cambridge neighbors-第5节

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after　the　doctors　had　condemned　Agassiz　to　inaction；　on　account　of　his
failing　health　he　had　broken　down　in　his　friend's　study；　and　wept　like　an
'Europaer'；　and　lamented；　〃I　shall　never　finish　my　work！〃　　Some　papers
which　he　had　begun　to　write　for　the　Magazine；　in　contravention　of　the
Darwinian　theory；　or　part　of　it；　which　it　is　known　Agassiz　did　not
accept；　remained　part　of　the　work　which　he　never　finished。　　After　his
death；　I　wished　Professor　Jeffries　Wyman　to　write　of　him　in　the　Atlantic；
but　he　excused　himself　on　account　of　his　many　labors；　and　then　he
voluntarily　spoke　of　Agassiz's　methods；　which　he　agreed　with　rather　than
his　theories；　being　himself　thoroughly　Darwinian。　　I　think　he　said
Agassiz　was　the　first　to　imagine　establishing　a　fact　not　from　a　single
example；　but　from　examples　indefinitely　repeated。　　If　it　was　a　question
of　something　about　robins　for　instance；　he　would　have　a　hundred　robins
examined　before　he　would　receive　an　appearance　as　a　fact。

Of　course　no　preconception　or　prepossession　of　his　own　was　suffered　to
bar　his　way　to　the　final　truth　he　was　seeking；　and　he　joyously　renounced
even　a　conclusion　if　he　found　it　mistaken。　　I　do　not　know　whether　Mrs。
Agassiz　has　put　into　her　interesting　life　of　him；　a　delightful　story
which　she　told　me　about　him。　　He　came　to　her　beaming　one　day；　and
demanded；　〃You　know　I　have　always　held　such　and　such　an　opinion　about　a
certain　group　of　fossil　fishes？〃　　〃Yes；　yes！〃　　〃Well；　I　have　just　been
reading　's　new　book；　and　he　has　shown　me　that　there　isn't　the　least
truth　in　my　theory〃；　and　he　burst　into　a　laugh　of　unalloyed　pleasure　in
relinquishing　his　error。

I　could　touch　science　at　Cambridge　only　on　its　literary　and　social　side；
of　course；　and　my　meetings　with　Agassiz　were　not　many。　　I　recall　a　dinner
at　his　house　to　Mr。　Bret　Harte；　when　the　poet　came　on　from　California；
and　Agassiz　approached　him　over　the　coffee　through　their　mutual
scientific　interest　in　the　last　meeting　of　the　geological　〃Society　upon
the　Stanislow。〃　　He　quoted　to　the　author　some　passages　from　the　poem
recording　the　final　proceedings　of　this　body；　which　had　particularly
pleased　him；　and　I　think　Mr。　Harte　was　as　much　amused　at　finding　himself
thus　in　touch　with　the　savant；　as　Agassiz　could　ever　have　been　with　that
delicious　poem。

Agassiz　lived　at　one　end　of　Quincy　Street；　and　James　almost　at　the　other
end；　with　an　interval　between　them　which　but　poorly　typified　their
difference　of　temperament。　　The　one　was　all　philosophical　and　the　other
all　scientific；　and　yet　towards　the　close　of　his　life；　Agassiz　may　be
said　to　have　led　that　movement　towards　the　new　position　of　science　in
matters　of　mystery　which　is　now　characteristic　of　it。　　He　was　ancestrally
of　the　Swiss　〃Brahminical　caste；〃　as　so　many　of　his　friends　in　Cambridge
were　of　the　Brahminical　caste　of　New　England；　and　perhaps　it　was　the　line
of　ancestral　pasteurs　which　at　last　drew　him　back；　or　on；　to　the
affirmation　of　an　unformulated　faith　of　his　own。　　At　any　rate；　before
most　other　savants　would　say　that　they　had　souls　of　their　own　he　became；
by　opening　a　summer　school　of　science　with　prayer；　nearly　as　consolatory
to　the　unscientific　who　wished　to　believe　they　had　souls；　as　Mr。　John
Fiske　himself；　though　Mr。　Fiske；　as　the　arch…apostle　of　Darwinism；　had
arrived　at　nearly　the　same　point　by　such　a　very　different　road。

Mr。　Fiske　had　been　our　neighbor　in　our　first　Cambridge　home；　and　when　we
went　to　live　in　Berkeley　Street；　he　followed　with　his　family　and　placed
himself　across　the　way　in　a　house　which　I　already　knew　as　the　home　of
Richard　Henry　Dana；　the　author　of　'Two　Years　Before　the　Mast。'　　Like
nearly　all　the　other　Cambridge　men　of　my　acquaintance　Dana　was　very　much
my　senior；　and　like　the　rest　he　welcomed　my　literary　promise　as　cordially
as　if　it　were　performance；　with　no　suggestion　of　the　condescension　which
was　said　to　be　his　attitude　towards　many　of　his　fellow…men。　　I　never　saw
anything　of　this；　in　fact；　and　I　suppose　he　may　have　been　a　blend　of
those　patrician　qualities　and　democratic　principles　which　made　Lowell
anomalous　even　to　himself。　　He　is　part　of　the　anti…slavery　history　of　his
time；　and　he　gave　to　the　oppressed　his　strenuous　help　both　as　a　man　and　a
politician；　his　gifts　and　learning　in　the　law　were　freely　at　their
service。　　He　never　lost　his　interest　in　those　white　slaves；　whose　brutal
bondage　he　remembered　as　bound　with　them　in　his　'Two　Years　Before　the
Mast；'　and　any　luckless　seaman　with　a　case　or　cause　might　count　upon　his
friendship　as　surely　as　the　black　slaves　of　the　South。　　He　was　able　to
temper　his　indignation　for　their　oppression　with　a　humorous　perception　of
what　was　droll　in　its　agents　and　circumstances；　and　I　wish　I　could　recall
all　that　he　said　once　about　sea…etiquette　on　merchant　vessels；　where　the
chief　mate　might　no　more　speak　to　the　captain　at　table　without　being
addressed　by　him　than　a　subject　might　put　a　question　to　his　sovereign。
He　was　amusing　in　his　stories　of　the　Pacific　trade　in　which　he　said　it
was　very　noble　to　deal　in　furs　from　the　Northwest；　and　very　ignoble　to
deal　in　hides　along　the　Mexican　and　South　American　coasts。　　Every　ship's
master　wished　naturally　to　be　in　the　fur…carrying　trade；　and　in　one　of
Dana's　instances；　two　vessels　encounter　in　mid…ocean；　and　exchange　the
usual　parley　as　to　their　respective　ports　of　departure　and　destination。
The　final　demand　comes　through　the　trumpet；　〃What　cargo？〃　and　the　captain
so　challenged　yields　to　temptation　and　roars　back　〃Furs！〃　　A　moment　of
hesitation　elapses；　and　then　the　questioner　pursues；　〃Here　and　there　a
horn？〃

