introductory-第3章

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disgraced　by　a　single　unworthy　member；　but　seldom　or　never；　on　the

other　hand；　after　the　first　two　generations；　performing　any

memorable　deed；　or　so　much　as　putting　forward　a　claim　to　public

notice。　Gradually；　they　have　sunk　almost　out　of　sight；　as　old

houses；　here　and　there　about　the　streets；　get　covered　half…way　to

the　eaves　by　the　accumulation　of　new　soil。　From　father　to　son；　for

above　a　hundred　years；　they　followed　the　sea；　a　grey…headed

shipmaster；　in　each　generation；　retiring　from　the　quarter…deck　to

the　homestead；　while　a　boy　of　fourteen　took　the　hereditary　place

before　the　mast；　confronting　the　salt　spray　and　the　gale；　which　had

blustered　against　his　sire　and　grandsire。　The　boy；　also；　in　due

time；　passed　from　the　forecastle　to　the　cabin；　spent　a　tempestuous

manhood；　and　returned　from　his　world…wanderings；　to　grow　old；　and　die；

and　mingle　his　dust　with　the　natal　earth。　This　long　connection　of　a

family　with　one　spot；　as　its　place　of　birth　and　burial；　creates　a

kindred　between　the　human　being　and　the　locality；　quite　independent　of

any　charm　in　the　scenery　or　moral　circumstances　that　surround　him。

It　is　not　love；　but　instinct。　The　new　inhabitant…　who　came　himself

from　a　foreign　land；　or　whose　father　or　grandfather　came…　has　little

claim　to　be　called　a　Salemite；　he　has　no　conception　of　the　oyster…like

tenacity　with　which　an　old　settler；　over　whom　his　third　century　is

creeping；　clings　to　the　spot　where　his　successive　generations　have

been　imbedded。　It　is　no　matter　that　the　place　is　joyless　for　him；　that

he　is　weary　of　the　old　wooden　houses；　the　mud　and　dust；　the　dead　level

of　site　and　sentiment；　the　chill　east　wind；　and　the　chillest　of　social

atmospheres；　all　these；　and　whatever　faults　besides　he　may　see　or

imagine；　are　nothing　to　the　purpose。　The　spell　survives；　and　just　as

powerfully　as　if　the　natal　spot　were　an　earthly　paradise。　So　has　it

been　in　my　case。　I　felt　it　almost　as　a　destiny　to　make　Salem　my

home；　so　that　the　mould　of　features　and　cast　of　character　which　had

all　along　been　familiar　here…　ever；　as　one　representative　of　the

race　lay　down　in　his　grave；　another　assuming；　as　it　were；　his

sentry…march　along　the　main　street…　might　still　in　my　little　day　be

seen　and　recognised　in　the　old　town。　Nevertheless；　this　very　sentiment

is　an　evidence　that　the　connection；　which　has　become　an　unhealthy　one；

should　at　least　be　severed。　Human　nature　will　not　flourish；　any　more

than　a　potato；　if　it　be　planted　and　replanted；　for　too　long　a　series

of　generations；　in　the　same　worn…out　soil。　My　children　have　had

other　birthplaces；　and；　so　far　as　their　fortunes　may　be　within　my

control；　shall　strike　their　roots　into　unaccustomed　earth。

　　On　emerging　from　the　Old　Manse；　it　was　chiefly　this　strange；

indolent；　unjoyous　attachment　for　my　native　town；　that　brought　me　to

fill　a　place　in　Uncle　Sam's　brick　edifice；　when　I　might　as　well；　or

better；　have　gone　somewhere　else。　My　doom　was　on　me。　It　was　not　the

first　time；　nor　the　second；　that　I　had　gone　away…　as　it　seemed；

permanently…　but　yet　returned；　like　the　bad　halfpenny；　or　as　if

Salem　were　for　me　the　inevitable　centre　of　the　universe。　So；　one

fine　morning；　I　ascended　the　flight　of　granite　steps；　with　the

President's　commission　in　my　pocket；　and　was　introduced　to　the　corps

of　gentlemen　who　were　to　aid　me　in　my　weighty　responsibility；　as　chief

executive　officer　of　the　Custom…House。

　　I　doubt　greatly…　or；　rather；　I　do　not　doubt　at　all…　whether　any

public　functionary　of　the　United　States；　either　in　the　civil　or

military　line；　has　ever　had　such　a　patriarchal　body　of　veterans

under　his　orders　as　myself。　The　whereabouts　of　the　Oldest　Inhabitant

was　at　once　settled；　when　I　looked　at　them。　For　upwards　of　twenty

years　before　this　epoch；　the　independent　position　of　the　Collector　had

kept　the　Salem　Custom…House　out　of　the　whirlpool　of　political

vicissitude；　which　makes　the　tenure　of　office　generally　so　fragile。

