had　bequeathed　in　due　legal　form　to　the　tragedian；　begging　him　henceforth　to　adopt　it　as　one　of　the　necessary　stage　properties　in　the　fifth　act　of　Mr。　Shakespeare's　tragedy　of　〃Hamlet。''　〃Take　it　away；　you　black　imp！〃　thundered　the　actor　to　the　equally　aghast　negro　boy；　whose　curiosity　had　happily　not　prompted　him　to　investigate　the　dark　nature　of　his　burden。　　　　　　Shortly　afterward；　however；　the　horse…stealer's　residuary　legatee；　recovering　from　the　first　shock　of　his　surprise；　fell　into　the　grim　humor　of　the　situation；　and　proceeded　to　carry　out　to　the　letter　the　testator's　whimsical　request。　　Thus　it　was　that　the　skull　came　to　secure　an　engage…　ment　to　play　the　role　of　poor　Yorick　in　J。　B。　Booth's　company　of　strolling　players；　and　to　continue　a　while　longer　to　glimmer　behind　the　footlights　in　the　hands　of　his　famous　son。　　　　　　Observing　that　the　grave…digger　in　his　too　eager　realism　was　damaging　the　thingthe　marks　of　his　pick　and　spade　are　visible　on　the　craniumEdwin　Booth　presently　replaced　it　with　a　papier…mache　counterfeit　manufactured　in　the　property…room　of　the　theatre。　　During　his　subsequent　wanderings　in　Australia　and　California；　he　carefully　preserved　the　relic；　which　finally　found　repose　on　the　bracket　in　question。　　　　　　How　often　have　I　sat；　of　an　afternoon；　in　that　front　room　on　the　fourth　floor　of　the　club…　house　in　Gramercy　Park；　watching　the　winter　or　summer　twilight　gradually　softening　and　blurring　the　sharp　outline　of　the　skull　until　it　vanished　uncannily　into　the　gloom！　　Edwin　Booth　had　forgotten；　if　ever　he　knew；　the　name　of　the　man；　but　I　had　no　need　of　it　in　order　to　establish　acquaintance　with　poor　Yorick。　　In　this　association　I　was　conscious　of　a　deep　tinge　of　sentiment　on　my　own　part；　a　circumstance　not　without　its　queerness；　considering　how　very　distant　the　acquaintance　really　was。　　　　　　Possibly　he　was　a　fellow　of　infinite　jest　in　his　day；　he　was　sober　enough　now；　and　in　no　way　disposed　to　indulge　in　those　flashes　of　merri…　ment　〃that　were　wont　to　set　the　table　on　a　roar。〃　　But　I　did　not　regret　his　evaporated　hilarity；　I　liked　his　more　befitting　genial　si…　lence；　and　had　learned　to　look　upon　his　rather　open　countenance　with　the　same　friendliness　as　that　with　which　I　regarded　the　faces　of　less　phantasmal　members　of　the　club。　　He　had　be…　come　to　me　a　dramatic　personality　as　distinct　as　that　of　any　of　the　Thespians　I　met　in　the　grill…　room　or　the　library。　　　　　　Yorick's　feeling　in　regard　to　me　was　a　sub…　ject　upon　which　I　frequently　speculated。　　There　was　at　intervals　an　alert　gleam　of　intelligence　in　those　cavernous　eye…sockets；　as　if　the　sudden　remembrance　of　some　old　experience　had　illu…　mined　them。　　He　had　been　a　great　traveler；　and　had　known　strange　vicissitudes　in　life；　his　stage　career　had　brought　him　into　contact　with　a　varied　assortment　of　men　and　women；　and　ex…　tended　his　horizon。　　His　more　peaceful　profes…　sion　of　holding　up　mail…coaches　on　lonely　roads　had　surely　not　been　without　incident。　　It　was　inconceivable　that　all　this　had　left　no　impres…　sions。　　He　must　have　had　at　least　a　faint　recol…　lection　of　the　tempestuous　Junius　Brutus　Booth。　