×

Select Store

Dowload from Google Play Dowload from the App Store

Scan with Camera

Dowload via QR Code
The Scarlet Letter | Progressive Translation Books for Italian A1 Learners

The Scarlet Letter | Progressive Translation Books for Italian A1 Learners

Unlock the potential of this modern translation approach, designed to enhance your language learning experience. By allowing you to choose your difficulty level, it guarantees a personalized challenge that's suited to your progress. This method promotes comprehension by encouraging you to infer the meaning of new words from context, rather than relying heavily on direct translations. Though some translations are obscured to stimulate guessing, it's perfectly fine to consult a dictionary when needed. This technique combines challenge and support, making language learning fun and effective. Explore these translated classics to enjoy literature while advancing your language skills.

THECUSTOM-HOUSE.
INTRODUCTORYTO“THESCARLETLETTER.”
tis
un
alittleremarkable,that—thoughdisinclinedto
parlare
talkovermuchofmyselfandmyaffairsatthefireside,
e
andtomypersonalfriends—anautobiographicalimpulseshouldtwiceinmy
vita
lifehavetakenpossessionof
me
me,inaddressingthepublic.
The
prima
firsttimewasthreeor
quattro
fouryearssince,whenIfavoredthereader—inexcusably,
e
andfornoearthlyreason,
che
thateithertheindulgentreaderortheintrusiveauthorcouldimagine—withadescriptionofmy
modo
wayoflifeinthedeepquietudeofan
Vecchio
OldManse.
Andnow—because,beyondmydeserts,Iwas
felice
happyenoughtofindalistener
o
ortwoontheformeroccasion—I
di nuovo
againseizethepublicby
il
thebutton,andtalkofmy
tre
threeyears’experienceinaCustom-House.
Theexampleofthefamous“P.P.,Clerkof
questa
thisParish,”wasnevermorefaithfully
seguito
followed.
Thetruthseemstobe,however,that,
quando
whenhecastshisleavesforthuponthewind,theauthoraddresses,notthe
molti
manywhowillflingasidehisvolume,
o
ornevertakeitup,
ma
butthefewwhowill
capiranno
understandhim,betterthanmostofhisschoolmates
o
orlifemates.
Someauthors,indeed,
fanno
dofarmorethanthis,
e
andindulgethemselvesinsuchconfidentialdepthsofrevelationascouldfittinglybeaddressed,
solo
onlyandexclusively,totheone
cuore
heartandmindofperfectsympathy;
as
se
iftheprintedbook,thrownatlargeon
il
thewideworld,werecertaintofindout
il
thedividedsegmentofthewriter’sownnature,
e
andcompletehiscircleofexistencebybringinghimintocommunionwith
esso
it.
Itisscarcelydecorous,however,to
parlare
speakall,evenwherewe
parlare
speakimpersonally.
But,asthoughtsarefrozen
e
andutterancebenumbed,unlessthespeaker
stia
standinsometruerelationwithhisaudience,itmaybepardonabletoimagine
che
thatafriend,akind
e
andapprehensive,thoughnottheclosest
amico
friend,islisteningtoourtalk;
e
andthen,anativereservebeingthawedby
questa
thisgenialconsciousness,wemayprateof
il
thecircumstancesthatliearoundus,
e
andevenofourself,but
ancora
stillkeeptheinmostMe
dietro
behinditsveil.
Tothisextent,
e
andwithintheselimits,anauthor,methinks,maybeautobiographical,
senza
withoutviolatingeitherthereader’srightsorhisown.
It
sia
willbeseen,likewise,that
questo
thisCustom-Housesketchhasacertainpropriety,ofa
tipo
kindalwaysrecognizedinliterature,asexplaininghowalargeportionofthefollowingpagescameintomypossession,
e
andasofferingproofsoftheauthenticityofanarrativethereincontained.
Questo
This,infact,—adesiretoputmyselfinmytruepositionaseditor,
o
orverylittlemore,ofthemostprolixamongthetales
che
thatmakeupmyvolume,—this,
e
andnoother,ismytrue
ragione
reasonforassumingapersonalrelationwiththepublic.
Inaccomplishing
i
themainpurpose,ithasappearedallowable,byafewextra
tocco
touches,togiveafaintrepresentationofamodeof
vita
lifenotheretoforedescribed,togetherwithsomeof
i
thecharactersthatmoveinit,amongwhom
i
theauthorhappenedtomakeone.
