Originally Posted by Carleton Hughes

Well, you're all right.

A cousin of mine lives in Concord N.H. and has had the hap to run across the great hermit.

Nothing spectacular about him at all, an odd looking misanthrope who holds people in contempt and thinks himself a God so he has no compunction of insulting those who even address good morning to him.

I recommend reading Joyce Maynard's memoir if you want to understand him.