AsIwalkalongthestonyshoreofthepondinmyshirt–sleeves,thoughitiscoolaswellascloudyandwindy,andIseenothingspecialtoattractme,alltheelementsareunusuallycongenialtome.
Thebullfrogstrumptousherinthenight,andthenoteofthewhip–poor–willisborneontheripplingwindfromoverthewater.
Sympathywiththeflutteringalderandpoplarleavesalmosttakesawaymybreath;yet,likethelake,myserenityisrippledbutnotruffled.
Thoughitisnowdark,thewindstillblowsandroarsinthewood,thewavesstilldash,andsomecreatureslulltherestwiththeirnotes.Thereposeisnevercomplete.
Thewildestanimalsdonotrepose,butseektheirpreynow;thefox,andskunk,andrabbit,nowroamthefieldsandwoodswithoutfear.
WhenIreturntomyhouseIfindthatvisitorshavebeenthereandlefttheircards,eitherabunchofflowers,orawreathofevergreen,oranameinpencilonayellowwalnutleaforachip.
Theywhocomerarelytothewoodstakesomelittlepieceoftheforestintotheirhandstoplaywithbytheway,whichtheyleave,eitherintentionallyoraccidentally.
Icouldalwaystellifvisitorshadcalledinmyabsence,eitherbythebendedtwigsorgrass,ortheprintoftheirshoes,andgenerallyofwhatsexorageorqualitytheywerebysomeslighttraceleft,asaflowerdropped,orabunchofgrasspluckedandthrownaway,evenasfaroffastherailroad,halfamiledistant,orbythelingeringodorofacigarorpipe.
Thethickwoodisnotjustatourdoor,northepond,butsomewhatisalwaysclearing,familiarandwornbyus,appropriatedandfencedinsomeway,andreclaimedfromNature.
ForwhatreasonhaveIthisvastrangeandcircuit,somesquaremilesofunfrequentedforest,formyprivacy,abandonedtomebymen?
Mynearestneighborisamiledistant,andnohouseisvisiblefromanyplacebutthehill–topswithinhalfamileofmyown.
Ihavemyhorizonboundedbywoodsalltomyself;adistantviewoftherailroadwhereittouchesthepondontheonehand,andofthefencewhichskirtsthewoodlandroadontheother.
Atnighttherewasneveratravellerpassedmyhouse,orknockedatmydoor,morethanifIwerethefirstorlastman;unlessitwereinthespring,whenatlongintervalssomecamefromthevillagetofishforpouts—theyplainlyfishedmuchmoreintheWaldenPondoftheirownnatures,andbaitedtheirhookswithdarkness—buttheysoonretreated,usuallywithlightbaskets,andleft"theworldtodarknessandtome,"andtheblackkernelofthenightwasneverprofanedbyanyhumanneighborhood.
Ibelievethatmenaregenerallystillalittleafraidofthedark,thoughthewitchesareallhung,andChristianityandcandleshavebeenintroduced.
YetIexperiencedsometimesthatthemostsweetandtender,themostinnocentandencouragingsocietymaybefoundinanynaturalobject,evenforthepoormisanthropeandmostmelancholyman.
Ifitshouldcontinuesolongastocausetheseedstorotinthegroundanddestroythepotatoesinthelowlands,itwouldstillbegoodforthegrassontheuplands,and,beinggoodforthegrass,itwouldbegoodforme.
Sometimes,whenIcomparemyselfwithothermen,itseemsasifIweremorefavoredbythegodsthanthey,beyondanydesertsthatIamconsciousof;asifIhadawarrantandsuretyattheirhandswhichmyfellowshavenot,andwereespeciallyguidedandguarded.
Ihaveneverfeltlonesome,orintheleastoppressedbyasenseofsolitude,butonce,andthatwasafewweeksafterIcametothewoods,when,foranhour,Idoubtedifthenearneighborhoodofmanwasnotessentialtoasereneandhealthylife.Tobealonewassomethingunpleasant.
Inthemidstofagentlerainwhilethesethoughtsprevailed,IwassuddenlysensibleofsuchsweetandbeneficentsocietyinNature,intheverypatteringofthedrops,andineverysoundandsightaroundmyhouse,aninfiniteandunaccountablefriendlinessallatoncelikeanatmospheresustainingme,asmadethefanciedadvantagesofhumanneighborhoodinsignificant,andIhaveneverthoughtofthemsince.
