09-the ponds-第6节

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poor　farmers。　　A　model　farm！　where　the　house　stands　like　a　fungus　in

a　muckheap；　chambers　for　men　horses；　oxen；　and　swine；　cleansed　and

uncleansed；　all　contiguous　to　one　another！　　Stocked　with　men！　　A

great　grease…spot；　redolent　of　manures　and　buttermilk！　　Under　a　high

state　of　cultivation；　being　manured　with　the　hearts　and　brains　of

men！　　As　if　you　were　to　raise　your　potatoes　in　the　churchyard！　　Such

is　a　model　farm。

　　　　No；　no；　if　the　fairest　features　of　the　landscape　are　to　be　named

after　men；　let　them　be　the　noblest　and　worthiest　men　alone。　　Let　our

lakes　receive　as　true　names　at　least　as　the　Icarian　Sea；　where

〃still　the　shore〃　a　〃brave　attempt　resounds。〃

　　　　Goose　Pond；　of　small　extent；　is　on　my　way　to　Flint's；　Fair

Haven；　an　expansion　of　Concord　River；　said　to　contain　some　seventy

acres；　is　a　mile　southwest；　and　White　Pond；　of　about　forty　acres；　is

a　mile　and　a　half　beyond　Fair　Haven。　　This　is　my　lake　country。

These；　with　Concord　River；　are　my　water　privileges；　and　night　and

day；　year　in　year　out；　they　grind　such　grist　as　I　carry　to　them。

　　　　Since　the　wood…cutters；　and　the　railroad；　and　I　myself　have

profaned　Walden；　perhaps　the　most　attractive；　if　not　the　most

beautiful；　of　all　our　lakes；　the　gem　of　the　woods；　is　White　Pond；　

a　poor　name　from　its　commonness；　whether　derived　from　the　remarkable

purity　of　its　waters　or　the　color　of　its　sands。　　In　these　as　in

other　respects；　however；　it　is　a　lesser　twin　of　Walden。　　They　are　so

much　alike　that　you　would　say　they　must　be　connected　under　ground。

It　has　the　same　stony　shore；　and　its　waters　are　of　the　same　hue。　　As

at　Walden；　in　sultry　dog…day　weather；　looking　down　through　the　woods

on　some　of　its　bays　which　are　not　so　deep　but　that　the　reflection

from　the　bottom　tinges　them；　its　waters　are　of　a　misty　bluish…green

or　glaucous　color。　　Many　years　since　I　used　to　go　there　to　collect

the　sand　by　cartloads；　to　make　sandpaper　with；　and　I　have　continued

to　visit　it　ever　since。　　One　who　frequents　it　proposes　to　call　it

Virid　Lake。　　Perhaps　it　might　be　called　Yellow　Pine　Lake；　from　the

following　circumstance。　　About　fifteen　years　ago　you　could　see　the

top　of　a　pitch　pine；　of　the　kind　called　yellow　pine　hereabouts；

though　it　is　not　a　distinct　species；　projecting　above　the　surface　in

deep　water；　many　rods　from　the　shore。　　It　was　even　supposed　by　some

that　the　pond　had　sunk；　and　this　was　one　of　the　primitive　forest

that　formerly　stood　there。　　I　find　that　even　so　long　ago　as　1792；　in

a　〃Topographical　Description　of　the　Town　of　Concord；〃　by　one　of　its

citizens；　in　the　Collections　of　the　Massachusetts　Historical

Society；　the　author；　after　speaking　of　Walden　and　White　Ponds；　adds；

〃In　the　middle　of　the　latter　may　be　seen；　when　the　water　is　very

low；　a　tree　which　appears　as　if　it　grew　in　the　place　where　it　now

stands；　although　the　roots　are　fifty　feet　below　the　surface　of　the

water；　the　top　of　this　tree　is　broken　off；　and　at　that　place

measures　fourteen　inches　in　diameter。〃　　In　the　spring　of　'49　I

talked　with　the　man　who　lives　nearest　the　pond　in　Sudbury；　who　told

me　that　it　was　he　who　got　out　this　tree　ten　or　fifteen　years　before。

As　near　as　he　could　remember；　it　stood　twelve　or　fifteen　rods　from

the　shore；　where　the　water　was　thirty　or　forty　feet　deep。　　It　was　in

the　winter；　and　he　had　been　getting　out　ice　in　the　forenoon；　and　had

resolved　that　in　the　afternoon；　with　the　aid　of　his　neighbors；　he

would　take　out　the　old　yellow　pine。　　He　sawed　a　channel　in　the　ice

toward　the　shore；　and　hauled　it　over　and　along　and　out　on　to　the　ice

with　oxen；　but；　before　he　had　gone　far　in　his　work；　he　was　surprised

to　find　that　it　was　wrong　end　upward；　with　the　stumps　of　the

branches　pointing　down；　and　the　small　end　firmly　fastened　in　the

sandy　bottom。　　It　was　about　a　foot　in　diameter　at　the　big　end；　and

he　had　expected　to　get　a　good　saw…log；　but　it　was　so　rotten　as　to　be

fit　only　for　fuel；　if　for　that。　　He　had　some　of　it　in　his　shed　then。

There　were　marks　of　an　axe　and　of　woodpeckers　on　the　butt。　　He

thought　that　it　might　have　been　a　dead　tree　on　the　shore；　but　was

finally　blown　over　into　the　pond；　and　after　the　top　had　become

water…logged；　while　the　butt…end　was　still　dry　and　light；　had

drifted　out　and　sunk　wrong　end　up。　　His　father；　eighty　years　old；

could　not　remember　when　it　was　not　there。　　Several　pretty　large　logs

may　still　be　seen　lying　on　the　bottom；　where；　owing　to　the

undulation　of　the　surface；　they　look　like　huge　water　snakes　in

motion。

　　　　This　pond　has　rarely　been　profaned　by　a　boat；　for　there　is

little　in　it　to　tempt　a　fisherman。　　Instead　of　the　white　lily；　which

requires　mud；　or　the　common　sweet　flag；　the　blue　flag　（Iris

versicolor）　grows　thinly　in　the　pure　water；　rising　from　the　stony

bottom　all　around　the　shore；　where　it　is　visited　by　hummingbirds　in

June；　and　the　color　both　of　its　bluish　blades　and　its　flowers　and

especially　their　reflections；　is　in　singular　harmony　with　the

glaucous　water。

　　　　White　Pond　and　Walden　are　great　crystals　on　the　surface　of　the

earth；　Lakes　of　Light。　　If　they　were　permanently　congealed；　and

small　enough　to　be　clutched；　they　would；　perchance；　be　carried　off

by　slaves；　like　precious　stones；　to　adorn　the　heads　of　emperors；　but

being　liquid；　and　ample；　and　secured　to　us　and　our　successors

forever；　we　disregard　them；　and　run　after　the　diamond　of　Kohinoor。

They　are　too　pure　to　have　a　market　value；　they　contain　no　muck。　　How

much　more　beautiful　than　our　lives；　how　much　more　transparent　than

our　characters；　are　they！　　We　never　learned　meanness　of　them。　　How

much　fairer　than　the　pool　before　the　farmers　door；　in　which　his

ducks　swim！　　Hither　the　clean　wild　ducks　come。　　Nature　has　no　human

inhabitant　who　appreciates　her。　　The　birds　with　their　plumage　and

their　notes　are　in　harmony　with　the　flowers；　but　what　youth　or

maiden　conspires　with　the　wild　luxuriant　beauty　of　Nature？　　She

flourishes　most　alone；　far　from　the　towns　where　they　reside。　　Talk

of　heaven！　ye　disgrace　earth。





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