the complete writings-3-第16章

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r；　are　cold　as　ice；　the　common　forest　chill　is　gone　from　the　air。　　The　afternoon　was　bright；　there　was　a　feeling　of　exultation　and　adventure　in　stepping　off　into　the　open　but　pathless　forest；　the　great　stems　of　deciduous　trees　were　mottled　with　patches　of　sunlight；　which　brought　out　upon　the　variegated　barks　and　mosses　of　the　old　trunks　a　thousand　shifting　hues。　　There　is　nothing　like　a　primeval　wood　for　color　on　a　sunny　day。　　The　shades　of　green　and　brown　are　infinite；　the　dull　red　of　the　hemlock　bark　glows　in　the　sun；　the　russet　of　the　changing　moose…bush　becomes　brilliant；　there　are　silvery　openings　here　and　there；　and　everywhere　the　columns　rise　up　to　the　canopy　of　tender　green　which　supports　the　intense　blue　sky　and　holds　up　a　part　of　it　from　falling　through　in　fragments　to　the　floor　of　the　forest。　　Decorators　can　learn　here　how　Nature　dares　to　put　blue　and　green　in　juxtaposition：　she　has　evidently　the　secret　of　harmonizing　all　the　colors。

The　way；　as　we　ascended；　was　not　all　through　open　woods；　dense　masses　of　firs　were　encountered；　jagged　spurs　were　to　be　crossed；　and　the　going　became　at　length　so　slow　and　toilsome　that　we　took　to　the　rocky　bed　of　a　stream；　where　bowlders　and　flumes　and　cascades　offered　us　sufficient　variety。　　The　deeper　we　penetrated；　the　greater　the　sense　of　savageness　and　solitude；　in　the　silence　of　these　hidden　places　one　seems　to　approach　the　beginning　of　things。　　We　emerged　from　the　defile　into　an　open　basin；　formed　by　the　curved　side　of　the　mountain；　and　stood　silent　before　a　waterfall　coming　down　out　of　the　sky　in　the　centre　of　the　curve。　　I　do　not　know　anything　exactly　like　this　fall；　which　some　poetical　explorer　has　named　the　Fairy…Ladder　Falls。　　It　appears　to　have　a　height　of　something　like　a　hundred　and　fifty　feet；　and　the　water　falls　obliquely　across　the　face　of　the　cliff　from　left　to　right　in　short　steps；　which　in　the　moonlight　might　seem　like　a　veritable　ladder　for　fairies。　　Our　impression　of　its　height　was　confirmed　by　climbing　the　very　steep　slope　at　its　side　some　three　or　four　hundred　feet。　　At　the　top　we　found　the　stream　flowing　over　a　broad　bed　of　rock；　like　a　street　in　the　wilderness；　slanting　up　still　towards　the　sky；　and　bordered　by　low　firs　and　balsams；　and　bowlders　completely　covered　with　moss。　　It　was　above　the　world　and　open　to　the　sky。

On　account　of　the　tindery　condition　of　the　woods　we　made　our　fire　on　the　natural　pavement；　and　selected　a　smooth　place　for　our　bed　near　by　on　the　flat　rock；　with　a　pool　of　limpid　water　at　the　foot。　　This　granite　couch　we　covered　with　the　dry　and　springy　moss；　which　we　stripped　off　in　heavy　fleeces　a　foot　thick　from　the　bowlders。　　First；　however；　we　fed　upon　the　fruit　that　was　offered　us。　　Over　these　hills　of　moss　ran　an　exquisite　vine　with　a　tiny；　ovate；　green　leaf；　bearing　small；　delicate　berries；　oblong　and　white　as　wax；　having　a　faint　flavor　of　wintergreen　and　the　slightest　acid　taste；　the　very　essence　of　the　wilderness；　fairy　food；　no　doubt；　and　too　refined　for　palates　accustomed　to　coarser　viands。　　There　must　exist　somewhere　sinless　women　who　could　eat　these　berries　without　being　reminded　of　the　lost　purity　and　delicacy　of　the　primeval　senses。　　Every　year　I　doubt　not　this　stainless　berry　ripens　here；　and　is　unplucked　by　any　knight　of　the　Holy　Grail　who　is　worthy　to　eat　it；　and　keeps　alive；　in　the　prodigality　of　nature；　the　tradition　of　the　unperverted　conditions　of　taste　before　the　fall。　　We　ate　these　berries；　I　am　bound　to　say；　with　a　sense　of　guilty　enjoyment；　as　if　they　had　been　a　sort　of　shew…bread　of　the　wilderness；　though　I　cannot　answer　for　the　chaplain；　who　is　by　virtue　of　his　office　a　little　nearer　to　these　mysteries　of　nature　than　I。　　This　plant　belongs　to　the　heath　family；　and　is　first　cousin　to　the　blueberry　and　cranberry。　　It　is　commonly　called　the　creeping　snowberry；　but　I　like　better　its　official　title　of　chiogenes；the　snow…born。

