memory of a certain writer than that of the magician, in whose
presence he almost lost his breath, looking at him over a dinner-plate
which he was gravely wiping in the kitchen, while the handy friend,
who had been a Western settler, scoured the kettle at the door.
Blithedale, where their acquaintance had begun, had not allowed either
of them to forget how to help himself. It was amusing to one who knew
this native independence of Hawthorne, to hear, some years afterwards,
that he wrote the "campaign" _Life of Franklin Pierce_ for the sake of
getting an office. That such a man should do such a work was possibly
incomprehensible to those who did not know him upon any other
supposition, until the fact was known that Mr. Pierce was an old and
constant friend. Then it was explained. Hawthorne asked simply how he
could help his friend, and he did the only thing he could do for that
purpose. But although he passed some years in public office, he had
neither taste nor talent for political life. He owed his offices to
works quite other than political. His first and second appointments
were virtually made by his friend Mr. Bancroft, and the third by his
friend Mr. Pierce. His claims were perceptible enough to friendship,
but would hardly have been so to a caucus.

In this brief essay we have aimed only to indicate the general
character of the genius of Hawthorne, and to suggest a key to his
peculiar relation to his time. The reader will at once see that it is
rather the man than the author who has been described; but this has
been designedly done, for we confess a personal solicitude, shared, we
are very sure, by many friends of Nathaniel Hawthorne, that there
shall not be wanting to the future student of his works such light as
acquaintance with the man may throw upon them, as well as some picture
of the impression his personality made upon his contemporaries.