an old town by the sea-第2部分

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　years　existed？　There　are　no　ships　lying　at　the　pier…heads；　there　are　no　gangs　of　stevedores　staggering　under　the　heavy　cases　of　merchandise；　here　and　there　is　a　barge　laden　down　to　the　bulwarks　with　coal；　and　here　and　there　a　square…rigged　schooner　from　Maine　smothered　with　fragrant　planks　and　clapboards；　an　imported　citizen　is　fishing　at　the　end　of　the　wharf；　a　ruminative　freckled　son　of　Drogheda；　in　perfect　sympathy　with　the　indolent　sunshine　that　seems　to　be　sole　proprietor　of　these　crumbling　piles　and　ridiculous　warehouses；　from　which　even　the　ghost　of　prosperity　has　flown。

Once　upon　a　time；　however；　Portsmouth　carried　on　an　extensive　trade　with　the　West　Indies；　threatening　as　a　maritime　port　to　eclipse　both　Boston　and　New　York。　　At　the　windows　of　these　musty　counting…rooms　which　overlook　the　river　near　Spring　Market　used　to　stand　portly　merchants；　in　knee　breeches　and　silver　shoe…buckles　and　plum…colored　coats　with　ruffles　at　the　wrist；　waiting　for　their　ships　to　come　up　the　Narrows；　the　cries　of　stevedores　and　the　chants　of　sailors　at　the　windlass　used　to　echo　along　the　shore　where　all　is　silence　now。　For　reasons　not　worth　setting　forth；　the　trade　with　the　Indies　abruptly　closed；　having　ruined　as　well　as　enriched　many　a　Portsmouth　adventurer。　　This　explains　the　empty　warehouses　and　the　unused　wharves。　　Portsmouth　remains　the　interesting　widow　of　a　once　very　lively　commerce。　I　fancy　that　few　fortunes　are　either　made　or　lost　in　Portsmouth　nowadays。　Formerly　it　turned　out　the　best　ships；　as　it　did　the　ablest　ship　captains；　in　the　world。　　There　were　families　in　which　the　love　for　blue　water　was　in　immemorial　trait。　　The　boys　were　always　sailors；　〃a　grey…headed　shipmaster；　in　each　generation；　retiring　from　the　quarter…deck　to　the　homestead；　while　a　boy　of　fourteen　took　the　hereditary　place　before　the　mast；　confronting　the　salt　spray　and　the　gale；　which　had　blasted　against　his　sire　and　grandsire。〃　（1。　Hawthorne　in　his　introduction　to　The　Scarlet　Letter。）　　With　thousands　of　miles　of　sea…line　and　a　score　or　two　of　the　finest　harbors　on　the　globe；　we　have　adroitly　turned　over　our　carrying　trade　to　foreign　nations。

In　other　days；　as　I　have　said；　a　high　maritime　spirit　was　characteristic　of　Portsmouth。　　The　town　did　a　profitable　business　in　the　war　of　1812；　sending　out　a　large　fleet　of　the　sauciest　small　craft　on　record。　　A　pleasant　story　is　told　of　one　of　these　little　privateersthe　Harlequin；　owned　and　commanded　by　Captain　Elihu　Brown。　　The　Harlequin　one　day　gave　chase　to　a　large　ship；　which　did　not　seem　to　have　much　fight　aboard；　and　had　got　it　into　close　quarters；　when　suddenly　the　shy　stranger　threw　open　her　ports；　and　proved　to　be　His　Majesty's　Ship…of…War　Bulwark；　seventy…four　guns。　　Poor　Captain　Brown！