Our　mossy　resting…place　was　named　the　Bridal　Chamber　Camp；　in　the　enthusiasm　of　the　hour；　after　darkness　fell　upon　the　woods　and　the　stars　came　out。　　We　were　two　thousand　five　hundred　feet　above　the　common　world。　　We　lay；　as　it　were；　on　a　shelf　in　the　sky；　with　a　basin　of　illimitable　forests　below　us　and　dim　mountain…passes…in　the　far　horizon。

And　as　we　lay　there　courting　sleep　which　the　blinking　stars　refused　to　shower　down；　our　philosopher　discoursed　to　us　of　the　principle　of　fire；　which　he　holds；　with　the　ancients；　to　be　an　independent　element　that　comes　and　goes　in　a　mysterious　manner；　as　we　see　flame　spring　up　and　vanish；　and　is　in　some　way　vital　and　indestructible；　and　has　a　mysterious　relation　to　the　source　of　all　things。　　〃That　flame；〃　he　says；　〃you　have　put　out；　but　where　has　it　gone？〃　We　could　not　say；　nor　whether　it　is　anything　like　the　spirit　of　a　man　which　is　here　for　a　little　hour；　and　then　vanishes　away。　　Our　own　philosophy　of　the　correlation　of　forces　found　no　sort　of　favor　at　that　elevation；　and　we　went　to　sleep　leaving　the　principle　of　fire　in　the　apostolic　category　of　〃　any　other　creature。〃

At　daylight　we　were　astir；　and；　having　pressed　the　principle　of　fire　into　our　service　to　make　a　pot　of　tea；　we　carefully　extinguished　it　or　sent　it　into　another　place；　and　addressed　ourselves　to　the　climb　of　some　thing　over　two　thousand　feet。　　The　arduous　labor　of　scaling　an　Alpine　peak　has　a　compensating　glory；　but　the　dead　lift　of　our　bodies　up　Nipple　Top　had　no　stimulus　of　this　sort。　　It　is　simply　hard　work；　for　which　the　strained　muscles　only　get　the　approbation　of　the　individual　conscience　that　drives　them　to　the　task。　　The　pleasure　of　such　an　ascent　is　difficult　to　explain　on　the　spot；　and　I　suspect　consists　not　so　much　in　positive　enjoyment　as　in　the　delight　the　mind　experiences　in　tyrannizing　over　the　body。　　I　do　not　object　to　the　elevation　of　this　mountain；　nor　to　the　uncommonly　steep　grade　by　which　it　attains　it；　but　only　to　the　other　obstacles　thrown　in　the　way　of　the　climber。　　All　the　slopes　of　Nipple　Top　are　hirsute　and　jagged　to　the　last　degree。　　Granite　ledges　interpose；　granite　bowlders　seem　to　have　been　dumped　over　the　sides　with　no　more　attempt　at　arrangement　than　in　a　rip…rap　wall；　the　slashes　and　windfalls　of　a　century　present　here　and　there　an　almost　impenetrable　chevalier　des　arbres；　and　the　steep　sides　bristle　with　a　mass　of　thick　balsams；　with　dead；　protruding　spikes；　as　unyielding　as　iron　stakes。　　The　mountain　has　had　its　own　way　forever；　and　is　as　untamed　as　a　wolf；　or　rather　the　elements；　the　frightful　tempests；　the　frosts；　the　heavy　snows；　the　coaxing　sun；　and　the　avalanches　have　had　their　way　with　it　until　its　surface　is　in　hopeless　confusion。　　We　made　our　way　very　slowly；　and　it　was　ten　o'clock　before　we　reached　what　appeared　to　be　the　summit；　a　ridge　deeply　covered　with　moss；　low　balsams；　and　blueberry…bushes。

I　say；　appeared　to　be；　for　we　stood　in　thick　fog　or　in　the　heart　of　clouds　which　limited　our　dim　view　to　a　radius　of　twenty　feet。　　It　was　a　warm　and　cheerful　fog；　stirred　by　little　wind；　but　moving；　shifting；　and　boiling　as　by　its　own　volatile　nature；　rolling　up　black　from　below　and　dancing　in　silvery　splendor　overhead　As　a　fog　it　could　not　have　been　improved；　as　a　medium　for　viewing　the　landscape　it　was　a　failure　and　we　lay　down　upon　the　Sybarite　couch　of　moss；　as　in　a　Russian　bath；　to　await　revelations。