Inmynative
città
townofSalem,atthe
testa
headofwhat,halfacentury
fa
ago,inthedaysof
vecchio
oldKingDerby,wasabustlingwharf,—but
che
whichisnowburdenedwithdecayedwoodenwarehouses,
e
andexhibitsfewornosymptomsofcommercial
vita
life;
except,perhaps,abark
o
orbrig,half-waydownitsmelancholylength,discharginghides;
o
or,nearerathand,aNovaScotiaschooner,pitchingouthercargooffirewood,—atthe
testa
head,Isay,ofthisdilapidatedwharf,whichthetideoftenoverflows,
e
andalongwhich,atthebase
e
andintherearoftherowofbuildings,thetrackof
molti
manylanguidyearsisseeninaborderofunthriftygrass,—here,withaviewfromitsfrontwindowsadownthisnotveryenliveningprospect,
e
andthenceacrosstheharbor,standsaspaciousedificeofbrick.
From
la
theloftiestpointofitsroof,duringprecisely
tre
threeandahalfhoursof
ogni
eachforenoon,floatsordroops,inbreeze
o
orcalm,thebannerof
la
therepublic;
butwiththethirteenstripes
girate
turnedvertically,insteadofhorizontally,
e
andthusindicatingthatacivil,
e
andnotamilitarypostof
Zio
UncleSam’sgovernmentishereestablished.
Itsfrontisornamentedwithaporticoofhalfadozenwoodenpillars,supportingabalcony,beneathwhichaflightofwidegranitestepsdescendstowardsthe
strada
street.
Overtheentrancehoversanenormousspecimenof
le
theAmericaneagle,withoutspreadwings,ashieldbeforeherbreast,
e
and,ifIrecollectaright,abunchofintermingledthunderbolts
e
andbarbedarrowsineachclaw.
Withthecustomaryinfirmityoftemper
che
thatcharacterizesthisunhappyfowl,sheappears,bythefiercenessofherbeak
e
andeye,andthegeneraltruculencyofherattitude,tothreatenmischieftotheinoffensivecommunity;
e
andespeciallytowarnallcitizens,carefuloftheirsafety,
contro
againstintrudingonthepremises
che
whichsheovershadowswithherwings.
Nevertheless,vixenlyasshe
cercando
looks,manypeopleareseeking,at
questo
thisverymoment,toshelterthemselves
sotto
underthewingofthefederaleagle;
imagining,Ipresume,
che
thatherbosomhasallthesoftness
e
andsnugnessofaneider-downpillow.
Ma
Butshehasnogreattenderness,eveninherbestofmoods,
e
and,soonerorlater,—oftenersoon
che
thanlate,—isapttofling
via
offhernestlings,withascratchofherclaw,adabofherbeak,
o
oraranklingwoundfromherbarbedarrows.
Thepavementroundabouttheabove-describededifice—whichwemayaswellnameatonceastheCustom-Houseoftheport—hasgrass
abbastanza
enoughgrowinginitschinksto
mostrare
showthatithasnot,oflatedays,beenwornbyanymultitudinousresortof
affari
business.
Insomemonthsof
la
theyear,however,thereoftenchances
un
aforenoonwhenaffairsmoveonwardwith
un
aliveliertread.
Suchoccasions
potrebbero
mightremindtheelderlycitizenofthatperiod
prima
beforethelastwarwithEngland,
quando
whenSalemwasaportbyitself;
notscorned,assheis
ora
now,byherownmerchants
e
andship-owners,whopermitherwharvestocrumbletoruin,
mentre
whiletheirventuresgotoswell,needlessly
e
andimperceptibly,themightyfloodofcommerceatNewYork
o
orBoston.
Onsomesuch
mattina
morning,whenthreeorfourvesselshappentohavearrivedatonce,—usuallyfromAfrica
o
orSouthAmerica,—ortobeonthevergeoftheirdeparturethitherward,thereis
una
asoundoffrequentfeet,passingbrisklyup
e
anddownthegranitesteps.
Qui
Here,beforehisownwife
abbia
hasgreetedhim,youmaygreetthesea-flushedshipmaster,
appena
justinport,withhisvessel’spapers
sotto
underhisarm,inatarnishedtinbox.
Qui
Here,too,comeshisowner,cheerful
o
orsombre,graciousorin
il
thesulks,accordinglyashisschemeof
il
thenowaccomplishedvoyagehasbeenrealizedinmerchandise
che
thatwillreadilybeturnedtogold,
o
orhasburiedhimunder
un
abulkofincommodities,suchas
nessuno
nobodywillcaretoridhimof.
Qui
Here,likewise,—thegermofthewrinkle-browed,grizzly-bearded,care-wornmerchant,—wehavethesmart
giovane
youngclerk,whogetsthetasteoftrafficas
un
awolf-cubdoesofblood,
e
andalreadysendsadventuresinhismaster’sships,
quando
whenhehadbetterbesailingmimic-boatsupon
un
amill-pond.
Anotherfigurein
il
thesceneistheoutward-boundsailorinquestof
un
aprotection;
ortherecentlyarrivedone,pale
e
andfeeble,seekingapassporttothehospital.
