an old town by the sea-第13节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
the jug；〃 his features lighted up； and he seemed immensely relieved。 〃I thought； 〃 He remarked； 〃I heerd somethink crack！〃
Wibird Penhallow's heaviest patron was the keeper of a variety store； and the first specimen of a pessimist I ever encountered。 He was an excellent specimen。 He took exception to everything。 He objected to the telegraph； to the railway； to steam in all its applications。 Some of his arguments； I recollect； made a deep impression on my mind。 〃Nowadays；〃 he once observed to me； 〃if your son or your grandfather drops dead at the other end of creation； you know of it in ten minutes。 What's the use？ Unless you are anxious to know he's dead； you've got just two or three weeks more to be miserable in。〃 He scorned the whole business； and was faithful to his scorn。 When he received a telegram； which was rare； he made a point of keeping it awhile unopened。 Through the exercise of this whim he once missed an opportunity of buying certain goods to great advantage。 〃There！〃 he exclaimed； 〃if the telegraph hadn't been invented the idiot would have written to me； and I'd have sent a letter by return coach； and got the goods before he found out prices had gone up in Chicago。 If that boy brings me another of those tapeworm telegraphs； I'll throw an axe…handle at him。〃 His pessimism extended up； or down； to generally recognized canons of orthography。 They were all iniquitous。 If k…n…i…f…e spelled knife； then； he contended； k…n…i…f…e…s was the plural。 Diverting tags； written by his own hand in conformity with this theory； were always attached to articles in his shop window。 He is long since ded； as he himself would have put it； but his phonetic theory appears to have survived him in crankish brains here and there。 As my discouraging old friend was not exactly a public character； like the town crier or Wibird Penhallow； I have intentionally thrown a veil over his identity。 I have； so to speak； dropped into his pouch a grain or two of that magical fern…seed which was supposed by our English ancestors； in Elizabeth's reign； to possess the quality of rendering a man invisible。
Another person who singularly interested me at this epoch was a person with whom I had never exchanged a word； whose voice I had never heard； but whose face was as familiar to me as every day could make it。 For each morning as I went to school； and each afternoon as I returned； I saw this face peering out of a window in the second story of a shambling yellow house situated in Washington Street； not far from the corner of State。 Whether some malign disease had fixed him to the chair he sat on； or whether he had lost the use of his legs； or； possible； had none （the upper part of him was that of a man in admirable health）； presented a problem which； with that curious insouciance of youth I made no attempt to solve。 It was an established fact； however； that he never went out of that house。 I cannot vouch so confidently for the cobwebby legend which wove itself about him。 It was to this effect： He had formerly been the master of a large merchantman running between New York and Calcutta； while still in his prime he had abruptly retired from the quarter…deck； and seated himself at that windowwhere the outlook must have been the reverse of exhilarating； for not ten persons passed in the course of the day； and the hurried jingle of the bells on Parry's bakery…cart was the only sound that ever shattered the silence。 Whether it was an amatory or a financial disappointment that turned him into a hermit was left to ingenious conjecture。 But there he sat； year in and year out； with his cheek so close to the window that the nearest pane became permanently blurred with his breath； for after his demise the blurr remained。
In this Arcadian era it was possible； in provincial places； for an undertaker to assume the dimensions of a personage。 There was a sexton in Portsmouthhis name escapes me； but his attributes do notwhose impressiveness made him own brother to the massive architecture of the Stone Church。 On every solemn occasion he was the striking figure； even to the eclipsing of the involuntary object of the ceremony。 His occasions； happily； were not exclusively solemn； he added to his other public services that of furnishing ice…cream for the evening parties。 I always thoughtperhaps it was the working of an unchastened imaginationthat he managed to throw into his ice…creams a peculiar chill not attained by either Dunyon or Peduzziarcades ambothe rival confectioners。
