The Portland daily press., 1897-04-05
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

&AolAUElS6 VI INV Nv 1lObo nav
rhorne Lathrop. This book has been
well termed an important publication.
for those who can give personal reoollec-
lions and can furnish letters Of the period
called the Augustan Age of American
literature, are becoming few indeed.
The letters here published are full of in
terest and charm, taking us as they do
into the heart of Hawthorne's home life
and incidentally amongst his distin-
guished associates in this country and
abroad. They show us rarely beautiful
nature in Mrs. Hawthorne herself; and
moreover letters of leisure and of daily
detail are lost art in these last years of
hurry and of rapid condensation, and
have something of rest and refreshment
not easily attainable, else. Mrs. Lathrop
has woven her material In and out with
skill, and Of course with deepest sympa-
thy, love and admiration. Sometimes,
as Of MIR. Alcutt she strikes d note less
true and appreciative it seems to US than
| her general strain. Here and there her
own description of persons is fanciful
with little too much surviving for
unique expression. Where she says "My
father began to express his wishes in re-
gard to provision for our own aunt in
case OF his death, and to burn old letters
and to impart to my mother and Una
all that he desired to say to them,
amongst other things his dislike of BIZ
ographies, and that he for babe any such
matter in connection with himself In
any distance of the future" we can no
better understand her adding "This COM
mand, respected for number of years,
has been, like all such forcible and pro-
phetio demurs, most signally set aside.
1t would take long to explain my own
modification of opinion from arguments
Of fierce resistance to the request for o
biographical handling of him; and ii
matters, no doubt, very little. Such q
man must be thoroughly known, as great
saints are always sooner or later known,
though endeavorina to hide their victo.
ries of holiness and charity" than we
could Mr.. Julia Hawthorne's use of ma.
terial in English notes which his father
would certainly have wished destroyed
though it is only fair to say that in Mrs
Lathrop's case the selection and discrim.
ination are usually wise and discreet
But to return to our text. The bool
"opens with Mr. Hawthorne's acquain.
lance with the Peabodys and his en-
gagement to Sophia.
From littls scrap book of Haw
| 1QQ0-hovo &c
graph: "Schooners more than any othe
vessels seem to have such names as Bet
sey, Emma Jane, Sarah, Alice-being tn
namesakes of the owners wife, daughte
or sweetheart. They are a sort of domes
tic concern, in which all the family tax,
an interest. Not cold, stately, upper
sonified thing, like merchants tai
ship. perhaps one of half a dozen, Ii
which he takes pride, but which he doe
not love, nor has q family feeling for
Now Betsy, or Sarah Ann seems lik
one of the family-someth1ng like cow
Was there ever such alteration of
husband both for himself and for his ge
Mus; such radiant sweetness with littl
children; such love of nature, to ever,
weed and flower, yet withal such stur
dy intellect with study and culture T.
the fore and shrewd opinions on curren
topics, as Mrs. Hawthorne's letters re
veal At time when excitement i
craved at every turn. one II ay well rea,
this Berkshire or Concord record with
softened heart "Apollo boiled som
potatoes for breakfast. Imagine hin
with that magnificent head bent over
cooking stove, and those star-eyes watch
| ing the pot boil In consequence, ther