14-former inhabitants and winter visitors-第3节

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sharpening　their　tops；　had　changed　the　pines　into　fir　trees；　wading

to　the　tops　of　the　highest　hills　when　the　show　was　nearly　two　feet

deep　on　a　level；　and　shaking　down　another　snow…storm　on　my　head　at

every　step；　or　sometimes　creeping　and　floundering　thither　on　my

hands　and　knees；　when　the　hunters　had　gone　into　winter　quarters。

One　afternoon　I　amused　myself　by　watching　a　barred　owl　（Strix

nebulosa）　sitting　on　one　of　the　lower　dead　limbs　of　a　white　pine；

close　to　the　trunk；　in　broad　daylight；　I　standing　within　a　rod　of

him。　　He　could　hear　me　when　I　moved　and　cronched　the　snow　with　my

feet；　but　could　not　plainly　see　me。　　When　I　made　most　noise　he　would

stretch　out　his　neck；　and　erect　his　neck　feathers；　and　open　his　eyes

wide；　but　their　lids　soon　fell　again；　and　he　began　to　nod。　　I　too

felt　a　slumberous　influence　after　watching　him　half　an　hour；　as　he

sat　thus　with　his　eyes　half　open；　like　a　cat；　winged　brother　of　the

cat。　　There　was　only　a　narrow　slit　left　between　their　lids；　by　which

be　preserved　a　pennisular　relation　to　me；　thus；　with　half…shut　eyes；

looking　out　from　the　land　of　dreams；　and　endeavoring　to　realize　me；

vague　object　or　mote　that　interrupted　his　visions。　　At　length；　on

some　louder　noise　or　my　nearer　approach；　he　would　grow　uneasy　and

sluggishly　turn　about　on　his　perch；　as　if　impatient　at　having　his

dreams　disturbed；　and　when　he　launched　himself　off　and　flapped

through　the　pines；　spreading　his　wings　to　unexpected　breadth；　I

could　not　hear　the　slightest　sound　from　them。　　Thus；　guided　amid　the

pine　boughs　rather　by　a　delicate　sense　of　their　neighborhood　than　by

sight；　feeling　his　twilight　way；　as　it　were；　with　his　sensitive

pinions；　he　found　a　new　perch；　where　he　might　in　peace　await　the

dawning　of　his　day。

　　　　As　I　walked　over　the　long　causeway　made　for　the　railroad　through

the　meadows；　I　encountered　many　a　blustering　and　nipping　wind；　for

nowhere　has　it　freer　play；　and　when　the　frost　had　smitten　me　on　one

cheek；　heathen　as　I　was；　I　turned　to　it　the　other　also。　　Nor　was　it

much　better　by　the　carriage　road　from　Brister's　Hill。　　For　I　came　to

town　still；　like　a　friendly　Indian；　when　the　contents　of　the　broad

open　fields　were　all　piled　up　between　the　walls　of　the　Walden　road；

and　half　an　hour　sufficed　to　obliterate　the　tracks　of　the　last

traveller。　　And　when　I　returned　new　drifts　would　have　formed；

through　which　I　floundered；　where　the　busy　northwest　wind　had　been

depositing　the　powdery　snow　round　a　sharp　angle　in　the　road；　and　not

a　rabbit's　track；　nor　even　the　fine　print；　the　small　type；　of　a

meadow　mouse　was　to　be　seen。　　Yet　I　rarely　failed　to　find；　even　in

midwinter；　some　warm　and　springly　swamp　where　the　grass　and　the

skunk…cabbage　still　put　forth　with　perennial　verdure；　and　some

hardier　bird　occasionally　awaited　the　return　of　spring。

　　　　Sometimes；　notwithstanding　the　snow；　when　I　returned　from　my

walk　at　evening　I　crossed　the　deep　tracks　of　a　woodchopper　leading

from　my　door；　and　found　his　pile　of　whittlings　on　the　hearth；　and　my

house　filled　with　the　odor　of　his　pipe。　　Or　on　a　Sunday　afternoon；

if　I　chanced　to　be　at　home；　I　heard　the　cronching　of　the　snow　made

by　the　step　of　a　long…headed　farmer；　who　from　far　through　the　woods

sought　my　house；　to　have　a　social　〃crack〃；　one　of　the　few　of　his

vocation　who　are　〃men　on　their　farms〃；　who　donned　a　frock　instead　of

a　professor's　gown；　and　is　as　ready　to　extract　the　moral　out　of

church　or　state　as　to　haul　a　load　of　manure　from　his　barn…yard。　　We

talked　of　rude　and　simple　times；　when　men　sat　about　large　fires　in

cold；　bracing　weather；　with　clear　heads；　and　when　other　dessert

failed；　we　tried　our　teeth　on　many　a　nut　which　wise　squirrels　have

long　since　abandoned；　for　those　which　have　the　thickest　shells　are

commonly　empty。

　　　　The　one　who　came　from　farthest　to　my　lodge；　through　deepest

snows　and　most　dismal　tempests；　was　a　poet。　　A　farmer；　a　hunter；　a

soldier；　a　reporter；　even　a　philosopher；　may　be　daunted；　but　nothing

can　deter　a　poet；　for　he　is　actuated　by　pure　love。　　Who　can　predict

his　comings　and　goings？　　His　business　calls　him　out　at　all　hours；

even　when　doctors　sleep。　　We　made　that　small　house　ring　with

boisterous　mirth　and　resound　with　the　murmur　of　much　sober　talk；

making　amends　then　to　Walden　vale　for　the　long　silences。　　Broadway

