Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-02-03
H.IIv'THORvE,S "SC.rRLET LET
TER"
by JAMES T. FIELDS.

BH JAMES Il. FIELDS.
When Mr. George Bancroft, then Collec-
tor of the Port of Boston, appointed Haw-
thorne weigher and guager. in ,tbo custom
house, he did a wise thing, for no public
officer ever performed his disagreeable du-
ties better than our romancer. Here is
tattered little official document signed by
Hawthorne when he was watching over
the interests of the country; it certities his
attendance at the unlading of brig, then
lying at Long Wharf in Boston. | keep
this precious relic side by side with one of
a similar custom-house character, signed
Robert Burns.
camo to know Hawthorne very init
mately after the Wings displaced the Dem
ocratic romancer from office. In my ar
dent desire to have him retained in the
public service, his salary at that time being
his sole Dependence foreseeing that
his withdrawal from that sort of employ
ment would bo the best thing for American
letters that could possibly happen,--I call
ed, in his behalf, on several influential pol
iticians of the day, and 1 well remember
the rebuffs 1 received in my enthusiasm
for the author of the "Twice-Told Tales"
One pompous little gentleman in authori-
ty, after hearing my appeal, quite astound-
| ed me by his ignorance of the claims of
literary man on his country. eyes, yes"
he sarcastically croaked down his public
turtle-fed throat, 81 see through it all, |
see through it, this Hawthorne is one of
them ere visionists, and we don't want no
such man as him round.' So the "vis-
| ionist" was not allowed to remain in office,
and the country was better served by him
in another way. In the winter of 1S49, af
ter he had been elected from the custom
| house, went down to Salem to see him
and inquire after his health, for we heard
he had been suffering from illness. He
was then living in n modest wooden house
in Oliver street, if l remember rightly the
location. l found him alone in a chamber
over the sitting-room Of the dwelling and
as the day was cold, he was lowering near
n stove. We fell into talk about his future
prospects, and he was, as feared should
| find him, in n very desponding mood,
"Now," said /, "is the time for you to pub
lsh, for know during these years in Sa-
| lem you must have got something ready
for the press" "Nonsense," said he
"what heart had to write anything, when
my publishers on. and Company have
been so many years trying to sell small
edition of the 'Twice-Told Tales?'" | still
pressed upon him the good chances he
now would have with something new.
"Who would risk publishing book for
me, the most unpopular writer in Ameri-
ca?" AZ would" said /, "and would start
with an edition of two thousand copies of
anything you write" "What madness %
he exclaimed; "your friendship for me
gets the better of your judgment. "No,
no" he continued; ~ have no money to
indemnify publishers losses on my ac-
count" looked at my watch and found
that the train would soon be starting for
| Boston, and / knew that there was not
much time to lose in trying to discover
what had been his literary work during
these last few years in Salem. l remem-
| Der that l pressed him to reveal tome what
he had been writing. He shook his head
and gave me to understand that he had
produced nothing. At that moment |
caught sight of a bureau or set of drawers
| near where we were sitting and immedi-
ately it occurred to me that hidden away
| somewhere in that article of furniture was
a story or stories by the author of "Twice-
Told Tales" and l became so positive of it
that l charged him vehemently with the
fact. He seemed surprised l thought but
shook his head again and l rose to take
my leave, begging him not to come into
tha cold pnfrv GnUipp / NVpnlH han
and see him again in few days. / was
hurrying down the stairs when he called
after me from the chamber, asking me to
stop moment. Then quickly stepping
into the entry with roll OF manuscript in
| his hands he said: GLOW in Heavens
name did you know this thing was thereH
AS you have found me out take what |
have written, and tell me after you get
home and have time to read it, if 1t is good
for anything. 1t is either very good or
very bad,-I don't know which," On my
way up to Boston read the germ of "The
Scarlet Letter." before l slept that night l
| wrote him noto all aglow with admira-
tion of the marvellous story no had put in
to my hands, and telling him that would
come again the next day to Salem and ar
range for its publication. l went on in
such an amazing state of excitement when
we met again in the little house, that he
would not believe was really in earnest.
Heseemed to think Twas beside myself and
laughed sadly at my enthusiasm. Howev-
or, we soon arranged for his again appear
ing before the public in the shape of a book.
| -Atldntic MOnthly.