June 18, 2013 by susanwbailey

Elisabeth Alcott through the eyes of her father

By the time Elisabeth Sewall Alcott was born, Bronson had moved on from chronicling the daily activities of his daughters to exploring the soul. In Eden’s Outcasts, John Matteson writes that “Elizabeth was fairer than her elder sisters and … was the model of serenity that Bronson had vainly hoped Anna and Louisa would be. (pg. 84, Eden’s Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father, ebook)” Calling his work “Psyche, or The Breath of Childhood” (aka “An Evangele”), Bronson “with naïve eagerness, plunged into his impossible task.” (Ibid)

Bronson’s ideal

Elisabeth and Bronson were soul mates. While Anna was often referred to as his favorite (with the vast majority of his letters to his children addressed to her), he appears to have placed Lizzie on a higher plane. Anna was a real child with virtues and faults; Lizzie was theoretical, just like “Psyche.”

High standards

In an Ode he wrote to her at Fruitlands on her eighth birthday (most of which had nothing to do with his little girl), note the heights to which he places her (underscoring is my emphasis):

Hither we all repair
Our hope and love, to bear,
To celebrate
In rustic state,
Mid’st this refulgent whole
The joyful advent of an angel soul,
That, twice four years ago
Our mundane life to know,
Descended from the upper skies
A presence to our very eyes,
And now before us stands
And asketh at our bounteous hands
Some tokens of our zeal
In her celestial weal–
Before us stands displayed
In raiment of a maid,
Unstained and pure her soul
As when she left the Whole
That doth this marvellous scene unrol [sic]
And day by day doth preach
The Gospels meant for each
That on this solid sphere
Designed for mortals were.

V
… And be a flower that none shall pluck away
A rose in Fruitlands quiet dell
A Child intent in doing well;
Devote, secluded from all sin
Fragrant without, & fair within,
A plant matured in Gods device
An Amaranth in Paradise (The Letters of A. Bronson Alcott edited by Richard Herrnstadt, pg. 105-106)

Granted, this was Fruitlands and Bronson was at the zenith of his Transcendental zeal but subsequent letters to Lizzie (and they are few) rarely point out character flaws. No doubt the polar opposite of the letters he wrote to Louisa!

Idolized

Even as an emerging adult, Lizzie was idolized by her father as shown in this letter dated August 10, 1853):

“Elisabeth’s part comes off to the quietest perfection in whole and detail; the apartments all [word] their tidy mistress whose housekeeping throughout, for ought I can see, vies favorably with that of the absent Matron alike in neatness promptitude and efficiency to the credit of her teacher, and comfort of guests.” (Ibid, pb. 166)

Anxious yet absent father

During my visit to Houghton last Saturday (see previous post), I came across several references to Lizzie’s illness in Bronson’s letters. Although far from home (and inexplicably slow in returning there), he was deeply concerned about her welfare, as shown in this letter from November of 1857:

“Keep me informed of every matter pertaining to your welfare. And let me hear weekly if you can command the leisure from our imposed cares. Elisabeth’s condition you cannot fail to state. To her, and all, much love.” (Houghton Library, Amos Bronson Alcott papers MS Am 1130.9 (4))

Bronson is greatly concerned about Lizzie’s weight loss and refers to it consistently in his letters from 1857, in very exacting form (underscoring is my emphasis):

“Anna promised and so will write: and the Invalid shall add her fortnight’s gain, if she can, in the pounds avoirsdupois and ounces exact, by the inevitable standard. Hoping for the good tidings from the family group, and that soon, I remain Yours, and Theirs ever …” (Ibid, November 20, 1857)

Advice to the Invalid

In a longer passage, Bronson offers advice to Abba regarding Lizzie’s care:

“I mean to have some quiet talk with Dr. Jackson, who comes up this afternoon from Glen Haven, and learn something helpful to Elisabeth if he has any information for us. Of one thing I am certain already: she must use water–warm water even–with great discretion now in her present enfeebled state, having no heat to spare in too frequent bathing; and be sure she never bathes in cold water, or before going to bed. The beef tea experiment she need not report.–Keep yourself warm, my Child, take fresh air as you can safely, ride rather than walk at present, keep the good watch and consult our experiences about your food, and sleep, and occupations, and, more than all else, encourage good hopes, esteeming yourself gaining as your spirits waken and your interest in life and the little things becomes more active and freshens from week to week. I do not say, day by day. You will have ebbs and langours, and little discouragements, but the months will measure gain, to you, if not in flesh just yet or weight, in comfort and slow mitigation of the old troubles; the cure working itself out for you in the reasonable manner and time. Not to lose is great gain, and the pledge of restoration. So be a good Child and get well in the best way.–And write me, sometimes about your day’s occupations and any thing you care to communicate. But be careful about using your eyes, or any of your poor senses, rashly or too long at once, Take care of the draughts of air, and practice your usual caution in every thing. I shall write to you now an then, and have you much in mind.” (Ibid, November 21, 1857; also The Letters of A. Bronson Alcott, pgs. 263-264)

Remaining positive

Bronson, naturally, is very concerned about Lizzie’s state of mind. What I found surprising was the total lack of reference to prayer or calling on God for assistance, strength or consolation. Lizzie was expected to use her own will to make herself better. Here is another example:

“… Dear Lizzy. I shall hear particulars always gladly, not sadly now. As soon as may be, dispense with the pellets and powders, and find the strength that can feed itself and increase on the virgin substances–the social influences–friendly food for body and soul.” (Ibid, December 1, 1857; also The Letters of A. Bronson Alcott, pg. 267)

Gentle scolding

In this letter, dated December 14^th of that same year, Bronson is obviously receiving news from Abba that Lizzie is resisting treatment. There is an added sense of urgency to this passage with a strong (and rare) admonition from Bronson:

“I am anxious to hear. Your last letter brought agreeable news. Lizzy must replenish her Spirit by all good helps: flesh and weight will come–it may be so slowly and imperceptibly as to tell nothing to the senses and or the scales for some time–but she must not expect Nature to rally from such a shock forthwith to bring the health she so desires. Pray let me know just how she is, and how she Behaves by Night and by day. I can excuse every thing. Only she must take the part of painstaker about herself, and not defeat the helps and hopes of careful nurses and kindred, by any imprudences of hers. I will not talk for for [erasure]–my precious patient, but come home to see it, eye to eye, if she will not mind me otherwise.” (Ibid, December 14, 1857; also The Letters of A. Bronson Alcott pgs. 269-270)

Rare words from a teenaged Lizzie

I was fortunate to find a rare letter from Lizzie written when she was seventeen. It is short and sweet, revealing little on the surface. However, I was stunned at her handwriting, so meticulous, not changed much from her Hillside journal except that it was even neater. Each line is perfectly straight. It looks like fine and simple typography. Yet between the lines of sweetness there is a sense of pathetic longing for her beloved, the ever absent father (I wish I had permission from Houghton to post the picture I took of the letter, but I don’t have it):

Dearest father,
I suppose the letters should not go without a word from me, as I promised I would write, We were all so happy this morning to get your beautiful letter, telling how pleasantly you were living, and of your success. We live along here without you, but I am sure miss you very much. Annie is very good about writing and so we get her pleasant letters every week, and I wish we heard as often from the dear father; but I suppose you are very busy, tho am sure, do not forget us. Your loving Lizzie. (Houghton Alcott family additional papers, 1724-1927 MS Am 2745 (71)

Keeping vigil

When the passing finally came in March 14, 1858, Bronson’s beloved passed into eternity; he kept an all-night vigil by the wasted body that remained behind:

Bronson Alcott sat up with the body of his child all night. No one else approached him. His little lost Psyche, who had seemed to him in her infancy the most promising of all his daughters, alone kept him company. One of the brightest auguries of his life had vanished with her loss. (Katharine Anthony, Louisa May Alcott, pg. 89)

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June 12, 2013 by susanwbailey

A day at Houghton: Getting to know the inner Bronson through his own hand

Ever since last July I have dreamed of the day I could return to the Houghton Library at Harvard and Saturday was that day. I had made a connection with one of the librarians who had supplied me with scans of three of Abba’s letters (see previous post). She told me that a collection of letters assembled in a book and labeled for Bronson might hold clues on Lizzie. It’s again a case of hidden in plain view. She is on a quiet crusade to properly catalogue each letter.

This librarian’s instinct was correct. A careful reading of Bronson’s letters did indeed present many clues and opened up a Pandora’s box of questions as well. But first, I want to share insights into Bronson that came to light by reading these letters.

The value of handwritten letters

It continues to amaze me how much of a difference it makes reading primary sources. A letter, penned by the hand of an iconic historical figure does much to make that figure a real flesh-and-blood person. In a sense they become smaller, in a good way, by becoming peers. Since the Alcotts lived during the time of my great-grandparents, it feels like I’m reading letters from them.

from smallnotes.library.virginia.edu – (MSS 7052-c, Clifton Waller Barrett Library of American Literature. Photograph by Petrina Jackson)

It disturbs me to think of what future historians will be missing out on by not having handwritten accounts. Our digital age of endless photos, videos and email create a barrier between the person we are studying and ourselves. A sterile email cannot compare with a letter written with the tip of a quill pen on textured paper, letters written in either beautiful broad strokes (Bronson), hapless scrawl (Abba) or picture-perfect script in totally straight lines (Lizzie). A rare letter by Lizzie, written when she was seventeen, revealed so much more by seeing the handwriting than by just revealing the words. This I will get into in the next post.

Many admirers

What first surprised me about the letters were the numerous ones addressed to Bronson from admirers. Often he is gently (or not so gently) mocked for his Conversations but in this collection there were not only letters but small printed flyers announcing his Conversations with the average price of a ticket being three dollars. In conversations he proposed from Walpole in August, 1856, the topic discussed was the Private Life (Descent, Home, Health, Pursuits,Victories). The flyer states, “The discussions, it will be perceived, are suited to select companies, and invite the protection of the parlour, and the presence of ladies particularly.” (Letterbooks of ABA Houghton MS Am 1130.9 (3)).

Flawed business plan

The letters from admirers spoke about the meaningful nature of his Conversations; many of these people extended invitations for him to come to their town to speak. There were informal expense sheets showing the costs of holding these Conversations which made it plain why Bronson never made any money. His audiences were of necessity, small and intimate. Thus, the ticket sales barely paid for the expenses since he did not command the level of fees of his friend Emerson.

Similar experience

I had a flash of understanding and felt great kinship with Bronson and his Conversations. Before I got into writing I was a musician, writing and singing Christian music. I too preferred the intimate settings and I too had a very niche audience (which pretty much guaranteed intimate settings!). The mainstream audience didn’t understand the kind of music I played which I presented more as prayer. But, like Bronson I had my small group of admirers who wrote nice letters and invited me to their towns to perform. Over a sixteen year period I performed live and recorded a series of self-published CD. I never turned a profit but did manage to pay for everything out of my earnings. The music I offer for sale on my website still brings in a little profit which I now use to indulge my Louisa passion.

I approached my music with the same level of commitment as did Bronson with his Conversations. The difference, of course, is that I was gainfully employed and did music on the side as a passionate hobby.

