The Country of the Pointed Firs and Selected Short Fiction
Page 45
Silverthorne, Elizabeth. Sarah Orne Jewett: A Writer’s Life. Woodstock, NY: Overlook Press, 1993.
Critical Studies
Cary, Richard, ed. Appreciation of Sarah Orne Jewett: 29 Interpretive Essays. Waterville, ME: Colby College Press, 1973.
Cary, Richard. Sarah Orne Jewett. Twayne’s United States Authors Series, no. 19. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1962.
Donovan, Josephine. Sarah Orne Jewett. Modern Literature Series. New York: F. Ungar, 1980.
Nagel, Gwen L., ed. Critical Essays on Sarah Orne Jewett. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1984.
Roman, Margaret. Sarah Orne Jewett: Reconstructing Gender. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1992.
Sherman, Sarah Way. Sarah Orne Jewett: An American Persephone. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1989.
Thorp, Margaret Farrand. Sarah Orne Jewett. University of Minnesota Pamphlets on American Writers, no. 61. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1966.
Toth, Emily, ed. Regionalism and the Female Imagination: A Collection of Essays. New York: Human Sciences Press, 1985.
Westbrook, Perry D. Acres of Flint: Sarah Orne Jewett and Her Contemporaries. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1981.
Other Works Cited in the Introduction and Notes
Brooks, Van Wyck. New England: Indian Summer, 1865-1915. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1940.
Cassidy, Frederic Gomes, and Joan Houston Hall, eds. Dictionary of American Regional English. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press, 1985-.
Cather, Willa. “Preface.” The Best Stories of Sarah Orne Jewett. Vol. 1. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1925.
Chapman, Edward M. “The New England of Sarah Orne Jewett.” Yale Review 3 (October 1913), pp. 157-172.
Howard, Leon, Louis B. Wright, and Carl Bode, eds. American Heritage: An Anthology and Interpretive Survey of Our Literature. Vol. 2. Boston: Heath, 1955.
Howe, M. A. De Wolfe. “Sarah Orne Jewett.” Atlantic Monthly 104 (August 1909), pp. 280-281.
Matthiessen, Francis Otto. Sarah Orne Jewett. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1929.
Scudder, Horace E. “Miss Jewett.” Atlantic Monthly 73 ( January 1894), pp. 130-133.
Simpson, J. A., and E. S. C. Weiner, eds. The Oxford English Dictionary. Second edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.
Spiller, Robert E., et al., eds. Literary History of the United States. Vol. 2. New York: Macmillan, 1948.
Thompson, Charles Miner. “The Art of Miss Jewett.” Atlantic Monthly 94 (October 1904), pp. 485-497.
Original Publication of the Works in This Edition
Jewett’s works that appear in this edition are listed below, annotated to show their first publication in a periodical and their first appearance in book form during Jewett’s lifetime.
The Country of the Pointed Firs
“The Country of the Pointed Firs.” Atlantic Monthly 77 ( January 1896).
“The Country of the Pointed Firs.” Atlantic Monthly 77 (March 1896).
“The Country of the Pointed Firs.” Atlantic Monthly 78 ( July 1896).
“The Country of the Pointed Firs.” Atlantic Monthly 78 (September 1896).
The Country of the Pointed Firs. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1896.
Four Dunnet Landing Stories
“A Dunnet Shepherdess.” Atlantic Monthly 84 (December 1899); The Queen’s Twin, and Other Stories, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1899.
“The Foreigner.” Atlantic Monthly 86 (August 1900).
“The Queen’s Twin.” Atlantic Monthly 83 (February 1899); The Queen’s Twin, and Other Stories, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1899.
“William’s Wedding.” Atlantic Monthly 106 (August 1910).
Other Stories and Sketches
“The Courting of Sister Wisby.” Atlantic Monthly 59 (May 1887); The King of Folly Island, and Other People, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1888.
“Decoration Day.” Harper’s New Monthly Magazine 85 ( June 1892); A Native of Winby, and Other Tales, Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1893.
“The Dulham Ladies.” Atlantic Monthly 57 (April 1886); A White Heron, and Other Stories, Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1886.
“The Flight of Betsey Lane.” Scribner’s Magazine 14 (August 1893); A Native of Winby, and Other Tales, Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1893.
“The Guests of Mrs. Timms.” The Century 47 (February 1894); The Life of Nancy, Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1895.
“The Hiltons’ Holiday.” The Century 46 (September 1893); The Life of Nancy, Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1895.
“Looking Back on Girlhood.” Youth’s Companion 65 (January 7, 1892), pp. 5-6.
“A Native of Winby.” Atlantic Monthly 67 (May 1891); A Native of Winby, and Other Tales, Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1893.
