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aforesaid dilapidated wharf; and the third looking across a narrow

lane; and along a portion of Derby Street。 All three give glimpses

of the shops of grocers; block…makers; slop…sellers; and

ship…chandlers; around the doors of which are generally to be seen;

laughing and gossiping; clusters of old salts; and such other

wharf…rats as haunt the Wapping of a seaport。 The room itself is

cobwebbed; and dingy with old paint; its floor is strewn with grey

sand; in a fashion that has elsewhere fallen into long disuse; and

it is easy to conclude; from the general slovenliness of the place;

that this is a sanctuary into which womankind; with her tools of

magic; the broom and mop; has very infrequent access。 In the way of

furniture; there is a stove with a voluminous funnel; an old pine

desk; with a three…legged stool beside it; two or three

wooden…bottom chairs; exceedingly decrepit and infirm; and… not to

forget the library… on some shelves; a score or two of volumes of

the Acts of Congress; and a bulky Digest of the Revenue Laws。 A tin

pipe ascends through the ceiling; and forms a medium of vocal

communication with other parts of the edifice。 And here; some six

months ago… pacing from corner to corner; or lounging on the

long…legged stool; with his elbow on the desk; and his eyes

wandering up and down the columns of the morning newspaper… you

might have recognised; honoured reader; the same individual who

welcomed you into his cheery little study; where the sunshine

glimmered so pleasantly through the willow branches; on the western

side of the Old Manse。 But now; should you go thither to seek him; you

would inquire in vain for the Locofoco Surveyor。 The besom of reform

has swept him out of office; and a worthier successor wears his

dignity; and pockets his emoluments。

  This old town of Salem… my native place; though I have dwelt much

away from it; both in boyhood and maturer years… possesses; or did

possess; a hold on my affections; the force of which I have never

realised during my seasons of actual residence here。 Indeed; so far as

its physical aspect is concerned; with its flat; unvaried surface;

covered chiefly with wooden houses; few or none of which pretend to

architectural beauty… its irregularity; which is neither picturesque

nor quaint; but only tame… its long and lazy street; lounging

wearisomely through the whole extent of the peninsula; with Gallows

Hill and New Guinea at one end; and a view of the alms…house at the

other… such being the features of my native town; it would be quite as

reasonable to form a sentimental attachment to a disarranged

checker…board。 And yet; though invariably happiest elsewhere; there is

within me a feeling for old Salem; which; in lack of a better

phrase; I must be content to call affection。 The sentiment is probably

assignable to the deep and aged roots which my family has struck

into the soil。 It is now nearly two centuries and a quarter since

the original Briton; the earliest emigrant of my name; made his

appearance in the wild and forest…bordered settlement; which has since

become a city。 And here his descendants have been born and died; and

have mingled their earthy substance with the soil; until no small

portion of it must necessarily be akin to the mortal frame

wherewith; for a little while; I walk the streets。 In part; therefore;

the attachment which I speak of is the mere sensuous sympathy of

dust for dust。 Few of my countrymen can know what it is; nor; as

frequent transplantation is perhaps better for the stock; need they

consider it desirable to know。

  But the sentiment has likewise its moral quality。 The figure of that

first ancestor; invested by family tradition with a dim and dusky

grandeur; was present to my boyish imagination; as far back as I can

remember。 It still haunts me; and induces a sort of home…feeling

with the past; which I scarcely claim in reference to the present

phase of the town。 I seem to have a stronger claim to a residence here

on account of this grave; bearded; sable…cloaked and steeple…crowned

progenitor… who came so early; with his Bible and his sword; and

trod the unworn street with such a stately port; and made so large a

figure; as a man of war and peace… a stronger claim than for myself;

whose name is seldom heard and my face hardly known。 He was a soldier;

legislator; judge; he was a ruler in the Church; he had all the

Puritanic traits; both good and evil。 He was likewise a bitter

persecutor; as witness the Quakers; who have remembered him in their

histories; and relate an incident of his hard severity towards a woman

of their sect; which will last longer; it is to be feared; than any

record of his better deeds; although these were many。 His son; too;

inherited the persecuting spirit; and made himself so conspicuous in

the martyrdom of the witches; that their blood may fairly be said to

have left a stain upon him。 So deep a stain; indeed; that his old

dry bones; in the Charter Street burial…ground; must still retain

it; if they have not crumbled utterly to dust! I know not whether

these ancestors of mine bethought themselves to repent; and ask pardon

of Heaven; for their cruelties; or whether they are now groaning under

the heavy consequences of them; in another state of being。 At all

events; I; the present writer; as their representative; hereby take

shame upon myself for their sakes; and pray that any curse incurred by

them… as I have heard; and as the dreary and unprosperous condition of

the race; for many a long year back; would argue to exist… may be

now and henceforth removed。

  Doubtless; however; either of these stern and black…browed

Puritans would have thought it quite a sufficient retribution for

his sins; that; after so long a lapse of years; the old trunk of the

family tree; with so much venerable moss upon it; should have borne;

as its topmost bough; an idler like myself。 No aim; that I have ever

cherished; would they recognise as laudable; no success of mine… if

my life; beyond its domestic scope; had ever been brightened by

success… would they deem otherwise than worthless; if not positively

disgraceful。 〃Where is he?〃 murmurs one grey shadow of my

forefathers to the other。 〃A writer of story…books! What kind of a

business in life… what mode of glorifying God; or being serviceable to

mankind in his day and generation… may that be? Why; the degenerate

fellow might as well have been a fiddler!〃 Such are the compliments

bandied between my great…grandsires and myself; across the gulf of

time! And yet; let them scorn me as they will; strong traits of

their nature have intertwined themselves with mine。

  Planted deep; in the town's earliest infancy and childhood; by these

two earnest and energetic men; the race has ever since subsisted here;

always; too; in respectability; never; so far as I have known;

disgraced by a single unworthy member; but seldom or never; on the

other hand; after the first two generations; performing any

memorable deed; or so much as putting forward a claim to public

notice。 Gradually; they have sunk almost out of sight; as old

houses; here and there about the streets; get covered half…way to

the eaves by the accumulation of new soil。 From father to son; for

above a hundred years; they followed the sea; a grey…headed

shipmaster; in each generation; retiring from the quarter…deck to

the homestead; while a boy of fourteen took the hereditary place

before the mast; confronting the salt spray and the gale; which had

blustered against his sire and grandsire。 The boy; also; in due

time; passed from the forecastle to the cabin; spent a tempestuous

manhood; and returned from his world…wanderings; to grow old; and die;

and mingle his dust with the natal earth。 This long connection of a

family with one spot; as its place of birth and burial; creates a

kindred between the human being and the locality; quite independent of

any charm in the scenery or moral circumstances that surround him。

It is not love; but instinct。 The new inhabitant… who came himself

from a foreign land; or whose father or grandfather came… has little

claim to be called a Salemite; he has no conception of the oyster…like

tenacity with which an old settler; over whom his third century is

creeping; clings to the spot where his successive generations have

been imbedded。 It is no matter that the place is joyless for him; that

he is weary of the old wooden houses; the mud and dust; the dead level

of site and sentiment; the chill east wind; and the chillest of social

atmospheres; all these; and whatever faults besides he may see or

imagine; are nothing to the purpose。 The spell survives; and just as

powerfully as if the natal spot were an earthly paradise。 So has it

been in my case。 I felt it almost as a destiny to make Salem my

home; so that the mould of features and cast of character which had

all along been familiar here… ever; as one representative of the

race lay down in 

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