Personal Recollections of Nathaniel Hawthorne

Horatio Bridge, who has compiled this volume of reminiscences chiefly from Hawthorne's correspondence with himself and wife, is a retired Paymaster-General in the United States Navy. Mr. Bridge does not strictly follow the rules of chronology in his pages, and makes no attempt at a biographical sketch or critical estimate of Hawthorne. He simply gives facts old and new with little regard to structure and embellishment. Frequent separations often broke the continuity of personal association by Hawthorne and the writer, who were firm and life-long friends. The letters giving Hawthorne's ideas about his books are very full of interest. A complete picture is presented of life at Salem and in Europe, and many names that have become famous appear in these pages.