EverydayortwoIstrolledtothevillagetohearsomeofthegossipwhichisincessantlygoingonthere,circulatingeitherfrommouthtomouth,orfromnewspapertonewspaper,andwhich,takeninhomoeopathicdoses,wasreallyasrefreshinginitswayastherustleofleavesandthepeepingoffrogs.
AsIwalkedinthewoodstoseethebirdsandsquirrels,soIwalkedinthevillagetoseethemenandboys;insteadofthewindamongthepinesIheardthecartsrattle.
Inonedirectionfrommyhousetherewasacolonyofmuskratsintherivermeadows;underthegroveofelmsandbuttonwoodsintheotherhorizonwasavillageofbusymen,ascurioustomeasiftheyhadbeenprairie–dogs,eachsittingatthemouthofitsburrow,orrunningovertoaneighbor'stogossip.
Thevillageappearedtomeagreatnewsroom;andononeside,tosupportit,asonceatRedding&Company'sonStateStreet,theykeptnutsandraisins,orsaltandmealandothergroceries.
Somehavesuchavastappetitefortheformercommodity,thatis,thenews,andsuchsounddigestiveorgans,thattheycansitforeverinpublicavenueswithoutstirring,andletitsimmerandwhisperthroughthemliketheEtesianwinds,orasifinhalingether,itonlyproducingnumbnessandinsensibilitytopain—otherwiseitwouldoftenbepainfultobear—withoutaffectingtheconsciousness.
Ihardlyeverfailed,whenIrambledthroughthevillage,toseearowofsuchworthies,eithersittingonaladdersunningthemselves,withtheirbodiesinclinedforwardandtheireyesglancingalongthelinethiswayandthat,fromtimetotime,withavoluptuousexpression,orelseleaningagainstabarnwiththeirhandsintheirpockets,likecaryatides,asiftopropitup.
Thesearethecoarsestmills,inwhichallgossipisfirstrudelydigestedorcrackedupbeforeitisemptiedintofinerandmoredelicatehopperswithindoors.
Iobservedthatthevitalsofthevillagewerethegrocery,thebar–room,thepost–office,andthebank;and,asanecessarypartofthemachinery,theykeptabell,abiggun,andafire–engine,atconvenientplaces;andthehousesweresoarrangedastomakethemostofmankind,inlanesandfrontingoneanother,sothateverytravellerhadtorunthegauntlet,andeveryman,woman,andchildmightgetalickathim.
Ofcourse,thosewhowerestationednearesttotheheadoftheline,wheretheycouldmostseeandbeseen,andhavethefirstblowathim,paidthehighestpricesfortheirplaces;andthefewstragglinginhabitantsintheoutskirts,wherelonggapsinthelinebegantooccur,andthetravellercouldgetoverwallsorturnasideintocow–paths,andsoescape,paidaveryslightgroundorwindowtax.
Signswerehungoutonallsidestoallurehim;sometocatchhimbytheappetite,asthetavernandvictuallingcellar;somebythefancy,asthedrygoodsstoreandthejeweller's;andothersbythehairorthefeetortheskirts,asthebarber,theshoemaker,orthetailor.
Besides,therewasastillmoreterriblestandinginvitationtocallateveryoneofthesehouses,andcompanyexpectedaboutthesetimes.
ForthemostpartIescapedwonderfullyfromthesedangers,eitherbyproceedingatonceboldlyandwithoutdeliberationtothegoal,asisrecommendedtothosewhorunthegauntlet,orbykeepingmythoughtsonhighthings,likeOrpheus,who,"loudlysingingthepraisesofthegodstohislyre,drownedthevoicesoftheSirens,andkeptoutofdanger."
SometimesIboltedsuddenly,andnobodycouldtellmywhereabouts,forIdidnotstandmuchaboutgracefulness,andneverhesitatedatagapinafence.
Iwasevenaccustomedtomakeanirruptionintosomehouses,whereIwaswellentertained,andafterlearningthekernelsandverylastsievefulofnews—whathadsubsided,theprospectsofwarandpeace,andwhethertheworldwaslikelytoholdtogethermuchlonger—Iwasletoutthroughtherearavenues,andsoescapedtothewoodsagain.
Itwasverypleasant,whenIstayedlateintown,tolaunchmyselfintothenight,especiallyifitwasdarkandtempestuous,andsetsailfromsomebrightvillageparlororlectureroom,withabagofryeorIndianmealuponmyshoulder,formysnugharborinthewoods,havingmadealltightwithoutandwithdrawnunderhatcheswithamerrycrewofthoughts,leavingonlymyoutermanatthehelm,oreventyingupthehelmwhenitwasplainsailing.
