Morning journal and courier., 1892-12-30
ytw Yarsa 9ailg sgoraing ypnrnal and Guaritt.
mARGAREr SIDNEY.

MARGARET SIDNEY.
Chat or the Life and Home of Mrs.
Lothr0p at the Historic Hawthorne
House at Old Concord.
The subjoined interesting sketch of q
former New Haven lady whose early life
was spent in this city, and who has won
place In society and among
the writer's of books in this country, ia
taken from the Christmas souvenir mum.
Der of the Boston Advertiser, which also
contained sketches of Oliver Wendell
Holmes and Thomas Bailey Aldrich.
Among tho Illustrations is fine picture of
"The Wayside" at Concord, Mrs. Lothrop's
beautiful and famous summer residence,
and "Hawthorne's Larch Path, )" also cele-
brated In connection with Hawthorne's
life and home surroundings.
One of the most popular writers of juve-
nile literature is Mrs. Lothrop, under her
pen name of Margaret Sidney. Born in
New Haven, she lived there until her thar
riage to the Boston Publisher, Daniel 10th
rop. OF his influence upon her literary life
abe said not long ago: "Whatever I have
achieved of success is due to his wise coun-
sci and keen Judgment. He was genius
in saying just the right word in trenchant,
unerring criticism" Her s'Five Little
Peppers" stories are charming revelations
Of child life and child-nature. More than
this-they are classics. They speedily
took rank in popular demand with Louise
Alcott's "Little Women" They are
not children far s'too good for human
natures daily food" as are some "book-
children" nor are they the impossibly bad
and nischievous young. people Of some
others. They are just wise, funny, whim-
steal. merry, thoughtless little persons
such as we meet every day. Their sur
roundings, too, are those familiar to every
country bred boy and girl; the little brown
house, the wood splitting, the baking, the
rustic plays, all have freshness and vital
ity of interest that sets one to wondering
If, after all, there may not be much more
in everyday life than he has discovered
The artleesness of Margaret Sidney's books
is perhaps the best proof of their art. She
says herself:
s'The characters in my books are made
to my mind absolutely living sentient
human beings. I count no pains too great
to become acquainted with them, and then
stand out of the way-s'hsnds off"-let-
ting them act as they will, not as I think
they ought. They are real and alive to
me. They have q perfect right to act as
they choose and work out their own lives.
am only the pen-woman to set it down.
I think of them when driving, walking,
visiting and when alone. When I have
quietly absorbed what they have to tell
me, come some delicious moments when
all have to do is to drive my pen as fast
as possible. can then write anywhere,
on anything, with anything. Bits of
brown paper. stubby pencils, have been
used to jot down things, on the
kitchen table, while Watching the cake
when the divinity of that department had
| turned cold shoulder to me. Everything
seems so real to me, when I write, that
write rapidly, yet I have spent hours Of
patient toll in polishing some things which
people have gone out of their way to pro-
| nounce impromptu bits of writing
81 never lived in the country when g
| child (Which was always a bitter grief tc
| me), nor did ever know family or any
| children like the Peppers I want te
state positively that all my characters are
| imaginary. I must, of course, absorb
| types in my experience of life and knowl
| characters; but should not know how t.
go to work to write up people or theil
| oharacteristics.
The poem "Littls Brown Seed" was the
| 6rst by Mrs. Lothrop that attracted atten
ton. It was reprinted in journals across
the water and copied all over the country
1 Mrs. Lothrop is pretty woman, plump
vivacious, and energetic, with dark blue
eyes, soft light brown hair and winning
smile-a typical New England woman O.
many sided development. Her home is a
Concord, where she owns and occupies
Hawthorne's old home, "The Wayside,"
charming old place, whose low ceilings
l with great oaken beams, narrow windows
and general construction shows that 1t wa
built in the first years of the 18th century
| probably earlier than that. Hawthorn,
himself said of it, soon after purchasing
IT know nothing of the history of tn,
house, except that Thoreau told me that
was inhabited century ago by man witt
believed he should never die. I believe
however, he is dead. At least I hope 80
else he may reappear and dispute my title.
It was probably this legend that gave Haw
thorne the idea for his story of ''Ssptimiu
Felton," After Hawthorne's death it be
came the property of his daughter, tn
wife of George Parsons Lathrop, by whom
1t was sold in 1888 to Mr.. Lothrop. eth
Wayside" has changed but very Httl
1 61uCo hdHGuOTuo 1clb Ii b quarter Oh D CENT
ury ago. Mr.. and Mrs. Lothrop woul,
have regarded it as little less thai
sacrilege to make unnecessary changes
and although they never allowed
to be considered "show place" their rev
erence for the great writer caused them +
give all reasonable opportunity to see it, t
all worshippers at Hawthorne's shrine
The hawthorne bush in which he took sucl
delight still flowers into beauty ever
spring, by the door; the narrow, crooket
stairs on which the Alcott children playe'
Pilgrims Progrsss.-the chamber still
called "Una's room," the stairs like lad
der, that lead to the room in the towe
where Hawthorne wrote, the library in tn
"west wing" where he sat and read alou
to his children the romance of Scott, t
| which his son refers in the life of hi
father, in the words: t'There was no con
ceivable entertainment which we woul
not have postponed in favor of this"-al
these remain unchanged, and now as i
those days the old house gives hospitabl
welcome to men and women of letters, t
artists, philanthrophists and philosophers
Here little Margaret Lothrop was born AN
here Mrs. Lothrop and her husband, dun
ing his life, gathered around them dc
lightful circle of friends, of which MI
Lothrop, with his genial courtesy and rar
tact, was the life and center as truly as hi
wife.