Mr . Wilson, who is widely and favorably known through his " Rambles in Colonial Byways" and similar works , describes a series of pilgrimages to all the noteworthy literary landmarks of the New England States . These carry the reader to the birthplace of Longfellow and the scenes sung by Whittier, to the Salem of Hawthorne, to the Concord of Emerson and Thoreau, to Cambridge with its memories of Holmes and Lowell, to Boston and the land of the Pilgrims, and then westward to the Berkshires, where Melville wrought upon his best romances and Bryant found inspiration for his loftiest verse. The work of each author is dealt with in association with its environment , and this method makes Mr. Wilson's book both a guide for the pilgrim and an illuminating review for the student.