The Scarlet Letter | Progressively Translated Dutch A1 Books

The Scarlet Letter | Progressively Translated Dutch A1 Books

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THECUSTOM-HOUSE.
INTRODUCTORYTO“THESCARLETLETTER.”
tis
een
a
littleremarkable,that—thoughdisinclinedto
praten
talk
overmuchofmyselfandmyaffairsatthefireside,
en
and
tomypersonalfriends—anautobiographicalimpulseshouldtwiceinmy
leven
life
havetakenpossessionof
me
me
,inaddressingthepublic.
De
The
firsttimewasthree
of
or
fouryearssince,whenIfavored
de
the
reader—inexcusably,andfornoearthly
reden
reason
,thateithertheindulgentreader
of
or
theintrusiveauthorcouldimagine—withadescriptionofmy
manier
way
oflifeinthedeepquietudeofanOldManse.
En
And
now—because,beyondmydeserts,Iwas
gelukkig
happy
enoughtofindalistener
of
or
twoontheformeroccasion—I
weer
again
seizethepublicbythebutton,
en
and
talkofmythreeyears’experiencein
een
a
Custom-House.
Theexampleofthefamous“P.P.,Clerkof
deze
this
Parish,”wasnevermorefaithfully
gevolgd
followed
.
Thetruthseemstobe,however,that,
wanneer
when
hecastshisleavesforthuponthewind,theauthoraddresses,notthemanywho
zullen
will
flingasidehisvolume,
of
or
nevertakeitup,butthefewwho
zullen
will
understandhim,betterthanmostofhisschoolmates
of
or
lifemates.
Someauthors,indeed,
doen
do
farmorethanthis,
en
and
indulgethemselvesinsuchconfidentialdepthsofrevelationas
kunnen
could
fittinglybeaddressed,only
en
and
exclusively,totheone
hart
heart
andmindofperfectsympathy;
asiftheprinted
boek
book
,thrownatlargeonthewide
wereld
world
,werecertaintofindoutthedividedsegmentofthewriter’s
eigen
own
nature,andcompletehiscircleofexistenceby
brengen
bringing
himintocommunionwithit.
Itisscarcelydecorous,however,to
spreken
speak
all,evenwherewe
spreken
speak
impersonally.
But,asthoughtsarefrozen
en
and
utterancebenumbed,unlessthespeaker
staat
stand
insometruerelation
met
with
hisaudience,itmaybepardonabletoimagine
dat
that
afriend,akind
en
and
apprehensive,thoughnottheclosest
vriend
friend
,islisteningtoourtalk;
en
and
then,anativereservebeingthawedby
dit
this
genialconsciousness,wemayprateof
de
the
circumstancesthatliearound
ons
us
,andevenofourself,
maar
but
stillkeeptheinmostMe
achter
behind
itsveil.
Tothisextent,
en
and
withintheselimits,anauthor,methinks,
kan
may
beautobiographical,withoutviolatingeither
de
the
reader’srightsorhis
eigen
own
.
Itwillbeseen,likewise,that
deze
this
Custom-Housesketchhasacertainpropriety,of
een
a
kindalwaysrecognizedinliterature,asexplaininghow
een
a
largeportionofthefollowingpages
gekomen
came
intomypossession,andasofferingproofsoftheauthenticityof
een
a
narrativethereincontained.
This,infact,—adesiretoputmyselfinmytruepositionaseditor,
of
or
verylittlemore,ofthe
meest
most
prolixamongthetales
die
that
makeupmyvolume,—this,
en
and
noother,ismytrue
reden
reason
forassumingapersonalrelation
met
with
thepublic.
Inaccomplishingthemainpurpose,it
heeft
has
appearedallowable,bya
paar
few
extratouches,togiveafaintrepresentationofamodeoflifenotheretoforedescribed,
samen
together
withsomeofthecharacters
die
that
moveinit,amongwhomtheauthorhappenedto
gemaakt
make
one.
InmynativetownofSalem,atthe
hoofd
head
ofwhat,halfacentury
geleden
ago
,inthedaysof
oude
old
KingDerby,wasabustlingwharf,—but
die
which
isnowburdenedwithdecayedwoodenwarehouses,
en
and
exhibitsfewornosymptomsofcommercial
leven
life
;
except,perhaps,abark
of
or
brig,half-waydownitsmelancholylength,discharginghides;
of
or
,nearerathand,aNovaScotiaschooner,pitchingouthercargooffirewood,—atthe
hoofd
head
,Isay,ofthisdilapidatedwharf,
die
which
thetideoftenoverflows,
en
and
alongwhich,atthebase
en
and
intherearoftherowofbuildings,thetrackof
vele
many
languidyearsisseenin
een
a
borderofunthriftygrass,—here,
met
with
aviewfromitsfrontwindowsadownthisnot
erg
very
enliveningprospect,andthenceacrosstheharbor,
staat
stands
aspaciousedificeofbrick.
