09-the ponds-第6章

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which　is　more　elevated；　by　a　chain　of　small　ponds　coming　from　that

quarter；　and　on　the　other　directly　and　manifestly　to　Concord　River；

which　is　lower；　by　a　similar　chain　of　ponds　through　which　in　some

other　geological　period　it　may　have　flowed；　and　by　a　little　digging；

which　God　forbid；　it　can　be　made　to　flow　thither　again。　　If　by

living　thus　reserved　and　austere；　like　a　hermit　in　the　woods；　so

long；　it　has　acquired　such　wonderful　purity；　who　would　not　regret

that　the　comparatively　impure　waters　of　Flint's　Pond　should　be

mingled　with　it；　or　itself　should　ever　go　to　waste　its　sweetness　in

the　ocean　wave？

　　　　Flint's；　or　Sandy　Pond；　in　Lincoln；　our　greatest　lake　and　inland

sea；　lies　about　a　mile　east　of　Walden。　　It　is　much　larger；　being

said　to　contain　one　hundred　and　ninety…seven　acres；　and　is　more

fertile　in　fish；　but　it　is　comparatively　shallow；　and　not　remarkably

pure。　　A　walk　through　the　woods　thither　was　often　my　recreation。　　It

was　worth　the　while；　if　only　to　feel　the　wind　blow　on　your　cheek

freely；　and　see　the　waves　run；　and　remember　the　life　of　mariners。　　I

went　a…chestnutting　there　in　the　fall；　on　windy　days；　when　the　nuts

were　dropping　into　the　water　and　were　washed　to　my　feet；　and　one

day；　as　I　crept　along　its　sedgy　shore；　the　fresh　spray　blowing　in　my

face；　I　came　upon　the　mouldering　wreck　of　a　boat；　the　sides　gone；

and　hardly　more　than　the　impression　of　its　flat　bottom　left　amid　the

rushes；　yet　its　model　was　sharply　defined；　as　if　it　were　a　large

decayed　pad；　with　its　veins。　　It　was　as　impressive　a　wreck　as　one

could　imagine　on　the　seashore；　and　had　as　good　a　moral。　　It　is　by

this　time　mere　vegetable　mould　and　undistinguishable　pond　shore；

through　which　rushes　and　flags　have　pushed　up。　　I　used　to　admire　the

ripple　marks　on　the　sandy　bottom；　at　the　north　end　of　this　pond；

made　firm　and　hard　to　the　feet　of　the　wader　by　the　pressure　of　the

water；　and　the　rushes　which　grew　in　Indian　file；　in　waving　lines；

corresponding　to　these　marks；　rank　behind　rank；　as　if　the　waves　had

planted　them。　　There　also　I　have　found；　in　considerable　quantities；

curious　balls；　composed　apparently　of　fine　grass　or　roots；　of

pipewort　perhaps；　from　half　an　inch　to　four　inches　in　diameter；　and

perfectly　spherical。　　These　wash　back　and　forth　in　shallow　water　on

a　sandy　bottom；　and　are　sometimes　cast　on　the　shore。　　They　are

either　solid　grass；　or　have　a　little　sand　in　the　middle。　　At　first

you　would　say　that　they　were　formed　by　the　action　of　the　waves；　like

a　pebble；　yet　the　smallest　are　made　of　equally　coarse　materials；

half　an　inch　long；　and　they　are　produced　only　at　one　season　of　the

year。　　Moreover；　the　waves；　I　suspect；　do　not　so　much　construct　as

wear　down　a　material　which　has　already　acquired　consistency。　　They

preserve　their　form　when　dry　for　an　indefinite　period。

　　　　Flint's　Pond！　　Such　is　the　poverty　of　our　nomenclature。　　What

right　had　the　unclean　and　stupid　farmer；　whose　farm　abutted　on　this

sky　water；　whose　shores　he　has　ruthlessly　laid　bare；　to　give　his

name　to　it？　　Some　skin…flint；　who　loved　better　the　reflecting

surface　of　a　dollar；　or　a　bright　cent；　in　which　he　could　see　his　own

brazen　face；　who　regarded　even　the　wild　ducks　which　settled　in　it　as

trespassers；　his　fingers　grown　into　crooked　and　bony　talons　from　the

long　habit　of　grasping　harpy…like；　　so　it　is　not　named　for　me。　　I

go　not　there　to　see　him　nor　to　hear　of　him；　who　never　saw　it；　who

never　bathed　in　it；　who　never　loved　it；　who　never　protected　it；　who

never　spoke　a　good　word　for　it；　nor　thanked　God　that　He　had　made　it。

Rather　let　it　be　named　from　the　fishes　that　swim　in　it；　the　wild

fowl　or　quadrupeds　which　frequent　it；　the　wild　flowers　which　grow　by

its　shores；　or　some　wild　man　or　child　the　thread　of　whose　history　is

interwoven　with　its　own；　not　from　him　who　could　show　no　title　to　it

but　the　deed　which　a　like…minded　neighbor　or　legislature　gave　him　

him　who　thought　only　of　its　money　value；　whose　presence　perchance

cursed　all　the　shores；　who　exhausted　the　land　around　it；　and　would

fain　have　exhausted　the　waters　within　it；　who　regretted　only　that　it

was　not　English　hay　or　cranberry　meadow　　there　was　nothing　to

redeem　it；　forsooth；　in　his　eyes　　and　would　have　drained　and　sold

it　for　the　mud　at　its　bottom。　　It　did　not　turn　his　mill；　and　it　was

no　privilege　to　him　to　behold　it。　　I　respect　not　his　labors；　his

farm　where　everything　has　its　price；　who　would　carry　the　landscape；

who　would　carry　his　God；　to　market；　if　he　could　get　anything　for

him；　who　goes　to　market　for　his　god　as　it　is；　on　whose　farm　nothing

grows　free；　whose　fields　bear　no　crops；　whose　meadows　no　flowers；

whose　trees　no　fruits；　but　dollars；　who　loves　not　the　beauty　of　his

fruits；　whose　fruits　are　not　ripe　for　him　till　they　are　turned　to

dollars。　　Give　me　the　poverty　that　enjoys　true　wealth。　　Farmers　are

respectable　and　interesting　to　me　in　proportion　as　they　are　poor　

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