introductory-第6部分

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old　Inspector　was　incapable　of　it；　and；　were　he　to　continue　in

office　to　the　end　of　time；　would　be　just　as　good　as　he　was　then；　and

sit　down　to　dinner　with　just　as　good　an　appetite。

　　There　is　one　likeness；　without　which　my　gallery　of　Custom…House

portraits　would　be　strangely　incomplete；　but　which　my　comparatively

few　opportunities　for　observation　enable　me　to　sketch　only　in　the

merest　outline。　It　is　that　of　the　Collector；　our　gallant　old

General；　who；　after　his　brilliant　military　service；　subsequently　to

which　he　had　ruled　over　a　wild　Western　territory；　had　come　hither；

twenty　years　before；　to　spend　the　decline　of　his　varied　and　honourable

life。　The　brave　soldier　had　already　numbered；　nearly　or　quite；　his

threescore　years　and　ten；　and　was　pursuing　the　remainder　of　his

earthly　march；　burdened　with　infirmities　which　even　the　martial

music　of　his　own　spirit…stirring　recollections　could　do　little　towards

lightening。　The　step　was　palsied　now；　that　had　been　foremost　in　the

charge。　It　was　only　with　the　assistance　of　a　servant；　and　by　leaning

his　hand　heavily　on　the　iron　balustrade；　that　he　could　slowly　and

painfully　ascend　the　Custom…House　steps；　and；　with　a　toilsome　progress

across　the　floor；　attain　his　customary　chair　beside　the　fireplace。

There　he　used　to　sit；　gazing　with　a　somewhat　dim　serenity　of　aspect　at

the　figures　that　came　and　went；　amid　the　rustle　of　papers；　the

administering　of　oaths；　the　discussion　of　business；　and　the　casual

talk　of　the　office；　all　which　sounds　and　circumstances　seemed　but

indistinctly　to　impress　his　senses；　and　hardly　to　make　their　way

into　his　inner　sphere　of　contemplation。　His　countenance；　in　this

repose；　was　mild　and　kindly。　If　his　notice　was　sought；　an　expression

of　courtesy　and　interest　gleamed　out　upon　his　features；　proving　that

there　was　light　within　him；　and　that　it　was　only　the　outward　medium　of

the　intellectual　lamp　that　obstructed　the　rays　in　their　passage。　The

closer　you　penetrated　to　the　substance　of　his　mind；　the　sounder　it

appeared。　When　no　longer　called　upon　to　speak；　or　listen；　either　of

which　operations　cost　him　an　evident　effort；　his　face　would　briefly

subside　into　its　former　not　uncheerful　quietude。　It　was　not　painful　to

behold　this　look；　for　though　dim；　it　had　not　the　imbecility　of

decaying　age。　The　framework　of　his　nature；　originally　strong　and

massive；　was　not　yet　crumbled　into　ruin。

　　To　observe　and　define　his　character；　however；　under　such

disadvantages；　was　as　difficult　a　task　as　to　trace　out　and　build　up

anew；　in　imagination；　an　old　fortress；　like　Ticonderoga；　from　a　view

of　its　grey　and　broken　ruins。　Here　and　there；　perchance；　the　walls　may

remain　almost　complete；　but　elsewhere　may　be　only　a　shapeless　mound；

cumbrous　with　its　very　strength；　and　overgrown；　through　long　years

of　peace　and　neglect；　with　grass　and　alien　weeds。

　　Nevertheless；　looking　at　the　old　warrior　with　affection…　for；　slight

as　was　the　communication　between　us；　my　feeling　towards　him；　like　that

of　all　bipeds　and　quadrupeds　who　knew　him；　might　not　improperly　be

termed　so…　I　could　discern　the　main　points　of　his　portrait。　It　was

marked　with　the　noble　and　heroic　qualities　which　showed　it　to　be　not

by　a　mere　accident；　but　of　good　right；　that　he　had　won　a　distinguished

name。　His　spirit　could　never；　I　conceive；　have　been　characterised　by

an　uneasy　activity；　it　must；　at　any　period　of　his　life；　have

required　an　impulse　to　set　him　in　motion；　but；　once　stirred　up；　with

