the complete writings-4-第16章

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　in　the　monologue　of　the　river；　which　brawled　far；　far　below　him　over　its　wide　stony　bed！　　How　the　river　sparkled　and　danced　and　went　on；　now　in　a　smooth　amber　current；　now　fretted　by　the　pebbles；　but　always　with　that　continuous　busy　song！　John　never　knew　that　noise　to　cease；　and　he　doubted　not；　if　he　stayed　here　a　thousand　years；　that　same　loud　murmur　would　fill　the　air。

On　it　went；　under　the　wide　spans　of　the　old　wooden；　covered　bridge；　swirling　around　the　great　rocks　on　which　the　piers　stood；　spreading　away　below　in　shallows；　and　taking　the　shadows　of　a　row　of　maples　that　lined　the　green　shore。　　Save　this　roar；　no　sound　reached　him；　except　now　and　then　the　rumble　of　a　wagon　on　the　bridge；　or　the　muffled　far…off　voices　of　some　chance　passers　on　the　road。　　Seen　from　this　high　perch；　the　familiar　village；　sending　its　brown　roofs　and　white　spires　up　through　the　green　foliage；　had　a　strange　aspect；　and　was　like　some　town　in　a　book；　say　a　village　nestled　in　the　Swiss　mountains；　or　something　in　Bohemia。　　And　there；　beyond　the　purple　hills　of　Bozrah；　and　not　so　far　as　the　stony　pastures　of　Zoah；　whither　John　had　helped　drive　the　colts　and　young　stock　in　the　spring；　might　be；　perhaps；　Jerusalem　itself。　　John　had　himself　once　been　to　the　land　of　Canaan　with　his　grandfather；　when　he　was　a　very　small　boy；　and　he　had　once　seen　an　actual；　no…mistake　Jew；　a　mysterious　person；　with　uncut　beard　and　long　hair；　who　sold　scythe…　snaths　in　that　region；　and　about　whom　there　was　a　rumor　that　he　was　once　caught　and　shaved　by　the　indignant　farmers；　who　apprehended　in　his　long　locks　a　contempt　of　the　Christian　religion。　　Oh；　the　world　had　vast　possibilities　for　John。　　Away　to　the　south；　up　a　vast　basin　of　forest；　there　was　a　notch　in　the　horizon　and　an　opening　in　the　line　of　woods；　where　the　road　ran。　　Through　this　opening　John　imagined　an　army　might　appear；　perhaps　British；　perhaps　Turks；　and　banners　of　red　and　of　yellow　advance；　and　a　cannon　wheel　about　and　point　its　long　nose；　and　open　on　the　valley。　　He　fancied　the　army；　after　this　salute；　winding　down　the　mountain　road；　deploying　in　the　meadows；　and　giving　the　valley　to　pillage　and　to　flame。　　In　which　event　his　position　would　be　an　excellent　one　for　observation　and　for　safety。　　While　he　was　in　the　height　of　this　engagement；　perhaps　the　horn　would　be　blown　from　the　back　porch；　reminding　him　that　it　was　time　to　quit　cutting　brush　and　go　for　the　cows。　　As　if　there　were　no　better　use　for　a　warrior　and　a　poet　in　New　England　than　to　send　him　for　the　cows！

John　knew　a　boya　bad　enough　boy　I　daresaywho　afterwards　became　a　general　in　the　war；　and　went　to　Congress；　and　got　to　be　a　real　governor；　who　also　used　to　be　sent　to　cut　brush　in　the　back　pastures；　and　hated　it　in　his　very　soul；　and　by　his　wrong　conduct　forecast　what　kind　of　a　man　he　would　be。　　This　boy；　as　soon　as　he　had　cut　about　one　brush；　would　seek　for　one　of　several　holes　in　the　ground　（and　he　was　familiar　with　several）；　in　which　lived　a　white…and…black　animal　that　must　always　be　nameless　in　a　book；　but　an　animal　quite　capable　of　the　most　pungent　defense　of　himself。　　This　young　aspirant　to　Congress　would　cut　a　long　stick；　with　a　little　crotch　in　the　end　of　it；　and　run　it　into　the　hole；　and　when　the　crotch　was　punched　into　the　fur　and　skin　of　the　animal；　he　would　twist　the　stick　round　till　it　got　a　good　grip　on　the　skin。；　and　then　he　would　pull　the　beast　out；　and　when　he　got　the　white…and…black　just　out　of　the　hole　so　that　his　dog　could　seize　him；　the　boy　would　take　to　his　heels；　and　leave　the　two　to　fight　it　out；　content　to　scent　the　battle　afar　off。　　And　this　boy；　who　was　in　training　for　public　life；　would　do　this　sort　of　thing　all　the　afternoon；　and　when　the　sun　told　him　that　he　had　spent　long　enough　time　cutting　brush；　he　would　industriously　go　home　as　innocent　as　anybody。　　There　are　few　such　boys　as　this　nowadays；　and　that　is　the　reason　why　the　New　England　pastures　are　so　much　overgrown　with　brush。

