the friendly road-第2章

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illionaire　（or　at　least　I　slept　as　a　millionaire　is　supposed　to　sleep！）　until　the　clock　struck　seven。

For　some　days　after　I　left　homeand　I　walked　out　as　casually　that　morning　as　though　I　were　going　to　the　barnI　scarcely　thought　or　tried　to　think　of　anything　but　the　Road。　Such　an　unrestrained　sense　of　liberty；　such　an　exaltation　of　freedom；　I　have　not　known　since　I　was　a　lad。　When　I　came　to　my　farm　from　the　city　many　years　ago　it　was　as　one　bound；　as　one　who　had　lost　out　in　the　World's　battle　and　was　seeking　to　get　hold　again　somewhere　upon　the　realities　of　life。　I　have　related　elsewhere　how　I　thus　came　creeping　like　one　sore　wounded　from　the　field　of　battle；　and　how；　among　our　hills；　in　the　hard；　steady　labour　in　the　soil　of　the　fields；　with　new　and　simple　friends　around　me；　I　found　a　sort　of　rebirth　or　resurrection。　I　that　was　worn　out；　bankrupt　both　physically　and　morally；　learned　to　live　again。　I　have　achieved　something　of　high　happiness　in　these　years；　something　I　know　of　pure　contentment；　and　I　have　learned　two　or　three　deep　and　simple　things　about　life：　I　have　learned　that　happiness　is　not　to　be　had　for　the　seeking；　but　comes　quietly　to　him　who　pauses　at　his　difficult　task　and　looks　upward。　I　have　learned　that　friendship　is　very　simple；　and；　more　than　all　else；　I　have　learned　the　lesson　of　being　quiet；　of　looking　out　across　the　meadows　and　hills；　and　of　trusting　a　little　in　God。

And　now；　for　the　moment；　I　am　regaining　another　of　the　joys　of　youththat　of　the　sense　of　perfect　freedom。　I　made　no　plans　when　I　left　home；　I　scarcely　chose　the　direction　in　which　I　was　to　travel；　but　drifted　out；　as　a　boy　might；　into　the　great　busy　world。　Oh；　I　have　dreamed　of　that！　It　seems　almost　as　though；　after　ten　years；　I　might　again　really　touch　the　highest　joys　of　adventure！

So　I　took　the　Road　as　it　came；　as　a　man　takes　a　woman；　for　better　or　worseI　took　the　Road；　and　the　farms　along　it；　and　the　sleepy　little　villages；　and　the　streams　from　the　hillsidesall　with　high　enjoyment。　They　were　good　coin　in　my　purse！　And　when　I　had　passed　the　narrow　horizon　of　my　acquaintanceship；　and　reached　country　new　to　me；　it　seemed　as　though　every　sense　I　had　began　to　awaken。　I　must　have　grown　dull；　unconsciously；　in　the　last　years　there　on　my　farm。　I　cannot　describe　the　eagerness　of　discovery　I　felt　at　climbing　each　new　hill；　nor　the　long　breath　I　took　at　the　top　of　it　as　I　surveyed　new　stretches　of　pleasant　countryside。

Assuredly　this　is　one　of　the　royal　moments　of　all　the　yearfine；　cool；　sparkling　spring　weather。　I　think　I　never　saw　the　meadows　richer　and　greenerand　the　lilacs　are　still　blooming；　and　the　catbirds　and　orioles　are　here。　The　oaks　are　not　yet　in　full　leaf；　but　the　maples　have　nearly　reached　their　full　mantle　of　verdurethey　are　very　beautiful　and　charming　to　see。

It　is　curious　how　at　this　moment　of　the　year　all　the　world　seems　astir。　I　suppose　there　is　no　moment　in　any　of　the　seasons　when　the　whole　army　of　agriculture；　regulars　and　reserves；　is　so　fully　drafted　for　service　in　the　fields。　And　all　the　doors　and　windows；　both　in　the　little　villages　and　on　the　farms；　stand　wide　open　to　the　sunshine；　and　all　the　women　and　girls　are　busy　in　the　yards　and　gardens。　Such　a　fine；　active；　gossipy；　adventurous　world　as　it　is　at　this　moment　of　the　year！

It　is　the　time；　too；　when　all　sorts　of　travelling　people　are　afoot。　People　who　have　been　mewed　up　in　the　cities　for　the　winter　now　take　to　the　open　roadall　the　peddlers　and　agents　and　umbrella…menders；　all　the　nursery　salesmen　and　fertilizer　agents；　all　the　tramps　and　scientists　and　poetsall　abroad　in　the　wide　sunny　roads。　They；　too；　know　well　this　hospitable　moment　of　the　spring；　they；　too；　know　that　doors　and　hearts　are　open　and　that　even　into　dull　lives　creeps　a　bit　of　the　spirit　of　adventure。　Why；　a　farmer　will　buy　a　corn　planter；　feed　a　tramp；　or　listen　to　a　poet　twice　as　easily　at　this　time　of　year　as　at　any　other！