Disciples of Bronson

Bronson had his “disciples.” One young man wrote two long letters to Bronson demanding a reply despite the fact that it was early 1858 and Bronson’s daughter Elizabeth was dying. The man was either clueless, or just unaware of the turmoil in Bronson’s life. His letters were filled with mystical proclamations which he obviously felt were brilliant (but likely were not). Bronson did eventually reply.

Anxious about the home front

In 1857 and 1858 during Lizzie’s illness, Bronson was in the Midwest conducting his Conversations. His frequent letters to Abba detailed the people he met and the success or failure of his efforts. It was clear, however, that there was an underlying anxiety about all that was occurring at home. While Bronson felt compelled to conduct his Conversations (and many would question that compulsion, myself included), his letters also demonstrated deep concern (which included advice and admonitions to Lizzie). I saw his detailed discussions of business as a means of putting off the more difficult discussion of reality. Usually that took place at the end of the letters.

Difficult patrons

And business had to continue. I recall one letter from a man in April of 1858 who had received notice from Bronson that he would have to delay his coming (as Lizzie had died in March). After the brief, perfunctory mention of sympathy, the man launched into all the inconveniences he encountered in trying to reschedule. Complaining that he had to “notify each person individually,” he demonstrated an incredible smallness of mind and heart.

Gracious sympathy

There were others, however, who were magnanimous. A certain William Russell from Lancaster, MA was also informed of a delay in meeting Bronson and his response was as follows:

Mrs. R. and I sympathise (sic) deeply with Mrs. Alcott and yourself in the experience through which you have have been called to pass in the loss of your daughter Elizabeth. Her peculiar traits of mind and character impressed us very deeply with their indications of ample promise for a noble and generous development. Judging from our own experience, however, I think we can assure you that while such a loss leaves a deep felt sense of privation, the solid consolation will from year to year of life, be strengthening in the heart, that such of its treasures are imperishable. Many of your serenest and happiest hours will be those in which the Beloved returns, in the silence of the soul, to irradiate it with her presence. (Ibid)

He too had sick daughter (Mary), a son studying away from home and two additional daughters named coincidentally, Anna and Lizzie.

Moment of truth

One letter from Bronson dated March 2, 1857 made a particularly strong impression. In Eden’s Outcasts, John Matteson had made reference to it. Bronson describes seeing the play, “Medea,” and the impression it made on him:

“The play is exciting, yet enjoyable with all its appalling accompanyments (sic). I wished Anna with me and my family, yet the Spectacle of the Sacrifice would have been too much for my wife, and the tenderhearted Elizabeth, suggesting events too vividly, perhaps, of home experiments and the courage of Principle. I had “Fruitlands” before me, and ideas there celebrated and played out to the applauding snows – the tragedy of ox-team and drifting Family wailing their woes to winding winds. You shall imagine the sequel and the rest.” (Ibid)

It is quite rare to see Bronson express regrets about his actions; the only other time I can recall was after Abba had died and he had a chance to read her journals. Knowing how blunt Abba could be, it is no wonder that Bronson felt compunction about his behavior during their marriage after reading them. The light of revelation that shines on the soul once truth is faced can be searing.

Shedding light on the mystery

In the next post I will get into the advice and admonitions that Bronson sent to Lizzie through his letters. I have a feeling that much can be learned about this mysterious Alcott daughter through a careful scrutiny of the writings of her beloved soul mate.

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May 28, 2013 by susanwbailey

Little Men: The Good Man (chapter 3, “Sunday”)

As mentioned in a previous post about the art of domesticity, I have been reading Little Men, or Life at Plumfield with Jo’s Boys. The audio book version from Librivox.org has actually been my companion while doing yard work and gardening these past few Saturdays. Keeps my mind off of my aching joints and bones! Listening to Little Men as opposed to reading it has given me a chance to take a step backward and see the story as a stand-alone work.

Different from Little Women

I’ve had problems reading Little Men in the past because I had assumed it would be an extension of Little Women. Instead, it concentrates more on the boys and girls of Plumfield rather than Jo and Professor Bhaer (and after twelve chapters, I’ve seen little or no reference to the other main characters of Little Women with exception of Laurie). It reminds me of the experience of reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkein. The magic of the story was lost for me after the first installment, The Fellowship of the Ring, because the Fellowship split up and went in different directions. It was the chemistry of the Fellowship that made the story special for me, just as the sisterhood of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy made Little Women special.

A direction not taken

Some distance from Little Women has helped me to better appreciate the charm of Little Men although it did leave me wondering why Louisa chose to go this way with her sequel. Obviously the sisters are grown women now with their own lives but I would have thought she would have placated her fans with more about the sisters. Louisa was indeed a professional writer with a keen understanding of what sells, but she was independent too.

Why the book was written

John Pratt, husband to Anna, father to Fred and John

Little Men was written as the result of the sudden death of Anna’s husband John Pratt. Louisa and May were in Europe at the time, taking the Grand Tour. When Louisa heard the news she immediately sat down to write Little Men so as to support her nephews, Freddy and Johnny, with its sales. It would follow then that the book would be written more with them in mind.

Much taken from real life

Like Little Women, Little Men is full of real life anecdotes, and in some ways, they are more obvious. For those of you with a thorough knowledge of Louisa’s life, these anecdotes jump right off the page. Yesterday while listening to chapters 6-12, I picked up on several which I’ll share in upcoming posts.

Bronson’s presence

Amos Bronson Alcott

Her father Bronson is very much present in the good and kind Professor Bhaer as well as in Grandpa March. In Chapter 3, “Sunday,” I could hear Bronson speaking clearly through the voice of Demi, Meg’s son.

Consolation for Nat

Nat is the new boy, having only been at Plumfield a day or two when chapter 3, “Sunday,” opens. At bedtime he notices a picture on the wall at the foot of his bed which he found “peculiar … for it had a graceful frame of moss and cones about it, and on a little bracket underneath stood a vase of wild flowers freshly gathered from the spring woods. It was the most beautiful picture of them all …” Nat found himself longing to know more about the picture and Demi noticed. He began then to tell the story of Christ, The Good Man, as told to him by Grandpa March.

