Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-20
HawthOrne,s Diary.

The Portland Transcript has had the good
fortune to Obtain for publication some extracts
from a diary kept by Mr.. Hawthorne when a
boy of ten years. He was then spending some
time on a farm in Maine, near Lake Sebago, for
the benefit of his health. Some of these extracts,
of which the following are specimens, show o
remarkable degree for that age of the same cast
of thought and humor which was developed in
his famous romanccs:
SELFISH MoTHER-LovE.
| This morning the BUCKET got off the chain,
and dropped back into the we'll. ! wanted to
go down on the stones and get it. Mother
would not consent for fear the well might cave
in, hut hired Samuel Shane to 20 down In the
goodness of her heat, she thought the son of
| old Mrs. Shane not quite so valuable as the son
of the widow Hawthorne God bless her for all
| her love for me, though it may be some selfish.
| We are to have pump in the well, after this
mishap
LITTLE WITCH.
can, from nv chamber window, look across
into Aunt Manning's garden, this morning. and
see little Betty TarboX, fitting among the rose
bushes, aud in and out Of the arbor like a tiny
witch. She will never realize the calamity that
came upon her brothers and sisters that terrible
night when her father and mother lay within
few rods of each other, in the snow, freezing to
death. l love the elf because of her loss and
still, my aunt is much more to her than her own
mother, in her poverty, could have been.
SAVING A LAMBS LIFE.
Major Berry went past our house with a large
drove OF sheep, yesterday. One, last springs
lamb, gave out-could go no further. l saw
him down near the bridge. The poor dumb
creature looked into my eyes, and l thought |
knew Just what he would say, if he could speak
aud SO asked Mr.. Berry what he would sell him
for. "Just the price OF his pelt, and that will
bring siXty-fVe cents" was the answer. IIan
and petitioned mother for the money, which
she soon gave me, saying with a smile that she
tried to make severe but could not, that was ga
great spendthntt." The lamb Is in our orchard
now, and he made bow without taking off his
hat,) and thanked me this morning, for saving
him from the butcher.
TIE BOYS THOUGHT ABOUT COPS MERCY.
A young man named Henry Jackson, Jr., was
drowned two days ago, up in Crooked river. He
and one OF his riends were trying which could
swim the faster. Jackson was behind, but gain.
ing, when his friend kicked at him in fun, think
ing to hit his shoulder and push him back, but
missed, and hit his chin, which caused him to
take in water and strangle, and, before his friend
could help or get help, poor jackson was Glider
Leach says) "bryond the reach of mercy" /
read one of the Psalms to my mother, this
morning, and ii plainly declares twenty-six
times that Goods mercy endureth forever" |
never saw Henry jackson; he was young man
just married. Mother is sad, says that she shall
not consent to my swimming any more in the
mill-pond with the boys, fearing that in sport
my mouth might get Kicked open, and then sor-
row for dead son be added to that for my dead
father. which she says would break her heart. |
love to swim, but shall not 6lsobey my mother
SAIL AND BIG TROUT.
Went yesterday in sail boat on the great
pond, with Mr.. Peter White of Windham He
sailed up here from Whites bridge to see Capt.
Diugey, and invited Joseph DINGHY and Mr..
Ring to take boat tide out to the Dingley ISL
ImQHng IA o1cp L q
enough to saw might go, with my mothers
CONSENT which she gave after much coaXiuo.
Since the loss OF my father she breads to have
one belonging to her go upon the water. Mr..
Whte, who knows all this region, told us that
the streams from thirty-fve ponds, large and
small, flow into this, as he calls it, great basin,
We landed on one of the small islands that
Capt Dingley cleared Tor sheep pasture when
he came to Raymond. Mr.. Ring said he had
to do it to keep his sheep from the bears
and wolves. A growth Of trees has started
on the island, and makes a grove SO fine and
pleasant that wish almost that our house was
| there. On the way from the island TO the"lm.
ages, MI Ring caught a black spotted trout
that was almost whale, and weighed, before it
was open, after we rot back to Uncle Richards
| store, IS pounds The men said that if ithad
been weighed as soon as it came out of the water
| 1t would have been nineteen pounds. This trout
had droll looking hooked nose, and they tried
| 10 make me believe that if the line had been
let go, or have been pulled out of the boat They
were men and had a right to say so. am a
| boy and have right to think differently. We
| landed at the Images, when crept into the cave
| and got drink of cool water.
INSTINCTS OF sAvAGERY
We sailed over a place, not far from the I'M
ages, where Mr.. White has, at some time, let
down line four hundred feet without finding
the bottom. This seems strange for he told u.s.
too, that his boat, as 1t foated, was only two
hundred and fifty feet higher than the boats in
Portland harbof, and that if the Great pond was
pumped dry, man standing on its bottom Just
under where we then were, would be more than
Que hundred and fifty feet lower than the surface
Of the water at the Portland wharves. Coming
up the Dingley bay, had good view of the
Rattlesnake mountain, and it seemed to me won
deriully beautiful as the almost setting sun
threw over its western crags, streams Of fiery
Light. II the Indians were very fond of this
| part OF the country, II is easy to see why;
beavers, offers and the finest fish were alum
dant, and the hills and streams furnished
constant variety. | should have made
good Indian if | had been born in
tne wigwam. To talk like sailors, we made the
o ii hemlock stub at the mouth of the Dingley
MIL orooE, Just before sunset, and sent boy
ashore WIN a hawser and were soon safely
moored TO q bunch Of alders. After we got
ashore, Dir. White allowed me 10 FIRE his long
gun al q mark did not bit the mark, and am