passages from an old volume of life-第26章

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　of　that　dark　chest　of　drawers；〃　I　said　to　the　furnisher。　　It　was　done；　and　that　one　luminous　point　redeemed　the　sombre　apartment　as　the　evening　star　glorifies　the　dusky　firmament。　　So；　my　loving　reader；and　to　none　other　can　such　table…talk　as　this　be　addressed；…　…I　hope　there　will　be　lustre　enough　in　one　or　other　of　the　names　with　which　I　shall　gild　my　page　to　redeem　the　dulness　of　all　that　is　merely　personal　in　my　recollections。

After　leaving　the　school　of　Dame　Prentiss；　best　remembered　by　infantine　loves；　those　pretty　preludes　of　more　serious　passions；　by　the　great　forfeit…basket；　filled　with　its　miscellaneous　waifs　and　deodauds；　and　by　the　long　willow　stick　by　the　aid　of　which　the　good　old　body；　now　stricken　in　years　and　unwieldy　in　person　could　stimulate　the　sluggish　faculties　or　check　the　mischievous　sallies　of　the　child　most　distant　from　his　ample　chair；a　school　where　I　think　my　most　noted　schoolmate　was　the　present　Bishop　of　Delaware；　became　the　pupil　of　Master　William　Biglow。　　This　generation　is　not　familiar　with　his　title　to　renown；　although　he　fills　three　columns　and　a　half　in　Mr。　Duyckinck's　〃Cyclopaedia　of　American　Literature。〃　　He　was　a　humorist　hardly　robust　enough　for　more　than　a　brief　local　immortality。　I　am　afraid　we　were　an　undistinguished　set；　for　I　do　not　remember　anybody　near　a　bishop　in　dignity　graduating　from　our　benches。

At　about　ten　years　of　age　I　began　going　to　what　we　always　called　the　〃Port　School；〃　because　it　was　kept　at　Cambridgeport；　a　mile　from　the　College。　　This　suburb　was　at　that　time　thinly　inhabited；　and；　being　much　of　it　marshy　and　imperfectly　reclaimed；　had　a　dreary　look　as　compared　with　the　thriving　College　settlement。　The　tenants　of　the　many　beautiful　mansions　that　have　sprung　up　along　Main　Street；　Harvard　Street；　and　Broadway　can　hardly　recall　the　time　when；　except　the　〃Dana　House〃　and　the　〃Opposition　House〃　and　the　〃Clark　House；〃　these　roads　were　almost　all　the　way　bordered　by　pastures　until　we　reached　the　〃stores〃　of　Main　Street；　or　were　abreast　of　that　forlorn　〃First　Row〃　of　Harvard　Street。　　We　called　the　boys　of　that　locality　〃Port…chucks。〃　　They　called　us　〃Cambridge…chucks；〃　but　we　got　along　very　well　together　in　the　main。

Among　my　schoolmates　at　the　Port　School　was　a　young　girl　of　singular　loveliness。　I　once　before　referred　to　her　as　〃the　golden　blonde；〃　but　did　not　trust　myself　to　describe　her　charms。　　The　day　of　her　appearance　in　the　school　was　almost　as　much　a　revelation　to　us　boys　as　the　appearance　of　Miranda　was　to　Caliban。　　Her　abounding　natural　curls　were　so　full　of　sunshine；　her　skin　was　so　delicately　white；　her　smile　and　her　voice　were　so　all…subduing；　that　half　our　heads　were　turned。　　Her　fascinations　were　everywhere　confessed　a　few　years　afterwards；　and　when　I　last　met　her；　though　she　said　she　was　a　grandmother；　I　questioned　her　statement；　for　her　winning　looks　and　ways　would　still　have　made　her　admired　in　any　company。

Not　far　from　the　golden　blonde　were　two　small　boys；　one　of　them　very　small；　perhaps　the　youngest　boy　in　school；　both　ruddy；　sturdy；　quiet；　reserved；　sticking　loyally　by　each　other；　the　oldest；　however；　beginning　to　enter　into　social　relations　with　us　of　somewhat　maturer　years。　　One　of　these　two　boys　was　destined　to　be　widely　known；　first　in　literature；　as　author　of　one　of　the　most　popular　books　of　its　time　and　which　is　freighted　for　a　long　voyage；　then　as　an　eminent　lawyer；　a　man　who；　if　his　countrymen　are　wise；　will　yet　be　prominent　in　the　national　councils。　　Richard　Henry　Dana；　Junior；　is　the　name　he　bore　and　bears；　he　found　it　famous；　and　will　bequeath　it　a　fresh　renown。