Demi shares Grandpa’s story

In the picture, Christ is blessing the children and Nat, who knows little about Him (except for His name being taken in vain), remarks how kind Christ looks. Grandpa March had given the picture to Demi after telling him the story of The Good Man many times. Demi related to Nat that Christ loved poor people, “and was very good to them. He made them well, and helped them, and told rich people they must not be cross to them, and they loved Him dearly, dearly.”

Help for Nat

He continued to tell Nat about the life of Christ and how the “bad men killed Him.” Nat, only at the school for few days, took great comfort in the story; Jo, so grateful to her nephew for offering such comfort to Nat, thought to herself, “Demi is unconsciously helping the poor boy better than I can …”

Real life counterparts

There are references in Anna’s childhood diaries of conversations with her father on biblical stories: On Wednesday, September 2, 1839 she wrote, “I had a very interesting talk with father about Jesus. He explained to me some things that I wanted to know about what he did: about his feeding of the five thousand people, and about raising the dead to life, and stilling the tempest. I like conversations with father.” (from Houghton Library, Amos B Alcott Family Letters 1837 TO 1852 Vol. 1 to Vol. V 1852-1855).

Anna Bronson Alcott Pratt

In another passage, Anna shows her preferences for her father’s way of teaching religion: Sunday, December 22, 1839 “I went to Mr. Barnard[‘s church] this morning. I wish he would preach about something that I could understand as father does when he talks with me about being good. After I came home, father read about God’s making the World, about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, eating the forbidden fruit, and being sent out of the garden, and about Cain’s slaying his brother Abel. Father explained it to me so that I might understand it. He wishes me to understand all I read. He talked with us about loving one another.” (Ibid)

For all of Bronson’s faults, his way of making religion a living faith for his children is to be commended.

It’s obvious through Demi’s story of the Good Man and its impact on Nat, that Louisa was greatly impacted too. The voice of her father through Demi was tender way that he told it to Nat, who needed that kind of consolation.

It’s these kinds of stories that makes Little Men special to me.

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April 22, 2013 by susanwbailey

Greetings from the Beyond

You may recall the last post I wrote about Work: A Story of Experience where I reiterated the religious importance of this autobiographical novel by Louisa May Alcott. I was moved by the consolation Christie Devon received as described in chapter 19, “Little Hearts-Ease.” She heard husband David’s “voice” as the breeze blew near his flute.

From the collection at the Concord Free Public Library www.concordlibrary.org

From the collection at the Concord Free Public Library http://www.concordlibrary.org

I wrote about similar experiences when my mother passed away.

Today, April 22 marks the third year anniversary of my mother’s passing. God gifted me with the most exquisite greeting from my mother today, a greeting that I believe Louisa would have greatly appreciated.

I had mentioned my mother’s affiliation with Wellesley College, first as a Botany major, and then as a laboratory assistant in the Botany department. As a child she picked wild flowers in the woods with her older sister Meredith. Her father maintained a splendid English garden at the old homestead, a beautiful Tudor in Swampscott, MA (ironically, one of the places where Abigail took Lizzie hoping the sea air would improve her health; Louisa imagined the scene in Little Women with Jo accompanying Beth to the shore).

I took my lunch hour walk today, finding myself over at the college even though I had not planned on going there. It was like I was directed to go. When I got there, I was greeted with most beautiful scene straight out of my mother’s heart:

The entire hillside was covered with the smiling faces of yellow and white daffodils:

The tears welled up as I felt the presence of my mother so deeply within. I knew just how Christie Devon must have felt. I imagine Louisa must have had similar experiences remembering her sister Lizzie, her “spiritual guide.”

The visit was short and sweet but it greatly lifted my spirits. God indeed is everywhere inside us, around us and if, as Louisa did, we have that interior vision to see, we will be consoled.

Here’s the complete set of pictures I took during that extraordinary walk.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Here’s a tease.

The Governor Winthrop Fleet

I’ve mentioned before possible family connections with the Alcotts with the discovery that the first secretary of the Louisa May Alcott Association sported my maiden name of Hoyle (Carrie Hoyle); I saw a note she wrote to John Pratt inviting him to the opening of Orchard House (see previous post). I also know that Abba and Lizzie spent time in Lynn and Swampscott; Lynn is where the Breed family settled in the 1630s, supposedly coming over on the Governor Winthrop Fleet, the same fleet from which Bronson’s ancestors came (one Thomas Alcocke; Bronson’s father was known as Joseph Alcox and Bronson changed the name to Alcott). Unfortunately the manifest is incomplete so the Breed Family Association cannot prove it.

I have since discovered the name of one of the doctors consulted by Abba during her stay on the North Shore that may possibly be connected to the Breed family. This would be the closest tie yet and a most exciting one to boot!

I’m researching this possibility and will let you know how it turns out. A direct connection would be sweet.

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April 7, 2013 by susanwbailey

The million dollar question, and the priceless answer

Following up with my last post about the lecture I attended at New North Church featuring John Matteson, author of Eden’s Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father, there is a question I have wanted to ask Matteson since I started reading his book almost two years ago.

How is it that he understood so well the spirituality of Bronson Alcott?

I wanted to know if he had studied religion formally (perhaps gone to seminary) and/or if it was innate in him.

The answer to that question, in fact the whole thrust of the evening, proved to be a major affirmation of a revelation I had experienced a few days ago regarding writing. More on that later.

Response to the question

John Matteson answers questions during his presentation on Bronson Alcott.

