The Portland daily press., 1879-07-07
A Rare Flight of Imagination.

tJulian Hawthorne to the New York Tribue.1
Sir: My attention has been called to a letter
in Cincinnati paper, signed "Gleaner;" and
purporting to give a concise history of the ro-
mantle fortunes of the Hawthorne family
The history begins with the information that
Nathaniel Hawthorne began his career by jilt-
ing Miss Sophia Peabody and marrying her
sister, whose name is kindly withheld, but who
must be either Mrs. Horace Mann or Miss
Elizabeth p Peabody; and it concludes with
an announcement which confess took me by
surprise, that the author of ''The Scarlet Let
ter" and "the Marble Faun" is strongly sus-
pected of having died the death Of a confirmed
drunkard In comparison with statements so
romantic as these, the intermediate parts OF the
letter, although instinct with the loftiest
flights OF imagination, must necessarily appear
tame. The fortunes Of "Una," "Julian" and
''Rose'' are detailed at some length, and very
deplorable fortunes they appear to be- though,
luckily for the persons named, none of them
were in the least aware, until the publication
of Cleaners" letter, that any of the expert
ences therein recorded had ever befallen them.
1t would afford me high qualification to be
made acquainted with the address of "Glean-
er," whom 1 venture to believe, from the in
ternal evidence of her lucubration, to be
woman; and, meanwhile, 1 trust that the
newspaper which enjoys the privilege of pub
fishing what she writes will have liberality
enough to recompense her according to her
deserts. A truly creative genius is rare and
very precious thing, and its creations should
not be placed on level with the work of the
mere base collector of facts. Cleaner"
moreover, seems to have struck out for herself
strictly original path in fiction; unlike less
powerful romancers, she names her drdladtis
persona after living, or lately deceased, men
and women; and by dint OF picturing these
persons with traits of character and in situa-
tions as widely as possible at variance with
what actually belongs to them, she is able to
produce effects as piquant as they are novel.
BY this device, too she can fill out the meagre
and imperfect outlines of real history with
those graceful details which, when we read
them, we feel to be as true in art as they are
unveracious in reality. When, for example,
she completes the known character of Ma
thaniel Hawthorne by telling us that he was a
t1irt and drunkard, we perceive at once that
these traits were all that were wanting to
bring that character within the bounds of ar
tistie symmetry; and when she gives us to un-
derstand that Mr.. Lathrop was a constant
guest at Mr.. Hawthorne's house during the
latter's consulship at Liverpool, and that he
at that time engaged himself to Miss Una
Hawthorne, we are fain to acknowledge that
so, and not otherwise, it ought to have been;
and that, although Mr.. Lathrop at the period
indicated was barely two years of age, and re-
sided in the Sandwich Islands, while the lady
in question had Just entered her tenth year,
these circumstances were rather their misfor-
tune than their fault.
must not, however, allow the fascination
with which the works of this remarkable au-
thoress inspired me to betray me into appro-
priating more of your valuable space; but
could not refrain from offering up this slight
tribute to her talents. have done something
in the storytelling line myself; and, like other
authors, have occasionally been accused of bor-
rowing incidents, more or less disguised, from
passages of real life. But professional jealousy
shall not prevent me from confessing that
Cleaner" so far as 1 have knowledge Of her,
is incapable of descending to any such expedi-
ents. Her invention is absolute; it pays toll to
no conceivable realities, past, present, or to
come. There is not single sentence in the
letter at present under consideration which
could be twisted, even by the most cross
grained critic, even into the remotest likeness
to anything that has existed or occurred. Sure
ly writer of whom this can be said need COW
ct no other praise; grammar, orthography and
style are inferior matters over which practice
may ultimately enable her to gain mastery.
All she has to fear is the malicious envy and
detraction of those less highly gifted than her.
self; but let her persevere as she has begun,
and l have faith enough in human nature to
believe that she will sooner or later win the
recognition and the reward which are her due
am sir, your obedient servant,
JULIAN HAWTHORNE.
Hastings Lodge, Hastings, England, June
II, 1879.