Iwassodistinctlymadeawareofthepresenceofsomethingkindredtome,eveninsceneswhichweareaccustomedtocallwildanddreary,andalsothatthenearestofbloodtomeandhumanestwasnotapersonnoravillager,thatIthoughtnoplacecouldeverbestrangetomeagain.
Someofmypleasantesthourswereduringthelongrain–stormsinthespringorfall,whichconfinedmetothehousefortheafternoonaswellastheforenoon,soothedbytheirceaselessroarandpelting;whenanearlytwilightusheredinalongeveninginwhichmanythoughtshadtimetotakerootandunfoldthemselves.
Inthosedrivingnortheastrainswhichtriedthevillagehousesso,whenthemaidsstoodreadywithmopandpailinfrontentriestokeepthedelugeout,Isatbehindmydoorinmylittlehouse,whichwasallentry,andthoroughlyenjoyeditsprotection.
Inoneheavythunder–showerthelightningstruckalargepitchpineacrossthepond,makingaveryconspicuousandperfectlyregularspiralgroovefromtoptobottom,aninchormoredeep,andfourorfiveincheswide,asyouwouldgrooveawalking–stick.
Ipasseditagaintheotherday,andwasstruckwithaweonlookingupandbeholdingthatmark,nowmoredistinctthanever,whereaterrificandresistlessboltcamedownoutoftheharmlessskyeightyearsago.
Menfrequentlysaytome,"Ishouldthinkyouwouldfeellonesomedownthere,andwanttobenearertofolks,rainyandsnowydaysandnightsespecially."
Howfarapart,thinkyou,dwellthetwomostdistantinhabitantsofyonderstar,thebreadthofwhosediskcannotbeappreciatedbyourinstruments?WhyshouldIfeellonely?isnotourplanetintheMilkyWay?
Ihavefoundthatnoexertionofthelegscanbringtwomindsmuchnearertooneanother.Whatdowewantmosttodwellnearto?
Nottomanymensurely,thedepot,thepost–office,thebar–room,themeeting–house,theschool–house,thegrocery,BeaconHill,ortheFivePoints,wheremenmostcongregate,buttotheperennialsourceofourlife,whenceinallourexperiencewehavefoundthattoissue,asthewillowstandsnearthewaterandsendsoutitsrootsinthatdirection.
Thiswillvarywithdifferentnatures,butthisistheplacewhereawisemanwilldighiscellar....Ioneeveningovertookoneofmytownsmen,whohasaccumulatedwhatiscalled"ahandsomeproperty"—thoughInevergotafairviewofit—ontheWaldenroad,drivingapairofcattletomarket,whoinquiredofmehowIcouldbringmymindtogiveupsomanyofthecomfortsoflife.
AndsoIwenthometomybed,andlefthimtopickhiswaythroughthedarknessandthemudtoBrighton—orBright–town—whichplacehewouldreachsometimeinthemorning.
"Weseektoperceivethem,andwedonotseethem;weseektohearthem,andwedonothearthem;identifiedwiththesubstanceofthings,theycannotbeseparatedfromthem."
"Theycausethatinalltheuniversemenpurifyandsanctifytheirhearts,andclothethemselvesintheirholidaygarmentstooffersacrificesandoblationstotheirancestors.
Canwenotdowithoutthesocietyofourgossipsalittlewhileunderthesecircumstances—haveourownthoughtstocheerus?
Byaconsciouseffortofthemindwecanstandalooffromactionsandtheirconsequences;andallthings,goodandbad,gobyuslikeatorrent.WearenotwhollyinvolvedinNature.
Imaybeaffectedbyatheatricalexhibition;ontheotherhand,Imaynotbeaffectedbyanactualeventwhichappearstoconcernmemuchmore.
Ionlyknowmyselfasahumanentity;thescene,sotospeak,ofthoughtsandaffections;andamsensibleofacertaindoublenessbywhichIcanstandasremotefrommyselfasfromanother.
Howeverintensemyexperience,Iamconsciousofthepresenceandcriticismofapartofme,which,asitwere,isnotapartofme,butspectator,sharingnoexperience,buttakingnoteofit,andthatisnomoreIthanitisyou.
Thefarmercanworkaloneinthefieldorthewoodsallday,hoeingorchopping,andnotfeellonesome,becauseheisemployed;butwhenhecomeshomeatnighthecannotsitdowninaroomalone,atthemercyofhisthoughts,butmustbewherehecan"seethefolks,"andrecreate,and,ashethinks,remuneratehimselfforhisday'ssolitude;andhencehewondershowthestudentcansitaloneinthehouseallnightandmostofthedaywithoutennuiand"theblues";buthedoesnotrealizethatthestudent,thoughinthehouse,isstillatworkinhisfield,andchoppinginhiswoods,asthefarmerinhis,andinturnseeksthesamerecreationandsocietythatthelatterdoes,thoughitmaybeamorecondensedformofit.