For　several　days　I　found　myself　so　fully　occupied　with　the　bustling　life　of　the　Road　that　I　scarcely　spoke　to　a　living　soul；　but　strode　straight　ahead。　The　spring　has　been　late　and　cold：　most　of　the　corn　and　some　of　the　potatoes　are　not　yet　in；　and　the　tobacco　lands　are　still　bare　and　brown。　Occasionally　I　stopped　to　watch　some　ploughman　in　the　fields：　I　saw　with　a　curious；　deep　satisfaction　how　the　moist　furrows；　freshly　turned；　glistened　in　the　warm　sunshine。　There　seemed　to　be　something　right　and　fit　about　it；　as　well　as　human　and　beautiful。　Or　at　evening　I　would　stop　to　watch　a　ploughman　driving　homeward　across　his　new　brown　fields；　raising　a　cloud　of　fine　dust　from　the　fast　drying　furrow　crests。　The　low　sun　shining　through　the　dust　and　glorifying　it；　the　weary…stepping　horses；　the　man　all　sombre…coloured　like　the　earth　itself　and　knit　into　the　scene　as　though　a　part　of　it；　made　a　picture　exquisitely　fine　to　see。

And　what　a　joy　I　had　also　of　the　lilacs　blooming　in　many　a　dooryard；　the　odour　often　trailing　after　me　for　a　long　distance　in　the　road；　and　of　the　pungent　scent　at　evening　in　the　cool　hollows　of　burning　brush　heaps　and　the　smell　of　barnyards　as　I　went　bynot　unpleasant；　not　offensiveand　above　all；　the　deep；　earthy；　moist　odour　of　new…ploughed　fields。

And　then；　at　evening；　to　hear　the　sound　of　voices　from　the　dooryards　as　I　pass　quite　unseen；　no　words；　but　just　pleasant；　quiet　intonations　of　human　voices；　borne　through　the　still　air；　or　the　low　sounds　of　cattle　in　the　barnyards；　quieting　down　for　the　night；　and　often；　if　near　a　village；　the　distant；　slumbrous　sound　of　a　church　bell；　or　even　the　rumble　of　a　trainhow　good　all　these　sounds　are！　They　have　all　come　to　me　again　this　week　with　renewed　freshness　and　impressiveness。　I　am　living　deep　again！

It　was　not；　indeed；　until　last　Wednesday　that　I　began　to　get　my　fill；　temporarily；　of　the　outward　satisfaction　of　the　Roadthe　primeval　takings　of　the　sensesthe　mere　joys　of　seeing；　hearing；　smelling；　touching。　But　on　that　day　I　began　to　wake　up；　I　began　to　have　a　desire　to　know　something　of　all　the　strange　and　interesting　people　who　are　working　in　their　fields；　or　standing　invitingly　in　their　doorways；　or　so　busily　afoot　in　the　country　roads。　Let　me　add；　also；　for　this　is　one　of　the　most　important　parts　of　my　present　experience；　that　this　new　desire　was　far　from　being　wholly　esoteric。　I　had　also　begun　to　have　cravings　which　would　not　in　the　least　be　satisfied　by　landscapes　or　dulled　by　the　sights　and　sounds　of　the　road。　A　whiff　here　and　there　from　a　doorway　at　mealtime　had　made　me　long　for　my　own　home；　for　the　sight　of　Harriet　calling　from　the　steps：

〃Dinner；　David。〃

But　I　had　covenanted　with　myself　long　before　starting　that　I　would　literally　〃live　light　in　spring。〃　It　was　the　one　and　primary　condition　I　made　with　myselfand　made　with　serious　purposeand　when　I　came　away　I　had　only　enough　money　in　my　pocket　and　sandwiches　in　my　pack　to　see　me　through　the　first　three　or　four　days。　Any　man　may　brutally　pay　his　way　anywhere；　but　it　is　quite　another　thing　to　be　accepted　by　your　humankind　not　as　a　paid　lodger　but　as　a　friend。　Always；　it　seems　to　me；　I　have　wanted　to　submit　myself；　and　indeed　submit　the　stranger；　to　that　test。　Moreover；　how　can　any　man　look　for　true　adventure　in　life　if　he　always　knows　to　a　certainty　where　his　next　meal　is　coming　from？　In　a　world　so　completely　dominated　by　goods；　by　things；　by　possessions；　and　smothered　by　security；　what　fine　adventure　is　left　to　a　man　of　spirit　save　the　adventure　of　poverty？

I　do　not　mean　by　this　the　adventure　of　involuntary　poverty；　for　I　maintain　that　involuntary　poverty；　like　involuntary　riches；　is　a　credit　to　no　man。　It　is　only　as　we　dominate　life　that　we　really　live。　What　I　mean　here；　if　I　may　so　express　it；　is　an　adventure　in　achieved　poverty。　In　the　lives　of　such　true　men　as　Francis　of　Assisi　and　Tolstoi；　that　which　draws　the　world　to　them　in　secret　sympathy　is　not　that　they　lived　lives　of　poverty；　but　rather；　having　riches　at　their　hands；　or　for　the　very　asking；　that　they　chose　poverty　as　the　better　way　of　life。

As　for　me；　I　do　not　in　the　least　pretend　to　have　accepted　the　final　logic　of　an　achieved　poverty。　I　have　merely　abolished　temporarily　from　my　life　a　few　hens　and　cows；　a　comfortable　old　farmhouse；　andcertain　other　emoluments　and　hereditaments