an old town by the sea(滨海古城)-第12章
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will； but my statement appears to be subject to qualification； for on the day
of his obsequies it was remarked of him by a caustic contemporary： 〃Well；
yes； Mr。 Jaffrey was a gentleman by profession； but not eminent in his
profession。〃
This modest exhibition of profiles； in which I have attempted to
preserve no chronological sequence； ends with the silhouette of Dr。 Joseph
Moses。
If Boston in the colonial days had her Mather Byles； Portsmouth had
her Dr。 Joseph Moses。 In their quality as humorists； the outlines of both
these gentlemen have become rather broken and indistinct。 〃A jest's
prosperity lies in the ear that hears it。〃 Decanted wit inevitably loses its
bouquet。 A clever repartee belongs to the precious moment in which it is
broached； and is of a vintage that does not usually bear transportation。 Dr。
Moseshe received his diploma not from the College of Physicians； but
from the circumstance of his having once drugged his private demijohn of
rum； and so nailed an inquisitive negro named SamboDr。 Moses； as he
was always called； had been handed down to us by tradition as a fellow of
infinite jest and of most excellent fancy； but I must confess that I find his
high spirits very much evaporated。 His humor expended itself； for the
greater part； in practical pleasantrieslike that practiced on the minion
Sambobut these diversions； however facetious to the parties concerned；
lack magnetism for outsiders。 I discover nothing about him so amusing as
the fact that he lived in a tan…colored little tenement； which was neither
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clapboarded nor shingled； and finally got an epidermis from the discarded
shingles of the Old South Church when the roof of that edifice was
repaired。
Dr。 Moses； like many persons of his time and class； was a man of
protean employmentjoiner； barber； and what not。 No doubt he had much
pithy and fluent conversation； all of which escapes us。 He certainly
impressed the Hon。 Theodore Atkinson as a person of uncommon parts；
for the Honorable Secretary of the Province； like a second Haroun Al
Raschid； often summoned the barber to entertain him with his company。
One eveningand this is the only reproducible instance of the doctor's
readinessMr。 Atkinson regaled his guest with a diminutive glass of
choice Madeira。 The doctor regarded it against the light with the half…
closed eye of the connoisseur； and after sipping the molten topaz with
satisfaction； inquired how old it was。 〃Of the vintage of about sixty years
ago；〃 was the answer。 〃Well；〃 said the doctor reflectively； 〃I never in my
life saw so small a thing of such an age。〃 There are other mots of his on
record； but their faces are suspiciously familiar。 In fact； all the witty things
were said aeons ago。 If one nowadays perpetrates an original joke； one
immediately afterward finds it in the Sanskirt。 I am afraid that Dr。 Joseph
Moses has no very solid claims on us。 I have given him place here because
he has long had the reputation of a wit； which is almost as good as to be
one。
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VII。 PERSONAL
REMINISCENCES
THE running of the first train over the Eastern Road from Boston to
Portsmouthit took place somewhat more than forty years agowas
attended by a serious accident。 The accident occurred in the crowded
station at the Portsmouth terminus； and was unobserved at the time。 The
catastrophe was followed； though not immediately； by death； and that also；
curiously enough； was unobserved。 Nevertheless； this initial train；
freighted with so many hopes and the Directors of the Road； ran over and
killedLOCAL CHARACTER。
Up to that day Portsmouth had been a very secluded little community；
and had had the courage of its seclusion。 From time to time it had calmly
produced an individual built on plans and specifications of its own；
without regard to the prejudices and conventionalities of outlying districts。
This individual was purely indigenous。 He was born in the town； he lived
to a good old age in the town； and never went out of the place； until he
was finally laid under it。 To him； Boston； though only fifty…six miles away；
was virtually an unknown quantityonly fifty…six miles by brutal
geographical measurement； but thousands of miles distant in effect。 In
those days； in order to reach Boston you were obliged to take a great
yellow； clumsy stage…coach； resembling a three…story mud…turtleif
zoologist will； for the sake of the simile； tolerate so daring an invention；
you were obliged to take it very early in the morning； you dined at noon at
