THECUSTOM-HOUSE.
INTRODUCTORYTO“THESCARLETLETTER.”
tis
un
alittleremarkable,that—thoughdisinclinedtoparlare
talkovermuchofmyselfandmyaffairsatthefireside,e
andtomypersonalfriends—anautobiographicalimpulseshouldtwiceinmyvita
lifehavetakenpossessionofme
me,inaddressingthepublic.The
prima
firsttimewasthreeorquattro
fouryearssince,whenIfavoredthereader—inexcusably,e
andfornoearthlyreason,che
thateithertheindulgentreaderortheintrusiveauthorcouldimagine—withadescriptionofmymodo
wayoflifeinthedeepquietudeofanVecchio
OldManse.Andnow—because,beyondmydeserts,Iwas
felice
happyenoughtofindalistenero
ortwoontheformeroccasion—Idi nuovo
againseizethepublicbyil
thebutton,andtalkofmytre
threeyears’experienceinaCustom-House.Theexampleofthefamous“P.P.,Clerkof
questa
thisParish,”wasnevermorefaithfullyseguito
followed.Thetruthseemstobe,however,that,
quando
whenhecastshisleavesforthuponthewind,theauthoraddresses,notthemolti
manywhowillflingasidehisvolume,o
ornevertakeitup,ma
butthefewwhowillcapiranno
understandhim,betterthanmostofhisschoolmateso
orlifemates.Someauthors,indeed,
fanno
dofarmorethanthis,e
andindulgethemselvesinsuchconfidentialdepthsofrevelationascouldfittinglybeaddressed,solo
onlyandexclusively,totheonecuore
heartandmindofperfectsympathy;as
se
iftheprintedbook,thrownatlargeonil
thewideworld,werecertaintofindoutil
thedividedsegmentofthewriter’sownnature,e
andcompletehiscircleofexistencebybringinghimintocommunionwithesso
it.Itisscarcelydecorous,however,to
parlare
speakall,evenwhereweparlare
speakimpersonally.But,asthoughtsarefrozen
e
andutterancebenumbed,unlessthespeakerstia
standinsometruerelationwithhisaudience,itmaybepardonabletoimagineche
thatafriend,akinde
andapprehensive,thoughnottheclosestamico
friend,islisteningtoourtalk;e
andthen,anativereservebeingthawedbyquesta
thisgenialconsciousness,wemayprateofil
thecircumstancesthatliearoundus,e
andevenofourself,butancora
stillkeeptheinmostMedietro
behinditsveil.Tothisextent,
e
andwithintheselimits,anauthor,methinks,maybeautobiographical,senza
withoutviolatingeitherthereader’srightsorhisown.It
sia
willbeseen,likewise,thatquesto
thisCustom-Housesketchhasacertainpropriety,ofatipo
kindalwaysrecognizedinliterature,asexplaininghowalargeportionofthefollowingpagescameintomypossession,e
andasofferingproofsoftheauthenticityofanarrativethereincontained.Questo
This,infact,—adesiretoputmyselfinmytruepositionaseditor,o
orverylittlemore,ofthemostprolixamongthetalesche
thatmakeupmyvolume,—this,e
andnoother,ismytrueragione
reasonforassumingapersonalrelationwiththepublic.Inaccomplishing
i
themainpurpose,ithasappearedallowable,byafewextratocco
touches,togiveafaintrepresentationofamodeofvita
lifenotheretoforedescribed,togetherwithsomeofi
thecharactersthatmoveinit,amongwhomi
theauthorhappenedtomakeone.Inmynative
città
townofSalem,atthetesta
headofwhat,halfacenturyfa
ago,inthedaysofvecchio
oldKingDerby,wasabustlingwharf,—butche
whichisnowburdenedwithdecayedwoodenwarehouses,e
andexhibitsfewornosymptomsofcommercialvita
life;except,perhaps,abark
o
orbrig,half-waydownitsmelancholylength,discharginghides;o
or,nearerathand,aNovaScotiaschooner,pitchingouthercargooffirewood,—atthetesta
head,Isay,ofthisdilapidatedwharf,whichthetideoftenoverflows,e
andalongwhich,atthebasee
andintherearoftherowofbuildings,thetrackofmolti
manylanguidyearsisseeninaborderofunthriftygrass,—here,withaviewfromitsfrontwindowsadownthisnotveryenliveningprospect,e
andthenceacrosstheharbor,standsaspaciousedificeofbrick.From
la
theloftiestpointofitsroof,duringpreciselytre
