first visit to new england-第4部分

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VI。

I　do　not　know　how　I　first　arrived　in　Boston；　or　whether　it　was　before　or
after　I　had　passed　a　day　or　two　in　Salem。　　As　Salem　is　on　the　way　from
Portland；　I　will　suppose　that　I　stopped　there　first；　and　explored　the
quaint　old　town　（quainter　then　than　now；　but　still　quaint　enough）　for　the
memorials　of　Hawthorne　and　of　the　witches　which　united　to　form　the　Salem
I　cared　for。　　I　went　and　looked　up　the　House　of　Seven　Gables；　and
suffered　an　unreasonable　disappointment　that　it　had　not　a　great　many　more
of　them；　but　there　was　no　loss　in　the　death…warrant　of　Bridget　Bishop；
with　the　sheriff's　return　of　execution　upon　it；　which　I　found　at　the
Court…house；　if　anything；　the　pathos　of　that　witness　of　one　of　the
cruelest　delusions　in　the　world　was　rather　in　excess　of　my　needs；　I　could
have　got　on　with　less。　　I　saw　the　pins　which　the　witches　were　sworn　to
have　thrust　into　the　afflicted　children；　and　I　saw　Gallows　Hill；　where
the　hapless　victims　of　the　perjury　were　hanged。　　But　that　death…warrant
remained　the　most　vivid　color　of　my　experience　of　the　tragedy；　I　had　no
need　to　invite　myself　to　a　sense　of　it；　and　it　is　still　like　a　stain　of
red　in　my　memory。

The　kind　old　ship's　captain　whose　guest　I　was；　and　who　was　transfigured
to　poetry　in　my　sense　by　the　fact　that　he　used　to　voyage　to　the　African
coast　for　palm…oil　in　former　days；　led　me　all　about　the　town；　and　showed
me　the　Custom…house；　which　I　desired　to　see　because　it　was　in　the　preface
to　the　Scarlet　Letter。　　But　I　perceived　that　he　did　not　share　my
enthusiasm　for　the　author；　and　I　became　more　and　more　sensible　that　in
Salem　air　there　was　a　cool　undercurrent　of　feeling　about　him。　　No　doubt
the　place　was　not　altogether　grateful　for　the　celebrity　his　romance　had
given　it；　and　would　have　valued　more　the　uninterrupted　quiet　of　its　own
flattering　thoughts　of　itself；　but　when　it　came　to　hearing　a　young　lady
say　she　knew　a　girl　who　said　she　would　like　to　poison　Hawthorne；　it
seemed　to　the　devout　young　pilgrim　from　the　West　that　something　more　of
love　for　the　great　romancer　would　not　have　been　too　much　for　him。
Hawthorne　had　already　had　his　say；　however；　and　he　had　not　used　his
native　town　with　any　great　tenderness。　　Indeed；　the　advantages　to　any
place　of　having　a　great　genius　born　and　reared　in　its　midst　are　so
doubtful　that　it　might　be　well　for　localities　designing　to　become　the
birthplaces　of　distinguished　authors　to　think　twice　about　it。　　Perhaps
only　the　largest　capitals；　like　London　and　Paris；　and　New　York　and
Chicago；　ought　to　risk　it。　　But　the　authors　have　an　unaccountable
perversity；　and　will　seldom　come　into　the　world　in　the　large　cities；
which　are　alone　without　the　sense　of　neighborhood；　and　the　personal
susceptibilities　so　unfavorable　to　the　practice　of　the　literary　art。
I　dare　say　that　it　was　owing　to　the　local　indifference　to　her　greatest
name；　or　her　reluctance　from　it；　that　I　got　a　clearer　impression　of　Salem
in　some　other　respects　than　I　should　have　had　if　I　had　been　invited　there
to　devote　myself　solely　to　the　associations　of　Hawthorne。　　For　the　first
time　I　saw　an　old　New　England　town；　I　do　not　know；　but　the　most
characteristic；　and　took　into　my　young　Western　consciousness　the　fact　of
a　more　complex　civilization　than　I　had　yet　known。　　My　whole　life　had　been
passed　in　a　region　where　men　were　just　beginning　ancestors；　and　the
conception　of　family　was　very　imperfect。　　Literature；　of　course；　was　full
of　it；　and　it　was　not　for　a　devotee　of　Thackeray　to　be　theoretically
ignorant　of　its　manifestations；　but　I　had　hitherto　carelessly　supposed
that　family　was　nowhere　regarded　seriously　in　America　except　in　Virginia；
where　it　furnished　a　joke　for　the　rest　of　the　nation。　　But　now　I　found
myself　confronted　with　it　in　its　ancient　houses；　and　heard　its　names
pronounced　with　a　certain　consideration；　which　I　dare　say　was　as　much
their　due　in　Salem　as　it　could　be　anywhere。　　The　names　were　all　strange；
and　all　indifferent　to　me；　but　those　fine　square　wooden　mansions；　of　a
tasteful　architecture；　and　a　pale　buff…color；　withdrawing　themselves　in
quiet　reserve　from　the　quiet　street；　gave　me　an　impression　of　family　as
an　actuality　and　a　force　which　I　had　never　had　before；　but　which　no
Westerner　can　yet　understand　the　East　without　taking　into　account。　　I　do
not　suppose　that　I　conceived　of　family　as　a　fact　of　vital　import　then；
I　think　I　rather　regarded　it　as　a　color　to　be　used　in　any　aesthetic　study
of　the　local　conditions。　　I　am　not　sure　that　I　valued　it　more　even　for
literary　purposes；　than　the　steeple　which　the　captain　pointed　out　as　the
first　and　last　thing　he　saw　when　he　came　and　went　on　his　long　voyages；　or
than　the　great　palm…oil　casks；　which　he　showed　me；　and　which　I　related　to
the　tree　that　stood

