New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-05


pher, lawyer, Archaeological, Psychologist,
acquiring many things, and divining more.
But no doubt Shakespeare was player in
the very essence of his nature. No doubt,
too, he loved men of all kinds. The mas
ter was blamed for associating with pub
licans and sinners. Socrates, too. consorted
with the disreputable. Shakespeare had
illustrious precedent for finding his lesson
book in all humanity, and not simply
among the genteel. Not from the genealogy
or the history Of his associates shall we
learn the nature of the man Shakespeare,
but out of his own mouth, as it were, will
we approve or condemn him. What has
he taught US to admire-what to shun !,
Are the wicked glorifed by him, or is no.
biiity of soul the one thing neediul! Have
you an opinion Of Iago, Othello, Shylock,
Richard Ill, and do you think that he.
their creator, had none?
The millions of flesh and blood die and
pass away-Henry and Elizabeth, and Buck
ingham and Wolsey, and Philip and John
had faded out of miRd long ago, but for the
of the Egyptians; while out of the realm of
IMAGINATION he summons Hamlet and Lear.
AID Imogen and Desdemona, and, oh royal
yiyer. confers upon them immortality.
Shakespeare was a painter-human nature
sat to him, and the world was his studio.
No pleasure lover or debauchee could he
have been. From what but an immense So
briefly could these works of his which we
call plays have comet Through what big,
chaste, well ordered apartments must the
characters from his ever concelving restless
imagination have trOoped! The purltanic
conscience cross-questiOns Shakespeare 3
piety. and doubts if he we're religious man.
But shall we not find his faith, too, in his
works, Behold in his poetry his personality.
Himsalf-what constitutes his power and
informs his life-is all in his work, and can
not help being found there by every discern
ing eye.
men and Of poets bear testimony OF himself,
the doctor. for an enchanted hour, read to
us selections from the different plays and
sonnets-extracts full OF revelation. show
ing to us a man of devout faith, of lofty
ambition, of sad sagaclty, OF heart strong
to love. generous TO forgive, and full OF
sympathV for all the world-a man whose
genius was no greater than his trust ana
mia iustice. Between these extracts DR..
Bartul sandwichei the subtlest comments
of his own. revealing, like the sudden fash
of bright light, muca that had been dark
before
When the discourse was over. Mr.. Elmer
son said that he believed he had not missed
a word: this. az last. was portrait OF
Shakespeare worthy to be palnted-done
by aid of all the telescopes. Indeed. the
doctor had carried with him all our sym :
uathies. We forgot that any spots CT petty
DISBURSEMENT, or curse on him who should
disturb his bones. had ever dimmed the
brightness of this glorious sun on which we
had been invited to gaze. We offered At
this shrine our silent, full-hearted worship.
and then the talk fell, as was natural IN
sucb presence. into the familiar discussion
of the noblest themes-of poets and poetry
and thought, and metaphysics, of elite and
death, and the vast forever"
At last Mr.. Alcott said: "And you, lover
of Hawthorne, would you like to see his
house-the last home he had in this world Z
NV hat was on in moment. The house Is
the next one to Mr.. AlcOtt's, but not very
near, A true inhabitant Of Concord brooks
no neiphbor under his windows. This Haw-
thorne house is the one where "Septimus
FELTON," lived, at that time, as Hawthorne
himself described it, "a twostOry house,
gabled before, but with only two rooms on
q floor. crowded upon by the hill belinda
house OF thick walls. as though the prOiec-
tor had that sturdy feeling OF permanence
in life which incites people to make strong
their earthly habitations, as II deludlng
themselves with the idea that they could
forever inhabit them"
As we walked, Mr.. Alcott told me that
man really used to live in that house who
tanc;ed he was going to remain alive tor
ever; and HawthOrne's romance had TINS
much foundation The house is now used
as eirl's school Would you like to go
in" asked my indulgent guide. Oh. would
l not, And so we rang the bell. A kindly
lady came to speak to US, and seated Us III
Hawthorne's downstairs study; the room
whence, at the undesired approach OF visit
ors. he used to escape so rapidly, and Gimp
steep and narrow stairs to the square
tower-room which he had built himself az
refuge from intruders. Could we visit that
room also! Yes. certainly, but two OF the
Young ladies now occupy it. She would
see if they were there. In moment she
came back to us with permission, and we
climbed the stairs the dead magician had
climbed so often, and stood, at last, IN the
very holy of holies, where dwelt this ge-
MUS, sad az a tear and subtle as a flame.
| looked from the windows whence he had
looked. leaned on the desk at which he
had stood and written. seemed TO De
sharing the place with mighty ghost, and
l was almost glad to go down again into
the light Of common day.
Then we climbed the hill where "Septl-
nus" in the romance, was wont to pace to
and fro: where he found the strange Hover
growing on the grave, and where he met
the strange white maiden. The path here was
worn by Hawthorne's own feet; for day after
dav, summer and winter, he used to walk
there, dreaming his strange dreams, seeing
visions such as no mortal eye ever saw be-
fore, sad, shy, sagacious cynic that he was,
The day suited his memory. 1t was cloudy
and gray, with now and then some sudden
flash OF light, which faded as quickly as 1t
came. gathered sprig or two OF green from
a tree on the summit Of this hill. and went
down. The cheerful beauty and cordial
hospitality of the Alcotts' home gave me a
strange sense of contrast. tain would
have stayed there, in the cheerful fire-glow,
among the flowers and the pictures, com
panioned by those who had been the Little
Women once, and drinking unlimited cups
of coffee handed about by the Little Mem
but railroad trains wait for no sentiment,
and 1 found by an memorable time table
that my DAY in Concord" must needs De
over.