obstacles　to　overcome；　and　an　adequate　object　to　be　attained；　it　was

not　in　the　man　to　give　out　or　fail。　The　beat　that　had　formerly

pervaded　his　nature；　and　which　was　not　yet　extinct；　was　never　of　the

kind　that　flashes　and　flickers　in　a　blaze；　but；　rather；　a　deep；　red

glow；　as　of　iron　in　a　furnace。　Weight；　solidity；　firmness；　this　was

the　expression　of　his　repose；　even　in　such　decay　as　had　crept　untimely

over　him；　at　the　period　of　which　I　speak。　But　I　could　imagine；　even

then；　that；　under　some　excitement　which　should　go　deeply　into　his

consciousness…　roused　by　a　trumpet…peal；　loud　enough　to　awaken　all

of　his　energies　that　were　not　dead；　but　only　slumbering…　he　was　yet

capable　of　flinging　off　his　infirmities　like　a　sick　man's　gown；

dropping　the　staff　of　age　to　seize　a　battle…sword；　and　starting　up

once　more　a　warrior。　And；　in　so　intense　a　moment；　his　demeanour

would　have　still　been　calm。　Such　an　exhibition；　however；　was　but　to　be

pictured　in　fancy；　not　to　be　anticipated；　nor　desired。　What　I　saw　in

him…　as　evidently　as　the　indestructible　ramparts　of；　Old

Ticonderoga；　already　cited　as　the　most　appropriate　simile…　were　the

features　of　stubborn　and　ponderous　endurance；　which　might　well　have

amounted　to　obstinacy　in　his　earlier　days；　of　integrity；　that；　like

most　of　his　other　endowments；　lay　in　a　somewhat　heavy　mass；　and　was

just　as　unmalleable　and　unmanageable　as　a　ton　of　iron　ore；　and　of

benevolence；　which；　fiercely　as　he　led　the　bayonets　on　at　Chippewa

or　Fort　Erie；　I　take　to　be　of　quite　as　genuine　a　stamp　as　what

actuates　any　or　all　the　polemical　philanthropists　of　the　age。　He　had

slain　men　with　his　own　hand；　for　aught　I　know…　certainly；　they　had

fallen；　like　blades　of　grass　at　the　sweep　of　the　scythe；　before　the

charge　to　which　his　spirit　imparted　its　triumphant　energy…　but；　be

that　as　it　might；　there　was　never　in　his　heart　so　much　cruelty　as

would　have　brushed　the　down　off　a　butterfly's　wing。　I　have　not　known

the　man；　to　whose　innate　kindliness　I　would　more　confidently　make　an

appeal。

　　Many　characteristics…　and　those；　too；　which　contribute　not　the　least

forcibly　to　impart　resemblance　in　a　sketch…　must　have　vanished；　or

been　obscured；　before　I　met　the　General。　All　merely　graceful

attributes　are　usually　the　most　evanescent；　nor　does　Nature　adorn

the　human　ruin　with　blossoms　of　new　beauty；　that　have　their　roots

and　proper　nutriment　only　in　the　chinks　and　crevices　of　decay；　as

she　sows　wall…flowers　over　the　ruined　fortress　of　Ticonderoga。

Still；　even　in　respect　of　grace　and　beauty；　there　were　points　well

worth　noting。　A　ray　of　humour；　now　and　then；　would　make　its　way

through　the　veil　of　dim　obstruction；　and　glimmer　pleasantly　upon　our

faces。　A　trait　of　native　elegance；　seldom　seen　in　the　masculine

character　after　childhood　or　early　youth；　was　shown　in　the　General's

fondness　for　the　sight　and　fragrance　of　flowers。　An　old　soldier

might　be　supposed　to　prize　only　the　bloody　laurel　on　his　brow；　but

here　was　one；　who　seemed　to　have　a　young　girl's　appreciation　of　the

floral　tribe。

　　There；　beside　the　fireplace；　the　brave　old　General　used　to　sit；

while　the　Surveyor…　though　seldom；　when　it　could　be　avoided；　taking

upon　himself　the　difficult　task　of　engaging　him　in　conversation…　was

fond　of　standing　at　a　distance；　and　watching　his　quiet　and　almost

slumberous　countenance。　He　seemed　away　from　us；　although　we　saw　him

but　a　few　yards　off；　remote；　though　we　passed　close　beside　his

chair；　unattainable；　though　we　might　have　stretched　forth　our　hands

and　touched