The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1864-06-03
WHOLE NO. Isl. I.
Nathaniel Hawthorne.

The announcement OF the death of tho
great American novelist and essayist, Ma
thaniel Hawthorne, will be everywhere ro-
ceivcd with surprise and profound regre.
There bad been no announcement of his
illness, and We are left to conclude tbs, his
sickness was OF short duration.
MIR. Hawthorne was born in 1904, at Salem
Massachusetts, place that will ever be as
sociatod with his name and works. He was
educated at Bowdoin College, where he
graduated in 1925, Longfellow being one of
his class mates, and If we mistake not, DR..
Oliver Wendell Holmes, and N. p Willis.
lIawthorne's first work was an anonymous
romance. published in 1899, work that
has Dover claimed, nor has il ever been in
cluded in any edition Of his works. In 1887
he published a collection of "Twice Told
Tales so called.bocause they had previous.
Iy been Published In various periodicals to
which be was contributor. In lS43 he
removed TO Concord, residing for u time in
an old manse or parsonage, and in 1886
gave to the world delightful volume, which
was indebted to the parsonage for its title,
"Mosses from an Old MaDse." The same
year he was appointed Surveyor iu the
Custom-house at Salon, bis native town,
and held the Office three years. In 1850
his famous "Scarlet Letter." which at once
raised him TO the first rank among our wri-
ters OF fiction, was published and created
very profound impression in this country
and Europe. In 1851. appeared Tho
House of the Seven Gables" scarcely less
fascinating than the previous volume. In
1852 he published the "BitbedaIe Romance"
which has never been esteemed as highly as
his other works. No other works of fiction
appeared from his pen, unless fugitive tales,
till 1859, when the novel entitled "Trsns-
formation was made public. 1t is the
most finished, and the ripest production of
this great writer, though not as popular as
the "Scarlet Letter." or tho "House with
tho Seven Gables" THE edition published
in this country was entitled "Tbe Marble
Faun."
In 1858, Mr.. Hawthorne was appointed
Consul to Liverpool. by President Pierce
an office which he held for five years.
Since his return to this country, Mr.. Haw-
thorne has published his sketches Of English
life and people, work that will remain for
all time, as a faithful thinning of present En-
glish society, by an acute and tolerably i'm.
partial observer.
Hawthorne, moro than any cotemporary
author, had tho powor of awakening and
sustaining intenso and painful interest in
bis readers. Those who recall the death of
Judge Pynchon, sitting in his own chair.
the moonlight streaming into tho ghostly
room, aud weird shadows of the past floating
10 and out, will remember how deep, lasting
and fascinating was the spell thrown around
them, and how impossible it was to rcmOyo
their eyes from the dead figure of the poor
old gentleman, to whom earthly honors and
riches and comforts were vanity and dust.
The style of Mr.. Hawthorne is fresh, trans
parent, often terse, and always pure. No
writer of our time used the language more
accurately and with greater force and
beauty. If for no other merit, Hawthornes
writings may be proftaby studied as mod.
els of English undefled. In bis death, lit.
erature loses one of it's greatest ornaments.
and our country one of her fnobt intellects.
Cincinnati Commercial.