That　Yorick　had　formed　his　estimate　of　me；　and　probably　not　a　flattering　one；　is　something　of　which　I　am　strongly　convinced。　　　　　　At　the　death　of　Edwin　Booth；　poor　Yorick　passed　out　of　my　personal　cognizance；　and　now　lingers　an　incongruous　shadow　amid　the　mem…　ories　of　the　precious　things　I　lost　then。　　　　　　The　suite　of　apartments　formerly　occupied　by　Edwin　Booth　at　The　Players　has　been；　as　I　have　said；　kept　unchangeda　shrine　to　which　from　time　to　time　some　loving　heart　makes　silent　pilgrimage。　　On　a　table　in　the　centre　of　his　bedroom　lies　the　book　just　where　he　laid　it　down；　an　ivory　paper…cutter　marking　the　page　his　eyes　last　rested　upon；　and　in　this　chamber；　with　its　familiar　pictures；　pipes；　and　ornaments；　the　skull　finds　its　proper　sanctuary。　　If　at　odd　moments　I　wish　that　by　chance　poor　Yorick　had　fallen　to　my　care；　the　wish　is　only　half…　hearted；　though　had　that　happened；　I　would　have　given　him　welcome　to　the　choicest　corner　in　my　study　and　tenderly　cherished　him　for　the　sake　of　one　who　comes　no　more。
  THE　AUTOGRAPH　HUNTER
  One　that　gathers　samphire；　dreadful　trade！King　Lear。
  THE　material　for　this　paper　on　the　auto…　graph　hunter；　his　ways　and　his　manners；　has　been　drawn　chiefly　from　experiences　not　my　own。　　My　personal　relations　with　him　have　been　comparatively　restricted；　a　circumstance　to　which　I　owe　the　privilege　of　treating　the　subject　with　a　freedom　that　might　otherwise　not　seem　becoming。　　　　　　No　author　is　insensible　to　the　compliment　in…　volved　in　a　request　for　his　autograph；　assuming　the　request　to　come　from　some　sincere　lover　of　books　and　bookmen。　　It　is　an　affair　of　different　complection　when　he　is　importuned　to　give　time　and　attention　to　the　innumerable　unknown　who　〃collect〃　autographs　as　they　would　collect　post…　age　stamps；　with　no　interest　in　the　matter　be…　yond　the　desire　to　accumulate　as　many　as　possi…　ble。　　The　average　autograph　hunter；　with　his　purposeless　insistence；　reminds　one　of　the　queen　in　Stockton's　story　whose　fad　was　〃the　button…　holes　of　all　nations。〃　　　　　　In　our　population　of　eighty　millions　and　up…　ward　there　are　probably　two　hundred　thousand　persons　interested　more　or　less　in　what　is　termed　the　literary　world。　　This　estimate　is　absurdly　low；　but　it　serves　to　cast　a　sufficient　side…light　upon　the　situation。　　Now；　any　unit　of　these　two　hundred　thousand　is　likely　at　any　moment　to　in…　dite　a　letter　to　some　favorite　novelist；　historian；　poet；　or　what　not。　　It　will　be　seen；　then；　that　the　autograph　hunter　is　no　inconsiderable　per…　son。　　He　has　made　it　embarrassing　work　for　the　author　fortunate　or　unfortunate　enough　to　be　re…　garded　as　worth　while。　　Every　mail　adds　to　his　reproachful　pile　of　unanswered　letters。　　If　he　have　a　conscience；　and　no　amanuensis；　he　quickly　finds　himself　tangled　in　the　meshes　of　endless　and　futile　correspondence。　　Through　policy；　good　nature；　or　vanity　he　is　apt　to　become　facile　prey。　　　　　　A　certain　literary　collector　once　confessed　in　print　that　he　always　studied　the　idiosyncrasies　of　his　〃subject〃　as　carefully　as　another　sort　of　collector　studies　the　plan　of　the　house　to　which　he　meditates　a　midnight　visit。　　