he tale that followed. In 1824 he
had gone on an excursion to Saratoga, Lake George, and Lake Champlain,
with a small party of English gentlemen. One of these was Mr. Stanley,
the future Lord Derby. As they reached Glens Falls and were examining
the caverns made by the river at that spot, Mr. Stanley told Cooper
that here ought to be laid the scene of a romance. In reply, the
novelist assured him that a book should be written in which these
caverns should have a place. The promise was fulfilled. On the 4th of
February, 1826, "The Last of the Mohicans" made its appearance. It was
composed the previous year in a little cottage then situated in a
quiet, open country, on which now stands the suburban village of
Astoria. A severe illness attacked Cooper during its progress; but
whatever effect it had upon his physical frame, it certainly did not
impair in the slightest his intellectual force. The success of the
work was both instantaneous and prodigious. Owing, perhaps, to the
novelty of the scenes and characters, it was even greater in Europe
than in America. But there was no lack of appreciation in his own
land. In the estimation of his countrymen, the novel at once took its
place at the head of his productions. An incidental fact will not only
make clear its success, but the state of the book trade at that time.
The demand for the work soon became so great and so persistent, that
in April it was decided to stereotype it.

It deserved fully the success it gained. Of all the novels written (p. 053)
by Cooper, "The Last of the Mohicans" is the one in which the interest
not only never halts, but never sinks. It is, indeed, an open question,
whether a higher art would not have given more breathing-places in this
exciting tale, in which the mind is hurried without pause from
sensation to sensation. But this is a fault, if it be a fault, which
the reader will always forgive, whatever the critic may say. The
latter, indeed, can see much to blame if he look at the work purely as
an artistic creation. He can find improbability of action,
insufficiency of motive, and feebleness of outline in many of the
leading characters. But these are minor drawbacks. They sink into
absolute insignificance when compared with the wealth of power
displayed. As they are unable to retard the unflagging interest with
which the story is read, so they do not essentially modify the
estimation of it after it has been read.

In this work two great achieve