Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-06-22
Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Today. as a part of it's Commence
ment program, Bowdoin College holds
special exercises in nonOr of the men,
most famous graduates, the centennial
or whose birth occurs, this summer.
In honor of the anniversary, a special
Hawthorne number of the college liter
airy monthly, the Quill, has been issued
containing articles by distinguished
alumni; a movement is on foot for the
erection of a statue Of Hawthorne, OH
one side of the walk leading to the
main entrance of that noble library
building, Hubbard Hall: and this af-
ternoon, there will be special exercises
i'm the college churcif the leading adj
dress being delivered by Bliss Perry,
editor of the Atlantic MCntely.
The college does well thus to honor
one of its most distinguished alumni,
just as Harvard honoIed the centcn-
NAL of Emerson's birth, last year, and
just as Bowdoin will honor the CEN
tcrlniai of the birth of I.ongfellow, who
was Hawthorne's classmate, when it
occurs i'm 1907. And when that last
named centennial is observed. it will
be the proper thing to erect a noble
statue of the youthful Longfellow on
the other side of the pathway leading
to Hubbard hall. There should be no
lack of contributions to the fund re-
quired for such monuments. and the
statues themselves should be the best
that modern art can produce.
His Alma Mater is not alone in OBJ
serving Hawthornc's centenary ga
the writing of his greatest book THE
Scarlet Letter" will celebrate the
Hawthorne family ami with appropri-
ate exercises. Salem was slow in rec
her most famous son and afforded him
little less than political ostracism
when he WAS an official in the custom
house of that city. ON his part. he
had little love for Salem as was indi-
Gated I'm several of his writings. and
his life there was anything but hap
by one. His really happy years. the
pe Rod of his great literary productive
ness. were past in Concord. and
there a third celebration of the CEN
tenary will be held on July 4. which is
the exact anniversary of his birth.
There he lived in the Old Mansc. close
by the scene of the famous Concord
fight, and later in the Wayside. near
the home of Emerson and the Alcotts,
where his children were born and
where his genius began to receive rec
In Concord. also. in the beautiful
Sleepy Hollow cemetery. rests his dust
tttt VI thu
the Alcott family.
Hawthorne's residence in Concord
was broken for a few years by his So
journ i'm Liverpool, England, where he
was appointed as consul by his college
Il friend. President Pierce, and it was
this. European sojourn which made
possible the Marble Faun," An Eng
lish Note Book and "Our Old Home
Although Hawthorne died at the ma
turity of his powers he had won an
imperishable name; and although he
was never appreciated at his full
worth during his life, he is now, half
a century after his death, recognized
throughout the world as the greatest
among American writer's of romantic
fiction. There is no doubt that his
repute as a writer is still growing. and
this observance Of the centenary of his
birth will doubtless cause a renewed
interest in his works in the younger
generation.