first visit to new england-第4节

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world；　and　I　should　not　like　to　think　he　knew　how　far　short　of　my
expectations　the　sea　he　was　so　proud　of　had　fallen。　　I　went　up　with　him
into　a　tower　or　belvedere　there　was　at　hand；　and　when　he　pointed　to　the
eastern　horizon　and　said；　Now　there　was　nothing　but　sea　between　us　and
Africa；　I　pretended　to　expand　with　the　thought；　and　began　to　sound　myself
for　the　emotions　which　I　ought　to　have　felt　at　such　a　sight。　　But　in　my
heart　I　was　empty；　and　Heaven　knows　whether　I　saw　the　steamer　which　the
ancient　mariner　in　charge　of　that　tower　invited　me　to　look　at　through　his
telescope。　　I　never　could　see　anything　but　a　vitreous　glare　through　a
telescope；　which　has　a　vicious　habit　of　dodging　about　through　space；　and
failing　to　bring　down　anything　of　less　than　planetary　magnitude。

But　there　was　something　at　Portland　vastly　more　to　me　than　seas　or
continents；　and　that　was　the　house　where　Longfellow　was　born。　　I　believe；
now；　I　did　not　get　the　right　house；　but　only　the　house　he　went　to　live　in
later；　but　it　served；　and　I　rejoiced　in　it　with　a　rapture　that　could　not
have　been　more　genuine　if　it　had　been　the　real　birthplace　of　the　poet。　　I
got　my　friend　to　show　me

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃the　breezy　dome　of　groves；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　shadows　of　Deering's　woods；〃

because　they　were　in　one　of　Longfellow's　loveliest　and　tenderest　poems；
and　I　made　an　errand　to　the　docks；　for　the　sake　of　the

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃…black　wharves　and　the　slips；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　the　sea…tides　tossing　free；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　Spanish　sailors　with　bearded　lips；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　the　beauty　and　mystery　of　the　ships；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　the　magic　of　the　sea；〃

mainly　for　the　reason　that　these　were　colors　and　shapes　of　the　fond
vision　of　the　poet's　past。　　I　am　in　doubt　whether　it　was　at　this　time　or
a　later　time　that　I　went　to　revere

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃the　dead　captains　as　they　lay
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　In　their　graves　o'erlooking　the　tranquil　bay；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　where　they　in　battle　died；〃

but　I　am　quite　sure　it　was　now　that　I　wandered　under

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃the　trees　which　shadow　each　well…known　street；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　As　they　balance　up　and　down；〃

for　when　I　was　next　in　Portland　the　great　fire　had　swept　the　city　avenues
bare　of　most　of　those　beautiful　elms；　whose　Gothic　arches　and　traceries　I
well　remember。

The　fact　is　that　in　those　days　I　was　bursting　with　the　most　romantic
expectations　of　life　in　every　way；　and　I　looked　at　the　whole　world　as
material　that　might　be　turned　into　literature；　or　that　might　be
associated　with　it　somehow。　　I　do　not　know　how　I　managed　to　keep　these
preposterous　hopes　within　me；　but　perhaps　the　trick　of　satirizing　them；
which　I　had　early　learnt；　helped　me　to　do　it。　　I　was　at　that　particular
moment　resolved　above　all　things　to　see　things　as　Heinrich　Heine　saw
them；　or　at　least　to　report　them　as　he　did；　no　matter　how　I　saw　them；
and　I　went　about　framing　phrases　to　this　end；　and　trying　to　match　the
objects　of　interest　to　them　whenever　there　was　the　least　chance　of
getting　them　together。




VI。

I　do　not　know　how　I　first　arrived　in　Boston；　or　whether　it　was　before　or
after　I　had　passed　a　day　or　two　in　Salem。　　As　Salem　is　on　the　way　from
Portland；　I　will　suppose　that　I　stopped　there　first；　and　explored　the
quaint　old　town　（quainter　then　than　now；　but　still　quaint　enough）　for　the
memorials　of　Hawthorne　and　of　the　witches　which　united　to　form　the　Salem
I　cared　for。　　I　went　and　looked　up　the　House　of　Seven　Gables；　and
suffered　an　unreasonable　disappointment　that　it　had　not　a　great　many　more
of　them；　but　there　was　no　loss　in　the　death…warrant　of　Bridget　Bishop；
with　the　sheriff's　return　of　execution　upon　it；　which　I　found　at　the
Court…house；　if　anything；　the　pathos　of　that　witness　of　one　of　the
cruelest　delusions　in　the　world　was　rather　in　excess　of　my　needs；　I　could
have　got　on　with　less。　　I　saw　the　pins　which　the　witches　were　sworn　to
have　thrust　into　the　afflicted　children；　and　I　saw　Gallows　Hill；　where
the　hapless　victims　of　the　perjury　were　hanged。　　But　that　death…warrant
remained　the　most　vivid　color　of　my　experience　of　the　tragedy；　I　had　no
need　to　invite　myself　to　a　sense　of　it；　and　it　is　still　like　a　stain　of
red　in　my　memory。

