cambridge neighbors-第6章

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those　patrician　qualities　and　democratic　principles　which　made　Lowell
anomalous　even　to　himself。　　He　is　part　of　the　anti…slavery　history　of　his
time；　and　he　gave　to　the　oppressed　his　strenuous　help　both　as　a　man　and　a
politician；　his　gifts　and　learning　in　the　law　were　freely　at　their
service。　　He　never　lost　his　interest　in　those　white　slaves；　whose　brutal
bondage　he　remembered　as　bound　with　them　in　his　'Two　Years　Before　the
Mast；'　and　any　luckless　seaman　with　a　case　or　cause　might　count　upon　his
friendship　as　surely　as　the　black　slaves　of　the　South。　　He　was　able　to
temper　his　indignation　for　their　oppression　with　a　humorous　perception　of
what　was　droll　in　its　agents　and　circumstances；　and　I　wish　I　could　recall
all　that　he　said　once　about　sea…etiquette　on　merchant　vessels；　where　the
chief　mate　might　no　more　speak　to　the　captain　at　table　without　being
addressed　by　him　than　a　subject　might　put　a　question　to　his　sovereign。
He　was　amusing　in　his　stories　of　the　Pacific　trade　in　which　he　said　it
was　very　noble　to　deal　in　furs　from　the　Northwest；　and　very　ignoble　to
deal　in　hides　along　the　Mexican　and　South　American　coasts。　　Every　ship's
master　wished　naturally　to　be　in　the　fur…carrying　trade；　and　in　one　of
Dana's　instances；　two　vessels　encounter　in　mid…ocean；　and　exchange　the
usual　parley　as　to　their　respective　ports　of　departure　and　destination。
The　final　demand　comes　through　the　trumpet；　〃What　cargo？〃　and　the　captain
so　challenged　yields　to　temptation　and　roars　back　〃Furs！〃　　A　moment　of
hesitation　elapses；　and　then　the　questioner　pursues；　〃Here　and　there　a
horn？〃

There　were　other　distinctions；　of　which　seafaring　men　of　other　days　were
keenly　sensible；　and　Dana　dramatized　the　meeting　of　a　great；　swelling
East　Indiaman；　with　a　little　Atlantic　trader；　which　has　hailed　her。　　She
shouts　back　through　her　captain's　trumpet　that　she　is　from　Calcutta；　and
laden　with　silks；　spices；　and　other　orient　treasures；　and　in　her　turn　she
requires　like　answer　from　the　sail　which　has　presumed　to　enter　into
parley　with　her。　　〃What　cargo？〃　The　trader　confesses　to　a　mixed　cargo　for
Boston；　and　to　the　final　question；　her　master　replies　in　meek　apology；
〃Only　from　Liverpool；　sir！〃　and　scuttles　down　the　horizon　as　swiftly　as
possible。

Dana　was　not　of　the　Cambridge　men　whose　calling　was　in　Cambridge。　　He　was
a　lawyer　in　active　practice；　and　he　went　every　day　to　Boston。　　One　was
apt　to　meet　him　in　those　horse…cars　which　formerly　tinkled　back　and　forth
between　the　two　cities；　and　which　were　often　so　full　of　one's
acquaintance　that　they　had　all　the　social　elements　of　an　afternoon　tea。
They　were　abusively　overcrowded　at　times；　of　course；　and　one　might　easily
see　a　prime　literary　celebrity　swaying　from；　a　strap；　or　hanging　uneasily
by　the　hand…rail　to　the　lower　steps　of　the　back　platform。　　I　do　not　mean
that　I　ever　happened　to　see　the　author　of　Two　Years　Before　the　Mast　in
either　fact；　but　in　his　celebrity　he　had　every　qualification　for　the
illustration　of　my　point。　　His　book　probably　carried　the　American　name
farther　and　wider　than　any　American　books　except　those　of　Irving　and
Cooper　at　a　day　when　our　writers　were　very　little　known；　and　our
literature　was　the　only　infant　industry　not　fostered　against　foreign
ravage；　but　expressly　left　to　harden　and　strengthen　itself　as　it　best
might　in　a　heartless　neglect　even　at　home。　　The　book　was　delightful；　and
I　remember　it　from　a　reading　of　thirty　years　ago；　as　of　the　stuff　that
classics　are　made　of。　　I　venture　no　conjecture　as　to　its　present
popularity；　but　of　all　books　relating　to　the　sea　I　think　it；　is　the　best。
The　author　when　I　knew　him　was　still　Richard　Henry　Dana；　Jr。；　his　father；
the　aged　poet；　who　first　established　the　name　in　the　public　recognition；
being　alive；　though　past　literary　activity。　　It　was　distinctively　a
literary　race；　and　in　the　actual　generation　it　has　given　proofs　of　its
continued　literary　vitality　in　the　romance　of　'Espiritu　Santo'　by　the
youngest　daughter　of　the　Dana　I　knew。




