the complete writings-4-第6节

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holiday。　　This　slight　change　of　base　on　the　part　of　the　fish　requires　the　boy　to　reorganize　his　whole　campaign；　get　a　new　position　on　the　bank；　a　new　line　of　approach；　and　patiently　wait　for　the　wind　and　sun　before　he　can　lower　his　line。　This　time；　cunning　and　patience　are　rewarded。　　The　hoop　encircles　the　unsuspecting　fish。　　The　boy's　eyes　almost　start　from　his　head　as　he　gives　a　tremendous　jerk；　and　feels　by　the　dead…weight　that　he　has　got　him　fast。　　Out　he　comes；　up　he　goes　in　the　air；　and　the　boy　runs　to　look　at　him。　　In　this　transaction；　however；　no　one　can　be　more　surprised　than　the　sucker。




VII

FICTION　AND　SENTIMENT

The　boy　farmer　does　not　appreciate　school　vacations　as　highly　as　his　city　cousin。　　When　school　keeps；　he　has　only　to　〃do　chores　and　go　to　school；〃　but　between　terms　there　are　a　thousand　things　on　the　farm　that　have　been　left　for　the　boy　to　do。　　Picking　up　stones　in　the　pastures　and　piling　them　in　heaps　used　to　be　one　of　them。　　Some　lots　appeared　to　grow　stones；　or　else　the　sun　every　year　drew　them　to　the　surface；　as　it　coaxes　the　round　cantelopes　out　of　the　soft　garden　soil；　it　is　certain　that　there　were　fields　that　always　gave　the　boys　this　sort　of　fall　work。　　And　very　lively　work　it　was　on　frosty　mornings　for　the　barefooted　boys；　who　were　continually　turning　up　the　larger　stones　in　order　to　stand　for　a　moment　in　the　warm　place　that　had　been　covered　from　the　frost。　　A　boy　can　stand　on　one　leg　as　well　as　a　Holland　stork；　and　the　boy　who　found　a　warm　spot　for　the　sole　of　his　foot　was　likely　to　stand　in　it　until　the　words；　〃Come；　stir　your　stumps；〃　broke　in　discordantly　upon　his　meditations。　　For　the　boy　is　very　much　given　to　meditations。　　If　he　had　his　way；　he　would　do　nothing　in　a　hurry；　he　likes　to　stop　and　think　about　things；　and　enjoy　his　work　as　he　goes　along。　　He　picks　up　potatoes　as　if　each　one　were　a　lump　of　gold　just　turned　out　of　the　dirt；　and　requiring　careful　examination。

Although　the　country…boy　feels　a　little　joy　when　school　breaks　up　（as　he　does　when　anything　breaks　up；　or　any　change　takes　place）；　since　he　is　released　from　the　discipline　and　restraint　of　it；　yet　the　school　is　his　opening　into　the　world；his　romance。　　Its　opportunities　for　enjoyment　are　numberless。　　He　does　not　exactly　know　what　he　is　set　at　books　for；　he　takes　spelling　rather　as　an　exercise　for　his　lungs；　standing　up　and　shouting　out　the　words　with　entire　recklessness　of　consequences；　he　grapples　doggedly　with　arithmetic　and　geography　as　something　that　must　be　cleared　out　of　his　way　before　recess；　but　not　at　all　with　the　zest　he　would　dig　a　woodchuck　out　of　his　hole。　　But　recess！　　Was　ever　any　enjoyment　so　keen　as　that　with　which　a　boy　rushes　out　of　the　schoolhouse　door　for　the　ten　minutes　of　recess？　　He　is　like　to　burst　with　animal　spirits；　he　runs　like　a　deer；　he　can　nearly　fly；　and　he　throws　himself　into　play　with　entire　self…　forgetfulness；　and　an　energy　that　would　overturn　the　world　if　his　strength　were　proportioned　to　it。　　For　ten　minutes　the　world　is　absolutely　his；　the　weights　are　taken　off；　restraints　are　loosed；　and　he　is　his　own　master　for　that　brief　time；as　he　never　again　will　be　if　he　lives　to　be　as　old　as　the　king　of　Thule；and　nobody　knows　how　old　he　was。　　And　there　is　the　nooning；　a　solid　hour；　in　which　vast　projects　can　be　carried　out　which　have　been　slyly　matured　during　the　school…hours：　expeditions　are　undertaken；　wars　are　begun　between　the　Indians　on　one　side　and　the　settlers　on　the　other；　the　military　company　is　drilled　（without　uniforms　or　arms）；　or　games　are　carried　on　which　involve　miles　of　running；　and　an　expenditure　of　wind　sufficient　to　spell　the　spelling…book　through　at　the　highest　pitch。

