introductory-第4节

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other；　it　more　resembles　the　phosphorescent　glow　of　decaying　wood。

　　It　would　be　sad　injustice；　the　reader　must　understand；　to

represent　all　my　excellent　old　friends　as　in　their　dotage。　In　the

first　place；　my　coadjutors　were　not　invariably　old；　there　were　men

among　them　in　their　strength　and　prime；　of　marked　ability　and

energy；　and　altogether　superior　to　the　sluggish　and　dependent　mode

of　life　on　which　their　evil　stars　had　cast　them。　Then；　moreover；　the

white　locks　of　age　were　sometimes　found　to　be　the　thatch　of　an

intellectual　tenement　in　good　repair。　But；　as　respects　the　majority　of

my　corps　of　veterans；　there　will　be　no　wrong　done；　if　I　characterise

them　generally　as　a　set　of　wearisome　old　souls；　who　had　gathered

nothing　worth　preservation　from　their　varied　experience　of　life。

They　seemed　to　have　flung　away　all　the　golden　grain　of　practical

wisdom；　which　they　had　enjoyed　so　many　opportunities　of　harvesting；

and　most　carefully　to　have　stored　their　memories　with　the　husks。

They　spoke　with　far　more　interest　and　unction　of　their　morning's

breakfast；　or　yesterday's；　to…day's；　or　to…morrow's　dinner；　than　of

the　shipwreck　of　forty　or　fifty　years　ago；　and　all　the　world's　wonders

which　they　had　witnessed　with　their　youthful　eyes。

　　The　father　of　the　Custom…House…　the　patriarch；　not　only　of　this

little　squad　of　officials；　but；　I　am　bold　to　say；　of　the　respectable

body　of　tide…waiters　all　over　the　United　States…　was　a　certain

permanent　Inspector。　He　might　truly　be　termed　a　legitimate　son　of

the　revenue　system；　dyed　in　the　wool；　or；　rather；　born　in　the

purple；　since　his　sire；　a　Revolutionary　colonel；　and　formerly

collector　of　the　port；　had　created　an　office　for　him；　and　appointed

him　to　fill　it；　at　a　period　of　the　early　ages　which　few　living　men　can

now　remember。　This　Inspector；　when　I　first　knew　him；　was　a　man　of

fourscore　years；　or　thereabouts；　and　certainly　one　of　the　most

wonderful　specimens　of　winter…green　that　you　would　be　likely　to

discover　in　a　lifetime's　search。　With　his　florid　cheek；　his　compact

figure；　smartly　arrayed　in　a　bright…buttoned　blue　coat；　his　brisk

and　vigorous　step；　and　his　hale　and　hearty　aspect；　altogether　he

seemed…　not　young；　indeed…　but　a　kind　of　new　contrivance　of　Mother

Nature　in　the　shape　of　man；　whom　age　and　infirmity　had　no　business

to　touch。　His　voice　and　laugh；　which　perpetually　reechoed　through

the　Custom…House；　had　nothing　of　the　tremulous　quaver　and　cackle　of　an

old　man's　utterance；　they　came　strutting　out　of　his　lungs；　like　the

crow　of　a　cock；　of　the　blast　of　a　clarion。　Looking　at　him　merely　as　an

animal…　and　there　was　very　little　else　to　look　at…　he　was　a　most

satisfactory　object；　from　the　thorough　healthfulness　and　wholesomeness

of　his　system；　and　his　capacity；　at　that　extreme　age；　to　enjoy　all；　or

nearly　all；　the　delights　which　he　had　ever　aimed　at；　or　conceived

of。　The　careless　security　of　his　life　in　the　Custom…House；　on　a

regular　income；　and　with　but　slight　and　infrequent　apprehensions　of

removal；　had　no　doubt　contributed　to　make　time　pass　lightly　over

him。　The　original　and　more　potent　causes；　however；　lay　in　the　rare

perfection　of　his　animal　nature；　the　moderate　proportion　of　intellect；

and　the　very　trifling　admixture　of　moral　and　spiritual　ingredients；

these　latter　qualities；　indeed；　being　in　barely　enough　measure　to　keep

the　old　gentleman　from　walking　on　all…fours。　He　possessed　no　power

of　thought；　no　depth　of　feeling；　no　troublesome　sensibilities；

nothing；　in　short；　but　a　few　commonplace　instincts；　which；　aided　by

the　cheerful　temper　that　grew　inevitably　out　of　his　physical

well…being；　did　duty　very　respectably；　and　to　general　acceptance；　in

lieu　of　a　heart。　He　had　been　the　husband　of　three　wives；　all　long

since　dead；　the　father　of　twenty　children；　most　of　whom；　at　every

age　of　childhood　or　maturity；　had　likewise　returned　to　dust。　Here；　one

would　suppose；　might　have　been　sorrow　enough　to　imbue　the　sunniest

disposition；　through　and　through；　with　a　sable　tinge。　Not　so　with

our　old　Inspector！　One　brief　sigh　sufficed　to　carry　off　the　entire

burden　of　these　dismal　reminiscences。　The　next　moment；　he　was　as　ready

for　sport　as　any　unbreeched　infant；　far　readier　than　the　Collector's

junior　clerk；　who；　at　nineteen　years；　was　much　the　elder　and　graver

man　of　the　two。

　　I　used　to　watch　and　study　this　patriarchal　personage　with；　I

think；　livelier　curiosity　than　any　other　form　of　humanity　there

