Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-09-22

y
quiet man who came from the Liverpool /
station so promptly each afternoon, and /
walked straight 20 Brunswick Terrace, |
speaking TO 10 one, turning not 70 the /
right or the left, looking almost sad in |
his absorption. but who suddenly reap |
peared with his joyous tiny brood-the |
most boyish man that ever strOlled long |
miles with children on this endless, level, |
golden beach. or played hide and seek with |
th,,m amon- the outlying dreary dunes Of
sand
Noone here had ever known him person
ally The nearest was one veneruUie pen
sioner. an old time myrmidon of the law,
who had aided IN bringing 10 justice two
sN-iphng burglars that had ransacked the
Hawthorne apartments. and. being dis
turbed had gotten away with few articles
Of no great value, including Eawthorne's
boots and tOpcOat. said pensiJner regard
ing the novelist a. proper soft for his
evident secret desire that the depredatOrs
should escape punishment But all Of
/ these kindly old voices had a broken bar
or two 70 sing for the man whose mere re-
tired few months presence had left more
responsive chords than could all Of some
great and vigorous mems lives.
This and much else made me impatient
TO arrive at the American consulate, at %
/ Chapel street, Liverpool Here. ! sur
missed, would be found a veritable store Of
"Reminiscences From this, one could reach
out in all directions. and gather. feast and
enjoy.
Il Is very fine and stately place, our
| Liverpool consulate. as Defits the agency OF
our government In one Of the greatest Of
foreign ports IL has in profusion plate
glass, ground glass and stained glass.
nickel Furnishings, brass knobs, soft toned
silver call bells, fine old furniture. wise
faces. frilled shirts. gray hairs, and an
unctious cathedral air Of cautious and
trained repose about it. One instinctively
removes his hat and clears his throat well
before attempting penetrative efforts. and
speaks in a low tone Of voice and steps
softly on being ushered into the wide.
high. pleasant private apartments Of our
consul He IL glad. too, he has done all
this when he has met that Official. for no
Difference is too great when a real gentle
man is at the objective end Of il.
You would have TO travel in many for
eign countries 70 find a more kindly or
courteous consul than this one at Liver
pool. but our consulate here. which. in the
paltriest recognition of the glorious dis
tinction conferred upon it through its occu-
pancy by the greatest romancist America
ever produced. should remain a veritable
Hawthorne shrine. Is absolutely barren Of
single memento from appreciative or low
ing hand One little office record book. "
containing copies OF the most ordinary
routine business letters, and signed more
often by "Wilding vice consul, than by
the novelist. comprises every vestige 20 be
found within the American consulate re-
garding Nathaniel Hawthorne.
On page Iy5 of this faded old book, and
Immediately following the last official let
ter, dated'July p, 1853. by his predecessor.
Hon. Thomas 4. Crittenden, Of Kentucky.
is found the first official letter by Haw-
thorne He had arrived at Liverpool on
the steamer Niagra, from Halifax. July
ls The exact date Of bis taking possession
Of the Office is not accessible. either AT the
consulate or In any OF his biographies.
The next letter Is dated Aug. l3. and has
Hawthorne's neat autograph appended
The entire series comprises reference q
such details OF consulate duty as the hunt
ing up Of estrayed Americans, the identih
cation OF dead sailors and the sealing Of
disposal OF their effects. the trial Of mas
ters or seamen for misdemeanors and Tho
ike But one Of them all recalls a historic
/ Cact or an incident OF national concern
This one is dated Sept. l. 1854 Il is an ap
plication 70 the bishop OF Chester in be
half OF Kentuckian named A. J. Barry
| who had come from America TO secure thi
I / remains Of his father. for the removal o
the body Of General Jackson's former post
master general and KentuckS's cnlef jus
; tice. Hon. William Taylor Barry, who ha,
, died in Liverpool and was inferred in St
, James cemetery in August, 1885, while el
; route to Madrid to represent the Unite'
D States as minister 70 Spain
r The musty old record Sook had q won
r drous fascination I pored over IL 70
lnH h. enaraa n1NfI
E great who called. the certifcation Of in
. voices, OF the interposition Of the govern
D mental arm In behalf Of the ever coatless
; always innocent and eternally unfortunAt
. American sailor One feature Of all thes
letters was impressive Their brevity an
? straightforwardness were remarkable
; There was no prolixity, no ploffer Of Opin
I ion, no assertion Of their authors person
. ality. They marched straight to their OF
= jective point and stopped short there An
z vet there was a thread Of the mellowea
|, humor through them all. with here an
4 there hard and hideous facts unpreter
}; tiously marshaled. all the sterner Tor thei
Z gentle phrasing.
OF course there was tradition at on
: Liverpool consulate that the veritable cor
sular ofices occupied BY Hawthorne ha
= been located somewhere In Liverpoo
n Official caution would not permit a a.
cided expression OF opinion as 70 wher
, that somewhere was. No Liverpool bus
ness men knew The antiquarians haS
I, not recorded a. Iiterators and Journalist
!. have forgotten. If they ever knew 70
cannot dnd il in any Of the Hawthorne b
ographies But this vague tradition poin
ed 70 the old Washington Buildings"
venerable pile. the lower story OF the rive
4 ward side Of which forms a huge Mooris
= piazza, giving the name ~Goree Piazza"
a traffic deafening portion Of Liverpool
chief shipping thOroughfare-
To this crumblinR relic Of Liverpool
= old commercial days hastoned with man
4 misgivings I groped through antiqt
Railways, wainscoted with mahogany an
black with nge. and climbed curious ol
Z staircnses iootworn foot deep IN groove
= dangerous with sudden turns and ha
Y landings. aud decorated with strange
carved ornaments and slender, twisted ba
= ustrades Huge Knockers were set In l0S
! wide doors Narrow, barred transoms ]
~ ! rIs.srr-. ~ Iitrnf fhrrnuh afnnrn Hnfl The