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第48章

over the teacups-第48章

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And many a scene where history tells

Some shadow of bygone terror dwells;

Of 〃Norman's Woe〃 with its tale of dread;

Of the Screeching Woman of Marblehead;

(The fearful story that turns men pale

Don't bid me tell it;my speech would fail。)



Who would not; will not; if he can;

Bathe in the breezes of fair Cape Ann;

Rest in the bowers her bays enfold;

Loved by the sachems and squaws of old?

Home where the white magnolias bloom;

Sweet with the bayberry's chaste perfume;

Hugged by the woods and kissed by the seal

Where is the Eden like to thee?



For that 〃couple of hundred years; or so;〃

There had been no peace in the world below;

The witches still grumbling; 〃It is n't fair;

Come; give us a taste of the upper air!

We've had enough of your sulphur springs;

And the evil odor that round them clings;

We long for a drink that is cool and nice;

Great buckets of water with Wenham ice;

We've served you well up…stairs; you know;

You're a good old …fellowcome; let us go!〃



I don't feel sure of his being good;

But he happened to be in a pleasant mood;

As fiends with their skins full sometimes are;

(He'd been drinking with 〃roughs〃 at a Boston bar。)

So what does he do but up and shout

To a graybeard turnkey; 〃Let 'em out!〃



To mind his orders was all he knew;

The gates swung open; and out they flew。

〃Where are our broomsticks?〃 the beldams cried。

〃Here are your broomsticks;〃 an imp replied。

〃They've been inthe place you knowso long

They smell of brimstone uncommon strong;

But they've gained by being left alone;

Just look; and you'll see how tall they've grown。〃

And where is my cat? 〃a vixen squalled。

Yes; where are our cats?〃 the witches bawled;

And began to call them all by name:

As fast as they called the cats; they came

There was bob…tailed Tommy and long…tailed Tim;

And wall…eyed Jacky and green…eyed Jim;

And splay…foot Benny and slim…legged Beau;

And Skinny and Squally; and Jerry and Joe;



And many another that came at call;

It would take too long to count them all。

All black;one could hardly tell which was which;

But every cat knew his own old witch;

And she knew hers as hers knew her;

Ah; did n't they curl their tails and purr!



No sooner the withered hags were free

Than out they swarmed for a midnight spree;

I could n't tell all they did in rhymes;

But the Essex people had dreadful times。

The Swampscott fishermen still relate

How a strange sea…monster stole thair bait;

How their nets were tangled in loops and knots;

And they found dead crabs in their lobster…pots。

Poor Danvers grieved for her blasted crops;

And Wilmington mourned over mildewed hops。

A blight played havoc with Beverly beans;

It was all the work of those hateful queans!

A dreadful panic began at 〃Pride's;〃

Where the witches stopped in their midnight rides;

And there rose strange rumors and vague alarms

'Mid the peaceful dwellers at Beverly Farms。



Now when the Boss of the Beldams found

That without his leave they were ramping round;

He called;they could hear him twenty miles;

》From Chelsea beach to the Misery Isles;

The deafest old granny knew his tone

Without the trick of the telephone。

〃Come here; you witches!  Come here!〃 says he;

〃At your games of old; without asking me

I'll give you a little job to do

That will keep you stirring; you godless crew!〃



They came; of course; at their master's call;

The witches; the broomsticks; the cats; and all;

He led the hags to a railway train

The horses were trying to drag in vain。

〃Now; then;〃 says he; 〃you've had your fun;

And here are the cars you've got to run。



The driver may just unhitch his team;

We don't want horses; we don't want steam;

You may keep your old black cats to hug;

But the loaded train you've got to lug。〃



Since then on many a car you'll see

A broomstick plain as plain can be;

On every stick there's a witch astride;

The string you see to her leg is tied。

She will do a mischief if she can;

But the string is held by a careful man;

And whenever the evil…minded witch

Would cut come caper; he gives a twitch。

As for the hag; you can't see her;

But hark! you can hear her black cat's purr;

And now and then; as a car goes by;

You may catch a gleam from her wicked eye。



Often you've looked on a rushing train;

But just what moved it was not so plain。

It couldn't be those wires above;

For they could neither pull nor shove;

Where was the motor that made it go

You couldn't guess; but now you know。



Remember my rhymes when you ride again

On the rattling rail by the broomstick train!









X



In my last report of our talks over the teacups I had something to

say of the fondness of our people for titles。  Where did the anti…

republican; anti…democratic passion for swelling names come from; and

how long has it been naturalized among us?



A striking instance of it occurred at about the end of the last

century。  It was at that time there appeared among us one of the most

original and singular personages to whom America has given birth。

Many of our company;many of my readers;all well acquainted with

his name; and not wholly ignorant of his history。  They will not

object to my giving some particulars relating to him; which; if not

new to them; will be new to others into whose hands these pages may

fall。



Timothy Dexter; the first claimant of a title of nobility among the

people of the United States of America; was born in the town of

Malden; near Boston。  He served an apprenticeship as a leather…

dresser; saved some money; got some more with his wife; began trading

and speculating; and became at last rich; for those days。  His most

famous business enterprise was that of sending an invoice of warming…

pans to the West Indies。  A few tons of ice would have seemed to

promise a better return; but in point of fact; he tells us; the

warming…pans were found useful in the manufacture of sugar; and

brought him in a handsome profit。  His ambition rose with his

fortune。  He purchased a large and stately house in Newburyport; and

proceeded to embellish and furnish it according to the dictates of

his taste and fancy。  In the grounds about his house; he caused to be

erected between forty and fifty wooden statues of great men and

allegorical figures; together with four lions and one lamb。  Among

these images were two statues of Dexter himself; one of which held a

label with a characteristic inscription。  His house was ornamented

with minarets; adorned with golden balls; and surmounted by a large

gilt eagle。  He equipped it with costly furniture; with paintings;

and a library。  He went so far as to procure the services of a poet

laureate; whose business it seems to have been to sing his praises。

Surrounded with splendors like these; the plain title of 〃Mr。〃 Dexter

would have been infinitely too mean and common。  He therefore boldly

took the step of self…ennobling; and gave himself forthas he said;

obeying 〃the voice of the people at large〃as 〃Lord Timothy Dexter;〃

by which appellation he has ever since been known to the American

public。



If to be the pioneer in the introduction of Old World titles into

republican America can confer a claim to be remembered by posterity;

Lord Timothy Dexter has a right to historic immortality。  If the true

American spirit shows itself most clearly in boundless self …

assertion; Timothy Dexter is the great original American egotist。  If

to throw off the shackles of Old World pedantry; and defy the paltry

rules and examples of grammarians and rhetoricians; is the special

province and the chartered privilege of the American writer; Timothy

Dexter is the founder of a new school; which tramples under foot the

conventionalities that hampered and subjugated the faculties of the

poets; the dramatists; the historians; essayists; story…tellers;

orators; of the worn…out races which have preceded the great Am

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