按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
proprietors of these little knick…knack establishments were the nicest
creatures； somehow suggesting venerable doves。 They were always aged
ladies； sometimes spinsters； sometimes relicts of daring mariners； beached
long before。 They always wore crisp muslin caps and steel…rimmed
spectacles； they were not always amiable； and no wonder； for even doves
may have their rheumatism； but such as they were； they were cherished in
young hearts； and are； I take it； impossible to…day。
When I look back to Portsmouth as I knew it； it occurs to me that it
must have been in some respects unique among New England towns。
There were； for instance； no really poor persons in the place； every one
had some sufficient calling or an income to render it unnecessary； vagrants
and paupers were instantly snapped up and provided for at 〃the Farm。〃
55
… Page 56…
An Old Town By The Sea
There was； however； in a gambrel…roofed house here and there； a decayed
old gentlewoman； occupying a scrupulously neat room with just a
suspicion of maccaboy snuff in the air； who had her meals sent in to her by
the neighborhoodas a matter of course； and involving no sense of
dependency on her side。 It is wonderful what an extension of vitality is
given to an old gentlewoman in this condition！
I would like to write about several of those ancient Dames； as they
were affectionately called； and to materialize others of the shadows that
stir in my recollection； but this would be to go outside the lines of my
purpose； which is simply to indicate one of the various sorts of changes
that have come over the vie intime of formerly secluded places like
Portsmouththe obliteration of odd personalities； or； if not the obliteration；
the general disregard of them。 Everywhere in New England the impress of
the past is fading out。 The few old…fashioned men and womenquaint；
shrewd； and racy of the soilwho linger in little； silvery…gray old
homesteads strung along the New England roads and by…ways will shortly
cease to exist as a class； save in the record of some such charming
chronicler as Sarah Jewett； or Mary Wilkins； on whose sympathetic page
they have already taken to themselves a remote air； an atmosphere of long…
kept lavender and pennyroyal。
Peculiarity in any kind requires encouragement in order to reach
flower。 The increased facilities of communication between points once
isolated； the interchange of customs and modes of thought； make this
encouragement more and more difficult each decade。 The naturally
inclined eccentric finds his sharp outlines rubbed off by unavoidable
attrition with a larger world than owns him。 Insensibly he lends himself to
the shaping hand of new ideas。 He gets his reversible cuffs and paper
collars from Cambridge； Massachusetts； the scarabaeus in his scarf…pin
from Mexico； and his ulster from everywhere。 He has passed out of the
chrysalis state of Odd Stick； he has ceased to be parochial； he is no longer
distinct； he is simply the Average Man。
56
… Page 57…
An Old Town By The Sea
INDEX OF NAMES
ADAMS； NATHANIEL ADDISON； JOSEPH ALLEN； WILLIAM
ANANIAS ATKINSON； THEODORE AUSTIN； REBECCA
BEAUJOLAIS； DUC DE BLAY； RUTH BOGGS； AMOS BREWSTER；
CHARLES WARREN BRIDGET； MOLLY BROWN； REV。 ARTHUR
BROWN； CAPTAIN ELIHU D。 BRUCE； CYRUS BURROUGHS； REV。
DR。 CHARLES BYLES； REV。 MATHER CAROLINE； QUEEN
CHADBORN； HUMPHREY CHARLES； PRINCE CHASTELLUX；
MARQUIS DE CLAGETT； WYSEMAN COPLEY； JOHN SINGLETON
D'ORLEANS； DUC DUNYON； WILLIAM ELIZABETH； QUEEN
FENTON； JOHN FOWLE； DANIEL FOWLE； PRIMUS FRANKLIN；
BENJAMIN FURBER； THOMAS GEORGE I GERRY； ELBRIDGE
GORGES； SIR FERDINAND GUAST； PIERRE DE HAM； SUPPLY
HANCOCK； JOHN HAWTHORNE； NATHANIEL HILTON； MARTHA
HOLMES； OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES； SOL JAFFREY； GEORGE
JAFFRIES； GEORGE JAFFREY JEWETT； SARAH ORNE KEAIS；
SAMUAL KEKUANAOA KENNY； PENELOPE KNOX； GENERAL
HENRY LAFAYETTE； MARQUIS DE LAIGHTON； ALBERT
LAIGHTON； OSCAR LANGDON； COLONEL JOHN LEAR；
BENJAMIN LONGFELLOW； HENRY WADSWORTH MACPHEADRIS；
ARCHIBALD MCDONOUGH； JAMES MASON； JEREMIAH MASON；
JOHN MASON； JOHN TUFTON MARCH； CLEMENT MATHER； REV。
COTTON MESERVE； GEORGE MICHELANGELO MITCHEL；
LETTUCE MOFFATT； CATHERINE MOLIERE MONTPENSIER； DUC
DE MOSES； JOSEPH NEWMAN； EDWARD NOBLE； MARK
ODIORNE； EBEN L。 PACKER； THOMAS PEDUZZI； DOMINIC
PENHALLOW； WIBIRD PEPPERELL； SIR WILLIAM PEPYS；
SAMUAL PHILIPPE； LOUIS PHIPPES； THOMAS PHIPPS；
GOVERNOR PICKERING； JOHN PITT； WILLIAM POTTLE；
WILLIAM PRING； MARTIN QUINCY； DOROTHY ROCHAMBEAU；
COUNT DE ROUSSELET； NICHOLAS RUTLEDGE； EDWARD
SERAT； LEONARD SEWELL； JONATHAN SHAKESPEARE SHEAFE；
JACOB SHERBURNE； HENRY SHURTLEFF； MARY ATKINSON
57
… Page 58…
An Old Town By The Sea
SHURTLEFF； REV。 WILLIAM SIMPSON； SARAH SMITH； CAPTAIN
JOHN SOCRATES STAVERS； DAME STAVERS； JOHN STEDMAN；
EDMUND CLARENCE STOODLEY； JAMES THAXTER； CELIA
THOREAU； HENRY DAVID TILTON； JOHNNY TOWLE； GEORGE
WILLIAM WALTON； GEORGE WARNER； JONATHAN
WASHINGTON； GEORGE WEBSTER； DANIEL WENTWORTH；
BENNING WENTWORTH； JOHN WENTWORTH； JOHN 2D
WENTWORTH； COLONEL JOSHUA WENTWORTH； MARY
WENTWORTH； MICHAEL WENTWORTH； SARAH WESTWERE；
EDWARD WHITTIER； JOHN GREENLEAF WIBIRD； RICHARD
WILKINS； MARY E。 WINN； TIMOTHY WITHER； GEORGE
XANTIPPE
58