06-visitors-第2章

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one　day。〃

　　　　He　was　a　skilful　chopper；　and　indulged　in　some　flourishes　and

ornaments　in　his　art。　　He　cut　his　trees　level　and　close　to　the

ground；　that　the　sprouts　which　came　up　afterward　might　be　more

vigorous　and　a　sled　might　slide　over　the　stumps；　and　instead　of

leaving　a　whole　tree　to　support　his　corded　wood；　he　would　pare　it

away　to　a　slender　stake　or　splinter　which　you　could　break　off　with

your　hand　at　last。

　　　　He　interested　me　because　he　was　so　quiet　and　solitary　and　so

happy　withal；　a　well　of　good　humor　and　contentment　which　overflowed

at　his　eyes。　　His　mirth　was　without　alloy。　　Sometimes　I　saw　him　at

his　work　in　the　woods；　felling　trees；　and　he　would　greet　me　with　a

laugh　of　inexpressible　satisfaction；　and　a　salutation　in　Canadian

French；　though　he　spoke　English　as　well。　　When　I　approached　him　he

would　suspend　his　work；　and　with　half…suppressed　mirth　lie　along　the

trunk　of　a　pine　which　he　had　felled；　and；　peeling　off　the　inner

bark；　roll　it　up　into　a　ball　and　chew　it　while　he　laughed　and

talked。　　Such　an　exuberance　of　animal　spirits　had　he　that　he

sometimes　tumbled　down　and　rolled　on　the　ground　with　laughter　at

anything　which　made　him　think　and　tickled　him。　　Looking　round　upon

the　trees　he　would　exclaim　　　〃By　George！　　I　can　enjoy　myself　well

enough　here　chopping；　I　want　no　better　sport。〃　　Sometimes；　when　at

leisure；　he　amused　himself　all　day　in　the　woods　with　a　pocket

pistol；　firing　salutes　to　himself　at　regular　intervals　as　he　walked。

In　the　winter　he　had　a　fire　by　which　at　noon　he　warmed　his　coffee　in

a　kettle；　and　as　he　sat　on　a　log　to　eat　his　dinner　the　chickadees

would　sometimes　come　round　and　alight　on　his　arm　and　peck　at　the

potato　in　his　fingers；　and　he　said　that　he　〃liked　to　have　the　little

fellers　about　him。〃

　　　　In　him　the　animal　man　chiefly　was　developed。　　In　physical

endurance　and　contentment　he　was　cousin　to　the　pine　and　the　rock。　　I

asked　him　once　if　he　was　not　sometimes　tired　at　night；　after　working

all　day；　and　he　answered；　with　a　sincere　and　serious　look；

〃Gorrappit；　I　never　was　tired　in　my　life。〃　　But　the　intellectual　and

what　is　called　spiritual　man　in　him　were　slumbering　as　in　an　infant。

He　had　been　instructed　only　in　that　innocent　and　ineffectual　way　in

which　the　Catholic　priests　teach　the　aborigines；　by　which　the　pupil

is　never　educated　to　the　degree　of　consciousness；　but　only　to　the

degree　of　trust　and　reverence；　and　a　child　is　not　made　a　man；　but

kept　a　child。　　When　Nature　made　him；　she　gave　him　a　strong　body　and

contentment　for　his　portion；　and　propped　him　on　every　side　with

reverence　and　reliance；　that　he　might　live　out　his　threescore　years

and　ten　a　child。　　He　was　so　genuine　and　unsophisticated　that　no

introduction　would　serve　to　introduce　him；　more　than　if　you

introduced　a　woodchuck　to　your　neighbor。　　He　had　got　to　find　him　out

as　you　did。　　He　would　not　play　any　part。　　Men　paid　him　wages　for

work；　and　so　helped　to　feed　and　clothe　him；　but　he　never　exchanged

opinions　with　them。　　He　was　so　simply　and　naturally　humble　　if　he

can　be　called　humble　who　never　aspires　　that　humility　was　no

distinct　quality　in　him；　nor　could　he　conceive　of　it。　　Wiser　men

were　demigods　to　him。　　If　you　told　him　that　such　a　one　was　coming；

he　did　as　if　he　thought　that　anything　so　grand　would　expect　nothing

of　himself；　but　take　all　the　responsibility　on　itself；　and　let　him

be　forgotten　still。　　He　never　heard　the　sound　of　praise。　　He

particularly　reverenced　the　writer　and　the　preacher。　　Their

performances　were　miracles。　　When　I　told　him　that　I　wrote

considerably；　he　thought　for　a　long　time　that　it　was　merely　the