We　were　as…　sured　that　with　skillful　preparation　and　adroit　approach　an　autograph　could　be　extracted　from　anybody。　　According　to　the　revelations　of　the　writer；　Bismarck；　Queen　Victoria；　and　Mr。　Gladstone　had　their　respective　point　of　easy　accesstheir　one　unfastened　door　or　window；　metaphorically　speaking。　　The　strongest　man　has　his　weak　side。　　　　　　Dr。　Holmes's　affability　in　replying　to　every　one　who　wrote　to　him　was　perhaps　not　a　trait　characteristic　of　the　elder　group。　　Mr。　Lowell；　for　instance；　was　harder…hearted　and　rather　diffi…　cult　to　reach。　　I　recall　one　day　in　the　library　at　Elmwood。　　As　I　was　taking　down　a　volume　from　the　shelf　a　sealed　letter　escaped　from　the　pages　and　fluttered　to　my　feet。　　I　handed　it　to　Mr。　Lowell；　who　glanced　incuriously　at　the　superscription。　　〃Oh；　yes；〃　he　said；　smiling；　〃I　know　'em　by　instinct。〃　　Relieved　of　its　en…　velope；　the　missive　turned　out　to　be　eighteen　months　old；　and　began　with　the　usual　amusing　solecism：　〃As　one　of　the　most　famous　of　American　authors　I　would　like　to　possess　your　autograph。〃　　　　　　Each　recipient　of　such　requests　has　of　course　his　own　way　of　responding。　　Mr。　Whittier　used　to　be　obliging；　Mr。　Longfellow　politic；　Mr。　Emerson；　always　philosophical；　dreamily　con…　fiscated　the　postage　stamps。　　　　　　Time　was　when　the　collector　contented　him…　self　with　a　signature　on　a　card；　but　that；　I　am　told；　no　longer　satisfies。　　He　must　have　a　letter　addressed　to　him　personally〃on　any　subject　you　please；〃　as　an　immature　scribe　lately　sug…　gested　to　an　acquaintance　of　mine。　　The　in…　genuous　youth　purposed　to　flourish　a　letter　in　the　faces　of　his　less　fortunate　competitors；　in　order　to　show　them　that　he　was　on　familiar　terms　with　the　celebrated　So…and…So。　　This　or　a　kindred　motive　is　the　spur　to　many　a　collector。　　The　stratagems　he　employs　to　compass　his　end　are　inexhaustible。　　He　drops　you　an　off…hand　note　to　inquire　in　what　year　you　first　published　your　beautiful　poem　entitled　〃A　Psalm　of　Life。〃　　If　you　are　a　simple　soul；　you　hasten　to　assure　him　that　you　are　not　the　author　of　that　poem；　which　he　must　have　confused　with　your　〃Rime　of　the　Ancient　Mariner〃and　there　you　are。　　Another　expedient　is　to　ask　if　your　father's　middle　name　was　not　Hierophilus。　　Now；　your　father　has　probably　been　dead　many　years；　and　as　perhaps　he　was　not　a　public　man　in　his　day；　you　are　naturally　touched　that　any　one　should　have　in…　terest　in　him　after　this　long　flight　of　time。　　In　the　innocence　of　your　heart　you　reply　by　the　next　mail　that　your　father's　middle　name　was　not　Hierophilus；　but　Epaminondasand　there　you　are　again。　　It　is　humiliating　to　be　caught　swinging；　like　a　simian　ancestor；　on　a　branch　of　one's　genealogical　tree。　　　　　　Some　morning　you　find　beside　your　plate　at　breakfast　an　imposing　parchment　with　a　great　gold　seal　in　the　upper　left…hand　corner。　　This　documentI　am　relating　an　actual　occurrence　announces　with　a　flourish　that　you　have　unan…　imously　been　elected　an　honorary　member　of　The　Kalamazoo　International　Literary　Associa…　tion。　　Possibly　the　honor　does　not　take　aw