Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1885-07-31
THE OLD NEANsE.
VISIT TO THE HOMES OF HAWTHORNE
AND EMERSON

III was beautiful Gay IN spring,
says writer to the Boston Transcript,
when we set out on our long planned
to the classic grounds of
Concord. We followed the fashion of
modern pilgrims and sped on our
way by steam. Alighting at tie rail-
way station, we gave ourselves in
charge OF a worthy cicerone of the
town.
"What will you see first 2" queries
he.
THE Old Manse," both exclaim at.
once, and away we are ratified at
sharp pace toward that mysterious
dwelling. alt looks just as it ought
to look, exclaimed my companion
it out to look" exclaimed my COM
as we decended from the car
rage which had drawn up on the
greensward. A half-dozen worn stones
sunk into the earth led to the porch
overhung IN summer time with sweet
climbing roses. These worn stone
steps, over which Nathaniel Haw-
thorne's feet had passed so often,
seemed to bring US nearer to him than
anything else which We saw on that
day.
The Manse is a large. comfortable
looking house with slopins caves, and
large windows twinkling with many
small paines of glass. 1t is very gray,
and the moss clings about tine stone at
the threshold and creeps tenderly from
under the caves. A bit of this green
feathery stuff stands before me in a
saucer as write, ard near the saucer
stands volume of "Mosses from an
Old Manse."
The house is divided directly in the
middle by an entry running the whole
length. On the left hand is a bright
sunny room, fitted as study out we
learn that at the time WHEN the Haw-
thornes lived here it was used merely
as store room. He was so shy a
man that he preferred to work in an
upper back room, where there seemed
less chance OF interruption by visitors
The view from the windows of this
room had doubtless much to do with
his preference for it The sweeping
hillside and the breadth OF water be
yond, with the shadowy trees soften.
ing the horizon line, must have often
served as the background on which
he drew his strange, beautiful figures
In the dining room beneath this there
are some precious panes of glass,
where a diamond has left records OF
the events which Were all-important TO
the young couple who began their life
journey together in the mysterious Old
Manse On such and such a date
Rose Hawthorne stood on the window
seat. She measured two feet and
three inches, says one legend. An.
other reads, "Endymion, painted In
this room February "a, 1S-" A
more illiterate than cultivated visitor
on reading this once exclaimed
why, | did not know that EDdy.
mion was painter ~
Mrs. Hawthorne had great skill with
her pencil, and besides the "Endy.
mion," many lovely things were pant.
ed during their stay at the Old Manse.
Among other things, | have been told
by lady who made her a wedding
visit to the young couple, of the fancl.
tul penand.ink drawings with which
Mrs. Hawthorne enriched the perfectly
simple white wooden furniture with
which her room was furnished. Hel
exquisite taste redeemed any want o.
elegance which the simple house
might otherwise have shown; it was
then. as it is now, expressive of per-
feet taste and refinement Though the
day was so warm. a fire cracked on
the hearth and as the flames leaped
up the wide chimney looked at them
with new sense of the power and
beatty of fire-hre in which the master
of the Manse saw such wonderful
sights which he has so marveIously
interpreted
The Emerson house is fine, stately
edifice of strong solid wood, built ii
the days before the rage for knick
knackery in houses clothed IN the wide
stretched phrase of the Queen Anne
style. Its dark green blinds are II
the tone of the evergreen trees thai
stand near by, and the brass knocker
and door handle harmonic NIGEL,
with the sober colors. We are kindly
received and admitted to the library
the room wherein Ralph Waldo En-.
erson lived and did SO large part o
his life work. 1t is a sunny, bright
room, on the left of the front door; the
intrusion of friends in this study wa:
L ,,,ol faoral