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〃Friend;〃 said the young Shaker; in some perplexity; 〃thee

seemest to have met with great troubles; and; doubtless; I should

pity them; ifif I could but understand what they were。〃



〃Happy in your ignorance!〃 replied the poet; with an air of

sublime superiority。 〃To your coarser mind; perhaps; I may seem

to speak of more important griefs when I add; what I had well…

nigh forgotten; that I am out at elbows; and almost starved to

death。 At any rate; you have the advice and example of one

individual to warn you back; for I am come hither; a disappointed

man; flinging aside the fragments of my hopes; and seeking

shelter in the calm retreat which you are so anxious to leave。〃



〃I thank thee; friend;〃 rejoined the youth; 〃but I do not mean to

be a poet; nor; Heaven be praised! do I think Miriam ever made a

varse in her life。 So we need not fear thy disappointments。 But;

Miriam;〃 he added; with real concern; 〃thee knowest that the

elders admit nobody that has not a gift to be useful。 Now; what

under the sun can they do with this poor varse…maker?〃



〃Nay; Josiah; do not thee discourage the poor man;〃 said the

girl; in all simplicity and kindness。 〃Our hymns are very rough;

and perhaps they may trust him to smooth them。〃



Without noticing this hint of professional employment; the poet

turned away; and gave himself up to a sort of vague reverie;

which he called thought。 Sometimes he watched the moon; pouring a

silvery liquid on the clouds; through which it slowly melted till

they became all bright; then he saw the same sweet radiance

dancing on the leafy trees which rustled as if to shake it off;

or sleeping on the high tops of hills; or hovering down in

distant valleys; like the material of unshaped dreams; lastly; he

looked into the spring; and there the light was mingling with the

water。 In its crystal bosom; too; beholding all heaven reflected

there; he found an emblem of a pure and tranquil breast。 He

listened to that most ethereal of all sounds; the song of

crickets; coming in full choir upon the wind; and fancied that;

if moonlight could be heard; it would sound just like that。

Finally; he took a draught at the Shaker spring; and; as if it

were the true Castalia; was forthwith moved to compose a lyric; a

Farewell to his Harp; which he swore should be its closing

strain; the last verse that an ungrateful world should have from

him。 This effusion; with two or three other little pieces;

subsequently written; he took the first opportunity to send; by

one of the Shaker brethren; to Concord; where they were published

in the New Hampshire Patriot。



Meantime; another of the Canterbury pilgrims; one so different

from the poet that the delicate fancy of the latter could hardly

have conceived of him; began to relate his sad experience。 He was

a small man; of quick and unquiet gestures; about fifty years

old; with a narrow forehead; all wrinkled and drawn together。 He

held in his hand a pencil; and a card of some commission…merchant

in foreign parts; on the back of which; for there was light

enough to read or write by; he seemed ready to figure out a

calculation。



〃Young man;〃 said he; abruptly; 〃what quantity of land do the

Shakers own here; in Canterbury?〃



〃That is more than I can tell thee; friend;〃 answered Josiah;

〃but it is a very rich establishment; and for a long way by the

roadside thee may guess the land to be ours; by the neatness of

the fences。〃



〃And what may be the value of the whole;〃 continued the stranger;

〃with all the buildings and improvements; pretty nearly; in round

numbers?〃



〃Oh; a monstrous sum;more than I can reckon;〃 replied the young

Shaker。



〃Well; sir;〃 said the pilgrim; 〃there was a day; and not very

long ago; neither; when I stood at my counting…room window; and

watched the signal flags of three of my own ships entering the

harbor; from the East Indies; from Liverpool; and from up the

Straits; and I would not have given the invoice of the least of

them for the title…deeds of this whole Shaker settlement。 You

stare。 Perhaps; now; you won't believe that I could have put more

value on a little piece of paper; no bigger than the palm of your

hand; than all these solid acres of grain; grass; and

pasture…land would sell for?〃



〃I won't dispute it; friend;〃 answered Josiah; 〃but I know I had

rather have fifty acres of this good land than a whole sheet of

thy paper。〃



〃You may say so now;〃 said the ruined merchant; bitterly; 〃for my

name would not be worth the paper I should write it on。 Of

course; you must have heard of my failure?〃



And the stranger mentioned his name; which; however mighty it

might have been in the commercial world; the young Shaker had

never heard of among the Canterbury hills。



〃Not heard of my failure!〃 exclaimed the merchant; considerably

piqued。 〃Why; it was spoken of on 'Change in London; and from

Boston to New Orleans men trembled in their shoes。 At all events;

