decided failure he
made; but with this exception if each new story did not seem to exhibit
any new power, it at least gave no sign of weakness, or misdirection
of energy. This period is in fact so supremely the creative one of
Cooper's life as regards the conception of character and scene that
nearly all he did demands careful examination.

He first set about a task that lay near his heart. This was to describe
the scenes, the manners and customs of his native land, especially of
the frontier life in which he had been trained. In 1823, (p. 040)
accordingly, appeared "The Pioneers," itself the pioneer of the five
famous stories, which now go collectively under the name of the
"Leather-Stocking Tales." It was a vivid and faithful picture of the
sights he had seen and the men he had met in the home of his childhood,
where as a boy he had witnessed the struggles which attend the conquest
of man over nature. In it appear in comparatively rude outlines the
personages whose names and exploits his pen was afterwards to make
famous throughout the civilized world. They are in this work of a far
less lofty type than in those which followed. "The Pioneers," in
truth, though not a poor story, is much the poorest of the series of
which it forms a part. The almost loving interest he took in the
matter about which he was writing tempted the author to indulge his
recollections at the expense of his judgment. His first novel, he said
in the prefatory address to the publisher which appeared in this one,
had been written to show that he could write a grave tale, and it was
so grave that no one would read it; the second was written to overcome
if possible the neglect of the public; but the third was written
exclusively to please himself. The story as a story suffered in
consequence from the very fascination which the subject had for his
mind. So subordinate was it made, especially in the first half, to the
description of the scenes, that the details at times become wearisome
and the interest often flags.

The expectation with which the appearance of this work was awaited is
a striking proof of the impression that the previous novel had made.
It was to have been brought out as early as the autumn of 1822. But
during the summer of that year the yellow fever ravaged New York (p. 041)
and largely broke up for a time all kinds of business, including
printing. Causes beyond control still further delayed the publication,
and it was n