Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-07
THIS WINDOW r. NEyER SHUT.


THIS WINDOW rs NEVER SHUT
This farm house is more attractive than the
other farm buildings, not because it is any less
dilapidated. but because Of the curious way
in which it has been built. One may plainly
see that it was at first . small story and a half
affair, unsightly, cheap, hastily built for the
accommodation Of poor farmer. And. If one
did not know the truth, the present size Of the
building would be attributed to the gradual
increase In the farmers family. A curious
looking wing was first added to one side, then
another wing, which in some way fails to har-
monte with the first addition to the original
house, was added on the other side. In front
was built porch, wide ugly and not inviting,
although from it o wide range of the rolling
helds and orchards and woods may be taken.
Finally the house was increased by putting
little porch on the side facing the sound, and
a kitchen and perhaps dining room one story
high. Looking at this house, at the array Of
led flannel for male and female underwear
blazing from wash lines in the front yard, at
the general air Of sloth in the gardens one
would say: Here lives farmer of moderate
means who has had large family which has
grown up and left him. He is old he is no
longer able to work much and his hired men
do about as they please"
THE TENANT.
One could hardly be wider Of the mark than
this. The tenant of the gray old house is not q
farmer. He never had family. II two nieces
and wife who died many years ago was ex-
cepted. He is not the man to let those within
reach of him do as they please. They all do
exactly as he pleases, and, by the way, he
pleases good deal. He is not only not Of
moderate means, but is rich; would be counted
rich even in New York. This is the residence
OF Thos. g. Hodgkins. once a merchant of New
York city, but now hermit of Old Fields, near
Setauket, l.. l.
Thornes n uodoL;n, -.o. 49, &, r.-,-s IL
least eighty-nine years ago. He had married
and had reached his twenty-ninth year before
he came to this country to try to make great
the little sum Of his worldly goods. He started
at manufacturing candy in small way, but
was soon prospecting far beyond his first hopes
His wife died when he was Just beginning to
be rich, and left him with no near relatives ex-
eept the two children OF his widowed sister,
Mrs. Clark. When she died he took the little
girls, his nieces. and set about bringing them
up rs his own children. At the beginning of
the civil war he had accumulated q great for
tune. He sold out his large candy mandatory
In Greenwich street. invested the money in
ways which have since most fiatteringly ap-
proved his judgment, and went down to Sc
tauket to live.
Although in many ways he got away from
the traditions Of that humble class Of English
society from which he originally sprung, he
retained distaste for luxury, whether in
houses, furnishings, dress or society. Wealth
gave him no desire to better his outward sur
roundings.
1t is said that his close attention to business,
his habit Of having his own way absolutely,
and his unfamiliarity with his fellow beings,
made him continue to be lonely even when he
had leisure and would naturally have sought
Setaukes by boarding with a farmer living on
the edge OF the village. He soon bought this
farm OF 120 acres described above, made an ad-
dition to the original farm house and moved in
with the two little girls
They made no friends and had little to do
with the village people. As the girls grew up
they we're educated, but as soon as Mr.. Hodg-
kins thought they had learning enough they
returned to the lonely farm house. Finally the
elder girl married, not with the entire approval
Of her uncle. When she found herself alone
with little child she did not return to the
farm house, but took up her residence at Sag
Harbor. The other niece. Emma, stayed with
her uncle. As no men except the farm hands
ever came about she had little temptation to
marry, although she was attractive aside from
her prospective fortune.
She devoted herself to her uncle, and as her
girlhood passed far away she became as fond
of loneliness as he. Two years ago she died,
leaving her fortune Of e7O, 900 to her sister or
her niece. who had then grown up into
| slender, not very strong girl, with good deal
OF beauty Of q delicate kind.
THE HERMIT.
Since th, death of Emma Clark the old man
has lived alone, unless q farm hand and his
wife, Mr.. and Mro. Andres, who have a room
in the house and look after the work of house
and farm yard. be counted as company. No
one goes to see him. He wants to see no one
He has paid to doctor of Port jefferson con-
siderable sum to look after him until death
shall put him in the ground beside his niece
1t Is said that to this day he looks forward
with composure, without any particular eager
ness, yet not without certain amount of sat
isfaction, which is said to be in no way d rawn
from the consultations Of religion.
From what has been said it will be seen that
Thomas Hodgkins, a rich man, retiring in mid
die life from a most busy life, has literally
retired from the world and has for nearly
thirty years led q hermit life. Although this
time has been spent in comparative loneliness
SO far as human society is concerned, it has
maker Of sweets, Of caramels and tafies aud
gumdrops became a bookwoym.
THE BENT OF HIS MIND
was toward the getting Of scientific knowledge.
In these thirty years he has read nearly all that
has been written on scientific subjects and has
retained and assimilated what he has read
through the power Of q mind of rare acute
ness. Human beings have interested him but
| little. Those few who havo been nearest to
| him have disappointed him in many ways. 80
| he found his life absorbed by science. He has
become Q slave to the getting Of scientific
knowledge.
This explains his recent gift of s2oo, 900 to
| the Smithsonian Institution for the increase of
scientific knowledge among msn-a gift which
| amazed his neighbors, for they had no idea
| that the man of simple life was ANYTHING more
than pretty well to do. It has been the rule
among men who retire from intercourse with
their fellow beings to become cross and Grabbed,
marrow and ungenerous. The exact reverse Of
this is true in the case Of Thomas Hodgkins
While he avoids people, seldom leaves his
house and frequently shows in frank and most
diMgrseabls ways that no is ont Of the world
he Is yet sensitive about hurting any ones feel
| inGs careful that no animal belonging to him
| or even In his sight suffers pain, generous in
eccentric and sudden ways with his poorer
neighbors.
4 THE PRODUCE or HIS FARM
h Tar beyond what he needs. He sells none Of
The surplus, but gives eli Of il away. He has
givsa away fine horses, COWS and stock Of vsri-
ous kinds He will give e5 or el0 TO the mes
ssngers who bring packages or letters 10 his
house. He wants no thanks and asks no favors
I'm ratnfn. In n,,00ch hn In alou Of fau Rorda