John　himself　preferred　to　hunt　the　pugnacious　woodchuck。　　He　bore　a　special　grudge　against　this　clover…eater；　beyond　the　usual　hostility　that　boys　feel　for　any　wild　animal。　　One　day　on　his　way　to　school　a　woodchuck　crossed　the　road　before　him；　and　John　gave　chase。　　The　woodchuck　scrambled　into　an　orchard　and　climbed　a　small　apple…tree。　John　thought　this　a　most　cowardly　and　unfair　retreat；　and　stood　under　the　tree　and　taunted　the　animal　and　stoned　it。　　Thereupon　the　woodchuck　dropped　down　on　John　and　seized　him　by　the　leg　of　his　trousers。　　John　was　both　enraged　and　scared　by　this　dastardly　attack；　the　teeth　of　the　enemy　went　through　the　cloth　and　met；　and　there　he　hung。　　John　then　made　a　pivot　of　one　leg　and　whirled　himself　around；　swinging　the　woodchuck　in　the　air；　until　he　shook　him　off；　but　in　his　departure　the　woodchuck　carried　away　a　large　piece　of　John's　summer　trousers…leg。　　The　boy　never　forgot　it。　　And　whenever　he　had　a　holiday；　he　used　to　expend　an　amount　of　labor　and　ingenuity　in　the　pursuit　of　woodchucks　that　would　have　made　his　for　tune　in　any　useful　pursuit。　　There　was　a　hill　pasture；　down　on　one　side　of　which　ran　a　small　brook；　and　this　pasture　was　full　of　woodchuck…holes。　　It　required　the　assistance　of　several　boys　to　capture　a　woodchuck。　　It　was　first　necessary　by　patient　watching　to　ascertain　that　the　woodchuck　was　at　home。　　When　one　was　seen　to　enter　his　burrow；　then　all　the　entries　to　it　except　onethere　are　usually　threewere　plugged　up　with　stones。　　A　boy　and　a　dog　were　then　left　to　watch　the　open　hole；　while　John　and　his　comrades　went　to　the　brook　and　began　to　dig　a　canal；　to　turn　the　water　into　the　residence　of　the　woodchuck。　This　was　often　a　difficult　feat　of　engineering；　and　a　long　job。　Often　it　took　more　than　half　a　day　of　hard　labor　with　shovel　and　hoe　to　dig　the　canal。　　But　when　the　canal　was　finished　and　the　water　began　to　pour　into　the　hole；　the　excitement　began。　　How　long　would　it　take　to　fill　the　hole　and　drown　out　the　woodchuck？　　Sometimes　it　seemed　as　if　the　hole　was　a　bottomless　1pit。　　But　sooner　or　later　the　water　would　rise　in　it；　and　then　there　was　sure　to　be　seen　the　nose　of　the　woodchuck；　keeping　itself　on　a　level　with　the　rising　flood。　It　was　piteous　to　see　the　anxious　look　of　the　hunted；　half…drowned　creature　asit　came　to　the　surface　and　caught　sight　of　the　dog。　There　the　dog　stood；　at　the　mouth　of　the　hole；　quivering　with　excitement　from　his　nose　to　the　tip　of　his　tail；　and　behind　him　were　the　cruel　boys　dancing　with　joy　and　setting　the　dog　on。　　The　poor　creature　would　disappear　in　the　water　in　terror；　but　he　must　breathe；　and　out　would　come　his　nose　again；　nearer　the　dog　each　time。　　At　last　the　water　ran　out　of　the　hole　as　well　as　in；　and　the　soaked　beast　came　with　it；　and　made　a　desperate　rush。　　But　in　a　trice　the　dog　had　him；　and　the　boys　stood　off　in　a　circle；　with　stones　in　their　hands；　to　see　what　they　called　〃fair　play。〃　　They　maintained　perfect　〃neutrality〃　so　long　as　the　dog　was　getting　the　best　of　the　woodchuck；　but　if　the　latter　was　likely　to　escape；　they　〃interfered　〃　in　the　interest　of　peace　and　the　〃balance　of　power；〃　and　killed　the　woodchuck。　　This　is　a　boy's　notion　of　justice；　of　course；　he'd　no　business　to　be　a　woodchuck；anunspeakable　woodchuck。〃

I　used　the　word　〃aromatic　〃　in　relation　to　the　New　England　soil。　John　knew　very　well　all　its　sweet；　aromatic；　pungent；　and　medicinal　products；　and　liked　to　search　for　the　scented　herbs　and　the　wild　fruits　and　exquisite　flowers；　but　he　did　not　then　know；　and　few　do　know；　that　there　is　no　part　of　the　globe　where　the　subtle　chemistry　of　the　earth　produces　more　that　is　agreeable　to　the　senses　than　a　New　England　hill…pasture　and　the　green　meadow　at　its　foot。　　The　poets　have　succeeded　in　turning　our　attention　from　it　to　the　comparatively　barren　Orient　as　the　land　of　sweet…smelling　spices　and　odorous　gums。　And　it　is　indeed　a　constant　surprise　that　this　poor　and　stony　soil　elaborates　and　grows　so　many　delicate　and　aromatic　products。

John；　it　is　true；　did　not　care　much　for　anything　that　did　not　appeal　to　his　taste　and　smell　and　delight　in　brilliant　color；　and　he　trod　down　the　exquisite　ferns　and　the　wonderful　mosseswithout　compunction。　　But　he　gathered　from　the　crevices　of　the　rocks　the　columbine　and　the　eglantine　and　the　blue　harebell；　he　picked　t