Sitting　on　the　girls'　benches；　conspicuous　among　the　school…girls　of　unlettered　origin　by　that　look　which　rarely　fails　to　betray　hereditary　and　congenital　culture；　was　a　young　person　very　nearly　of　my　own　age。　　She　came　with　the　reputation　of　being　〃smart；〃　as　we　should　have　called　it；　clever　as　we　say　nowadays。　　This　was　Margaret　Fuller；　the　only　one　among　us　who；　like　〃Jean　Paul；〃　like　〃The　Duke；〃　like　〃Bettina；〃　has　slipped　the　cable　of　the　more　distinctive　name　to　which　she　was　anchored；　and　floats　on　the　waves　of　speech　as　〃Margaret。〃　　Her　air　to　her　schoolmates　was　marked　by　a　certain　stateliness　and　distance；　as　if　she　had　other　thoughts　than　theirs　and　was　not　of　them。　　She　was　a　great　student　and　a　great　reader　of　what　she　used　to　call　〃naw…vels。〃　　I　remember　her　so　well　as　she　appeared　at　school　and　later；　that　I　regret　that　she　had　not　been　faithfully　given　to　canvas　or　marble　in　the　day　of　her　best　looks。　None　know　her　aspect　who　have　not　seen　her　living。　　Margaret；　as　I　remember　her　at　school　and　afterwards；　was　tall；　fair　complexioned；　with　a　watery；　aqua…marine　lustre　in　her　light　eyes；　which　she　used　to　make　small；　as　one　does　who　looks　at　the　sunshine。　　A　remarkable　point　about　her　was　that　long；　flexile　neck；　arching　and　undulating　in　strange　sinuous　movements；　which　one　who　loved　her　would　compare　to　those　of　a　swan；　and　one　who　loved　her　not　to　those　of　the　ophidian　who　tempted　our　common　mother。　　Her　talk　was　affluent；　magisterial；　de　haut　en　bas；　some　would　say　euphuistic；　but　surpassing　the　talk　of　women　in　breadth　and　audacity。　　Her　face　kindled　and　reddened　and　dilated　in　every　feature　as　she　spoke；　and；　as　I　once　saw　her　in　a　fine　storm　of　indignation　at　the　supposed　ill…　treatment　of　a　relative；　showed　itself　capable　of　something　resembling　what　Milton　calls　the　viraginian　aspect。

Little　incidents　bear　telling　when　they　recall　anything　of　such　a　celebrity　as　Margaret。　　I　remember　being　greatly　awed　once；　in　our　school…days；　with　the　maturity　of　one　of　her　expressions。　　Some　themes　were　brought　home　from　the　school　for　examination　by　my　father；　among　them　one　of　hers。　　I　took　it　up　with　a　certain　emulous　interest　（for　I　fancied　at　that　day　that　I　too　had　drawn　a　prize；　say　a　five…dollar　one；　at　least；　in　the　great　intellectual　life…lottery）　and　read　the　first　words。

〃It　is　a　trite　remark；〃　she　began。

I　stopped。　　Alas！　I　did　not　know　what　trite　meant。　　How　could　I　ever　judge　Margaret　fairly　after　such　a　crushing　discovery　of　her　superiority？　　I　doubt　if　I　ever　did；　yet　oh；　how　pleasant　it　would　have　been；　at　about　the　age；　say；　of　threescore　and　ten；　to　rake　over　these　ashes　for　cinders　with　her；she　in　a　snowy　cap；　and　I　in　a　decent　peruke！

After　being　five　years　at　the　Port　School；　the　time　drew　near　when　I　was　to　enter　college。　　It　seemed　advisable　to　give　me　a　year　of　higher　training；　and　for　that　end　some　public　school　was　thought　to　offer　advantages。　　Phillips　Academy　at　Andover　was　well　known　to　us。　We　had　been　up　there；　my　father　and　myself；　at　anniversaries。　　Some　Boston　boys　of　well…known　and　distinguished　parentage　had　been　scholars　there　very　lately；　Master　Edmund　Quincy；　Master　Samuel　Hurd　Walley；　Master　Nathaniel　Parker　Willis；all　promising　youth；　who　fulfilled　their　promise。

I　do　not　believe　there　was　any　thought　of　getting　a　little　respite　of　quiet　by　my　temporary　absence；　but　I　have　wondered　that　there　was　not。　　Exceptional　boys　of　fourteen　or　fifteen　make　home　a　heaven；　it　is　true；　but　I　have　suspected；　late　in　life；　that　I　was　not　one　of　the　exceptional　kind。　　I　had　tendencies　in　the　direction　of　flageolets　and　octave　flutes。　　I　had　a　pistol　and　a　gun；　and　popped　at　everything　that　stirred；　pretty　nearly；　except　the　house…cat。　Worse　than　this；　I　would　buy　a　cigar　and　smoke　it　by　instalments；　putting　it　meantime　in　the　barrel　of　my　pistol；　by　a　stroke　of　ingenuity　which　it　gives　me　a　grim　pleasure　to　recall；　for　no　maternal　or　other　female　eyes　would　explore　the　cavity　of　that　dread　implement　in　search　of　contraband　commodities。

It　was　settled；　then；　that　I　should　go　to　Phillips　Academy；　and　preparations　were　made　that　I　might　join　the　school　at　the　beginning　of　the　autumn。

In　due　time　I　took　my　departure　in　the　old　carriage；　a　little　modernized　from　the　pattern　of　my　Lady　Bountiful's；　and　we　jogged　soberly　along；kind　parents　and　slightly　nostalgic　boy；towards　the　seat　of　learning；　some　twenty　miles　away。　　Up　the　old　West　Cambridge　road；　now　North　Avenue；　past　Davenport's　tavern；　with　its　sheltering　tree　and　swinging　sign；　past　the　old　powder…house；　looking　like　a　colossal　conical　ball　set　on　end；　past　the　old　Tidd