introductory-第7章

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away　out　of　my　mind。　A　gift；　a　faculty；　if　it　had　not　departed；　was

suspended　and　inanimate　within　me。　There　would　have　been　something

sad；　unutterably　dreary；　in　all　this；　had　I　not　been　conscious　that　it

lay　at　my　own　option　to　recall　whatever　was　valuable　in　the　past。　It

might　be　true；　indeed；　that　this　was　a　life　which　could　not；　with

impunity；　be　lived　too　long；　else；　it　might　make　me　permanently

other　than　I　had　been；　without　transforming　me　into　any　shape　which　it

would　be　worth　my　while　to　take。　But　I　never　considered　it　as　other

than　a　transitory　life。　There　was　always　a　prophetic　instinct；　a　low

whisper　in　my　ear；　that；　within　no　long　period；　and　whenever　a　new

change　of　custom　should　be　essential　to　my　good；　a　change　would　come。

　　Meanwhile；　there　I　was；　a　Surveyor　of　the　Revenue；　and；　so　far　as

I　have　been　able　to　understand；　as　good　a　Surveyor　as　need　be。　A　man

of　thought；　fancy；　and　sensibility　（had　he　ten　times　the　Surveyor's

proportion　of　those　qualities）　may；　at　any　time；　be　a　man　of

affairs；　if　he　will　only　choose　to　give　himself　the　trouble。　My

fellow…officers；　and　the　merchants　and　sea…captains　with　whom　my

official　duties　brought　me　into　any　manner　of　connection；　viewed　me　in

no　other　light；　and　probably　knew　me　in　no　other　character。　None　of

them；　I　presume；　had　ever　read　a　page　of　my　inditing；　or　would　have

cared　a　fig　the　more　for　me；　if　they　had　read　them　all；　nor　would　it

have　mended　the　matter；　in　the　least；　had　those　same　unprofitable

pages　been　written　with　a　pen　like　that　of　Burns　or　of　Chaucer；　each

of　whom　was　a　Custom…House　officer　in　his　day；　as　well　as　I。　It　is　a

good　lesson…　though　it　may　often　be　a　hard　one…　for　a　man　who　has

dreamed　of　literary　fame；　and　of　making　for　himself　a　rank　among　the

world's　dignitaries　by　such　means；　to　step　aside　out　of　the　narrow

circle　in　which　his　claims　are　recognised；　and　to　find　how　utterly

devoid　of　significance；　beyond　that　circle；　is　all　that　he　achieves；

and　all　he　aims　at。　I　know　not　that　I　especially　needed　the　lesson；

either　in　the　way　of　warning　or　rebuke；　but；　at　any　rate；　I　learned　it

thoroughly：　nor；　it　gives　me　pleasure　to　reflect；　did　the　truth；　as　it

came　home　to　my　perception；　ever　cost　me　a　pang；　or　require　to　be

thrown　off　in　a　sigh。　In　the　way　of　literary　talk；　it　is　true；　the

Naval　Officer…　an　excellent　fellow；　who　came　into　office　with　me　and

went　out　only　a　little　later…　would　often　engage　me　in　a　discussion

about　one　or　the　other　of　his　favourite　topics；　Napoleon　or

Shakespeare。　The　Collector's　junior　clerk；　too…　a　young　gentleman　who；

it　was　whispered；　occasionally　covered　a　sheet　of　Uncle　Sam's

letter…paper　with　what　（at　the　distance　of　a　few　yards）　looked　very

much　like　poetry…　used　now　and　then　to　speak　to　me　of　books；　as

matters　with　which　I　might　possibly　be　conversant。　This　was　my　all

of　lettered　intercourse；　and　it　was　quite　sufficient　for　my

necessities。

　　No　longer　seeking　nor　caring　that　my　name　should　be　blazoned

abroad　on　title…pages；　I　smiled　to　think　that　it　had　now　another

kind　of　vogue。　The　Custom…House　marker　imprinted　it；　with　a　stencil

and　black　paint；　on　pepper…bags；　and　baskets　of　anatto；　and

cigar…boxes；　and　bales　of　all　kinds　of　dutiable　merchandise；　in

testimony　that　these　commodities　had　paid　the　impost；　and　gone

regularly　through　the　office。　Borne　on　such　queer　vehicle　of　fame；　a

knowledge　of　my　existence；　so　far　as　a　name　conveys　it；　was　carried

where　it　had　never　been　before；　and；　I　hope；　will　never　go　again。

　　But　the　past　was　not　dead。　Once　in　a　great　while；　the　thoughts；　that

had　seemed　so　vital　and　so　active；　yet　had　been　put　to　rest　so

quietly；　revived　again。　One　of　the　most　remarkable　occasions；　when　the

habit　of　bygone　days　awoke　in　me；　was　that　which　brings　it　within

the　law　of　literary　propriety　to　offer　the　public　the　sketch　which　I

am　now　writing。

　　In　the　second　story　of　the　Custom…House；　there　is　a　large　room；　in