The　kind　old　ship's　captain　whose　guest　I　was；　and　who　was　transfigured
to　poetry　in　my　sense　by　the　fact　that　he　used　to　voyage　to　the　African
coast　for　palm…oil　in　former　days；　led　me　all　about　the　town；　and　showed
me　the　Custom…house；　which　I　desired　to　see　because　it　was　in　the　preface
to　the　Scarlet　Letter。　　But　I　perceived　that　he　did　not　share　my
enthusiasm　for　the　author；　and　I　became　more　and　more　sensible　that　in
Salem　air　there　was　a　cool　undercurrent　of　feeling　about　him。　　No　doubt
the　place　was　not　altogether　grateful　for　the　celebrity　his　romance　had
given　it；　and　would　have　valued　more　the　uninterrupted　quiet　of　its　own
flattering　thoughts　of　itself；　but　when　it　came　to　hearing　a　young　lady
say　she　knew　a　girl　who　said　she　would　like　to　poison　Hawthorne；　it
seemed　to　the　devout　young　pilgrim　from　the　West　that　something　more　of
love　for　the　great　romancer　would　not　have　been　too　much　for　him。
Hawthorne　had　already　had　his　say；　however；　and　he　had　not　used　his
native　town　with　any　great　tenderness。　　Indeed；　the　advantages　to　any
place　of　having　a　great　genius　born　and　reared　in　its　midst　are　so
doubtful　that　it　might　be　well　for　localities　designing　to　become　the
birthplaces　of　distinguished　authors　to　think　twice　about　it。　　Perhaps
only　the　largest　capitals；　like　London　and　Paris；　and　New　York　and
Chicago；　ought　to　risk　it。　　But　the　authors　have　an　unaccountable
perversity；　and　will　seldom　come　into　the　world　in　the　large　cities；
which　are　alone　without　the　sense　of　neighborhood；　and　the　personal
susceptibilities　so　unfavorable　to　the　practice　of　the　literary　art。
I　dare　say　that　it　was　owing　to　the　local　indifference　to　her　greatest
name；　or　her　reluctance　from　it；　that　I　got　a　clearer　impression　of　Salem
in　some　other　respects　than　I　should　have　had　if　I　had　been　invited　there
to　devote　myself　solely　to　the　associations　of　Hawthorne。　　For　the　first
time　I　saw　an　old　New　England　town；　I　do　not　know；　but　the　most
characteristic；　and　took　into　my　young　Western　consciousness　the　fact　of
a　more　complex　civilization　than　I　had　yet　known。　　My　whole　life　had　been
passed　in　a　region　where　men　were　just　beginning　ancestors；　and　the
conception　of　family　was　very　imperfect。　　Literature；　of　course；　was　full
of　it；　and　it　was　not　for　a　devotee　of　Thackeray　to　be　theoretically
ignorant　of　its　manifestations；　but　I　had　hitherto　carelessly　supposed
that　family　was　nowhere　regarded　seriously　in　America　except　in　Virginia；
where　it　furnished　a　joke　for　the　rest　of　the　nation。　　But　now　I　found
myself　confronted　with　it　in　its　ancient　houses；　and　heard　its　names
pronounced　with　a　certain　consideration；　which　I　dare　say　was　as　much
their　due　in　Salem　as　it　could　be　anywhere。　　The　names　were　all　strange；
and　all　indifferent　to　me；　but　those　fine　square　wooden　mansions；　of　a
tasteful　architecture；　and　a　pale　buff…color；　withdrawing　themselves　in
quiet　reserve　from　the　quiet　street；　gave　me　an　impression　of　family　as
an　actuality　and　a　force　which　I　had　never　had　before；　but　which　no
Westerner　can　yet　understand　the　East　without　taking　into　account。　　I　do
not　suppose　that　I　conceived　of　family　as　a　fact　of　vital　import　then；
I　think　I　rather　regarded　it　as　a　color　to　be　used　in　any　aesthetic　study
of　the　local　conditions。　　I　am　not　sure　that　I　valued　it　more　even　for
literary　purposes；　than　the　steeple　which　the　captain　pointed　out　as　the
first　and　last　thing　he　saw　when　he　came　and　went　on　his　long　voyages；　or
than　the　great　palm…oil　casks；　which　he　showed　me；　and　which　I　related　to
the　tree　that　stood

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Auf　brennender　Felsenwand。〃

Whether　that　was　the　kind　of　palm　that　gives　the　oil；　or　was　a　sort　only
suitable　to　be　the　dream　of　a　lonely　fir…tree　in　the　North　on　a　cold
height；　I　am　in　doubt　to　this　day。

I　heard；　not　without　concern；　that　the　neighboring　industry　of　Lynn　was
penetrating　Salem；　and　that　the　ancient　haunt　of　the　witches　and　the
birthplace　of　our　subtlest　and　somberest　wizard　was　becoming　a　great
shoe…town；　but　my　concern　was　less　for　its　memories　and　sensibilities
than　for　an　odious　duty　which　I　owed　that　industry；　together　with　all　the
others　in　New　England。　　Before　I　left　home　I　had　promised　my　earliest
publisher　that　I　would　undertake　to　edit；　or　compile；　or　do　something
literary　to；　a　work　on　the　operation　of　the　more　distinctive　mechanical
inventions　of　our　country；　which　he　had　conceived　the　notion　of
publishing　by　subscription。　　He　had　furnished　me；　the　most　immechanical
of　humankind；　with　a　letter　addressed　generally　to　the　great　mills　and
factories　of　the　East；　entreating　their　managers　to　unfold　their
mysteries　to　me　for　the　purposes　of　this　volume。　　His　letter　had　the
effect　of　shutting　up　some　of　them　like　clams；　and　others　it　put　upon
their　guard　against　my　researches；　lest　I　should　seize　the　secret　of
their　special　inventions　and　publish　it　to　the　world。　　I　could　not　tell
the　managers　that　I　was　both　morally　and　mentally　incapable　of　this；
that　they　migh