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Auf　brennender　Felsenwand。〃

Whether　that　was　the　kind　of　palm　that　gives　the　oil；　or　was　a　sort　only
suitable　to　be　the　dream　of　a　lonely　fir…tree　in　the　North　on　a　cold
height；　I　am　in　doubt　to　this　day。

I　heard；　not　without　concern；　that　the　neighboring　industry　of　Lynn　was
penetrating　Salem；　and　that　the　ancient　haunt　of　the　witches　and　the
birthplace　of　our　subtlest　and　somberest　wizard　was　becoming　a　great
shoe…town；　but　my　concern　was　less　for　its　memories　and　sensibilities
than　for　an　odious　duty　which　I　owed　that　industry；　together　with　all　the
others　in　New　England。　　Before　I　left　home　I　had　promised　my　earliest
publisher　that　I　would　undertake　to　edit；　or　compile；　or　do　something
literary　to；　a　work　on　the　operation　of　the　more　distinctive　mechanical
inventions　of　our　country；　which　he　had　conceived　the　notion　of
publishing　by　subscription。　　He　had　furnished　me；　the　most　immechanical
of　humankind；　with　a　letter　addressed　generally　to　the　great　mills　and
factories　of　the　East；　entreating　their　managers　to　unfold　their
mysteries　to　me　for　the　purposes　of　this　volume。　　His　letter　had　the
effect　of　shutting　up　some　of　them　like　clams；　and　others　it　put　upon
their　guard　against　my　researches；　lest　I　should　seize　the　secret　of
their　special　inventions　and　publish　it　to　the　world。　　I　could　not　tell
the　managers　that　I　was　both　morally　and　mentally　incapable　of　this；
that　they　might　have　explained　and　demonstrated　the　properties　and
functions　of　their　most　recondite　machinery；　and　upon　examination
afterwards　found　me　guiltless　of　having　anything　but　a　few　verses　of
Heine　or　Tennyson　or　Longfellow　in　my　head。　　So　I　had　to　suffer　in
several　places　from　their　unjust　anxieties；　and　from　my　own　weariness　of
their　ingenious　engines；　or　else　endure　the　pangs　of　a　bad　conscience
from　ignoring　them。　　As　long　as　I　was　in　Canada　I　was　happy；　for　there
was　no　industry　in　Canada　that　I　saw；　except　that　of　the　peasant　girls；
in　their　Evangeline　hats　and　kirtles；　tossing　the　hay　in　the　way…side
fields；　but　when　I　reached　Portland　my　troubles　began。　　I　went　with　that
young　minister　of　whom　I　have　spoken　to　a　large　foundry；　where　they　were
casting　some　sort　of　ironmongery；　and　inspected　the　process　from　a
distance　beyond　any　chance　spurt　of　the　molten　metal；　and　came　away　sadly
uncertain　of　putting　the　rather　fine　spectacle　to　any　practical　use。
A　manufactory　where　they　did　something　with　coal…oil　（which　I　now　heard
for　the　first　time　called　kerosene）　refused　itself　to　me；　and　I　said　to
myself　that　probably　all　the　other　industries　of　Portland　were　as
reserved；　and　I　would　not　seek　to　explore　them；　but　when　I　got　to　Salem；
my　conscience　stirred　again。　　If　I　knew　that　there　were　shoe…shops　in
Salem；　ought　not　I　to　go　and　inspect　their　processes？　　This　was　a
question　which　would　not　answer　itself　to　my　satisfaction；　and　I　had　no
peace　till　I　learned　that　I　could　see　shoemaking　much　better　at　Lynn；　and
that　Lynn　was　such　a　little　way　from　Boston　that　I　could　readily　run　up
there；　if　I　did　not　wish　to　examine　the　shoe　machinery　at　once。
I　promised　myself　that　I　would　run　up　from　Boston；　but　in　order　to　do
this　I　must　first　go　to　Boston。