Perhaps I should not say rival； for Mr。 Dunyon kept a species of restaurant； while Mr。 Peduzzi restricted himself to preparing confections to be discussed elsewhere than on his premises。 Both gentlemen achieved great popularity in their respective lines； but neither offered to the juvenile population quite the charm of those prim； white…capped old ladies who presided over certain snuffy little shops； occurring unexpectedly in silent side…streets where the football of commerce seemed an incongruous thing。 These shops were never intended in nature。 They had an impromptu and abnormal air about them。 I do not recall one that was not located in a private residence； and was not evidently the despairing expedient of some pathetic financial crisis； similar to that which overtook Miss Hepzibah Pyrcheon in The House of the Seven Gables。 The horizontally divided street doorthe upper section left open in summerushered you； with a sudden jangle of bell that turned your heart over； into a strictly private hall； haunted by the delayed aroma of thousands of family dinners。 Thence； through another door； you passed into what had formerly been the front parlor； but was now a shop； with a narrow； brown； wooden counter； and several rows of little drawers built up against the picture…papered wall behind it。 Through much use the paint on these drawers was worn off in circles round the polished brass knobs。 Here was stored almost every small article required by humanity； from an inflamed emery cushion to a peppermint Gibraltarthe latter a kind of adamantine confectionery which； when I reflect upon it； raises in me the wonder that any Portsmouth boy or girl ever reached the age of fifteen with a single tooth left unbroken。 The proprietors of these little knick…knack establishments were the nicest creatures； somehow suggesting venerable doves。 They were always aged ladies； sometimes spinsters； sometimes relicts of daring mariners； beached long before。 They always wore crisp muslin caps and steel…rimmed spectacles； they were not always amiable； and no wonder； for even doves may have their rheumatism； but such as they were； they were cherished in young hearts； and are； I take it； impossible to…day。
When I look back to Portsmouth as I knew it； it occurs to me that it must have been in some respects unique among New England towns。 There were； for instance； no really poor persons in the place； every one had some sufficient calling or an income to render it unnecessary； vagrants and paupers were instantly snapped up and provided for at 〃the Farm。〃 There was； however； in a gambrel…roofed house here and there； a decayed old gentlewoman； occupying a scrupulously neat room with just a suspicion of maccaboy snuff in the air； who had her meals sent in to her by the neighborhoodas a matter of course； and involving no sense of dependency on her side。 It is wonderful what an extension of vitality is given to an old gentlewoman in this condition！
I would like to write about several of those ancient Dames； as they were affectionately called； and to materialize others of the shadows that stir in my recollection； but this would be to go outside the lines of my purpose； which is simply to indicate one of the various sorts of changes that have come over the vie intime of formerly secluded places like Portsmouththe obliteration of odd personalities； or； if not the obliteration； the general disregard of them。 Everywhere in New England the impress of the past is fading out。 The few old…fashioned men and womenquaint； shrewd； and racy of the soilwho linger in little； silvery…gray old homesteads strung along the New England roads and by…ways will shortly cease to exist as a class； save in the record of some such charming chronicler as Sarah Jewett； or Mary Wilkins； on whose sympathetic page they have already taken to themselves a remote air； an atmosphere of long…kept lavender and pennyroyal。
Peculiarity in any kind requires encouragement in order to reach flower。 The increased facilities of communication between points once isolated； the interchange of customs and modes of thought； make this encouragement more and more difficult each decade。 The naturally inclined eccentric finds his sharp outlines rubbed off by unavoidable attrition with a larger world than owns him。 Insensibly he lends himself to the shaping hand of new ideas。 He gets his reversible cuffs and paper collars from Cambridge； Massachusetts； the scarabaeus in his scarf…pin from Mexico； and his ulster from everywhere。 He has passed out of the chrysalis state of Odd Stick； he has ceased to be parochial； he is no longer distinct； he is simply the Average Man。
INDEX OF NAMES
ADAMS； NATHANIEL
ADDISON； JOSEPH
ALLEN； WILLIAM
ANANIAS
ATKINSON； THEODORE
AUSTIN； REBECCA
BEAUJOLAIS； D