threeandahalfhoursofogni
eachforenoon,floatsordroops,inbreezeo
orcalm,thebannerofla
therepublic;butwiththethirteenstripes
girate
turnedvertically,insteadofhorizontally,e
andthusindicatingthatacivil,e
andnotamilitarypostofZio
UncleSam’sgovernmentishereestablished.Itsfrontisornamentedwithaporticoofhalfadozenwoodenpillars,supportingabalcony,beneathwhichaflightofwidegranitestepsdescendstowardsthe
strada
street.Overtheentrancehoversanenormousspecimenof
le
theAmericaneagle,withoutspreadwings,ashieldbeforeherbreast,e
and,ifIrecollectaright,abunchofintermingledthunderboltse
andbarbedarrowsineachclaw.Withthecustomaryinfirmityoftemper
che
thatcharacterizesthisunhappyfowl,sheappears,bythefiercenessofherbeake
andeye,andthegeneraltruculencyofherattitude,tothreatenmischieftotheinoffensivecommunity;e
andespeciallytowarnallcitizens,carefuloftheirsafety,contro
againstintrudingonthepremisesche
whichsheovershadowswithherwings.Nevertheless,vixenlyasshe
cercando
looks,manypeopleareseeking,atquesto
thisverymoment,toshelterthemselvessotto
underthewingofthefederaleagle;imagining,Ipresume,
che
thatherbosomhasallthesoftnesse
andsnugnessofaneider-downpillow.Ma
Butshehasnogreattenderness,eveninherbestofmoods,e
and,soonerorlater,—oftenersoonche
thanlate,—isapttoflingvia
offhernestlings,withascratchofherclaw,adabofherbeak,o
oraranklingwoundfromherbarbedarrows.Thepavementroundabouttheabove-describededifice—whichwemayaswellnameatonceastheCustom-Houseoftheport—hasgrass
abbastanza
enoughgrowinginitschinkstomostrare
showthatithasnot,oflatedays,beenwornbyanymultitudinousresortofaffari
business.Insomemonthsof
la
theyear,however,thereoftenchancesun
aforenoonwhenaffairsmoveonwardwithun
aliveliertread.Suchoccasions
potrebbero
mightremindtheelderlycitizenofthatperiodprima
beforethelastwarwithEngland,quando
whenSalemwasaportbyitself;notscorned,assheis
ora
now,byherownmerchantse
andship-owners,whopermitherwharvestocrumbletoruin,mentre
whiletheirventuresgotoswell,needlesslye
andimperceptibly,themightyfloodofcommerceatNewYorko
orBoston.Onsomesuch
mattina
morning,whenthreeorfourvesselshappentohavearrivedatonce,—usuallyfromAfricao
orSouthAmerica,—ortobeonthevergeoftheirdeparturethitherward,thereisuna
asoundoffrequentfeet,passingbrisklyupe
anddownthegranitesteps.Qui
Here,beforehisownwifeabbia
hasgreetedhim,youmaygreetthesea-flushedshipmaster,appena
justinport,withhisvessel’spaperssotto
underhisarm,inatarnishedtinbox.Qui
Here,too,comeshisowner,cheerfulo
orsombre,graciousorinil
thesulks,accordinglyashisschemeofil
thenowaccomplishedvoyagehasbeenrealizedinmerchandiseche
thatwillreadilybeturnedtogold,o
orhasburiedhimunderun
abulkofincommodities,suchasnessuno
nobodywillcaretoridhimof.Qui
Here,likewise,—thegermofthewrinkle-browed,grizzly-bearded,care-wornmerchant,—wehavethesmartgiovane
youngclerk,whogetsthetasteoftrafficasun
awolf-cubdoesofblood,e
andalreadysendsadventuresinhismaster’sships,quando
whenhehadbetterbesailingmimic-boatsuponun
amill-pond.Anotherfigurein
il
thesceneistheoutward-boundsailorinquestofun
aprotection;ortherecentlyarrivedone,pale
e
andfeeble,seekingapassporttothehospital.Nor
dobbiamo
mustweforgetthecaptainsofi
therustylittleschoonersthatportano
bringfirewoodfromtheBritishprovinces;arough-looking
set
setoftarpaulins,withoutthealertnessofla
theYankeeaspect,butcontributinganitemofnon
noslightimportancetoourdecayingtrade.Cluster
tutti
alltheseindividualstogether,astheya volte
sometimeswere,withothermiscellaneousonestodiversifythegroup,e
and,forthetimebeing,itfatto
