06-visitors-第2章

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sorry　I　cannot　print　it　here　　a　Canadian；　a　woodchopper　and

post…maker；　who　can　hole　fifty　posts　in　a　day；　who　made　his　last

supper　on　a　woodchuck　which　his　dog　caught。　　He；　too；　has　heard　of

Homer；　and；　〃if　it　were　not　for　books；〃　would　〃not　know　what　to　do

rainy　days；〃　though　perhaps　he　has　not　read　one　wholly　through　for

many　rainy　seasons。　　Some　priest　who　could　pronounce　the　Greek

itself　taught　him　to　read　his　verse　in　the　Testament　in　his　native

parish　far　away；　and　now　I　must　translate　to　him；　while　he　holds　the

book；　Achilles'　reproof　to　Patroclus　for　his　sad　countenance。　



〃Why　are　you　in　tears；　Patroclus；　like　a　young　girl？〃

　　　　　　〃Or　have　you　alone　heard　some　news　from　Phthia？

　　　　　　　They　say　that　Menoetius　lives　yet；　son　of　Actor；

　　　　　　　And　Peleus　lives；　son　of　AEacus；　among　the　Myrmidons；

　　　　　　　Either　of　whom　having　died；　we　should　greatly　grieve。〃



He　says；　〃That's　good。〃　　He　has　a　great　bundle　of　white　oak　bark

under　his　arm　for　a　sick　man；　gathered　this　Sunday　morning。　　〃I

suppose　there's　no　harm　in　going　after　such　a　thing　to…day；〃　says

he。　　To　him　Homer　was　a　great　writer；　though　what　his　writing　was

about　he　did　not　know。　　A　more　simple　and　natural　man　it　would　be

hard　to　find。　　Vice　and　disease；　which　cast　such　a　sombre　moral　hue

over　the　world；　seemed　to　have　hardly　any　existance　for　him。　　He　was

about　twenty…eight　years　old；　and　had　left　Canada　and　his　father's

house　a　dozen　years　before　to　work　in　the　States；　and　earn　money　to

buy　a　farm　with　at　last；　perhaps　in　his　native　country。　　He　was　cast

in　the　coarsest　mould；　a　stout　but　sluggish　body；　yet　gracefully

carried；　with　a　thick　sunburnt　neck；　dark　bushy　hair；　and　dull

sleepy　blue　eyes；　which　were　occasionally　lit　up　with　expression。

He　wore　a　flat　gray　cloth　cap；　a　dingy　wool…colored　greatcoat；　and

cowhide　boots。　　He　was　a　great　consumer　of　meat；　usually　carrying

his　dinner　to　his　work　a　couple　of　miles　past　my　house　　for　he

chopped　all　summer　　in　a　tin　pail；　cold　meats；　often　cold

woodchucks；　and　coffee　in　a　stone　bottle　which　dangled　by　a　string

from　his　belt；　and　sometimes　he　offered　me　a　drink。　　He　came　along

early；　crossing　my　bean…field；　though　without　anxiety　or　haste　to

get　to　his　work；　such　as　Yankees　exhibit。　　He　wasn't　a…going　to　hurt

himself。　　He　didn't　care　if　he　only　earned　his　board。　　Frequently　he

would　leave　his　dinner　in　the　bushes；　when　his　dog　had　caught　a

woodchuck　by　the　way；　and　go　back　a　mile　and　a　half　to　dress　it　and

leave　it　in　the　cellar　of　the　house　where　he　boarded；　after

deliberating　first　for　half　an　hour　whether　he　could　not　sink　it　in

the　pond　safely　till　nightfall　　loving　to　dwell　long　upon　these

themes。　　He　would　say；　as　he　went　by　in　the　morning；　〃How　thick　the

pigeons　are！　　If　working　every　day　were　not　my　trade；　I　could　get

all　the　meat　I　should　want　by　hunting…pigeons；　woodchucks；　rabbits；

partridges　　by　gosh！　　I　could　get　all　I　should　want　for　a　week　in

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