s time." This was in 1835. Seven
years later Emerson records this impression. "He looks at
everything in larger angles than any other, and, by good right,
should be the greatest man. But here comes in another trait; it is
found, though his angles are of so generous contents, the lines do
not meet; the apex is not quite defined. We must allow for the
refraction of the lens, but it is the best instrument I have ever
met with."

Alcott visited Concord first in October, 1835, and found that he
and Emerson had many things in common, but he entered in his
diary, "Mr. Emerson's fine literary taste is sometimes in the way
of a clear and hearty acceptance of the spiritual." Again, he
naively congratulates himself that he has found a man who could
appreciate his theories. "Emerson sees me, knows me, and, more
than all others, helps me,--not by noisy praise, not by low
appeals to interest and passion, but by turning the eye of others
to my stand in reason and the nature of things. Only men of like
vision can apprehend and counsel each other."

With the exception of Hawthorne, there was among the men of
Concord a tendency to over-estimate one another. For the most
part, they took themselves and each other very seriously; even
Emerson's subtle sense of humor did not save him from yielding to
this tendency, which is illustrated in the following page from
Hawthorne's journal:

"About nine o'clock (Sunday) Hilliard and I set out on a walk to
Walden Pond, calling by the way at Mr. Emerson's to obtain his
guidance or directions. He, from a scruple of his eternal
conscience, detained us until after the people had got into
church, and then he accompanied us in his own illustrious person.
We turned aside a little from our way to visit Mr. Hosmer, a
yeoman, of whose homely and self-acquired wisdom Mr. Emerson has a
very high opinion." "He had a fine flow of talk, and not much
diffidence about his own opinions. I was not impressed with any
remarkable originality in his views, but they were sensible and
characteristic. Methought, however, the good yeoman was not quite
so natural as he may have been at an earlier period. The
simplicity of his character has probably suffered by his detecting
the impression he makes on those around him. There is a circle, I
suppose, who look up to him as an oracle, and so he inevitably
assumes the oracular manner, and speaks as if truth and wisdom
were attiring themselves by his voice. Mr. Emerson has ris