cambridge neighbors-第7节

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mind：　a　short　stout　figure；　helped　out　with　a　cane；　and　a　grizzled　head
with　features　formed　to　win　the　heart　rather　than　the　eye　of　the
beholder。

In　one　of　his　own　eyes　there　was　a　cast　of　such　winning　humor　and
geniality　that　it　took　the　liking　more　than　any　beauty　could　have　done；
and　the　sweetest；　shy　laugh　in　the　world　went　with　this　cast。

I　long　wished　to　get　him　to　write　something　for　the　Magazine；　and　at　last
I　prevailed　with　him　to　review　a　history　of　Cambridge　which　had　come　out。

He　did　it　charmingly　of　course；　for　he　loved　more　to　speak　of　Cambridge
than　anything　else。　　He　held　his　native　town　in　an　idolatry　which　was　not
blind；　but　which　was　none　the　less　devoted　because　he　was　aware　of　her
droll　points　and　her　weak　points。　　He　always　celebrated　these　as　so　many
virtues；　and　I　think　it　was　my　own　passion　for　her　that　first　commended
me　to　him。　　I　was　not　her　son；　but　he　felt　that　this　was　my　misfortune
more　than　my　fault；　and　he　seemed　more　and　more　to　forgive　it。　　After　we
had　got　upon　the　terms　of　editor　and　contributor；　we　met　oftener　than
before；　though　I　do　not　now　remember　that　I　ever　persuaded　him　to　write
again　for　me。　　Once　he　gave　me　something；　and　then　took　it　back；　with　a
self…distrust　of　it　which　I　could　not　overcome。

When　the　Holmes　house　was　taken　down；　he　went　to　live　with　an　old
domestic　in　a　small　house　on　the　street　amusingly　called　Appian　Way。　　He
had　certain　rooms　of　her；　and　his　own　table；　but　he　would　not　allow　that
he　was　ever　anything　but　a　lodger　in　the　place；　where　he　continued　till
he　died。　　In　the　process　of　time　he　came　so　far　to　trust　his　experience
of　me；　that　he　formed　the　habit　of　giving　me　an　annual　supper。　　Some　days
before　this　event；　he　would　appear　in　my　study；　and　with　divers　delicate
and　tentative　approaches；　nearly　always　of　the　same　tenor；　he　would　say
that　he　should　like　to　ask　my　family　to　an　oyster　supper　with　him。　　〃But
you　know；〃　he　would　explain；　〃I　haven't　a　house　of　my　own　to　ask　you　to；
and　I　should　like　to　give　you　the　supper　here。〃　　When　I　had　agreed　to
this　suggestion　with　due　gravity；　he　would　inquire　our　engagements；　and
then　say；　as　if　a　great　load　were　off　his　mind；　〃Well；　then；　I　will　send
up　a　few　oysters　to…morrow；〃　or　whatever　day　we　had　fixed　on；　and　after　a
little　more　talk　to　take　the　strangeness　out　of　the　affair；　would　go　his
way。　　On　the　day　appointed　the　fish…man　would　come　with　several　gallons
of　oysters；　which　he　reported　Mr。　Holmes　had　asked　him　to　bring；　and　in
the　evening　the　giver　of　the　feast　would　reappear；　with　a　lank　oil…cloth
bag；　sagged　by　some　bottles　of　wine。　　There　was　always　a　bottle　of　red
wine；　and　sometimes　a　bottle　of　champagne；　and　he　had　taken　the
precaution　to　send　some　crackers　beforehand；　so　that　the　supper　should　be
as　entirely　of　his　own　giving　as　possible。　　He　was　forced　to　let　us　do
the　cooking　and　to　supply　the　cold…slaw；　and　perhaps　he　indemnified
himself　for　putting　us　to　these　charges　and　for　the　use　of　our　linen　and
silver；　by　the　vast　superfluity　of　his　oysters；　with　which　we　remained
inundated　for　days。　　He　did　not　care　to　eat　many　himself；　but　seemed
content　to　fancy　doing　us　a　pleasure；　and　I　have　known　few　greater　ones
in　life；　than　in　the　hospitality　that　so　oddly　played　the　host　to　us　at
our　own　table。

It　must　have　seemed　incomprehensible　to　such　a　Cantabrigian　that　we
should　ever　have　been　willing　to　leave　Cambridge；　and　in　fact　I　do　not
well　understand　it　myself。　　But　if　he　resented　it；　he　never　showed　his
resentment。　　As　often　as　I　happened　to　meet　him　after　our　defection　he
used　me　with　unabated　kindness；　and　sparkled　into　some　gaiety　too
ethereal　for　remembrance。　　The　last　time　I　met　him　was　at　Lowell's
funeral；　when　I　drove　home　with　him　and　Curtis　and　Child；　and　in　the
revulsion　from　the　stress　of　that　saddest　event；　had　our　laugh；　as　people
do　in　the　presence　of　death；　at　something　droll　we　remembered　of　the
friend　we　mourned。

