THECUSTOM-HOUSE.
INTRODUCTORYTO“THESCARLETLETTER.”
tis
un
alittleremarkable,that—thoughdisinclinedtohablar
talkovermuchofmyselfandmyaffairsatthefireside,y
andtomypersonalfriends—anautobiographicalimpulseshouldtwiceinmyvida
lifehavetakenpossessionofme,inaddressingthepublic.The
primera
firsttimewasthreeorcuatro
fouryearssince,whenIfavoredthereader—inexcusably,y
andfornoearthlyreason,thateithertheindulgentreadero
ortheintrusiveauthorcouldimagine—withadescriptionofmywayoflifeinthedeepquietudeofanOldManse.Y
Andnow—because,beyondmydeserts,Iwasfeliz
happyenoughtofindalistenero
ortwoontheformeroccasion—Iagainseizethepublicbythebutton,y
andtalkofmythreeyears’experienceinaCustom-House.El
Theexampleofthefamous“P.P.,Clerkofesta
thisParish,”wasnevermorefaithfullyseguido
followed.Thetruthseemstobe,however,that,
cuando
whenhecastshisleavesforthuponthewind,theauthoraddresses,notthemuchos
manywhowillflingasidehisvolume,o
ornevertakeitup,sino
butthefewwhowillentenderán
understandhim,betterthanmostofhisschoolmateso
orlifemates.Someauthors,indeed,dofar
más
morethanthis,andindulgethemselvesintan
suchconfidentialdepthsofrevelationaspodrían
couldfittinglybeaddressed,onlyy
andexclusively,totheonecorazón
heartandmindofperfectsympathy;as
si
iftheprintedbook,thrownatlargeonthewidemundo
world,werecertaintofindoutthedividedsegmentofthewriter’sownnature,y
andcompletehiscircleofexistencebybringinghimintocommunioncon
withit.Itisscarcelydecorous,however,to
hablar
speakall,evenwherewehablar
speakimpersonally.But,asthoughtsarefrozen
y
andutterancebenumbed,unlessthespeakerstandinsometruerelationcon
withhisaudience,itmaybepardonabletoimaginethatun
afriend,akindandapprehensive,aunque
thoughnottheclosestfriend,isescuchando
listeningtoourtalk;andthen,
una
anativereservebeingthawedbyesta
thisgenialconsciousness,wemayprateofthecircumstancesthatliealrededor
aroundus,andevenofourself,pero
butstillkeeptheinmostMebehinditsveil.To
esta
thisextent,andwithintheselimits,un
anauthor,methinks,maybeautobiographical,sin
withoutviolatingeitherthereader’srightsorhisown.Itwillbe
verá
seen,likewise,thatthisCustom-Housesketchtiene
hasacertainpropriety,ofatipo
kindalwaysrecognizedinliterature,asexplainingcómo
howalargeportionofthefollowingpagesllegaron
cameintomypossession,andasofferingproofsoftheauthenticityofanarrativethereincontained.Este
This,infact,—adesiretoputmyselfinmytruepositionaseditor,o
orverylittlemore,ofthemostprolixamongthetalesthathecho
makeupmyvolume,—this,andningún
noother,ismytruerazón
reasonforassumingapersonalrelationcon
withthepublic.Inaccomplishingthemainpurpose,it
ha
hasappearedallowable,byafewextratouches,todar
giveafaintrepresentationofamodeoflifenotheretoforedescribed,togethercon
withsomeofthecharactersthatse mueven
moveinit,amongwhomtheauthorpasó
happenedtomakeone.Inmynative
ciudad
townofSalem,atthecabeza
headofwhat,halfacenturyhace
ago,inthedaysofviejo
oldKingDerby,wasabustlingwharf,—butwhichisahora
nowburdenedwithdecayedwoodenwarehouses,y
andexhibitsfewornosymptomsofcommerciallife;except,
tal vez
perhaps,abarkorbrig,half-waydownitsmelancholylength,discharginghides;o
or,nearerathand,aNovaScotiaschooner,pitchingouthercargooffirewood,—atla
thehead,Isay,ofthisdilapidatedwharf,cual
whichthetideoftenoverflows,y
andalongwhich,atthebasey
andintherearofla
therowofbuildings,thetrackofmuchos
manylanguidyearsisseeninaborderofunthriftygrass,—here,con
withaviewfromitsfrontwindowsadownthisnotmuy
veryenliveningprospect,andthenceacrossla
theharbor,standsaspaciousedificeofbrick.Fromtheloftiest
punto
pointofitsroof,duringpreciselytres
threeandahalfhoursofcada
eachforenoon,floatsordroops,inbreezeo
orcalm,thebanneroftherepublic;pero
butwiththethirteenstripesturnedvertically,insteadofhorizontally,y
andthusindicatingthatacivil,y
andnotamilitarypostofUncleSam’sgovernmentisaquí
