first visit to new england-第4章

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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；　and　it　rather　surprised　me　to　find
that　the　literary　associations　of　Boston　referred　so　largely　to
Cambridge。　　I　did　not　know　much　about　Cambridge；　except　that　it　was　the
seat　of　the　university　where　Lowell　was；　and　Longfellow　had　been；
professor；　and　somehow　I　had　not　realized　it　as　the　home　of　these　poets。
That　was　rather　stupid　of　me；　but　it　is　best　to　own　the　truth；　and
afterward　I　came　to　know　the　place　so　well　that　I　may　safely　confess　my
earlier　ignorance。

I　had　stopped　in　Boston　at　the　Tremont　House；　which　was　still　one　of　the
first　hostelries　of　the　country；　and　I　must　have　inquired　my　way　to
Cambridge　there；　but　I　was　sceptical　of　the　direction　the　Cambridge
horse…car　took　when　I　found　it；　and　I　hinted　to　the　driver　my　anxieties
as　to　why　he　should　be　starting　east　when　I　had　been　told　that　Cambridge
was　west　of　Boston。　　He　reassured　me　in　the　laconic　and　sarcastic　manner
of　his　kind；　and　we　really　reached　Cambridge　by　the　route　he　had　taken。

The　beautiful　elms　that　shaded　great　part　of　the　way　massed　themselves　in
the　〃groves　of　academe〃　at　the　Square；　and　showed　pleasant　glimpses　of
〃Old　Harvard's　scholar　factories　red；〃　then　far　fewer　than　now。　　It　must
have　been　in　vacation；　for　I　met　no　one　as　I　wandered　through　the　college
yard；　trying　to　make　up　my　mind　as　to　how　I　should　learn　where　Lowell
lived；　for　it　was　he　whom　I　had　come　to　find。　　He　had　not　only　taken　the
poems　I　sent　him；　but　he　had　printed　two　of　them　in　a　single　number　of
the　Atlantic；　and　had　even　written　me　a　little　note　about　them；　which　I
wore　next　my　heart　in　my　breast　pocket　till　I　almost　wore　it　out；　and　so
I　thought　I　might　fitly　report　myself　to　him。　　But　I　have　always　been
helpless　in　finding　my　way；　and　I　was　still　depressed　by　my　failure　to
convince　the　horse…car　driver　that　he　had　taken　the　wrong　road。　　I　let
several　people　go　by　without　questioning　them；　and　those　I　did　ask
abashed　me　farther　by　not　knowing　what　I　wanted　to　know。　　When　I　had
remitted　my　search　for　the　moment；　an　ancient　man；　with　an　open　mouth　and
an　inquiring　eye；　whom　I　never　afterwards　made　out　in　Cambridge；
addressed　me　with　a　hospitable　offer　to　show　me　the　Washington　Elm。
I　thought　this　would　give　me　time　to　embolden　myself　for　the　meeting　with
the　editor　of　the　Atlantic　if　I　should　ever　find　him；　and　I　went　with
that　kind　old　man；　who　when　he　had　shown　me　the　tree；　and　the　spot　where
Washington　stood　when　he　took　command　of　the　Continental　forces；　said
that　he　had　a　branch　of　it；　and　that　if　I　would　come　to　his　house　with
him　he　would　give　me　a　piece。　　In　the　end；　I　meant　merely　to　flatter　him
into　telling　me　where　I　could　find　Lowell；　but　I　dissembled　my　purpose
and　pretended　a　passion　for　a　piece　of　the　historic　elm；　and　the　old　man
led　me　not　only　to　his　house　but　his　wood…house；　where　he　sawed　me　off　a
block　so　generous　that　I　could　not　get　it　into　my　pocket。　　I　feigned　the
gratitude　which　I　could　see　that　he　expected；　and　then　I　took　courage　to
put　my　question　to　him。　　Perhaps　that　patriarch　lived　only　in　the　past；
and　cared　for　history　and　not　literature。　　He　confessed　that　he　could　not
tell　me　where　to　find　Lowell；　but　he　did　not　forsake　me；　he　set　forth
with　me　upon　the　street　again；　and　let　no　man　pass　without　asking　him。
In　the　end　we　met　one　who　was　able　to　say　where　Mr。　Lowell　was；　and　I
found　him　at　last　in　a　little　study　at　the　rear　of　a　pleasant；
old…fashioned　house　near　the　Delta。

Lowell　was　not　then　at　the　height　of　his　fame；　he　had　just　reached　this
thirty　years　after；　when　he　died；　but　I　doubt　if　he　was　ever　after　a
greater　power　in　his　own　country；　or　more　completely　embodied　the
literary　aspiration　which　would　not　and　could　not　part　itself　from　the
love　of　freedom　and　the　hope　of　justice。　　For　the　sake　of　these　he　had
been　willing　to　suffer　the　reproach　which　followed　their　friends　in　the
earlier　days　of　the　anti…slavery　struggle：　He　had　outlived　the　reproach
long　before；　but　the　fear　of　his　strength　remained　with　those　who　had
felt　it；　and　he　had　not　made　himself　more　generally　loved　by　the　'Fable
for　Critics'　than