St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-06-07

L he time between 1901 ana 1898
has been termed the productive
period of Hawthorne's life. 1t may
properly be so regarded, for during
those years, he wrote The House of
Seven Cables" 'Blithedale Ro-
nance, The Wonder Book. " Tan
glewood Tales, Snow Image and
Other Stories" and a campaign
biography of President Pierce, with
whom he had been intimate during
his student days at Bowdoin College.
During Pierce's administra ton he
was sent as consul to England, soon
after which appeared the Marble
Fauu,' the authors masterpiece.
In making a list Of Hawthorne's
works, there is an unfinished ro-
nance which l must not omit.
refer to the fragmertary drafts, An
cestral Footsteps ''Dr. Grim
shawe's Secret, ." Septimius FELTON,"
and "Dolliver Romance The first
three, in certain mysterious man
ner, fOreshadowed the last. The
| dominant idea Of ancestral Foot
step" was the legend of the bloody
footprint which engrOssed much of
| Hawthorne's thought for many
wears. DIR. Grimsha ives Secret" is
a more complete development of the
same idea. 'Septimius FELTON,"
deals with the elixir Of life; in this
sketch, the plot breaks off abruptly
IN the middle, and after an eXPlana-
tory note, the author proceeds with
a fresh start, involving many con-
tradictiOns to former arrangements.
The clearest view of the authors in
tention appears in "Dolliver Ro
nance" The marked similarity in
the plan Of these fragments shows
that they are but parts Of one grand
whole which the author meant to
complete at some future day. Some
are more tragmentary than others,
as appears with varying frequency,
from breaks in the plot, and from
notes inserted here and there, show
ing how the gaps were intended to
be filled out. AS we read the frag
ments, we cannot help but regret
that the author was not permitted
to complete the browning work of
his life.
Birth, marriage and death are
sometimes called the three real
crises of life. The first OF these, in
HawthOrne's case, was important,
inasmuch as it produced the great
est factor in American litera-
ture. Hawthorne's marriage to
Sophia Peabody was consummated,
after a long engagement, in 1912.
So far as we can judge, the union
was as perfect as any ever known.
Hawthorne most intimate friends
say he was cheerful and happy at all
times. None but a personal &C
quaintance could speak thus OF him;
for his writings are pre-eminently in
dicative of seriousness and sadness,
but Withal serenity.
1t is remarkab BILE fact that. very
often, when Hawthorne tried a pen
or scrubbed aimlessly, he involun-
tarily wrote the number Ga. To
say nothing OF any presentiment he
with the year of his death. The
third and last crisis came on the
10th of May, 1864. He was spend
ing the night with Ex-President
Pierce, his college mate and intimate
friend, at the Penigewasset House
in Plymouth, n. H. They occupied
adjacent chambers, of which the con-
Meeting door stood open. Late in
the night, Mr.. Pierce was awakened
by the sound of heavy brea thing,
proceeding from Hawthorne bed.
There was no protracted illness;
death came, thief IN the night, and
stealthily stole away its victim.
In Hawthorne's death, American
| literature sustained a loss which it
| scarcely dares hope to repair. In
his marvellous power of description,
peculiar fascination in presenting de-
tails, and wonderful delineation Of
character, he stands without a peer,
! Americas greatest novelist.
WILLIAM GIBBON.