Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-05-31
Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Nathaniel Hawthorne.
American letters have again experienced
notable loss. Dir. Nathaniel Hawthorne, wide
y known US the author Of several remarkable
works OF fiction, died suddenly at Ply mouth,
n H., yesterday morning lie had been in
feeble health for some time past, ard had un-
dertaken journey IN consequence. lie re-
tired US we'll as usual, and was found dead 10
bis bed about o'clock in the morning by Mr.
franklin Pierce in whose mpany he was jour
neyi ing.
Mr.. Hawthorne was born in Salem, Mass on
the 4th OF July. 1904 He graduated at Bow
ioin college III 1925, in lbe same class with
George Is. Cheeyer and Henry W. Longfellow
Franklin Pierce who was in the preceding class
vas is intimate friend. Upon leaving college,
without entering upon the study Of either Of the
learned professions, he devoted himself to gene
raj literature, pub Ishng IN 1887 his - Twice
IUld Tales, winch at ODC3 attracted the stten.
ton and the admiration Of tasteful aud appreei.
atige readers, anu hnal became, t. certain
ex ent popular book A second series Of these
tale, was published in 1872. Mr.. Hawthorne,
IN lS4s, was appointed u weigher and guagsr
III the Boston Custom House, fron which place
he was BY change in the Admin sratlon re.
moved in 1871. He then joinei be society At
Brook Farm where, hOwever, ne remained bui
snort time, return ny to Boston where be resided
until his marriage 10 l843 tie then refund to
Concord, town which will ALWAYS be famous,
0Jt only IN our poliuca but our literary anna's.
In 1876, MIR. Haw thOrhe WAS appointed Survey
Or oi the Port OF Salem. la lS4g, having QUIT
ted office during his cOntlnu ince IN whlcn he
published " The Scarlet Letter he removed to
LenOx, Mass where the - House Of the Seven
uahlss,' printed 10 1851, was written. Ii - next
novel was ths " BliIhesdale Romance" priuled
~ 1862, IN which year he returned 10 Concord.
HIS lite OF franklin PeIce was published during
the canvass which resulted 10 Sir plerce's eIec.
ton and the new President sgniied hls graf
Itude, and ut the same lime giatlhed irieDdiy
ieehng long ago established, by glyI0y Mir.
Hawthore tue place oi United States Consul at
Liverpool, said 70 be the mUst lucrative at that
time III the Presidents g,lt. rnls otiic, ne re.
signed IN 1857, aud after periUd VI cOntnsn-
tai travel, returned TO the United States, since
which MS Marol Faun,' and work on e.
gish traits have been published. sides tue
BOOKS already enumerated. MIR. Hawthorne was
the author OF - True Stories from History and
Biography Qo5l) rhe " ond-r 3oos, for
Boys ana Glrs (lo5D " Ine SNOW Image,
and other Twice Iold lales " 1862 " rausIe-
wood laies (lo53). lie also edlled " Journal
u ali African Cruiser y (lo45).
Mr.. hawthorne $ reputation as d remarkable
writer ol hctIJn, and an aareeble essIyist, Was
by no means confined 10 The United States lils
most important works have been repu Giished
aud widely read IN England, and some OF them,
IN the ioim ol translation have been popular III
Germany
Ii is hardly necessary for us at this time TO
attempt a critical estimate OF books 50 well
known 10 the aiding pubnc as those Of Mr..
Hawthorne. Ii his admirers have not been so
numerous US those ot many other aut uthOrs they
have teen warm and steady and 1t is sale 10
say that his place Ia literature US great and
original writer is permanently settled. lbs books
are perhaps too oiteu ptehsd In a ulnor key to
crafty he muluIule. IL Is true that he Is nnt
without rare vein of humur. stlll moro lasc-
mating, perhaps, because 1t is never boisterous,
when stiang,i iy tempels the solnbre toue OF bis
mage. but the prevailing spirit Of hs writings
is somewhat melancholy, and il occasionally
rises into the wleIdly uagical. la some OF his
books this Is carried to tragic pitch, which
the reader tveu vi ordinary sensitiveness, finds
almost painful. He is a master of that unusual
ullcucI iiolccccu tACtiitu Oh Ten l.
iog 10 strictly natural events, the deepest inter-
est of the supernatural. lie makes living men
and women do u ghosuy work aud he is
cousummate creator OF pIc5uresquoness OF situa-
tiou. Some oil the scenes Ia the " Scarlet Let.
ter 10 the = House OF Seven Cables" and in
the " Bltbdale Romance" have terror akin
to that with which in childhood we trembIed
over the pages OF Mrs Radcliffe; /; yet Mr.. Hsw-
thorne worked only with homely aud almost
unherolc Minerals, and In the most remarkable
of these works had no historical or Legendary
assistance. ln this rare gift he was not unlike
Mr.. Charles B1ochoen Browne, the earliest
American NOVELIST, who had, however, but q
slight tnge oil Mr., Hawthornes philosophical
subtlety. We have already alluded to his hu-
NOR, and We need not say that he had also the
quality Of pathos which Is rarely separated from
the humorous. There are passages in the
= Scarlet Letter." especially Of womans love
aud suffering, and Of maternal tenderness, which
are not hardly surpassed by anything in English
literature, but are absolutely unique in their
character.
Thus, one by one, the writers who have crea-
ted for US an American literature origiosl and
self.sustaining, ara departing. IL is not enough
90 saS that thoy will be remembered through
their own productions, but we may fondly hope
that they will always stand out us the foremost
pioneers Of u literature yet to achieve more sig
nal and important triumphs.