The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-11-09
SOME NEW HOOKS.
Hawthorne aud III. wire.

thoroughly understood that lie desired that no
biography OF him should DO written. The only
two persons who have dlsrogardcd his wishes
are his son-ln-lnw and his son. Mr. Henry
James wrote tho article on Hawthorne In tho
English Men OF Letters serics but II wns moro
u n study than n biography. "a no had no ma
tcrial to draw upon. Mr.. LathrOr. liawthorne's
son-in-law. called his littlp volume on iiaw-
thorno study. too. but 1t was MS much OF
biography as hc could mako II. Now Mr.
JULIAN HAWTHORNE. tho son Of the groat ro-
mapcor. has como ont boldly with two large
octave volumos. which he calls Nathaniel Hd,c-
horne ami his We. aud IN which no gives
every detail OF their lives that he has to give
and ms no hold all tho family papers except
tho fcw that Mr.. IatlIrop has. no gives a COM
picto biography OF Hawthorne. including many
papers and letters OF most private nature. 1t Is
said by Julian Howhornes friends that he pub
lished those two volumes because Mr.. LatlroD
had already brokcn the lee. and Mr.. Lathrop's
friends claim that he published his volume bo-
cause lie knew that lis bfo,her.n-lnw Ind one
in preparation. Messrs. James II. OsEood n
Co.. who publish Nathaniel Hawthorne and
his Wife," have given the book most sumptu-
GUS setting. and have limited the edition to
$50 copies. Two hundred and nifty o! these
were subscribed for before printed by tho pur-
chasers Of tho luxurious edition OF lInwthorDc's
WOrkS. 50 LllUI tiltEt WtI'NUlJ u uNnNt'u t'IicN
lef. for the general public. These also have
boen subscribed FOR. so ;hat tho book Is ,raly
not IN tho market Some time cheaper edition.
gotten UP in tho ordinary way. may lie published
Mr. Julian Hawthorne takes his subject from
tho very beginning and COOS back to the Haw-
thornes of England. whom hc traces to the lat
Tor part Of the sixteenth century. He thinks
that the family was originally Welsh but his
father had HI impression that tho name Haw-
thorne was a translation Of Do fAub6pino.
which would indicate French descent Tho
first Hawthorne that came to America was
William. who was born Ia 1907. Ilo cano over
with Winthrop and first settled in Dorchester
10 was thcn 20 years Of age. While still Il resi-
don't of Dorchester and before he had entered
his thirtieth year. he twice served rs II Repro
sentative. and after his removal to Salem
in 1857. no nllod the post OF Speaker during
seven or eight years. Few o! tho ilnwthornes
however. became connected with tho historical
events OF this time Mis- Elizabeth L. Peabody
tho sister-in-law of Nathaniel Hawthorne
writes OF them that they were unsociai in their
temper, and the family ran down in the course
OF the two centuries in fortune. manners. and
culture" But she speaks Of Hawthorne's
uncle Daniel rs being an exception. He was
noighbor of the Peabodys and they knew him
well. As Mrs. Hawthorne sharos the title PAGE
with her husband, tho son gives IA good many
pages Of this book to her. and according to his
account. which Is sustained by others. she
must have boon an exceptional woman.
Nothing seems less likely" says the son.
than that he Hawthorne would have under
taken his work in literature independently OF
her sympathy and cJmrHuionship. Not that
she afforded him any direct and literal assist
Gnce in tho composition OF his books and
stories; hor gifts were wholly unsuited TO such
employment. and no one apprehendcd moro
keeny than she the solitariucss and unique
moss OF his genius inasmuCA as she would have
deemed 1t something not far removed
from profanation to lrve offered to
have advised or swayed him in re-
gard to his literary productions. She
believed in his inspiration. and lcr Office was
to maintain SO far "a In her lay. the favorable
noss OF the conditions under which it should
manifest itsof As food and reposs nourish
and refresh the body. so did she nourish and
refresh her husbands mind and heart" She
was. however. g woman OF Intelligence and
education. AShe read Latin Greek. and He
brew She was familiar with history. and had
some talent for drawing painting. and sculp-
ture. Hawthornes devotion to and apprecia-
ton OF her was one Of the most beautiful
things in his life. He never became so IA
miliar with hor ILLUSTRATIONS unceasing
though they were. rs to accept them as mat
Vi COuTSe. uc spTiuSS VI STttiuue anu
recognition could not run dry in him. His wife
always remained to him sort of mystery OF
goodness and helpfulness." The life of Haw-
thorne. his son believes. cannot be understood
apart from that Of his wife and he might have
added that without her assistance it could not
have been written. or the almost continuous
story Of their married life is contained in her
letters and journals. Sophia Peabody was de-
seconded from an ancient and honorable stock.
the posterity OF a certain Francis Peabody.
who came to this country IRON the north Of
England in 1910. What tho Peabodys were and
are to New England need not be told here.
Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem.
Mass. in tho house OF his grandfather who
was an Old sailor. Ono OF the pecuarltes OF
my boyhood." he has written. was n grievous
dsinolination to go to school, and providence
favoring me in this natural repugnance) l
never did GO half as much as other boys. partly
owing to delicate health (which l made the
most OF for the purpose). and partly because
much Of tho time there were no schools within
reach" When he WAS or 8 years old. his
mother took up her residence on the banks OF
SsbaGo Lake. in Maine. where tho family
owned a large tract Of land. and where no ran
wild for II long time. But his mother concluded
1t WAS time for him to be sent back to Salem.
where private teacher fitted him for college.
Il was educated $50 the phrase isl
at Bowdoin College" no writes. Il
was an Idle student negligent Of col
ls2e rules and the procrustean tolls OF
academic life. rather choosing TO nurse my
own fancies than to dig into Greek roots and
be entered among the learned Thebuns." lie
had some slender means Of supporting him
self. so. on leaving college in 1925. instead OF
immediately studying n profession. he sat
down to consider what pursuit In lifo lie was
best fitted for: and years after. l kept on con-
sidoring what was fit for. and time and my
destiny decided that was to DO the writer that
am." He had also Il natural tendency toward
seolusion. and this he indulGed to the utmost.
30 that for months together he Scarcely held
human Intercourse outside OF his own
family. He was q good walker. how
ever. and enjoyed the best OF bodily
health. Il had read endlessly oil sorts
OF good and good for nothing books and in the
dcnrth OF other employment had early begun
to scribble sketches and stories. most Of which
burned" Some. however. got into tho maya
Zines and ANIMALS under a fyarant sirnntures