ponkapog papers-第14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！
had bequeathed in due legal form to the tragedian； begging him henceforth to adopt it as one of the necessary stage properties in the fifth act of Mr。 Shakespeare's tragedy of 〃Hamlet。'' 〃Take it away； you black imp！〃 thundered the actor to the equally aghast negro boy； whose curiosity had happily not prompted him to investigate the dark nature of his burden。 Shortly afterward； however； the horse…stealer's residuary legatee； recovering from the first shock of his surprise； fell into the grim humor of the situation； and proceeded to carry out to the letter the testator's whimsical request。 Thus it was that the skull came to secure an engage… ment to play the role of poor Yorick in J。 B。 Booth's company of strolling players； and to continue a while longer to glimmer behind the footlights in the hands of his famous son。 Observing that the grave…digger in his too eager realism was damaging the thingthe marks of his pick and spade are visible on the craniumEdwin Booth presently replaced it with a papier…mache counterfeit manufactured in the property…room of the theatre。 During his subsequent wanderings in Australia and California； he carefully preserved the relic； which finally found repose on the bracket in question。 How often have I sat； of an afternoon； in that front room on the fourth floor of the club… house in Gramercy Park； watching the winter or summer twilight gradually softening and blurring the sharp outline of the skull until it vanished uncannily into the gloom！ Edwin Booth had forgotten； if ever he knew； the name of the man； but I had no need of it in order to establish acquaintance with poor Yorick。 In this association I was conscious of a deep tinge of sentiment on my own part； a circumstance not without its queerness； considering how very distant the acquaintance really was。 Possibly he was a fellow of infinite jest in his day； he was sober enough now； and in no way disposed to indulge in those flashes of merri… ment 〃that were wont to set the table on a roar。〃 But I did not regret his evaporated hilarity； I liked his more befitting genial si… lence； and had learned to look upon his rather open countenance with the same friendliness as that with which I regarded the faces of less phantasmal members of the club。 He had be… come to me a dramatic personality as distinct as that of any of the Thespians I met in the grill… room or the library。 Yorick's feeling in regard to me was a sub… ject upon which I frequently speculated。 There was at intervals an alert gleam of intelligence in those cavernous eye…sockets； as if the sudden remembrance of some old experience had illu… mined them。 He had been a great traveler； and had known strange vicissitudes in life； his stage career had brought him into contact with a varied assortment of men and women； and ex… tended his horizon。 His more peaceful profes… sion of holding up mail…coaches on lonely roads had surely not been without incident。 It was inconceivable that all this had left no impres… sions。 He must have had at least a faint recol… lection of the tempestuous Junius Brutus Booth。 That Yorick had formed his estimate of me； and probably not a flattering one； is something of which I am strongly convinced。 At the death of Edwin Booth； poor Yorick passed out of my personal cognizance； and now lingers an incongruous shadow amid the mem… ories of the precious things I lost then。 The suite of apartments formerly occupied by Edwin Booth at The Players has been； as I have said； kept unchangeda shrine to which from time to time some loving heart makes silent pilgrimage。 On a table in the centre of his bedroom lies the book just where he laid it down； an ivory paper…cutter marking the page his eyes last rested upon； and in this chamber； with its familiar pictures； pipes； and ornaments； the skull finds its proper sanctuary。 If at odd moments I wish that by chance poor Yorick had fallen to my care； the wish is only half… hearted； though had that happened； I would have given him welcome to the choicest corner in my study and tenderly cherished him for the sake of one who comes no more。
THE AUTOGRAPH HUNTER
One that gathers samphire； dreadful trade！King Lear。