Portsmouth　has　several　large　cotton　factories　and　one　or　two　corpulent　breweries；　it　is　a　wealthy　old　town；　with　a　liking　for　first　mortgage　bonds；　but　its　warmest　lover　will　not　claim　for　it　the　distinction　of　being　a　great　mercantile　centre。　　The　majority　of　her　young　men　are　forced　to　seek　other　fields　to　reap；　and　almost　every　city　in　the　Union；　and　many　a　city　across　the　sea；　can　point　to　some　eminent　merchant；　lawyer；　or　what　not；　as　〃a　Portsmouth　boy。〃　　Portsmouth　even　furnished　the　late　king　of　the　Sandwich　Islands；　Kekuanaoa；　with　a　prime　minister；　and　his　nankeen　Majesty　never　had　a　better。　The　affection　which　all　these　exiles　cherish　for　their　birthplace　is　worthy　of　remark。　　On　two　occasionsin　1852　and　1873；　the　two　hundred　and　fiftieth　anniversary　of　the　settlement　of　Strawberry　Bankthe　transplanted　sons　of　Portsmouth　were　seized　with　an　impulse　to　return　home。　　Simultaneously　and　almost　without　concerted　action；　the　lines　of　pilgrims　took　up　their　march　from　every　quarter　of　the　globe；　and　swept　down　with　music　and　banners　on　the　motherly　old　town。

To　come　back　to　the　wharves。　I　do　not　know　of　any　spot　with　such　a　fascinating　air　of　dreams　and　idleness　about　it　as　the　old　wharf　at　the　end　of　Court　Street。　The　very　fact　that　it　was　once　a　noisy；　busy　place；　crowded　with　sailors　and　soldiersin　the　war　of　1812gives　an　emphasis　to　the　quiet　that　broods　over　it　to…day。　　The　lounger　who　sits　of　a　summer　afternoon　on　a　rusty　anchor　fluke　in　the　shadow　of　one　of　the　silent　warehouses；　and　look　on　the　lonely　river　as　it　goes　murmuring　past　the　town；　cannot　be　too　grateful　to　the　India　trade　for　having　taken　itself　off　elsewhere。

What　a　slumberous；　delightful；　lazy　place　it　is！　　The　sunshine　seems　to　lie　a　foot　deep　on　the　planks　of　the　dusty　wharf；　which　yields　up　to　the　warmth　a　vague　perfume　of　the　cargoes　of　rum；　molasses；　and　spice　that　used　to　be　piled　upon　it。　The　river　is　as　blue　as　the　inside　of　a　harebell。　　The　opposite　shore；　in　the　strangely　shifting　magic　lights　of　sky　and　water；　stretches　along　like　the　silvery　coast　of　fairyland。　　Directly　opposite　you　is　the　navy　yard；　and　its　neat　officers'　quarters　and　workshops　and　arsenals；　and　its　vast　shiphouses；　in　which　the　keel　of　many　a　famous　frigate　has　been　laid。　Those　monster　buildings　on　the　water's　edge；　with　their　roofs　pierced　with　innumerable　little　windows；　which　blink　like　eyes　in　the　sunlight；　and　the　shiphouses。　On　your　right　lies　a　cluster　of　small　islands；there　are　a　dozen　or　more　in　the　harboron　the　most　extensive　of　which　you　see　the　fading…away　remains　of　some　earthworks　thrown　up　in　1812。　　Between　thisTrefethren's　Islandand　Peirce's　Island　lie　the　Narrows。　Perhaps　a　bark　or　a　sloop…of…war　is　making　up　to　town；　the　hulk　is　hidden　amoung　the　islands；　and　the　topmasts　have　the　effect　of　sweeping　across　the　dry　land。　On　your　left　is　a　long　bridge；　more　than　a　quarter　of　a　mile　in　length；　set　upon　piles　where　the　water　is　twenty　or　thirty　feet　deep；　leading　to　the　navy　yard　and　Kitterythe　Kittery　so　often　the　theme　of　Whittier's　verse。

This　is　a　mere　outline　of　the　landscape　that　spreads　before　you。　Its　changeful　beauty　of　form　and　color；　with　the　summer　clouds　floating　over　it；　is　not　to　be　painted　in　words。　I　know　of　many　a　place　where　the　scenery　is　more　varied　and　striking；　but　there　is　a　mandragora　quality　in　the　atmosphere　here　that　holds　you　to　the　spot；　and　makes　the　half…hours　seem　like　minutes。　I　could　fancy　a　man　sitting　on　the　end　of　that　old　wharf　very　contentedly　for　two　or　three　years；　provided　it　could　be　always　in　June。