My　nearest　literary　neighbor；　when　we　lived　in　Sacramento　Street；　was　the
Rev。　Dr。　John　G。　Palfrey；　the　historian　of　New　England；　whose　chimney…
tops　amid　the　pine…tops　I　could　see　from　my　study　window　when　the　leaves
were　off　the　little　grove　of　oaks　between　us。　　He　was　one　of　the　first　of
my　acquaintances；　not　suffering　the　great　disparity　of　our　ages　to　count
against　me；　but　tactfully　and　sweetly　adjusting　himself　to　my　youth　in
the　friendly　intercourse　which　he　invited。　　He　was　a　most　gentle　and
kindly　old　man；　with　still　an　interest　in　liberal　things　which　lasted
till　the　infirmities　of　age　secluded　him　from　the　world　and　all　its
interests。　　As　is　known；　he　had　been　in　his　prime　one　of　the　foremost　of
the　New　England　anti…slavery　men；　and　he　had　fought　the　good　fight　with　a
heavy　heart　for　a　brother　long　settled　in　Louisiana　who　sided　with　the
South；　and　who　after　the　civil　war　found　himself　disfranchised。　　In　this
temporary　disability　he　came　North　to　visit　Doctor　Palfrey　upon　the
doctor's　insistence；　though　at　first　he　would　have　nothing　to　do　with
him；　and　refused　even　to　answer　his　letters。　　〃Of　course；〃　the　doctor
said；　〃I　was　not　going　to　stand　that　from　my　mother's　son；　and　I　simply
kept　on　writing。〃　　So　he　prevailed；　but　the　fiery　old　gentleman　from
Louisiana　was　reconciled　to　nothing　in　the　North　but　his　brother；　and
when　he　came　to　return　my　visit；　he　quickly　touched　upon　his　cause　of
quarrel　with　us。　　〃I　can't　vote；〃　he　declared；　〃but　my　coachman　can；　and
I　don't　know　how　I'm　to　get　the　suffrage；　unless　my　physician　paints　me
all　over　with　the　iodine　he's　using　for　my　rheumatic　side。〃

Doctor　Palfrey　was　most　distinctly　of　the　Brahminical　caste　and　was　long
an　eminent　Unitarian　minister；　but　at　the　time　I　began　to　know　him　he　had
long　quitted　the　pulpit。　　He　was　so　far　of　civic　or　public　character　as
to　be　postmaster　at　Boston；　when　we　were　first　neighbors；　but　this
officiality　was　probably　so　little　in　keeping　with　his　nature　that　it　was
like　a　return　to　his　truer　self　when　he　ceased　to　hold　the　place；　and
gave　his　time　altogether　to　his　history。　　It　is　a　work　which　will　hardly
be　superseded　in　the　interest　of　those　who　value　thorough　research　and
temperate　expression。　　It　is　very　just；　and　without　endeavor　for　picture
or　drama　it　is　to　me　very　attractive。　　Much　that　has　to　be　recorded　of
New　England　lacks　charm；　but　he　gave　form　and　dignity　and　presence　to　the
memories　of　the　past；　and　the　finer　moments　of　that　great　story；　he　gave
with　the　simplicity　that　was　their　best　setting。　　It　seems　to　me　such　an
apology　（in　the　old　sense）　as　New　England　might　have　written　for　herself；
and　in　fact　Doctor　Palfrey　was　a　personification　of　New　England　in　one　of
the　best　and　truest　kinds。　　He　was　refined　in　the　essential　gentleness　of
his　heart　without　being　refined　away；　he　kept　the　faith　of　her　Puritan
tradition　though　he　no　longer　kept　the　Puritan　faith；　and　his　defence　of
the　Puritan　severity　with　the　witches　and　Quakers　was　as　impartial　as　it
was　efficient　in　positing　the　Puritans　as　of　their　time；　and　rather
better　and　not　worse　than　other　people　of　the　same　time。　　He　was　himself
a　most　tolerant　man；　and　his　tolerance　was　never　weak　or　fond；　it　stopped
well　short　of　condoning　error；　which　he　condemned　when　he　preferred　to
leave　it　to　its　own　punishment。　　Personally　he　was　without　any　flavor　of
harshness；　his　mind　was　as　gentle　as　his　manner；　which　was　one　of　the
gentlest　I　have　ever　known。

Of　as　gentle　make　but　of　more　pensive　temper；　with　unexpected　bursts　of
lyrical　gaiety；　was　Christopher　Pearse　Cranch；　the　poet；　whom　I　had　known
in　New　York　long　before　he　came　to　live　in　Cambridge。　　He　could　not　only
play　and　sing　most　amusing　songs；　but　he　wrote　very　good　poems　and
painted　pictures　perhaps　not　so　good。　　I　always　liked　his　Venetian
pictures；　for　their　poetic；　unsentimentalized　veracity；　and　I　printed　as
well　as　liked　many　of　his　poems。　　During　the　time　that　I　knew　him　more
than　his　due　share　of　troubles　and　sorrows　accumulated　themselves　on　his
fine　head；　which　the　years　had　whitened；　and　gave　a　droop　to　the
beautiful；　white…bearded　face。　　But　he　had　the　artist　soul　and　the　poet
heart；　and　no　doubt　he　could　take　refuge　in　these　from　the　cares　that
shadowed　his　visage。　　My　acquaintance　with　him　in　Cambridge　renewed
itself　upon　the　very　terms　of　its　beginning　in　New　York。　　We　met　at
Longfellow's　table；　where　he　lifted　up　his　voice　in　the　Yankee　folk…song；
〃On　Springfield　Mountain　there　did　dwell；〃　which　he　gave　with　a　perfectly
killing　mock…gravity。




XI。

At　Cambridge　the　best　society　was　better；　it　seems　to　me；　than　even　that
of　the　neighboring　capital。　　It　would　be　rather　hard　to　prove　this；　and　I
must　ask　the　reader　to　take　my　word　for　it；　if　he　wishes　to　believe　it。
The　great　interests　in　that　pleasant　world；　which　I　think　does　not
present　itself　to　my　memory　in　a　false　iridiscence；　were　the　intellectual
interests；　and　all　other　interests　were　lost　in　these　to　such　as　did　not
seek　them　too　insistently。

People　held　themselves　high；　they　held　themselves　personally　aloof　from
people　not　duly　assayed；　their　civilization　was　still　Puritan　though
their　belief　had　long　ceased　to　be　so。　　They　had　weights　and　measure；
stampe