ponkapog papers-第8章
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y breast。 Young Chatterton； who was not always the best of company； dropped in at intervals。 There Mr。 Samuel Pepys had a special chair reserved for him by the window； where he could catch a glimpse of the pretty housemaid over the way； chatting with the policeman at the area railing。 Dr。 Johnson and the unworldly author of 〃The Deserted Village〃 were frequent visit… ors； sometimes appearing together arm…in…arm； with James Boswell； Esq。； of Auchinleck； fol… lowing obsequiously behind。 Not that Tom Folio did not have callers vastly more aristo… cratic； though he could have had none plea… santer or wholesomer。 Sir Philip Sidney （who must have given Folio that copy of the 〃Arca… dia〃）； the Viscount St。 Albans； and even two or three others before whom either of these might have doffed his bonnet； did not disdain to gather round that hearthstone。 Fielding； Smollett； Sterne； Defoe； Dick Steele； Dean Swiftthere was no end to them！ On certain nights； when all the stolid neighborhood was lapped in slumber； the narrow street stretching beneath Tom Folio's windows must have been blocked with invisible coaches and sedan…chairs； and illuminated by the visionary glare of torches borne by shadowy linkboys hurrying hither and thither。 A man so sought after and companioned cannot be described as lonely。 My memory here recalls the fact that he had a few friends less insubstantialthat quaint anatomy perched on the top of a hand…organ； to whom Tom Folio was wont to give a bite of his apple； and the brown…legged little Neapolitan who was always nearly certain of a copper when this multi…millionaire strolled through the slums on a Saturday afternoonSaturday probably being the essayist's pay…day。 The withered woman of the peanut…stand on the corner over against Faneuil Hall Market knew him for a friend； as did also the blind lead…pencil merchant； whom Tom Folio； on occasions； safely piloted across the stormy traffic of Dock Square。 No… blesse oblige！ He was no stranger in those purlieus。 Without designing to confuse small things with great； I may say that a certain strip of pavement in North Street could be pointed out as Tom Folio's Walk； just as Addison's Walk is pointed out on the banks of the Cher… well at Oxford。 I used to observe that when Tom Folio was not in quest of a print or a pamphlet or some such urgent thing； but was walking for mere recreation； he instinctively avoided respectable latitudes。 He liked best the squalid； ill…kept thoroughfares shadowed by tall； smudgy tene… ment…houses and teeming with unprosperous； noisy life。 Perhaps he had； half consciously； a sense of subtle kinship to the unsuccess and cheerful resignation of it all。 Returning home from abroad one October morning several years ago； I was told that that simple spirit had passed on。 His death had been little heeded； but in him had passed away an intangible genuine bit of Old Bostonas genuine a bit； in its kind； as the Autocrat himself a personality not to be restored or replaced。 Tom Folio could never happen again！
Strolling to…day through the streets of the older section of the town； I miss many a venerable landmark submerged in the rising tide of change； but I miss nothing quite so much as I do the sight of Tom Folio entering the doorway of the Old Corner Bookstore； or carefully taking down a musty volume from its shelf at some melan… choly old book…stall on Cornhill。
FLEABODY AND OTHER QUEER NAMES
WHEN an English novelist does us the honor to introduce any of our country… men into his fiction； he generally displays a commendable desire to present something typi… cal in the way of names for his adopted char… actersto give a dash of local color； as it were； with his nomenclature。 His success is seldom commensurate to the desire。 He falls into the error of appealing to his invention； instead of consulting some city directory； in which he would find more material than he could exhaust in ten centuries。 Charles Reade might have secured in the pages of such a compendium a happier title than Fullalove for his Yankee sea…captain； though I doubt； on the whole； if Anthony Trollope could have discovered any… thing better than Olivia Q。 Fleabody for the young woman from 〃the States〃 in his novel called 〃Is He Popenjoy？〃 To christen a sprightly young female advo… cate of woman's rights Olivia Q。 Fleabody was very happy indeed； to be candid； it was much better than was usual with Mr。 Trollope； whose understanding of American life and manners was not enlarged by extensive travel in this country。 An English tourist's preconceived idea of us is a thing he brings over with him on the steamer and carries home again intact； it is as much a part of his indispensable impedimenta as his hat… box。 But Fleabody is excellent； it was prob… ably suggested by Peabody； which may have struck Mr。 Trollope as comical （just as Trollope strikes us as comical）； or； at least； as not seri… ous。 What a capital name Veronica Trollope would be for a hoydenish young woman in a society novel！ I fancy that all foreign names are odd to the alien。 I remember that the signs above shop…doors in England and on the Conti… nent used to amuse me often enough； when I was over there。 It is a notable circumstance that extraordinary names never seem extraordi… nary to the persons bearing them。 If a fellow… creature were branded Ebenezer Cuttlefish he would remain to the end of his days quite un… conscious of anything out of the common。 I am aware that many of our American names are sufficiently queer； but English writers make merry over them； as if our most eccentric were not thrown into the shade by some of their own。 No American； living or dead； can surpass the verbal infelicity of Knatchbull…Hugessen； for ex… ampleif the gentleman will forgive me for conscripting him。 Quite as remarkable； in a grimly significant way； is the appellation of a British officer who was fighting the Boers in the Transvaal in the year of blessed memory 1899。 This young soldier； who highly distinguished himself on the field； was known to his brothers… in…arms as Major Pine Coffin。 I trust that the gallant major became a colonel later and is still alive。 It would eclipse the gayety of nations to lose a man with a name like that。 Several years ago I read in the sober police reports of 〃The Pall Mall Gazette〃 an account of a young man named George F。 Onions； who was arrested （it ought to have been by 〃a peeler〃） for purloining money from his em… ployers； Messrs。 Joseph Pickles & Son； stuff merchants； of Bradforddes noms bien idyl… liques！ What mortal could have a more ludi… crous name than Onions； unless it were Pickles； or Pickled Onions？ And then for Onions to rob Pickles！ Could there be a more incredible coin… cidence？ As a coincidence it is nearly sublime。 No story…writer would dare to present that fact or those names in his fiction； neither would be accepted as possible。 Meanwhile Olivia Q。 Flea… body is ben trovato。
A NOTE ON 〃L'AIGLON〃
THE night…scene on the battlefield of Wa… gram in 〃L'Aiglon〃an episode whose sharp pathos pierces the heart and the imagina… tion like the point of a rapierbears a striking resemblance to a picturesque passage in Victor Hugo's 〃Les Miserables。〃 It is the one intense great moment in the play； and has been widely discussed； but so far as I am aware none of M。 Rostand's innumerable critics has touched on the resemblance mentioned。 In the master's ro… mance it is not the field of Wagram； but the field of Waterloo； that is magically repeopled with contending armies of spooks； to use the grim old Dutch word； and made vivid to the mind's eye。 The passage occurs at the end of the sixteenth chapter in the second part of 〃Les Miserables〃 （Cosette）； and runs as follows：
Le champ de Waterloo aujourd'hui a le calme qui appartient a la terre； support impassible de l'homme； et il resemble a toutes les plaines。 La nuit pourtant une espece de brume visionnaire s'en degage； et si quelque voyageur s'y promene； s'il regarde； s'il ecoute； s'il reve comme Virgile dans les funestes plaines de Philippes； l'hallucination de la catastrophe le saisit。 L'effrayant 18 juin revit； la fausse colline…monument s'efface； c
