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Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1804-1864

"Passages from the American Notebooks, Volume 1"


Two little boats of cork, with a magnet in one and steel in the other.
To have ice in one's blood.
To make a story of all strange and impossible things,--as the Salamander,
the Phoenix.
The semblance of a human face to be formed on the side of a mountain, or
in the fracture of a small stone, by a lusus naturae. The face is an
object of curiosity for years or centuries, and by and by a boy is born,
whose features gradually assume the aspect of that portrait. At some
critical juncture, the resemblance is found to be perfect. A prophecy
may be connected.
A person to be the death of his beloved in trying to raise her to more
than mortal perfection; yet this should he a comfort to him for having
aimed so highly and holily.
1840.--A man, unknown, conscious of temptation to secret crimes, puts up
a note in church, desiring the prayers of the congregation for one so
tempted.
Some most secret thing, valued and honored between lovers, to be hung up
in public places, and made the subject of remark by the city,--remarks,
sneers, and laughter.
To make a story out of a scarecrow, giving it odd attributes.


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