hereestablished.Itsfrontisornamented
con
withaporticoofhalfun
adozenwoodenpillars,supportingun
abalcony,beneathwhichaflightofwidegranitestepsdescendstowardsla
thestreet.OvertheentrancehoversanenormousspecimenoftheAmericaneagle,
con
withoutspreadwings,ashieldbeforeherbreast,y
and,ifIrecollectaright,abunchofintermingledthunderboltsy
andbarbedarrowsineachclaw.Con
Withthecustomaryinfirmityoftemperthatcharacterizesesta
thisunhappyfowl,sheappears,byla
thefiercenessofherbeaky
andeye,andthegeneraltruculencyofherattitude,tothreatenmischieftola
theinoffensivecommunity;andespeciallytowarn
todos
allcitizens,carefuloftheirsafety,contra
againstintrudingonthepremiseswhichsheovershadowscon
withherwings.Nevertheless,vixenlyasshelooks,many
personas
peopleareseeking,atthismismo
verymoment,toshelterthemselvesbajo
underthewingofthefederaleagle;imagining,Ipresume,thatherbosom
tiene
hasallthesoftnessandsnugnessofuna
aneider-downpillow.Butshe
tiene
hasnogreattenderness,eveninhermejor
bestofmoods,and,soonero
orlater,—oftenersoonthanlate,—isapttoflingoffhernestlings,con
withascratchofherclaw,adabofherbeak,o
oraranklingwoundfromherbarbedarrows.Thepavementroundabouttheabove-describededifice—whichwe
podemos
mayaswellnameatonceastheCustom-Houseoftheport—hasgrasssuficiente
enoughgrowinginitschinkstomostrar
showthatithasnot,oflatedays,beenwornbyningún
anymultitudinousresortofbusiness.In
algunos
somemonthsoftheyear,however,hay
thereoftenchancesaforenooncuando
whenaffairsmoveonwardwithaliveliertread.Suchoccasions
podrían
mightremindtheelderlycitizenofese
thatperiodbeforethelastguerra
warwithEngland,whenSalemwasun
aportbyitself;notscorned,assheis
ahora
now,byherownmerchantsy
andship-owners,whopermitherwharvestocrumbletoruin,mientras
whiletheirventuresgotoswell,needlesslyy
andimperceptibly,themightyfloodofcommerceatNewYorko
orBoston.Onsomesuchmorning,
cuando
whenthreeorfourvesselspasan
happentohavearrivedatonce,—usuallyfromAfricao
orSouthAmerica,—ortobeonthevergeoftheirdeparturethitherward,thereisun
asoundoffrequentfeet,passingbrisklyarriba
upanddownthegranitesteps.Aquí
Here,beforehisownwifehaya
hasgreetedhim,youmaygreetthesea-flushedshipmaster,justo
justinport,withhisvessel’spapersbajo
underhisarm,inatarnishedtinbox.Aquí
Here,too,comeshisowner,cheerfulo
orsombre,graciousorinel
thesulks,accordinglyashisschemeofel
thenowaccomplishedvoyagehasbeenrealizedinmerchandisethatwillreadilybeconvertirá
turnedtogold,orhasburiedhimbajo
underabulkofincommodities,suchasnadie
nobodywillcaretoridhimof.Aquí
Here,likewise,—thegermofthewrinkle-browed,grizzly-bearded,care-wornmerchant,—wehavethesmartjoven
youngclerk,whogetsthetasteoftrafficasun
awolf-cubdoesofblood,y
andalreadysendsadventuresinhismaster’sships,cuando
whenhehadbetterbesailingmimic-boatsuponun
amill-pond.Anotherfigureinthesceneistheoutward-boundsailorinquestofaprotection;
o
ortherecentlyarrivedone,paley
andfeeble,seekingapassporttoel
thehospital.Normustwe
olvidar
forgetthecaptainsoftherustylittleschoonersthattraen
bringfirewoodfromtheBritishprovinces;arough-looking
conjunto
setoftarpaulins,withoutthealertnessofla
theYankeeaspect,butcontributinganitemofno
noslightimportancetoourdecayingtrade.Cluster
todos
alltheseindividualstogether,astheysometimeswere,con
withothermiscellaneousonestodiversifythegroup,y
and,forthetimebeing,ithizo
madetheCustom-Houseastirringscene.Más
Morefrequently,however,onascendingthesteps,youera
woulddiscern—intheentry,ifitweresummertiempo
time,orintheirappropriaterooms,si
ifwintryorinclementweather—arowofvenerablefigures,sittinginold-fashionedchairs,whichweretippedontheirhindlegsbackcontra
againstthewall.Oftentimestheywereasleep,butoccasionally
podía
mightbeheardtalkingtogether,invoicesentre
betweenspeechandasnore,y
andwiththatlackofenergyesa
thatdistinguishestheoccupantsofalmshouses,y
andallotherhumanbeingswhodependforsubsistenceoncharity,onmonopolizedlabor,o
