Thoreau in His Own Time: A Biographical Chronicle of His Life, Drawn from Recollections, Interviews, and Memoirs by Family, Friends, and Associates

[Memories of Thoreau, 1857 and 1860]

[39] UT [Memories of Thoreau, 1857 and 1860] Ellen Tucker Emerson To Ralph Waldo Emerson, 17 January 1857 Mr Thoreau has been here twice this week, once to dinner and once to tea. He went to have his Ambrotype taken to-day and such a shocking, spectral , spectral, black and white picture as Eddy brought home in triumph was never seen. I am to carry it back and poor Mr Thoreau has got to go again. . . . To Ralph Waldo Emerson, 22 January 1857 Mr Thoreau was here night before last and Eddy illuminated his snow cave and called out to us; we couldn’t hear what he said though we were close at the mouth of the cave and Mr Thoreau said “Speak louder” so Eddy spoke again and we could hear some very feeble words. Then Mr Thoreau told him to holla as loud as he could, but we heard only very weak squeaks. Then Mr Thoreau was very surprised, as he said he could hardly believe Eddy was calling loud, and he went in himself and shouted and it sounded Ellen Tucker Emerson (1839–1909) was the elder daughter of Ralph Waldo and Lidian Emerson. Like her siblings, she prized Thoreau’s visits and games as well as his prowess in leading “huckleberryings” and other outdoor excursions (Ellen Tucker Emerson, Life, 107). Her letters to Waldo and Edward Emerson offer a sample of life in the Emerson household during Thoreau’s visits. Thoreau’s own fondness for Ellen is reflected in a letter he sent to ten-year-old Ellen when she was vacationing in New York. Updating her on Concord and family news, Thoreau described her brother’s new fishing pole, her sister’s berry-picking, and related that “the white-lillies are in blossom, and the john’swort and goldenrod are beginning to come out” before closing with the advice that Ellen “must see the sun rise out of the ocean before you come home.” Two years before, he had written to Waldo Emerson that he and Ellen “have a good understanding—I appreciate her genuineness” (Correspondence , 245–46, 199). thoreau in his own time [40] as if someone was in trouble over the brook near Mr Stow’s. And Edie went in and peeped and that sounded very feeble. Mr Thoreau thought that the snow sucked up the sound. Then he said he should like to see how transparent snow was, and we dug into the snow-drift a hole with one side 4 inches thickandone14andabout6inchesfromthetop,thenweputthelampinand walled it up with a block of snow eight inches thick, through the four inches one could see to read, through the fourteen the lamp shone bright and shining like a lantern—a Norwegian would think it was a Troll-mount. Mr Thoreau was quite delighted and so we all were with our experiments. We tried to wall up the lamp air tight, but in spite of thick walls it burned bright. . . . To Edward Emerson, 11 August 1860 Here at home the greatest event of the week was Mr Thoreau’s arrival last night for he was extremely interesting on the subject of Monadnoc so that we all wanted to set off directly and go there, taking him for guide. All teatime Mr Thoreau told most wonderful stories of the rocks etc. that were to be seen there, and of the profusion of berries. Then after tea I went out to see about the milk, and coming back, found Father and Milcah in full pursuit of something, nobody knew what, which seemed to rustle inside the chimney, or behind the closet-door, but couldn’t be found to the surprise of everybody and the extreme excitement of Milcah. Presently it began again louder than ever, just as I came to the mantle-piece and I was sure it was behind the “School of Philosophers,” which I lifted and there was a bat. Mr Thoreau was immediately anxious to see it, and everybody came round but Bat began to fly round in circles and all watched him. At last, Mr T. caught him and he began to grin and chatter and gnash his teeth with rage, and Mother said “There, Batty, you shall have something to bite if it will make you feel better, I’m sure,” and presented her little finger which didn’t seem to satisfy him particularly, but at last he did bite it and hurt a little. He was then confined under a glass...