New-York tribune., 1884-11-16

perience of that eminent nobleman. JIe was. in
fact q magician and enchanteI of the first rank:
tillty ald emulation between hIm and Hawth. al
who was also nightly wizard. and who in the con,
slant frlais o. skill and power that took place Ls
tween them generally contriyed to gain the ai3-
vantage. Some Of these corpbats were more than
Homerlc; the struggles of Jupiter aud the ra1s
Were f ehIds ih play 10 m eG'nparlson unioinnatcy
reduced TO writing; aud the particulars OF the,,
achievements have. IN the course Of thirty years
faded from the memory Of him who heard lhem re-
lated. Tho recollection OF one slight incident mas
however, survived the neral obilteraton, and
will give II here. Hawthorne and QuatteDnm had
inirenched themselves on Opposite sides of 6een
valley about a mile in width, ard all was reaSyy
tor the bOmbardment to begin-the cannon Loaded
aud prmed. and the ann taken. But tie heroes
like two accomplished dueists about to rngags
with the sma-sword, could not begin the cond,c,
without having exchanged those graceful courtes,e,
which should always accompany a truly herof
antagonlsin. Accordingly each mounted uron hs
larges. cannon. and, standing at the very exs
iremity of the muzze. touched on the piece WITH
the slow match held IN. the left hand. AS the
missile left the gun. each leapcd lightly upon n
and was borne through the air with the sreef oi
lightning. In few moments they met, inst over
the centre Of the valley Each lifted his hat, and
made the ether grave salute at the same Instant
sprnging of his own ball and aIighfing upon that
of. his adversary, which swii tly bore him back Ia
the place whence he started Hawthorne returned
wthont mlshap; but General Quattlebnm had not
paid sufficient attention to his centre Of gravity: he
fell from vast height { the bottom OF the valley
and his mighty carcass damned up river which
flowed through it, that before he could extricate
himself the valley became a lake. which is known
as Lake Quattebum t0 this day.
Ther. was an indescribable charm ahOut the tell.
ing of these stories which never be reproduced
the written narratiOn-an archLess. an emphasis,
an atmosphere Of awe and mystery, and exhaust.
less imaginative resources. Nor was General
Quattlebum mere figure of the past he was even
now alive and active all hOngb, by the power of
his cnchantments, he rendered himself invisible 10
all eyes save Hawthornc's. II anY unacrountabe
or absuri misIap occurred. IT aiwavs turned ont
that the General was at the bottom OF IT, Even in
the walks above mentioned. the younger pedestrian
wonld occasionally feel the light stroke OF cane
across his back looking round no one won!d be
there aud his father was walking at bis side ap-
parenty in deep abstraction. "Fatber. som' body
lit me with "A stick" " Alb IL mnst have been
Quatt ebumw And though the person thus at
tackled WIS some times inclined to suspect that
Quattehum had c0ntriysd to incarnate himself IN
MIR. Hawthorne's form, for the later also carr Ell
cane he was never able to surprise him fdgrdnf
dcicta
We have fingered upon the domestic phases OF
UawtLornc's life because they show dignity. q
grace. and an unseGsh tenderness which mankind
IL slow to attribute to the genius ut home ;-and
which, indeed. the genius at home has generally
been slow t. display. With the more publlc mani
fcstatons of lIawthorncs character and intellect,
his son deals must cntcrtainingly and with exceed
ing GOOD tnste and sclf-rcstraint lie has presented
not an outline portrait Of his subject. but one
colorrd with the very hues of life and bearing the
signature of truth: and the reader will close tho
book with q new admiration for the pu.'e-mInded
and honest gentleman who was the greatest origl-
nal writer our country has produced.