We　waited　two　hours　without　change；　except　an　occasional　hopeful　lightness　in　the　fog　above；　and　at　last　the　appearance　for　a　moment　of　the　spectral　sun。　　Only　for　an　instant　was　this　luminous　promise　vouchsafed。　　But　we　watched　in　intense　excitement。　　There　it　was　again；　and　this　time　the　fog　was　so　thin　overhead　that　we　caught　sight　of　a　patch　of　blue　sky　a　yard　square；　across　which　the　curtain　was　instantly　drawn。　　A　little　wind　was　stirring；　and　the　fog　boiled　up　from　the　valley　caldrons　thicker　than　ever。　　But　the　spell　was　broken。　　In　a　moment　more　Old　Phelps　was　shouting；　〃The　sun！〃　and　before　we　could　gain　our　feet　there　was　a　patch　of　sky　overhead　as　big　as　a　farm。　　〃See！　quick！〃　　The　old　man　was　dancing　like　a　lunatic。　　There　was　a　rift　in　the　vapor　at　our　feet；　down；　down；　three　thousand　feet　into　the　forest　abyss；　and　lo！　lifting　out　of　it　yonder　the　tawny　side　of　Dix；the　vision　of　a　second；　snatched　away　in　the　rolling　fog。　　The　play　had　just　begun。　　Before　we　could　turn；　there　was　the　gorge　of　Caribou　Pass；　savage　and　dark；　visible　to　the　bottom。　　The　opening　shut　as　suddenly；　and　then；　looking　over　the　clouds；　miles　away　we　saw　the　peaceful　farms　of　the　Au　Sable　Valley；　and　in　a　moment　more　the　plateau　of　North　Elba　and　the　sentinel　mountains　about　the　grave　of　John　Brown。　　These　glimpses　were　as　fleeting　as　thought；　and　instantly　we　were　again　isolated　in　the　sea　of　mist。　　The　expectation　of　these　sudden　strokes　of　sublimity　kept　us　exultingly　on　the　alert；　and　yet　it　was　a　blow　of　surprise　when　the　curtain　was　swiftly　withdrawn　on　the　west；　and　the　long　ridge　of　Colvin；　seemingly　within　a　stone's　throw；　heaved　up　like　an　island　out　of　the　ocean；　and　was　the　next　moment　ingulfed。　　We　waited　longer　for　Dix　to　show　its　shapely　peak　and　its　glistening　sides　of　rock　gashed　by　avalanches。　　The　fantastic　clouds；　torn　and　streaming；　hurried　up　from　the　south　in　haste　as　if　to　a　witch's　rendezvous；　hiding　and　disclosing　the　great　summit　in　their　flight。　　The　mist　boiled　up　from　the　valley；　whirled　over　the　summit　where　we　stood；　and　plunged　again　into　the　depths。　　Objects　were　forming　and　disappearing；　shifting　and　dancing；　now　in　sun　and　now　gone　in　fog；　and　in　the　elemental　whirl　we　felt　that　we　were　〃assisting〃　in　an　original　process　of　creation。　　The　sun　strove；　and　his　very　striving　called　up　new　vapors；　the　wind　rent　away　the　clouds；　and　brought　new　masses　to　surge　about　us；　and　the　spectacle　to　right　and　left；　above　and　below；　changed　with　incredible　swiftness。　　Such　glory　of　abyss　and　summit；　of　color　and　form　and　transformation；　is　seldom　granted　to　mortal　eyes。　　For　an　hour　we　watched　it　until　our　vast　mountain　was　revealed　in　all　its　bulk；　its　long　spurs；　its　abysses　and　its　savagery；　and　the　great　basins　of　wilderness　with　their　shining　lakes；　and　the　giant　peaks　of　the　region；　were　one　by　one　disclosed；　and　hidden　and　again　tranquil　in　the　sunshine。

Where　was　the　cave？　　There　was　ample　surface　in　which　to　look　for　it。　If　we　could　have　flitted　about；　like　the　hawks　that　came　circling　round；　over　the　steep　slopes；　the　long　spurs；　the　jagged　precipices；　I　have　no　doubt　we　should　have　found　it。　　But　moving　about　on　this　mountain　is　not　a　holiday　pastime；　and　we　were　chiefly　anxious　to　discover　a　practicable　mode　of　descent　into　the　great　wilderness　basin　on　the　south；　which　we　must　traverse　that　afternoon　before　reaching　the　hospitable　shanty　on　Mud　Pond。　　It　was　enough　for　us　to　have　discovered　the　general　whereabouts　of　the　Spanish　Cave；　and　we　left　the　fixing　of　its　exact　position　to　future　explorers。

The　spur　we　chose　for　our　escape　looked　smooth　in　the　distance；　but　we　found　it　bristling　with　obstructions；　dead　balsams　set　thickly　together；　slashes　of　fallen　timber；　and　every　manner　of　woody　chaos；　and　when　at　length　we　swung　and　tumbled　off　the　ledge　to　the　general　slope；　we　exchanged　only　for　more　disagreeable　going。　　The　slope　for　a　couple　of　thousand　feet　was　steep　enough；　but　it　was　formed　of　granite　rocks　all　moss…covered；