was　still　and　deserted　in　comparison。　　At　suitable　intervals　there

were　regular　salutes　of　laughter；　which　might　have　been　referred

indifferently　to　the　last…uttered　or　the　forth…coming　jest。　　We　made

many　a　〃bran　new〃　theory　of　life　over　a　thin　dish　of　gruel；　which

combined　the　advantages　of　conviviality　with　the　clear…headedness

which　philosophy　requires。

　　　　I　should　not　forget　that　during　my　last　winter　at　the　pond　there

was　another　welcome　visitor；　who　at　one　time　came　through　the

village；　through　snow　and　rain　and　darkness；　till　he　saw　my　lamp

through　the　trees；　and　shared　with　me　some　long　winter　evenings。

One　of　the　last　of　the　philosophers　　Connecticut　gave　him　to　the

world　　he　peddled　first　her　wares；　afterwards；　as　he　declares；　his

brains。　　These　he　peddles　still；　prompting　God　and　disgracing　man；

bearing　for　fruit　his　brain　only；　like　the　nut　its　kernel。　　I　think

that　he　must　be　the　man　of　the　most　faith　of　any　alive。　　His　words

and　attitude　always　suppose　a　better　state　of　things　than　other　men

are　acquainted　with；　and　he　will　be　the　last　man　to　be　disappointed

as　the　ages　revolve。　　He　has　no　venture　in　the　present。　　But　though

comparatively　disregarded　now；　when　his　day　comes；　laws　unsuspected

by　most　will　take　effect；　and　masters　of　families　and　rulers　will

come　to　him　for　advice。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃How　blind　that　cannot　see　serenity！〃



A　true　friend　of　man；　almost　the　only　friend　of　human　progress。　　An

Old　Mortality；　say　rather　an　Immortality；　with　unwearied　patience

and　faith　making　plain　the　image　engraven　in　men's　bodies；　the　God

of　whom　they　are　but　defaced　and　leaning　monuments。　　With　his

hospitable　intellect　he　embraces　children；　beggars；　insane；　and

scholars；　and　entertains　the　thought　of　all；　adding　to　it　commonly

some　breadth　and　elegance。　　I　think　that　he　should　keep　a

caravansary　on　the　world's　highway；　where　philosophers　of　all

nations　might　put　up；　and　on　his　sign　should　be　printed；

〃Entertainment　for　man；　but　not　for　his　beast。　　Enter　ye　that　have

leisure　and　a　quiet　mind；　who　earnestly　seek　the　right　road。〃　　He　is

perhaps　the　sanest　man　and　has　the　fewest　crotchets　of　any　I　chance

to　know；　the　same　yesterday　and　tomorrow。　　Of　yore　we　had　sauntered

and　talked；　and　effectually　put　the　world　behind　us；　for　he　was

pledged　to　no　institution　in　it；　freeborn；　ingenuus。　　Whichever　way

we　turned；　it　seemed　that　the　heavens　and　the　earth　had　met

together；　since　he　enhanced　the　beauty　of　the　landscape。　　A

blue…robed　man；　whose　fittest　roof　is　the　overarching　sky　which

reflects　his　serenity。　　I　do　not　see　how　he　can　ever　die；　Nature

cannot　spare　him。

　　　　Having　each　some　shingles　of　thought　well　dried；　we　sat　and

whittled　them；　trying　our　knives；　and　admiring　the　clear　yellowish

grain　of　the　pumpkin　pine。　　We　waded　so　gently　and　reverently；　or　we

pulled　together　so　smoothly；　that　the　fishes　of　thought　were　not

scared　from　the　stream；　nor　feared　any　angler　on　the　bank；　but　came

and　went　grandly；　like　the　clouds　which　float　through　the　western

sky；　and　the　mother…o'…pearl　flocks　which　sometimes　form　and

dissolve　there。　　There　we　worked；　revising　mythology；　rounding　a

fable　here　and　there；　and　building　castles　in　the　air　for　which

earth　offered　no　worthy　foundation。　　Great　Looker！　　Great　Expecter！

to　converse　with　whom　was　a　New　England　Night's　Entertainment。　　Ah！

such　discourse　we　had；　hermit　and　philosopher；　and　the　old　settler　I

have　spoken　of　　we　three　　it　expanded　and　racked　my　little

house；　I　should　not　dare　to　say　how　many　pounds'　weight　there　was

above　the　atmospheric　pressure　on　every　circular　inch；　it　opened　its

seams　so　that　they　had　to　be　calked　with　much　dulness　thereafter　to

stop　the　consequent　leak；　　but　I　had　enough　of　that　kind　of　oakum

already　picked。

　　　　There　was　one　other　with　whom　I　had　〃solid　seasons；〃　long　to　be

remembered；　at　his　house　in　the　village；　and　who　looked　in　upon　me

from　time　to　time；　but　I　had　no　more　for　society　there。

　　　　There　too；　as　everywhere；　I　sometimes　expected　the　Visitor　who

never　comes。　　The　Vishnu　Purana　says；　〃The　house…holder　is　to　remain

at　eventide　in　his　courtyard　as　long　as　it　takes　to　milk　a　cow；　or

longer　if　he　pleases；　to　await　the　arrival　of　a　guest。〃　　I　often

performed　this　duty　of　hospitality；　waited　long　enough　to　milk　a

whole　herd　of　cows；　but　did　not　see　the　man　approaching　from　the

town。