PERSONAL AND HISTORICAL 



Sketch of the Author by His Sisteh 

 Emma Burbank Beeson 



THE town of Lancaster, Massachusetts, is 

 one of the most picturesque in all New 

 England. Its unsurpassed scenery is of 

 the English type, a wealth of queenly elms of 

 wondrous size and beauty gracing its highways 

 and meadows. The gently flowing Nashua 

 River; quiet, wood-encircled lakes; sparkling 

 springs of pure, sweet water; rich grassy inter- 

 vals and gracefully sloping hills — all lend a pecu- 

 liar charm to its rare beauty. The treasures of 

 mountain, field, and forest are there; the blue of 

 the fringed gentian, the sumac's fire, and the 

 thousand varied forest tints unite with the wild 

 flowers, berries, fruits, and nuts to make life 

 enjoyable. Although there maj^ be something 

 of restraint in New England life, there can be 

 no monotony in a land of such charmingly diver- 

 sified scenery, and oft-changing seasons. Spring 

 with its promise-bursting seed and budding 



175 



