CHAPTER112TheBlacksmith

availinghimselfofthemild,summer-coolweatherthatnowreignedintheselatitudes,andinpreparationforthepeculiarlyactivepursuitsshortlytobeanticipated,perth,thebegrimed,blisteredoldblacksmith,hadnotremovedhisportableforgetotheholdagain,afterconcludinghiscontributoryworkforahab'sleg,butstillretaineditondeck,fastlashedtoringboltsbytheforemast;beingnowalmostincessantlyinvokedbytheheadsmen,andharpooneers,andbowsmentodosomelittlejobforthem;altering,orrepairing,ornewshapingtheirvariousweaponsandboatfurniture.oftenhewouldbesurroundedbyaneagercircle,allwaitingtobeserved;holdingboat-spades,pike-heads,harpoons,andlances,andjealouslywatchinghiseverysootymovement,ashetoiled.nevertheless,thisoldman'swasapatienthammerwieldedbyapatientarm.nomurmur,noimpatience,nopetulancedidcomefromhim.silent,slow,andsolemn;bowingoverstillfurtherhischronicallybrokenback,hetoiledaway,asiftoilwerelifeitself,andtheheavybeatingofhishammertheheavybeatingofhisheart.andsoitwas.—mostmiserable!

apeculiarwalkinthisoldman,acertainslightbutpainfulappearingyawinginhisgait,hadatanearlyperiodofthevoyageexcitedthecuriosityofthemariners.andtotheimportunityoftheirpersistedquestioningshehadfinallygivenin;andsoitcametopassthateveryonenowknewtheshamefulstoryofhiswretchedfate.

belated,andnotinnocently,onebitterwinter'smidnight,ontheroadrunningbetweentwocountrytowns,theblacksmithhalf-stupidlyfeltthedeadlynumbnessstealingoverhim,andsoughtrefugeinaleaning,dilapidatedbarn.theissuewas,thelossoftheextremitiesofbothfeet.outofthisrevelation,partbypart,atlastcameoutthefouractsofthegladness,andtheonelong,andasyetuncatastrophiedfifthactofthegriefofhislife'sdrama.

hewasanoldman,who,attheageofnearlysixty,hadpostponedlyencounteredthatthinginsorrow'stechnicalscalledruin.hehadbeenanartisanoffamedexcellence,andwithplentytodo;ownedahouseandgarden;embracedayouthful,daughter-like,lovingwife,andthreeblithe,ruddychildren;everysundaywenttoacheerful-lookingchurch,plantedinagrove.butonenight,undercoverofdarkness,andfurtherconcealedinamostcunningdisguisement,adesperateburglarslidintohishappyhome,androbbedthemallofeverything.anddarkeryettotell,theblacksmithhimselfdidignorantlyconductthisburglarintohisfamily'sheart.itwasthebottleconjuror!upontheopeningofthatfatalcork,forthflewthefiend,andshrivelleduphishome.now,forprudent,mostwise,andeconomicreasons,theblacksmith'sshopwasinthebasementofhisdwelling,butwithaseparateentrancetoit;sothatalwayshadtheyoungandlovinghealthywifelistenedwithnounhappynervousness,butwithvigorouspleasure,tothestoutringingofheryoung-armedoldhusband'shammer;whosereverberations,muffledbypassingthroughthefloorsandwalls,cameuptoher,notunsweetly,inhernursery;andso,tostoutlabor'sironlullaby,theblacksmith'sinfantswererockedtoslumber.

oh,woeonwoe!oh,death,whycanstthounotsometimesbetimely?hadstthoutakenthisoldblacksmithtothyselferehisfullruincameuponhim,thenhadtheyoungwidowhadadeliciousgrief,andherorphansatrulyvenerable,legendarysiretodreamofintheirafteryears;andallofthemacare-killingcompetency.butdeathpluckeddownsomevirtuouselderbrother,onwhosewhistlingdailytoilsolelyhungtheresponsibilitiesofsomeotherfamily,andlefttheworsethanuselessoldmanstanding,tillthehideousrotoflifeshouldmakehimeasiertoharvest.

whytellthewhole?theblowsofthebasementhammereverydaygrewmoreandmorebetween;andeachbloweverydaygrewfainterthanthelast;thewifesatfrozenatthewindow,withtearlesseyes,glitteringlygazingintotheweepingfacesofherchildren;thebellowsfell;theforgechokedupwithcinders;thehousewassold;themotherdiveddownintothelongchurch-yardgrass;herchildrentwicefollowedherthither;andthehouseless,familylessoldmaneredoffavagabondincrape;hiseverywoeunreverenced;hisgreyheadascorntoflaxencurls!

deathseemstheonlydesirablesequelforacareerlikethis;butdeathisonlyalaunchingintotheregionofthestrangeuntried;itisbutthefirstsalutationtothepossibilitiesoftheimmenseremote,thewild,thewatery,theunshored;therefore,tothedeathlongingeyesofsuchmen,whostillhaveleftinthemsomeinteriorcompunctionsagainstsuicide,doestheall-contributedandall-receptiveoceanalluringlyspreadforthhiswholeplainofunimaginable,takingterrors,andwonderful,new-lifeadventures;andfromtheheartsofinfinitepacifics,thethousandmermaidsingtothem—"comehither,broken-hearted;hereisanotherlifewithouttheguiltofintermediatedeath;herearewonderssupernatural,withoutdyingforthem.comehither!burythyselfinalifewhich,toyournowequallyabhorredandabhorring,landedworld,ismoreobliviousthandeath.comehither!putupthygravestone,too,withinthechurchyard,andcomehither,tillwemarrythee!"

hearkeningtothesevoices,eastandwest,byearlysunrise,andbyfallofeve,theblacksmith'ssoulresponded,aye,icome!andsoperthwenta-whaling.