Born on the fourth of July in 1804, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote the stories that lie at the heart of the American Romantic movement. His portraits of colonial life reflect his Puritan heritage and offer fascinating profiles of individuals who strive for freedom from social conventions. Hugh Thomson (1860-1920), a prolific illustrator of books and magazines, is best known for his pen-and-ink drawings for classics by Austen, Dickens, Shakespeare, and others. He occasionally worked in watercolors, as in this volume.