Nor
dobbiamo
mustweforgetthecaptainsof
i
therustylittleschoonersthat
portano
bringfirewoodfromtheBritishprovinces;
arough-looking
set
setoftarpaulins,withoutthealertnessof
la
theYankeeaspect,butcontributinganitemof
non
noslightimportancetoourdecayingtrade.
Cluster
tutti
alltheseindividualstogether,asthey
a volte
sometimeswere,withothermiscellaneousonestodiversifythegroup,
e
and,forthetimebeing,it
fatto
madetheCustom-Houseastirringscene.
Più
Morefrequently,however,onascendingthesteps,youwoulddiscern—intheentry,
se
ifitweresummertime,
o
orintheirappropriaterooms,
se
ifwintryorinclementweather—arowofvenerablefigures,sittinginold-fashionedchairs,
che
whichweretippedontheirhindlegsback
contro
againstthewall.
Oftentimestheywereasleep,
ma
butoccasionallymightbeheardtalking
insieme
together,invoicesbetweenspeech
e
andasnore,andwiththatlackofenergythatdistinguishestheoccupantsofalmshouses,
e
andallotherhumanbeingswhodependforsubsistenceoncharity,onmonopolizedlabor,
o
oranythingelse,buttheirownindependentexertions.
Theseoldgentlemen—seated,
come
likeMatthew,atthereceiptofcustoms,
ma
butnotveryliabletobesummonedthence,
come
likehim,forapostolicerrands—wereCustom-Houseofficers.
Furthermore,onthelefthandasyouenterthefront
porta
door,isacertainroom
o
oroffice,aboutfifteenfeetsquare,
e
andofaloftyheight;
with
due
twoofitsarchedwindowscommanding
una
aviewoftheaforesaiddilapidatedwharf,
e
andthethirdlookingacross
una
anarrowlane,andalong
una
aportionofDerbyStreet.
Tutti
Allthreegiveglimpsesoftheshopsofgrocers,block-makers,slop-sellers,
e
andship-chandlers;
aroundthedoorsof
cui
whicharegenerallytobe
vedere
seen,laughingandgossiping,clustersofoldsalts,
e
andsuchotherwharf-ratsashaunt
il
theWappingofaseaport.
La
Theroomitselfiscobwebbed,
e
anddingywitholdpaint;
itsfloorisstrewnwithgraysand,in
un
afashionthathaselsewhere
caduto
fallenintolongdisuse;
anditis
facile
easytoconclude,fromthegeneralslovenlinessofthe
luogo
place,thatthisisasanctuaryintowhichwomankind,withhertoolsofmagic,thebroom
e
andmop,hasveryinfrequentaccess.
In
i
thewayoffurniture,thereisastovewithavoluminousfunnel;
anoldpinedesk,
di
withathree-leggedstoolbesideit;
due
twoorthreewooden-bottomchairs,exceedinglydecrepit
e
andinfirm;
and—nottoforget
la
thelibrary—onsomeshelves,ascore
o
ortwoofvolumesof
la
theActsofCongress,andabulkyDigestof
la
theRevenueLaws.
Atinpipeascends
attraverso
throughtheceiling,andforms
un
amediumofvocalcommunicationwithotherpartsof
il
theedifice.
Andhere,some
sei
sixmonthsago,—pacingfromcornertocorner,
o
orloungingonthelong-leggedstool,withhiselbowonthedesk,
e
andhiseyeswanderingup
e
anddownthecolumnsofthemorningnewspaper,—you
potuto
mighthaverecognized,honoredreader,the
stesso
sameindividualwhowelcomedyouintohischeery
piccolo
littlestudy,wherethesunshineglimmeredsopleasantly
attraverso
throughthewillowbranches,onthewestern
lato
sideoftheOldManse.
Ma
Butnow,shouldyougothithertoseekhim,youwouldinquireinvainfortheLocofocoSurveyor.
La
Thebesomofreformhasswepthim
fuori
outofoffice;
andaworthiersuccessorwearshisdignity,
e
andpocketshisemoluments.
Thisold
città
townofSalem—mynativeplace,
anche se
thoughIhavedweltmuch
lontano
awayfromit,bothinboyhoodandmatureryears—possesses,
o
ordidpossess,aholdonmyaffections,theforceofwhichI
ho
haveneverrealizedduringmyseasonsofactualresidence
qui
here.
Indeed,sofarasitsphysicalaspectisconcerned,withitsflat,unvariedsurface,coveredchieflywithwoodenhouses,few
o
ornoneofwhichpretendtoarchitecturalbeauty,—itsirregularity,
che
whichisneitherpicturesquenorquaint,
ma
butonlytame,—itslongandlazy
strada
street,loungingwearisomelythroughthewholeextentofthepeninsula,withGallowsHill
e
andNewGuineaatoneend,
e
andaviewofthealmshouseattheother,—suchbeingthefeaturesofmynative
città
town,itwouldbequiteasreasonabletoformasentimentalattachmenttoadisarrangedchecker-board.