Ipswich； and clattered into the great city with the golden dome just as the
twilight was falling； provided always the coach had not shed a wheel by
the roadside or one of the leaders had not gone lame。 To many worthy and
well…to…do persons in Portsmouth； this journey was an event which
occurred only twice or thrice during life。 To the typical individual with
whom I am for the moment dealing； it never occurred at all。 The town was
his entire world； he was a parochial as a Parisian； Market Street was his
Boulevard des Italiens； and the North End his Bois de Boulogne。
Of course there were varieties of local characters without his
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limitations； venerable merchants retired from the East India trade； elderly
gentlewomen； with family jewels and personal peculiarities； one or two
scholarly recluses in by…gone cut of coat； haunting the Athenaeum
reading…room； ex…sea captains； with rings on their fingers； like Simon
Danz's visitors in Longfellow's poemmen who had played busy parts in
the bustling world； and had drifted back to Old Strawberry Bank in the
tranquil sunset of their careers。 I may say； in passing； that these ancient
mariners； after battling with terrific hurricanes and typhoons on every
known sea； not infrequently drowned themselves in pleasant weather in
small sail…boats on the Piscataqua River。 Old sea…dogs who had
commanded ships of four or five hundred tons had naturally slight respect
for the potentialities of sail…boats twelve feet long。 But there was to be no
further increase of these odd sticksif I may call them so； in no irreverent
moodafter those innocent…looking parallel bars indissolubly linked
Portsmouth with the capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts。 All
the conditions were to be changed； the old angles to be pared off； new
horizons to be regarded。 The individual； as an eccentric individual； was to
undergo great modifications。 If he were not to become extincta thing
little likelyhe was at least to lose his prominence。
However； as I said； local character； in the sense in which the term is
here used； was not instantly killed； it died a lingering death； and passed
away so peacefully and silently as not to attract general； or perhaps any；
notice。 This period of gradual dissolution fell during my boyhood。 The last
of the cocked hats had gone out； and the railway had come in； long before
my time； but certain bits of color； certain half obsolete customs and scraps
of the past； were still left over。 I was not too late； for example； to catch the
last town crierone Nicholas Newman； whom I used to contemplate with
awe； and now recall with a sort of affection。
Nicholas NewmanNicholas was a sobriquet； his real name being
Edwardwas a most estimable person； very short； cross…eyed； somewhat
bow…legged； and with a bell out of all proportion to his stature。 I have
never since seen a bell of that size disconnected with a church steeple。 The
only thing about him that matched the instrument of his office was his
voice。 His 〃Hear All！〃 still deafens memory's ear。 I remember that he had a
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queer way of sidling up to one； as if nature in shaping him had originally
intended a crab； but thought better of it； and made a town…crier。 Of the
crustacean intention only a moist thumb remained； which served Mr。
Newman in good stead in the delivery of the Boston evening papers； for he
was incidentally newsdealer。 His authentic duties were to cry auctions；
funerals； mislaid children； traveling theatricals； public meetings； and
articles lost or found。 He was especially strong in announcing the loss of
reticules； usually the property of elderly maiden ladies。 The unction with
which he detailed the several contents； when fully confided to him； would
have seemed satirical in another person； but on his part was pure
conscientiousness。 He would not let so much as a thimble； or a piece of
wax； or a portable tooth； or any amiable vanity in the way of tonsorial
device； escape him。 I have heard Mr。 Newman spoken of as 〃that horrid
man。〃 He was a picturesque figure。
Possibly it is because of his bell that I connect the town crier with
those dolorous sounds which I used to hear rolling out of the steeple of the
Old North every night at nine o'clockthe vocal remains of the colonial
curfew。 Nicholas Newman has passed on； perhaps crying his losses
elsewhere； but this nightly tolling is still a custom。 I can more
satisfactorily explain why I associate with it a vastly different personality；
that of Sol Holmes； the barber； for every