THE material for this paper on the auto… graph hunter； his ways and his manners； has been drawn chiefly from experiences not my own。 My personal relations with him have been comparatively restricted； a circumstance to which I owe the privilege of treating the subject with a freedom that might otherwise not seem becoming。 No author is insensible to the compliment in… volved in a request for his autograph； assuming the request to come from some sincere lover of books and bookmen。 It is an affair of different complection when he is importuned to give time and attention to the innumerable unknown who 〃collect〃 autographs as they would collect post… age stamps； with no interest in the matter be… yond the desire to accumulate as many as possi… ble。 The average autograph hunter； with his purposeless insistence； reminds one of the queen in Stockton's story whose fad was 〃the button… holes of all nations。〃 In our population of eighty millions and up… ward there are probably two hundred thousand persons interested more or less in what is termed the literary world。 This estimate is absurdly low； but it serves to cast a sufficient side…light upon the situation。 Now； any unit of these two hundred thousand is likely at any moment to in… dite a letter to some favorite novelist； historian； poet； or what not。 It will be seen； then； that the autograph hunter is no inconsiderable per… son。 He has made it embarrassing work for the author fortunate or unfortunate enough to be re… garded as worth while。 Every mail adds to his reproachful pile of unanswered letters。 If he have a conscience； and no amanuensis； he quickly finds himself tangled in the meshes of endless and futile correspondence。 Through policy； good nature； or vanity he is apt to become facile prey。 A certain literary collector once confessed in print that he always studied the idiosyncrasies of his 〃subject〃 as carefully as another sort of collector studies the plan of the house to which he meditates a midnight visit。 We were as… sured that with skillful preparation and adroit approach an autograph could be extracted from anybody。 According to the revelations of the writer； Bismarck； Queen Victoria； and Mr。 Gladstone had their respective point of easy accesstheir one unfastened door or window； metaphorically speaking。 The strongest man has his weak side。 Dr。 Holmes's affability in replying to every one who wrote to him was perhaps not a trait characteristic of the elder group。 Mr。 Lowell； for instance； was harder…hearted and rather diffi… cult to reach。 I recall one day in the library at Elmwood。 As I was taking down a volume from the shelf a sealed letter escaped from the pages and fluttered to my feet。 I handed it to Mr。 Lowell； who glanced incuriously at the superscription。 〃Oh； yes；〃 he said； smiling； 〃I know 'em by instinct。〃 Relieved of its en… velope； the missive turned out to be eighteen months old； and began with the usual amusing solecism： 〃As one of the most famous of American authors I would like to possess your autograph。〃 Each recipient of such requests has of course his own way of responding。 Mr。 Whittier used to be obliging； Mr。 Longfellow politic； Mr。 Emerson； always philosophical； dreamily con… fiscated the postage stamps。 Time was when the collector contented him… self with a signature on a card； but that； I am told； no longer satisfies。 He must have a letter addressed to him personally〃on any subject you please；〃 as an immature scribe lately sug… gested to an acquaintance of mine。 The in… genuous youth purposed to flourish a letter in the faces of his less fortunate competitors； in order to show them that he was on familiar terms with the celebrated So…and…So。 This or a kindred motive is the spur to many a collector。 The stratagems he employs to compass his end are inexhaustible。 He drops you an off…hand note to inquire in what year you first published your beautiful poem entitled 〃A Psalm of Life。〃 If you are a simple soul； you hasten to assure him that you are not the author of that poem； which he must have confused with your 〃Rime of the Ancient Mariner〃and there you are。 Another expedient is to ask if your father's middle name was not Hierophilus。 Now； your father has probably been dead many years； and as perhaps he was not a public man in his day； you are naturally touched that any one should have in… terest in him after this long flight of time。 In the innocence of your heart you reply by the next mail that your father's middle name was not Hierophilus； but Epaminondasand there you are again。 It is humiliating to be caught swinging； like a simian ancestor； on a branch of one's genealogical tree。 Some morning you find beside your plate at breakfast an imposing parchment with a great gold seal in the upper left…hand corner。 This documentI am relating an actual occurrence announces with a flourish that you have unan… imously been elected an honorary member of The Kalamazoo International Literary Associa… tion。 Possibly the honor does not take aw
