07-the bean field-第3节

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not　lay　so　much　stress　on　his　grain；　his　potato　and　grass　crop；　and

his　orchards　　raise　other　crops　than　these？　　Why　concern　ourselves

so　much　about　our　beans　for　seed；　and　not　be　concerned　at　all　about

a　new　generation　of　men？　　We　should　really　be　fed　and　cheered　if

when　we　met　a　man　we　were　sure　to　see　that　some　of　the　qualities

which　I　have　named；　which　we　all　prize　more　than　those　other

productions；　but　which　are　for　the　most　part　broadcast　and　floating

in　the　air；　had　taken　root　and　grown　in　him。　　Here　comes　such　a

subtile　and　ineffable　quality；　for　instance；　as　truth　or　justice；

though　the　slightest　amount　or　new　variety　of　it；　along　the　road。

Our　ambassadors　should　be　instructed　to　send　home　such　seeds　as

these；　and　Congress　help　to　distribute　them　over　all　the　land。　　We

should　never　stand　upon　ceremony　with　sincerity。　　We　should　never

cheat　and　insult　and　banish　one　another　by　our　meanness；　if　there

were　present　the　kernel　of　worth　and　friendliness。　　We　should　not

meet　thus　in　haste。　　Most　men　I　do　not　meet　at　all；　for　they　seem

not　to　have　time；　they　are　busy　about　their　beans。　　We　would　not

deal　with　a　man　thus　plodding　ever；　leaning　on　a　hoe　or　a　spade　as　a

staff　between　his　work；　not　as　a　mushroom；　but　partially　risen　out

of　the　earth；　something　more　than　erect；　like　swallows　alighted　and

walking　on　the　ground：



　　　　　　　　〃And　as　he　spake；　his　wings　would　now　and　then

　　　　　　　　　Spread；　as　he　meant　to　fly；　then　close　again　〃



so　that　we　should　suspect　that　we　might　be　conversing　with　an　angel。

Bread　may　not　always　nourish　us；　but　it　always　does　us　good；　it　even

takes　stiffness　out　of　our　joints；　and　makes　us　supple　and　buoyant；

when　we　knew　not　what　ailed　us；　to　recognize　any　generosity　in　man

or　Nature；　to　share　any　unmixed　and　heroic　joy。

　　　　Ancient　poetry　and　mythology　suggest；　at　least；　that　husbandry

was　once　a　sacred　art；　but　it　is　pursued　with　irreverent　haste　and

heedlessness　by　us；　our　object　being　to　have　large　farms　and　large

crops　merely。　　We　have　no　festival；　nor　procession；　nor　ceremony；

not　excepting　our　cattle…shows　and　so…called　Thanksgivings；　by　which

the　farmer　expresses　a　sense　of　the　sacredness　of　his　calling；　or　is

reminded　of　its　sacred　origin。　　It　is　the　premium　and　the　feast

which　tempt　him。　　He　sacrifices　not　to　Ceres　and　the　Terrestrial

Jove；　but　to　the　infernal　Plutus　rather。　　By　avarice　and

selfishness；　and　a　grovelling　habit；　from　which　none　of　us　is　free；

of　regarding　the　soil　as　property；　or　the　means　of　acquiring

property　chiefly；　the　landscape　is　deformed；　husbandry　is　degraded

with　us；　and　the　farmer　leads　the　meanest　of　lives。　　He　knows　Nature

but　as　a　robber。　　Cato　says　that　the　profits　of　agriculture　are

particularly　pious　or　just　（maximeque　pius　quaestus）；　and　according

to　Varro　the　old　Romans　〃called　the　same　earth　Mother　and　Ceres；　and

thought　that　they　who　cultivated　it　led　a　pious　and　useful　life；　and

that　they　alone　were　left　of　the　race　of　King　Saturn。〃

　　　　We　are　wont　to　forget　that　the　sun　looks　on　our　cultivated

fields　and　on　the　prairies　and　forests　without　distinction。　　They

all　reflect　and　absorb　his　rays　alike；　and　the　former　make　but　a

small　part　of　the　glorious　picture　which　he　beholds　in　his　daily

course。　　In　his　view　the　earth　is　all　equally　cultivated　like　a

garden。　　Therefore　we　should　receive　the　benefit　of　his　light　and

heat　with　a　corresponding　trust　and　magnanimity。　　What　though　I

value　the　seed　of　these　beans；　and　harvest　that　in　the　fall　of　the

year？　　This　broad　field　which　I　have　looked　at　so　long　looks　not　to

me　as　the　principal　cultivator；　but　away　from　me　to　influences　more

genial　to　it；　which　water　and　make　it　green。　　These　beans　have

results　which　are　not　harvested　by　me。　　Do　they　not　grow　for

woodchucks　partly？　　The　ear　of　wheat　（in　Latin　spica；　obsoletely

speca；　from　spe；　hope）　should　not　be　the　only　hope　of　the

husbandman；　its　kernel　or　grain　（granum　from　gerendo；　bearing）　is

not　all　that　it　bears。　　How；　then；　can　our　harvest　fail？　　Shall　I

not　rejoice　also　at　the　abundance　of　the　weeds　whose　seeds　are　the

granary　of　the　birds？　　It　matters　little　comparatively　whether　the

fields　fill　the　farmer's　barns。　　The　true　husbandman　will　cease　from

anxiety；　as　the　squirrels　manifest　no　concern　whether　the　woods　will

bear　chestnuts　this　year　or　not；　and　finish　his　labor　with　every

day；　relinquishing　all　claim　to　the　produce　of　his　fields；　and

sacrificing　in　his　mind　not　only　his　first　but　his　last　fruits　also。







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