oranythingelse,buttheirownindependentexertions.Estos
Theseoldgentlemen—seated,likeMatthew,atla
thereceiptofcustoms,butnotmuy
veryliabletobesummonedthence,como
likehim,forapostolicerrands—wereCustom-Houseofficers.Furthermore,on
la
thelefthandasyouenterla
thefrontdoor,isacertainhabitación
roomoroffice,aboutfifteenfeetsquare,y
andofaloftyheight;con
withtwoofitsarchedwindowscommandingaviewofla
theaforesaiddilapidatedwharf,andla
thethirdlookingacrossanarrowlane,y
andalongaportionofDerbyStreet.All
tres
threegiveglimpsesoftheshopsofgrocers,block-makers,slop-sellers,y
andship-chandlers;aroundthedoorsofwhicharegenerallytobe
visto
seen,laughingandgossiping,clustersofoldsalts,y
andsuchotherwharf-ratsashaunttheWappingofun
aseaport.Theroomitselfiscobwebbed,
y
anddingywitholdpaint;itsfloorisstrewnwithgraysand,in
una
afashionthathaselsewherecaído
fallenintolongdisuse;anditis
fácil
easytoconclude,fromthegeneralslovenlinessofthelugar
place,thatthisisasanctuaryintowhichwomankind,con
withhertoolsofmagic,thebroomy
andmop,hasveryinfrequentaccess.Inthe
camino
wayoffurniture,thereisastovecon
withavoluminousfunnel;an
viejo
oldpinedesk,withathree-leggedstoolbesideit;dos
twoorthreewooden-bottomchairs,exceedinglydecrepity
andinfirm;and—nottoforgetthelibrary—on
algunos
someshelves,ascoreordos
twoofvolumesoftheActsofCongress,y
andabulkyDigestoftheRevenueLaws.Un
Atinpipeascendsthroughtheceiling,y
andformsamediumofvocalcommunicationcon
withotherpartsoftheedifice.Y
Andhere,somesixmonthsago,—pacingfromcornertocorner,o
orloungingonthelong-leggedstool,con
withhiselbowonthedesk,y
andhiseyeswanderingupy
anddownthecolumnsofthemañana
morningnewspaper,—youmighthaverecognized,honoredreader,themismo
sameindividualwhowelcomedyouintohischeerypequeño
littlestudy,wherethesunshineglimmeredsopleasantlythroughthewillowbranches,onthewesternlado
sideoftheOldManse.Pero
Butnow,shouldyougothithertoseekhim,youfueras
wouldinquireinvainforel
theLocofocoSurveyor.Thebesomofreform
ha
hasswepthimoutofoffice;y
andaworthiersuccessorwearshisdignity,y
andpocketshisemoluments.Thisold
ciudad
townofSalem—mynativeplace,aunque
thoughIhavedweltmuchlejos
awayfromit,bothinboyhoodandmatureryears—possesses,o
ordidpossess,aholdonmyaffections,theforceofcual
whichIhaveneverrealizedduringmyseasonsofactualresidenceaquí
here.Indeed,sofarasitsphysicalaspectisconcerned,
con
withitsflat,unvariedsurface,coveredchieflycon
withwoodenhouses,fewornoneofwhichpretendtoarchitecturalbeauty,—itsirregularity,whichisneitherpicturesquenorquaint,sino
butonlytame,—itslongandlazycalle
street,loungingwearisomelythroughthewholeextentofthepeninsula,con
withGallowsHillandNewGuineaatoneextremo
end,andaviewofthealmshouseattheother,—suchbeingthefeaturesofmynativeciudad
town,itwouldbequiteasreasonabletoformasentimentalattachmenttoadisarrangedchecker-board.Y
Andyet,thoughinvariablyhappiestelsewhere,hay
thereiswithinmeafeelingforviejo
oldSalem,which,inlackofamejor
betterphrase,Imustbecontenttollamar
callaffection.Thesentimentis
probablemente
probablyassignabletothedeepy
andagedrootswhichmyfamilia
familyhasstruckintothesoil.Itisnownearly
dos
twocenturiesandaquarterdesde
sincetheoriginalBriton,theearliestemigrantofmynombre
name,madehisappearanceinel
thewildandforest-borderedsettlement,whichhasdesde
sincebecomeacity.And
aquí
herehisdescendantshavebeenborny
anddied,andhavemingledtheirearthysubstancecon
withthesoil;untilnosmallportionofit
debe
mustnecessarilybeakintothemortalframewherewith,forun
alittlewhile,Iwalkthestreets.In
parte
part,therefore,theattachmentwhichIhablo
speakofisthemeresensuoussympathyofdustfordust.Pocos
Fewofmycountrymencansaber
knowwhatitis;nor,asfrequenttransplantationis
tal vez
perhapsbetterforthestock,necesitan
needtheyconsideritdesirabletosaber
know.Butthesentimenthaslikewiseitsmoralquality.