VII。

There　could　be　no　stronger　contrast　to　him　in　origin；　education；　and
character　than　a　man　who　lived　at　the　same　time　in　Cambridge；　and　who
produced　a　book　which　in　its　final　fidelity　to　life　is　not　unworthy　to　be
named　with　'Two　Years　Before　the　Mast。'　　Ralph　Keeler　wrote　the　'Vagabond
Adventures'　which　he　had　lived。　　I　have　it　on　my　heart　to　name　him　in　the
presence　of　our　great　literary　men　not　only　because　I　had　an　affection
for　him；　tenderer　than　I　then　knew；　but　because　I　believe　his　book　is
worthier　of　more　remembrance　than　it　seems　to　enjoy。　　I　was　reading　it
only　the　other　day；　and　I　found　it　delightful；　and　much　better　than　I
imagined　when　I　accepted　for　the　Atlantic　the　several　papers　which　it　is
made　up　of。　　I　am　not　sure　but　it　belongs　to　the　great　literature　in　that
fidelity　to　life　which　I　have　spoken　of；　and　which　the　author　brought
himself　to　practise　with　such　difficulty；　and　under　so　much　stress　from
his　editor。　　He　really　wanted　to　fake　it　at　times；　but　he　was　docile　at
last　and　did　it　so　honestly　that　it　tells　the　history　of　his　strange
career　in　much　better　terms　than　it　can　be　given　again。　　He　had　been；　as
he　claimed；　〃a　cruel　uncle's　ward〃　in　his　early　orphan…hood；　and　while
yet　almost　a　child　he　had　run　away　from　home；　to　fulfil　his　heart's
desire　of　becoming　a　clog…dancer　in　a　troupe　of　negro　minstrels。　　But　it
was　first　his　fate　to　be　cabin…boy　and　bootblack　on　a　lake　steamboat；
and　meet　with　many　squalid　adventures；　scarcely　to　be　matched　outside　of
a　Spanish　picaresque　novel。　　When　he　did　become　a　dancer　（and　even　a
danseuse）　of　the　sort　he　aspired　to　be；　the　fruition　of　his　hopes　was　so
little　what　he　imagined　that　he　was　very　willing　to　leave　the　Floating
Palace　on　the　Mississippi　in　which　his　troupe　voyaged　and　exhibited；　and
enter　the　college　of　the　Jesuit　Fathers　at　Cape　Girardeau　in　Missouri。
They　were　very　good　to　him；　and　in　their　charge　he　picked　up　a　good　deal
more　Latin；　if　not　less　Greek　than　another　strolling　player　who　also　took
to　literature。　　From　college　Keeler　went　to　Europe；　and　then　to
California；　whence　he　wrote　me　that　he　was　coming　on　to　Boston　with　the
manuscript　of　a　novel　which　he　wished　me　to　read　for　the　magazine。　　I
reported　against　it　to　my　chief；　but　nothing　could　shake　Keeler's　faith
in　it；　until　he　had　printed　it　at　his　own　cost；　and　known　it　fail
instantly　and　decisively。　　He　had　come　to　Cambridge　to　see　it　through　the
press；　and　he　remained　there　four　or　five　years；　with　certain　brief
absences。　　Then；　during　the　Cuban　insurrection　of　the　early　seventies；　he
accepted　the　invitation　of　a　New　York　paper　to　go　to　Cuba　as　its
correspondent。

〃Don't　go；　Keeler；〃　I　entreated　him；　when　he　came　to　tell　me　of　his
intention。　　〃They'll　garrote　you　down　there。〃

〃Well；〃　he　said；　with　the　air　of　being　pleasantly　interested　by　the
coincidence；　as　he　stood　on　my　study　hearth　with　his　feet　wide　apart　in
a　fashion　he　had；　and　gayly　flirted　his　hand　in　the　air；　〃that's　what
Aldrich　says；　and　he's　agreed　to　write　my　biography；　on　condition　that
I　make　a　last　dying　speech　when　they　bring　me　out　on　the　plaza　to　do　it；
'If　I　had　taken　the　advice　of　my　friend　T。　B。　Aldrich；　author　of
'Marjorie　Daw　and　Other　People；'　I　should　not　now　be　in　this　place。'〃

He　went；　and　he　did　not　come　back。　　He　was　not　indeed　garroted　as　his
friends　had　promised；　but　he　was　probably　assassinated　on　the　steamer　by
which　he　sailed　from　Santiago；　for　he　never　arrived　in　Havana；　and　was
never　heard　of　again。

I　now　realize　that　I　loved　him；　though　I　did　as　little　to　show　it　as　men
commonly　do。　　If　I　am　to　meet　somewhere　else　the　friends　who　are　no
longer　here；　I　should　like　to　meet　Ralph　Keeler；　and　I　would　take　some
chances　of　meeting　in　a　happy　place　a　soul　which　had　by　no　means　kept
itself　unspotted；　but　which　in　all　its　consciousness　of　error；　cheerfully
trusted　that　〃the　Almighty　was　not　going　to　scoop　any　of　us。〃　　The　faith
worded　so　grotesquely　could　not　have　been　more　simply　or　humbly　affirmed；
and　no　man　I　think　could　have　been　more　helplessly　sincere。　　He　had
nothing　of　that　false　self…respect　which　forbids　a　man　to　own　himself
wrong　promptly　and　utterly　when　need　is；　an