The Republican journal., 1882-07-13

Literature
HENRY y. THoREAU. BY +. b. Sanborn.
There died in city Of Maine, on the river
Penob>cOt, late III the wear l>sl" saws Mr..
sanborn in the opening chapter, 1.-THE last menu
Der of Il family which had been planted in New
England little more than a hundred wears
before by a young tradrSman from the English
Island Of Jersey, and had here produced one Of
the most characteristic American and New
English men of genius whom the world has
Yet seen" This lady, Miss Maria Thorrau, who
died i'll Bangor, was the aunt of the subject
of this biography and from her Thoreau derived
what information he possessed concerning his
Jersey ancestors. Henry David Thorcuu was
born in 1917, graduated Ill Harvard college in
1887, and died in 1862. He came honestly hy
his French name, for his grandfather was Il
French immigrant. who married Scotch girl.
IN Boston. His mother, Cynthia Dunbar. wa,
the daughter Of Il Massachusetts, preacher.
regularly bred at Harvard college our 81
this eccentric mingng Of French, Scottish and
Puritanical blood cam" of course AN eccentric
character. He was naturalist of appetite type.
having an extraordinary sympathy AID intelli-
gence with wild creatures and an endless inter
est in their habits and modes Of thought. and
for months at time he lived in the wood, for
the purpose of studying nature. 1t has been
truly said that his pen pictures Of outdoor
life are like Photographic His investigations
were those of 4 lover of nature rather than
those Of 4 scientist, and perhaps his writings
were the more enjoyable because ln Hall uo
theories to present Mr.. Smbom gives lis hot
only the history Of the man, but depicts his
characteristics, his surroundings at Cuncurd
with mention of the famous people who have
resided there. his Walden hermitage and the
tran>ctndcntai movement in Which ~ had Il
part. 1t is easy to see that Mr. ~anborn'~ task
as the b0grapher Of Thorcan was Il cougruial
one, and the pictures he presents of IhorcaI
| and of Concord are wonderfully vivid one of
the many anecdotes in which the book ;bounds
is here quoted hi 1857. when Mrs Thurrau
was seventy Years old, and Miss Emerson
eighty-tour, the younger lady called ON the
elder in Concord. wearing bonnyt-ribbon> of ~
good length and of Il bright color perhaps
yellow. During the call, ain which Henry
Thorcau wa, the subject OF conversation. Miss
Emerson kept her eyes shut As Mr.. Ihorrlu
and her daughter Sophia rose I'd %, the little.
| old lady said, "PerhapS You noticed. Mr.
rhorcau, that | closed my eyes during YOUR
call. | did 81 because | did not wish to look
on the ribbons YOU are Wearing 50 unsuitable
for Il child OF God and person of your Years. $
This is the third volume Of the American Men
Of Letters series the preceding volumes Were
Washington Irving, ~ Charles Dudlcy Warner
and Noah Webster by Horace f. Scuddcr and
! the publishers HAY" now in preparation, Narh-
ancl Hawthorne, by James Russell Lowell: y.
L. Willis. by Thomas Bailey AIdrich; J. Fen
nlmorr Cooper, by Prof. T. Il. Ion,huly
| William Gilmore SimnS, ~ Geor@r W. Cable
| Benjamin Franklin, by +. W. II@ginson; and
| others To be announced hereafter. We shall
! look with special interest for the biography oil
" Ills, and the choice Of his biographpr seems
I" rs i very happy one. The general estimate
" Willis hardly docs him Justice, ANA lis WRIT
ln@- deserve ID ht better knuNn tp-il than
they are. What letters from Europe, published
within the past twenty -tNe wears, excel, ur even
equal in interest. his PcncillingS by the Wuy:'
| delightful summer reading Both books In,
! worthy Of new editions and would charm Il new
| generation Of readers This series will contain
| ten or more IL mo. Volumes of from 90
to 300 pages each, brought out in til, best style
| of the Riverside Press, and ti>tcful bound
| They are sold at ; uniform price of $50 pen
| volume, and will be sent postpaid on receipt II
I, I
| Boston.
THE DESMOND lit NpEEp ~ tit. author
| of a Namelrs> Nohcman." The latter book
was the first of the NOW popular Round Robin
| series If novels, and had AN immediate Success.
| II was a powerfully written story, and il III
niliar no doubt, to many Of Our readers. \nd
| those who have read "a Namre,, Nohcman
will have an eager welcome for the new Round
| Robin, which i said to lack nothing of the ro-
| nance. warmth and poetry which characterize
| the authors former works." The scenes III,
laid in New England and the Bahamas, ANA the
first chapter gives th- cheerful description of /.
| New England Kitchen
| 1t was a rambling old house, built by Deacon
| Elnt'S grand father, added to 10y his father, and
| improved by himself. The Kitchen, where the
| deacon Wlie mostly nH'u. was ~ h.tllrnN ~
A. ~, 4, g, III" ~
| porchrd door, an opposite northern window
| looking into the apple orchard, and fitted with
uouor >"sI, ioI Mii'.i T'Htil'L ,'r Elr,i'
| rinsnd win - wnntpn buIwark .nnr,D,Ema, tLr
| dogs, the crane and the brick oven opening
| 'l'""S, w ~ 'h' IniiipN' Mn.i' N""N'l'%
| raI ,ni,nus If thr nirturr>oIlt fir4 nlnr. M.
| west end Of the room presented three doors
| 'irte ~ Ih@ corners opening ihlo NO great
| tb,4 one = rpfu~r from simmer L,.,ts fL,. nfL.,
| from winter coId-for the ample provision al
| M'N1 Oh la : ne nilo,'t uooI "Prh'" III"
It'll, II N onn INK ,yos Lrnmohf i'll i ,,.in,iti,
| wooden acqueduct, the water of ncighboriu4
NUS When ~ Wy anf AZ TIT" I.iI HhN-
in fhrn,,,rh tb, i'll. ~ M hons, mi ~, .,,,,,
through vent near its upper edge.
oh for such back kiIchcu. and spring lh,>,,
hot summer days; but those who can not have
them may read of them ana Of L good man,
other things more or Ia pleasant. in this Round
Robin With its cool. green garb The books Of