introductory-第4章

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detriment　of　my　official　conscience；　they　continued；　during　my

incumbency；　to　creep　about　the　wharves；　and　loiter　up　and　down　the

Custom…House　steps。　They　spent　a　good　deal　of　time；　also；　asleep　in

their　accustomed　corners；　with　their　chairs　tilted　back　against　the

wall；　awaking；　however；　once　or　twice　in　a　forenoon；　to　bore　one

another　with　the　several　thousandth　repetition　of　old　sea…stories；　and

mouldy　jokes；　that　had　grown　to　be　passwords　and　countersigns　among

them。

　　The　discovery　was　soon　made；　I　imagine；　that　the　new　Surveyor　had　no

great　harm　in　him。　So；　with　lightsome　hearts；　and　the　happy

consciousness　of　being　usefully　employed…　in　their　own　behalf；　at

least；　if　not　for　our　beloved　country…　these　good　old　gentlemen　went

through　the　various　formalities　of　office。　Sagaciously　under　their

spectacles；　did　they　peep　into　the　holds　of　vessels！　Mighty　was

their　fuss　about　little　matters；　and　marvellous；　sometimes；　the

obtuseness　that　allowed　greater　ones　to　slip　between　their　fingers！

Whenever　such　a　mischance　occurred…　when　a　waggon…load　of　valuable

merchandise　had　been　smuggled　ashore；　at　noonday；　perhaps；　and

directly　beneath　their　unsuspicious　noses…　nothing　could　exceed　the

vigilance　and　alacrity　with　which　they　proceeded　to　lock；　and

double…lock；　and　secure　with　tape　and　sealing…wax；　all　the　avenues

of　the　delinquent　vessel。　Instead　of　a　reprimand　for　their　previous

negligence；　the　case　seemed　rather　to　require　an　eulogium　on　their

praiseworthy　caution；　after　the　mischief　had　happened；　a　grateful

recognition　of　the　promptitude　of　their　zeal；　the　moment　that　there

was　no　longer　any　remedy。

　　Unless　people　are　more　than　commonly　disagreeable；　it　is　my

foolish　habit　to　contract　a　kindness　for　them。　The　better　part　of　my

companion's　character；　if　it　have　a　better　part；　is　that　which　usually

comes　uppermost　in　my　regard；　and　forms　the　type　whereby　I　recognise

the　man。　As　most　of　these　old　Custom…House　officers　had　good　traits；

and　as　my　position　in　reference　to　them；　being　paternal　and

protective；　was　favourable　to　the　growth　of　friendly　sentiments；　I

soon　grew　to　like　them　all。　It　was　pleasant；　in　the　summer

forenoons…　when　the　fervent　heat；　that　almost　liquefied　the　rest　of

the　human　family；　merely　communicated　a　genial　warmth　to　their

half…torpid　systems…　it　was　pleasant　to　hear　them　chatting　in　the　back

entry；　a　row　of　them　all　tipped　against　the　wall；　as　usual；　while

the　frozen　witticisms　of　past　generations　were　thawed　out；　and　came

bubbling　with　laughter　from　their　lips。　Externally；　the　jollity　of

aged　men　has　much　in　common　with　the　mirth　of　children；　the　intellect；

any　more　than　a　deep　sense　of　humour；　has　little　to　do　with　the

matter；　it　is；　with　both；　a　gleam　that　plays　upon　the　surface；　and

imparts　a　sunny　and　cheery　aspect　alike　to　the　green　branch；　and　grey；

mouldering　trunk。　In　one　case；　however；　it　is　real　sunshine；　in　the

other；　it　more　resembles　the　phosphorescent　glow　of　decaying　wood。

　　It　would　be　sad　injustice；　the　reader　must　understand；　to

represent　all　my　excellent　old　friends　as　in　their　dotage。　In　the

first　place；　my　coadjutors　were　not　invariably　old；　there　were　men

among　them　in　their　strength　and　prime；　of　marked　ability　and

energy；　and　altogether　superior　to　the　sluggish　and　dependent　mode

of　life　on　which　their　evil　stars　had　cast　them。　Then；　moreover；　the

white　locks　of　age　were　sometimes　found　to　be　the　thatch　of　an

intellectual　tenement　in　good　repair。　But；　as　respects　the　majority　of

my　corps　of　veterans；　there　will　be　no　wrong　done；　if　I　characterise

them　generally　as　a　set　of　wearisome　old　souls；　who　had　gathered

nothing　worth　preservation　from　their　varied　experience　of　life。

They　seemed　to　have　flung　away　all　the　golden　grain　of　practical

wisdom；　which　they　had　enjoyed　so　many　opportunities　of　harvesting；

and　most　carefully　to　have　stored　their　memories　with　the　husks。

They　spoke　with　far　more　interest　and　unction　of　their　morning's

