Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-19

every official pore of the place. Now mao
come along glowing with expectancy re-
garding this very same Hawthorne matter.
From a business standpoint, it was qulte re-
markable. Indeed the matter must reaily
be looked into.
You would have to travel in many rofeign
countries to find more kindly or courteous
Consul than this one at Liverpool; put our
consulate here, which, in the paltriest rec
ognition of the glorious distinction con-
ferred upon it through the occupancy Dy
the greatest romancist America ever pro-
duced, should remain q veritable Hawtnofne
shrine, is absolutely barren of a single me-
mento from appreciative or loving hand.
THE CoNsUL's ARCHIVES.
One little "ofice record book, " contain
ing copies of the most ordinary routine
business letters and signed more often by
"Wilding, Vice Consul" than by the novel
ist, comprise every vestige to be found
within the American consulate regarding
Nathaniel Hawthorne.
On page 1877 of this faded old book, and
Immediately following the last official let
ter, dated July %, 1858, by his predecessor,
the Hon. Thomas L. Crittenden, OF Ken
lucky, is found the first official letter BY
Hawthorne. This letter addressed to Colonel
Thomas Aspinwall, then United States Con-
sui at London, and dated Liverpool, 4
August, 1858, is as follows:
DEAR sIR-I have been applied to by man
named Hector Frazier for means to enable
him to reach Cardiff to rejoin his vessel, the
s. V. Given. He states that he has two sums
OF 9lO and f3 in your hands belonging TO
him, and wants to receive the former sum
at Liverpool, to enable him to pay his way
Cardiff N
' m ''u'' f''pe'y n. HhwrHoRsE,
By h. J. wiiding.
The next letter is dated August 13, and
has Hawthorne's neat autograph appended.
The entire series comprises reference to
such details of consulate duty as the hunt
ing up of estrayed Americans, the identii-
cation of dead sailors and the sealing or dis
posal of their effects, the trial of masters or
seamen for misdemeanors, and the like.
ONE LETTER OF REAL INTEREST.
Among them all, but one recalls his
toric fact or an incident Of national con-
Germ. This one Is dated September l, 1854.
1t is an application to the Bishop Of Ches-
ter, In behalf of Kentuckian named A. j.
Barry who had come from America to secure
the remains of his father, for the removal Of
the body of General Jackson's former Post
master General and Kentueky's Chief JUS
tice, Hon. William Taylor Barry, who had
died in Liverpool, and was inferred in st.
James Cemetery, in August, 1885, while en-
route to Madrid to represent the United
States as Minister to Spain.
The musty old record book had won
drous fascination. Ipored over it for hours,
unconscious of the temporarily great who
called, the certifcation of invoices, or the
interposition of the governmental arm In
behalf of the ever coatless, always innocent
and eternally unfortunate American sailor
One feature of these letters was impressive.
Their brevity aud strightforwardnes were
remarkable. There was no prolixity, no
proffer of opinion, no assertion of their
authors personality. They marched straight
to their objective point and stopped short
there. And yet there was thread Of the
mellowest humor through them all, with
here and there hard and hideous facts un-
pretentiously marshaled, all the sterner for
their gentle phrasing.
THE OLD CONSULATE LOST.
Of course there was tradition at our
Liverpool Consulate that the veritable Con-
sular Offices occupied by Hawthorne had
cial caution would not permit decided ex-
preston of opinion ss to where that some
where was. No Liverpool business men
knew. The sntiquarians have not recorded
it. Literators and journalists have forgot
ten, if they ever knew. You cannot find 1t in
any of the Hawthorne biographies. But this
vague tradition pointed to the old "Wash-
ington Buildings" venerable pile, the
lower story of the riverward side of which
forms huge Moorish piazza, giving the
name "GOree Piazza" to trafic-deafening
portion of Liverpool's chief shipping thor
oughfare.
To this crumbling relic of Liverpool's old
commercial days I hastened with many
misgivings. groped through antique hall
ways, wainscotted with mahogany and black
with age; and climbed curious old stair
cases, foot-worn foot deep in grooves, dam
gerous with sudden turns and half landings
Hating in bitter disappointment on the
first landing, door had not previously
seen stood open. Some vagrant impulse
bade me enter. found within 1t one desk,
two chairs and bluff, hearty, weather.
beaten Englishman, the sole furnishings
But I also saw over the ancient fireplace an
almost effaced symbol of my own loved land
which had escaped all other eyes for IS
years. To me something like a sudden
glory enveloped lonely desk, chairs, wealth
er-beaten Englishman and ancient fireplace;
for I stood where Nathaniel Hawthorne had
struggled with official. life in England for
four mortal years.
EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.