Fromtheloftiest
punt
point
ofitsroof,duringprecisely
drie
three
andahalfhoursof
elke
each
forenoon,floatsordroops,inbreeze
of
or
calm,thebanneroftherepublic;
maar
but
withthethirteenstripes
gedraaid
turned
vertically,insteadofhorizontally,
en
and
thusindicatingthatacivil,
en
and
notamilitarypostof
Oom
Uncle
Sam’sgovernmentishereestablished.
Its
voorkant
front
isornamentedwithaporticoof
half
half
adozenwoodenpillars,supporting
een
a
balcony,beneathwhichaflightofwidegranitestepsdescendstowards
de
the
street.
Overtheentrancehoversanenormousspecimenof
de
the
Americaneagle,withoutspreadwings,ashieldbeforeherbreast,
en
and
,ifIrecollectaright,abunchofintermingledthunderbolts
en
and
barbedarrowsineachclaw.
Met
With
thecustomaryinfirmityoftemper
die
that
characterizesthisunhappyfowl,sheappears,by
de
the
fiercenessofherbeak
en
and
eye,andthegeneraltruculencyofherattitude,tothreatenmischiefto
de
the
inoffensivecommunity;
andespeciallytowarn
alle
all
citizens,carefuloftheirsafety,
tegen
against
intrudingonthepremiseswhichsheovershadows
met
with
herwings.
Nevertheless,vixenlyasshelooks,
veel
many
peopleareseeking,at
dit
this
verymoment,toshelterthemselves
onder
under
thewingofthefederaleagle;
imagining,Ipresume,
dat
that
herbosomhasallthesoftness
en
and
snugnessofaneider-downpillow.
Maar
But
shehasnogreattenderness,
zelfs
even
inherbestofmoods,
en
and
,soonerorlater,—oftenersoon
dan
than
late,—isapttofling
af
off
hernestlings,withascratchofherclaw,
een
a
dabofherbeak,
of
or
aranklingwoundfromherbarbedarrows.
Thepavementroundabouttheabove-describededifice—whichwe
kunnen
may
aswellnameatonceastheCustom-Houseoftheport—hasgrass
genoeg
enough
growinginitschinksto
laten zien
show
thatithasnot,oflatedays,beenwornby
een
any
multitudinousresortofbusiness.
In
sommige
some
monthsoftheyear,however,
er
there
oftenchancesaforenoon
wanneer
when
affairsmoveonwardwith
een
a
liveliertread.
Suchoccasions
kunnen
might
remindtheelderlycitizenof
die
that
periodbeforethelast
oorlog
war
withEngland,whenSalemwas
een
a
portbyitself;
notscorned,assheis
nu
now
,byherownmerchants
en
and
ship-owners,whopermitherwharvestocrumbletoruin,
terwijl
while
theirventuresgotoswell,needlessly
en
and
imperceptibly,themightyfloodofcommerceatNewYork
of
or
Boston.
Onsomesuch
ochtend
morning
,whenthreeorfourvessels
toevallig
happen
tohavearrivedatonce,—usuallyfromAfrica
of
or
SouthAmerica,—ortobeonthevergeoftheirdeparturethitherward,
er
there
isasoundoffrequentfeet,passingbrisklyup
en
and
downthegranitesteps.
Hier
Here
,beforehisownwife
heeft
has
greetedhim,youmaygreet
de
the
sea-flushedshipmaster,justinport,
met
with
hisvessel’spapersunderhisarm,in
een
a
tarnishedtinbox.
Here,too,
komt
comes
hisowner,cheerfulorsombre,gracious
of
or
inthesulks,accordinglyashisschemeof
de
the
nowaccomplishedvoyagehasbeenrealizedinmerchandise
die
that
willreadilybeturnedtogold,
of
or
hasburiedhimunder
een
a
bulkofincommodities,suchas
niemand
nobody
willcaretoridhim
van
of
.
Here,likewise,—thegermofthewrinkle-browed,grizzly-bearded,care-wornmerchant,—we
hebben
have
thesmartyoungclerk,
die
who
getsthetasteoftrafficas
een
a
wolf-cubdoesofblood,
en
and
alreadysendsadventuresinhismaster’sships,whenhehad
beter
better
besailingmimic-boatsupon
een
a
mill-pond.
Anotherfigurein
de
the
sceneistheoutward-boundsailorinquestof
een
a
protection;
ortherecentlyarrivedone,pale
en
and
feeble,seekingapassporttothe
ziekenhuis
hospital
.
Normustweforget
de
the
captainsoftherusty
kleine
little
schoonersthatbringfirewoodfrom
de
the
Britishprovinces;
arough-lookingsetoftarpaulins,
zonder
without
thealertnessoftheYankeeaspect,
maar
but
contributinganitemof
geen
no
slightimportancetoourdecayingtrade.
Cluster
al
all
theseindividualstogether,asthey
soms
sometimes
were,withothermiscellaneousonestodiversifythegroup,
en
and
,forthetimebeing,it
maakte
made
theCustom-Houseastirringscene.