La
Thefigureofthatfirstancestor,investedbyfamiliar
familytraditionwithadimy
andduskygrandeur,waspresenttomyboyishimagination,asfarbackasIpuedo
canremember.Itstillhauntsme,andinduces
una
asortofhome-feelingwiththepast,whichIscarcelyclaiminreferencetothepresentphaseoftheciudad
town.Iseemtohaveastrongerclaimtoaresidence
aquí
hereonaccountofthisgrave,bearded,sable-cloakedy
andsteeple-crownedprogenitor,—whocamesoearly,con
withhisBibleandhissword,y
andtrodetheunwornstreetcon
withsuchastatelyport,y
andmadesolargeafigure,asahombre
manofwarandpeace,—astrongerclaimthanformyself,whosenombre
nameisseldomheardandmyrostro
facehardlyknown.Hewasasoldier,legislator,judge;
hewas
un
arulerintheChurch;he
tenía
hadallthePuritanictraits,tanto
bothgoodandevil.Hewaslikewiseabitterpersecutor,aswitness
los
theQuakers,whohaverememberedhimintheirhistories,y
andrelateanincidentofhishardseveritytowardsamujer
womanoftheirsect,whichwilllastlonger,itistobefeared,thancualquier
anyrecordofhisbetterdeeds,althoughestos
theseweremany.Hisson,
también
too,inheritedthepersecutingspirit,y
andmadehimselfsoconspicuousinthemartyrdomofthewitches,thattheirsangre
bloodmayfairlybesaidtohavedejó
leftastainuponhim.Sodeep
una
astain,indeed,thathisolddrybones,intheCharterCalle
Streetburial-ground,muststillretainit,si
iftheyhavenotcrumbledutterlytodust!I
sé
knownotwhethertheseancestorsofminebethoughtthemselvestorepent,y
andaskpardonofHeavenfortheircruelties;o
orwhethertheyarenowgroaningbajo
undertheheavyconsequencesofthem,inotro
anotherstateofbeing.At
todos
allevents,I,thepresentwriter,astheirrepresentative,herebytomo
takeshameuponmyselffortheirsakes,y
andpraythatanycurseincurredbythem—asIhe
haveheard,andasthedrearyy
andunprosperousconditionoftherace,formuchos
manyalongyearback,ser
wouldarguetoexist—maybeahora
nowandhenceforthremoved.Doubtless,however,
cualquiera
eitherofthesesternandblack-browedPuritansera
wouldhavethoughtitquiteasufficientretributionforhissins,that,aftersolargo
longalapseofyears,el
theoldtrunkofthefamilytree,con
withsomuchvenerablemossuponit,shouldhaveborne,asitstopmostbough,anidlerlikemyself.Ningún
Noaim,thatIhaveevercherished,sería
wouldtheyrecognizeaslaudable;nosuccessofmine—ifmy
vida
life,beyonditsdomesticscope,hubiera
hadeverbeenbrightenedbysuccess—wouldtheydeemotherwisethanworthless,si
ifnotpositivelydisgraceful.“Whatishe?”
murmurs
una
onegrayshadowofmyforefatherstola
theother.“Awriterofstory-books!
