06-visitors-第3章

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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　frankness　as　the　poor　weak…headed　pauper　had　laid；　our

intercourse　might　go　forward　to　something　better　than　the

intercourse　of　sages。

　　　　I　had　some　guests　from　those　not　reckoned　commonly　among　the

town's　poor；　but　who　should　be；　who　are　among　the　world's　poor；　at

any　rate；　guests　who　appeal；　not　to　your　hospitality；　but　to　your

hospitalality；　who　earnestly　wish　to　be　helped；　and　preface　their

appeal　with　the　information　that　they　are　resolved；　for　one　thing；

never　to　help　themselves。　　I　require　of　a　visitor　that　he　be　not

actually　starving；　though　he　may　have　the　very　best　appetite　in　the

world；　however　he　got　it。　　Objects　of　charity　are　not　guests。　　Men

who　did　not　know　when　their　visit　had　terminated；　though　I　went

about　my　business　again；　answering　them　from　greater　and　greater

remoteness。　　Men　of　almost　every　degree　of　wit　called　on　me　in　the

migrating　season。　　Some　who　had　more　wits　than　they　knew　what　to　do

with；　runaway　slaves　with　plantation　manners；　who　listened　from　time

to　time；　like　the　fox　in　the　fable；　as　if　they　heard　the　hounds

a…baying　on　their　track；　and　looked　at　me　beseechingly；　as　much　as

to　say；　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃O　Christian；　will　you　send　me　back？



One　real　runaway　slave；　among　the　rest；　whom　I　helped　to　forward

toward　the　north　star。　　Men　of　one　idea；　like　a　hen　with　one

chicken；　and　that　a　duckling；　men　of　a　thousand　ideas；　and　unkempt

heads；　like　those　hens　which　are　made　to　take　charge　of　a　hundred

chickens；　all　in　pursuit　of　one　bug；　a　score　of　them　lost　in　every

morning's　dew　　and　become　frizzled　and　mangy　in　consequence；　men

of　ideas　instead　of　legs；　a　sort　of　intellectual　centipede　that　made

you　crawl　all　over。　　One　man　proposed　a　book　in　which　visitors

should　write　their　names；　as　at　the　White　Mountains；　but；　alas！　I

have　too　good　a　memory　to　make　that　necessary。

　　　　I　could　not　but　notice　some　of　the　peculiarities　of　my　visitors。

Girls　and