paddle and the oar. When Thoreau went to Staten Island, Hawthorne saw the wisdom of the change for physical reasons, but added the regret,—"On my own account I should like to have him remain here, he being one of the few persons, I think, with whom to hold intercourse is like hearing the wind among the boughs of a forest tree; and, with all this wild freedom, there is a high and classic cultivation in him too." Of the review of a series of papers which Thoreau contributed to The Dial, Hawthorne wrote in his note-book,—"Methinks this article gives a very fair image of his mind and character,—so true, innate and literal in observation, yet giving the spirit as well as the letter of what he sees, even as a lake reflects its wooded banks, showing every leaf, yet giving the wild beauty of the whole scene. . . . There is a basis of good sense and of moral truth, too, through out the article, which, also, is a reflection of his character." Scarcely did Thoreau need an interpreter with a friend who could thus understand and illumine his mind and soul.
One cannot leave the Concord friends without mention of Elizabeth and Edward Hoar, who recognized the genius of Thoreau and his nobleness of character, while to him they showed many proofs of sincere friendship. On his departure for Staten
