ponkapog papers-第6部分

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　covered　with　curly　locks。　〃Tom　Folio；〃　I　said；　〃put　on　your　hat　and　come　back！　　But　after　that　day　he　never　seemed　young　to　me。　　　　　　I　had　few　or　no　inklings　of　his　life　discon…　nected　with　the　streets　and　the　book…stalls；　chiefly　those　on　Cornhill　or　in　the　vicinity。　　It　is　possi…　ble　I　am　wrong　in　inferring　that　he　occupied　a　room　somewhere　at　the　South　End　or　in　South　Boston；　and　lived　entirely　alone；　heating　his　cof…　fee　and　boiling　his　egg　over　an　alcohol　lamp。　　I　got　from　him　one　or　two　fortuitous　hints　of　quaint　housekeeping。　　Every　winter；　it　appeared；　some　relative；　far　or　near；　sent　him　a　large　batch　of　mince　pies；　twenty　or　thirty　at　least。　　He　once　spoke　to　me　of　having　laid　in　his　winter　pie；　just　as　another　might　speak　of　laying　in　his　winter　coal。　　The　only　fireside　companion　Tom　Folio　ever　alluded　to　in　my　presence　was　a　Maltese　cat；　whose　poor　health　seriously　disturbed　him　from　time　to　time。　　I　suspected　those　mince　pies。　　The　cat；　I　recollect；　was　named　Miss　Mowcher。　　　　　　If　he　had　any　immediate　family　ties　beyond　this　I　was　unaware　of　them；　and　not　curious　to　be　enlightened　on　the　subject。　　He　was　more　pic…　turesque　solitary。　　I　preferred　him　to　remain　so。　Other　figures　introduced　into　the　background　of　the　canvas　would　have　spoiled　the　artistic　effect。　　　　　　Tom　Folio　was　a　cheerful；　lonely　mana　recluse　even　when　he　allowed　himself　to　be　jostled　and　hurried　along　on　the　turbulent　stream　of　humanity　sweeping　in　opposite　directions　through　Washington　Street　and　its　busy　estu…　aries。　　He　was　in　the　crowd；　but　not　of　it。　　I　had　so　little　real　knowledge　of　him　that　I　was　obliged　to　imagine　his　more　intimate　environ…　ments。　　However　wide　of　the　mark　my　conjec…　tures　may　have　fallen；　they　were　as　satisfying　to　me　as　facts　would　have　been。　　His　secluded　room　I　could　picture　to　myself　with　a　sense　of　certaintythe　couch　（a　sofa　by　day）；　the　cup…　board；　the　writing…table　with　its　student　lamp；　the　litter　of　pamphlets　and　old　quartos　and　oc…　tavos　in　tattered　bindings；　among　which　were　scarce　reprints　of　his　beloved　Charles　Lamb；　and　perhapsnay；　surelyan　editio　prin…　ceps　of　the　〃Essays。〃　　　　　　The　gentle　Elia　never　had　a　gentler　follower　or　a　more　loving　disciple　than　Tom　Folio。　　He　moved　and　had　much　of　his　being　in　the　early　part　of　the　last　century。　　To　him　the　South…Sea　House　was　the　most　important　edifice　on　the　globe；　remaining　the　same　venerable　pile　it　used　to　be；　in　spite　of　all　the　changes　that　had　be…　fallen　it。　　It　was　there　Charles　Lamb　passed　the　novitiate　of　his　long　years　of　clerkship　in　the　East　India　Company。　　In　Tom　Folio's　fancy　a　slender；　boyish　figure　was　still　seated；　quill　in　hand；　behind　those　stately　porticoes　looking　upon　Threadneedle　Street　and　Bishopsgate。　　That　famous　first　paper　in　the　〃Essays；〃　describing　the　South…Sea　House　and　the　group　of　human　oddities　which　occupied　desks　within　its　gloomy　chambers；　had　left　an　indelible　impression　upon　the　dreamer。　　Every　line　traced　by　the　〃lean　annuitant〃　was　as　familiar　to　Tom　Folio　as　if　he　had　written　it　himself。　　Stray　scraps；　which　had　escaped　the　vigilance　of　able　editors；　were　known　to　him；　and　it　was　his　to　unearth　amid　a　heap　of　mouldy；　worm…eaten　magazines；　a　handful　of　leaves　hitherto　forgotten　of　all　men。　Trifles；　yesbut　Charles　Lamb's！　　〃The　king's　chaff　is　as　good　as　other　people's　corn；〃　says　Tom　Folio。　　　　　　