Whatkindofa
negocio
businessinlife—whatmodeofglorifyingDios
God,orbeingserviceabletomankindinhisdía
dayandgeneration—maythatbe?Por qué
Why,thedegeneratefellowmightaswellhaber
havebeenafiddler!”Suchare
los
thecomplimentsbandiedbetweenmygreat-grandsiresy
andmyself,acrossthegulfoftiempo
time!Andyet,letthemscornmeasthey
quieran
will,strongtraitsoftheirnaturehan
haveintertwinedthemselveswithmine.Planteddeep,in
la
thetown’searliestinfancyandchildhood,byestos
thesetwoearnestandenergeticmen,la
theracehaseversincesubsistedaquí
here;always,too,inrespectability;
nunca
never,sofarasIhavesé
known,disgracedbyasingleunworthymember;pero
butseldomornever,ontheotro
otherhand,afterthefirstdos
twogenerations,performinganymemorabledeed,o
orsomuchasputtingforwarduna
aclaimtopublicnotice.Gradually,they
han
havesunkalmostoutofsight;asoldhouses,
aquí
hereandthereaboutthestreets,getcoveredhalf-waytotheeavesbytheaccumulationofnewsoil.From
padre
fathertoson,foraboveahundredyears,theysiguieron
followedthesea;agray-headedshipmaster,in
cada
eachgeneration,retiringfromthequarter-decktothehomestead,whileun
aboyoffourteentookthehereditarylugar
placebeforethemast,confrontingthesaltsprayy
andthegale,whichhadblusteredcontra
againsthissireandgrandsire.The
muchacho
boy,also,induetime,passedfromtheforecastletothecabin,spentuna
atempestuousmanhood,andreturnedfromhisworld-wanderings,togrowold,y
anddie,andminglehisdustcon
withthenatalearth.Thislongconnectionofa
familia
familywithonespot,asitslugar
placeofbirthandburial,createsakindredentre
betweenthehumanbeingandthelocality,bastante
quiteindependentofanycharminthesceneryo
ormoralcircumstancesthatsurroundlo
him.Itisnotlove,
sino
butinstinct.Thenewinhabitant—who
vino
camehimselffromaforeignland,o
orwhosefatherorgrandfathercame—haspoco
littleclaimtobecalleduna
aSalemite;hehasnoconceptionoftheoyster-liketenacity
con
withwhichanoldsettler,sobre
overwhomhisthirdcenturyiscreeping,clingstothespotdonde
wherehissuccessivegenerationshavebeenimbedded.Itis
no
nomatterthattheplaceisjoylessforél
him;thatheiswearyoftheoldwoodenhouses,themud
y
anddust,thedeadlevelofsitey
andsentiment,thechilleastwind,y
andthechillestofsocialatmospheres;—allestos
these,andwhateverfaultsbesideshepueda
mayseeorimagine,arenada
nothingtothepurpose.Thespellsurvives,
y
andjustaspowerfullyassi
ifthenatalspotwereun
anearthlyparadise.Sohasitbeeninmy
caso
case.Ifeltitalmostasadestinyto
hacer
makeSalemmyhome;sothatthemouldoffeatures
y
andcastofcharacterwhichhabía
hadallalongbeenfamiliarhere,—ever,asun
onerepresentativeoftheraceyacía
laydowninhisgrave,otro
anotherassuming,asitwere,hissentry-marchalongthemainstreet,—mighttodavía
stillinmylittledaybevisto
seenandrecognizedintheoldciudad
town.Nevertheless,thisverysentimentisanevidencethat
la
theconnection,whichhasbecomeanunhealthyone,debe
shouldatlastbesevered.Humannaturewillnotflourish,any
más
morethanapotato,ifitbeplantedy
andreplanted,fortoolonguna
aseriesofgenerations,inthemismo
sameworn-outsoil.Mychildrenhavehad
otros
otherbirthplaces,and,sofarastheirfortunespuedan
maybewithinmycontrol,shallstriketheirrootsintounaccustomedtierra
earth.OnemergingfromtheOldManse,itwaschiefly
este
thisstrange,indolent,unjoyousattachmentformynativeciudad
town,thatbroughtmetofillun
aplaceinUncleSam’sbrickedifice,cuando
whenImightaswell,o
orbetter,havegonesomewhereelse.Mydoomwason
mí
me.Itwasnotthe
primera
firsttime,northesecond,thatIhabía
hadgoneaway,—asitseemed,permanently,—butyetregresé
returned,likethebadhalf-penny;o
orasifSalemwereformeel
theinevitablecentreoftheuniverse.So,
una
onefinemorning,Iascendedtheflightofgranitesteps,con
withthePresident’scommissioninmypocket,y
andwasintroducedtothecorpsofgentlemenwhoweretoaidmeinmyweightyresponsibility,aschiefexecutiveofficeroftheCustom-House.Idoubtgreatly—or,rather,Idonotdoubtatall—whether
