The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-06-27

BOSTON, June "a, 1908.
Mr.. Hawthorne - His Origin The Hassthorse
Fasnilv-Residsnee Of Mr.. Hawthorne IN Maine
Educated at Bs,udoin Couege-Pi lgrimsses in
Search of "Ihe Great Carbw~cle'-RaSrms to
Salem, Mass.-W,Ttes for The Take~"-Ls
Aypoiwted to Office by Mr.. Ba~crof-Joias the
Brook Farm" Community-7akss up his Re-
sidemcs in Concord, Mass.-Is appointed Sur
rsyor ofthe Ports Of Salem and Bevefy-Remov-
ed thrsfrom-Remeves to Lemon, Mass.--Returns
TO CONGRATULATIONS of" Twice- Told Tales
WIZ so CaIed-Appearancs of" NOISES from an
Old Manse'- Origin Of that Tile" The Scar
let Lenu''-Ks Popularity" The House Of the
Stcen Cables" The SnoW Image, and Other
T,cice Told Tales''-"7Ae Blthedale Romance
"Life of President Pi9ce''-Mr. Ha,rtho,,H Ap
po,nted Consul to Licerpsoi-His Political Opt
MONS and (,cant off Political Acts-fs Estimate
of Politicians Miscellaneous Obserrdtions---Au-
thor of Works for Children-Generk Tone Of hts
Writings, &C., 8-c., &c.
When one hears of q gentleman having been sud
denly promoted in this word--whether through vir-
tue of his own acts from having friend at court
one feels natural desire to learn something about
him-where he was born, what he has been about
all his lifetime and oil and sundry his antecedents,
intentions, hopes and forth. Mr.. Hawthorne, au-
thor of "The Scarlet Letter" has attained to won
derful degree of fame during the last three years.
and his having been appointed Consul to Liverpool
bv President Pierce has made him an object of reve-
rental awe on the part Of politicians, who probably
would care very little about his books had they con-
.nued without the Presidential imprimation.. Hence
a sketch of Mr.. Hawthorne's life may not be unac-
ceptable to the millions Of people who read the
HERALD, not only in the United States, but in all
parts of the world to which the lights OF Christianity
and journalism have penetrated. A friend OF mine,
year or two since, read something that wrote for
the HERALD in the Convent of Mount Sinai, and
am not without hope, considering its subject, that
this sketch may be read on Mount Ararat.
Nathaniel Hawthorne was born at Salem, about
the year 1906 He is regularly descended from one
Of the early settlers Of the colony of Massachusetts
Bay. 1t is now nearly two centuries and quarter
since the original Bton, the earliest emgrant OF my
NAME" says Mr.. Hawthorne, made his appearance
in the wild and forestbordered settlement which has
since become CITY," (Salem), so that he can claim
to belong to an old family. The founder Of that
family in America was rigid Puritan, and bitter
prosecutor Of the Quakers and the son of hatfounder
was prominent in the murders Of the socalled
witches The Hawthomes, however, appear not to
have been very remarkable family, none Of them
rising above mediocrity until the present day. when
must be confessed, they have obtained place in
their country's history, and present fame. Those
who are most familiar with Mr. Hawthorne's writings
will have no difficulty in admitting that he is genu-
Inc descendant from Puritans. Amiab.c and kind az
are his works, speaking generally, there occasionally
shoots across them CLEAN OF savage fer0cty quite
worthy Of the pious wolves who laid the foundations
of the commonwealth Of Massachusetts,.
The Hawthornes were a nautical family. The
father of Mr.. Hawthorne died when on foreign
voyage, when his son was but a mere child. The
family removed to Maine, and dwet on the shores
Of sebago pond, or lake, place Of great natural
beauties and where the boyhood Of the future writer
was passed In 1921 he entered Bowdon College.
Among his classmates were Franklin Pierce and
Henry W. Longfellow. He was by no means famous
for excelling in collegiate studies but passed most
Of his time in desutory readings He left college al
the end Of four years. and resumed his residence by
the waters of the romantic Sebago, where he re
NAMED tor some time. Perhaps it was then that NJ
undertook his pilgrimage in search Of the Great Car
buncle. There was tradition among the Indians
Of Maine which the whites took with their lands, 0
the existence of famous and most precious stone
in the Crystal hills-a carbuncle-a perfect blaze o
light and which has been often sought afte
having been seen, from great distance, by the eye
Of faith. This tradition has furnished the theme 0
oneof Mr. Hawthorne tales, which he closes thus
.'Some few believe that this inestimable stone il
blazing, Of old, and say that they have caught IL
radiance, like flash Of summer lightaing far dowr
the valley Of the Saco And be ~ owned, INA. man,
noht As around TIER summit and was lured by the
aiin Of poesy to be the latest pilgrim of the Great
Carbuncle.'
Returning to Salem about the year 1880, Mr.. Haw
thorne there led life quite retired as II he had re
NAMED in the Maine forests. Mr.. Goodrich-now
our Consul at Paris-nduced him to write for ''Tht
Token" an annual that was very popular in those
days. He also wrote, believe for some other OF thai
Centemans publications. Some years later, MI
bancroft, Their. Collector of Boston, appolnfed Mr.
Hawthorne to a place in the Custom House there
which, however, he did not long hold, being single
man. and not Obliged 10 submit to drudgcry. When
the celebrated Brook Farm Community was formed
in West Roxbury, Mr.. Hawthorne joined it. In 1912
having married he took up his residence at Concord
in the Ripley parsonage hou e, of which he ha;
given SO agreeable account in the opening part o.
his Moses" He resided there for about four years
returning to Salem in lsi6, having been appointed
Surveyor of the port Of Salem and Beverley by Pre-
sident Polk, probably at the instance Of SIR. Ban
croft for II is not likely that the President had
heard Of him or his writings. lie held the Office
iii the coming in Of the Taylor administration, in
ls49 when he was removed TO make way for the
gentleman who has just "sneezed in the sack, the
French, that pleasant people, used to say, for the
benefit of Mr. Jossclyn. Mr.. Hawthorne soon after
removed to Lcnox, in Berkshire county, place
which many clever people have at times for their
place of abode. As Fanny Kemble's example turned
all the girls there into Priscilla Tonboys It is to be
hoped that Mr.. Hawthornes grave gcntlemanly
mode of life had proper effect on the ingenious
youth of that beautiful region. His life at Lenox
was as retired az il had been at Salem twenty years
before ard they tell story in that city TO the effect
that, for a whole year, he never went out of his
house in the day time. In the spring Of 1852 he
removed to Concord Mass, where he now resides.
The first of Mr.. Hawthorne's works, in q regular
book form, that was given to the world, (the first by
him acknowledged ] mean, for have heard that he
published volume some years earlier though
have never seen person who was acquainted with
its tte) was published in the spring Of 1887, by the
American Stationers' Company. 1t consisted OF
stories and sketches that had appeared originally in
some of the periodicals of that time, and particularly
in The Token One Of these pieces" DR.. Hell
degger's Experiment" in which subtle moral is
g. IL L. r