Andyet,thoughinvariablyhappiestelsewhere,thereiswithinmeafeelingforoldSalem,
che
which,inlackofa
migliore
betterphrase,Imustbecontentto
chiamare
callaffection.
Thesentimentis
probabilmente
probablyassignabletothedeep
e
andagedrootswhichmy
famiglia
familyhasstruckintothesoil.
Itisnownearly
due
twocenturiesandaquartersincetheoriginalBriton,theearliestemigrantofmy
nome
name,madehisappearanceinthewild
e
andforest-borderedsettlement,whichhassince
diventato
becomeacity.
Andherehisdescendants
hanno
havebeenbornanddied,
e
andhavemingledtheirearthysubstancewiththesoil;
finché
untilnosmallportionofit
deve
mustnecessarilybeakinto
le
themortalframewherewith,for
un
alittlewhile,Iwalk
le
thestreets.
Inpart,therefore,
la
theattachmentwhichIspeakofis
la
themeresensuoussympathyofdustfordust.
Pochi
Fewofmycountrymencan
sanno
knowwhatitis;
nor,asfrequenttransplantationis
forse
perhapsbetterforthestock,needtheyconsideritdesirabletoknow.
Ma
Butthesentimenthaslikewiseitsmoralquality.
La
Thefigureofthatfirstancestor,investedbyfamilytraditionwith
una
adimandduskygrandeur,waspresenttomyboyishimagination,asfarbackasIcan
ricordare
remember.
Itstillhauntsme,
e
andinducesasortofhome-feelingwith
il
thepast,whichIscarcelyclaiminreferenceto
il
thepresentphaseofthe
città
town.
Iseemtohaveastrongerclaimtoaresidence
qui
hereonaccountofthisgrave,bearded,sable-cloaked
e
andsteeple-crownedprogenitor,—whocamesoearly,withhisBible
e
andhissword,andtrodetheunworn
strada
streetwithsuchastatelyport,
e
andmadesolargeafigure,asa
uomo
manofwarandpeace,—astrongerclaimthanformyself,whose
nome
nameisseldomheardandmy
viso
facehardlyknown.
Hewas
un
asoldier,legislator,judge;
hewas
un
arulerintheChurch;
he
aveva
hadallthePuritanictraits,bothgoodandevil.
Hewaslikewiseabitterpersecutor,aswitness
i
theQuakers,whohaverememberedhimintheirhistories,
e
andrelateanincidentofhishardseveritytowardsa
donna
womanoftheirsect,whichwilllastlonger,itistobefeared,than
qualsiasi
anyrecordofhisbetterdeeds,althoughthesewere
molte
many.
Hisson,too,inherited
il
thepersecutingspirit,andmadehimselfsoconspicuousin
il
themartyrdomofthewitches,
che
thattheirbloodmayfairlybe
dire
saidtohaveleftastainuponhim.
Sodeep
una
astain,indeed,thathisolddrybones,in
le
theCharterStreetburial-ground,must
ancora
stillretainit,iftheyhavenotcrumbledutterlytodust!
I
so
knownotwhethertheseancestorsofminebethoughtthemselvestorepent,
e
andaskpardonofHeavenfortheircruelties;
o
orwhethertheyarenowgroaning
sotto
undertheheavyconsequencesofthem,inanotherstateofbeing.
Atallevents,I,thepresentwriter,astheirrepresentative,herebytakeshameuponmyselffortheirsakes,
e
andpraythatanycurseincurredbythem—asIhave
sentito
heard,andasthedreary
e
andunprosperousconditionoftherace,for
molti
manyalongyearback,
essere
wouldarguetoexist—maybe
ora
nowandhenceforthremoved.
Doubtless,however,eitherofthesestern
e
andblack-browedPuritanswouldhave
pensato
thoughtitquiteasufficientretributionforhissins,
che
that,aftersolongalapseofyears,the
vecchio
oldtrunkofthefamilytree,withsomuchvenerablemossupon
esso
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—whatmodeofglorifying
Dio
God,orbeingserviceabletomankindinhisday
e
andgeneration—maythatbe?
Why,
il
thedegeneratefellowmightaswellhavebeen
un
afiddler!”
Sucharethecomplimentsbandied
tra
betweenmygreat-grandsiresandmyself,acrossthegulfof
tempo
time!
Andyet,letthemscornmeastheywill,strongtraitsoftheirnaturehaveintertwinedthemselveswithmine.
Planteddeep,in
la
thetown’searliestinfancyandchildhood,bythese
due
twoearnestandenergeticmen,
la
theracehaseversincesubsisted
qui
here;
always,too,inrespectability;
mai
never,sofarasIhave
so
known,disgracedbyasingleunworthymember;
ma
butseldomornever,on
le
theotherhand,afterthefirst
due
twogenerations,performinganymemorabledeed,
o
orsomuchasputtingforward
una
aclaimtopublicnotice.
