Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-12-07
The Emer.on House at Concord.


The maiden name of the late Mrs. Ralph
Waldo Emerson wss Lidian jackson, and
she was q native of Plymouth. She was
ths second wife of Mr.. Emerson, his frEt
having been Miss Ellen Louisa Tucker, who
died in February, 1892. Miss JscksOn's
marriage to the poet toUk..placs in Septem-
Der, 1895. Mr. Emerson thsn left the" Old
Manse," where he had been staying with
DR.. Ripley, and moved into a house on the
old Lexington road, along which the Brit
ish bad retreated from Concord in 1775. In
this ''plain, square, wooden house." sur
rounded by horse chestnut and pine trees,
with pleasant garden grounds attached, he
msde his home with her for the rest of his
life and through his presence there the
village became the Delphi of New Eng
land.n
The garden fl!s half an acre at the back,
| and has for years been famous for its
| roses, and also has q rare collection of hol
| lyhocks, the flowers that Wordsworth
| loved From the gate, which Is always
| open, a path leads over marble hsgstones
to the broad low step before the hospital
door. A long hall divides the centre of the
house. with two large, square rooms On
each side; plain, solid table stands at the
| right of this entry, over which is an old
| picture of Ganymede. The frat door on
the right leads to the study, pain room,
lined on one aide with simple wooden
shelves, filled with choice books; q large
| mahogany table stands in the middle,
covered with books, and by the morocco
writipg-pad lies the pen which had 30 great
an influence for twenty-five years on the
thoughts of two continents. A large fire.
place, with q low grazing, occupies the low
er end, over which hangs a fiGe copy of
Michael Angeles Fstes. On the mantle
shelf are books and statuettes of men
prominent in the great reforms of the
age.
Two doors, one on each side of the great
fire. place, lead into the large psrlor, which
fills the southern quarter of the house. A
fine portrait of the daughter of the de-
ceased lie hung in this pleasant and home
like room, whose home circle seemed to
have reached around the world; for almost
every person of note who visited this coun-
try during the life of the master of the
house enjoyed Its genial hospitality and
listened with attention to his words OF
wisdom.
Years ago the chatty little Frederika
Bremen paid a long visit here, a brisk lady,
| as restless as her tongue and pen. Here
Margaret Fuller and the other bright figures
of the Dial met for conversation. Thoresu
was daily visitor, and his "Wood Notes
might have been unuttered but for the
kindly encouragement he received here.
The Alcotts, father and daughter, were
near neighbors, and it was in this roon
that Mr Alcott's earliest 'Convkksstions'
were held Here, too, old John Brown wa,
often TO be met, plain, poorly dressed old
farmer, seeming out of place, and absorbed
in his own plans until some slluslon oil
chance remark would fire his sOul and hgh
= up his rugged features.
But dozen volumes would not suffice tS
. mention In full the many guests from for
eign lands who have been entertained q
T this house. The school children of Con
! cord have been entertained here every yea
= with merry games and dances. The hous'
! | was partially destroyed by are In the sprinl
of 1873, and was rebuilt to look as nesrl.
AZ possible as 1t did before the Are. Durinl
the rebuilding 9 portion Of the famil.
Q found shelter In the Old Msnse, the hom
t Of Emerson's grandfather, while Mr.. EN-
: erson himself visited Europe. Upon hi
x return an impromptu reception awaits
him. AL followed his carrisgs and san
p "Houe, Sweet Home" Subsequently
sl nesrly all the inhabitants of the tow
I. visited him In his reconstructed house.
y In this house on the 2Tth of April, 1885,
% Mr.. Emerson died. and the old home b
came the scene Of the last service an
Z tribute TO his memory, aud from this plsS
r. he was born away for interment In Sleep
r, Hollow Cemetery.