Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1871-03-09
NO. 81.
Haw1h.rne,s ..scarIct Letter"
BY JAMES II. FIELDS.

w ucu OcOlSc lIduCIOlJs tuCu Ooiy
lector of the Port of Boston, appointed
Hawthorne weigher and gaugcr in the Gus
tom-house, he did wise thing, for no pub
lie officer ever performed his disagreeable
duties better than our ronancer. Here is
a tattered little official document signed
by Hawthorne when he was watching over
the interests ofthe country: it certifes his
attendance at the unlading of brig, then
lying at Long Wharf in Boston. 1 keep
this precious relic side by side with one of
a similar custom-house character. signed
Robert Burns.
came to know Hawthorne very inti-
mately after the Wings displaced the Dem
ocratic romancer from office. In my arr
dent desire to have him retained in the
public service, his salary at that time be-
ing his sole dependence-not foreseeing
that his withdrawal from that sort of en-
ployment would be the best thing for
American letters that could possibly hap
pen-I called, in his behalf, on several
influential politicians of the day and we'll
remember the re5uffs received in my en-
thusiasm for the author of the Twice Told
Tales" One pompous little. gentleman in
authority, after hearing my appeal. quite
astounded me by his ignorance of the
claims of literary man on his country
"Yes, 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 visiohists, and we don't
want no such man as him round" 80
the s'visionist' was not allowed to remain
in office, and the country was better serv-
ed by HIM in another way. In the winter
of 1910, after 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 suffefing from i'll
ness. He was then living in a modest
wooden house in Oliver Street, if L re-
member rightly the location. / found him
alone in chamber over the sitting-room
of the dwelling: and as the day was cold,
he was lowering near stove. We fell
into talk about his future prospects, and
he was, as feared | should find him, in
very desponding mood. Now" ."ssaid 1,
sis the time for you to publish. for know
during these years in Salem you must have
got something ready for the press" Non
sense" said he; "what heart had l. to
write anything, when my publishers On.
and Company have been SO many years
trying to sell a small edition of the 'Twice
Told Tales?" | still pressed upon him the
good chances he would have now with
something new. "Who would risk pub
fishing a book for me, the most unpopular
writer in America p II would" said /,
land would start with an edition of two
thousand copies of anything you write.
.What madness y he exclaimed "your
friendship for me gets the better OF your
Judgment. No, no." he continued; "l
have no money to indemnify publisher
losses on my account" j looked at my
watch and found that the train would soon
be starting for Boston, and | knew there
was not much time to lose in trying to
discover what had been his literary work
during these last few years in Salem.
remember that pressed him to reveal to
me what he had been writing. He shook
his head and gave me to understand he
had produced nothing. At that moment
/ caught sight of bureau or set OF draw
ers near where we were sitting; and Inn
medlately it occurred to Inc that hidden
away somewhere in that article of furni-
ture was a story or stories by the author OF
the 'sTwice- Told Tales" and became 50
positive of it that | charged him yebe-
nently with the fact. He seemed sur
prised, thought. but shook his head again
and | rose TO take my leave, begging him
not to come into the entry, saying / would
come back and see him againin "a few dny~.
| was hurrying down the stairs when he
called after me from the chamber, asking
me to stop moment. Then quickly step
ping into the entry with a roll OF manu-
script in his hands he said "How in Heav-
ems name did you know this thing was
there? AS you have found me out, take
what I have written, and tell me. after you
get home and have read it. if it is good for
anything. 1t is either very good or very
bad-I don't know which," On my way
up to Boston I read the germ of 1.-The
Scarlet Letter :" before | slept that night
wrote him note all aglow with admira-
ton of the marvellous story lie had put in
to my hands, and telling him that l would
come again to Salem the next day and ar
range for its publication. / went on in
such an amazing state Of excitement when
we met again in the little house, that be
would not believe | was really in earnest.
He seemed to think / wfs beside myself,
and laughed sadly at my cntbuslasm.--
However, we soon arranged for his again
appearing before the public in the shape OF
a k.-Atantie Monthly.