Gradually,theyhavesunk
quasi
almostoutofsight;
asoldhouses,here
e
andthereaboutthestreets,getcoveredhalf-wayto
le
theeavesbytheaccumulationof
nuovo
newsoil.
Fromfatherto
figlio
son,foraboveahundredyears,they
seguito
followedthesea;
agray-headedshipmaster,in
ogni
eachgeneration,retiringfromthequarter-decktothehomestead,
mentre
whileaboyoffourteen
prendeva
tookthehereditaryplacebeforethemast,confrontingthesaltspray
e
andthegale,whichhadblustered
contro
againsthissireandgrandsire.
The
ragazzo
boy,also,induetime,passedfromtheforecastletothecabin,spent
una
atempestuousmanhood,andreturnedfromhisworld-wanderings,togrowold,
e
anddie,andminglehisdustwiththenatal
terra
earth.
Thislongconnectionofa
famiglia
familywithonespot,asits
luogo
placeofbirthandburial,createsakindred
tra
betweenthehumanbeingand
la
thelocality,quiteindependentof
qualsiasi
anycharminthescenery
o
ormoralcircumstancesthatsurround
lo
him.
Itisnotlove,butinstinct.
Il
Thenewinhabitant—whocamehimselffromaforeignland,
o
orwhosefatherorgrandfathercame—haslittleclaimtobe
chiamato
calledaSalemite;
hehas
non
noconceptionoftheoyster-liketenacitywithwhich
un
anoldsettler,overwhomhisthirdcenturyiscreeping,clingstothespotwherehissuccessivegenerations
ha
havebeenimbedded.
Itis
non
nomatterthattheplaceisjoylessfor
lui
him;
thatheiswearyoftheoldwoodenhouses,themud
e
anddust,thedeadlevelofsite
e
andsentiment,thechilleastwind,
e
andthechillestofsocialatmospheres;—allthese,
e
andwhateverfaultsbesideshemay
vedere
seeorimagine,arenothingtothepurpose.
Thespellsurvives,
e
andjustaspowerfullyas
se
ifthenatalspotwere
un
anearthlyparadise.
Sohasitbeeninmy
caso
case.
Ifeltitalmostas
un
adestinytomakeSalemmy
casa
home;
sothatthemouldoffeatures
e
andcastofcharacterwhichhadall
lungo
alongbeenfamiliarhere,—ever,as
un
onerepresentativeoftheracelaydowninhisgrave,anotherassuming,asitwere,hissentry-march
lungo
alongthemainstreet,—mightstillinmy
piccolo
littledaybeseenandrecognizedintheold
città
town.
Nevertheless,thisverysentimentisanevidencethat
il
theconnection,whichhasbecomeanunhealthyone,
dovrebbe
shouldatlastbesevered.
Humannature
viene
willnotflourish,anymorethan
una
apotato,ifitbeplanted
e
andreplanted,fortoolong
una
aseriesofgenerations,inthe
stesso
sameworn-outsoil.
Mychildrenhavehad
altri
otherbirthplaces,and,sofarastheirfortunesmaybewithinmy
controllo
control,shallstriketheirrootsintounaccustomed
terra
earth.
OnemergingfromtheOldManse,itwaschiefly
questo
thisstrange,indolent,unjoyousattachmentformynative
città
town,thatbroughtmetofill
un
aplaceinUncleSam’sbrickedifice,
quando
whenImightaswell,
o
orbetter,havegonesomewhereelse.
Mydoomwason
me
me.
Itwasnotthe
prima
firsttime,northesecond,
che
thatIhadgoneaway,—asitseemed,permanently,—butyet
tornato
returned,likethebadhalf-penny;
o
orasifSalemwereformetheinevitablecentreoftheuniverse.
So,
una
onefinemorning,Iascendedtheflightofgranitesteps,withthePresident’scommissioninmypocket,
e
andwasintroducedtothecorpsofgentlemen
che
whoweretoaidmeinmyweightyresponsibility,aschiefexecutiveofficeroftheCustom-House.
Idoubtgreatly—or,rather,Idonotdoubtatall—whetheranypublicfunctionaryof
i
theUnitedStates,eitherin
i
thecivilormilitaryline,haseverhadsuch
un
apatriarchalbodyofveterans
sotto
underhisordersasmyself.
La
ThewhereaboutsoftheOldestInhabitantwasatoncesettled,
quando
whenIlookedatthem.
Forupwardsoftwentyyearsbefore
questa
thisepoch,theindependentpositionoftheCollectorhad
tenuto
kepttheSalemCustom-Houseoutofthewhirlpoolofpoliticalvicissitude,
che
whichmakesthetenureof
ufficio
officegenerallysofragile.
