The Hawthorn Enigma

The Hawthorn Enigma


(The Hawthorn Mystery) In the Custom House of Salem (MA), Nathanial Hawthorn worked during on his book, “The Scarlet Letter” between, 1849-1850; during this period, he signed everything in red. Over the following months, while writing his novel, he wrote an enigma, perhaps because he was frustrated with the Custom House people whom he would call lazy in his 2nd edition, to the book, “The Scarlet Letter,” which was published 30-days later, in a block of 2500-books, the same amount of the 1st edition.
He hid it in a leather bag under the wooden floor of the Custom House, wondering who would find it. But no one did, but in 1957, it showed up, and on the title page of this puzzle of sorts, or conundrum, he wrote “To the finder of this leather pouch, I leave this enigma (for what it is worth, and perhaps to the finder it could be of some value), for I am bored with the people at the Custom House, as lazy as they are, I find it appalling. Should you put the pieces together of this puzzle, you will know how I feel.”
Well, the second sheet of paper (both rolled together) had the enigma on it. It was found in 1957, and shortly after that it was missing again.
It was re-found, in January, of 2007, in the deep vaults of the University of Minnesota. How it got there is still in question, but I was fortunate enough to get it on microfiche. We shall leave all the details of acquiring this out of this so called letter of sorts, and get right down to the official writing; this is how I found the Hawthorn Mystery:



The Enigma

If you find this leather pouch
And untie its leather knot
(that once belonged to me)
What would be unlocked?

(NH)

(Aessaeurtufnviisilebym)

11-2-2007