handwriting　which　I　meant；　for　he　could　write　a　remarkably　good　hand

himself。　　I　sometimes　found　the　name　of　his　native　parish　handsomely

written　in　the　snow　by　the　highway；　with　the　proper　French　accent；

and　knew　that　he　had　passed。　　I　asked　him　if　he　ever　wished　to　write

his　thoughts。　　He　said　that　he　had　read　and　written　letters　for

those　who　could　not；　but　he　never　tried　to　write　thoughts　　no；　he

could　not；　he　could　not　tell　what　to　put　first；　it　would　kill　him；

and　then　there　was　spelling　to　be　attended　to　at　the　same　time！

　　　　I　heard　that　a　distinguished　wise　man　and　reformer　asked　him　if

he　did　not　want　the　world　to　be　changed；　but　he　answered　with　a

chuckle　of　surprise　in　his　Canadian　accent；　not　knowing　that　the

question　had　ever　been　entertained　before；　〃No；　I　like　it　well

enough。〃　　It　would　have　suggested　many　things　to　a　philosopher　to

have　dealings　with　him。　　To　a　stranger　he　appeared　to　know　nothing

of　things　in　general；　yet　I　sometimes　saw　in　him　a　man　whom　I　had

not　seen　before；　and　I　did　not　know　whether　he　was　as　wise　as

Shakespeare　or　as　simply　ignorant　as　a　child；　whether　to　suspect　him

of　a　fine　poetic　consciousness　or　of　stupidity。　　A　townsman　told　me

that　when　he　met　him　sauntering　through　the　village　in　his　small

close…fitting　cap；　and　whistling　to　himself；　he　reminded　him　of　a

prince　in　disguise。

　　　　His　only　books　were　an　almanac　and　an　arithmetic；　in　which　last

he　was　considerably　expert。　　The　former　was　a　sort　of　cyclopaedia　to

him；　which　he　supposed　to　contain　an　abstract　of　human　knowledge；　as

indeed　it　does　to　a　considerable　extent。　　I　loved　to　sound　him　on

the　various　reforms　of　the　day；　and　he　never　failed　to　look　at　them

in　the　most　simple　and　practical　light。　　He　had　never　heard　of　such

things　before。　　Could　he　do　without　factories？　I　asked。　　He　had

worn　the　home…made　Vermont　gray；　he　said；　and　that　was　good。　　Could

he　dispense　with　tea　and　coffee？　　Did　this　country　afford　any

beverage　beside　water？　　He　had　soaked　hemlock　leaves　in　water　and

drank　it；　and　thought　that　was　better　than　water　in　warm　weather。

When　I　asked　him　if　he　could　do　without　money；　he　showed　the

convenience　of　money　in　such　a　way　as　to　suggest　and　coincide　with

the　most　philosophical　accounts　of　the　origin　of　this　institution；

and　the　very　derivation　of　the　word　pecunia。　　If　an　ox　were　his

property；　and　he　wished　to　get　needles　and　thread　at　the　store；　he

thought　it　would　be　inconvenient　and　impossible　soon　to　go　on

mortgaging　some　portion　of　the　creature　each　time　to　that　amount。

He　could　defend　many　institutions　better　than　any　philosopher；

because；　in　describing　them　as　they　concerned　him；　he　gave　the　true

reason　for　their　prevalence；　and　speculation　had　not　suggested　to

him　any　other。　　At　another　time；　hearing　Plato's　definition　of　a　man

　a　biped　without　feathers　　and　that　one　exhibited　a　cock　plucked

and　called　it　Plato's　man；　he　thought　it　an　important　difference

that　the　knees　bent　the　wrong　way。　　He　would　sometimes　exclaim；　〃How

I　love　to　talk！　　By　George；　I　could　talk　all　day！〃　　I　asked　him

once；　when　I　had　not　seen　him　for　many　months；　if　he　had　got　a　new

idea　this　summer。　　〃Good　Lord〃　　said　he；　〃a　man　that　has　to　work

as　I　do；　if　he　does　not　forget　the　ideas　he　has　had；　he　will　do

well。　　May　be　the　man　you　hoe　with　is　inclined　to　race；　then；　by

gorry；　your　mind　must　be　there；　you　think　of　weeds。〃　　He　would

sometimes　ask　me　first　on　such　occasions；　if　I　had　made　any

improvement。　　One　winter　day　I　asked　him　if　he　was　always　satisfied

with　himself；　wishing　to　suggest　a　substitute　within　him　for　the

priest　without；　and　some　higher　motive　for　living。　　〃Satisfied！〃