Asoldier,—NewEngland’s
più
mostdistinguishedsoldier,—hestoodfirmlyon
il
thepedestalofhisgallantservices;
e
and,himselfsecureinthewiseliberalityofthesuccessiveadministrations
attraverso
throughwhichhehadheldoffice,he
aveva
hadbeenthesafetyofhissubordinatesin
molte
manyanhourofdanger
e
andheart-quake.
GeneralMillerwasradicallyconservative;
un
amanoverwhosekindlynaturehabit
aveva
hadnoslightinfluence;
attachinghimselfstronglytofamiliarfaces,
e
andwithdifficultymovedto
cambiare
change,evenwhenchangemight
avrebbe
havebroughtunquestionableimprovement.
Thus,on
presi
takingchargeofmydepartment,I
trovai
foundfewbutagedmen.
Theywereancientsea-captains,forthe
maggior parte
mostpart,who,afterbeingtoston
ogni
everysea,andstandingupsturdily
contro
againstlife’stempestuousblasts,hadfinallydriftedinto
questo
thisquietnook;
where,with
poco
littletodisturbthem,except
i
theperiodicalterrorsofaPresidentialelection,theyone
e
andallacquiredanewleaseofexistence.
Thoughby
non
nomeanslessliablethantheirfellow-mentoage
e
andinfirmity,theyhadevidentlysometalisman
o
orotherthatkeptdeathatbay.
Due
Twoorthreeoftheir
numero
number,asIwasassured,beinggouty
e
andrheumatic,orperhapsbedridden,neverdreamedof
fare
makingtheirappearanceattheCustom-House,during
una
alargepartoftheyear;
ma
but,afteratorpidwinter,
sarebbe
wouldcreepoutintothewarmsunshineof
Maggio
MayorJune,golazily
su
aboutwhattheytermedduty,
e
and,attheirownleisure
e
andconvenience,betakethemselvesto
letto
bedagain.
Imustpleadguiltyto
il
thechargeofabbreviatingtheofficialbreathof
più
morethanoneofthesevenerableservantsof
il
therepublic.
Theywereallowed,onmyrepresentation,to
riposare
restfromtheirarduouslabors,
e
andsoonafterwards—asiftheirsoleprincipleof
vita
lifehadbeenzealfortheircountry’sservice,asIverily
credo
believeitwas—withdrewtoa
migliore
betterworld.
Itisapiousconsolationto
me
me,that,throughmyinterference,
una
asufficientspacewasallowedthemforrepentanceoftheevil
e
andcorruptpracticesintowhich,as
una
amatterofcourse,everyCustom-Houseofficer
deve
mustbesupposedtofall.
Neither
il
thefrontnorthebackentranceof
il
theCustom-HouseopensontheroadtoParadise.
La
ThegreaterpartofmyofficerswereWhigs.
Itwas
bene
wellfortheirvenerablebrotherhood
che
thatthenewSurveyorwasnot
un
apolitician,andthoughafaithfulDemocratinprinciple,neitherreceivednor
tenne
heldhisofficewithanyreferencetopoliticalservices.
Avrebbe
Haditbeenotherwise,—hadanactivepoliticianbeen
messo
putintothisinfluentialpost,toassumethe
facile
easytaskofmakingheadagainstaWhigCollector,whoseinfirmitieswithheldhimfromthepersonaladministrationofhisoffice,—hardlya
uomo
manoftheoldcorpswould
avrebbe
havedrawnthebreathofofficial
vita
life,withinamonthaftertheexterminatingangel
avrebbe
hadcomeuptheCustom-Housesteps.
Accordingto
il
thereceivedcodeinsuchmatters,itwouldhavebeennothingshortofduty,inapolitician,to
portare
bringeveryoneofthosewhiteheads
sotto
undertheaxeoftheguillotine.
Itwasplain
abbastanza
enoughtodiscern,thattheoldfellowsdreadedsome
tale
suchdiscourtesyatmyhands.
Itpained,
e
andatthesametimeamused
mi
me,tobeholdtheterrors
che
thatattendedmyadvent;
to
vedere
seeafurrowedcheek,weather-beatenby
mezzo
halfacenturyofstorm,turnashypaleattheglanceofsoharmlessanindividualasmyself;
todetect,asone
o
oranotheraddressedme,thetremorofavoice,
che
which,inlong-pastdays,hadbeenwonttobellow
attraverso
throughaspeaking-trumpet,hoarselyenoughtofrightenBoreashimselftosilence.
They
sapevano
knew,theseexcellentoldpersons,that,byallestablishedrule,—and,asregarded
alcuni
someofthem,weighedbytheirownlackofefficiencyforbusiness,—theyoughtto
avrebbero
havegivenplacetoyoungermen,
più
moreorthodoxinpolitics,andaltogetherfitterthanthemselvestoserveourcommon
Zio
Uncle.
