the story of a bad boy-第4部分

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It　is　a　square　wooden　edifice；　with　gambrel　roof　and　deep…set　window…frames。　Over　the　windows　and　doors　there　used　to　be　heavy　carvings…oak…leaves　and　acorns；　and　angels'　heads　with　wings　spreading　from　the　ears；　oddly　jumbled　together；　but　these　ornaments　and　other　outward　signs　of　grandeur　have　long　since　disappeared。　A　peculiar　interest　attaches　itself　to　this　house；　not　because　of　its　age；　for　it　has　not　been　standing　quite　a　century；　nor　on　account　of　its　architecture；　which　is　not　striking　…　but　because　of　the　illustrious　men　who　at　various　periods　have　occupied　its　spacious　chambers。

In　1770　it　was　an　aristocratic　hotel。　At　the　left　side　of　the　entrance　stood　a　high　post；　from　which　swung　the　sign　of　the　Earl　of　Halifax。　The　landlord　was　a　stanch　loyalist…that　is　to　say；　be　believed　in　the　king；　and　when　the　overtaxed　colonies　determined　to　throw　off　the　British　yoke；　the　adherents　to　the　Crown　held　private　meetings　in　one　of　the　back　rooms　of　the　tavern。　This　irritated　the　rebels；　as　they　were　called；　and　one　night　they　made　an　attack　on　the　Earl　of　Halifax；　tore　down　the　signboard；　broke　in　the　window…sashes；　and　gave　the　landlord　hardly　time　to　make　himself　invisible　over　a　fence　in　the　rear。

For　several　months　the　shattered　tavern　remained　deserted。　At　last　the　exiled　innkeeper；　on　promising　to　do　better；　was　allowed　to　return；　a　new　sign；　bearing　the　name　of　William　Pitt；　the　friend　of　America；　swung　proudly　from　the　door…post；　and　the　patriots　were　appeased。　Here　it　was　that　the　mail…coach　from　Boston　twice　a　week；　for　many　a　year；　set　down　its　load　of　travelers　and　gossip。　For　some　of　the　details　in　this　sketch；　I　am　indebted　to　a　recently　published　chronicle　of　those　times。

It　is　1782。The　French　fleet　is　lying　in　the　harbor　of　Rivermouth；　and　eight　of　the　principal　officers；　in　white　uniforms　trimmed　with　gold　lace；　have　taken　up　their　quarters　at　the　sign　of　the　William　Pitt。　Who　is　this　young　and　handsome　officer　now　entering　the　door　of　the　tavern？　It　is　no　less　a　personage　than　the　Marquis　Lafayette；　who　has　come　all　the　way　from　Providence　to　visit　the　French　gentlemen　boarding　there。　What　a　gallant…looking　cavalier　he　is；　with　his　quick　eyes　and　coal　black　hair！　Forty　years　later　he　visited　the　spot　again；　his　locks　were　gray　and　his　step　was　feeble；　but　his　heart　held　its　young　love　for　Liberty。

Who　is　this　finely　dressed　traveler　alighting　from　his　coach　and…four；　attended　by　servants　in　livery？　Do　you　know　that　sounding　name；　written　in　big　valorous　letters　on　the　Declaration　of　Independence…written　as　if　by　the　hand　of　a　giant？　Can　you　not　see　it　now？　JOHN　HANCOCK。　This　is　he。

Three　young　men；　with　their　valet；　are　standing　on　the　doorstep　of　the　William　Pitt；　bowing　politely；　and　inquiring　in　the　most　courteous　terms　in　the　world　if　they　can　be　accommodated。　It　is　the　time　of　the　French　Revolution；　and　these　are　three　sons　of　the　Duke　of　Orleans…Louis　Philippe　and　his　two　brothers。　Louis　Philippe　never　forgot　his　visit　to　Rivermouth。　Years　afterwards；　when　he　was　seated　on　the　throne　of　France；　he　asked　an　American　lady；　who　chanced　to　be　at　his　court；　if　the　pleasant　old　mansion　were　still　standing。

But　a　greater　and　a　better　man　than　the　king　of　the　French　has　honored　this　roof。　Here；　in　1789；　came　George　Washington；　the　President　of　the　United　States；　to　pay　his　final　complimentary　visit　to　the　State　dignitaries。　The　wainscoted　chamber　where　he　slept；　and　the　dining…hall　where　he　entertained　his　guests；　have　a　certain　dignity　and　sanctity　which　even　the　present　Irish　tenants　cannot　wholly　destroy。