I posed the question and Matteson’s face lit right up. He looked at me intently and never took his eyes off of me as he exclaimed his delight at the question. It was like I was the only person in the room and the connection we made was electric.

Christian Science background

He proceeded to share personal information about his upbringing as a Christian Scientist. For those unfamiliar with Christian Science, Wikipedia says,

“Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices belonging to the metaphysical–New Thought family of new religious movements. It was developed in the 19th century in the United States by Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910), and was first described in her book Science and Health (1875), the religion’s central text. Four years later Eddy founded The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston, Massachusetts … The religion’s adherents, known as Christian Scientists, subscribe to a radical form of philosophical idealism, believing that spiritual reality is the only reality and that the material world is an illusion.”

Personal connections

Mindy Jostyn

The moment he said he had been brought up in that tradition I understood. An acquaintance from high school, a multi-talented musician and singer/songwriter named Mindy Jostyn (who sadly passed away some years ago) was also a Christian Scientist. She produced two albums of stirring music, the most notable song being “In His Eyes,” one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard of God proclaiming His love for the individual. She had an aura about her, not just because of her immense talent, but because of the authenticity of her faith.

I knew where Matteson came from instantly. It was an intuitive thing, just as Ralph Waldo Emerson describes it. You just know.

From Christian Science to Transcendentalism

Having been immersed in Christian Science, Matteson went on to study Transcendentalism while at school. Reading Emerson’s essay, “Nature,” he recalls this section:

“We return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life, — no disgrace, no calamity, (leaving me my eyes,) which nature cannot repair. Standing on the bare ground, — my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite spaces, — all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God.”

The one to write about Bronson Alcott

He immediately made the connection, understanding intuitively what Emerson was saying. And I, watching him so enthused at being able to share these things with the audience, grasped why he not only understood Bronson Alcott in a unique way, he was meant to write about Bronson.

Transformation

Matteson in fact, said that he knew that the wondrous transformation that had happened in his life from the study of Transcendentalism, to the writing of Eden’s Outcasts, to the winning of the Pulitzer Prize and beyond, was not a series of random incidents. It was something that came from following his heart and the Spirit within him.

Affirmation

As I listened, I knew Matteson was telling and affirming my own story. I too have been transformed by my study of the Alcotts.

Evolution

This blog began as a means of finding other people as interested as I was in Louisa May Alcott. I never intended to be a writer. Since this blog debuted in August of 2010, I have evolved to where I now state unequivocally that I am a writer and I mean to write a book. The problem was how. I could not get my head around the process. I was missing a key element.

The missing piece

The writing of a piece for my monthly column in the local Catholic newspaper about Pope Francis, plus my recent post here about finding solace in Louisa pointed out what was missing. And Matteson affirmed it. It was the heart.

Following the heart

The writing I’ve done that has garnered the most attention has been those pieces I write from the heart. I could not figure out though how to write about the Alcotts and also write from an intensely personal point of view.

Silly, right? It’s obvious how much I love the Alcotts!

Matteson’s own journey

Matteson described how writing Eden’s Outcasts was an intensely personal experience and I can see why, now knowing his background. He was very involved in fathering his daughter just as Bronson fathered his daughters. He could relate to Bronson, the father.

He also understood the spiritual underpinning of Bronson; he could relate to Bronson, the mystic. Eden’s Outcasts is not only biographical; it’s autobiographical.

A new journey

illustration by Flora Smith from The Story of Louisa May Alcott by Joan Howard

And I knew at that moment just how to approach my book which will feature Lizzie and Louisa front and center. My book will be biographical and autobiographical. There are many ways that I relate to both Alcott sisters.

I ran into Jan Turnquist, executive director of Orchard House both at the beginning and end of the evening at New North Church. We mentioned how wonderful the lecture was and I expressed my excitement at Matteson’s response to my question. She replied that I had given him a gift. And I knew I had.

My question may have been worth a million but the answer – priceless.

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January 25, 2013 by susanwbailey

The unknown players of Fruitlands – finally hearing their voices

What was it like to live at Fruitlands?

Serious Alcott biographers have devoted much ink to the family’s experience during this six-month utopian experiment. Sometimes thoughtful, often absurd and always dramatic, Fruitlands is credited with both the shaping of the famous daughter, and a change in the power structure of the Alcott marriage and family life.

Richard Francis’ exhaustive study, Fruitlands The Alcott Family and Their Search for Utopia reveals extensive excerpts from the writings of Charles Lane whom, with Bronson Alcott, created the community.

But what about other members?

In Bronson Alcott’s Fruitlands, Clara Endicott Sears reveals the lives and writings of two such members: Joseph Palmer and Isaac Thomas Hecker. It is a rare view of Fruitlands from those who simply lived it.

Isaac Hecker

Isaac Hecker was a seeker. Feeling an urgent inner call to an ascetic spiritual life, he came over from Brook Farm to join the Fruitlands community. Born in New York in 1819 to a well-to-do merchant family, his long and winding road would eventually lead to the priesthood and the founding of the Paulist Fathers. These progressive priests dedicated themselves to spreading the Catholic faith in America using the modern methods of preaching on the road and the printing press. They stressed the personal holiness of each individual, believing that the European Church placed too much emphasis on the routine side of religious observance (Wikipedia, Isaac Hecker).

Isaac Hecker went through much torturous soul searching before deciding on the celibate life of a priest. He found separating from Brook Farm to be excruciating but the call within for the spiritual life was too strong. He writes:

“I can hardly present myself from saying how much I shall miss the company of those I love and associate with here. But I must go. I am called with a stronger voice … Here are refining amusements, cultivated persons – and one whom I have not spoken of, one who is too much to me to speak of, one who would leave all for me. Alas! Him I must leave to go.” (pg. 76-77, Bronson Alcott’s Fruitlands by Clara Endicott Sears).

