Evening journal., 1912-09-20
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Why ThOreau Refused to Go
to Europe
BY Holland.

The late Ainsworth r. Spofford for
many years the librarian of Congress,
and esteemed the foremost American
librarian of his time, was personal
acquaintance of Henry ID. Thoreau,
and occasionally visited at Thoreau's
home in Concord, Mass.
"Thoreau gained a high reputation
in England" said Mr.. Spofford, when
beginning the anedote I am about to
relate, through the publication of his
book Walden" in which he described
his so-called hermit life of two years
and three months in a hut which he
built near the shore Of Walden Pond,
on the outskirts of Concord. Later
this reputation was increased by his
sketches descriptive of the Maine
woods, which he visited long before
these had became fashionable resorts
or the haunts o. gentlemen sportsmen.
These sketches first appeared in the
Atlantic Monthly and were copied
in Europe.
"Thoreau also wrote descriptive
sketches of Cape Cod, which. were not
only published in England. but also
translated into French and German.
His familiarity with the fora and
fauna Of Concord brought tributes of
praise to him from Agassiz. It was
commonly said of him that he had
explored every nook and corner of
that historic town and that there was
no feature of the natural life of Con-
cord and its Vicinity with which he
was unfamiliar.
"ThOreau's high reputation in Eng
land, France and Germany caused
many Inquiries to be written from
those countries to Emerson, who was
nelghbor Of Thoreau, and to A.
Bronson Alcott. father of Louisa NJ.
Alcott, whose home was also I'm Con-
cord. Hawthorne was a citizen of
Concord when he was appointed
United States consul to Liverpool by
President Pierce While in England
he was able to answer many inquiries
concerning the poet-naturalist, as
Thoreau was called.
"A year or more after Thoreau's
sketches of the Maine woods we're
published a strong effort was made
in France and in England to induce
him TO visit those countries. He did
not know of that, however. until a
friend and admirer called upon him
one day and said to him:
Henry. many of the leading liter
ary people of France and of England
are very anxious to see you. In Paris
they aer especially hopeful that you
will visit that city and then write
about II In your own inimitable way
have called. therefore. TO assure you
that arrangements have--been made
to provide you with a sufficient sum
OF money to pay your expenses. You
will earn this money because il will
he in part payment Of what you may
write
why, asked Thoreau, do they
want me to go to Paris and to Lon
don?'
Because they want you TO see
those cities and describe them, as you
alone can.
You may say 10 my unknown
friends that 1t Is not yet time for me
70 visit Paris or London, was the
prompt response.
" Why not?' the friend asked
Becaue 7 have not yet seen one
half OF what is worthy OF seeing in
Concord, I'm its meadows. hills and
woods. When have seen every
thing that Is in Concord then / may
be ready TO visit Paris
And i'm this manner Henry D.
Thoreau declined to make an ex-
cursion TO England and France which
would not only have cost him moth
ing, but which probably would,
through the sale Of his writings. have
brought him a substantial sum"
Copyright. 1912, by Il. J. Edwards
All rights reservedl
Tomorrow Mr. Edwards will tell Of
"A Pathetic Explanation of Curious
Political Fact l."