Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-09-26

HUMMELSHINE, from THIS, one could reach |
out Ia all directions. and gather. feast aud
enjoy.
IL Is very nne aud stately place, onr
Liverpool consulate. as BELTS the agency OF
our government In one Of the greatest Of
foreign ports. IL has In profusion plato
glass, ground glass and stained glass,
nickel burnishlngs, brass knobs. soft toned
silver call bells, hnc old furniture. wise
faces. frillsd shirts, gray hairs. and an
uuotious cathedral air of caution. and
trained rcposo about IL. One lnstinctiveiy
removes bis hat aud clears his throat vel
before attempting pcnetra efforts, aud
speaks In low tone of voice aud sten.
softly on being ushcred into the wide.
high, pleasant private apartments Of our
consul lie Ia glad. too. he has done all
this when he has met that Official. for no
deicroncc II too great when real gentle.
man Is nj the objective end Of IL,
You would have to travel In many for.
cign countries TO nud a more kindly or
courteous consul than this one AZ Liver.
pool. but our consulate hero. which, In tho
paltriest recognition Of the glorious die.
tIuciiou conferred upon Il through its occu.
nanoy by tho greatest romancist Amcrie,
ever produced, should fcmaln vcrltnhlo
Hawthorne shripc, Is absolutely barren q
asinglo mcmcnto from appfociatiyo OF Low.
ing hand One little "odice record book"
containing copi1s Of the most Ordinary
routine business Letters, and signed mote
often by "Wilding, vice consul" than by
the novelist comprises every ycstlRe to 10
found within the American consulate to
gariing Nathaniel Hawthorne.
On page 10 OF this faded old book, and
Immediately following tho last Official lee.
ter. dated July ~, 1858. by his predecessor.
lion. Thomas 1. CrItirndcn, Of Kentucky.
l. found the firt official letter by llag.
thornc lie bad arrived NJ Liverpool on
the steamer Nidgfa, from Halifax. July
~ The exact date u his taking possession
Of the Office Is not accessible. either At the
conanlatr or In any Of Bis biographies
The next letter Ia dated Aug 10, and has
ilnWthorne's neat autograph appended.
The Cutitc series comprises reference TO
such details 81 consulate duty A. tho hunt.
Ing up Of cstrayud Americans. the identln
cation Of dead sailors and the sealing or
disposal VI their effects. tho thai Of mas.
tcrs or scameu for mIsdemeanors. aud the
Ike, But Quo u them MI recalls historic
TACT or an incident " national concern
This ono Il dated Sept I. iS5L ltisan np-
plicatlon 10 The bishop " Chester In ho.
half % q Kcntnckhn named 4. J. Barry
who bad come FROM America to secure tho
remains o. bis father, for tho removal u
the body % General Jacksona former post.
master general aud Keutucky's chief jus.
dec. Hon. William Taylor barry, who had
died Ia Liverpool and was iutorrcd 10 81
James cemetery IN August, 1855, whIl, en-
route 10 Madrid 20 represent tho United
States o., minister 10 Spain.
The musty Old record bool. had a won.
drous fascination. porcd over Il for
hours, unconscious Of the temporarily
great who called. tue ccriiGcntion Of Ia.
voices, or the Interpolation Of tho govern.
mental arm m behalf " the ever coatlvss,
always Innocent and oturnnlly unfortunate
American sailor Onu feature uf all these
letters WIS impressive. Their bruyity aud
stfnightfoFwArducu were remarkable
There was no prnllxlty. no prollrr u opin.
lon, no assertion Of their authors person.
nllty. They marched straight 60 their Oh.
jcctiyc point and stopped short there. Aud
yet thcrc was thread Of tho mrllowc,t
humol through them all, with hcrc aud
there Ward and hidcouS facts unprctcn.
uously nnrzhaicd. all tho Steiner for their
gentle phrnsing.
OF course there was tradition At our
Liverpool consulate that the yeritablo con.
sular oillcc, occupied 10y Hawthorne had
been located somewhere Ia Liverpool
onlclal caution would not permit do
oidod expression Of opinion as 10 where
that somewhere was No Liverpool busl.
ness men know. The antiquariAns have
not recorded IT, Literators and journalists
have forgotten, II they ever knew. You
cannot nud II In any Of tho Hawthorne hi.
| ographlck but ,hlsyngue tradition point.
ell TO tho Oh "washiugton Buildlngs." a
venerable pile tho lower story VI the river.
ward aide n which forms huge Moorish
| plnxfi, giving the name "Gorcc Plaza" to
a trntic deaicnlng portion Of Llyegpoola
chief shipping thoroughiaro
To this orumhllng relic Of Iavrrpoors
old commercial days FASTENED with many
mlsgiyingA | CROPPED through antique
Railways, wainscotcd with mahogany and
black with Hge, aud climbed curious Old
stalroasUs. footWurn foot deep Ia grooves,
dangerous with sudden turns and hnlt
landings, >,nd decorated with strangely
carved ornamental aud slender. twisted bal.
ustradc,. Huge knookeu were set In low,
wide doon. Narrow, barred transoms Lee
sllyurs Of light through above them. These
disclosed many quaint metal relief or In
taglio Of rude design, set with uninielllgl.
ae purpose, In corners, above doors, upon
beams or In tho yellow and cracked ocll.
ingA
Wonderful old stuccoes ftill cling IN nm.
expected angles aud spaces, and huge
brackets, Ike those supporting the slgn
posts Of ancient inns. or for lamps and
cumbrous chandeliers Of later though
ttill ancient tlmo projected here and there
ns tokens OF tho structures hale old age.
Thus up. up, up scrambled, making hes.
liant Inquiries In bare, bleak Offices, where
the oldest men | ever saw seemed but
wralths, ghostily pantomimie Of humans
and niiur 10 some far. forgotten time;
away into the attic. 20 the earetaker'A grin.
ming wife. aud then. with no clue 10 what
| sought, down again through the laby-
rlnth Of halls and over the ruinous stair
ways To the roaring Of tho "lorr.es" In tho
street below.
Hating In bitter disappointment on tho
first lGndlng a door had not previously
neon stood open. Come yagrant impulse
babe me enter. | found within IL one
desk, two chairs and bluf. hearty,
weather Leaten Englishman the sole fur
nishng., but | also saw over the ancient
ircpllse an almost oiInced symbol Of my
own loved land, which had escaped all
other eyes Tor ,thlrty'nye years To mo
something Ike sudden glory developed
lonely desk, chairs, weather beaten Eng.
llshman and ancient fireplace, for stood
where Nathaniel Hawthorne had struggled
with official life IN England for four NOR
tai years. EDGAR Ia WAILMAA.