Chippings with a Chisel (from "twice Told Tales")
1837
Chippings with a Chisel, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and first published in 1837, is a reflective short story set in a small community on Martha’s Vineyard. The narrative follows a tombstone carver, Mr. Wigglesworth, as he interacts with clients seeking memorials for their deceased loved ones. Through these encounters, Hawthorne explores themes of mortality, memory, and the emotional complexities of grief, illustrating how the act of memorialization connects the living and the dead.
