Howard Pyle, a chronicle by Charles D. Abbott, with an introduction by N. C. Wyeth and many illustrations from Howard Pyle's works.

HOWARD PYLE: A CHRONICLE
artistic impulses were still strong, and growing stronger
every day, but his ambition was almost dead. He needed
a great awakening, and it came in the fall -of 1 8 76.
In the spring of that year he had gone on an expedition
to a little island off the coast of Virginia known as Chincoteague, where there flourished a breed of wild ponies. He
was there at the time when the owners penned and branded
these horses, and was very greatly interested 'in the operation. He watched it all in detail-how the horses were
caught, how the branding was accomplished-and he especially took notice of the people who did it. He grasped
their personalities, learned all about them, caught the spirit
of the local atmosphere. Then, when he returned to Wilmington, he wrote about it and made sketches to go with
his essay. It was a good description. It showed a real
knowledge of the little island and a splendid grasp -of the
picturesque details. Mrs. Pyle immediately saw its value
and advised him to send it off to Scribner's Monthly, which
was in the habit of publishing such things. He had also
written, not long before, a little poem entitled "The Magic
Pill." It was a slight piece, rather after the manner of
Oliver Wendell Holmes, but it was in creditable verse and
was characterized by a somewhat novel idea. Moreover,
the picture that he had drawn for it was very good, and
went with the verses most fittingly. Both these were sent
off to Scribner's at once. And immediately the old ambitions began to burst forth anew and with added vigor.
It was not long before a pleasant little note came from
Scribner's Monthly saying that both had been acceptedthe poem for the Bric-a"-brac section and the article for the
body of the magazine, The editors were particularly
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