The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-03-18
A Visit to IN Historic Place.


Miss Elise Mauldin, the eldest daughter
of MIR. 3. F Mauldin, of this city, who Is
now attending the Emerson schonl of
Expression and Physical Culture, at B VI
ton, recently spent q day at Concord, N.
H., and in a private letter to q friend here
she gives the following interesting account
of her visit, which we have asked permits.
sion to publish:
I want to take you where l was yester
day-to dear. quaint, historic Concord, the
center of literary interest and Revolution
airy fame.
A lsny friend called for me and we start
ed off Oh an adventure of some aort. Our
hearts Inclined toward Concord, 30 we
went to the Union Station and found tina,
q train left for that place in twenty min
utes. We bought our tickets. boarded the
train, and we're loon spinning away
through this New Eugland country. An
hours ride brought US to our destination.
As I stepped ont, it seemed to me / stood
on holy ground, baptized with the b Odd
ofour Fathers who there o their own
cause into their " hands and fought for
our priceless inheritapce-hberty.
TIE streets seemed 10 echo To the foot.
steps of Thoieau, the Alcotts, Hawthorne,
and Emerson.
The day was lovely, 30 we took an open
carriage, aud went every where with o
guide, who pointed out everything Of in
tersst. The first thing WIS the old Wright
Tavern" where King Georges soldie's
drank and bnasted before the fight Theu
the old church, where the first Provincisi
| Congress was held in 1774 It is u austut
old white building, set in g grove aud
was built In 17i3 leaving this, we entered
that part of the town that interested me
most-the residence pJrtion Of those wri
tiers so dear to us all.
Their bones we're all near together and
seemed linked by some intsnginle tie
FIRST came the home OF r ,lph Waldo
Emerson, a BIZ, ROT my. square house,
white, With green blinds, and Bet in q
| large grove
A little further en-, and on the opposite
| side of the street, is the "Orchard House.
| the home of the Alcotts. Nothing in all
Concord appealed to me as this did TOE
house ia more on the cottage order b 4
two stories. In color 1t is light brown
with blinds of a darker shade Here lived
| the little Women" who were really
| Louisa M Alcott her-elf and her sisters
I saw the very room in which she wrote
| that beautiful story 80 full OF her own life
and character I saw the old "apple tree"
whose buughs she used to ride. and cal
| the s.Ellen tree" It has q big apple orch
ard on one side and q fir grove on th-
other In the yard Is a small grey build
ing, where vas held the famous ''Concord
school of Philosophy" founded by MIR.
alcott, who was himself q writer and
thinker. AS Lgszed at the old homestead
It SGT med to me that surely, I would gee al
the window, one Of the girls, Meg. joe.
Beth or Amy. Aud I felt If I stayed long
! enough that Laurie would come bound
log through the ''6r grove and climb thu
tence 1t was all that I could do not t.
ask the driver where the L%awrenc5's house
was.
Well, next door 10 this is HeWthorne'-
SWAY side" his hume. It is the SAINT
| color as the AIcotrs, and was once Owned
by them and then sold to Hawthorne il
1852 It is o somewhat larger house and
the third story is one large square room
giving the appearance Of q cnpnla, and
this was Ha~thorne's study. Next door
to him, was where the, concord grape''
vas first discovered. A Mr.. Epbraiu,
Boil moved out there from B ,sLon or
account Of failing health. Lnokin. abou'
| his place one day, he found q wild grape
vine, which bs began to cultivate 10 80,
what it would be. He planted cuttings IL
| pots, and put them in q bot house. aud
thus began the Concord grspr," which
mas since spread every where Il grows t.
perfection in New England, though. and
it ia sweeter and better than ours. Tue
! original vine is there still
L-aving these homes, haunted by the
-.. ~ kho,n -hn Tiara IipoI ut,H
| died, we drove to Sleepy Hollow Ceme-
terry" On the highest ridge, We found th.
| graves we sought "Thoreau" has a large,
| SQUARE family monument HawthOrne's
10 an old grave, marked by q small stone
now gray with age. In summer his grave
| Is covered with tomb vine Higher still
| we came to the Alcott lot. Here are buried
Mr.. Alcott end four daughters. there il
| no monument, but head stones not over b
| foot high, and on each barely the initials
| The ouly difference between them is thai
| on one grave is 9 small slab engraved
Louisa M. Alcott."
On the highest peak is Emerson" and
| his monument is an immense stune oi
I! pink quartz. IN the rough. and apparently
just as il came from the quarry. On 1t l.
fixed q souare of bronze, Containing his
| nsms and dates. The beauty OF 1t all Ia,
In iIs simplicity, and the more | Thought
nf it, the more appropriate it SET med. tor
| they have left more lssliDg mouumenis
! than stone Their beautiful thoughts an"
| sentiments and high characters, will live
through the sges, engraven in the hearts
OF our people, and their influence will be
felt through eternity.
hated to leave this beautiful home Of
the dead, for never was there q more peace
full spot, or one more fitted to bold the
earthly remaius OF those gifted souls.
We drove from here down adjournment
street," passing The Old Manse," thai
Hawthorne has made famous in his
MASSES from an old Manse." The ground
around are very spscioue, but the house j.
| old and gray and moss covered A llttI.
further on ia the battlefield. where wa
| fought the first battle of the Revelation.
A. bronze statue of the Minute Man.
marks the place where our fore fathers
| stood. On it IL carved these words:
"By the rude bridge that arched the food,
rs Ahg to Apr Is breeze uuiu' led.
Here once the embatlied farmer stood,
And bred the shot heard round The world"
The position Of the British is marked by
| q shaft Of granite, and there lie buried two
| Of the British, killed in height B-tweep
| the two statues, f,vs the Concord river, D
beautiful, clear stream. It Is very MR.
| row., where the battle was fought From
here we DRIVE to the depot, and Came
home I suppose there is no place OF g.
much interest in our country as this little
town.