Hecker’s biographer, Walter Elliot in Life of Father Hecker, attempts to clarify the use of the word “Him,” indicating that Hecker appeared to have originally written “Her,” then changed it to “Him.” Whatever the nature of the relationship, it was an attachment that Hecker felt he must break in order to achieve spiritual perfection.

He hoped to find that at Fruitlands. He adjusted well to the diet and clothing requirements and at first, seemed to be finding the life he sought. He describes conversations amongst the members:

“This morning after breakfast a conversation was held on Friendship and its laws and conditions. Mr. Alcott places Innocence first; [Samuel] Larned, Thoughtfulness; I, Seriousness; Lane, Fidelity.” (Ibid, pg. 78, from July 12).

And

“… there was held a conversation on the Highest Aim. Mr. Alcott said it was Integrity; I, Harmonic being; Lane, Progressive being; Larned, Annihilation of self; [Samuel] Bower, Repulsion of the evil in us. Then there was a confession of the obstacles which prevent us from attaining the highest aim. Mine was the doubt whether the light is light; not want of will to follow, or light to see.” (Ibid, from July 13)

It did not take long for Hecker to realize that Fruitlands would not meet his spiritual needs:

“… I cannot live at this place as I would. This is not the place for my soul … My life is not theirs.” (Ibid, pg. 82, from July 23)

While he admired Charles Lane’s unselfishness, he suspected Bronson’s motives: “I suspect he wanted me because thought I would bring money to the Community. (Ibid, pg. 84). He noted the enormous work load Abba and her daughters carried while “Mr. Alcott looked benign and talked philosophy.” (Ibid)

Hecker would move back home to New York with his family and maintain the ascetic dietary life he discovered at Fruitlands. In six years he would become a Roman Catholic priest.

Joseph Palmer

Palmer was the practical support for Fruitlands. He provided animals to plow the fields when Bronson and Lane realized they could not break the earth themselves. In fact, those animals caused somewhat of a scandal when it was learned that Abba was taking milk from the cow to give to two year-old Abby May.

Although Joseph Palmer went back and forth from Fruitlands to his farm in No Town, he was fully committed to the community, providing farming skills and tools. He also provided practical and moral support to Abba when the community was collapsing and they faced starvation and the cold of winter. He was to eventually take over the property and turn it into his own community, the Leominster and Harvard Benevolent Association (Wikipedia, Joseph Palmer).

What is perhaps most remembered about Palmer though was his attachment to his fine, luxurious white beard. He was mocked and openly persecuted for it in the 1830s and was even imprisoned for a time. Relishing the opportunity to fight for his right to wear it, he remained in prison longer than was necessary until he was asked to leave. A man of principle, he never wavered and kept the beard till his dying day.

After finally leaving jail, Palmer heard about Fruitlands and being a reformer at heart, was eager to join. He offered to run the farm pro bona and provided furniture for the house. Without his practical help, Fruitlands would not have survived as long as it did. He was much more a doer, while Bronson and Lane especially, preferred to just “be.”

The legacy of Fruitlands preserved, thanks to a visionary

Clara Endicott Sears did a great service by providing her book and purchasing the property to preserve for the ages. Looking over the beautiful vista, one can imagine the community living in the house, the girls running through the fields and the meaningful and often challenging conversations that took place. There was hope in the valley.

from http://www.studiogblog.com/grow/plants/daily-garden-claras-meditation-garden-my-new-project/

But one can also sense the ghosts of broken promises, the oppression of poverty, the bone-chilling winter cold, the desperation of certain starvation and the tensions that tore away at a close family. These were the things that molded and fueled a certain impressionable, highly creative little girl with great talent to dream big dreams that would take care of her family for the rest of their lives, and impact generations of women after her.

For a mere six month experiment, Fruitlands was indeed important. Thank goodness Clara Endicott Sears had the vision and the means to preserve it.

Click to Tweet & Share: The unknown players of Fruitlands – we finally hear their voices http://wp.me/p125Rp-1nt

Susan’s ebook, “Game Changer” is now available From the Garret – download for free!

December 2, 2012 by susanwbailey

Meet and greet with author Eve LaPlante at Fruitlands

I had the pleasure of having my books signed by author Eve LaPlante at Fruitlands yesterday. The setting was lovely: typically cold for December with light snow falling.

The spirit of Fruitlands

Having just completed a series of books on Fruitlands (which I will be writing about soon), the spirit of the Fruitlanders was palpable to me. I pictured the Alcotts and Charles Lane huddled inside the drafty house and felt the cold, not only of the air, but of the oppressive tension that surely hung in the air. Food was unappetizing, whatever was left of it, and the fire in the fireplace could not throw off enough heat or cheer to help.

Setting the stage

The situation was desperate and very soon, a brave mother of four would make a life or death decision that would save her family but put her own future at risk.

Recalling the enormous struggles Abigail Alcott faced at Fruitlands and throughout her married life set the stage for Eve LaPlante’s presentation for her books, Marmee & Louisa: The Untold Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Mother and My Heart is Boundless: Writings of Abigail May Alcott, Louisa’s Mother.

She spoke of the problem of a public woman.

Hunger for knowledge

LaPlante recalled Abigail’s love of learning and the bitterness of being denied the formal education that her brother (and all men) was entitled to. Abigail certainly had the intellect as demonstrated by her successful year of study at a Duxbury boarding school through a certain Miss Allen. Samuel Joseph, older brother and mentor, had arranged it all, empathizing with his younger sister. He continued to provide her with the books he himself had studied.

Passing down gifts and dreams

from the cover of Marmee and Louisa by Eve LaPlante

Abigail loved to learn and she passed down that love to daughter Louisa who was also gifted intellectually.