Iknewittoo,
ma
butcouldneverquitefindinmy
cuore
hearttoactupontheknowledge.
Much
e
anddeservedlytomyowndiscredit,therefore,
e
andconsiderablytothedetrimentofmyofficialconscience,theycontinued,duringmyincumbency,tocreep
su
aboutthewharves,andloiterup
e
anddowntheCustom-Housesteps.
Theyspent
una
agooddealoftime,also,asleepintheiraccustomedcorners,withtheirchairstiltedback
contro
againstthewall;
awaking,however,once
o
ortwiceinaforenoon,toboreoneanotherwith
la
theseveralthousandthrepetitionofoldsea-stories,
e
andmouldyjokes,thathadgrowntobepasswords
e
andcountersignsamongthem.
Thediscoverywas
presto
soonmade,Iimagine,thatthe
nuovo
newSurveyorhadnogreatharmin
lui
him.
So,withlightsomehearts,
e
andthehappyconsciousnessofbeingusefullyemployed,—intheirownbehalf,at
almeno
least,ifnotforourbelovedcountry,—thesegoodoldgentlemenwentthroughthevariousformalitiesofoffice.
Sagaciously,
sotto
undertheirspectacles,didtheypeepinto
i
theholdsofvessels!
Mightywastheirfussaboutlittlematters,
e
andmarvellous,sometimes,theobtuseness
che
thatallowedgreateronestoslip
tra
betweentheirfingers!
Wheneversuchamischanceoccurred,—whenawagon-loadofvaluablemerchandise
hanno
hadbeensmuggledashore,atnoonday,
forse
perhaps,anddirectlybeneaththeirunsuspiciousnoses,—nothingcouldexceedthevigilance
e
andalacritywithwhichtheyproceededtolock,
e
anddouble-lock,andsecurewithtape
e
andsealing-wax,alltheavenuesofthedelinquentvessel.
Insteadofareprimandfortheirpreviousnegligence,the
caso
caseseemedrathertorequireaneulogiumontheirpraiseworthycaution,
dopo
afterthemischiefhadhappened;
un
agratefulrecognitionofthepromptitudeoftheirzeal,
il
themomentthattherewas
non
nolongeranyremedy.
Unless
persone
peoplearemorethancommonlydisagreeable,itismyfoolishhabittocontract
una
akindnessforthem.
The
migliore
betterpartofmycompanion’scharacter,
se
ifithaveabetter
parte
part,isthatwhichusually
viene
comesuppermostinmyregard,
e
andformsthetypewherebyIrecognizetheman.
As
maggior parte
mostoftheseoldCustom-Houseofficers
avevano
hadgoodtraits,andasmypositioninreferenceto
loro
them,beingpaternalandprotective,wasfavorableto
la
thegrowthoffriendlysentiments,I
presto
soongrewtolikethem
tutti
all.
Itwaspleasant,inthesummerforenoons,—whentheferventheat,
che
thatalmostliquefiedtherestofthehuman
famiglia
family,merelycommunicatedagenialwarmthtotheirhalf-torpidsystems,—itwaspleasanttohearthemchattinginthe
posteriore
backentry,arowofthem
tutti
alltippedagainstthewall,asusual;
mentre
whilethefrozenwitticismsofpastgenerationswerethawedout,
e
andcamebubblingwithlaughterfromtheirlips.
Externally,
la
thejollityofagedmen
ha
hasmuchincommonwith
la
themirthofchildren;
theintellect,anymore
che
thanadeepsenseofhumor,
ha
haslittletodowith
la
thematter;
itis,with
entrambi
both,agleamthatplaysuponthesurface,
e
andimpartsasunnyandcheeryaspectaliketothegreenbranch,
e
andgray,moulderingtrunk.
In
un
onecase,however,itis
vero
realsunshine;
intheother,itmoreresemblesthephosphorescentglowofdecayingwood.
It
sarebbe
wouldbesadinjustice,thereader
deve
mustunderstand,torepresentallmyexcellentoldfriendsasintheirdotage.
In
i
thefirstplace,mycoadjutorswerenotinvariablyold;
thereweremenamongthemintheirstrength
e
andprime,ofmarkedability
e
andenergy,andaltogethersuperiorto
le
thesluggishanddependentmodeof
vita
lifeonwhichtheirevilstars
avevano
hadcastthem.
Then,moreover,thewhitelocksofagewere
talvolta
sometimesfoundtobethethatchof
un
anintellectualtenementingoodrepair.
Ma
But,asrespectsthemajorityofmycorpsofveterans,
ci
therewillbenowrong
fatto
done,ifIcharacterizethemgenerallyas
un
asetofwearisomeoldsouls,
che
whohadgatherednothingworthpreservationfromtheirvariedexperienceof
vita
life.
Theyseemedtohaveflungaway
tutto
allthegoldengrainofpracticalwisdom,
che
whichtheyhadenjoyedsomanyopportunitiesofharvesting,
e
andmostcarefullytohavestoredtheirmemorieswiththehusks.