madetheCustom-Houseastirringscene.Più
Morefrequently,however,onascendingthesteps,youwoulddiscern—intheentry,se
ifitweresummertime,o
orintheirappropriaterooms,se
ifwintryorinclementweather—arowofvenerablefigures,sittinginold-fashionedchairs,che
whichweretippedontheirhindlegsbackcontro
againstthewall.Oftentimestheywereasleep,
ma
butoccasionallymightbeheardtalkinginsieme
together,invoicesbetweenspeeche
andasnore,andwiththatlackofenergythatdistinguishestheoccupantsofalmshouses,e
andallotherhumanbeingswhodependforsubsistenceoncharity,onmonopolizedlabor,o
oranythingelse,buttheirownindependentexertions.Theseoldgentlemen—seated,
come
likeMatthew,atthereceiptofcustoms,ma
butnotveryliabletobesummonedthence,come
likehim,forapostolicerrands—wereCustom-Houseofficers.Furthermore,onthelefthandasyouenterthefront
porta
door,isacertainroomo
oroffice,aboutfifteenfeetsquare,e
andofaloftyheight;with
due
twoofitsarchedwindowscommandinguna
aviewoftheaforesaiddilapidatedwharf,e
andthethirdlookingacrossuna
anarrowlane,andalonguna
aportionofDerbyStreet.Tutti
Allthreegiveglimpsesoftheshopsofgrocers,block-makers,slop-sellers,e
andship-chandlers;aroundthedoorsof
cui
whicharegenerallytobevedere
seen,laughingandgossiping,clustersofoldsalts,e
andsuchotherwharf-ratsashauntil
theWappingofaseaport.La
Theroomitselfiscobwebbed,e
anddingywitholdpaint;itsfloorisstrewnwithgraysand,in
un
afashionthathaselsewherecaduto
fallenintolongdisuse;anditis
facile
easytoconclude,fromthegeneralslovenlinessoftheluogo
place,thatthisisasanctuaryintowhichwomankind,withhertoolsofmagic,thebroome
andmop,hasveryinfrequentaccess.In
i
thewayoffurniture,thereisastovewithavoluminousfunnel;anoldpinedesk,
di
withathree-leggedstoolbesideit;due
twoorthreewooden-bottomchairs,exceedinglydecrepite
andinfirm;and—nottoforget
la
thelibrary—onsomeshelves,ascoreo
ortwoofvolumesofla
theActsofCongress,andabulkyDigestofla
theRevenueLaws.Atinpipeascends
attraverso
throughtheceiling,andformsun
amediumofvocalcommunicationwithotherpartsofil
theedifice.Andhere,some
sei
sixmonthsago,—pacingfromcornertocorner,o
orloungingonthelong-leggedstool,withhiselbowonthedesk,e
andhiseyeswanderingupe
anddownthecolumnsofthemorningnewspaper,—youpotuto
mighthaverecognized,honoredreader,thestesso
sameindividualwhowelcomedyouintohischeerypiccolo
littlestudy,wherethesunshineglimmeredsopleasantlyattraverso
throughthewillowbranches,onthewesternlato
sideoftheOldManse.Ma
Butnow,shouldyougothithertoseekhim,youwouldinquireinvainfortheLocofocoSurveyor.La
Thebesomofreformhasswepthimfuori
outofoffice;andaworthiersuccessorwearshisdignity,
e
andpocketshisemoluments.Thisold
città
townofSalem—mynativeplace,anche se
thoughIhavedweltmuchlontano
awayfromit,bothinboyhoodandmatureryears—possesses,o
ordidpossess,aholdonmyaffections,theforceofwhichIho
haveneverrealizedduringmyseasonsofactualresidencequi
here.Indeed,sofarasitsphysicalaspectisconcerned,withitsflat,unvariedsurface,coveredchieflywithwoodenhouses,few
o
ornoneofwhichpretendtoarchitecturalbeauty,—itsirregularity,che
whichisneitherpicturesquenorquaint,ma
butonlytame,—itslongandlazystrada
street,loungingwearisomelythroughthewholeextentofthepeninsula,withGallowsHille
andNewGuineaatoneend,e
andaviewofthealmshouseattheother,—suchbeingthefeaturesofmynativecittà
town,itwouldbequiteasreasonabletoformasentimentalattachmenttoadisarrangedchecker-board.Andyet,thoughinvariablyhappiestelsewhere,thereiswithinmeafeelingforoldSalem,
che
which,inlackofamigliore
betterphrase,Imustbecontenttochiamare
callaffection.Thesentimentis
