The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-16

SO much ez Em'son Hawthorne anu Tnoreau,
1t is the grandest village IN all America in its past
as well as its present. concord 1ghtn has given
1t history which no other town can justly claim,
and 1t has, besides, main tanned itself SO well In
bearing It's proud pre-smlnence that nobody will
deny that 1t Is every way worthy or It's history.
People who nave been sounding the praises OF
New England have made II typical OF New England
towns In general but the truth IL 1t as much I'M
ike the manufacturing villages as the adobe ham,
lets OF New Mexico. In the factory towns the
houses not built in streets but set up In rows.
one dwelling is as much like another as the
brother tenpins in bowling alley. Ia Concord
each house besrays the taste or ITS owner, and
nearly every dwelling has Its tradi-
tions and its story. Coming into the VII
lage by the Lexington roaG-the way
the grenadlers came in l775-the irst build
ing of note is the Waysde School IN the house
built by Hawthorne when he determined 10 desert
the Ola Manse. 1t is q wooden structure, two sto-
ries In height, and is surmounted by a little box
overlooking tie roof in which the sky romancist
| had his study. This box was accessible only by q
| trap. upon which the novelist placed his library
chair, and, by thus Keeping the world nc bay, JUS
titled the lines or the poet In which he Is described
as one
with genius so shrinking and rare
| That you hardly at lrst see the strength that L.
there.
i n
Alcott's residence, the home also OF his two
gifted daughters II is an old house, neglected
| In appearance, but surrounded by ample grounds,
which are capable OF being made very lovely in
| the springtlme and summer rustic fence, now
also much in decay, built OF pine and cedar
| branches, gathered from the neighboring thickets
| and woven together by Mr.. Alcotrs own hands,
encloses the grounds and separates them from
! the street. Across the way and still little
1
road and the ridge, which forms the background
OF AL this picture, reveals the more rnlcKly set
tied part OF the town, is the dwelling or Ralph
Waldo Emerson. 1t is square house, without
pretensions, and lacks charms or~any kind
in It's situation and surroundings. The ground
on which IL stands Is low and almost marshy, and
being across the street it has not the ridge behind
It as nave the others to lend IL picturesqueness.
Then comes the village proper, huggng the hill on
the north and east and kissing the river TO the
south and west Here the main street intersects
the road extending IRON point opposite the old
graveyard, which forms the centre OF the ridge,
/ almost in the direction OF the old South Bridge,
/ held by a company OF British grenadlers April 10,
| I775. while their comrades were being beaten
mile below. ON this street is tue house where
next SUNDAY President Grant, like Hosea Biglow,
Is go
Il whose gardng Whispers with the rivers edge.
Near 10 Judge Hoar's Is the rural retreat OF Mr..
Frederic HUDSON, whose History OF journalism
In the United states'' Is q proud monument TO mis-
| own achievements in the journalistic probes
| sion. Tnoreau, who was a recluse, lived farther
| away at Walden Pond, while near the North
Bridge. wnere the nrst battle OF the Revelation
TOOK place is the Old Manse, celebrated as the
residence or the Rev. William Emerson, the grand
father or the Carlyle OF Concord and the minister
Mr. mar
witnessed the battle between the men whom his
grandson has so grandly named the "emoatted
farmersu and the British grenadiers from an
upper window OF his mouse. which commanded a
view OF both positions, and he testified Ia his
diary that alter the invader discharged ms first
shot he ''was uneasy TIL the IRE was returned"
though he knew that "thelr numbers were more
tnan treble ours"
THE PROVINCIAL PARADE GROUND.
| The spot overlooked by the bold and patriotic
| Concord clergyman. soon TO become so famous In
| history, IL now known as the Provincial Parade
Ground. The English were nrst on the ground
and held the town. II was long wait which the
patriots mad that night, Tor Mr.. Longfellow has
tod us In his cantering verse OF the Midnight
ride or Paul Revere that
IL was one by the village clock
When he galoped into Lexington.
And the poet added, with something Of poetic
license. It must be confessed, that
II was two by the village clock,
When he cane 10 the bridge IN Concord town.
He heard the beating or the 1ocK
And Inc twitter or Dirds among the trees
AND iclt the breath OF the morning breeze
Blowing over the meadows brown.
II Paul Revere mad reached Concord at all that
niqht he would nave come 10 the town before he
got 70 the bridge; but the truth Is that ne was
captured at Lexington, and the rest OF his self
imposed duty was performed by samuel Prescott,
Young doctor belonging TO Concord who carried
the news or the array on the green 70 bis towns
man. But this is history, and we have Only TO do
with the parade ground, where the provInclals
marched down from the contiguous slopes to
patte for their country. It's q beautiful spot by
nature, and capable or every adornment which
art can bestow. The lazy stream creeps IDLY by,
and on its banks, where they Tell that day, sleep
the TWO British soldiers, the nrst or the enemy 10
ialI IN the struggle Tor American Independence.
stone wall, extending from the river TO the
HIGHWAY, has peen Quilt over their grave, aud
rude stone, rudely carved, tells the place or
their sepulture. Near by IL the votlve tablet
raised in 1890 10 commemorate the deed,
and across the stream, now as then spanned by
simple bridge, Is the spot where the 'emoatiled
farmersr stood and Davis and Hosmer fell. the
new statue or the minute man. leaving his
plough TUNED in the iurrow, but bearing his
trusty rine with him. has been erected here and
nere In sight OF the hills from which the provin-
cials fled two and two to tue music Of the white
4 Cockade.un VIII be unveiled on Monday. The
scene mas changed butlittle In hundred years, and
the spirit when animated the American people then
still survives to md expression on TINS spot. Tho
\ hills ana fields are still the same, lew fences
more ana q few stones less being the only changes
wrought by time In the arena OF the Concord ngnt.
As stood On tnis historic ground this morning.
the early sunshine bathing the hills with lie and
hgat and recalled all that had ever been told me
OF tnat glorious day. the whole scene seemed to