alguna
anypublicfunctionaryoftheUnitedStates,eitherinthecivilo
ormilitaryline,haseverhadtan
suchapatriarchalbodyofveteransbajo
underhisordersasmyself.ThewhereaboutsoftheOldestInhabitantwasat
inmediato
oncesettled,whenIlookedatthem.Forupwardsoftwentyyearsbefore
esta
thisepoch,theindependentpositionofla
theCollectorhadkepttheSalemCustom-Housefuera
outofthewhirlpoolofpoliticalvicissitude,whichhace
makesthetenureofofficegenerallysofragile.Un
Asoldier,—NewEngland’smostdistinguishedsoldier,—hestoodfirmlyonel
thepedestalofhisgallantservices;y
and,himselfsecureinthewiseliberalityofthesuccessiveadministrationsa través de
throughwhichhehadheldoffice,hehabía
hadbeenthesafetyofhissubordinatesinmanyanhourofdangery
andheart-quake.GeneralMillerwasradicallyconservative;
un
amanoverwhosekindlynaturehabittenía
hadnoslightinfluence;attachinghimselfstronglytofamiliarfaces,
y
andwithdifficultymovedtochange,incluso
evenwhenchangemighthavetraído
broughtunquestionableimprovement.Thus,ontakingchargeofmydepartment,I
encontré
foundfewbutagedmen.Theywereancientsea-captains,forthemost
parte
part,who,afterbeingtostontodos
everysea,andstandingupsturdilycontra
againstlife’stempestuousblasts,hadfinallydriftedintoeste
thisquietnook;where,with
poco
littletodisturbthem,exceptlos
theperiodicalterrorsofaPresidentialelection,theyoney
andallacquiredanewleaseofexistence.Aunque
Thoughbynomeanslessliablethantheirfellow-mentoagey
andinfirmity,theyhadevidentlysometalismanorotro
otherthatkeptdeathatbay.Dos
Twoorthreeoftheirnúmero
number,asIwasassured,beinggoutyy
andrheumatic,orperhapsbedridden,nunca
neverdreamedofmakingtheirappearanceatla
theCustom-House,duringalargeparte
partoftheyear;but,after
un
atorpidwinter,wouldcreepoutintothewarmsunshineofMayo
orJune,golazilyaboutwhattheytermedduty,y
and,attheirownleisurey
andconvenience,betakethemselvestobedagain.I
debo
mustpleadguiltytothechargeofabbreviatingtheofficialbreathofmás
morethanoneofthesevenerableservantsoftherepublic.Theywereallowed,onmyrepresentation,to
descansar
restfromtheirarduouslabors,y
andsoonafterwards—asiftheirsoleprincipleoflifehubiera
hadbeenzealfortheircountry’sservice,asIverilycreo
believeitwas—withdrewtoamejor
betterworld.Itisapiousconsolationto
mí
me,that,throughmyinterference,un
asufficientspacewasallowedthemforrepentanceoftheevily
andcorruptpracticesintowhich,asun
amatterofcourse,everyCustom-Houseofficerdebe
mustbesupposedtofall.NeitherthefrontnorthebackentranceoftheCustom-House
abren
opensontheroadtoParadise.La
ThegreaterpartofmyofficerswereWhigs.Itwaswellfortheirvenerablebrotherhoodthatthe
nuevo
newSurveyorwasnotapolitician,y
andthoughafaithfulDemocratinprinciple,neitherreceivednorheldhisofficecon
withanyreferencetopoliticalservices.Haditbeenotherwise,—hadanactivepoliticianbeen
puesto
putintothisinfluentialpost,toassumethefácil
easytaskofmakingheadagainstaWhigCollector,whoseinfirmitieswithheldhimfromthepersonaladministrationofhisoffice,—hardlyamanoftheoldcorpssido
wouldhavedrawnthebreathofofficialvida
life,withinamonthaftertheexterminatingangelhadcomeuptheCustom-Housesteps.Accordingtothereceivedcodeinsuchmatters,it
sido
wouldhavebeennothingshortofduty,inapolitician,tollevar
bringeveryoneofthosewhiteheadsbajo
undertheaxeoftheguillotine.Itwasplain
bastante
enoughtodiscern,thattheoldfellowsdreadedsometal
suchdiscourtesyatmyhands.Itpained,
y
andatthesametimeamusedme
me,tobeholdtheterrorsthatattendedmyadvent;to
ver
seeafurrowedcheek,weather-beatenbymedio
halfacenturyofstorm,turnashypaleattheglanceofsoharmlessanindividualasmyself;todetect,asoneor
otro
anotheraddressedme,thetremorofavoice,which,inlong-pastdays,había
hadbeenwonttobellowa través de
throughaspeaking-trumpet,hoarselyenoughtofrightenBoreashimselftosilence.They