I did fail; and you see me here on my road to the Shaker village;

where; doubtless (for the Shakers are a shrewd sect); they will

have a due respect for my experience; and give me the management

of the trading part of the concern; in which case I think I can

pledge myself to double their capital in four or five years。 Turn

back with me; young man; for though you will never meet with my

good luck; you can hardly escape my bad。〃



〃I will not turn back for this;〃 replied Josiah。 calmly; 〃any

more than for the advice of the varse…maker; between whom and

thee; friend; I see a sort of likeness; though I can't justly say

where it lies。 But Miriam and I can earn our daily bread among

the world's people as well as in the Shaker village。 And do we

want anything more; Miriam?〃



〃Nothing more; Josiah;〃 said the girl; quietly。



〃Yea; Miriam; and daily bread for some other little mouths; if

God send them;〃 observed the simple Shaker lad。



Miriam did not reply; but looked down into the spring; where she

encountered the image of her own pretty face; blushing within the

prim little bonnet。 The third pilgrim now took up the

conversation。 He was a sunburnt countryman; of tall frame and

bony strength; on whose rude and manly face there appeared a

darker; more sullen and obstinate despondency; than on those of

either the poet or the merchant。



〃Well; now; youngster;〃 he began; 〃these folks have had their

say; so I'll take my turn。 My story will cut but a poor figure by

the side of theirs; for I never supposed that I could have a

right to meat and drink; and great praise besides; only for

tagging rhymes together; as it seems this man does; nor ever

tried to get the substance of hundreds into my own hands; like

the trader there。 When I was about of your years; I married me a

wife;just such a neat and pretty young woman as Miriam; if

that's her name;and all I asked of Providence was an ordinary

blessing on the sweat of my brow; so that we might be decent and

comfortable; and have daily bread for ourselves; and for some

other little mouths that we soon had to feed。 We had no very

great prospects before us; but I never wanted to be idle; and I

thought it a matter of course that the Lord would help me;

because I was willing to help myself。〃



〃And didn't He help thee; friend?〃 demanded Josiah; with some

eagerness。



〃No;〃 said the yeoman; sullenly; 〃for then you would not have

seen me here。 I have labored hard for years; and my means have

been growing narrower; and my living poorer; and my heart colder

and heavier; all the time; till at last I could bear it no

longer。 I set myself down to calculate whether I had best go on

the Oregon expedition; or come here to the Shaker village; but I

had not hope enough left in me to begin the world over again;

and; to make my story short; here I am。 And now; youngster; take

my advice; and turn back; or else; some few years hence; you'll

have to climb this hill; with as heavy a heart as mine。〃



This simple story had a strong effect on the young fugitives。 The

misfortunes of the poet and merchant had won little sympathy from

their plain good sense and unworldly feelings; qualities which

made them such unprejudiced and inflexible judges; that few men

would have chosen to take the opinion of this youth and maiden as

to the wisdom or folly of their pursuits。 But here was one whose

simple wishes had resembled their own; and who; after efforts

which almost gave him a right to claim success from fate; had

failed in accomplishing them。



〃But thy wife; friend?〃 exclaimed the younger man。 〃What became

of the pretty girl; like Miriam? Oh; I am afraid she is dead!〃



〃Yea; poor man; she must be dead;she and the children; too;〃

sobbed Miriam。



The female pilgrim had been leaning over the spring; wherein

latterly a tear or two might have been seen to fall; and form its

little circle on the surface of the water。 She now looked up;

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