LaPlante mentioned Abigail’s desire to use her gifts; she had dreamed of teaching and writing and resisted getting married until she met Bronson. Here was a man, she thought, with whom she could live out those dreams.

In the end, she poured herself into her daughters and helped one to become a world famous author.

Restricted life

LaPlante spoke passionately and eloquently of the cultural norms that severely restricted Abigail, frustrated Louisa and caused great distress for Bronson. They were all square pegs who did not wish to fit into round holes.

Basic rights for women

Abigail was an early supporter of women’s suffrage and she passed this down to Louisa. It was a risky stance to take – even Samuel Joseph’s wife Lucretia did not support it despite the fact that her husband advocated for it!

LaPlante used a scene in Concord in 1875 to illustrate one particularly odious norm of women not appearing in public, based upon a literal interpretation of a passage of scripture from St. Paul’s first letter to Timothy: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.” (1 Timothy 2:12, New International Version ©1984)

President Ulysses S. Grant visited Concord for the centenary of the start of the American Revolution and Abigail and Louisa were there to hear him speak. Louisa recalled men scoffing at them for appearing in public and wrote that she was “ashamed of Concord that day.”

She would soon live out her mother’s dream of women voting by being the first to vote in Concord for a local election.

Book signings

After LaPlante’ s presentation a lively discussion ensued with the audience, mostly centering on her marriage to Bronson. With the Fruitlands farmhouse off in the distance as seen through the windows of the Wayside presentation room, this seemed like an appropriate conclusion to the presentation.

LaPlante signed several books after her presentation and graciously went back up the steep hill to the museum shop to sign more.

I very much enjoyed talking with her and having my two questions addressed: the dichotomy of Abba’s relationship with Bronson (idolizing and encouraging her husband in his utopian schemes while at the same time expressing great frustration and anger at his unwillingness to take on paying work), and how Samuel Joseph, also a reformer and activist, balanced family life with his activism.

Of course I had my two books signed:

Here’s my review of Marmee & Louisa.

Check out LaPlante’s website to see if she will be doing a book signing in your area.

Click to Tweet & Share: Meet and greet with author Eve LaPlante at Fruitlands http://wp.me/p125Rp-1kD

Susan’s ebook, “Game Changer” is now available From the Garret – download for free!

November 29, 2012 by susanwbailey

Dual birthdays: Happy Birthday Louisa and Bronson! (Louisa is 180 today)

Obviously we can’t celebrate with a typical gooey, sugary
birthday cake … perhaps Apple Slump will do?

My gift to Louisa? Plenty of plumcakes to go around this time …

Bronson would probably prefer some apples …

You both look very well for your ages …

Thank you for living your lives so fully, sharing yourselves so completely, and enriching our lives every day.

Click to Tweet & Share: Dual birthdays: Happy Birthday Louisa and Bronson! (Louisa is 180 today) http://wp.me/p125Rp-1jX

Susan’s ebook, “Game Changer” is now available From the Garret – download for free!

November 16, 2012 by susanwbailey

A quick update

I realize it’s been nearly a month since I posted and I wanted to let you know why.

I am hip deep in reading. And it started with a field trip to Fruitlands in Harvard, MA. And it will end there too.

After visiting Fruitlands, I wanted to read more about it. I ended up reading the following:

Transcendental Wild Oats by Louisa May Alcott
Bronson Alcott’s Fruitlands by Clara Endicott Sears
Becoming Little Women: Louisa May at Fruitlands by Jeannine Atkins (re-read)
Fruitlands: The Alcott Family and Their Search for Utopia by Richard Francis (finally finishing this one!)

On top of that, on November 6, two books appeared on my Nook which I had pre-ordered:

Marmee & Louisa: The Untold Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Mother by Eve LaPlante
My Heart is Boundless: Writings of Abigail May Alcott, Louisa’s Mother by Eve LaPlante

And how do these all connect? Eve LaPlante is doing a talk and book signing at Fruitlands on December 1st! You can bet I plan on being there.

Fruitlands by Richard Francis is the hardest book I have ever read. I tried it when it first came out two years ago and was completely overwhelmed by it. Francis is utterly brilliant (and quite droll too - see previous post) but I never thought I could finish that book. I took copious notes and just gave up.

Visiting Fruitlands made me pick it up again. And now I only have 70+ pages left. But you can see how many more notes I will be taking!

Here are some other posts I did on this book way back when:

I need to finish reading this book plus at least Marmee & Louisa before December 1st. Wish me luck!

And I will be sharing many things with you soon.

Click to Tweet & Share: Marmee & Lousia by Eve Laplante, and Fruitlands by Richard Francis – what’s the connection? http://wp.me/p125Rp-1iF

Susan’s ebook, “Game Changer” is now available From the Garret – download for free!

October 21, 2012 by susanwbailey

From Alcott Memoirs: Bronson from the point of view of a grateful student

In his book, Alcott Memoirs, Dr. Frederick Llewellyn Hovey Willis spends much time describing the special relationship he shared with Bronson Alcott, and the profound effect Bronson had on Dr. Willis’ life. As a teenage boy, Willis spent many hours in conversation with Bronson and recorded some of these in his journal. Thus we have a recorded conversation with Bronson from the point of view of one of his students.

In a previous post, I had written about John Matteson’s description of Bronson’s conversations (found in Eden’s Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father). His delightful depiction made me long for some written account that captured the essence of these conversations. I have found such in Alcott Memoirs.

This is just a short example.

Socrates

Even in my youth Mr. Alcott seemed to me always strangely out of place in the midst of the practical utilitarianism of the 19th century, and out of place, too, clad in modern broadcloth. He should have been of the days of Socrates or Seneca and worn the flowing robes of classic Greece or the toga of ancient Rome. He was possessed of a captivating yet almost childlike simplicity of manner and bore about with him an air of serene repose, contrasting sharply with the bustling, business-like manner of most of the literary men of those days.