“The Passing of Sister Barsett.” Cosmopolitan 13 (May 1892); A Native of Winby, and Other Tales, Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1893.
“A White Heron.” A White Heron, and Other Stories. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1886.
“The White Rose Road.” Atlantic Monthly 64 (September 1889); Strangers and Wayfarers, Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1890.
“A Winter Courtship.” Atlantic Monthly 63 (February 1889); Strangers and Wayfarers, Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1890.
a String of fish.
b Reference to John Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667), book 6.
c Reference to Paradise Lost, book 6.
d Reference to Milton’s Paradise Lost, book 6.
e Reference to a scene in Sophocles’ play Antigone in which Antigone buries her brother’s slain body in defiance of an edict from King Creon to leave the body on the Theban field.
f In the rural speech of nineteenth-century New England, being idle or lazy.
g A small vessel or cask.
h Reference to the Bible, Numbers 13.
i Reference to the Bible, Isaiah 27:1.
j Queen Victoria was born on May 24, 1819, was declared queen of the British Empire in 1837, and died in 1901.
k Variant of the nautical term forecastle, for a structure at the bow of a merchant ship where the crew is housed.
l A book attributed to Queen Victoria, entitled Leaves from the Journal of Our Life in the Highlands, from 1848 to 1861 (1868), was edited (with a preface) by Arthur Helps. That book was followed by More Leaves from the Journal of a Life in the Highlands, from 1862 to 1882 (1884).
m The “Jubilee” celebration marking fifty years of Victoria’s reign as queen was held in 1887.
n A nostrum is a medicine whose ingredients are kept secret by the inventor or proprietor to protect the profitability of the medicine; the term can also refer to a quack medicine.
o Medicinal herb.
p Reference to Shakespeare’s play Macbeth.
q Type of fish featuring barbels (projections from the upper jaw that look like whiskers), possibly a catfish.
r Folk term for the bird generally known as the flicker.
s Greek mythology alleged that the Titans were giants; hence, the pasture country is metaphorically suitable for giants.
t This “little old book,” widely circulated in nineteenth-century New England, was written in 1795 by Hannah More (1745-1833); it concerned a Christian protagonist who was both devout and wise.
u Reference to the Bible, John 10:11-14.
v Jewett is referring to paintings by French painter Jean-Francois Millet (1814-1875).
w English poet Geoffrey Chaucer lived from around 1342 to 1400.
x In Roman mythology, the heroine Atalanta, rejected by her father, was raised by hunters to be fast and strong; as an adult, she vowed to marry only that man who could out-race her.
y That is, Joan of Arc (c.1412-1431).
z Colloquialism; possibly a variation of the word rampaging.
aa Sound of the surf pounding against the shore.
ab Reference to the Bible, Psalms 55.
ac A tropical storm o
ften occurring on or around the autumnal equinox.
ad Group of people who behave badly.
ae Kickshaws: trifles, tidbits.
af Le Havre, a seaport in northern France.
ag The Windward Islands are located in the southern part of the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies.
ah Washington pie is made by alternating cake layers with fruit filling.
ai Based on the Bible, 2 Samuel 6:14 (King James Version, henceforth KJV): “And David danced before the Lord with all his might.”
aj Probably a reference to the Congregationalist denomination.
ak Situated between Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula, joining the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean.
al From the Bible, Exodus 2:22 (KJV).
am That is, helpful.
an From book 1 of Sidney’s New Arcadia (c.1583-1584).
ao In a Catholic tradition, a feast (fête in French) day commemorates the day a saint died; on that day, an individual named after that saint celebrates his “name day”—often considered a more important day than the natural birthday.
ap Stroke.
aq That is, she had a rosary.
ar Anointing a sick person with holy oil is a Roman Catholic rite of healing.
as From the Bible, Revelation 21:2 (KJV).
at Squire Pease.
au That is, the Embargo Act of 1807, which prohibited shipping trade between the United States and other countries.
av Empress Josephine was Napoléon Bonaparte’s wife; Martinique, a French colony, is an island in the Lesser Antilles (West Indies).
aw Michelangelo (1474-1564) included images of sibyls (female prophets) in the fres- coes he painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
ax Reference to the 1843 book Past and Present (book 3, chapter 4), by English author Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881).
ay Carrying case made of leather.
az A tropical storm often occurring on or around the autumnal equinox.
ba Baltimore oriole (in recent years known as the northern oriole).
bb Daffodils.
bc Paraphrase from Saint Teresa of Avila’s Interior Castle (1577), chapter 1: “Fourth Mansions.”
bd Reference to the Bible, Matthew 17:2.
be Reference to the Bible, Genesis 18 and 19.
bf That is, it was a total victory; refers to a military expression about the vanquishing of one army by another, in terms of both its cavalry and its foot soldiers.
