Sam Lawson's Oldtown Fireside Stories / With Illustrations

A framed collection of short, rural New England tales voiced by an old storyteller who entertains family and neighbors around the hearth. The pieces mix ghost stories, local legends, humorous anecdotes, Revolutionary reminiscences, and sketches of community characters, blending supernatural incidents, domestic scenes, and moral observations. Each tale draws on folk speech and fireside atmosphere, alternating eerie apparitions with lively accounts of practical jokes, parish disputes, and seafaring adventures. The result is a portrait of provincial life that preserves oral traditions, regional manners, and moral reflection through vivid anecdotal scenes and conversational narration.