not confound courage with foolhardiness," His mother told
him tales Of the Revolution and gave him poetry. romances,
and allegory to read, which largely developed the ideal side
of the Mind,
At the age of seven he went to 6chdol taught by Dr. Wor
ce6ter, author of the dictionary. When nine years of age he
Was lamed by an injury received while playing ball. His
foOt shrill* and was much smaller than the other so that
for two years he was confined to the house, during which
time he did much studying and reading, Dr. Worcester
coming to the house to teach him. Concerning his school
day's he tells us:—
'One of the peculiarities of my boyhood was a grievou,-;
disinclination to go to school and (Providence favoring me
1n this natural repugnance) I never did go half as much as
other boys, partly owing to delicate health (which I made
the most of for'the purpose), and partly because, much of
the . time, theie were no schools within reach."
At the age of fourteen Hawthorne went with his mother
and sisters to Raymond, Maine, near Sebago Lake, to dwell
hi a house belonging to his uncle, Robert Manning, and.
called "Manning's Folly." Here he enjoyed the utmost
freedonl, running Wild, spending his time hunting, fishing,
etc., but it was while here that he acquired his "cursed
habits of solitude." In winter, on moonlight nights, he
would skate on the lake till midnight, then oft-times, seek
ati old cabin and there be loSt in meditation. He says:
"Oh, ho' recall the summer day's, also, when,
With my gun, I roartied at will through the woods of Maine.
.1-ToW sad middle'life looks to people of erratic temperamentsi
everything is beautiful in youth, for all things are allowed
to it then." Perhaps this had as much to do with "ripen
ing the genius" of Hawthorne as ally of his studies.
Among his early favorite authors were: Bunyan, Spenser,
Shakespeare, Sir Philip Sydney, Miltdn, Thomas and. Gray;
Hawthorne's L'a?ly Life.