Morefrequently,however,onascendingthesteps,you
zou
would
discern—intheentry,ifitweresummertime,
of
or
intheirappropriaterooms,
als
if
wintryorinclementweather—arowofvenerablefigures,
zittend
sitting
inold-fashionedchairs,whichweretippedontheirhindlegsback
tegen
against
thewall.
Oftentimestheywereasleep,
maar
but
occasionallymightbeheard
praten
talking
together,invoicesbetweenspeech
en
and
asnore,andwiththatlackofenergythatdistinguishestheoccupantsofalmshouses,
en
and
allotherhumanbeingswhodependforsubsistenceoncharity,onmonopolizedlabor,
of
or
anythingelse,buttheir
eigen
own
independentexertions.
Theseoldgentlemen—seated,
zoals
like
Matthew,atthereceiptofcustoms,
maar
but
notveryliabletobesummonedthence,
zoals
like
him,forapostolicerrands—wereCustom-Houseofficers.
Furthermore,on
de
the
lefthandasyouenter
de
the
frontdoor,isacertain
kamer
room
oroffice,aboutfifteenfeetsquare,
en
and
ofaloftyheight;
met
with
twoofitsarchedwindowscommanding
een
a
viewoftheaforesaiddilapidatedwharf,
en
and
thethirdlookingacross
een
a
narrowlane,andalong
een
a
portionofDerbyStreet.
Alle
All
threegiveglimpsesof
de
the
shopsofgrocers,block-makers,slop-sellers,
en
and
ship-chandlers;
aroundthedoorsof
die
which
aregenerallytobe
zien
seen
,laughingandgossiping,clustersof
oude
old
salts,andsuchotherwharf-ratsashaunttheWappingof
een
a
seaport.
Theroomitselfiscobwebbed,
en
and
dingywitholdpaint;
itsfloorisstrewn
met
with
graysand,inafashion
die
that
haselsewherefalleninto
lang
long
disuse;
anditis
gemakkelijk
easy
toconclude,fromthegeneralslovenlinessofthe
plaats
place
,thatthisisasanctuaryintowhichwomankind,
met
with
hertoolsofmagic,thebroom
en
and
mop,hasveryinfrequentaccess.
In
het
the
wayoffurniture,thereis
een
a
stovewithavoluminousfunnel;
an
oud
old
pinedesk,withathree-leggedstoolbesideit;
twee
two
orthreewooden-bottomchairs,exceedinglydecrepit
en
and
infirm;
and—nottoforget
de
the
library—onsomeshelves,ascore
of
or
twoofvolumesof
de
the
ActsofCongress,and
een
a
bulkyDigestoftheRevenueLaws.
Een
A
tinpipeascendsthrough
het
the
ceiling,andformsamediumofvocalcommunication
met
with
otherpartsoftheedifice.
En
And
here,somesixmonthsago,—pacingfromcornertocorner,
of
or
loungingonthelong-leggedstool,
met
with
hiselbowonthedesk,
en
and
hiseyeswanderingup
en
and
downthecolumnsofthemorningnewspaper,—youmight
had
have
recognized,honoredreader,the
dezelfde
same
individualwhowelcomedyouintohischeery
kleine
little
study,wherethesunshineglimmeredsopleasantly
door
through
thewillowbranches,onthewestern
kant
side
oftheOldManse.
Maar
But
now,shouldyougothithertoseek
hem
him
,youwouldinquireinvainfor
de
the
LocofocoSurveyor.
Thebesomofreform
heeft
has
swepthimoutofoffice;
en
and
aworthiersuccessorwearshisdignity,
en
and
pocketshisemoluments.
This
oude
old
townofSalem—mynativeplace,thoughI
heb
have
dweltmuchawayfromit,
zowel
both
inboyhoodandmatureryears—possesses,
of
or
didpossess,aholdonmyaffections,
de
the
forceofwhichI
heb
have
neverrealizedduringmyseasonsofactualresidence
hier
here
.
Indeed,sofarasitsphysicalaspectisconcerned,
met
with
itsflat,unvariedsurface,coveredchiefly
met
with
woodenhouses,fewornoneof
die
which
pretendtoarchitecturalbeauty,—itsirregularity,
die
which
isneitherpicturesquenorquaint,
maar
but
onlytame,—itslongandlazy
straat
street
,loungingwearisomelythroughthe
hele
whole
extentofthepeninsula,
met
with
GallowsHillandNewGuineaatone
uiteinde
end
,andaviewofthealmshouseattheother,—suchbeingthefeaturesofmynativetown,itwouldbequiteasreasonabletoformasentimentalattachmenttoadisarrangedchecker-board.
En
And
yet,thoughinvariablyhappiestelsewhere,
er
there
iswithinmea
gevoel
feeling
foroldSalem,which,inlackof
een
a
betterphrase,Imustbecontentto
noemen
call
affection.
Thesentimentis
waarschijnlijk
probably
assignabletothedeep
en
and
agedrootswhichmy
familie
family
hasstruckintothesoil.