probabilmente
probablyassignabletothedeepe
andagedrootswhichmyfamiglia
familyhasstruckintothesoil.Itisnownearly
due
twocenturiesandaquartersincetheoriginalBriton,theearliestemigrantofmynome
name,madehisappearanceinthewilde
andforest-borderedsettlement,whichhassincediventato
becomeacity.Andherehisdescendants
hanno
havebeenbornanddied,e
andhavemingledtheirearthysubstancewiththesoil;finché
untilnosmallportionofitdeve
mustnecessarilybeakintole
themortalframewherewith,forun
alittlewhile,Iwalkle
thestreets.Inpart,therefore,
la
theattachmentwhichIspeakofisla
themeresensuoussympathyofdustfordust.Pochi
Fewofmycountrymencansanno
knowwhatitis;nor,asfrequenttransplantationis
forse
perhapsbetterforthestock,needtheyconsideritdesirabletoknow.Ma
Butthesentimenthaslikewiseitsmoralquality.La
Thefigureofthatfirstancestor,investedbyfamilytraditionwithuna
adimandduskygrandeur,waspresenttomyboyishimagination,asfarbackasIcanricordare
remember.Itstillhauntsme,
e
andinducesasortofhome-feelingwithil
thepast,whichIscarcelyclaiminreferencetoil
thepresentphaseofthecittà
town.Iseemtohaveastrongerclaimtoaresidence
qui
hereonaccountofthisgrave,bearded,sable-cloakede
andsteeple-crownedprogenitor,—whocamesoearly,withhisBiblee
andhissword,andtrodetheunwornstrada
streetwithsuchastatelyport,e
andmadesolargeafigure,asauomo
manofwarandpeace,—astrongerclaimthanformyself,whosenome
nameisseldomheardandmyviso
facehardlyknown.Hewas
un
asoldier,legislator,judge;hewas
un
arulerintheChurch;he
aveva
hadallthePuritanictraits,bothgoodandevil.Hewaslikewiseabitterpersecutor,aswitness
i
theQuakers,whohaverememberedhimintheirhistories,e
andrelateanincidentofhishardseveritytowardsadonna
womanoftheirsect,whichwilllastlonger,itistobefeared,thanqualsiasi
anyrecordofhisbetterdeeds,althoughtheseweremolte
many.Hisson,too,inherited
il
thepersecutingspirit,andmadehimselfsoconspicuousinil
themartyrdomofthewitches,che
thattheirbloodmayfairlybedire
saidtohaveleftastainuponhim.Sodeep
una
astain,indeed,thathisolddrybones,inle
theCharterStreetburial-ground,mustancora
stillretainit,iftheyhavenotcrumbledutterlytodust!I
so
knownotwhethertheseancestorsofminebethoughtthemselvestorepent,e
andaskpardonofHeavenfortheircruelties;o
orwhethertheyarenowgroaningsotto
undertheheavyconsequencesofthem,inanotherstateofbeing.Atallevents,I,thepresentwriter,astheirrepresentative,herebytakeshameuponmyselffortheirsakes,
e
andpraythatanycurseincurredbythem—asIhavesentito
heard,andasthedrearye
andunprosperousconditionoftherace,formolti
manyalongyearback,essere
wouldarguetoexist—maybeora
nowandhenceforthremoved.Doubtless,however,eitherofthesestern
e
andblack-browedPuritanswouldhavepensato
thoughtitquiteasufficientretributionforhissins,che
that,aftersolongalapseofyears,thevecchio
oldtrunkofthefamilytree,withsomuchvenerablemossuponesso
it,shouldhaveborne,asitstopmostbough,anidlerlikemyself.Nessun
Noaim,thatIhaveevercherished,wouldtheyrecognizeaslaudable;nosuccessofmine—ifmy
vita
life,beyonditsdomesticscope,hadeverbeenbrightenedbysuccess—wouldtheydeemotherwisethanworthless,se
ifnotpositivelydisgraceful.“Whatishe?”
murmurs
un
onegrayshadowofmyforefatherstotheother.“Awriterofstory-books!
What
tipo
kindofabusinessinlife—whatmodeofglorifyingDio
God,orbeingserviceabletomankindinhisdaye
andgeneration—maythatbe?Why,
il
thedegeneratefellowmightaswellhavebeenun
afiddler!”Sucharethecomplimentsbandied
tra
betweenmygreat-grandsiresandmyself,acrossthegulfoftempo
time!Andyet,letthemscornmeastheywill,strongtraitsoftheirnaturehaveintertwinedthemselveswithmine.
