第8部分(第3/7 頁)

ographical　for　amodest　person　to　publish　in　his　life…time；　will　readily　be　excusedin　a　gentleman　who　writes　from　beyond　the　grave。　Peace　be　with　all　theworld！　My　blessing　on　my　friends！　My　forgiveness　to　my　enemies！　ForI　am　in　the　realm　of　quiet！ The　life　of　the　Custom…House　lies　like　a　dream　behind　me。　The　oldInspector…　who；　by…the…bye；　I　regret　to　say；　was　overthrown　and　killedby　a　horse；　some　time　ago；　else　he　would　certainly　have　lived　forever…he；　and　all　those　other　venerable　personages　who　sat　with　him　at　thereceipt　of　custom；　are　but　shadows　in　my　view；　white…headed　andwrinkled　images；　which　my　fancy　used　to　sport　with；　and　has　nowflung　aside　forever。　The　merchants…　Pingree；　Phillips；　Shepard；　Upton；Kimball；　Bertram；　Hunt…　these；　and　many　other　names；　which　had　sucha　classic　familiarity　for　my　ear　six　months　ago…　these　men　of　traffic；who　seemed　to　occupy　so　important　a　position　in　the　world…　howlittle　time　has　it　required　to　disconnect　me　from　them　all；　not　merelyin　act；　but　recollection！　It　is　with　an　effort　that　I　recall　thefigures　and　appellations　of　these　few。　Soon；　likewise；　my　old　nativetown　will　loom　upon　me　through　the　haze　of　memory；　a　mist　broodingover　and　around　it；　as　if　it　were　no　portion　of　the　real　earth；　but　anovergrown　village　in　cloudland；　with　only　imaginary　inhabitants　topeople　its　wooden　houses；　and　walk　its　homely　lanes；　and　theunpicturesque　prolixity　of　its　main　street。　Henceforth；　it　ceases　tobe　a　reality　of　my　life；　I　am　a　citizen　of　somewhere　else。　My　goodtownspeople　will　not　much　regret　me；　for…　though　it　has　been　as　dearan　object　as　any；　in　my　literary　efforts；　to　be　of　some　importancein　their　eyes；　and　to　win　myself　a　pleasant　memory　in　this　abode　andburial…place　of　so　many　of　my　forefathers…　there　has　never　been；　forme；　the　general