During　the　period　of　my　reign　at　Rivermouth；　an　ancient　lady；　Dame　Jocelyn　by　name；　lived　in　one　of　the　upper　rooms　of　this　notable　building。　She　was　a　dashing　young　belle　at　the　time　of　Washington's　first　visit　to　the　town；　and　must　have　been　exceedingly　coquettish　and　pretty；　judging　from　a　certain　portrait　on　ivory　still　in　the　possession　of　the　family。　According　to　Dame　Jocelyn；　George　Washington　flirted　with　her　just　a　little　bit…in　what　a　stately　and　highly　finished　manner　can　be　imagined。

There　was　a　mirror　with　a　deep　filigreed　frame　hanging　over　the　mantel…piece　in　this　room。　The　glass　was　cracked　and　the　quicksilver　rubbed　off　or　discolored　in　many　places。　When　it　reflected　your　face　you　had　the　singular　pleasure　of　not　recognizing　yourself。　It　gave　your　features　the　appearance　of　having　been　run　through　a　mince…meat　machine。　But　what　rendered　the　looking…glass　a　thing　of　enchantment　to　me　was　a　faded　green　feather；　tipped　with　scarlet；　which　drooped　from　the　top　of　the　tarnished　gilt　mouldings。　This　feather　Washington　took　from　the　plume　of　his　three…cornered　hat；　and　presented　with　his　own　hand　to　the　worshipful　Mistress　Jocelyn　the　day　he　left　Rivermouth　forever。　I　wish　I　could　describe　the　mincing　genteel　air；　and　the　ill…concealed　self…complacency；　with　which　the　dear　old　lady　related　the　incident。

Many　a　Saturday　afternoon　have　I　climbed　up　the　rickety　staircase　to　that　dingy　room；　which　always　had　a　flavor　of　snuff　about　it；　to　sit　on　a　stiff…backed　chair　and　listen　for　hours　together　to　Dame　Jocelyn's　stories　of　the　olden　time。　How　she　would　prattle！　She　was　bedridden…poor　creature！…and　had　not　been　out　of　the　chamber　for　fourteen　years。　Meanwhile　the　world　had　shot　ahead　of　Dame　Jocelyn。　The　changes　that　had　taken　place　under　her　very　nose　were　unknown　to　this　faded；　crooning　old　gentlewoman；　whom　the　eighteenth　century　had　neglected　to　take　away　with　the　rest　of　its　odd　traps。　She　had　no　patience　with　newfangled　notions。　The　old　ways　and　the　old　times　were　good　enough　for　her。　She　had　never　seen　a　steam　engine；　though　she　had　heard　〃the　dratted　thing〃　screech　in　the　distance。　In　her　day；　when　gentlefolk　traveled；　they　went　in　their　own　coaches。　She　didn't　see　how　respectable　people　could　bring　themselves　down　to　〃riding　in　a　car　with　rag…tag　and　bobtail　and　Lord…knows…who。〃　Poor　old　aristocrat　The　landlord　charged　her　no　rent　for　the　room；　and　the　neighbors　took　turns　in　supplying　her　with　meals。　Towards　the　close　of　her　life…she　lived　to　be　ninety…nine…she　grew　very　fretful　and　capricious　about　her　food。　If　she　didn't　chance　to　fancy　what　was　sent　her；　she　had　no　hesitation　in　sending　it　back　to　the　giver　with　〃Miss　Jocelyn's　respectful　compliments。〃

But　I　have　been　gossiping　too　long…and　yet　not　too　long　if　I　have　impressed　upon　the　reader　an　idea　of　what　a　rusty；　delightful　old　town　it　was　to　which　I　had　come　to　spend　the　next　three　or　four　years　of　my　boyhood。

A　drive　of　twenty　minutes　from　the　station　brought　us　to　the　door…step　of　Grandfather　Nutter's　house。　What　kind　of　house　it　was；　and　what　sort　of　people　lived　in　it；　shall　be　told　in　another　chapter。