Planteddeep,in
la
thetown’searliestinfancyandchildhood,bythesedue
twoearnestandenergeticmen,la
theracehaseversincesubsistedqui
here;always,too,inrespectability;
mai
never,sofarasIhaveso
known,disgracedbyasingleunworthymember;ma
butseldomornever,onle
theotherhand,afterthefirstdue
twogenerations,performinganymemorabledeed,o
orsomuchasputtingforwarduna
aclaimtopublicnotice.Gradually,theyhavesunk
quasi
almostoutofsight;asoldhouses,here
e
andthereaboutthestreets,getcoveredhalf-waytole
theeavesbytheaccumulationofnuovo
newsoil.Fromfatherto
figlio
son,foraboveahundredyears,theyseguito
followedthesea;agray-headedshipmaster,in
ogni
eachgeneration,retiringfromthequarter-decktothehomestead,mentre
whileaboyoffourteenprendeva
tookthehereditaryplacebeforethemast,confrontingthesaltspraye
andthegale,whichhadblusteredcontro
againsthissireandgrandsire.The
ragazzo
boy,also,induetime,passedfromtheforecastletothecabin,spentuna
atempestuousmanhood,andreturnedfromhisworld-wanderings,togrowold,e
anddie,andminglehisdustwiththenatalterra
earth.Thislongconnectionofa
famiglia
familywithonespot,asitsluogo
placeofbirthandburial,createsakindredtra
betweenthehumanbeingandla
thelocality,quiteindependentofqualsiasi
anycharminthesceneryo
ormoralcircumstancesthatsurroundlo
him.Itisnotlove,butinstinct.
Il
Thenewinhabitant—whocamehimselffromaforeignland,o
orwhosefatherorgrandfathercame—haslittleclaimtobechiamato
calledaSalemite;hehas
non
noconceptionoftheoyster-liketenacitywithwhichun
anoldsettler,overwhomhisthirdcenturyiscreeping,clingstothespotwherehissuccessivegenerationsha
havebeenimbedded.Itis
non
nomatterthattheplaceisjoylessforlui
him;thatheiswearyoftheoldwoodenhouses,themud
e
anddust,thedeadlevelofsitee
andsentiment,thechilleastwind,e
andthechillestofsocialatmospheres;—allthese,e
andwhateverfaultsbesideshemayvedere
seeorimagine,arenothingtothepurpose.Thespellsurvives,
e
andjustaspowerfullyasse
ifthenatalspotwereun
anearthlyparadise.Sohasitbeeninmy
caso
case.Ifeltitalmostas
un
adestinytomakeSalemmycasa
home;sothatthemouldoffeatures
e
andcastofcharacterwhichhadalllungo
alongbeenfamiliarhere,—ever,asun
onerepresentativeoftheracelaydowninhisgrave,anotherassuming,asitwere,hissentry-marchlungo
alongthemainstreet,—mightstillinmypiccolo
littledaybeseenandrecognizedintheoldcittà
town.Nevertheless,thisverysentimentisanevidencethat
il
theconnection,whichhasbecomeanunhealthyone,dovrebbe
shouldatlastbesevered.Humannature
viene
willnotflourish,anymorethanuna
apotato,ifitbeplantede
andreplanted,fortoolonguna
aseriesofgenerations,inthestesso
sameworn-outsoil.Mychildrenhavehad
altri
otherbirthplaces,and,sofarastheirfortunesmaybewithinmycontrollo
control,shallstriketheirrootsintounaccustomedterra
earth.OnemergingfromtheOldManse,itwaschiefly
questo
thisstrange,indolent,unjoyousattachmentformynativecittà
town,thatbroughtmetofillun
aplaceinUncleSam’sbrickedifice,quando
whenImightaswell,o
orbetter,havegonesomewhereelse.Mydoomwason
me
me.Itwasnotthe
prima
firsttime,northesecond,che
thatIhadgoneaway,—asitseemed,permanently,—butyettornato
returned,likethebadhalf-penny;o
orasifSalemwereformetheinevitablecentreoftheuniverse.So,
una
onefinemorning,Iascendedtheflightofgranitesteps,withthePresident’scommissioninmypocket,e
andwasintroducedtothecorpsofgentlemenche
whoweretoaidmeinmyweightyresponsibility,aschiefexecutiveofficeroftheCustom-House.Idoubtgreatly—or,rather,Idonotdoubtatall—whetheranypublicfunctionaryof
i
theUnitedStates,eitherini