Perhaps；　too；　one　would　desire　it　to　be　always　high　water。　　The　tide　falls　from　eight　to　twelve　feet；　and　when　the　water　makes　out　between　the　wharves　some　of　the　picturesqueness　makes　out　also。　A　corroded　section　of　stovepipe　mailed　in　barnacles；　or　the　skeleton　of　a　hoopskirt　protruding　from　the　tide　mud　like　the　remains　of　some　old…time　wreck；　is　apt　to　break　the　enchantment。

I　fear　I　have　given　the　reader　an　exaggerated　idea　of　the　solitude　that　reigns　along　the　river…side。　Sometimes　there　is　society　here　of　an　unconventional　kind；　if　you　care　to　seek　it。　Aside　from　the　foreign　gentleman　before　mentioned；　you　are　likely　to　encounter；　farther　down　the　shore　toward　the　Point　of　Graves　（a　burial…place　of　the　colonial　period）；　a　battered　and　aged　native　fisherman　boiling　lobsters　on　a　little　gravelly　bench；　where　the　river　whispers　and　lisps　among　the　pebbles　as　the　tide　creeps　in。　　It　is　a　weather…beaten　ex…skipper　or　ex…pilot；　with　strands　of　coarse　hair；　like　seaweed；　falling　about　a　face　that　has　the　expression　of　a　half…open　clam。　　He　is　always　ready　to　talk　with　you；　this　amphibious　person；　and　if　he　is　not　the　most　entertaining　of　gossipsmore　weather…wise　that　Old　Probabilities；　and　as　full　of　moving　incident　as　Othello　himselfthen　he　is　not　the　wintery…haired　shipman　I　used　to　see　a　few　years　ago　on　the　strip　of　beach　just　beyond　Liberty　Bridge；　building　his　drift…wood　fire　under　a　great　tin　boiler；　and　making　it　lively　for　a　lot　of　reluctant　lobsters。

I　imagine　that　very　little　change　has　taken　place　in　this　immediate　locality；　known　prosaically　as　Puddle　Dock；　during　the　past　fifty　or　sixty　years。　　The　view　you　get　looking　across　Liberty　Bridge；　Water　Street；　is　probably　the　same　in　every　respect　that　presented　itself　to　the　eyes　of　the　town　folk　a　century　ago。　　The　flagstaff；　on　the　right；　is　the　representative　of　the　old　〃standard　of　liberty〃　which　the　Sons　planted　on　this　spot　in　January；　1766；　signalizing　their　opposition　to　the　enforcement　of　the　Stamp　Act。　　On　the　same　occasion　the　patriots　called　at　the　house　of　Mr。　George　Meserve；　the　agent　for　distributing　the　stamps　in　New　Hampshire；　and　relieved　him　of　his　stamp…master's　commission；　which　document　they　carried　on　the　point　of　a　sword　through　the　town　to　Liberty　Bridge　（the　Swing　Bridge）；　where　they　erected　the　staff；　with　the　motto；　〃Liberty；　Property；　and　no　Stamp！〃

The　Stamp　Act　was　to　go　into　operation　on　the　first　day　of　November。　　On　the　previous　morning　the　〃New　Hampshire　Gazette〃　appeared　with　a　deep　black　border　and　all　the　typographical　emblems　of　affliction；　for　was　not　Liberty　dead？　　At　all　events；　the　〃Gazette〃　itself　was　as　good　as　dead；　since　the　printer　could　no　longer　publish　it　if　he　were　to　be　handicapped　by　a　heavy　tax。　〃The　day　was　ushered　in　by　the　tolling　of　all　the　bells　in　town；　the　vessels　in　the　harbor　had　their　colors　hoisted　half…mast　high；　about　three　o'clock　a　funeral　procession　was　formed；　having　a