History of Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, including Lynnfield ...

Biographical Sketches. Introdu6lion. 99
person living has not, in addition to his modest self-appreciation
some friend to whom he would be glad to see a tribute paid.
But in a work of this kind it devolves on the author to discriminate,
and endeavor to present, within reasonable limits, what
seems, on the whole, to be likely to result in the greatest good.
An attempt to delineate charadler is always a delicate task, and
especially so when a cotemporary is the subject ; for we necessarily
view our travelling companions along life's road in different
lights and from different stand-points ;
and hence what one
might pronounce a faithful delineation, another might look upon
as distorted. Some look deep down for the principles from
which actions spring, while others look only to surface indications.
But there is a kind of fellow-traveller whose companionship
very few of us much esteem ; namely, the one who is prone
to make those about him uncomfortable by unnecessary complaints,
ill-formed conceits, and irregularities of temper. To his
cotemporaries he is always disagreeable ; and if he be a man of
real genius and worth must look to future generations for a just
estimate of his merits, they not being tried by his vaporings.
This refleftion, perhaps impertinent, forced itself upon the writer
as the image of one of whom a sketch has already been prepared,
came up before his mind. We will call him Mr. G. He long
since passed away, and his name is now among the choicest in
the keeping •;;f our people. A little anecdote will serve to illustrate
our meaning as well as the degree of honor awarded him in
his own time ; though it is not to be denied that there were
those who, while he yet remained among us, duly estimated his
superior endowments, having power to penetrate the sometimes
repulsive haze that obscured his better nature. On an afternoon,
nearly forty years ago, the writer, in passing through Central
square observed mounted on a wagon that stood there an individual
well known throughout the town as a half-lunatic, but
shrewd, observing, and fond of indulging in sarcastic remarks.
He was delivering a rambling oration to the motley assembly
gathered around. Just then Mr. G. came along. The orator
caught sight of him, and suspending his discourse called out,
" Here, here, Mr. G , I have something to say to you. Pray
stop a moment and hear me." This salutation was of course
unheeded, and Mr. G, moved along with his accustomed dignity.