Societyiscommonlytoocheap.Wemeetatveryshortintervals,nothavinghadtimetoacquireanynewvalueforeachother.
Wehavehadtoagreeonacertainsetofrules,calledetiquetteandpoliteness,tomakethisfrequentmeetingtolerableandthatweneednotcometoopenwar.
Wemeetatthepost–office,andatthesociable,andaboutthefiresideeverynight;welivethickandareineachother'sway,andstumbleoveroneanother,andIthinkthatwethuslosesomerespectforoneanother.
Ihaveheardofamanlostinthewoodsanddyingoffamineandexhaustionatthefootofatree,whoselonelinesswasrelievedbythegrotesquevisionswithwhich,owingtobodilyweakness,hisdiseasedimaginationsurroundedhim,andwhichhebelievedtobereal.
Soalso,owingtobodilyandmentalhealthandstrength,wemaybecontinuallycheeredbyalikebutmorenormalandnaturalsociety,andcometoknowthatweareneveralone.
Iamnomorelonelythanasinglemulleinordandelioninapasture,orabeanleaf,orsorrel,orahorse–fly,orabumblebee.
IamnomorelonelythantheMillBrook,oraweathercock,orthenorthstar,orthesouthwind,oranAprilshower,oraJanuarythaw,orthefirstspiderinanewhouse.
Ihaveoccasionalvisitsinthelongwinterevenings,whenthesnowfallsfastandthewindhowlsinthewood,fromanoldsettlerandoriginalproprietor,whoisreportedtohavedugWaldenPond,andstonedit,andfringeditwithpinewoods;whotellsmestoriesofoldtimeandofneweternity;andbetweenuswemanagetopassacheerfuleveningwithsocialmirthandpleasantviewsofthings,evenwithoutapplesorcider—amostwiseandhumorousfriend,whomIlovemuch,whokeepshimselfmoresecretthaneverdidGoffeorWhalley;andthoughheisthoughttobedead,nonecanshowwhereheisburied.
Anelderlydame,too,dwellsinmyneighborhood,invisibletomostpersons,inwhoseodorousherbgardenIlovetostrollsometimes,gatheringsimplesandlisteningtoherfables;forshehasageniusofunequalledfertility,andhermemoryrunsbackfartherthanmythology,andshecantellmetheoriginalofeveryfable,andonwhatfacteveryoneisfounded,fortheincidentsoccurredwhenshewasyoung.
TheindescribableinnocenceandbeneficenceofNature—ofsunandwindandrain,ofsummerandwinter—suchhealth,suchcheer,theyaffordforever!
andsuchsympathyhavetheyeverwithourrace,thatallNaturewouldbeaffected,andthesun'sbrightnessfade,andthewindswouldsighhumanely,andthecloudsraintears,andthewoodsshedtheirleavesandputonmourninginmidsummer,ifanymanshouldeverforajustcausegrieve.
Notmyorthygreat–grandfather's,butourgreat–grandmotherNature'suniversal,vegetable,botanicmedicines,bywhichshehaskeptherselfyoungalways,outlivedsomanyoldParrsinherday,andfedherhealthwiththeirdecayingfatness.
Formypanacea,insteadofoneofthosequackvialsofamixturedippedfromAcheronandtheDeadSea,whichcomeoutofthoselongshallowblack–schoonerlookingwagonswhichwesometimesseemadetocarrybottles,letmehaveadraughtofundilutedmorningair.Morningair!
Ifmenwillnotdrinkofthisatthefountainheadoftheday,why,then,wemustevenbottleupsomeandsellitintheshops,forthebenefitofthosewhohavelosttheirsubscriptiontickettomorningtimeinthisworld.
Butremember,itwillnotkeepquitetillnoondayeveninthecoolestcellar,butdriveoutthestoppleslongerethatandfollowwestwardthestepsofAurora.
IamnoworshipperofHygeia,whowasthedaughterofthatoldherb–doctorAEsculapius,andwhoisrepresentedonmonumentsholdingaserpentinonehand,andintheotheracupoutofwhichtheserpentsometimesdrinks;butratherofHebe,cup–bearertoJupiter,whowasthedaughterofJunoandwildlettuce,andwhohadthepowerofrestoringgodsandmentothevigorofyouth.
Share this article to
FINISH