Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-12
HOMES OF NOTED AMERICANS.
Interesting "reminiscences of the Old Manse-Where Tho
resu Emerson and Hawthorne Lived and Worked

II to trace the footsteps Of genius.
ana to llnger and muse in the hounts
OF those men and women whose works
we love so well; If to loitcr around the
places of history and inhule the lntu-
ence OF those surroundings which have
suggested the imagery of poems and
the settings of tales then no pilgrimage
can compare with those taken to the
old homes Of our American authors.
As one sits and dreams on the travels
OF the Charles river, or at the dear old
Wayside. the home of Loulsu N. AL
colt, he seems to be brought into closer
sympathy with those men aud women
who have given us golden age OF
American literature. Perhaps Concord
In the old Bay state IL the greatest
Mecca we have In America. for ii Is n
place where hundreds of pilgrims go
every year to pay homage at the
shrines Of our famous men Of Let
ters Here lived Thoreau. Emerson.
and Hawthorn; and that dear friend
of all the girls and boys, Loura ".
Alcott.
The traveller sits today on the banks
OF the Concord river, sees the stream.
skirted with pines and willows. hears
the lark. and the chirp of the squirrel.
but with only fractional part of the
feeling and understanding of those
great dreamers who roamcd over the
same spots.
one enters the town of Concord, hav-
ing come along beautiful country
4
old Wright Tavern is the center OF
the town, and here an old-fashloned
New England dinner is served to the
passing wayfarer. This house was
built in l7i1. and here Major Pitcairn
refreshed himself ON the morning of
April ~, lIT5. Concord itsrif is not a
large place. but 1t is 1t beautiful and
placid somnolent village, with streets
skirted with large trees, and homes
surrounded with gardens and lawns.
The journey is continued, and the
destination is the old Manse. which is
northward from the town "A half mile.
Along a pretty road with pines ana
oaks on both sides in every spare
space, the traveller goes quietly
along. Nothing breaks the monotony,
but the now and then chirp of a
squirrel, as he scampers off to his hole,
or the melancholy cry OF some distant
dove. one is so filled with delight that
he can hardly hold himself when he
spies through the trees the famous Old
Manse. This was the home Of the grand
sire of Ralph Waldo Emerson, and af-
terward was tenanted by DIR. Ripley
Emerson. Nathaniel Hawthorne, and
the celebrated Sarah Bradford, who
was looked upon as one OF the best edu-
Gated women in New England. She
used to train young men for Harvard
and 1t is said that one day Il caller
A.
of a student in Latin and another in
differential calculus, while she was
rocking the cradle and Smelling peas for
dinner.
And now. who would not think of our
Hawthorne and his description Of this
home The opening in the stone wall
is soon reached, and passing between
two tall gate posts, one follows on
down "A long avenue of trees. with the
wheel track almost covered with grass.
The surrounding of the Old Manse IL
a veritable Eden. IAN TGldorado for
dreamers," and as one looks up at the
dormer window. and then into the
broad fields beyond where We're the
orchard. the garden and the walls of
Hawthorne. he feels as If the muse OF
poetry were lowering near, and urging
him to love and venerate in thought
and word the noble names of history.
The picturesque old mansion stands
between lOlldBe anu EretnSWuTu. Inc
house is n wooden structure. and looks
very antique under its large over
hanging gambol roof. Time has toned
Its color, and 1t blends beautifully with
the trees, the shrubbery and the sky
Within the shades Of the oaks are the |
old paths, so carefully carpeted with |
grass and daisies. where Hawthorne, |
Emerson and Thoreau used to walk in |
their hours OF reVerie.
! visited this place last July, and as |
stood In front of the building, | was
almost daft with delight. a son of the |
eminent divine. Edward c. Hale, who |
has charge of the house, refused me |
admttance. but his wife. being more |
compassionate. asked me in, and was
ushered into the parlor at the left of |
the hall where the sages of Concord |
used to meet, and discuss over their |
teacups the topics of the times. All the |
rooms are wainscoted, which Is colored
In extremely dark paint. and this COM
bined with the low ceilings makes one 1
think Of The old home of our Quaker
poet
The study is at the top of the stairs
to the right, and has a north window !
which looks out upon the old battle
field; and far. far beyond the Concord |
flows lazily in the light of the after
noon sun. This room was the study of
Emerscns grandfather. and from its
his wife watched the battle OF |
April is. 11G5. Here Emerson wrote |
his essay on nature and afterwards the
Dreamy Hawthorne came to the little |
study and culled many Of his shorter
aleS. Two windows look westward into |
he garden and on one of the panes
has scratched the follow
ng:
Nathaniel Hawthorne. This is my
Below. another hand, that of his wife,
has written;
Inscribed by my husband at sunset,
April, 1913. In the gold light. $. A. II.
Mans accidents are Gods purposes.
SOPHIA A. HAWTHORNE"
The little shelf which slants from
he wall by the side of the old chimney.
md on which the romanccr used to
write. is SIN in fits place, and, seeming
o realize that he viii come no more,
I stands as "A kind Of sentinel. to keep
watch over the sacred little room.
Above the second floor IL the garrett
where Hawthorne found so many books
hat had long lain in the dust and cob
vobs. Here he spent many secluded
lours. II was this seclusion that
aused him to say with Goethe; ~ |
alent Is perfected In solitude: a char
cter In the stream Of the world"
/ wanted to linger longer in this /
,eaceful haunt, but the afternoon was
passing qul ny away. The quiet en- |
'ironment. the peaceful solitude, the
thoughts Of those who had lived in this
place allied me with Il feel