Itis
nu
now
nearlytwocenturiesand
een
a
quartersincetheoriginalBriton,theearliestemigrantofmy
naam
name
,madehisappearanceinthewild
en
and
forest-borderedsettlement,whichhassince
geworden
become
acity.
Andherehisdescendants
hebben
have
beenbornanddied,
en
and
havemingledtheirearthysubstance
met
with
thesoil;
untilno
klein
small
portionofitmustnecessarilybeakintothemortalframewherewith,for
een
a
littlewhile,Iwalkthestreets.
Inpart,therefore,theattachmentwhichIspeakofisthemeresensuoussympathyofdustfordust.
Weinig
Few
ofmycountrymencan
weten
know
whatitis;
nor,asfrequenttransplantationis
misschien
perhaps
betterforthestock,
moeten
need
theyconsideritdesirableto
weten
know
.
Butthesentimenthaslikewiseitsmoralquality.
De
The
figureofthatfirstancestor,investedby
familie
family
traditionwithadim
en
and
duskygrandeur,waspresenttomyboyishimagination,as
ver
far
backasIcan
herinneren
remember
.
Itstillhauntsme,
en
and
inducesasortofhome-feeling
met
with
thepast,whichIscarcelyclaiminreferencetothepresentphaseofthe
stad
town
.
Iseemtohave
een
a
strongerclaimtoaresidence
hier
here
onaccountofthisgrave,bearded,sable-cloaked
en
and
steeple-crownedprogenitor,—whocamesoearly,
met
with
hisBibleandhissword,
en
and
trodetheunwornstreet
met
with
suchastatelyport,
en
and
madesolargeafigure,as
een
a
manofwarandpeace,—astrongerclaim
dan
than
formyself,whosenameisseldom
gehoord
heard
andmyfacehardlyknown.
Hewasasoldier,legislator,judge;
hewas
een
a
rulerintheChurch;
he
had
had
allthePuritanictraits,
zowel
both
goodandevil.
Hewaslikewiseabitterpersecutor,aswitnesstheQuakers,who
hebben
have
rememberedhimintheirhistories,
en
and
relateanincidentofhis
harde
hard
severitytowardsawomanoftheirsect,which
zal
will
lastlonger,itistobefeared,
dan
than
anyrecordofhisbetterdeeds,althoughtheseweremany.
His
zoon
son
,too,inheritedthepersecutingspirit,
en
and
madehimselfsoconspicuousinthemartyrdomofthewitches,
dat
that
theirbloodmayfairlybe
gezegd
said
tohaveleftastainupon
hem
him
.
Sodeepastain,indeed,
dat
that
hisolddrybones,in
de
the
CharterStreetburial-ground,must
nog steeds
still
retainit,iftheyhavenotcrumbledutterlytodust!
I
weet
know
notwhethertheseancestorsofminebethoughtthemselvestorepent,
en
and
askpardonofHeavenfortheircruelties;
orwhethertheyare
nu
now
groaningundertheheavyconsequencesofthem,in
andere
another
stateofbeing.
Atallevents,
Ik
I
,thepresentwriter,astheirrepresentative,hereby
nemen
take
shameuponmyselffortheirsakes,
en
and
praythatanycurseincurredbythem—asI
heb
have
heard,andasthedreary
en
and
unprosperousconditionoftherace,for
vele
many
alongyearback,
zou
would
arguetoexist—maybe
nu
now
andhenceforthremoved.
Doubtless,however,eitherofthesestern
en
and
black-browedPuritanswouldhave
gedacht
thought
itquiteasufficientretributionforhissins,
dat
that
,aftersolongalapseofyears,the
oude
old
trunkofthefamilytree,
met
with
somuchvenerablemossuponit,should
hebben
have
borne,asitstopmostbough,anidlerlikemyself.
Geen
No
aim,thatIhaveevercherished,
zou
would
theyrecognizeaslaudable;
geen
no
successofmine—ifmy
leven
life
,beyonditsdomesticscope,hadeverbeenbrightenedbysuccess—wouldtheydeemotherwise
dan
than
worthless,ifnotpositivelydisgraceful.
“Whatishe?”
murmurs
ene
one
grayshadowofmyforefathersto
de
the
other.
“Awriterofstory-books!
Whatkindof
een
a
businessinlife—whatmodeofglorifying
God
God
,orbeingserviceabletomankindinhis
dag
day
andgeneration—maythatbe?
Waarom
Why
,thedegeneratefellowmightas
goed
well
havebeenafiddler!”
Suchare
de
the
complimentsbandiedbetweenmygreat-grandsires
en
and
myself,acrossthegulfof
tijd
time
!
Andyet,letthemscornmeastheywill,strongtraitsoftheirnature
hebben
have
intertwinedthemselveswithmine.