A　soldier…　New　England's　most　distinguished　soldier…　he　stood　firmly

on　the　pedestal　of　his　gallant　services；　and；　himself　secure　in　the

wise　liberality　of　the　successive　administrations　through　which　he　had

held　office；　he　had　been　the　safety　of　his　subordinates　in　many　an

hour　of　danger　and　heartquake。　General　Miller　was　radically

conservative；　a　man　over　whose　kindly　nature　habit　had　no　slight

influence；　attaching　himself　strongly　to　familiar　faces；　and　with

difficulty　moved　to　change；　even　when　change　might　have　brought

unquestionable　improvement。　Thus；　on　taking　charge　of　my　department；　I

found　few　but　aged　men。　They　were　ancient　sea…captains；　for　the　most

part；　who；　after　being　tossed　on　every　sea；　and　standing　up　sturdily

against　life's　tempestuous　blast；　had　finally　drifted　into　this

quiet　nook；　where；　with　little　to　disturb　them；　except　the

periodical　terrors　of　a　Presidential　election；　they　one　and　all

acquired　a　new　lease　of　existence。　Though　by　no　means　less　liable　than

their　fellow…men　to　age　and　infirmity；　they　had　evidently　some

talisman　or　other　that　kept　death　at　bay。　Two　or　three　of　their

number；　as　I　was　assured；　being　gouty　and　rheumatic；　or　perhaps

bed…ridden；　never　dreamed　of　making　their　appearance　at　the

Custom…House　during　a　large　part　of　the　year；　but；　after　a　torpid

winter；　would　creep　out　into　the　warm　sunshine　of　May　or　June；　go

lazily　about　what　they　termed　duty；　and；　at　their　own　leisure　and

convenience；　betake　themselves　to　bed　again。　I　must　plead　guilty　to

the　charge　of　abbreviating　the　official　breath　of　more　than　one　of

these　venerable　servants　of　the　republic。　They　were　allowed；　on　my

representation；　to　rest　from　their　arduous　labours；　and　soon

afterwards…　as　if　their　sole　principle　of　life　had　been　zeal　for　their

country's　service；　as　I　verily　believe　it　was…　withdrew　to　a　better

world。　It　is　a　pious　consolation　to　me；　that；　through　my　interference；

a　sufficient　space　was　allowed　them　for　repentance　of　the　evil　and

corrupt　practices；　into　which；　as　a　matter　of　course；　every

Custom…House　officer　must　be　supposed　to　fall。　Neither　the　front　nor

the　back　entrance　of　the　Custom…House　opens　on　the　road　to　Paradise。

　　The　greater　part　of　my　officers　were　Whigs。　It　was　well　for　their

venerable　brotherhood　that　the　new　Surveyor　was　not　a　politician；　and；

though　a　faithful　Democrat　in　principle；　neither　received　nor　held　his

office　with　any　reference　to　political　services。　Had　it　been

otherwise…　had　an　active　politician　been　put　into　this　influential

post；　to　assume　the　easy　task　of　making　head　against　a　Whig　Collector；

whose　infirmities　withheld　him　from　the　personal　administration　of　his

office…　hardly　a　man　of　the　old　corps　would　have　drawn　the　breath　of

official　life　within　a　month　after　the　exterminating　angel　had　come　up

the　Custom…House　steps。　According　to　the　received　code　in　such

matters；　it　would　have　been　nothing　short　of　duty；　in　a　politician；　to

bring　every　one　of　those　white　heads　under　the　axe　of　the

guillotine。　It　was　plain　enough　to　discern；　that　the　old　fellows

dreaded　some　such　discourtesy　at　my　hands。　It　pained；　and　at　the

same　time　amused　me；　to　behold　the　terrors　that　attended　my　advent；　to

see　a　furrowed　cheek；　weather…beaten　by　half　a　century　of　storm；

turn　ashy　pale　at　the　glance　of　so　harmless　an　individual　as　myself；

to　detect；　as　one　or　another　addressed　me；　the　tremor　of　a　voice；

which；　in　long…past　days；　had　been　wont　to　bellow　through　a

speaking…trumpet；　hoarsely　enough　to　frighten　Boreas　himself　to

silence。　They　knew；　these　excellent　old　persons；　that；　by　all

established　rule…　and；　as　regarded　some　of　them；　weighed　by　their　own

lack　of　efficiency　for　business…　they　ought　to　have　given　place　to

younger　men；　more　orthodox　in　politics；　and　altogether　fitter　than

themselves　to　serve　our　common　Uncle。　I　knew　it　too；　but　could　never

quite　find　in　my　heart　to　act　upon　the　knowledge。　Much　and

deservedly　to　my　own　discredit；　therefore；　and　considerably　to　the

detriment　of　my　official　conscience；　they　cont