sabían
knew,theseexcellentoldpersons,that,bytodas
allestablishedrule,—and,asregardedalgunos
someofthem,weighedbytheirownlackofefficiencyforbusiness,—theyoughttohaber
havegivenplacetoyoungermen,más
moreorthodoxinpolitics,andaltogetherfitterthanthemselvestoserveourcommonUncle.I
sabía
knewittoo,butcouldnunca
neverquitefindinmycorazón
hearttoactupontheknowledge.Tanto
Muchanddeservedlytomypropio
owndiscredit,therefore,andconsiderablytothedetrimentofmyofficialconscience,theycontinued,duringmyincumbency,tocreepaboutthewharves,y
andloiterupanddowntheCustom-Housesteps.Theyspent
una
agooddealoftime,también
also,asleepintheiraccustomedcorners,con
withtheirchairstiltedbackcontra
againstthewall;awaking,however,once
o
ortwiceinaforenoon,toboreoneotro
anotherwiththeseveralthousandthrepetitionofoldsea-stories,y
andmouldyjokes,thathadgrowntobepasswordsy
andcountersignsamongthem.Thediscoverywas
pronto
soonmade,Iimagine,thatel
thenewSurveyorhadnogran
greatharminhim.So,
con
withlightsomehearts,andthefeliz
happyconsciousnessofbeingusefullyemployed,—intheirpropio
ownbehalf,atleast,ifnotforourbelovedcountry,—thesegoodoldgentlemenwentthroughthevariousformalitiesofoffice.Sagaciously,
bajo
undertheirspectacles,didtheypeepintotheholdsofvessels!Mightywastheirfussaboutlittlematters,
y
andmarvellous,sometimes,theobtusenessthatallowedgreateronestoslipentre
betweentheirfingers!Wheneversuch
un
amischanceoccurred,—whenawagon-loadofvaluablemerchandisehabía
hadbeensmuggledashore,atnoonday,tal vez
perhaps,anddirectlybeneaththeirunsuspiciousnoses,—nothingpodía
couldexceedthevigilanceandalacritycon
withwhichtheyproceededtolock,y
anddouble-lock,andsecurewithtapey
andsealing-wax,alltheavenuesofthedelinquentvessel.Insteadofareprimandfortheirpreviousnegligence,
el
thecaseseemedrathertorequireaneulogiumontheirpraiseworthycaution,afterel
themischiefhadhappened;agratefulrecognitionofthepromptitudeoftheirzeal,themomentthattherewasnolongeranyremedy.
Unless
gente
peoplearemorethancommonlydisagreeable,itismyfoolishhabittocontractuna
akindnessforthem.The
mejor
betterpartofmycompanion’scharacter,si
ifithaveabetterparte
part,isthatwhichusuallyviene
comesuppermostinmyregard,y
andformsthetypewherebyIrecognizethehombre
man.AsmostoftheseoldCustom-Houseofficers
tenían
hadgoodtraits,andasmypositioninreferencetoellos
them,beingpaternalandprotective,wasfavorabletola
thegrowthoffriendlysentiments,Ipronto
soongrewtolikethemtodos
all.Itwaspleasant,inthesummerforenoons,—whentheferventheat,that
casi
almostliquefiedtherestofthehumanfamilia
family,merelycommunicatedagenialwarmthtotheirhalf-torpidsystems,—itwaspleasanttohearthemchattinginthebackentry,arowofthemtodos
alltippedagainstthewall,asusual;whilethefrozenwitticismsofpastgenerationswerethawedout,
y
andcamebubblingwithlaughterfromtheirlips.Externally,thejollityofagedmen
tiene
hasmuchincommonwiththemirthofniños
children;theintellect,anymorethan
un
adeepsenseofhumor,tiene
haslittletodowithel
thematter;itis,with
ambos
both,agleamthatplaysuponthesurface,y
andimpartsasunnyandcheeryaspectaliketothegreenbranch,y
andgray,moulderingtrunk.In
un
onecase,however,itisverdadero
realsunshine;intheother,it
más
moreresemblesthephosphorescentglowofdecayingwood.It
sería
wouldbesadinjustice,thereaderdebe
mustunderstand,torepresentallmyexcellentoldfriendsasintheirdotage.Inthefirst
lugar
place,mycoadjutorswerenotinvariablyold;thereweremenamongthemintheirstrength
y
andprime,ofmarkedabilityy
andenergy,andaltogethersuperiortothesluggishy
anddependentmodeoflifeonwhichtheirevilstarshadcastellos
them.Then,moreover,thewhitelocksofageweresometimes
encontraban
foundtobethethatchofuna
anintellectualtenementingoodrepair.Pero
But,asrespectsthemajorityofmycorpsofveterans,therewillbeno