In person he was tall and spare, his fine head crowned with silvery locks, his complexion remarkable for its clearness and purity, the flesh tints being as clearly white and red as those of an infant …

As a remarkable evidence of the sympathy between the poet and the philosopher another of the latter’s Orphic Sayings seems to me most appropriate, not only for similarity’s sake as an interesting example of a prose and poetical treatment of the same thought, but because the prose outlines the fundamental principles of Mrs. Eddy s Christian Science almost uncannily, despite its predating this doctrine very many years. “Evil has no positive existence. It has usurped a positive place and being in the popular imagination and by the imagination must be made to flee away into negative life. How shall this be done? By shadowing forth in vivid colors the absolute beauty and phenomena of good; by assuming evil not as positive but as negative; the dark back ground and blot in the picture by contrast. God alone is eternal good, eternal truth. Evil, like its prototype darkness, is not a thing at all but the absence of a thing.”

Mr. Alcott lived his philosophy. He believed in it so thoroughly that to his intimates his daily life exemplified this point far more than his teachings or writings. I have read everything his able pen has uttered. My most lasting impressions, however, are the memories of his simple Sunday afternoon talks. Upon these occasions he laid aside the language of his public utterances, substituting simple concise English expressed with such charm and direction that we elder children had no difficulty in fully comprehending him. I recall the general tenor and much of the phraseology of some of these delightful conversations; of one instance my journal records: “There are no limitations to ideas but there are certain principles from which must spring all true ideas and on the basis of which all principles must rest. A departure from these is an emergence at once into difficulties and doubts, into uncertainties and mischances.”

“But,” I asked, “how can one know these principles?”

“They are the light that lighteth every man that cometh in the world,” he replied; “they appeal to every consciousness. It is not because men mistake them that they build upon them errors of philosophy or religion, but because they seek to bend these simple truths to suit conditions that do not accord with them. That is, they endeavor to take these foundation stones out of the Temple of Truth and fit them into a structure of their own. I will give you two or three principles that will be sufficient for your guidance through life, but will be of no avail unless you strive to fit them to your life and make them the foundation stones upon which to build your character.

First: The Infinite Supreme, the creator of all life. God, our Father, and His inseparable co-relative man, our brother.

Second: The divine in the human. This is the undying force within every human soul and its means of growth. It is the destiny of this divine spark to glow and finally shine forth in splendor. There is no power nor circumstance here or here after, that can control the development of this force.

Third: The spirit and all its attributes in man are eternal.”

Mr. Alcott believed it was upon these principles, true in themselves, that false structures, false theological conceptions, among them total depravity, an endless hell of physical torture, immediate sanctification that permitted a murderer from a scaffold to enter the highest heaven, had been built. The result of all these he believed to be the shaping of the future into unnatural condition ; a dead future separated from a living present. As he spoke, he became wonderfully radiant, I well remember. He defined the soul as an entity that, after the body was dead, lived on subject to a higher strata of the same moral, social, and intellectual laws as governed the body ere dissolution. For Jesus the man, Mr. Alcott manifested a loving admiration and a tender regard. It was not worship.

One day I asked him if he thought Jesus held any vital relation to the living present. I cannot recall the details of his reply and my journal does not record it; but I remember that he believed Jesus held as real and significant a relation to humanity as He did when He died centuries before; and unfaltering faith in all the attributes, faculties, and power of the spirit of man compelled him to believe in the interpenetration of two spheres of being; that the law of sympathy alone was sufficiently possible to bring a man under the individual guidance and influence of Jesus Himself.

I remember this was to me an intensely interesting conversation. I was startled by his declaring any living man might truthfully assert, as did Jesus in substance, “I am the cause and producer of all things, for you can place no man outside of infinity.” I think more than any other one thing Mr. Alcott s philosophy influenced my life course. I look back over the hills and valleys of memory and, seeing this, I gratefully acknowledge. As I write the vividness of imprint he made upon my boy mind in many conversations comes back to me as fresh and green as the first leaves in an April wood. (pages 26-27, 53, 57-60, Alcott Memoirs Posthumously Compiled from Papers, Journals and Memoranda of the late Dr. Frederick L. H. Willis by E. W. L. & H. B.)

Click to Tweet & Share: From Alcott Memoirs: Bronson from the point of view of a grateful student http://wp.me/p125Rp-1hP

Susan’s ebook, “Game Changer” is now available From the Garret – download for free!

Bronson’s ideal

High standards

Idolized

Anxious yet absent father

Advice to the Invalid

Remaining positive

Gentle scolding

Rare words from a teenaged Lizzie

Keeping vigil

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The value of handwritten letters

Many admirers

Flawed business plan

Similar experience

Disciples of Bronson

Anxious about the home front

Difficult patrons

Gracious sympathy

Moment of truth

Shedding light on the mystery

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Different from Little Women

A direction not taken

Why the book was written

Much taken from real life

Bronson’s presence

Consolation for Nat

Demi shares Grandpa’s story

Help for Nat

Real life counterparts

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Here’s a tease.

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Response to the question

Christian Science background

Personal connections

From Christian Science to Transcendentalism

The one to write about Bronson Alcott

Transformation

Affirmation

Evolution

The missing piece

Following the heart

Matteson’s own journey

A new journey

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What was it like to live at Fruitlands?

But what about other members?

Isaac Hecker

Joseph Palmer

The legacy of Fruitlands preserved, thanks to a visionary

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The spirit of Fruitlands

Setting the stage

Hunger for knowledge

Passing down gifts and dreams

Restricted life

Basic rights for women

Book signings

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