breakfast；　or　yesterday's；　to…day's；　or　to…morrow's　dinner；　than　of

the　shipwreck　of　forty　or　fifty　years　ago；　and　all　the　world's　wonders

which　they　had　witnessed　with　their　youthful　eyes。

　　The　father　of　the　Custom…House…　the　patriarch；　not　only　of　this

little　squad　of　officials；　but；　I　am　bold　to　say；　of　the　respectable

body　of　tide…waiters　all　over　the　United　States…　was　a　certain

permanent　Inspector。　He　might　truly　be　termed　a　legitimate　son　of

the　revenue　system；　dyed　in　the　wool；　or；　rather；　born　in　the

purple；　since　his　sire；　a　Revolutionary　colonel；　and　formerly

collector　of　the　port；　had　created　an　office　for　him；　and　appointed

him　to　fill　it；　at　a　period　of　the　early　ages　which　few　living　men　can

now　remember。　This　Inspector；　when　I　first　knew　him；　was　a　man　of

fourscore　years；　or　thereabouts；　and　certainly　one　of　the　most

wonderful　specimens　of　winter…green　that　you　would　be　likely　to

discover　in　a　lifetime's　search。　With　his　florid　cheek；　his　compact

figure；　smartly　arrayed　in　a　bright…buttoned　blue　coat；　his　brisk

and　vigorous　step；　and　his　hale　and　hearty　aspect；　altogether　he

seemed…　not　young；　indeed…　but　a　kind　of　new　contrivance　of　Mother

Nature　in　the　shape　of　man；　whom　age　and　infirmity　had　no　business

to　touch。　His　voice　and　laugh；　which　perpetually　reechoed　through

the　Custom…House；　had　nothing　of　the　tremulous　quaver　and　cackle　of　an

old　man's　utterance；　they　came　strutting　out　of　his　lungs；　like　the

crow　of　a　cock；　of　the　blast　of　a　clarion。　Looking　at　him　merely　as　an

animal…　and　there　was　very　little　else　to　look　at…　he　was　a　most

satisfactory　object；　from　the　thorough　healthfulness　and　wholesomeness

of　his　system；　and　his　capacity；　at　that　extreme　age；　to　enjoy　all；　or

nearly　all；　the　delights　which　he　had　ever　aimed　at；　or　conceived

of。　The　careless　security　of　his　life　in　the　Custom…House；　on　a

regular　income；　and　with　but　slight　and　infrequent　apprehensions　of

removal；　had　no　doubt　contributed　to　make　time　pass　lightly　over

him。　The　original　and　more　potent　causes；　however；　lay　in　the　rare

perfection　of　his　animal　nature；　the　moderate　proportion　of　intellect；

and　the　very　trifling　admixture　of　moral　and　spiritual　ingredients；

these　latter　qualities；　indeed；　being　in　barely　enough　measure　to　keep

the　old　gentleman　from　walking　on　all…fours。　He　possessed　no　power

of　thought；　no　depth　of　feeling；　no　troublesome　sensibilities；

nothing；　in　short；　but　a　few　commonplace　instincts；　which；　aided　by

the　cheerful　temper　that　grew　inevitably　out　of　his　physical

well…being；　did　duty　very　respectably；　and　to　general　acceptance；　in

lieu　of　a　heart。　He　had　been　the　husband　of　three　wives；　all　long

since　dead；　the　father　of　twenty　children；　most　of　whom；　at　every

age　of　childhood　or　maturity；　had　likewise　returned　to　dust。　Here；　one

would　suppose；　might　have　been　sorrow　enough　to　imbue　the　sunniest

disposition；　through　and　through；　with　a　sable　tinge。　Not　so　with

our　old　Inspector！　One　brief　sigh　sufficed　to　carry　off　the　entire

burden　of　these　dismal　reminiscences。　The　next　moment；　he　was　as　ready

for　sport　as　any　unbreeched　infant；　far　readier　than　the　Collector's

junior　clerk；　who；　at　nineteen　years；　was　much　the　elder　and　graver

man　of　the　two。

　　I　used　to　watch　and　study　this　patriarchal　personage　with；　I

think；　livelier　curiosity　than　any　other　form　of　humanity　there

presented　to　my　notice。　He　was；　in　truth；　a　rare　phenomenon；　so

perfect　in　one　point　of　view；　so　shallow；　so　delusive；　so

impalpable；　such　an　absolute　nonentity；　in　every　other。　My

conclusion　was　that　he　had　no　soul；　no　heart；　no　mind；　nothing；　as　I

have　already　said；　but　instincts：　and　yet；　withal；　so　cunningly　had

the　few　materials　of　his　character　been　put　together；　that　there　was

no　painful　perception　of　deficiency；　but；　on　my　part；　an　entire

contentment　with　what　I　found　in　him。　It　might　be　difficult…　and　it

was　so…　to　conceive　how　he　should　exist　hereafter；　so　earthly　and

sensuous　did　he　seem；　but　surely　his　existe