which　the　brick…work　and　naked　rafters　have　never　been　covered　with

panelling　and　plaster。　The　edifice…　originally　projected　on　a　scale

adapted　to　the　old　commercial　enterprise　of　the　port；　and　with　an　idea

of　subsequent　prosperity　destined　never　to　be　realised…　contains　far

more　space　than　its　occupants　know　what　to　do　with。　This　airy　hall；

therefore；　over　the　Collector's　apartments；　remains　unfinished　to　this

day；　and；　in　spite　of　the　aged　cobwebs　that　festoon　its　dusky　beams；

appears　still　to　await　the　labour　of　the　carpenter　and　mason。　At　one

end　of　the　room；　in　a　recess；　were　a　number　of　barrels；　piled　one　upon

another；　containing　bundles　of　official　documents。　Large　quantities　of

similar　rubbish　lay　lumbering　the　floor。　It　was　sorrowful　to　think　how

many　days；　and　weeks；　and　months；　and　years　of　toil；　had　been　wasted

on　these　musty　papers；　which　were　now　only　an　encumbrance　on　earth；

and　were　hidden　away　in　this　forgotten　corner；　never　more　to　be

glanced　at　by　human　eyes。　But；　then；　what　reams　of　other

manuscripts…　filled　not　with　the　dulness　of　official　formalities；

but　with　the　thought　of　inventive　brains　and　the　rich　effusion　of　deep

hearts…　had　gone　equally　to　oblivion；　and　that；　moreover；　without

serving　a　purpose　in　their　day；　as　these　heaped…up　papers　had；　and…

saddest　of　all…　without　purchasing　for　their　writers　the　comfortable

livelihood　which　the　clerks　of　the　Custom…House　had　gained　by　these

worthless　scratchings　of　the　pen！　Yet　not　altogether　worthless；

perhaps；　as　materials　of　local　history。　Here；　no　doubt；　statistics

of　the　former　commerce　of　Salem　might　be　discovered；　and　memorials

of　her　princely　merchants…　old　King　Derby；　old　Billy　Gray；　old　Simon

Forrester；　and　many　another　magnate　in　his　day…　whose　powdered　head；

however；　was　scarcely　in　the　tomb；　before　his　mountain…pile　of

wealth　began　to　dwindle。　The　founders　of　the　greater　part　of　the

families　which　now　compose　the　aristocracy　of　Salem　might　here　be

traced；　from　the　petty　and　obscure　beginnings　of　their　traffic；　at

periods　generally　much　posterior　to　the　Revolution；　upward　to　what

their　children　look　upon　as　long…established　rank。

　　Prior　to　the　Revolution；　there　is　a　dearth　of　records；　the　earlier

documents　and　archives　of　the　Custom…House　having；　probably；　been

carried　off　to　Halifax；　when　all　the　King's　officials　accompanied

the　British　army　in　its　flight　from　Boston。　It　has　often　been　a　matter

of　regret　with　me；　for；　going　back；　perhaps；　to　the　days　of　the

Protectorate；　those　papers　must　have　contained　many　references　to

forgotten　or　remembered　men；　and　to　antique　customs；　which　would

have　affected　me　with　the　same　pleasure　as　when　I　used　to　pick　up

Indian　arrow…heads　in　the　field　near　the　Old　Manse。

　　But；　one　idle　and　rainy　day；　it　was　my　fortune　to　make　a　discovery

of　some　little　interest。　Poking　and　burrowing　into　the　heaped…up

rubbish　in　the　corner；　unfolding　one　and　another　document；　and　reading

the　names　of　vessels　that　had　long　ago　foundered　at　sea　or　rotted　at

the　wharves；　and　those　of　merchants；　never　heard　of　now　on　'Change；

nor　very　readily　decipherable　on　their　mossy　tombstones；　glancing　at

such　matters　with　the　saddened；　weary；　half…reluctant　interest　which

we　bestow　on　the　corpse　of　dead　activity…　and　exerting　my　fancy；

sluggish　with　little　use；　to　raise　up　from　these　dry　bones　an　image　of

the　old　town's　brighter　aspect；　when　India　was　a　new　region；　and

only　Salem　knew　the　way　thither…　I　chanced　to　lay　my　hand　on　a　small

package；　carefully　done　up　in　a　piece　of　ancient　yellow　parchment。

This　envelope　had　the　air　of　an　official　record　of　some　period　long

past；　when　clerks　engrossed　their　stiff　and　formal　chirography　on　more

substantial　materials　than　at　present。　There　was　something　about　it

that　quickened　an　instinctive　curiosity；　and　made　me　undo　the　faded

red　tape；　that　tied　up　the　package；　with　the　sense　that　a　treasure

would　here　be　brought　to　light。　Unbending　the　rigid　folds　of　the

parchment　cover；　I　found　it　to　be　a　commission；　under　the