Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-06-18
HOW NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE ROSE
TO FAME.

lFrom Recollections of Lifetime; or Men and
Things have seen. BY =. G.. Goodrich.1
1t is not easy to conceive of a stronger con-
trast than is presented by comparing N Nathaniel
hawthorne with N. p. Willis. The former was
Tor Inc one Of the principle writers for the
Token, and his admirable sketches were pub
lShed side by side with those of the latter
ct 1t Is curious to remark that everything
Willis wrote attracted immediate attention,
and excited ready praise while the productions
OF Hawthorne were almost entirely unnoticed.
Ihe personal appearance and demeanor OF these
two gifted young men, at the early period Of
which L speak, was also in striking contrast
Willis was slender, his hair sunny and silken,
his cheek ruddy, his aspect cheerful and conf
dent He met society with ready and well
come hand, and was received readily and with
welcome. Hawthorne, on the contrary, was of
a rather sturdy form, his hair dark and bushy
his eye steel gray, his brow thick, his mouth
sarcastic, his complexion stony, his whole aspect
cold, moody, dlstrustful. He stood aloof, and
surveyed the world from shy and sheltered DO
sltlOns There was corresponding difference
In the writings of these two persons.
Willis was all sunshine and summer, the
other chill, dark and wintry; the one was full
OF hope and love, the other Of doubt and dis
trust the one sought the open daylght-sun-
shine, flowers, music, and found them every
where; the other plunged into the dim caverns
OF the mind, and studied the grisly spectres of
Jealousy, remorse, despair. 1t is, perhaps
neither subject of surprise nor regret that the
larger portion of the world is so happily consti-
tuted as to have been more ready to firt with
the gay muse Of the one than to descend into
the spiritual eharnel-house and assist at the
Psychological dissectiOns of the other. / had
seen some anonymous publication which seemed
10 me TO indicate extraordinary powers. in
quired Of the publishers rs to the writer. and
through them correspondence ensued between
me and n. hawthorne This name con-
sldered q disguise, and it was not till after
many letters had passed that met the author,
and found it TO be a true title, representing a
very substantial parsonage. At this period he
was unsettled as to his views he had tried his
hand in literature, and considered himself to
have met with fatal rebuff from the reading
world. His mind vacillated between various
projects, verging, think. towards mercantile
profession. L combated his despondence. and
assured him Of triumph if he would perseyere
In literary career.
He wrote numerous articles. which appeared
IN the Token; occasionally, an astute critic
seemed to see through them, and to discover
the soul that was In them; but in general they
passed without notice Such articles as Sights
from Steeple, g Sketches beneath an Um-
brella, :, The Wives of the Dead, - The Pro-
phete Pictures" now universally acknowl-
edged to be productions Of extraordinary depth
meaning, and power, extorted hardly word of
either praise or blame, while columns were
given to pieces since totally forgotten felt
annoyed, almost angry, indeed, at this wrote
several articles in the papers, directing atten-
ton to these productions and finding no echo
of my views, l recollect to have asked John
Pickering to read some of them, and give me
his opinion of them. He did as requested
his answer was, that they displayed wonder
ful beauty OF style with kind of double vision.
a sort Of second sight which revealed, beyond
the outward forms Of life and being, sort of
spirit world, somewhat as a lake reflects the
earth around it and the sky above it yet he
deemed them to be too mystical to be popular.
He was right, no doubt, at that period but,
ere long, portion Of mankind. large portion
OF the reading world. obtained new sense
how or where or whence, is not easily deter
mined-which led them to study the mystical,
to dive beneath and beyond the senses, and to
discern, gather. and cherish gems and pearls of
price in the hidden depths OF the soul. Haw-
thOrne was, in fact, kind of Wordsworth in
prOse-less philosophical. His fate was simi-
lar at first he was neglected, at last he had
wOrshippers. In 1887, 1 recommended Mr.
Hawthorne to publish volume, comprising his
various pieces, which had appeared in the To-
ken and elsewhere. He consented, but a. L had
ceased to be publisher, it was difficult to find
any one Who would undertake to bring out the
work. L applied tOthe agent of the StatiOners'
Company, but he refused, until at last relin-
guished my copyrights, on such of the tales az [
bad published, to Mr.. Hawthorne, and ioineda a
friend of his in bond to indemnify them
against loss; and thus the work was published
by the Stationers' Company, under the title of
" Twice Told Tales, and for the authors ben
eft. 1t was. deemed n failure for more than a
year, when q breeze seemed to rise and fill its
sails, and with it the author was carried on to
fame and fortune