presented　to　my　notice。　He　was；　in　truth；　a　rare　phenomenon；　so

perfect　in　one　point　of　view；　so　shallow；　so　delusive；　so

impalpable；　such　an　absolute　nonentity；　in　every　other。　My

conclusion　was　that　he　had　no　soul；　no　heart；　no　mind；　nothing；　as　I

have　already　said；　but　instincts：　and　yet；　withal；　so　cunningly　had

the　few　materials　of　his　character　been　put　together；　that　there　was

no　painful　perception　of　deficiency；　but；　on　my　part；　an　entire

contentment　with　what　I　found　in　him。　It　might　be　difficult…　and　it

was　so…　to　conceive　how　he　should　exist　hereafter；　so　earthly　and

sensuous　did　he　seem；　but　surely　his　existence　here；　admitting　that　it

was　to　terminate　with　his　last　breath；　had　been　not　unkindly　given；

with　no　higher　moral　responsibilities　than　the　beasts　of　the　field；

but　with　a　larger　scope　of　enjoyment　than　theirs；　and　with　all　their

blessed　immunity　from　the　dreariness　and　duskiness　of　age。

　　One　point；　in　which　he　had　vastly　the　advantage　over　his　four…footed

brethren；　was　his　ability　to　recollect　the　good　dinners　which　it　had

made　no　small　portion　of　the　happiness　of　his　life　to　eat。　His

gourmandism　was　a　highly　agreeable　trait；　and　to　hear　him　talk　of

roast…meat　was　as　appetising　as　a　pickle　or　an　oyster。　As　he　possessed

no　higher　attribute；　and　neither　sacrificed　nor　vitiated　any　spiritual

endowment　by　devoting　all　his　energies　and　ingenuities　to　subserve　the

delight　and　profit　of　his　maw；　it　always　pleased　and　satisfied　me　to

hear　him　expatiate　on　fish；　poultry；　and　butcher's　meat；　and　the

most　eligible　methods　of　preparing　them　for　the　table。　His

reminiscences　of　good　cheer；　however　ancient　the　date　of　the　actual

banquet；　seemed　to　bring　the　savour　of　pig　or　turkey　under　one's

very　nostrils。　There　were　flavours　on　his　palate；　that　had　lingered

there　not　less　than　sixty　or　seventy　years；　and　were　still

apparently　as　fresh　as　that　of　the　mutton…chop　which　he　had　just

devoured　for　his　breakfast。　I　have　heard　him　smack　his　lips　over

dinners；　every　guest　at　which；　except　himself；　had　long　been　food

for　worms。　It　was　marvellous　to　observe　how　the　ghosts　of　bygone　meals

were　continually　rising　up　before　him；　not　in　anger　or　retribution；

but　as　if　grateful　for　his　former　appreciation；　and　seeking　to

repudiate　an　endless　series　of　enjoyment；　at　once　shadowy　and　sensual。

A　tenderloin　of　beef；　a　hind…quarter　of　veal；　a　spare…rib　of　pork；　a

particular　chicken；　or　a　remarkably　praiseworthy　turkey；　which　had

perhaps　adorned　his　board　in　the　days　of　the　elder　Adams；　would　be

remembered；　while　all　the　subsequent　experience　of　our　race；　and　all

the　events　that　brightened　or　darkened　his　individual　career；　had　gone

over　him　with　as　little　permanent　effect　as　the　passing　breeze。　The

chief　tragic　event　of　the　old　man's　life；　so　far　as　I　could　judge；　was

his　mishap　with　a　certain　goose；　which　lived　and　died　some　twenty　or

forty　years　ago；　a　goose　of　most　promising　figure；　but　which；　at

table；　proved　so　inveterately　tough　that　the　carving…knife　would

make　no　impression　on　its　carcass；　and　it　could　only　be　divided　with

an　axe　and　handsaw。

　　But　it　is　time　to　quit　this　sketch；　on　which；　however；　I　should　be

glad　to　dwell　at　considerably　more　length；　because；　of　all　men　whom

I　have　ever　known；　this　individual　was　fittest　to　be　a　Custom…House

officer。　Most　persons；　owing　to　causes　which　I　may　not　have　space　to

hint　at；　suffer　moral　detriment　from　this　peculiar　mode　of　life。　The

old　Inspector　was　incapable　of　it；　and；　were　he　to　continue　in

office　to　the　end　of　time；　would　be　just　as　good　as　he　was　then；　and

sit　down　to　dinner　with　just　as　good　an　appetite。

　　There　is　one　likeness；　without　which　my　gallery　of　Custom…House

portraits　would　be　strangely　incomplete；　but　which　my　comparatively

few　opportunities　for　observation　enable　me　to　sketch　only　in　the

merest　outline。　It　is　that　of　the　Collector；　our　gallant　old

General；　who；　after　his　brilliant　military　service；　subsequently　to

which　he　had　ruled　over　a　wild　Western　territory；　had　come　hither；

twenty　years　before；　to　spend　the　decline　of　his　varied　and　honourable

life。　The　brave　soldier　had　already　numbered；　nearly　or　quite；　his

threescore　years　and　ten；　and　was　pursuing　the　remainder　of　his

earthly　march；　burdened　with　infirmities　which　even　the　martial

music　of　his　own　spirit…stirring　recollections　could　do　little　towards

lightening。　The　step　was　palsied　now；　that　had　been　foremost　in　the

charge。　It　was　only　with　the　assistance　of　a　servant；　and　by　leaning

his　hand　heavily　o