Planteddeep,inthetown’searliestinfancy
en
and
childhood,bythesetwoearnest
en
and
energeticmen,therace
heeft
has
eversincesubsistedhere;
altijd
always
,too,inrespectability;
never,sofarasIhave
weet
known
,disgracedbyasingleunworthymember;
maar
but
seldomornever,onthe
andere
other
hand,afterthefirst
twee
two
generations,performinganymemorabledeed,
of
or
somuchasputtingforwardaclaimtopublicnotice.
Gradually,theyhavesunk
bijna
almost
outofsight;
as
oude
old
houses,hereandthere
over
about
thestreets,getcoveredhalf-wayto
de
the
eavesbytheaccumulationof
nieuwe
new
soil.
Fromfatherto
zoon
son
,foraboveahundredyears,they
volgden
followed
thesea;
agray-headedshipmaster,in
elke
each
generation,retiringfromthequarter-decktothehomestead,
terwijl
while
aboyoffourteen
nam
took
thehereditaryplacebeforethemast,confrontingthesaltspray
en
and
thegale,whichhadblustered
tegen
against
hissireandgrandsire.
De
The
boy,also,indue
tijd
time
,passedfromtheforecastleto
de
the
cabin,spentatempestuousmanhood,
en
and
returnedfromhisworld-wanderings,togrow
oud
old
,anddie,andminglehisdust
met
with
thenatalearth.
This
lange
long
connectionofafamily
met
with
onespot,asits
plaats
place
ofbirthandburial,createsakindred
tussen
between
thehumanbeingandthelocality,quiteindependentofanycharminthescenery
of
or
moralcircumstancesthatsurround
hem
him
.
Itisnotlove,
maar
but
instinct.
Thenewinhabitant—who
kwam
came
himselffromaforeignland,
of
or
whosefatherorgrandfathercame—has
weinig
little
claimtobecalled
een
a
Salemite;
hehasnoconceptionof
de
the
oyster-liketenacitywithwhich
een
an
oldsettler,overwhomhisthirdcenturyiscreeping,clingsto
de
the
spotwherehissuccessivegenerations
heeft
have
beenimbedded.
Itisnomatter
dat
that
theplaceisjoylessfor
hem
him
;
thatheiswearyofthe
oude
old
woodenhouses,themud
en
and
dust,thedeadlevelofsite
en
and
sentiment,thechilleastwind,
en
and
thechillestofsocialatmospheres;—allthese,
en
and
whateverfaultsbesideshe
kan
may
seeorimagine,are
niets
nothing
tothepurpose.
Thespellsurvives,
en
and
justaspowerfullyasif
de
the
natalspotwereanearthlyparadise.
Sohasitbeeninmy
geval
case
.
Ifeltitalmostas
een
a
destinytomakeSalemmy
thuis
home
;
sothatthemouldoffeatures
en
and
castofcharacterwhichhad
al
all
alongbeenfamiliarhere,—ever,as
een
one
representativeoftherace
lag
lay
downinhisgrave,
ander
another
assuming,asitwere,hissentry-march
langs
along
themainstreet,—mightstillinmy
kleine
little
daybeseenandrecognizedinthe
oude
old
town.
Nevertheless,thisverysentimentisanevidencethat
de
the
connection,whichhasbecomeanunhealthyone,
moet
should
atlastbesevered.
Menselijke
Human
naturewillnotflourish,any
meer
more
thanapotato,ifitbeplanted
en
and
replanted,fortoolongaseriesofgenerations,inthe
dezelfde
same
worn-outsoil.
Mychildren
hebben
have
hadotherbirthplaces,and,sofarastheirfortunesmaybewithinmy
controle
control
,shallstriketheirrootsintounaccustomed
aarde
earth
.
OnemergingfromtheOldManse,itwaschiefly
deze
this
strange,indolent,unjoyousattachmentformynativetown,
die
that
broughtmetofill
een
a
placeinUncleSam’sbrickedifice,
toen
when
Imightaswell,
of
or
better,havegonesomewhereelse.
Mydoomwason
mij
me
.
Itwasnotthe
eerste
first
time,northesecond,
dat
that
Ihadgoneaway,—asitseemed,permanently,—butyetreturned,likethe
slechte
bad
half-penny;
orasifSalemwereforme
het
the
inevitablecentreoftheuniverse.
So,
een
one
finemorning,Iascendedtheflightofgranitesteps,
met
with
thePresident’scommissioninmypocket,
en
and
wasintroducedtothecorpsofgentlemen
die
who
weretoaidmeinmyweightyresponsibility,aschiefexecutiveofficeroftheCustom-House.
Idoubtgreatly—or,rather,Idonotdoubtatall—whetheranypublicfunctionaryof
de
the
UnitedStates,eitherin
de
the
civilormilitaryline,haseverhadsuchapatriarchalbodyofveterans
onder
under
hisordersasmyself.
De
The
whereaboutsoftheOldestInhabitantwasatoncesettled,
toen
when
Ilookedatthem.
