ponkapog papers-第16章
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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 away your respiration； but you are bound by courtesy to make an acknowledgment； and you express your insincere thanks to the obliging secretary of a literary organization which does not exist anywhere on earth。 A scheme of lighter creative touch is that of the correspondent who advises you that he is replenishing his library and desires a detailed list of your works； with the respective dates of their first issue； price； style of binding； etc。 A bibliophile； you say to yourself。 These inter… rogations should of course have been addressed to your publisher； but they are addressed to you； with the stereotyped 〃thanks in advance。〃 The natural inference is that the correspondent； who writes in a brisk commercial vein； wishes to fill out his collection of your books； or； pos… sibly； to treat himself to a complete set in full crushed Levant。 Eight or ten months later this individual； having forgotten （or hoping you will not remember） that he has already de… manded a chronological list of your writings； forwards another application couched in the self…same words。 The length of time it takes him to 〃replenish〃 his library （with your books） strikes you as pathetic。 You cannot control your emotions sufficiently to pen a reply。 From a purely literary point of view this gentleman cares nothing whatever for your holograph； from a mercantile point of view he cares greatly and likes to obtain duplicate specimens； which he disposes of to dealers in such frail merchandise。 The pseudo…journalist who is engaged in preparing a critical and biographical sketch of you； and wants to incorporate； if possible； some slight hitherto unnoted event in your lifea signed photograph and a copy of your book… plate are here in orderis also a character which periodically appears upon the scene。 In this little Comedy of Deceptions there are as many players as men have fancies。 A brother slave…of…the…lamp permits me to transfer this leaf from the book of his experi… ence： 〃Not long ago the postman brought me a letter of a rather
