The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-04-09


celebration will be especially interest
ing. reminding them as it will Of the
day in 1873 when the boys and girls Of
Concord turned out in force to welcome
the sage on his return from a visit to
Europe. The main function, however,
will take place at the First Parish
Meeting House in the afternoon. when
there will be addresses by Professor
Charles Eliot Norton, Senator George
F. Hoar, Colonel Thomas Wentworth
Higginson and Professor William
James of Harvard In the evening
there will be dinner, with a number
of the old friends of Emerson as guests
of honor &
The arrangements for the affair are
ization founded in 1882. of which En-
erson was member for forty-three
years. The circle has but twenty-five
members, and only in case of a ,vacan-
cy is a new member admitted. A COM
mittee consisting of Samuel Hoar, L.
B. Macdonald. Edward J. Bartlett. Will
liam L! Eaton and Thomas l.. Ellis has
As matter of course the hundreds
who will visit the city for the Emerson
centenary will want to pay a visit to
the house in which he did 70 much of
his work. The old mansion stands at
the corner of the Lexington turnpike
and the Cambridge road and is now oc-
cupied by Miss Ellen Emerson, the po-
x.lff II SIvlra hos
ing there in retirement since the death
of her father. The house is practically
In the same condition as it was when
he passed away. 1t stands some little
distance from the road and is half hid
den by clump of pine trees. To the
right of the entrance is the library, In
which Emerson spent a great part of
his life. and upstairs is his study a
cozy little room.
Another house of interest in connec-
ton with the poet is the "Old Manse,'
made famous by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
This was built by the Rev. William
Emerson In 1865 and was Ralph Waldo
Emerson's home for number of years.
1t was here that he wrote Nature.
Mecca for centenary visitors, for 1t Is
here that Emerson's grave will be
found. as well as the graves of such
other illustrious people as Thoreau, the
Alcotts and Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Emerson's resting place is marked by
huge rose quartz bowlder. to which Is
affixed a copper tablet inscribed with
the date and place OF birth OF the phi
losopher.
Concord has indeed been the home Of
notables. A little way up Main street
stands the old dwelling place Of Mar
garet Fuller, between whom and EN-
erson a warm friendship existed. She
was the editor of the Dial. high class
literary and religious magazine WI ich
was established by Emerson In 1910.
Another house on the same street was
the home OF William Monroe. once one
OF the great men Of Concord.
Concord has many other interesting
landmarks Passing the cemetery, one
sees an old mansion which was used
as q block house at the time OF King
Philips war. On Lexington road Is the
Wright tavern, built in 1741.. reputed
to have been the fayorite drinking
place of Pitcairn, the English chief.
Next to the tavern stands a church
built on the plan Of the old Concord
meeting house, where the first proyin-
cial congress Of delegates from the
towns of Massachusetts organized In
April, 1774
Then. too. there is the famous Con-
cord battle-ground, where was fired
the shot heard round the world" when
the first conflict for American indie.
pendence was begun. It is only a few
steps from che old manse to the battle
ground and toWnfolk tell the story
of how Emersen's grandmother held
her children up to the window and inn
pressed upon them the significance Of
tile battle then being fought by the
patriots and the redcoats.
HENRY Il BRUCE.