Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-11-09
IN THE THOREAu HOUSE.
Browsing In the Numerous Dtsxfes
Of Bronson Afcott.

Browsing In the Numerous Dtsxfos
OF bronson Afeott.
The literary world seems to be turn
ing away from the theme Of colonial
war and bloodsbcd, and 1t Is pleasant
to find such poetic works as those o3
Henry Thoreau again coming to the
front. His sisters letters, recently pub,
llshed, reveal the mind Of a man whose
nature was too sweet and true and SIM
pie to have been spoiled by the lack OF
recognition. He sang for the love OF
singing and for the love Of beauty and
not for the praise of the world. In the
httle village of Concord, however.
where he lived and wrote, he has all
ways been revered both as man and
poet.
Or,e of. Concord's beaux esprit (now
gone over the Styx HIMSELF was wont
to say latterly that Concord was Ike
a potato patch-the best part OF IT was
underground" thought Of this re-
mark many times last year while was
living In the Thoreau house, for while
there / had access to the diaries OF
Bronson Alcott, Of which he left many
volumes, the thoughts Of forty years,
and In which he mentions many times
the sweet singer of Concord" There
is hardly an American name which has
furnished so much literary and person
al gossip for publication as that OF AL
colt, and yet In those journals there Is
much interesting matter still unexploit-
ed. Mr.. Alcott had a prolific mind, and
he was generously endowed with the
giving out quality. In his poetic spirit
his daughter Louisa and Thoreau and
Emerson, too, found Inspiration The
kindergarten system, introduced IN
America by that lovely woman Eliza
beth Peabody, was tested by Alcot In
the training of his own children, and
in his journals he speaks of talking
over these things with Elizabeth, Illus
trating the doctrine by saying thar
Louisa at the age Of six distinguishes
the difference between body thoughts
and spirit thoughts" He asserts, too'
that she loves figures Of speech and al
legory and that both she and Anna are
$50 immaterial In their natures as to
find ideas more satisfying than reall-
ties"
Louisa's reputation as a story teller
began at the age Of six, when she held
the nursery people spellbound by her.
imaginative gift. In the height OF her
fame, when she, with several other
brilliant women who were charter
members of the New England Wom-
ans club had won the world as listen
ers. one Of her best dinner stories was
the ghost story Of the Thoreau house,
where Mt that time the Alcotts lived.
Henry, having mechanical turn or
mind, had fitted up for himself an am
ateur pencil factory at the rear or the
house. His mother, who was mortally
afraid Of fire, used to visit the room
many times each day to watch the
wood burning In the open fireplace.
While the Alcotts lived in the house
they were much annoyed by the cur
rent report that Madam Thoreau. long
dead, still continued these visits, ana
Miss Alcott had the outside staircase
by which the madam was supposed to
ascend removed from the house. The
melodramatic effect of the tale lost
nothing in Miss Alcott's telling.
Thoreaus hut In Walden's wood,
which Is some distance beyond the
Emerson estate, is still shown as one
of the interesting spots Of Concord,
second only to the little Gothic School
Of Philosophy building. His flute,
which was said to be Of so sweet q
tone as to charm the birds and squlr-
rels, is in the possession Of q sculptor
who resides in New Bedford.
Apropos of Concord stories, the ven,
erable president of the New England
Woman's club is. as every one knows.
delightful speaker, and at celebra-
ton held by the club last year upon the
one hundredth anniversary OF Bronson.
Alcott, at which due honor was also
paid to all the Concord celebrities,
Mrs. Julia Ward Howe opened her re-
marks by telling in her own quaint
way a story of Alcott illustrating his
humOr, of which he had q pretty gift
81 was present" said she, "at a din
ner where he was an honored guest.
which was given soon after he had
adopted the vegetarian doctrine. AS 1t
happened. most inadvertently, the talk
ran for awhile on cannibalism, and. to
every ones surprise, Alcott began an
argument In defense Of the killing and
eating Of man. Some one exclaimed,
You believe In cannibalismv, Yes, yes
he answered with his charming smile.
If one must eat flesh. why not eat the
bestY" Y"-Laura Cate In New York Post.