VII。

I　am　supposing　still　that　I　saw　Salem　before　I　saw　Boston；　but　however
the　fact　may　be；　I　am　sure　that　I　decided　it　would　be　better　to　see
shoemaking　in　Lynn；　where　I　really　did　see　it；　thirty　years　later。　　For
the　purposes　of　the　present　visit；　I　contented　myself　with　looking　at　a
machine　in　Haverhill；　which　chewed　a　shoe　sole　full　of　pegs；　and　dropped
it　out　of　its　iron　jaws　with　an　indifference　as　great　as　my　own；　and
probably　as　little　sense　of　how　it　had　done　its　work。　　I　may　be　unjust　to
that　machine；　Heaven　knows　I　would　not　wrong　it；　and　I　must　confess　that
my　head　had　no　room　in　it　for　the　conception　of　any　machinery　but　the
mythological；　which　also　I　despised；　in　my　revulsion　from　the　eighteenth…
century　poets　to　those　of　my　own　day。

I　cannot　quite　make　out　after　the　lapse　of　so　many　years　just　how　or　when
I　got　to　Haverhill；　or　whether　it　was　before　or　after　I　had　been　in
Salem。　　There　is　an　apparitional　quality　in　my　presences；　at　this　point
or　that；　in　the　dim　past；　but　I　hope　that；　for　the　credit　of　their　order；
ghosts　are　not　commonly　taken　with　such　trivial　things　as　I　was。　　For
instance；　in　Haverhill　I　was　much　interested　by　the　sight　of　a　young　man；
coming　gayly　down　the　steps　of　the　hotel　where　I　lodged；　in　peg…top
trousers　so　much　more　peg　top　than　my　own　that　I　seemed　to　be　wearing
mere　spring…bottoms　in　comparison；　and　in　a　day　when　every　one　who
respected　himself　had　a　necktie　as　narrow　as　he　could　get；　this　youth　had
one　no　wider　than　a　shoestring；　and　red　at　that；　while　mine　measured
almost　an　inch；　and　was　black。　　To　be　sure；　he　was　one　of　a　band　of　negro
minstrels；　who　were　to　give　a　concert　that　night；　and　he　had　a　light　to
excel　in　fashion。

I　will　suppose；　for　convenience'　sake；　that　I　visited　Haverhill；　too；
before　I　reached　Boston：　somehow　that　shoe…pegging　machine　must　come　in；
and　it　may　as　well　come　in　here。　　When　I　actually　found　myself　in　Boston；
there　were　perhaps　industries　which　it　would　have　been　well　for　me　to
celebrate；　but　I　either　made　believe　there　were　none；　or　else　I　honestly
forgot　all　about　them。　　In　either　case　I　released　myself　altogether　to
the　literary　and　historical　associations　of　the　place。　　I　need　not　say
that　I　gave　myself　first　to　the　first；