, 1884-11-22

4 SONS SKETCH OF MS FATHER.

Mr.. Julian Hawthorne Is not CREDITED
in the popular mind with any very exalted
literary genius. The worldwide reputa-
ton Of his father has had a tendency to
dwarf the younger Hawthorne's merits,
for no matter how unreasonable ii may be,
comparisons havn been made between the
literary qualifications Of the father and
son and naturally always TO the disadvant-
age Of the latter. Julian Hawthorne.
however, is undoubtedly a man Of gener
Gus abilities and great atiainments His
latest literary effort, the biography of his
honored father, will be received with en-
thusiasm BY every lover of the elder Haw-
thorne. The character of that mysti,
genius is oven yet comparatively misun
derstood, but the delightful pages Of thu
biographq sill diapcl every illusion regard
ing him.
We have space for only a single extinct
but il will give an idea Of the unpreten-
,ious yet charminsly attractive style in
which the book is written. Speaking
Of the personal characteristics Of Ma
thaniel Hawthorne the biography says:
He was the handsomest young mar oil
his day in that part Of the world. Such
l. the report of those who knew him; and
there is n miniature Of him. taken some
ycan later, which bears out the report.
lie was FIVE feet ten inches in height,
hroad ~shouldered, but Of Il slight athletic
build, not weighing more than one hun
,lred and fly pounds. His limbs were
beautifully formed. and the mo!ding Of
his neck and throat was as Cue as any
thing in antique sculpture. His hair,
which had a long, curving wave in It, APP
preached blackness in color; his head was
large and grandly developed; his eye
trows were dark and heavy. with a SUI
perb arch and space beneath. His nose
was straight, but the contour Of his chin
was Roman. He never wore a beard, and
was without a mustache until his fifty
ifth year. His eyes we're large, dark
blue. brilliant, and full Of varied express
siou. Bayard Taylor used to say that they
were the only eyes he had ever known
dash fire Charles Reade, in a letter
written in 1876, declared that be had
never before seen such eyes as Haw-
ihorne in a human head. When he
went to London persons whose recolections
reached back through a generation or 80,
used to compare his glance to that
Of Robert Hwus Mhile he was yet in
college, and ID eyrsy woman. meeting
him suddenly 10 q woodland path, gazed
at him, and asked . you n man or an
angel?' His complex waa delicate and
transparent, rather dark INN light with
i rudy tinge in the cheeks. The skin OF
his face was always very sensitive, and q
cold, raw wind caused him actual pain.
His bands were large and muscular, the
palm broad, with 4 full curve Of the outer
margin; the fingers smooth, but neither
-luare moi pointed, the thumb long and
powerful. His feet were slender and SIN
,wy, and be had q long, elastic gait, &C
,ompanied by q certain sidewise swinging
Of the shoulder& He was a ~tirelese walker,
aud Of great bodily activity; up to the
time he was 10 years old, be could clear q
height Of five feet at a standing jump.
His.voice, which was low and deep in or
binary conversation, had astounding vol
ume when he chose to give full vent to il;
with such a voice, and such eyes and
presence, he might have quelled q crew Of
m%utinous priyatecrsmen at least as effect
ively Us Bold Daniel. his grandfather. 1t
was not a below, but had the searching
and electrifying quality Of the blast trum-
pet"