New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-27
nor DIR. EMERSON LOSr ms PURSE.
HIS rXrEMENCE ~ A VERMONT vlLLAGE-A LET
TER THAT he WROTE.

HIS rXrERrENCF ~ A VERMONT vlLLAGE-A LET
TER THAT he WROTE.
A Young man in this city has among his most
shed possrssiops letter written nearly tweny-0ne
years ago by Ralph Waldo Emerson II sent by the
philosopher TO the youIg vans mother unacr rather
Singular circumstances.
"Iuever saw Emerson hut once" said the possessor
Of the letter the other dey. aud then too young
10 r.. member much ABOUT him. When was child he
came 10 orr Vermont to lecture and WAS invited
by my mother u spend the night at our
house. An odd thing happened after the lect'
ure A ho was leaving tho lccturc.hill HIS
pockrtbook wa, either lost stolen 1t contained the
amount paid him for the lecture and some money and
other things beside. lie came TO our house. but said
uothilg about his loss that n int Remember that
WAS IN the ninroOn the next morning whcn h. came
In. The Impression left On my minl ~ that lac was "a
wonderfully tall man WITH kin y face. lie came INFO
the dung AMI took m1 In his arms and hitting me
40 IA Iar above HIS heat ~ he c,lld. he said:
"'Whcrc Il "a you get those great big Olue eyesF
"I don't remember whether Lc ate pic for break
fast II he dh, it provided especially
for him. az that article was never served
at that meal In our house. After breakfast
Mr. Emerson asked To SEQ my mother alone. Thei'
he exp aincd the misfortune that had befaen him and
thlt he had lost al mis- mOney-And apologized for be-
Ing under the necessity or asking COR small loan THIS
Of course wa, promptly made The next day or The day
after he returned the money anod Here IS the letter
winch he wrote
And r ap,akcg hlnlo ont tho folio wing letter. writ
ten by Mr. Ener,Uns own h'nt:
DLiAVAN HOUSE,
ALBANY. - Jany, lsGj.
DEAR HrS -, M -
rnclo.v $40, the you kindly lent M, with ms
sttl Ned with CJudng your pure
hoapitIhty by sympathy Tor such ~ absurd mI~halh
Ia chance mat the wallet should be picked mp
by nm honest nudcr ld Mat believe told you, thai
tIcrr WasnJ name a COMMON pIrpisb one, COZ
tanning u, amounted oil!, which Mr. tai Jnst given
me ana prthtp, 80 - more, Two or three bls De-
Ins OF the Concord Mas bank; some postage stamps
ana a blank chequc al Atlantic Btne. Boston. DO
not lhnk ufauy other mcaus or ldrnt nchtloh' an
uuI;r sure none VIII he wanted Bat am sorry /
ind uo say L. you, hal rather lose II, than nave II
advertised In any manner. 80
tecolrct your house aud its inhabitant. with great
pleasure; ~ / hove may see yOa AgAi, IL yOu are
IA nav uciEhburhuud II wlll give ne great pleasure 10
sow y.u nv household one OF these days Willie Tone
of tho Adys sons VIII come To see tIe "h LIS way To
Cambridge, hope. II CAMBRIDGE iuends i's ialitS'
desire. tho best hIyS But tie boys II this day, -
tod yln seem To IN, Ia have prOnd future before hem
Nour- win kindest regard, L. W. EMERSON.
The letter WAS written on heavy linen paper In an
Irregular but easily lsslble hand.
81 never saw Mr. EnersOn aferward," tho young
man continued. whether Cambridge mendod tts WAYS
ar not did not 20 there, did my brother Perhaps
tbouyb we wore not the 'best boys often Thought
ina. .hnld Ike To Concord recall ms occurrence
IA Mr. Emtr,nn', mind aud MIRO lace myself As tue boy
Whom he utrd IA his ana whose buc eycShe spO%e
uf But never did. Aud never heard mat tho lost
wallet was recovered