Ifrequentlyhadtolookupattheopeningbetweenthetreesabovethepathinordertolearnmyroute,and,wheretherewasnocart–path,tofeelwithmyfeetthefainttrackwhichIhadworn,orsteerbytheknownrelationofparticulartreeswhichIfeltwithmyhands,passingbetweentwopinesforinstance,notmorethaneighteeninchesapart,inthemidstofthewoods,invariably,inthedarkestnight.
Sometimes,aftercominghomethuslateinadarkandmuggynight,whenmyfeetfeltthepathwhichmyeyescouldnotsee,dreamingandabsent–mindedalltheway,untilIwasarousedbyhavingtoraisemyhandtoliftthelatch,Ihavenotbeenabletorecallasinglestepofmywalk,andIhavethoughtthatperhapsmybodywouldfinditswayhomeifitsmastershouldforsakeit,asthehandfindsitswaytothemouthwithoutassistance.
Severaltimes,whenavisitorchancedtostayintoevening,anditprovedadarknight,Iwasobligedtoconducthimtothecart–pathintherearofthehouse,andthenpointouttohimthedirectionhewastopursue,andinkeepingwhichhewastobeguidedratherbyhisfeetthanhiseyes.
Adayortwoafteroneofthemtoldmethattheywanderedaboutthegreaterpartofthenight,closebytheirownpremises,anddidnotgethometilltowardmorning,bywhichtime,astherehadbeenseveralheavyshowersinthemeanwhile,andtheleaveswereverywet,theyweredrenchedtotheirskins.
Ihaveheardofmanygoingastrayeveninthevillagestreets,whenthedarknesswassothickthatyoucouldcutitwithaknife,asthesayingis.
Somewholiveintheoutskirts,havingcometotowna–shoppingintheirwagons,havebeenobligedtoputupforthenight;andgentlemenandladiesmakingacallhavegonehalfamileoutoftheirway,feelingthesidewalkonlywiththeirfeet,andnotknowingwhentheyturned.
Ofteninasnow–storm,evenbyday,onewillcomeoutuponawell–knownroadandyetfinditimpossibletotellwhichwayleadstothevillage.
Thoughheknowsthathehastravelleditathousandtimes,hecannotrecognizeafeatureinit,butitisasstrangetohimasifitwerearoadinSiberia.
Inourmosttrivialwalks,weareconstantly,thoughunconsciously,steeringlikepilotsbycertainwell–knownbeaconsandheadlands,andifwegobeyondourusualcoursewestillcarryinourmindsthebearingofsomeneighboringcape;andnottillwearecompletelylost,orturnedround—foramanneedsonlytobeturnedroundoncewithhiseyesshutinthisworldtobelost—doweappreciatethevastnessandstrangenessofnature.
Nottillwearelost,inotherwordsnottillwehavelosttheworld,dowebegintofindourselves,andrealizewhereweareandtheinfiniteextentofourrelations.
Oneafternoon,neartheendofthefirstsummer,whenIwenttothevillagetogetashoefromthecobbler's,Iwasseizedandputintojail,because,asIhaveelsewhererelated,Ididnotpayataxto,orrecognizetheauthorityof,theStatewhichbuysandsellsmen,women,andchildren,likecattle,atthedoorofitssenate–house.
But,whereveramangoes,menwillpursueandpawhimwiththeirdirtyinstitutions,and,iftheycan,constrainhimtobelongtotheirdesperateodd–fellowsociety.
Itistrue,Imighthaveresistedforciblywithmoreorlesseffect,mighthaverun"amok"againstsociety;butIpreferredthatsocietyshouldrun"amok"againstme,itbeingthedesperateparty.
However,Iwasreleasedthenextday,obtainedmymendedshoe,andreturnedtothewoodsinseasontogetmydinnerofhuckleberriesonFairHavenHill.
Ineverfastenedmydoornightorday,thoughIwastobeabsentseveraldays;notevenwhenthenextfallIspentafortnightinthewoodsofMaine.
Thetiredramblercouldrestandwarmhimselfbymyfire,theliteraryamusehimselfwiththefewbooksonmytable,orthecurious,byopeningmyclosetdoor,seewhatwasleftofmydinner,andwhatprospectIhadofasupper.
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