Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-10-01
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a newspaper should be c68d

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a newspaper should be c63d
John Oxcnham. author OF II
Road" Our Lady of Deliv
Surgns;cd b. the Dreyfus case.
new ncv'l he published this
"Th" Man Of sark," was born Il
chester. England lie rs va
cuainted with iris country a
spent some time in :o~ysYprk
Canada ana il travelling throus
Southern States. He SAYS
work: Il began to write for. ~
pleasure ana az a distractfon
other matters. The delight 81 n
upon me as the appetite con,es 4,
ing. l have no tale Of hardshIn~
! was not writing for a Iivinx
/ enjoyed producing other
seemed to enjoy pcrusins, ana
even willing to pay for
A book club in Chicago. The -
has recently printed and dEfef
privately to members book II
is to be found a collection a.
letters Of Nathaniel Hawthoyn1
letters were written, it is neesIiS
explain, to Sophia Peabody ana
sent to her during the periods y
couples betrOthal, but there A.
several other letters written an
two were married. Altogether ~
are 100 letters, the first dated Marc
1899, and the last May 8 1869 a
the first hundred were written he6'
the marriage, which took place Inl,
1912. but the last sixty-t three are q
letters nevertheless.
The original manuscripts OF the
letters, an introduction explains. W
exhibited at the Grolier (,Imn
Hawthorne centennial, in 1904. hut Z
until now have they found their W.
into print. The letters appear in u
volumes, the first containing tho
written in 183940 and in the Garlic
month OF 1S41, while Hawthorne NJ
employed in the Boston custom hous
as inspector, and the second beginninr
with the Brook farm letters, April r
Octoberi 1S41, and concluding witt
the last in the collection.
These are the most interesting, am
they show clearly how thorough
Hawthorne disliked the drudgery Q
the community in which he hi
planned to spend his life. He writes
for instance;
Dearest, provide myself with goo
stock Of furs; and II thou canst obta1
the skin Of a polar Hear. thou wilt Nd
it a very suitable Summer dress I'd
this region. Thou must not hope evd
to walk abroad, except on snowshoe,
nor to find any warmth. save in tn
husbands heart" ,ses.:
In a postscript to the same letteI
written the next day, he tells of hi
first farm work:
"Sweetest,'I did not milk the COW
last night, because Mr.. Ripley wa
afraid to trust them to my handbag
me to their horns-I know not whic1
But this morning l have done wondAai
Before breakfast l went out to Il,
barn and began to chop hay for Il
cattle, and with such '.righteou
vehemence' (as Mr.. Ripley says) did.
labor that in the Space OF ten minute
1 broke the machine. Then I brougla
wood and replenished the fires; -a1&
finally sat down to breakfast and ~
up huge mound of buckwheat cakxiv
After breakfast Mr.. Ripley put a fdeL
pronged instrument into my hauda
which he gave me to underestimate
called a pitchfOrk: and he and m
Farley being armed with 49,
weapons, we all then ommenceish
gallant attack upon heap Of mauilfE
This office being concluded. and TN
husband having purified. himselfjyab
sits down to finish this 4etter to ~
most beloved wife. Dearest, m
never consent that thou come Witkfs
half mile of me, after such -
encounter as that of this morni
Pray heaven that this letter red =
none of the fragrance with which
writer was imbued. A.. for:
husband himself, he Is. pec1r
partial to the odor; but thu ~
little nose Of thine miEh
quarrel with it," iii
Whether it was due to ~
Partially to the odOre, or ~ 1fs1
cause, Hawthorne's post. & ~
sion of labor, seems to hi
hill of manure. He calls q
mine,' writing on one 81
follows: S5sssS3
THAT abominable gold mfn&x
God. we anticipate getting fI6
treasures. in the course of,tN0
days. OF all hateful place0ah1
worst; l shall never com
for having spent so mad
blessed sunshine there.
opinion. dearest. that a NAL IL
be buried and perish under "
heap or in furrow Of the ~
as well as under a pile Of m
Well: that giant, Mr.. George Bradlle
Will probably pc here today: 80 tha
Will be no danger Of thy husband hel1
under the necessity of labOring mol
than he likes, hereafter. MeantiIj,
my health is perfect, and my spiri
Duoyant. even in a gold mine"
The letters written later. are dan
at different places, several having be-!
dispatched from Liverpool Occasion
ally we may find in them reference r.
MS literary works, but, on the who
they are mainly personal, relating =
minor incidents of his life. They dg
ciose. however. a more intimate W.
Oh the shy. grave Hawthorne"
We are likely to have from otne
scOurces. SO Il
WIN an immensely pretty coyer-o4
OF harrison Fishers most pleast4
nf