There　were　other　distinctions；　of　which　seafaring　men　of　other　days　were
keenly　sensible；　and　Dana　dramatized　the　meeting　of　a　great；　swelling
East　Indiaman；　with　a　little　Atlantic　trader；　which　has　hailed　her。　　She
shouts　back　through　her　captain's　trumpet　that　she　is　from　Calcutta；　and
laden　with　silks；　spices；　and　other　orient　treasures；　and　in　her　turn　she
requires　like　answer　from　the　sail　which　has　presumed　to　enter　into
parley　with　her。　　〃What　cargo？〃　The　trader　confesses　to　a　mixed　cargo　for
Boston；　and　to　the　final　question；　her　master　replies　in　meek　apology；
〃Only　from　Liverpool；　sir！〃　and　scuttles　down　the　horizon　as　swiftly　as
possible。

Dana　was　not　of　the　Cambridge　men　whose　calling　was　in　Cambridge。　　He　was
a　lawyer　in　active　practice；　and　he　went　every　day　to　Boston。　　One　was
apt　to　meet　him　in　those　horse…cars　which　formerly　tinkled　back　and　forth
between　the　two　cities；　and　which　were　often　so　full　of　one's
acquaintance　that　they　had　all　the　social　elements　of　an　afternoon　tea。
They　were　abusively　overcrowded　at　times；　of　course；　and　one　might　easily
see　a　prime　literary　celebrity　swaying　from；　a　strap；　or　hanging　uneasily
by　the　hand…rail　to　the　lower　steps　of　the　back　platform。　　I　do　not　mean
that　I　ever　happened　to　see　the　author　of　Two　Years　Before　the　Mast　in
either　fact；　but　in　his　celebrity　he　had　every　qualification　for　the
illustration　of　my　point。　　His　book　probably　carried　the　American　name
farther　and　wider　than　any　American　books　except　those　of　Irving　and
Cooper　at　a　day　when　our　writers　were　very　little　known；　and　our
literature　was　the　only　infant　industry　not　fostered　against　foreign
ravage；　but　expressly　left　to　harden　and　strengthen　itself　as　it　best
might　in　a　heartless　neglect　even　at　home。　　The　book　was　delightful；　and
I　remember　it　from　a　reading　of　thirty　years　ago；　as　of　the　stuff　that
classics　are　made　of。　　I　venture　no　conjecture　as　to　its　present
popularity；　but　of　all　books　relating　to　the　sea　I　think　it；　is　the　best。
The　author　when　I　knew　him　was　still　Richard　Henry　Dana；　Jr。；　his　father；
the　aged　poet；　who　first　established　the　name　in　the　public　recognition；
being　alive；　though　past　literary　activity。　　It　was　distinctively　a
literary　race；　and　in　the　actual　generation　it　has　given　proofs　of　its
continued　literary　vitality　in　the　romance　of　'Espiritu　Santo'　by　the
youngest　daughter　of　the　Dana　I　knew。




VII。

There　could　be　no　stronger　contrast　to　him　in　origin；　education；　and
character　than　a　man　who　lived　at　the　same　time　in　Cambridge；　and　who
produced　a　book　which　in　its　final　fidelity　to　life　is　not　unworthy　to　be
named　with　'Two　Years　Before　the　Mast。'　　Ralph　Keeler　wrote　the　'Vagabond
Adventures'　which　he　had　lived。　　I　have　it　on　my　heart　to　name　him　in　the
presence　of　our　great　literary　men　not　only　because　I　had　an　affection
for　him；　tenderer　than　I　then　knew；　but　because　I　believe　his　book　is
worthier　of　more　remembrance　than　it　seems　to　enjoy。　　I　was　reading　it
only　the　other　day；　and　I　found　it　delightful；　and　much　better　than　I
imagined　when　I　accepted　for　the　Atlantic　the　several　papers　which　it　is
made　up　of。　　I　am　not　sure　but　it　belongs　to　the　great　literature　in　that
fidelity　to　life　which　I　have　spoken　of；　and　which　the　author　brought
himself　to　practise　with　such　difficulty；　and　under　so　much　stress　from
his　editor。　　He　really　wanted　to　fake　it　at　times；　but　he　was　docile　at
last　and　did　it　so　honestly　that　it　tells　the　history　of　his　strange
career　in　much　better　terms　than　it　can　be　given　again。　　He　had　been；　as
he　claimed；　〃a　cruel　uncle's　ward〃　in　hi