thecivilormilitaryline,haseverhadsuchun
apatriarchalbodyofveteranssotto
underhisordersasmyself.La
ThewhereaboutsoftheOldestInhabitantwasatoncesettled,quando
whenIlookedatthem.Forupwardsoftwentyyearsbefore
questa
thisepoch,theindependentpositionoftheCollectorhadtenuto
kepttheSalemCustom-Houseoutofthewhirlpoolofpoliticalvicissitude,che
whichmakesthetenureofufficio
officegenerallysofragile.Asoldier,—NewEngland’s
più
mostdistinguishedsoldier,—hestoodfirmlyonil
thepedestalofhisgallantservices;e
and,himselfsecureinthewiseliberalityofthesuccessiveadministrationsattraverso
throughwhichhehadheldoffice,heaveva
hadbeenthesafetyofhissubordinatesinmolte
manyanhourofdangere
andheart-quake.GeneralMillerwasradicallyconservative;
un
amanoverwhosekindlynaturehabitaveva
hadnoslightinfluence;attachinghimselfstronglytofamiliarfaces,
e
andwithdifficultymovedtocambiare
change,evenwhenchangemightavrebbe
havebroughtunquestionableimprovement.Thus,on
presi
takingchargeofmydepartment,Itrovai
foundfewbutagedmen.Theywereancientsea-captains,forthe
maggior parte
mostpart,who,afterbeingtostonogni
everysea,andstandingupsturdilycontro
againstlife’stempestuousblasts,hadfinallydriftedintoquesto
thisquietnook;where,with
poco
littletodisturbthem,excepti
theperiodicalterrorsofaPresidentialelection,theyonee
andallacquiredanewleaseofexistence.Thoughby
non
nomeanslessliablethantheirfellow-mentoagee
andinfirmity,theyhadevidentlysometalismano
orotherthatkeptdeathatbay.Due
Twoorthreeoftheirnumero
number,asIwasassured,beinggoutye
andrheumatic,orperhapsbedridden,neverdreamedoffare
makingtheirappearanceattheCustom-House,duringuna
alargepartoftheyear;ma
but,afteratorpidwinter,sarebbe
wouldcreepoutintothewarmsunshineofMaggio
MayorJune,golazilysu
aboutwhattheytermedduty,e
and,attheirownleisuree
andconvenience,betakethemselvestoletto
bedagain.Imustpleadguiltyto
il
thechargeofabbreviatingtheofficialbreathofpiù
morethanoneofthesevenerableservantsofil
therepublic.Theywereallowed,onmyrepresentation,to
riposare
restfromtheirarduouslabors,e
andsoonafterwards—asiftheirsoleprincipleofvita
lifehadbeenzealfortheircountry’sservice,asIverilycredo
believeitwas—withdrewtoamigliore
betterworld.Itisapiousconsolationto
me
me,that,throughmyinterference,una
asufficientspacewasallowedthemforrepentanceoftheevile
andcorruptpracticesintowhich,asuna
amatterofcourse,everyCustom-Houseofficerdeve
mustbesupposedtofall.Neither
il
thefrontnorthebackentranceofil
theCustom-HouseopensontheroadtoParadise.La
ThegreaterpartofmyofficerswereWhigs.Itwas
bene
wellfortheirvenerablebrotherhoodche
thatthenewSurveyorwasnotun
apolitician,andthoughafaithfulDemocratinprinciple,neitherreceivednortenne
heldhisofficewithanyreferencetopoliticalservices.Avrebbe
Haditbeenotherwise,—hadanactivepoliticianbeenmesso
putintothisinfluentialpost,toassumethefacile
easytaskofmakingheadagainstaWhigCollector,whoseinfirmitieswithheldhimfromthepersonaladministrationofhisoffice,—hardlyauomo
manoftheoldcorpswouldavrebbe
havedrawnthebreathofofficialvita
life,withinamonthaftertheexterminatingangelavrebbe
hadcomeuptheCustom-Housesteps.Accordingto
il
thereceivedcodeinsuchmatters,itwouldhavebeennothingshortofduty,inapolitician,toportare
bringeveryoneofthosewhiteheadssotto
undertheaxeoftheguillotine.Itwasplain
abbastanza
enoughtodiscern,thattheoldfellowsdreadedsometale
suchdiscourtesyatmyhands.Itpained,
e
andatthesametimeamusedmi
me,tobeholdtheterrorsche
thatattendedmyadvent;to
vedere
seeafurrowedcheek,weather-beatenbymezzo