Forupwardsoftwentyyearsbefore
dit
this
epoch,theindependentpositionoftheCollector
had
had
kepttheSalemCustom-House
uit
out
ofthewhirlpoolofpoliticalvicissitude,whichmakesthetenureofofficegenerallysofragile.
Een
A
soldier,—NewEngland’smostdistinguishedsoldier,—he
stond
stood
firmlyonthepedestalofhisgallantservices;
en
and
,himselfsecureinthewiseliberalityofthesuccessiveadministrationsthroughwhichhe
had
had
heldoffice,hehadbeenthesafetyofhissubordinatesin
vele
many
anhourofdanger
en
and
heart-quake.
GeneralMillerwasradicallyconservative;
een
a
manoverwhosekindlynaturehabit
had
had
noslightinfluence;
attachinghimselfstronglytofamiliarfaces,
en
and
withdifficultymovedto
veranderen
change
,evenwhenchangemight
had
have
broughtunquestionableimprovement.
Thus,ontakingchargeofmydepartment,I
vond
found
fewbutagedmen.
Theywereancientsea-captains,for
het
the
mostpart,who,afterbeingtoston
elke
every
sea,andstandingupsturdily
tegen
against
life’stempestuousblasts,hadfinallydriftedinto
deze
this
quietnook;
where,with
weinig
little
todisturbthem,except
de
the
periodicalterrorsofaPresidentialelection,theyoneandallacquireda
nieuwe
new
leaseofexistence.
Thoughbynomeanslessliable
dan
than
theirfellow-mentoage
en
and
infirmity,theyhadevidentlysometalisman
of
or
otherthatkeptdeathatbay.
Twee
Two
orthreeoftheir
aantal
number
,asIwasassured,beinggouty
en
and
rheumatic,orperhapsbedridden,
nooit
never
dreamedofmakingtheirappearanceattheCustom-House,during
een
a
largepartofthe
jaar
year
;
but,afteratorpidwinter,
zou
would
creepoutintothewarmsunshineof
Mei
May
orJune,golazily
over
about
whattheytermedduty,
en
and
,attheirownleisure
en
and
convenience,betakethemselvesto
bed
bed
again.
Imustpleadguiltytothechargeofabbreviatingtheofficialbreathof
meer
more
thanoneofthesevenerableservantsoftherepublic.
Theywereallowed,onmyrepresentation,to
rusten
rest
fromtheirarduouslabors,
en
and
soonafterwards—asiftheirsoleprincipleoflifehadbeenzealfortheircountry’sservice,asIverily
geloof
believe
itwas—withdrewtoabetter
wereld
world
.
Itisapiousconsolationto
mij
me
,that,throughmyinterference,
een
a
sufficientspacewasallowedthemforrepentanceoftheevil
en
and
corruptpracticesintowhich,as
een
a
matterofcourse,everyCustom-Houseofficer
moet
must
besupposedtofall.
NeitherthefrontnorthebackentranceoftheCustom-House
opent
opens
ontheroadtoParadise.
Het
The
greaterpartofmyofficerswereWhigs.
Itwas
goed
well
fortheirvenerablebrotherhood
dat
that
thenewSurveyorwasnotapolitician,
en
and
thoughafaithfulDemocratinprinciple,neitherreceivednorheldhisoffice
met
with
anyreferencetopoliticalservices.
Hebben
Had
itbeenotherwise,—hadanactivepoliticianbeenputinto
deze
this
influentialpost,toassumetheeasytaskofmakinghead
tegen
against
aWhigCollector,whoseinfirmitieswithheldhimfromthepersonaladministrationofhisoffice,—hardlya
man
man
oftheoldcorps
zou
would
havedrawnthebreathofofficial
leven
life
,withinamonthaftertheexterminatingangel
hebben
had
comeuptheCustom-Housesteps.
Accordingtothereceivedcodein
dergelijke
such
matters,itwouldhavebeen
niets
nothing
shortofduty,inapolitician,to
brengen
bring
everyoneofthose
witte
white
headsundertheaxeoftheguillotine.
Itwasplain
genoeg
enough
todiscern,thatthe
oude
old
fellowsdreadedsomesuchdiscourtesyatmyhands.
Itpained,
en
and
atthesametimeamused
me
me
,tobeholdtheterrors
die
that
attendedmyadvent;
to
zien
see
afurrowedcheek,weather-beatenby
halve
half
acenturyofstorm,turnashypaleattheglanceofsoharmlessanindividualasmyself;
todetect,asone
of
or
anotheraddressedme,thetremorofavoice,
die
which
,inlong-pastdays,hadbeenwonttobellow
door
through
aspeaking-trumpet,hoarselyenoughtofrightenBoreashimselftosilence.
They
wisten
knew
,theseexcellentoldpersons,
dat
that
,byallestablishedrule,—and,asregarded
sommige
some
ofthem,weighedbytheir
eigen
own
lackofefficiencyforbusiness,—theyoughtto
hadden
have
givenplacetoyoungermen,
meer
more
orthodoxinpolitics,andaltogetherfitter
dan
than
themselvestoserveourcommon
Oom
Uncle
.
