The Complete Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Appendix to Volume XII: Tales, Sketches, and other Papers by Nathaniel Hawthorne with a Biographical Sketch by George Parsons Lathrop: Biographical Sketch of Nathaniel Hawthorne — John Shaqi
The Complete Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Appendix to Volume XII: Tales, Sketches, and other Papers by Nathaniel Hawthorne with a Biographical Sketch by George Parsons Lathrop: Biographical Sketch of Nathaniel HawthorneLathrop, George Parsons
General
The Complete Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Appendix to Volume XII: Tales, Sketches, and other Papers by Nathaniel Hawthorne with a Biographical Sketch by George Parsons Lathrop: Biographical Sketch of Nathaniel Hawthorne
Lathrop, George Parsons
Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1804-1864; Novelists, American -- 19th century -- Biography
His family having reëstablished themselves in Salem, at the old Herbert
Street house, he settled himself with them, and stayed there until
December, 1828, meanwhile publishing "Fanshawe" anonymously. They then
moved to a smaller house on Dearborn Street, North Salem; but after four
years they again took up their abode in the Herbert Street homestead.
Hawthorne wrote industriously; first the "Seven Tales of my Native
Land," which he burned, and subsequently the sketches and stories which,
after appearing in current periodicals, were collected as "Twice-Told
Tales." In 1830 he took a carriage trip through parts of Connecticut. "I
meet with many marvellous adventures," was a part of his news on this
occasion, but they were in reality adventures of a very tame
description. He visited New York and New Hampshire and Nantucket, thus
extending slightly his knowledge of men and places. A great deal of
discursive reading was also accomplished. In 1836 he went to Boston to
edit for Mr. S. G. Goodrich "The American Magazine of Useful and
Entertaining Knowledge." It did not turn out to be either useful or
entertaining for the editor, who was to be paid but $500 a year for his
drudgery, and in fact received only a small part of that sum. Through
Goodrich, he became a copious contributor to "The Token," in the pages
of which his tales first came to be generally known; but he gave up the
magazine after a four months' misery of editorship, and sought refuge
once more in his native town.
Salem was an isolated place, was not even joined to the outer world by
its present link of railroad with Boston, and afforded no very generous
diet for a young, vigorous, hungry intellect like that of Hawthorne.
Surroundings, however, cannot make a mind, though they may color its
processes. He proceeded to extract what he could from the material at
hand. "His mode of life at this period was fitted to nurture his
imagination, but must have put the endurance of his nerves to the
severest test. The statement that for several years 'he never saw the
sun' is entirely an error. In summer he was up shortly after sunrise,
and would go down to bathe in the sea; but it is true that he seldom
chose to walk in the town except at night, and it is said that he was
extremely fond of going to fires if they occurred after dark. The
morning was chiefly given to study, the afternoon to writing, and in the
evening he would take long walks, exploring the coast from Gloucester to
Marblehead and Lynn--a range of many miles.... Sometimes he took the day
for his rambles, wandering perhaps over Endicott's ancient Orchard Farm
and among the antique houses and grassy cellars of old Salem Village,
the witchcraft ground; or losing himself among the pines of Montserrat
and in the silence of the Great Pastures, or strolling along the beaches
to talk with old sailors and fishermen." "He had little communication
with even the members of his family. Frequently his meals were brought
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