Friendships　are　formed；　too；　which　are　fervent；　if　not　enduring；　and　enmities　contracted　which　are　frequently　〃taken　out〃　on　the　spot；　after　a　rough　fashion　boys　have　of　settling　as　they　go　along；　cases　of　long　credit；　either　in　words　or　trade；　are　not　frequent　with　boys；　boot　on　jack…knives　must　be　paid　on　the　nail；　and　it　is　considered　much　more　honorable　to　out　with　a　personal　grievance　at　once；　even　if　the　explanation　is　made　with　the　fists；　than　to　pretend　fair；　and　then　take　a　sneaking　revenge　on　some　concealed　opportunity。　　The　country…boy　at　the　district　school　is　introduced　into　a　wider　world　than　he　knew　at　home；　in　many　ways。　　Some　big　boy　brings　to　school　a　copy　of　the　Arabian　Nights；　a　dog…eared　copy；　with　cover；　title…page；　and　the　last　leaves　missing；　which　is　passed　around；　and　slyly　read　under　the　desk；　and　perhaps　comes　to　the　little　boy　whose　parents　disapprove　of　novel…reading；　and　have　no　work　of　fiction　in　the　house　except　a　pious　fraud　called　〃Six　Months　in　a　Convent；〃　and　the　latest　comic　almanac。　　The　boy's　eyes　dilate　as　he　steals　some　of　the　treasures　out　of　the　wondrous　pages；　and　he　longs　to　lose　himself　in　the　land　of　enchantment　open　before　him。　　He　tells　at　home　that　he　has　seen　the　most　wonderful　book　that　ever　was；　and　a　big　boy　has　promised　to　lend　it　to　him。　　〃Is　it　a　true　book；　John？〃　　asks　the　grandmother；　because；　if　it　is　n't　true；　it　is　the　worst　thing　that　a　boy　can　read。〃　（This　happened　years　ago。）　John　cannot　answer　as　to　the　truth　of　the　book；　and　so　does　not　bring　it　home；　but　he　borrows　it；　nevertheless；　and　conceals　it　in　the　barn　and；　lying　in　the　hay…　mow；　is　lost　in　its　enchantments　many　an　odd　hour　when　he　is　supposed　to　be　doing　chores。　　There　were　no　chores　in　the　Arabian　Nights；　the　boy　there　had　but　to　rub　the　ring　and　summon　a　genius；　who　would　feed　the　calves　and　pick　up　chips　and　bring　in　wood　in　a　minute。　　It　was　through　this　emblazoned　portal　that　the　boy　walked　into　the　world　of　books；　which　he　soon　found　was　larger　than　his　own；　and　filled　with　people　he　longed　to　know。