Chapter　Five

The　Nutter　House　and　the　Nutter　Family



The　Nutter　House…all　the　more　prominent　dwellings　in　Rivermouth　are　named　after　somebody；　for　instance；　there　is　the　Walford　House；　the　Venner　House；　the　Trefethen　House；　etc。；　though　it　by　no　means　follows　that　they　are　inhabited　by　the　people　whose　names　they　bear…the　Nutter　House；　to　resume；　has　been　in　our　family　nearly　a　hundred　years；　and　is　an　honor　to　the　builder　（an　ancestor　of　ours；　I　believe）；　supposing　durability　to　be　a　merit。　If　our　ancestor　was　a　carpenter；　he　knew　his　trade。　I　wish　I　knew　mine　as　well。　Such　timber　and　such　workmanship　don't　often　come　together　in　houses　built　nowadays。

Imagine　a　low…studded　structure；　with　a　wide　hall　running　through　the　middle。　At　your　right　band；　as　you　enter；　stands　a　tall　black　mahogany　clock；　looking　like　an　Egyptian　mummy　set　up　on　end。　On　each　side　of　the　hall　are　doors　（whose　knobs；　it　must　be　confessed；　do　not　turn　very　easily）；　opening　into　large　rooms　wainscoted　and　rich　in　wood…carvings　about　the　mantel…pieces　and　cornices。　The　walls　are　covered　with　pictured　paper；　representing　landscapes　and　sea…views。　In　the　parlor；　for　example；　this　enlivening　figure　is　repeated　all　over　the　room。　A　group　of　English　peasants；　wearing　Italian　hats；　are　dancing　on　a　lawn　that　abruptly　resolves　itself　into　a　sea…beach；　upon　which　stands　a　flabby　fisherman　（nationality　unknown）；　quietly　hauling　in　what　appears　to　be　a　small　whale；　and　totally　regardless　of　the　dreadful　naval　combat　going　on　just　beyond　the　end　of　his　fishing…rod。　On　the　other　side　of　the　ships　is　the　main…land　again；　with　the　same　peasants　dancing。　Our　ancestors　were　very　worthy　people；　but　their　wall…papers　were　abominable。

There　are　neither　grates　nor　stoves　in　these　quaint　chambers；　but　splendid　open　chimney…places；　with　room　enough　for　the　corpulent　back…log　to　turn　over　comfortably　on　the　polished　andirons。　A　wide　staircase　leads　from　the　hall　to　the　second　story；　which　is　arranged　much　like　the　first。　Over　this　is　the　garret。　I　needn't　tell　a　New　England　boy　what…a　museum　of　curiosities　is　the　garret　of　a　well…regulated　New　England　house　of　fifty　or　sixty　years'　standing。　Here　meet　together；　as　if　by　some　preconcerted　arrangement；　all　the　broken…down　chairs　of　the　household；　all　the　spavined　tables；　all　the　seedy　hats；　all　the　intoxicated…looking　boots；　all　the　split　walking…sticks　that　have　retired　from　business；　〃weary　with　the　march　of　life。〃　The　pots；　the　pans；　the　trunks；　the　bottles…who　may　hope　to　make　an　inventory　of　the　numberless　odds　and　ends　collected　in　this　bewildering　lumber…room？　But　what　a　place　it　is　to　sit　of　an　afternoon　with　the　rain　pattering　on　the　roof！　20What　a　place　in　which　to　read　Gulliver's　Travels；　or　the　famous　adventures　of　Rinaldo　Rinaldini！

My　grandfather's　house　stood　a　little　back　from　the　main　street；　in　the　shadow　of　two　handsome　elms；　whose　overgrown　boughs　would　dash　themselves　against　the　gables　whenever　the　wind　blew　hard。　In　the　rear　was　a　pleasant　garden；　covering　perhaps　a　quarter　of　an　acre；　full　of　plum…trees　and　gooseberry　bushes。　These　trees　were　old　settlers；　and　are　all　dead　now；　excepting　one；　which　bears　a　purple　plum　as　big　as　an　egg。　This　tree；　as　I　remark；　is　still　standing；　and　a　more　beautiful　tree　to　tumble　out　of　never　grew　anywhere。　In　the　northwestern　comer　of　the　garden　were　the　stables　and　carriage…house　opening　upon　a　narrow　lane。　You　may　imagine　that　I　made　an　early　visit　to　that　locality　to　inspect　Gypsy。　Indeed；　I　paid　her　a　visit　every　half…hour　duri