New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-03-26


Alcotts Little Women" is about to he res
tcred and opened 20 the public. For tw'
decades the little brown house in Concord
Mass where Neg. 10. Ruth and Amy
p,ayed and quarrcllcd and Grcw mp, ha.
been falling 10 rack and ruin. Tall weeds
have choked the pathway leading 10 tn,
doorstep. the broken windows were coy
ercd with ugly boards The feeble old moss
covered roof has been almost ready "a
tumble in upon the attic nook where 10
bctook herself in rainy days with her sp-
pies and her book. Summer suns have
faded the old walls and scorchcd away tho
paint IN great patches. During oil these
wears visitors by tho hundreds have visited
Concord, and after gazing revcrenly upon
the homes Of Hawthorne and Emerson, and
standing eXultant upon the old Concord
bridge where the minute men Of thc RcNo-
luton fired the shot heard around the
world" tho pilgrims have asked TO he
shown the home Of Little Women
Whereupon the guiSes would shrus Their
shoulders and muttcr. Not much 10 sec
there, miss" But if the visitors arc de-
voted 10 Louisa AlCott. as most Concord
pilgrims arc, they persist, and presently
are brought face 10 face with this UNI
slightly old house. after which they go
away disiusionizcd
BY all who have suffered this experience
the news az the proposed restoration Of
Orchard House will he hsiled with glad
ness 10 is the Concord Women's club
which Is raising the funds and proposes to
restore the old building 10 the condition IN
which il was when the Little Women
lived there. y carctakCr viii hc supported
on the place. and il viii he used rs rest
ing place for tourists and motorists. The
person in charge. OF course. will he pre-
pared 10 tell visitors all tho stories con-
nectec with the old house and to furnish
souvenirs, as is usual in such meCcas.
Already a fair sum has been raised
toward the fund, ana a special theatrical
performance is TO he given by John Craig
and his company ar the Castle Square The
stre, Boston. for the benefit OF the fund.
But the total amount required is $500. and
IL Is hoped that lovers OF the Acott books
from all parts Of the country will join in
this effort 10 preserve the home of their
author.
Henry T. Smith, ir., Of tho Niddlesox
Savings Institution, is acting as treasurer
OF the fund and Mrs. Henry c. Rofe,
president Of The Concord Women's Club is
i'm charge Of the work. Through the
generosity OF Mrs. Daniel LothrOp. who
occupies Hawthorne House. and is the
author of Five Little Peppers" the Con-
cord Womcn's Club has been able TO set
an option on the Alcot house.
After Louisa Alcott moved from the
Orchard House. or apple slump" as she
loved to cal. It. Dr.. William T. Harris, Of
the National Board Of Education, bought
it, Later Mrs Lothrop bought it. in order
that it might some day be preserved as Il
memorial TO Louisa Alcott. She kept the
ownership in the hope that some associa-
lion might care Tor it as revercntly as was
its due. But no association has felt willing
10 shoulder the responsibility until. as Mrs.
Rolfo says, I'VE decided that this year
something simply must be done about 1t. or
the house wcaid fall into such a condition
,hat We would never be able To save it.
was impressed most deeply with the shame
II allowing this famous house to fall to
iuin one day Whom / took man who lived
I'm England 10 sec Orchard House. lie had
read Little Women and was a great adj
mircr Of Miss Alcotts stories. When we
arrived th,rc De found that the windows
were boarded ur. lie couldn't even peek
into the rooms that he had pictured in his
mind ever since ne had read the book.
Think of ~ lie had como all tic way
from ENGLAND loving Little Women and
no couldn't cveu step into the room whore
~ was written,
n is because tho house has been boarded
up 50 Ions that few people know how in
terostng the interior IS. II If not au ordI-
nary house with Wall paper. Not hit of
30. Would those four girls have endured