Often　his　talk　was　sweet　and　racy　with　old…　fashioned　phrases；　the　talk　of　a　man　who　loved　books　and　drew　habitual　breath　in　an　atmosphere　of　fine　thought。　　Next　to　Charles　Lamb；　but　at　a　convenable　distance；　Izaak　Walton　was　Tom　Folio's　favorite。　　His　poet　was　Alexander　Pope；　though　he　thought　Mr。　Addison's　tragedy　of　〃Cato〃　contained　some　proper　good　lines。　　Our　friend　was　a　wide　reader　in　English　classics；　greatly　preferring　the　literature　of　the　earlier　pe…　riods　to　that　of　the　Victorian　age。　　His　smiling；　tenderly　expressed　disapprobation　of　various　modern　authors　was　enchanting。　　John　Keats's　verses　were　monstrous　pretty；　but　over…orna…　mented。　　A　little　too　much　lucent　syrup　tinct　with　cinnamon；　don't　you　think？　　The　poetry　of　Shelley　might　have　been　composed　in　the　moon　by　a　slightly　deranged；　well…meaning　per…　son。　　If　you　wanted　a　sound　mind　in　a　sound　metrical　body；　why　there　was　Mr。　Pope's　〃Essay　on　Man。〃　　There　was　something　winsome　and　by…gone　in　the　general　make…up　of　Tom　Folio。　No　man　living　in　the　world　ever　seemed　to　me　to　live　so　much　out　of　it；　or　to　live　more　com…　fortably。　　　　　　At　times　I　half　suspected　him　of　a　conva…　lescent　amatory　disappointment。　　Perhaps　long　before　I　knew　him　he　had　taken　a　little　senti…　mental　journey；　the　unsuccessful　end　of　which　had　touched　him　with　a　gentle　sadness。　　It　was　something　far　off　and　softened　by　memory。　　If　Tom　Folio　had　any　love…affair　on　hand　in　my　day；　it　must　have　been　of　an　airy；　platonic　sort　a　chaste　secret　passion　for　Mistress　Peg　Wof…　fington　or　Nell　Gwyn；　or　possibly　Mr。　Wal…　ler's　Saccharissa。　　　　　　Although　Tom　Folio　was　not　a　collector　that　means　dividends　and　bank　balanceshe　had　a　passion　for　the　Past　and　all　its　belongings；　with　a　virtuoso's　knowledge　of　them。　　A　fan　painted　by　Vanloo；　a　bit　of　rare　Nankin　（he　had　caught　from　Charles　Lamb　the　love　of　old　china）；　or　an　undoctored　stipple　of　Bartolozzi；　gave　him　delight　in　the　handling；　though　he　might　not　aspire　to　ownership。　　I　believe　he　would　will…　ingly　have　drunk　any　horrible　decoction　from　a　silver　teapot　of　Queen　Anne's　time。　　These　things　were　not　for　him　in　a　coarse；　materialistic　sense；　in　a　spiritual　sense　he　held　possession　of　them　in　fee…simple。　　I　learned　thus　much　of　his　tastes　one　day　during　an　hour　we　spent　together　in　the　rear　showroom　of　a　dealer　in　antiquities。　　　　　　I　have　spoken　of　Tom　Folio　as　lonely；　but　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　I　mis…stated　it。　　He　had　hosts　of　friends　who　used　to　climb　the　rather　steep　staircase　leading　to　that　modest　third…story　front　room　which　I　have　imagined　for　hima　room　with　Turkey…red　curtains；　I　like　to　believe；　and　a　rare　engraving　of　a　scene　from　Mr。　Ho…　garth's　excellent　moral　of　〃The　Industrious　and　Idle　Apprentices〃　pinned　against　the　chimney　breast。　　Young　Chatterton；　who　was　not　always　the　best　of　company；　dropped　in　at　intervals。　There　Mr。　Samuel　Pepys　had　a　special　chair　reserved　for　him　by　the　window；　where　he　could　catch　a　glimpse　of　the　pretty　housemaid　over　the　way；　chatting　with　the　policeman　at　the　area　railing。　　Dr。　Johnson　and　the　unworldly　author　of　〃The　Deserted　Village〃　were　frequent　visit…　ors；　sometimes　appearing　together　arm…in…arm；　with　James　Boswell；　Esq。；　of　Auchinleck；　fol…　lowing　obsequiously　behind。　　Not　that　Tom　Folio　did　not　have　callers　vastly　more　aristo…　cratic；　though　he　could　have　had　none　plea…　santer　or　wholesomer。　　Sir　Philip　Sidney　（who　must　have　given　Folio　that　copy　of　the　〃Arca…　dia〃）；　the　Viscount　St。　