McClure's Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 2, January, 1896

In Short

This collection functions as a cultural time capsule, offering a window into the intellectual and sentimental preoccupations of 1896. Through a mixture of non-fiction reportage, biographical sketches, and serialized drama, it presents a multifaceted view of American life and European history. Whether detailing the rugged, formative years of Abraham Lincoln or providing an intimate look at the private life of a beloved poet, the volume serves as a bridge between the heroic national past and the evolving, domestic sensibilities of the Victorian public.

The Story

The volume opens with a detailed biographical immersion into the early life of Abraham Lincoln. We follow his transition from a clerk in Denton Offutt’s store in New Salem to a young man navigating the social and political volatility of the Illinois frontier. This narrative arc encompasses his efforts to master grammar, his involvement in the Black Hawk War—where his leadership is tested against the backdrop of frontier skirmishes—and his burgeoning public identity as a candidate for the state assembly. The biography highlights his early, pragmatic approaches to law and governance, framing him as a man of great potential, caught between the rough necessities of pioneer life and a nascent sense of national duty.

Shifting from the political to the personal, the magazine pivots to the life of Eugene Field, a poet whose work for children endeared him to a nation. Anecdotes from his home life reveal a man of spontaneous warmth, capable of winning the hearts of children through storytelling and play. This segment includes several of his whimsical, rhythmic verses, such as "The Duel" and "The Ride to Bumpville," which illustrate his unique ability to blend the surreal with the domestic.

Interspersed with these biographies are historical and political reflections, most notably Murat Halstead’s analysis of James G. Blaine’s failed pursuit of the presidency. This account traces the political machinations of the 1884 Republican Convention, detailing the "Mulligan letters" controversy and the personal toll these public battles exacted on a brilliant, high-strung statesman. We see Blaine not as a distant icon, but as a man exhausted by the relentless demands of political ambition and physical frailty.

The collection also touches on the aesthetic and the dramatic. An article on the life and legacy of the French painter Pierre Prud’hon introduces us to the struggle of an artist defined by his classical sensibilities and his personal tragedies. Simultaneously, a piece of serialized fiction, "The Wager of the Marquis de Mérosailles," unfolds a tale of romantic deception. The Marquis, having engaged in a dishonorable bet, finds himself trapped by his own artifice. After being discovered by the Princess Osra, he attempts a dramatic, self-sacrificial exit, only to be saved by the grace of his intended victim. The story concludes with the Princess’s subtle act of forgiveness and the Marquis’s narrow escape from the King’s guard, leaving the reader with a lingering sense of the tension between pride and genuine redemption.

How It Unfolds

The Frontier Genesis The opening sequence establishes the setting of early Illinois, where the promise of commerce and river navigation defines the community's collective ambition. We see a youthful Lincoln attempting to solve the complexities of local law and infrastructure through circulars and public discourse.

The Trial of War The narrative moves into the chaotic reality of the Black Hawk War, where local volunteers clash with the realities of military discipline. Colonel Zachary Taylor emerges as a steadying, authoritative force, compelling his fractious men to prioritize national duty over personal independence.

The Poet’s Domesticity Following the political, the tone softens into a portrait of Eugene Field, emphasizing his affinity for children and his capacity for unselfconscious joy. The text presents his poetry as an extension of this temperament, bridging the gap between adult observation and the fantastical world of childhood.

The Statesman’s Decline The focus turns toward the high-stakes world of national politics, where Murat Halstead dissects the disappointment of James G. Blaine. This section charts the progression of a career marked by intellectual brilliance and the crushing weight of public scandal, concluding with the physical collapse of a man who missed the highest office by a mere margin.

The Romantic Climax Finally, the fiction segment brings the volume to a close with a high-stakes encounter in a royal castle. The drama hinges on a secret wager, a humiliating exposure, and a final, ambiguous gesture of mercy that allows the protagonist to vanish into the forest, evading the consequences of his own pride.

The People

Abraham Lincoln appears as a figure in formation, possessing a "sensitive" mouth and "deep and generous" eyes that hint at his future transformation from a small-town candidate to a national martyr. His desire for advancement is tempered by a profound, if simple, integrity. Eugene Field is portrayed as a playful, empathetic soul who views children as his most important audience; he is a man who can easily bridge the distance between his public persona and a private, nursery-bound intimacy. James G. Blaine is cast as a tragic statesman, brilliant and ambitious, yet ultimately undone by the "excessive" and "malicious" accusations of his political rivals. Finally, the Marquis de Mérosailles and the Princess Osra represent a more stylized conflict of honor. The Marquis is a man consumed by shame after a failed deception, while the Princess, through her cold intelligence and eventual mercy, dictates the boundaries of his redemption.

In Its Own Voice

"I would favor the passage of a law on this subject which might not be very easily evaded."

Lincoln, writing as a young man, reflects on the complexities of creating legislation meant to curb usury.

"The gingham dog and the calico cat / Side by side on the table sat."

These lines open one of Eugene Field's most famous poems, setting the stage for a whimsical, household battle.

"Your death may blot out the insult--nothing less."

The Princess Osra delivers this sharp ultimatum to the Marquis after discovering his deceitful wager.

What It's Really About

The central theme is the search for order amidst volatility. Whether it is the young Lincoln trying to navigate the raw, unformed state of Illinois, or the refined artist Prud'hon attempting to reconcile his classical ideals with a life of domestic misery, the characters are all struggling to find a path through uncertainty. The book asks questions about the nature of integrity: Is it a matter of rigid adherence to law, as the early Lincoln suggests, or is it found in the grace shown when the law fails? It reflects on the "passing away" of eras—the old New England theology, the frontier spirit, and the classicist tradition in art—and considers whether anything of lasting value can be salvaged from what time inevitably erodes.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate the texture of history will find this volume deeply rewarding. It offers a rare, unfiltered look at how a generation reflected on its own past, particularly regarding the myth-making process surrounding figures like Lincoln. The prose is earnest, sometimes sentimental, and occasionally archaic, which may feel dense to modern readers accustomed to faster pacing. However, the vivid historical detail and the inclusion of primary documents, such as the early Lincoln daguerreotype, provide a tactile sense of the nineteenth century that few contemporary biographies can match.

The book is best approached as a collection of curiosities. You will encounter the formal, polite, and sometimes heavy-handed morality of the era, particularly in the fiction and the political commentary. The dialect of the period and the occasionally flowery descriptions of landscape and character require a patient reader, but the reward is a genuine glimpse into the mindset of 1896. It captures the transition from a world of local, personal relationships to one of national, public figures. What stays with you is not just the information, but the feel of a culture holding on to its heroes while navigating the shifting sands of political and artistic change.