halfacenturyofstorm,turnashypaleattheglanceofsoharmlessanindividualasmyself;todetect,asone
o
oranotheraddressedme,thetremorofavoice,che
which,inlong-pastdays,hadbeenwonttobellowattraverso
throughaspeaking-trumpet,hoarselyenoughtofrightenBoreashimselftosilence.They
sapevano
knew,theseexcellentoldpersons,that,byallestablishedrule,—and,asregardedalcuni
someofthem,weighedbytheirownlackofefficiencyforbusiness,—theyoughttoavrebbero
havegivenplacetoyoungermen,più
moreorthodoxinpolitics,andaltogetherfitterthanthemselvestoserveourcommonZio
Uncle.Iknewittoo,
ma
butcouldneverquitefindinmycuore
hearttoactupontheknowledge.Much
e
anddeservedlytomyowndiscredit,therefore,e
andconsiderablytothedetrimentofmyofficialconscience,theycontinued,duringmyincumbency,tocreepsu
aboutthewharves,andloiterupe
anddowntheCustom-Housesteps.Theyspent
una
agooddealoftime,also,asleepintheiraccustomedcorners,withtheirchairstiltedbackcontro
againstthewall;awaking,however,once
o
ortwiceinaforenoon,toboreoneanotherwithla
theseveralthousandthrepetitionofoldsea-stories,e
andmouldyjokes,thathadgrowntobepasswordse
andcountersignsamongthem.Thediscoverywas
presto
soonmade,Iimagine,thatthenuovo
newSurveyorhadnogreatharminlui
him.So,withlightsomehearts,
e
andthehappyconsciousnessofbeingusefullyemployed,—intheirownbehalf,atalmeno
least,ifnotforourbelovedcountry,—thesegoodoldgentlemenwentthroughthevariousformalitiesofoffice.Sagaciously,
sotto
undertheirspectacles,didtheypeepintoi
theholdsofvessels!Mightywastheirfussaboutlittlematters,
e
andmarvellous,sometimes,theobtusenessche
thatallowedgreateronestosliptra
betweentheirfingers!Wheneversuchamischanceoccurred,—whenawagon-loadofvaluablemerchandise
hanno
hadbeensmuggledashore,atnoonday,forse
perhaps,anddirectlybeneaththeirunsuspiciousnoses,—nothingcouldexceedthevigilancee
andalacritywithwhichtheyproceededtolock,e
anddouble-lock,andsecurewithtapee
andsealing-wax,alltheavenuesofthedelinquentvessel.Insteadofareprimandfortheirpreviousnegligence,the
caso
caseseemedrathertorequireaneulogiumontheirpraiseworthycaution,dopo
afterthemischiefhadhappened;un
agratefulrecognitionofthepromptitudeoftheirzeal,il
themomentthattherewasnon
nolongeranyremedy.Unless
persone
peoplearemorethancommonlydisagreeable,itismyfoolishhabittocontractuna
akindnessforthem.The
migliore
betterpartofmycompanion’scharacter,se
ifithaveabetterparte
part,isthatwhichusuallyviene
comesuppermostinmyregard,e
andformsthetypewherebyIrecognizetheman.As
maggior parte
mostoftheseoldCustom-Houseofficersavevano
hadgoodtraits,andasmypositioninreferencetoloro
them,beingpaternalandprotective,wasfavorabletola
thegrowthoffriendlysentiments,Ipresto
soongrewtolikethemtutti
all.Itwaspleasant,inthesummerforenoons,—whentheferventheat,
che
thatalmostliquefiedtherestofthehumanfamiglia
family,merelycommunicatedagenialwarmthtotheirhalf-torpidsystems,—itwaspleasanttohearthemchattingintheposteriore
backentry,arowofthemtutti
alltippedagainstthewall,asusual;mentre
whilethefrozenwitticismsofpastgenerationswerethawedout,e
andcamebubblingwithlaughterfromtheirlips.Externally,
la
thejollityofagedmenha
hasmuchincommonwithla
themirthofchildren;theintellect,anymore
che
thanadeepsenseofhumor,ha
haslittletodowithla
thematter;itis,with
entrambi
both,agleamthatplaysuponthesurface,e
andimpartsasunnyandcheeryaspectaliketothegreenbranch,e
andgray,moulderingtrunk.In
un
onecase,however,itisvero
realsunshine;intheother,itmoreresemblesthephosphorescentglowofdecayingwood.
