Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-22
Homes of Well Known Authors
at Concord, Mass.
OLD MANSE BUILT IN 1765
Used as Parsonage by Ralph Waldo
Emerson's Grandfather.
WHERE HAWTHORNE WROTE
Lived in the "Wayside Cottage
Next to the Alcotts, From
1852 to 1864.
BY WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.
Special CORRESPONDENCE of The Star and the
chicago Record Herald

BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence OF The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald
CONCORD. Mass, July Is 1911.
The places most revered in Concord
the homes of famous men and beloved
authors, to which pilgrmages are made
daily by persons from every part of the
country, from England and even from
the continent, are the Old Manse, which
was built as parsonage for the grand
father of Ralph Waldo Emerson, when
that fighting parson was minister or the
First Church; the later home of Emerson.
in which he died: the Orchard House.
which was the home of the Alcotts, and
the scene of the School of Philosophy;
and Wayside the home of the Haw-
thornes In addition to these are other
interesting houses: the homestead IN
which the late Senator George Frisbie
Hoar and his brother, Judge +. Rock
wood Eoar Grants Attorney General
were born: the home of Mr. Bull. who
originated the Concord grape and the
homes of the most famous of all Unfair
ian preachers, William Ellery Channng:
F. B. Sanborn, the Thoreau family and
others Half dozen other houses are
identified with revolutionary events. or
were the scenes of the meeting OF emil
nent men.
The Old Manse was built by the con-
gregation of the First Church i'm 1860 as
a parsonage for the Rev. William Emer-
son. and remained the property of the
family until the death of the Rev. DIR.
Ripley. one of the descendants of Parson
Emerson. 1t is now owned by ana oc-
cupied by Miss Ames of Cambridge. who
keeps il i'll perfect order and is entitled
to all the pride of possession she can feel
II,rx lived int hi
years, and there wrote one of his most
charming books. Moses From An Old
Manse." which contains vigorous and de-
lightfui pictures of Concord scenery and
environment. The house is also aSso-
cated with James Russell Lowell. who
spent summer there in tS:5S. when.
'.rusticated'' from Harvard College. under
the instruction of tutor. he was trying
to make up his conditions.
Occupies Low Meadow.
The Old Manse occupies a low meadow
considerable distance from the street.
and almost within stones throw of the
bridge over the Concord river where the
battle of Concord was fought. Hawthorne
in his "Nosses From An Old Manse' tells
a tragic story of that engagement.
"A youth" he writes. lin the service
III the clergyman. Parson Emerson" who
by the way. carried musket and was
active in the fight. happened To be
choppins wood that April morning. at the
noise of battle rang from side to side
of the bridge. he left his task and hurried
to the battlefield with the AK still in his
hand The British. by this time, had re-
treated. the Americans were in pursuit.
and the late scene of strife was deserted
BY both parties. Two soldiers lay on the
ground One was corpse. but. as the
young New Enslander drew nigh, the
his hands and knees and gave a CHASTITY
stare in his face. The boy. IL must have
been a nervous impulse. without purpose.
upiifted his arm. and dealt the wounded
soldier a fierce and fatal blow upon the
head
Those two soldiers We're buried where
they died and their graves are carefully
kept beside the bridge.
IRaiph Waldo Emerson made his first
HteNary adventure in the Old Manse
where, in 1896. he wrote his book
Nature" Until then he had lived in
Boston. where his first wife died. In his
loneliness he came I" the Old Manse to
dwell with his mother, and there met
Hawthorne. Alcott. Thoreau. William Z.
Charming and other literary lights. who
formed the most brilliant constellation
that has ever Illuminated this country.
And they attracted satellites and enlarged
their circle, which finally developed into
the famous Concord School of Philosophy
which in the last years of Emerson and
Alcott attracted so much attention and
brought hundreds of college professors
clergymen, students. philosophers and in
quirers 10 Concord every summer for nine
years-from 1879 to 1SSS-when the death
OF Bronson Alcott. its founder and in
SEPARATION. caused his disciples to lose their
interest and seatter.
School Was Ridiculed
The Concord School of Philosophy pro-
voked considerable ridicule, and much
satire was expended upon the mysticism
and characterization which were in
volved in the instruction. 1t must be ad-
mifted that his most devoted pupils never
understood much that Mr.. Alcott said in
his addresses, and some scoffers went so
far as TO assert that he did not under
stand it himself Emerson, his beloved
colleague and friend for lifetime. observ-
ed in one of his famous essays that ito
be great Is often to be misunderstood, -
and in that sense dear old Mr.. Alcott
who had The fai oT q