They
parlavano
spokewithfarmoreinterest
e
andunctionoftheirmorning’sbreakfast,
o
oryesterday’s,to-day’s,orto-morrow’s
cena
dinner,thanoftheshipwreckofforty
o
orfiftyyearsago,and
tutte
alltheworld’swonderswhichtheyhadwitnessedwiththeiryouthfuleyes.
Il
ThefatheroftheCustom-House—thepatriarch,not
solo
onlyofthislittlesquadofofficials,
ma
but,Iamboldto
dire
say,oftherespectablebodyoftide-waiters
tutti
allovertheUnitedStates—was
un
acertainpermanentInspector.
He
potrebbe
mighttrulybetermedalegitimate
figlio
sonoftherevenuesystem,dyedinthewool,
o
or,rather,borninthepurple;
sincehissire,aRevolutionarycolonel,
e
andformerlycollectoroftheport,
aveva
hadcreatedanofficeforhim,
e
andappointedhimtofillit,ataperiodoftheearlyages
che
whichfewlivingmencan
ora
nowremember.
ThisInspector,whenI
prima
firstknewhim,wasa
uomo
manoffourscoreyears,orthereabouts,
e
andcertainlyoneofthe
più
mostwonderfulspecimensofwinter-green
che
thatyouwouldbelikelytodiscoverinalifetime’ssearch.
Withhisfloridcheek,hiscompactfigure,smartlyarrayedinabright-buttonedbluecoat,hisbrisk
e
andvigorousstep,andhishale
e
andheartyaspect,altogetherheseemed—not
giovane
young,indeed—butakindof
nuovo
newcontrivanceofMotherNatureintheshapeofman,whomage
e
andinfirmityhadnobusinesstotouch.
Hisvoice
e
andlaugh,whichperpetuallyre-echoed
attraverso
throughtheCustom-House,hadnothingof
la
thetremulousquaverandcackleof
un
anoldman’sutterance;
theycamestrutting
uscivano
outofhislungs,like
il
thecrowofacock,
o
ortheblastofaclarion.
Guardare
Lookingathimmerelyasananimal,—andtherewasvery
poco
littleelsetolookat,—hewasamostsatisfactoryobject,from
le
thethoroughhealthfulnessandwholesomenessofhissystem,
e
andhiscapacity,atthatextremeage,toenjoy
tutte
all,ornearlyall,thedelightswhichhe
aveva
hadeveraimedat,orconceivedof.
Thecarelesssecurityofhis
vita
lifeintheCustom-House,on
un
aregularincome,andwith
ma
butslightandinfrequentapprehensionsofremoval,
aveva
hadnodoubtcontributedto
fare
maketimepasslightlyover
lui
him.
Theoriginalandmorepotentcauses,however,layin
le
therareperfectionofhisanimalnature,
le
themoderateproportionofintellect,
e
andtheverytriflingadmixtureofmoral
e
andspiritualingredients;
theselatterqualities,indeed,beinginbarely
sufficiente
enoughmeasuretokeepthe
vecchio
oldgentlemanfromwalkingonall-fours.
Hepossessed
non
nopowerofthought,nodepthoffeeling,
non
notroublesomesensibilities;
nothing,inshort,
ma
butafewcommonplaceinstincts,which,aidedby
il
thecheerfultemperthatgrewinevitablyoutofhisphysicalwell-being,
facevano
diddutyveryrespectably,andtogeneralacceptance,inlieuof
un
aheart.
Hehadbeen
il
thehusbandofthreewives,
tutte
alllongsincedead;
the
padre
fatheroftwentychildren,mostofwhom,at
ogni
everyageofchildhoodormaturity,hadlikewise
tornati
returnedtodust.
Here,onewouldsuppose,
potrebbe
mighthavebeensorrowenoughtoimbuethesunniestdisposition,
attraverso
throughandthrough,withasabletinge.
Notsowithour
vecchio
oldInspector!
Onebriefsighsufficedtocarry
via
offtheentireburdenofthesedismalreminiscences.
Thenext
momento
moment,hewasasreadyforsportas
qualsiasi
anyunbreechedinfant;
farreadierthantheCollector’sjuniorclerk,who,atnineteenyears,wasmuchtheelder
e
andgravermanofthe
due
two.
Iusedtowatch
e
andstudythispatriarchalpersonagewith,Ithink,liveliercuriosity,than
qualsiasi
anyotherformofhumanitytherepresentedtomynotice.
Hewas,in
verità
truth,ararephenomenon;
so
perfetto
perfect,inonepointofview;
soshallow,sodelusive,soimpalpable,
tale
suchanabsolutenonentity,in
ogni
everyother.
Myconclusionwas
che
thathehadnosoul,
non
noheart,nomind;