And　the　farmer…boy　is　not　without　his　sentiment　and　his　secrets；　though　he　has　never　been　at　a　children's　party　in　his　life；　and；　in　fact；　never　has　heard　that　children　go　into　society　when　they　are　seven；　and　give　regular　wine…parties　when　they　reach　the　ripe　age　of　nine。　　But　one　of　his　regrets　at　having　the　summer　school　close　is　dimly　connected　with　a　little　girl；　whom　he　does　not　care　much　for；　would　a　great　deal　rather　play　with　a　boy　than　with　her　at　recess；　…　but　whom　he　will　not　see　again　for　some　time；a　sweet　little　thing；　who　is　very　friendly　with　John；　and　with　whom　he　has　been　known　to　exchange　bits　of　candy　wrapped　up　in　paper；　and　for　whom　he　cut　in　two　his　lead…pencil；　and　gave　her　half。　　At　the　last　day　of　school　she　goes　part　way　with　John；　and　then　he　turns　and　goes　a　longer　distance　towards　her　home；　so　that　it　is　late　when　he　reaches　his　own。　　Is　he　late？　　He　did　n't　know　he　was　late；　he　came　straight　home　when　school　was　dismissed；　only　going　a　little　way　home　with　Alice　Linton　to　help　her　carry　her　books。　　In　a　box　in　his　chamber；　which　he　has　lately　put　a　padlock　on；　among　fishhooks　and　lines　and　baitboxes；　odd　pieces　of　brass；　twine；　early　sweet　apples；　pop…corn；　beechnuts；　and　other　articles　of　value；　are　some　little　billets…doux；　fancifully　folded；　three…cornered　or　otherwise；　and　written；　I　will　warrant；　in　red　or　beautifully　blue　ink。　　These　little　notes　are　parting　gifts　at　the　close　of　school；　and　John；　no　doubt；　gave　his　own　in　exchange　for　them；　though　the　writing　was　an　immense　labor；　and　the　folding　was　a　secret　bought　of　another　boy　for　a　big　piece　of　sweet　flag…root　baked　in　sugar；　a　delicacy　which　John　used　to　carry　in　his　pantaloons…pocket　until　his　pocket　was　in　such　a　state　that　putting　his　fingers　into　it　was　about　as　good　as　dipping　them　into　the　sugar…bowl　at　home。　　Each　precious　note　contained　a　lock　or　curl　of　girl's　hair；a　rare　collection　of　all　colors；　after　John　had　been　in　school　many　terms；　and　had　passed　through　a　great　many　parting　scenes；black；　brown；　red；　tow…color；　and　some　that　looked　like　spun　gold　and　felt　like　silk。　　The　sentiment　contained　in　the　notes　was　that　which　was　common　in　the　school；　and　expressed　a　melancholy　foreboding　of　early　death；　and　a　touching　desire　to　leave　hair　enough　this　side　the　grave　to　constitute　a　sort　of　strand　of　remembrance。　With　little　variation；　the　poetry　that　made　the　hair　precious　was　in　the　words；　and；　as　a　Cockney　would　say；　set　to　the　hair；　following：

　　　　　〃This　lock　of　hair；　　　　　　Which　I　did　wear；　　　　　　Was　taken　from　my　head；　　　　　　When　this　you　see；　　　　　　Remember　me；　　　　　　Long　after　I　am　dead。〃

John　liked　to　read　these　verses；　which　always　made　a　new　and　fresh　impression　with　each　lock　of　hair；　and　he　was　not　critical；　they　were　for　him　vehicles　of　true　sentiment；　and　indeed　they　were　what　he　used　when　he　inclosed　a　clip　of　his　own　sandy　hair　to　a　friend。　　And　it　did　not　occur　to　him）　until　he　was　a　great　deal　older　and　less　innocent；　to　smile　at　them。　　John　felt　that　he　would　sacredly　keep　every　lock　of　hair　intrusted　to　him；　though　death　should　come　on　the　wings　of　cholera　and　take　away　every　one　of　these　sad；　red…ink　correspondents。　　When　John's　big　brother　one　day　caught　sight　of　these　treasures；　and　brutally　told　him　that　he　〃had　hair　enough　to　stuff　a　horse…collar；〃　John　was　so　outraged　and　shocked；　as　he　should　have　been；　at　this　rude　invasion　of　his　heart；　this　coarse　suggestion；　this　profiination　of　his　most　delicate　feeling；　that　he　was　kept　from　crying　only　by　the　r