It
sarebbe
wouldbesadinjustice,thereaderdeve
mustunderstand,torepresentallmyexcellentoldfriendsasintheirdotage.In
i
thefirstplace,mycoadjutorswerenotinvariablyold;thereweremenamongthemintheirstrength
e
andprime,ofmarkedabilitye
andenergy,andaltogethersuperiortole
thesluggishanddependentmodeofvita
lifeonwhichtheirevilstarsavevano
hadcastthem.Then,moreover,thewhitelocksofagewere
talvolta
sometimesfoundtobethethatchofun
anintellectualtenementingoodrepair.Ma
But,asrespectsthemajorityofmycorpsofveterans,ci
therewillbenowrongfatto
done,ifIcharacterizethemgenerallyasun
asetofwearisomeoldsouls,che
whohadgatherednothingworthpreservationfromtheirvariedexperienceofvita
life.Theyseemedtohaveflungaway
tutto
allthegoldengrainofpracticalwisdom,che
whichtheyhadenjoyedsomanyopportunitiesofharvesting,e
andmostcarefullytohavestoredtheirmemorieswiththehusks.They
parlavano
spokewithfarmoreintereste
andunctionoftheirmorning’sbreakfast,o
oryesterday’s,to-day’s,orto-morrow’scena
dinner,thanoftheshipwreckoffortyo
orfiftyyearsago,andtutte
alltheworld’swonderswhichtheyhadwitnessedwiththeiryouthfuleyes.Il
ThefatheroftheCustom-House—thepatriarch,notsolo
onlyofthislittlesquadofofficials,ma
but,Iamboldtodire
say,oftherespectablebodyoftide-waiterstutti
allovertheUnitedStates—wasun
acertainpermanentInspector.He
potrebbe
mighttrulybetermedalegitimatefiglio
sonoftherevenuesystem,dyedinthewool,o
or,rather,borninthepurple;sincehissire,aRevolutionarycolonel,
e
andformerlycollectoroftheport,aveva
hadcreatedanofficeforhim,e
andappointedhimtofillit,ataperiodoftheearlyagesche
whichfewlivingmencanora
nowremember.ThisInspector,whenI
prima
firstknewhim,wasauomo
manoffourscoreyears,orthereabouts,e
andcertainlyoneofthepiù
mostwonderfulspecimensofwinter-greenche
thatyouwouldbelikelytodiscoverinalifetime’ssearch.Withhisfloridcheek,hiscompactfigure,smartlyarrayedinabright-buttonedbluecoat,hisbrisk
e
andvigorousstep,andhishalee
andheartyaspect,altogetherheseemed—notgiovane
young,indeed—butakindofnuovo
newcontrivanceofMotherNatureintheshapeofman,whomagee
andinfirmityhadnobusinesstotouch.Hisvoice
e
andlaugh,whichperpetuallyre-echoedattraverso
throughtheCustom-House,hadnothingofla
thetremulousquaverandcackleofun
anoldman’sutterance;theycamestrutting
uscivano
outofhislungs,likeil
thecrowofacock,o
ortheblastofaclarion.Guardare
Lookingathimmerelyasananimal,—andtherewasverypoco
littleelsetolookat,—hewasamostsatisfactoryobject,fromle
thethoroughhealthfulnessandwholesomenessofhissystem,e
andhiscapacity,atthatextremeage,toenjoytutte
all,ornearlyall,thedelightswhichheaveva
hadeveraimedat,orconceivedof.Thecarelesssecurityofhis
vita
lifeintheCustom-House,onun
aregularincome,andwithma
butslightandinfrequentapprehensionsofremoval,aveva
hadnodoubtcontributedtofare
maketimepasslightlyoverlui
him.Theoriginalandmorepotentcauses,however,layin
le
therareperfectionofhisanimalnature,le
themoderateproportionofintellect,e
andtheverytriflingadmixtureofmorale
andspiritualingredients;theselatterqualities,indeed,beinginbarely
sufficiente
enoughmeasuretokeepthevecchio
oldgentlemanfromwalkingonall-fours.Hepossessed
non
nopowerofthought,nodepthoffeeling,non
notroublesomesensibilities;nothing,inshort,
ma
butafewcommonplaceinstincts,which,aidedbyil
thecheerfultemperthatgrewinevitablyoutofhisphysicalwell-being,facevano
diddutyveryrespectably,andtogeneralacceptance,inlieuofun
aheart.Hehadbeen
il
thehusbandofthreewives,tutte
alllongsincedead;the
padre
fatheroftwentychildren,mostofwhom,atogni
everyageofchildhoodormaturity,hadlikewisetornati
returnedtodust.Here,onewouldsuppose,
potrebbe
mighthavebeensorrowenoughtoimbuethesunniestdisposition,attraverso
throughandthrough,withasabletinge.Notsowithour
vecchio
oldInspector!Onebriefsighsufficedtocarry
via
offtheentireburdenofthesedismalreminiscences.Thenext
momento
moment,hewasasreadyforsportasqualsiasi
anyunbreechedinfant;farreadierthantheCollector’sjuniorclerk,who,atnineteenyears,wasmuchtheelder
e
andgravermanofthedue
two.Iusedtowatch
e
andstudythispatriarchalpersonagewith,Ithink,liveliercuriosity,thanqualsiasi
anyotherformofhumanitytherepresentedtomynotice.Hewas,in
verità
truth,ararephenomenon;so
perfetto
perfect,inonepointofview;soshallow,sodelusive,soimpalpable,
tale
suchanabsolutenonentity,inogni
everyother.Myconclusionwas
che
thathehadnosoul,non
noheart,nomind;