Iknewittoo,
maar
but
couldneverquitefindinmy
hart
heart
toactupontheknowledge.
Veel
Much
anddeservedlytomy
eigen
own
discredit,therefore,andconsiderablyto
de
the
detrimentofmyofficialconscience,theycontinued,duringmyincumbency,tocreep
over
about
thewharves,andloiterup
en
and
downtheCustom-Housesteps.
Theyspent
een
a
gooddealoftime,
ook
also
,asleepintheiraccustomedcorners,
met
with
theirchairstiltedback
tegen
against
thewall;
awaking,however,once
of
or
twiceinaforenoon,toboreoneanother
met
with
theseveralthousandthrepetitionof
oude
old
sea-stories,andmouldyjokes,
die
that
hadgrowntobepasswords
en
and
countersignsamongthem.
Thediscoverywas
snel
soon
made,Iimagine,that
de
the
newSurveyorhadno
groot
great
harminhim.
So,
met
with
lightsomehearts,andthehappyconsciousnessofbeingusefullyemployed,—intheir
eigen
own
behalf,atleast,ifnotforourbelovedcountry,—these
goede
good
oldgentlemenwentthroughthevariousformalitiesof
kantoor
office
.
Sagaciously,undertheirspectacles,didtheypeepinto
de
the
holdsofvessels!
Mightywastheirfuss
over
about
littlematters,andmarvellous,
soms
sometimes
,theobtusenessthatallowedgreateronestoslip
tussen
between
theirfingers!
Wheneversuch
een
a
mischanceoccurred,—whenawagon-loadofvaluablemerchandisehadbeensmuggledashore,atnoonday,
misschien
perhaps
,anddirectlybeneaththeirunsuspiciousnoses,—nothing
kon
could
exceedthevigilanceandalacrity
met
with
whichtheyproceededtolock,
en
and
double-lock,andsecurewithtape
en
and
sealing-wax,alltheavenuesofthedelinquentvessel.
Insteadofareprimandfortheirpreviousnegligence,the
zaak
case
seemedrathertorequireaneulogiumontheirpraiseworthycaution,
nadat
after
themischiefhadhappened;
agratefulrecognitionofthepromptitudeoftheirzeal,the
moment
moment
thattherewasnolongeranyremedy.
Unless
mensen
people
aremorethancommonlydisagreeable,itismyfoolishhabittocontract
een
a
kindnessforthem.
The
beter
better
partofmycompanion’scharacter,
als
if
ithaveabetter
deel
part
,isthatwhichusually
komt
comes
uppermostinmyregard,
en
and
formsthetypewherebyIrecognizethe
man
man
.
Asmostofthese
oude
old
Custom-Houseofficershadgoodtraits,
en
and
asmypositioninreferencetothem,beingpaternal
en
and
protective,wasfavorabletothegrowthoffriendlysentiments,I
snel
soon
grewtolikethem
al
all
.
Itwaspleasant,inthesummerforenoons,—whentheferventheat,
die
that
almostliquefiedtherestofthe
menselijke
human
family,merelycommunicatedagenialwarmthtotheirhalf-torpidsystems,—itwaspleasantto
horen
hear
themchattinginthebackentry,
een
a
rowofthemalltipped
tegen
against
thewall,asusual;
terwijl
while
thefrozenwitticismsofpastgenerationswerethawedout,
en
and
camebubblingwithlaughterfromtheirlips.
Externally,
de
the
jollityofagedmen
heeft
has
muchincommonwith
de
the
mirthofchildren;
theintellect,anymorethanadeepsenseofhumor,
heeft
has
littletodowiththe
zaak
matter
;
itis,withboth,
een
a
gleamthatplaysuponthesurface,
en
and
impartsasunnyandcheeryaspectaliketothegreenbranch,
en
and
gray,moulderingtrunk.
Inone
geval
case
,however,itisrealsunshine;
inthe
andere
other
,itmoreresemblesthephosphorescentglowofdecayingwood.
It
zou
would
besadinjustice,thereader
moet
must
understand,torepresentallmyexcellent
oude
old
friendsasintheirdotage.
In
de
the
firstplace,mycoadjutorswerenotinvariably
oud
old
;
thereweremenamongthemintheirstrength
en
and
prime,ofmarkedability
en
and
energy,andaltogethersuperiortothesluggish
en
and
dependentmodeoflifeonwhichtheirevilstars
hadden
had
castthem.
Then,moreover,the
witte
white
locksofagewere
soms
sometimes
foundtobethethatchof
een
an
intellectualtenementingoodrepair.
Maar
But
,asrespectsthemajorityofmycorpsofveterans,
er
there
willbenowrong
gedaan
done
,ifIcharacterizethemgenerallyas
een
a
setofwearisomeoldsouls,
die
who
hadgatherednothingworthpreservationfromtheirvariedexperienceoflife.
