Little Women Letters from the House of Alcott

hips an

oreau, Ellery Channing, Margaret Fuller, and Elizabeth Peabody. Such association made its impress upon the Alcott daughters. Anna's diary is filled with references to visits with the Em

these literary giants of New England by those who lacked the

y, and Thoreau. Between its modest covers were many of the intellectual masterpieces of the time: its rare volumes are still treasure-houses of literature which to-day command any price. Mr. Alcott selec

f Reform: "Reforms are the noblest of facts. Extant in time,

Peabody, Mrs. Cheney, and other of the early Transcendentalists, later on augmented by James Russell Lowell and Nathaniel Hawthorne, a series of drawing-room symposiums was established, with Alcot

eighbor. Thoreau had his cabin at Walden, where he had established "a community of one." To and from B

il and ever upheld the dignity of labor, not ashamed nor afraid to work for hire as a laborer in his nei

grounds. It stood for many years, a picturesque temple of friendship. William Henry Channing mentions a morning spent there, reading Margaret Fuller's Ital

d, a friend of Mrs. Alcott, thus describes this home, which is now preserv

ste, more intelligible than his Orphic Sayings. He let every old rafter and beam stay in its place, changed old ovens and ash holes into Saxon arched alcoves, and added a washerwoman's old sh

himself, has paid to Bro

s brain, like the nut its kernel. His words and attitude always suppose a better state of things than other men are aquainted with, and he will be the last man to be disappointed when the ag

tt: "He is certainly the youngest man of his age we have seen. When I looked at his gray hairs

l his thoughts. Ellery Channing called his library, "Encyclopediea de Moi-meme, en cents volumes." Yet t

ibed the origin of the

ved cordially by his friends, who had given his name to their school, Alcott House, Ham, near London. He spent several months in making acquaintance with various classes of reformers. On his return to Ameri

cott in her "Transcendental Wild Oats." The detail of it is thus described by

erated. The barley crop was injured in harvesting, and before long want was staring them in the face. The Alcotts remained at Fruitlands till mid-winter in dire poverty, all the guests having taken their departure as provisions vanished. Friends came to the rescue, and, Mr. Alcott conclud

er worries hidden. Her own family, indignant because Bronson Alcott could not better provide the

w forth from her a defense of Bronson Alcott whi

ve

8

fe to one who misapprehends and

njoy the recital of their privations; they have been reviled, but they revile not again; they know sorrow and are acquainted with grief; and yet there is joy in that group of sinless men, such as angels might desire to partake of. I am not writing poetry, but I have tried to place before your mind, in as brief, but clear a manner as I am able, our real condition, and Mr. Alcott's merit as a man, who, though punished and neglected by a wicked world, has much to console and encourage him in the confidence and cooperation of some of the wisest and best men living. Ten such, were they permitted in their several vocations to act as teachers, preachers, and printers, would save our wicked city from the ruin that awaits it. But they are turned, like the Nazarene, into solitary places to lament the blindness and folly of mankind, who are fo

fanatics rave on these holy themes, life, duty, destiny of man. Thus he occasionally finds a market for his thoughts and experiences, which, though inadequate to our support, is richly prized as the honest gains of an innocent and righteous labor. You spoke of his "poetical wardrobe" whether in satire or in a worthier sp

hildren on the Gospels," edited by Mr. Alcott in two volumes, appearing in 1836-1837, caused such a commotion in Boston as to result in the downfall of the Temple School. Reading these conversations to-day, one is imp

abody delighted to talk and write. Their discussi

ty, all shaping and all coloring. And the reason is, that Evil has in truth no substantial existence, that it acquires all the existence it has from want of faith and soul cul

tive place and being in the popular imagination, and by the imagination must it be made to flee away into its negative life. How shall this

verend W. H. Furness. "He is a great man, the god with the herdsman of Admetus. His conversation is subli

tty persecutions, Alcott write

eavenly things. I have tried to translate into ideas the language and images of spirit, and thus to read God in his works. The outward I have seen as the visage and type of the inward. Ever doth this same natu

come an author, picturing as his golden view for Alcott that one day he will leave the

The written word abides until, slowly and unexpectedly, an

f which gained its first foothold in New England, and, with headquarters in Boston, has spread, until to-day its followers and churches circle the civilized globe-a new-old

rom public and press, although the Alcott children seemed to thrive on it, and cert

this sample of the vegetarian

eta

et

t re

mal

tmare. P

y f

orch

ot s

fro

. Witho

t t

ld

d-sh

a

lo ea

and

his v

f. Snuff is

h acc

a gol

an offset by his untiring study. Realizing at one time his lack of a vocabulary, he comments in his journal

st filial son, the most faithful lover, the most attached friend, the most generous philanthropist of his time. And

viduality in his children, trying in their earliest years to make them think for themselves. All through his teaching runs the bo

ence to a fairy tale. Anna remarked that Jesus did not really die. "They killed his body, but not his soul." Her father asked: "What is the soul, Anna?" The little four-year-old replied: "It's this inside of

comes this record: "Anna and Louisa interview their sister." Louisa, two years old, wishes to have the baby sister put in her arms, when four-year-ol

reating it as an individual, giving it opportunity to use its mentality, instilling principles of right and wrong by suggestion. Alcott never co

fear. This same spirit was manifested in all his children. To them the chan

d, but the beginning, is expressed in

au's

said, "Our

gs mute besi

istful sunb

s airy voi

s as for unt

rd chants

blossom wai

of the wo

flute, untou

low, harmon

s he there

e eternal l

aims his n

m of a ju

mall spot

o poetry li

hills, the str

aster, lak

ew human

this large-h

Nature ne'

ly on th

h her darli

his name

vain regr

that finer

world no p

es ever swee

iend! he st

esence, tho

sagacious

r him-he is

for God is life," they seem to say. For them there is no death. Emerson lives to-day, the great philosopher; so do Thoreau, Hawthorne, Bronson Alcott, and others

but in deeds. He lived through and beyond misunderstanding, ridicule, poverty, to see his teachings respected, his name ho

ed in the last poem Lo

y Fa

ghty-Sixt

im, waitin

ong journey

sacred stre

ng in the w

ard on the

fast feet

age, through

forever n

nd valley

crossed, the

espair, sor

iend, conqu

changed t

ross may be

d wins and we

s, not the m

nd Faithful

stiana, Me

ones who s

wanderer

Love his ha

time brin

y rest in th

ows open t

et by, the

ing the prec

strong he w

and wings a

iful as wh

s aspiri

pilgrim's l

Celestial

ONO

ut of the biographical and into the narrative class. For this reason dates have not

and seekers for definite data will not be lackin

Alcott . .

rr

. . . . . .

r Ch

. . . . . .

. . . . . .

. . . . . .

. . . . . .

rried John Brid

r Ch

cott . . . .

l . . . .

ied Ernst Nie

8

il

y . . . .

ck Alco

rr

ica

uary

r Ch

lcott . .

Sewall .

y . . . .

Woolsey

all married A

e,

n Sewa

rr

May

ary,

il

ton H

888 by Louisa May Alcott and name

Nieriker

rr

st

il

est

riber'

not corrected, in order to preserve the flavor of the historical record of those

break up paragraphs, thus the page number of the illustratio

lished" was replaced

I do not mistake" but no closing quotation mark, and it is

ntal rules were added to