bg A Christian ceremonial gesture; reference to the Bible, Romans 16:16.
bh In the rural speech of nineteenth-century New England, being idle or lazy.
bi Lace scarves worn over the head and the shoulders by women, initially in Spain and Latin America and later in other Western countries.
bj The first church of a denomination to be established within a given New England community. In “The Dulham Ladies,” the First Parish Church is likely either Episcopal or Congregational.
bk Central, historically important street in Boston.
bl Great Britain’s royal court.
bm Reference to the order of British knighthood that is at the peak of the British hon ors system.
bn Baked pudding of cornmeal, milk, and molasses.
bo Reference to an English measurement, likely half a quarter of a yard—that is, 4.5 inches.
bp Reference to the Bible, Matthew 20.
bq Reference to the period between September 5, 1793, and July 27, 1794, when the French government began to persecute and often execute opponents of the Revolution.
br Based on the Bible, Matthew 7:6 (KJV): “Neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet.”
bs Likely a reference to Alexandra, wife of Queen Victoria’s son Albert Edward, prince of Wales, who in 1901 became King Edward VII; Alexandra and Albert were married on March 10, 1863.
bt Older spelling of “Faial,” as in Faial Island in the Portuguese Azores, where many women made fine baskets.
bu Very simple (French).
bv Corruption of the French phrase bon jour (“good day”).
bw In the nineteenth century, one took a shower by pulling on a string that released water from an overhead tank.
bx Small cakes cooked by dropping batter in hot fat and then baking it in an oven.
by Folk name for the American goldfinch.
bz Strip of material cut out of a larger piece.
ca Likely a reference to poultices fashioned from the leaves of the mullein plant.
cb Windrows: rows of recently mowed and raked hay.
cc According to the Bible (Genesis 5:25-26), Methuselah lived for more than 900 years.
cd Patent medicine contained ingredients that, for the commercial benefit of the maker, were not publicly disclosed, unlike the widely known ingredients of herbal medicines.
ce An herb.
cf Echo of a passage in the second chapter of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden (1854).
cg Colloquial expression for pine splinters.
ch Drawing, used in the sense of brewing.
ci The plant known as thoroughwort, an herb.
cj Likely means either “squawking” or “cawing.”
ck Probably “dancing in the railroad cars.”
cl In Greek mythology, Orpheus was a poet who, with a lyre given him by the god Apollo, could tame wild beasts and charm people with his music.
cm The first church of a given denomination to be established in a given community.
cn Cornhuskings: a community gathering held each fall in rural areas to husk corn.
co Ready for possible future economic difficulties.
cp Root used as a treatment for ulcers and gangrene.
cq That is, the preacher generated a strong response in the people who heard him preach.
cr That is, transferred directly from this life to Heaven.
cs This Protestant denomination, dating back to 1639 in the American colonies, was started by Roger Williams in Providence, Rhode Island.
ct Wooden frame that supports a horse-drawn wagon or carriage.
cu Narrow, wooded valley.
cv In response to the Anglican practice of celebrating Holy Days, early American Protestant dissenters observed one or more Fast Days, during which time they demonstrated their faith through fasting and prayer.
cw Colloquial adjective meaning “humble” or “servile.”
cx The pin on a horse cart latching the cart’s body to the part of the cart known as the tongue, which was strapped to the harnessed horse.
cy Likely, animal scat.
cz Possibly a reference to a kind of cake known as mustard gingerbread.
da A legendary mail-delivery service operated between Missouri and California in 1860 and 1861, the pony express became unnecessary when telegraph was introduced.
db That is, railroad cars.
dc Colloquial for “at first.”
dd Reference to the Bible, Luke 9:62 (KJV): “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
de Windrows: rows of recently mowed and raked hay.
df Humble or servile.
dg This expression refers to a scarf that Mrs. Tobin is wearing over her head.
dh According to the Dictionary of American Regional English (see “For Further Reading”), this word, historically used in colloquial New England speech, meant “sensitive,” “sullen,” or “grouchy.”
di In the rural speech of nineteenth-century New England, being idle or lazy.
dj A good kiss.
dk First published in 1830 and widely used in classrooms, Worcester’s Dictionary was credited to Joseph Emerson Worcester (1784-1865).
dl Matthew Arnold (1822-1888) was a prominent English poet and literary and social critic.
dm Reference to First Lessons in Intellectual Arithmetic (1821), by Warren Colburn.
dn Jewett had intended to make the state Iowa, but the editors of the Atlantic Monthly, where the story
was first published, asked her to change the name to a fictional one.
do McGuffey’s Fourth Reader was one in a series of popular books intended for younger students published by educator William Holmes McGuffey (1800-1873).
dp Reference to the Bible, Matthew 8:1-14.
dq European variety of rose.