said　he；　〃some　men　are　satisfied　with　one　thing；　and　some　with

another。　　One　man；　perhaps；　if　he　has　got　enough；　will　be　satisfied

to　sit　all　day　with　his　back　to　the　fire　and　his　belly　to　the　table；

by　George！〃　　Yet　I　never；　by　any　manoeuvring；　could　get　him　to　take

the　spiritual　view　of　things；　the　highest　that　he　appeared　to

conceive　of　was　a　simple　expediency；　such　as　you　might　expect　an

animal　to　appreciate；　and　this；　practically；　is　true　of　most　men。

If　I　suggested　any　improvement　in　his　mode　of　life；　he　merely

answered；　without　expressing　any　regret；　that　it　was　too　late。　　Yet

he　thoroughly　believed　in　honesty　and　the　like　virtues。

　　　　There　was　a　certain　positive　originality；　however　slight；　to　be

detected　in　him；　and　I　occasionally　observed　that　he　was　thinking

for　himself　and　expressing　his　own　opinion；　a　phenomenon　so　rare

that　I　would　any　day　walk　ten　miles　to　observe　it；　and　it　amounted

to　the　re…origination　of　many　of　the　institutions　of　society。

Though　he　hesitated；　and　perhaps　failed　to　express　himself

distinctly；　he　always　had　a　presentable　thought　behind。　　Yet　his

thinking　was　so　primitive　and　immersed　in　his　animal　life；　that；

though　more　promising　than　a　merely　learned　man's；　it　rarely　ripened

to　anything　which　can　be　reported。　　He　suggested　that　there　might　be

men　of　genius　in　the　lowest　grades　of　life；　however　permanently

humble　and　illiterate；　who　take　their　own　view　always；　or　do　not

pretend　to　see　at　all；　who　are　as　bottomless　even　as　Walden　Pond　was

thought　to　be；　though　they　may　be　dark　and　muddy。

　　　　Many　a　traveller　came　out　of　his　way　to　see　me　and　the　inside　of

my　house；　and；　as　an　excuse　for　calling；　asked　for　a　glass　of　water。

I　told　them　that　I　drank　at　the　pond；　and　pointed　thither；　offering

to　lend　them　a　dipper。　　Far　off　as　I　lived；　I　was　not　exempted　from

the　annual　visitation　which　occurs；　methinks；　about　the　first　of

April；　when　everybody　is　on　the　move；　and　I　had　my　share　of　good

luck；　though　there　were　some　curious　specimens　among　my　visitors。

Half…witted　men　from　the　almshouse　and　elsewhere　came　to　see　me；　but

I　endeavored　to　make　them　exercise　all　the　wit　they　had；　and　make

their　confessions　to　me；　in　such　cases　making　wit　the　theme　of　our

conversation；　and　so　was　compensated。　　Indeed；　I　found　some　of　them

to　be　wiser　than　the　so…called　overseers　of　the　poor　and　selectmen

of　the　town；　and　thought　it　was　time　that　the　tables　were　turned。

With　respect　to　wit；　I　learned　that　there　was　not　much　difference

between　the　half　and　the　whole。　　One　day；　in　particular；　an

inoffensive；　simple…minded　pauper；　whom　with　others　I　had　often　seen

used　as　fencing　stuff；　standing　or　sitting　on　a　bushel　in　the　fields

to　keep　cattle　and　himself　from　straying；　visited　me；　and　expressed

a　wish　to　live　as　I　did。　　He　told　me；　with　the　utmost　simplicity　and

truth；　quite　superior；　or　rather　inferior；　to　anything　that　is

called　humility；　that　he　was　〃deficient　in　intellect。〃　　These　were

his　words。　　The　Lord　had　made　him　so；　yet　he　supposed　the　Lord　cared

as　much　for　him　as　for　another。　　〃I　have　always　been　so；〃　said　he；

〃from　my　childhood；　I　never　had　much　mind；　I　was　not　like　other

children；　I　am　weak　in　the　head。　　It　was　the　Lord's　will；　I

suppose。〃　　And　there　he　was　to　prove　the　truth　of　his　words。　　He　was

a　metaphysical　puzzle　to　me。　　I　have　rarely　met　a　fellowman　on　such

promising　ground　　it　was　so　simple　and　sincere　and　so　true　all

that　he　said。　　And；　true　enough；　in　proportion　as　he　appeared　to

humble　himself　was　he　exalted。　　I　did　not　know　at　first　but　it　was

the　result　of　a　wise　policy。　　It　seemed　that　from　such　a　basis　of

truth　and　frankne