be mentioned. In the first place, matters which have passed into history, for those of us who survive, could be more appropriately narrated than those of which the survivors have a personal recollection. Moreover, the interesting series of letters which passed between himself and his father necessarily came to an end with the latter's death in 1863; and of his letters written in later years, the most deserving of preservation are of too intimate a character to print, relating as they do to persons who are happily still living. Finally, his earlier years were spent in a by-gone civilization-that of the Border States of the South prior to the Civil War-and therefore an intrinsic interest attaches to trivialities of every-day household life which would be commonplace if a revolution in social conditions had not occurred. A. W. M., JR. CONTENTS Parents and sisters (1-10)-First marriage (10)-Rescue of Sen- ate Records in War of 1812 (10-14)-Second marriage (14-6)—Resi- dence on Maryland Avenue (16-8)-Contemplated move to Ken- tucky (18-9)-Opposition to Andrew Jackson (19-27)-Epidemic of cholera (27-9)-Removal to Walney (29-30)-Hiring of servants in slavery times (31-3)-Inconveniences of Christmas (33–5)— Effects of slavery (35-6)-Quest for cattle (36-9)-Envy of his office (40-3)-Resignation (43)—Long acquaintance with public men (43)-Anecdotes and characterizations (43-54)-Webster's reply to Hayne (52-5)—Unpublished debate precipitated by Web- ster's resignation (55-8)—Views on slavery (58-9)-On disunion (59-60)-Charles Sumner and the assault by Brooks (60-75)— Funeral of the assailant (75-7)-Abstention from politics (77)— Literary culture (77-8)-Library (78)—Artistic tastes (78-9)—– Physical exercise (79)—“Daily course of duty” (79–81)—Religious BOYHOOD AND YOUTH OF ARTHUR W. MACHEN, 1827-1849. Birth (88) Early illness (88-92)-Schools (92-4)-Broken arm (94-5)-Election of William Henry Harrison (95)—A journey -His stories and reviews (117-9)—The librarianship (119–21)— Daily routine (121-2)-Moot courts and debating clubs (122-6) -Prize thesis (126-7)—Assistance to Professor Parsons (127)— Estimates of the professors (127-8)-Devotion to law (128)— Love of literature (128-30)-Student friends (130–3)—A remarkable impostor (133-8)-Politics (138-40)-Religious opinions and prac- IN ANTE-BELLUM BALTIMORE, 1853-1860.. Arrival in Baltimore (154-7)—Bachelors' Hall (157-61)—Pov- erty and difficulties in getting clients (161-73)-Brightening pros- pects (175-82)-Discharge of a note (182-3)—Writing law books (183-5)-First case in Supreme Court (185)—His descriptions of notable lawyers and cases (185–92)—Love for his profession (192–8) -His accounts of some of his own cases (198-214)-Appointment as judge (214-9)-Religious opinions and practice (219-24)-His reading and literary criticisms (224–33)—Attitude towards politics, national, state and municipal (234–47)—Election riots (247–52)— Society (252-5)—His vacations and travels (255–65)—Filial and Anticipations of a civil war (270-1)-The Presidential election of 1860 (271)—Attitude of L. H. Machen and his son James (272-4)— A. W. Machen's letters as to the crisis (274-81)—The District Attor- neyship (281-2)—The 19th of April and succeeding events in Balti- more (282-6)—The situation at Walney (286-95)-First Battle of Manassas (295-9)-Visit to Walney, return and arrest (299-303)--- Aged parents and sister alone at Walney (303-10)-Depredations CONTENTS at Walney (335)—Death of his mother (336—7)—Ill health (337–8)— Death of his partner (338-9)-Death of his sister (339)-Reli- gious, political and professional activities, and rescue of a woman from drowning (339-42)-Vacations and avocations (343-4)— Death of his brother (344-5)—His contemporary friends (345–7)— Letters to a younger friend (347–51)—The end (351-2)—Character- istics (352-4)-Summary of his career at the bar (354-5)-Editorial vii |