Albans；　and　even　two　or　three　others　before　whom　either　of　these　might　have　doffed　his　bonnet；　did　not　disdain　to　gather　round　that　hearthstone。　　Fielding；　Smollett；　Sterne；　Defoe；　Dick　Steele；　Dean　Swiftthere　was　no　end　to　them！　　On　certain　nights；　when　all　the　stolid　neighborhood　was　lapped　in　slumber；　the　narrow　street　stretching　beneath　Tom　Folio's　windows　must　have　been　blocked　with　invisible　coaches　and　sedan…chairs；　and　illuminated　by　the　visionary　glare　of　torches　borne　by　shadowy　linkboys　hurrying　hither　and　thither。　　A　man　so　sought　after　and　companioned　cannot　be　described　as　lonely。　　　　　　My　memory　here　recalls　the　fact　that　he　had　a　few　friends　less　insubstantialthat　quaint　anatomy　perched　on　the　top　of　a　hand…organ；　to　whom　Tom　Folio　was　wont　to　give　a　bite　of　his　apple；　and　the　brown…legged　little　Neapolitan　who　was　always　nearly　certain　of　a　copper　when　this　multi…millionaire　strolled　through　the　slums　on　a　Saturday　afternoonSaturday　probably　being　the　essayist's　pay…day。　　The　withered　woman　of　the　peanut…stand　on　the　corner　over　against　Faneuil　Hall　Market　knew　him　for　a　friend；　as　did　also　the　blind　lead…pencil　merchant；　whom　Tom　Folio；　on　occasions；　safely　piloted　across　the　stormy　traffic　of　Dock　Square。　　No…　blesse　oblige！　He　was　no　stranger　in　those　purlieus。　　Without　designing　to　confuse　small　things　with　great；　I　may　say　that　a　certain　strip　of　pavement　in　North　Street　could　be　pointed　out　as　Tom　Folio's　Walk；　just　as　Addison's　Walk　is　pointed　out　on　the　banks　of　the　Cher…　well　at　Oxford。　　　　　　I　used　to　observe　that　when　Tom　Folio　was　not　in　quest　of　a　print　or　a　pamphlet　or　some　such　urgent　thing；　but　was　walking　for　mere　recreation；　he　instinctively　avoided　respectable　latitudes。　　He　liked　best　the　squalid；　ill…kept　thoroughfares　shadowed　by　tall；　smudgy　tene…　ment…houses　and　teeming　with　unprosperous；　noisy　life。　　Perhaps　he　had；　half　consciously；　a　sense　of　subtle　kinship　to　the　unsuccess　and　cheerful　resignation　of　it　all。　　　　　　Returning　home　from　abroad　one　October　morning　several　years　ago；　I　was　told　that　that　simple　spirit　had　passed　on。　　His　death　had　been　little　heeded；　but　in　him　had　passed　away　an　intangible　genuine　bit　of　Old　Bostonas　genuine　a　bit；　in　its　kind；　as　the　Autocrat　himself　a　personality　not　to　be　restored　or　replaced。　Tom　Folio　could　never　happen　again！

　　　　　Strolling　to…day　through　the　streets　of　the　older　section　of　the　town；　I　miss　many　a　venerable　landmark　submerged　in　the　rising　tide　of　change；　but　I　miss　nothing　quite　so　much　as　I　do　the　sight　of　Tom　Folio　entering　the　doorway　of　the　Old　Corner　Bookstore；　or　carefully　taking　down　a　musty　volume　from　its　shelf　at　some　melan…　choly　old　book…stall　on　Cornhill。



FLEABODY　AND　OTHER　QUEER　NAMES

WHEN　an　English　novelist　does　us　the　honor　to　introduce　any　of　our　country…　men　into　his　fiction；　he　generally　displays　a　commendable　desire　to　present　something　typi…　cal　in　the　way　of　names　for　his　adopted　char…　actersto　give　a　dash　of　local　color；　as　it　were；　with　his　nomenclature。　　His　success　is　seldom　commensurate　to　the　desire。　　He　falls　into　the　error　of　appealing　to　his　invention；　instead　of　consulting　some　city　directory；　in　which　he　would　find　more　material　than　he　could　exhaust　in　ten　centuries。　　Charles　Reade　might　have　secured　in　the　pages　of　such　a　compendium　a　happier　title　than　Fullalove　for　his　Yankee　sea…captain；　though　I　doubt；　on　the　whole；　if　Anthony　Trollope　could　have　discovered　any…　thin