New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-02-03
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
.,,r,,,N,p1 HAWTHORNE.

The fine insight into the subtle mysteries OF
human character, with the rare power OF presenting
it's most elusive traits in Significant language
which has given q peculiar charm TO Mr.. Jamess
novels has been called into vigorous exercise ID
this mastery estimate OF the great American writer
of fiction. Hawthorne has never before been maze
the subject of So complete, so searching ana 80
exact an analysis. The features. which give the
EXPRESSION to his genius and his character, have
usually been described by a few choice epithets'
with no attempt to sound the depths of his nature
or 10 separate the light from the darkness in his
original and weird individuality. His portrait is
here drawn without the glamour of personal assoc
ciatiop from the study of his writings, from the
instructive response to the presence OF spirio"ti
symbols from the curious and wise perception Win
which the artist detects at glance tine expression
of life but with 10 seductive influence from SYM
patby, or the echo Of foregone conclusions Inc
claims of Hawthorne to the emlnence he mas won
are distinctly emphasized by Mr. James IN the com
mencement of the essay. He accords TO HIM the
importance of being the most beautiful and most
eminent representative OF a literature In Tue ueid
of letters he remarks, Hawthorne is the most
valuable example Of the American genius. lie is
the writer to whom his cOuntrymen most conhcenuy
point as having enriched his mother tongue. In the
modest nosegay of American growth, the genius
of Hawthorne has the rarest and sweetest
fragrance.
But, as Mr. James lucdy sets forth, the action of
bis literary faculty impaired by the limitations
Of American life. He was genuine product OF
the soil of New-England. He bloOmed III n crcvlce
of her immltigabo granite In spite of the absence
Of the realistic quality he intensely local. 1t
Is the SAVIOR of New-England that gives him much OF
his interest with the American reader. He cannot
be Justly valued without personal impression of
" the manners. the morals indeed of the very eli
mate of the great region of which the remarkable
city Boston is the metropolis" The cold, bright
air Of New-Engand seems to blow through his pages.
which perhaps form the most agreeable medium III
which TO make the acquaintance of thattonlc atmos-
phere. The influence OF Salem, the old maritime town
oil the seaboard of Massachusetts, in which Haw-
thorne was born, is discussed by Mr. Jamesin vein
Of acute suggestion. which will perhaps indeed be
thought to have too fine point by many readers.
The dreary years he passed there are said to have
called forth mingled tenderness and rancOr,"
the traces of which feelings may be occasionally de-
tected in his other writings well as in the Intro
ductiOD to the Scarlet Letter to which MIR. James
especially refers. Hisp,cture of Salem in its pres
ent state is, however. by no unattractive -
Tho lIem OF to-day has, as New England towns 60
physiogpmy OF its own. and in spite OF Hawthornes
cdedy agreeable one The spreading ms us slreets
the proportion OF large. square. honora1e-3okhg
houses. suggesting easy cOplous material e the
little gardens; the grassy waysides the open wlnd0ws
the ar of saee and salnOrty and decency and above
al intmation of larger aulecedents-these things
COMPOSE picture which has llite OF the element that
something that they would admit be style TO Eng
sh eyes the oldest and most honorable OF the smaller
rustic the shabby straggline village quality appears
marked in them. and their social tone Is not M
naturally inferred bear the village stamp Village
like they and 1t would be gross ncvility TO de-
scribe them large. respectable prosperous demo-
cratic villages But even village IN great ana vlgor
Gus democracy. whore there are no oyershadowing
equires. where the county has no social existence
where the villagers conscious of superintendent
strata genilty piled upward into vague regions OF
prvIlegeeyen village is not an Institution TO accept
Of more graceful patronage 1t thinks extremely
well OF ITSELF ana is absolute IN its own regard salem
1t that rather melancholy group of old coast
EngIsnG. ana of which the list is competed by the
names OF Portsmouth. Plymouth New Bedford, New
buryport centres OF the traffic
with foreign lands when have their trade carried
away from them by the greater cities. As Hawthorne
says, their ventures have gone 10 swell necdlessly
aud imT+rceptibly the mighty food Of commerce at
New-York or Boston" Salem. at the beginning OF the
present century, played great part In The Eastern
trade; IL the residence o, euterpsing shpowners
who dispatched their vessels to Indian and Chinese
II was place OF large fortunes many OF which
have remained, though the ACTIVITY tDat produced
them has passed away These successful traders con.
sttued what Hawthorne calls the arlstOcrac class
He audes of his shgher sketches e. The Sister
fuenee OF wealth having been more marked III
Salem than III any other New England town. Tue sway,
the moral Influence Of wealth was not exerted IN the
cause of immortality. hawthorne was probably but i'm
perfectly conscious OF advantage which familiarity
had made stae-lne fact that he lived IN the
crauc and most virtuous modern communities. or
the virtue It but civil suppose that his family
had liberal share but not much oil tie wealth. ap-
parenly, came INTO their way. Hawthorne was not
born a patrmony and his income, oer in life, never
exceeded very modest proportions.
Mr. James's description of Hawthorne as young
man. will not perhaps be fully appreciated by those
who knew him only y the latter years of his life.
when the sterner elements of his nature had be-
come somewhat softened by larger experience of
nd dial into will
society. HIS tendency TO silence and the shade as
Mr. James believes, has been exaggerated though
many of his early and most intimate friends have
given pretty explicit testimony that point but
STILL the writer admits that he not expansive
be bad drifted into solitude through the pressure Of
his natural shyness and reserve {; he was not ad-
dcted to experiments and adventures of inter
course; was not personally, in fact, what was
called sociable. lie was difident, tacituIn, more
inclined to watch and mediate than to produce
himself, on almost every occasion preferrlng to be
absent thantO be present This quality is visible
in all his writings They all betray something cold
and thin. proceeding from the imagination alone,
and pointing to man bu; little disposed TO null
tpy hisponts of contact with society. Still his shy
ness seems to have had nothing unamiable or In
dividious nor was 1t colored with excessive gloom
His Notebooks Indicate certain serenity and
amenity of mind, sometimes, indeed to an almost
remarkable degree. There Is little gayety, no high
spirits but never any lack of placidity and even
ness of temper. Hawthorne, according to Mr..
James was no pessimist. He cherished no bitter
aud morbid views of human nature He sounds
note of despair. even of depression. Indeed he
seems to have had theories, no apprecable
philosophy at ALL general views that in the
least uncomfortable. His affections lay beneath the
movement and ripple OF his imagination they were
solid and strong; but, Mr.. James somewhat
quantity suggests, they had the place very much
to themselves"
The poverty of New-EDgland life fifty years ago,