nowrongdone,ifIcharacterizethemgenerallyasun
asetofwearisomeoldsouls,whohabían
hadgatherednothingworthpreservationfromtheirvariedexperienceofvida
life.Theyseemedtohaveflungaway
todo
allthegoldengrainofpracticalwisdom,whichtheyhadenjoyedsomanyopportunitiesofharvesting,y
andmostcarefullytohavestoredtheirmemoriescon
withthehusks.Theyspoke
con
withfarmoreinterestandunctionoftheirmorning’sbreakfast,o
oryesterday’s,to-day’s,orto-morrow’scena
dinner,thanoftheshipwreckoffortyo
orfiftyyearsago,andtodas
alltheworld’swonderswhichtheyhabían
hadwitnessedwiththeiryouthfuleyes.The
padre
fatheroftheCustom-House—thepatriarch,notsólo
onlyofthislittlesquadofofficials,sino
but,Iamboldtodecir
say,oftherespectablebodyoftide-waiterstodos
allovertheUnitedStates—wasun
acertainpermanentInspector.He
podría
mighttrulybetermedalegitimatehijo
sonoftherevenuesystem,dyedinla
thewool,or,rather,borninla
thepurple;sincehissire,aRevolutionarycolonel,
y
andformerlycollectoroftheport,había
hadcreatedanofficeforhim,y
andappointedhimtofillit,ataperiodoflas
theearlyageswhichfewlivingmenpueden
cannowremember.ThisInspector,
cuando
whenIfirstknewhim,wasahombre
manoffourscoreyears,orthereabouts,y
andcertainlyoneofthemás
mostwonderfulspecimensofwinter-greenthatyouwouldbelikelytodiscoverinalifetime’ssearch.Con
Withhisfloridcheek,hiscompactfigure,smartlyarrayedinabright-buttonedbluecoat,hisbrisky
andvigorousstep,andhishaley
andheartyaspect,altogetherheseemed—notjoven
young,indeed—butakindofnuevo
newcontrivanceofMotherNatureinla
theshapeofman,whomagey
andinfirmityhadnobusinesstotouch.Hisvoice
y
andlaugh,whichperpetuallyre-echoeda través de
throughtheCustom-House,hadnothingofla
thetremulousquaverandcackleofun
anoldman’sutterance;theycamestruttingoutofhislungs,
como
likethecrowofacock,o
ortheblastofaclarion.Mirar
Lookingathimmerelyasananimal,—andtherewasmuy
verylittleelsetolookat,—hewasamás
mostsatisfactoryobject,fromthethoroughhealthfulnessy
andwholesomenessofhissystem,y
andhiscapacity,atthatextremeage,toenjoytodos
all,ornearlyall,thedelightswhichhehabía
hadeveraimedat,orconceivedof.Thecarelesssecurityofhis
vida
lifeintheCustom-House,onun
aregularincome,andwithbutslighty
andinfrequentapprehensionsofremoval,había
hadnodoubtcontributedtohacer
maketimepasslightlyoverél
him.Theoriginalandmorepotentcauses,however,layintherareperfectionofhisanimalnature,themoderateproportionofintellect,
y
andtheverytriflingadmixtureofmoraly
andspiritualingredients;theselatterqualities,indeed,beinginbarely
suficiente
enoughmeasuretokeeptheviejo
oldgentlemanfromwalkingonall-fours.Hepossessed
no
nopowerofthought,nodepthoffeeling,no
notroublesomesensibilities;nothing,inshort,
sino
butafewcommonplaceinstincts,which,aidedbythecheerfultemperthatgrewinevitablyoutofhisphysicalwell-being,hicieron
diddutyveryrespectably,andtogeneralacceptance,inlieuofun
aheart.Hehadbeen
el
thehusbandofthreewives,todas
alllongsincedead;the
padre
fatheroftwentychildren,mostofwhom,attodas las
everyageofchildhoodormaturity,habían
hadlikewisereturnedtodust.Aquí
Here,onewouldsuppose,mighthaber
havebeensorrowenoughtoimbuela
thesunniestdisposition,throughandthrough,con
withasabletinge.Notso
con
withouroldInspector!Onebriefsighsufficedtocarryoff
la
theentireburdenofthesedismalreminiscences.El
Thenextmoment,hewasaslisto
readyforsportasanyunbreechedinfant;farreadierthantheCollector’sjuniorclerk,who,atnineteenyears,wasmuchtheelder
y
andgravermanofthedos
two.Iusedtowatch
y
andstudythispatriarchalpersonagecon
with,Ithink,liveliercuriosity,thancualquier
anyotherformofhumanitytherepresentedtomynotice.Hewas,intruth,
un
ararephenomenon;soperfect,in
un
onepointofview;soshallow,sodelusive,soimpalpable,
tan
suchanabsolutenonentity,intodos
everyother.Myconclusionwasthathe
tenía
hadnosoul,noheart,no
nomind;