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Lincoln had then been nominated by the Republicans； and the Civil War had
practically begun。 But we did not imagine such a thing in the North； we
rested secure in the belief that if Lincoln were elected the South would
eat all its fiery words； perhaps from the mere love and inveterate habit
of fireeating。
I rent myself away from the Autocrat's presence as early as I could；
and as my evening had been too full of happiness to sleep upon at once；
I spent the rest of the night till two in the morning wandering about the
streets and in the Common with a Harvard Senior whom I had met。 He was a
youth of like literary passions with myself； but of such different
traditions in every possible way that his deeply schooled and definitely
regulated life seemed as anomalous to me as my own desultory and
self…found way must have seemed to him。 We passed the time in the
delight of trying to make ourselves known to each other； and in a promise
to continue by letter the effort； which duly lapsed into silent patience
with the necessarily insoluble problem。
XIII。
I must have lingered in Boston for the introduction to Hawthorne which
Lowell had offered me； for when it came； with a little note of kindness
and counsel for myself such as only Lowell had the gift of writing；
it was already so near Sunday that I stayed over till Monday before I
started。 I do not recall what I did with the time； except keep myself
from making it a burden to the people I knew； and wandering about the
city alone。 Nothing of it remains to me except the fortune that favored
me that Sunday night with a view of the old Granary Burying…ground on
Tremont Street。 I found the gates open； and I explored every path in the
place； wreaking myself in such meagre emotion as I could get from the
tomb of the Franklin family； and rejoicing with the whole soul of my
Western modernity in the evidence of a remote antiquity which so many of
the dim inscriptions afforded。 I do not think that I have ever known
anything practically older than these monuments； though I have since
supped so full of classic and mediaeval ruin。 I am sure that I was more
deeply touched by the epitaph of a poor little Puritan maiden who died at
sixteen in the early sixteen…thirties than afterwards by the tomb of
Caecilia Metella； and that the heartache which I tried to put into verse
when I got back to my room in the hotel was none the less genuine because
it would not lend itself to my literary purpose； and remains nothing but
pathos to this day。
I am not able to say how I reached the town of Lowell； where I went
before going to Concord； that I might ease the unhappy conscience I had
about those factories which I hated so much to see； and have it clean for
the pleasure of meeting the fabricator of visions whom I was authorized
to molest in any air…castle where I might find him。 I only know that I
went to Lowell； and visited one of the great mills； which with their
whirring spools； the ceaseless flight of their shuttles； and the
bewildering sight and sound of all their mechanism have since seemed to
me the death of the joy that ought to come from work； if not the
captivity of those who tended them。 But then I thought it right and well
for me to be standing by；
〃With sick and scornful looks averse；〃
while these others toiled； I did not see the tragedy in it； and I got my
pitiful literary antipathy away as soon as I could； no wiser for the
sight of the ingenious contrivances I inspected； and I am sorry to say no
sadder。 In the cool of the evening I sat at the door of my hotel； and
watched the long files of the work…worn factory…girls stream by； with no
concern for them but to see which was pretty and which was plain； and
with no dream of a truer order than that which gave them ten hours' work
a day in those hideous mills and lodged them in the barracks where they
rested from their toil。
I wonder if there is a stage that still runs between Lowell and Concord；
past meadow walls； and under the caressing boughs of way…side elms； and
through the bird…haunted gloom of woodland roads； in the freshness of the
summer morning？ By a blessed chance I found that there was such a stage
in 1860； and I took it from my hotel； instead of going back to Boston and
up to Concord as I must have had to do by train。 The journey gave me the
intimacy of the New England country as I could have had it in no other
fashion； and for the first time I saw it in all the summer sweetness
which I have often steeped my soul in since。 The meadows were newly
mown； and the air was fragrant with the grass； stretching in long winrows
among the brown bowlders； or capped with canvas in the little haycocks it
had been gathered into the day before。 I was fresh from the affluent
farms of the Western Reserve； and this care of the grass touched me with
a rude pity； which I also bestowed on the meagre fields of corn and
wheat； but still the land was lovelier than any I had ever seen； with its
old farmhouses； and brambled gray stone walls； its stony hillsides； its
staggering orchards； its wooded tops； and its thick…brackened valleys。
From West to East the difference was as great as I afterwards found it
from America to Europe； and my impression of something quaint and strange
was no keener when I saw Old England the next year than when I saw New
England now。 I had imagined the landscape bare of trees； and I was
astonished to find it almost as full of them as at home； though they all
looked very little； as they well might to eyes used to the primeval
forests of Ohio。 The road ran through them from time to time； and took
their coolness on its smooth hard reaches； and then issued again in the
glisten of the open fields。
I made phrases to myself about the scenery as we drove along； and yes； I
suppose I made phrases about the young girl who was one of the inside
passengers； and who； when the common strangeness had somewhat worn off；
began to sing； and sang most of the way to Concord。 Perhaps she was not
very sage； and I am sure she was not of the caste of Vere de Vere； but
she was pretty enough； and she had a voice of a bird…like tunableness；
so that I would not have her out of the memory of that pleasant journey
if I could。 She was long ago an elderly woman； if she lives； and I
suppose she would not now point out her fellow…passenger if he strolled
in the evening by the house where she had dismounted； upon her arrival in
Concord； and laugh and pull another girl away from the window； in the
high excitement of the prodigious adventure。
XV。
Her fellow…passenger was in far other excitement； he was to see
Hawthorne； and in a manner to meet Priscilla and Zenobia； and Hester
Prynne and little Pearl； and Miriam and Hilda； and Hollingsworth and
Coverdale； and Chillingworth and Dimmesdale； and Donatello and Kenyon；
and he had no heart for any such poor little reality as that； who could
not have been got into any story that one could respect； and must have
been difficult even in a Heinesque poem。
I wasted that whole evening and the next morning in fond delaying； and it
was not until after the indifferent dinner I got a