Theyseemedtohaveflungaway
al
all
thegoldengrainofpracticalwisdom,whichtheyhadenjoyedsomanyopportunitiesofharvesting,
en
and
mostcarefullytohavestoredtheirmemorieswiththehusks.
They
spraken
spoke
withfarmoreinterest
en
and
unctionoftheirmorning’sbreakfast,
of
or
yesterday’s,to-day’s,orto-morrow’s
avondeten
dinner
,thanoftheshipwreckofforty
of
or
fiftyyearsago,and
al
all
theworld’swonderswhichthey
hadden
had
witnessedwiththeiryouthfuleyes.
The
vader
father
oftheCustom-House—thepatriarch,not
alleen
only
ofthislittlesquadofofficials,
maar
but
,Iamboldto
zeggen
say
,oftherespectablebodyoftide-waitersall
over
over
theUnitedStates—wasacertainpermanentInspector.
He
kunnen
might
trulybetermedalegitimate
zoon
son
oftherevenuesystem,dyedinthewool,
of
or
,rather,borninthepurple;
sinds
since
hissire,aRevolutionarycolonel,
en
and
formerlycollectoroftheport,
had
had
createdanofficefor
hem
him
,andappointedhimtofillit,ataperiodoftheearlyages
die
which
fewlivingmencan
nu
now
remember.
ThisInspector,whenI
eerst
first
knewhim,wasa
man
man
offourscoreyears,orthereabouts,
en
and
certainlyoneofthemostwonderfulspecimensofwinter-green
die
that
youwouldbelikelytodiscoverinalifetime’ssearch.
Met
With
hisfloridcheek,hiscompactfigure,smartlyarrayedin
een
a
bright-buttonedbluecoat,hisbrisk
en
and
vigorousstep,andhishale
en
and
heartyaspect,altogetherheseemed—not
jong
young
,indeed—butakindof
nieuwe
new
contrivanceofMotherNaturein
de
the
shapeofman,whomage
en
and
infirmityhadnobusinesstotouch.
Hisvoice
en
and
laugh,whichperpetuallyre-echoed
door
through
theCustom-House,hadnothingof
de
the
tremulousquaverandcackleof
een
an
oldman’sutterance;
they
kwamen
came
struttingoutofhislungs,
als
like
thecrowofacock,
of
or
theblastofaclarion.
Kijken
Looking
athimmerelyasananimal,—and
er
there
wasverylittleelseto
kijken
look
at,—hewasamostsatisfactoryobject,from
de
the
thoroughhealthfulnessandwholesomenessofhissystem,
en
and
hiscapacity,atthatextremeage,toenjoy
alle
all
,ornearlyall,thedelightswhichhe
had
had
everaimedat,orconceivedof.
Thecarelesssecurityofhis
leven
life
intheCustom-House,on
een
a
regularincome,andwith
maar
but
slightandinfrequentapprehensionsofremoval,
had
had
nodoubtcontributedto
maken
make
timepasslightlyover
hem
him
.
Theoriginalandmorepotentcauses,however,
lag
lay
intherareperfectionofhisanimalnature,themoderateproportionofintellect,
en
and
theverytriflingadmixtureofmoral
en
and
spiritualingredients;
theselatterqualities,indeed,beinginbarely
genoeg
enough
measuretokeepthe
oude
old
gentlemanfromwalkingonall-fours.
Hepossessed
geen
no
powerofthought,nodepthof
gevoel
feeling
,notroublesomesensibilities;
nothing,inshort,
maar
but
afewcommonplaceinstincts,which,aidedby
de
the
cheerfultemperthatgrewinevitably
uit
out
ofhisphysicalwell-being,
deed
did
dutyveryrespectably,andtogeneralacceptance,inlieuof
een
a
heart.
Hehadbeen
de
the
husbandofthreewives,all
lang
long
sincedead;
thefatheroftwenty
kinderen
children
,mostofwhom,at
elke
every
ageofchildhoodormaturity,hadlikewise
teruggekeerd
returned
todust.
Here,one
zou
would
suppose,mighthavebeensorrow
genoeg
enough
toimbuethesunniestdisposition,
door
through
andthrough,withasabletinge.
Notso
met
with
ouroldInspector!
Onebriefsighsufficedtocarryoff
de
the
entireburdenofthesedismalreminiscences.
Het
The
nextmoment,hewasas
klaar
ready
forsportasanyunbreechedinfant;
farreadier
dan
than
theCollector’sjuniorclerk,
die
who
,atnineteenyears,wasmuch
de
the
elderandgravermanof
de
the
two.
Iusedto
bekeek
watch
andstudythispatriarchalpersonage
met
with
,Ithink,liveliercuriosity,
dan
than
anyotherformofhumanitytherepresentedtomynotice.
Hewas,intruth,
een
a
rarephenomenon;
soperfect,inonepointofview;
soshallow,sodelusive,soimpalpable,suchanabsolutenonentity,in
elk
every
other.
Myconclusionwas
dat
that
hehadnosoul,
geen
no
heart,nomind;