the complete writings-4-第6章

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at　he　renews　his　youth。　　〃Ain't　you　ashamed　to　have　your　granther　turn　the　grindstone？〃　　asks　the　hired　man　of　the　boy。　　So　the　boy　takes　hold　and　turns　himself；　till　his　little　back　aches。　　When　he　gets　older；　he　wishes　he　had　replied；　〃Ain't　you　ashamed　to　make　either　an　old　man　or　a　little　boy　do　such　hard　grinding　work？〃

Doing　the　regular　work　of　this　world　is　not　much；　the　boy　thinks；　but　the　wearisome　part　is　the　waiting　on　the　people　who　do　the　work。　　And　the　boy　is　not　far　wrong。　　This　is　what　women　and　boys　have　to　do　on　a　farm；　wait　upon　everybody　whoworks。〃　　The　trouble　with　the　boy's　life　is；　that　he　has　no　time　that　he　can　call　his　own。　　He　is；　like　a　barrel　of　beer；　always　on　draft。　　The　men…folks；　having　worked　in　the　regular　hours；　lie　down　and　rest；　stretch　themselves　idly　in　the　shade　at　noon；　or　lounge　about　after　supper。　　Then　the　boy；　who　has　done　nothing　all　day　but　turn　grindstone；　and　spread　hay；　and　rake　after；　and　run　his　little　legs　off　at　everybody's　beck　and　call；　is　sent　on　some　errand　or　some　household　chore；　in　order　that　time　shall　not　hang　heavy　on　his　hands。　　The　boy　comes　nearer　to　perpetual　motion　than　anything　else　in　nature；　only　it　is　not　altogether　a　voluntary　motion。　　The　time　that　the　farm…boy　gets　for　his　own　is　usually　at　the　end　of　a　stent。　　We　used　to　be　given　a　certain　piece　of　corn　to　hoe；　or　a　certain　quantity　of　corn　to　husk　in　so　many　days。　　If　we　finished　the　task　before　the　time　set；　we　had　the　remainder　to　ourselves。　　In　my　day　it　used　to　take　very　sharp　work　to　gain　anything；　but　we　were　always　anxious　to　take　the　chance。　　I　think　we　enjoyed　the　holiday　in　anticipation　quite　as　much　as　we　did　when　we　had　won　it。　　Unless　it　was　training…day；　or　Fourth　of　July；　or　the　circus　was　coming；　it　was　a　little　difficult　to　find　anything　big　enough　to　fill　our　anticipations　of　the　fun　we　would　have　in　the　day　or　the　two　or　three　days　we　had　earned。　　We　did　not　want　to　waste　the　time　on　any　common　thing。　　Even　going　fishing　in　one　of　the　wild　mountain　brooks　was　hardly　up　to　the　mark；　for　we　could　sometimes　do　that　on　a　rainy　day。　　Going　down　to　the　village　store　was　not　very　exciting；　and　was；　on　the　whole；　a　waste　of　our　precious　time。　Unless　we　could　get　out　our　military　company；　life　was　apt　to　be　a　little　blank；　even　on　the　holidays　for　which　we　had　worked　so　hard。　If　you　went　to　see　another　boy；　he　was　probably　at　work　in　the　hay…　field　or　the　potato…patch；　and　his　father　looked　at　you　askance。　　You　sometimes　took　hold　and　helped　him；　so　that　he　could　go　and　play　with　you；　but　it　was　usually　time　to　go　for　the　cows　before　the　task　was　done。　　The　fact　is；　or　used　to　be；　that　the　amusements　of　a　boy　in　the　country　are　not　many。　　Snaring　〃suckers〃　out　of　the　deep　meadow　brook　used　to　be　about　as　good　as　any　that　I　had。　　The　North　American　sucker　is　not　an　engaging　animal　in　all　respects；　his　body　is　comely　enough；　but　his　mouth　is　puckered　up　like　that　of　a　purse。　　The　mouth　is　not　formed　for　the　gentle　angle…worm　nor　the　delusive　fly　of　the　fishermen。　　It　is　necessary；　therefore；　to　snare　the　fish　if　you　want　him。　　In　the　sunny　days　he　lies　in　the　deep　pools；　by　some　big　stone　or　near　the　bank；　poising　himself　quite　still；　or　only　stirring　his　fins　a　little　now　and　then；　as　an　elephant　moves　his　ears。　　He　will　lie　so　for　hours；　or　rather　float；　in　perfect　idleness　and　apparent　bliss。　　The　boy　who　also　has　a　holiday；　but　cannot　keep　still；　comes　along　and　peeps　over　the　bank。　　〃Golly；　ain't　he　a　big　one！〃　　Perhaps　he　is　eighteen　inches　long；　and　weighs　two　or　three　pounds。　　He　lies　there　among　his　friends；　little　fish　and　big　ones；　quite　a　school　of　them；　perhaps　a　district　school；　that　only　keeps　in　warm　days　in　the　summer。　　The　pupils　seem　to　have　little　to　learn；　except　to　balance　themselves　and　to　turn　gracefully　with　a　flirt　of　the　tail。　　Not　much　is　taught　but　〃deportment；〃　and　some　of　the　old　suckers　are　perfect　Turveydrops　in　that。　　The　boy　is　armed　with　a　pole　and　a　stout　line；　and　on　the　end　of　it　a　brass　wire　bent　into　a　hoop；　which　is　a　slipnoose；　and　slides　together　when　anything　is　caught　in　it。　　The　boy　approaches　the　bank　and　looks　over。　　There　he　lies；　calm　as　a　whale。　　The　boy　devours　him　with　his　eyes。　　He　is　almost　too　much　excited　to　drop　the　snare　into　the　water　without　making　a　noise。　　A　puff　of　wind　comes　and　ruffles　the　surface；　so　that　he　cannot　see　the　fish。　　It　is　calm　again；　and　there　he　still　is；　moving　his　fins　in　peaceful　security。　　The　boy　lowers　his　snare　behind　the　fish　and　slips　it　along。　　He　intends　to　get　it　around　him　just　back　of　the　gills　and　then　elevate　him　with　a　sudden　jerk。　　It　is　a　delicate　operation；　for　the　snare　will　turn　a　little；　and　if　it　hits　the　fish；　he　is　off。　　However；　it　goes　well；　the　wire　is　almost　in　place；　when　suddenly　the　fish；　as　if　he　had　a　warning　in　a　dream；　for　he　appears　to　see　nothing；　moves　his　tail　just　a　little；　glides　out　of　the　loop；　and　with　no　seeming　appearance　of　frustrating　any　one's　plans；　lounges　over　to　the　other　side　of　the　pool；　and　there　he　reposes　just　as　if　he　was　not　spoiling　the　boy's　holiday。　　This　slight　change　of　base　on　the　part　of　the　fish　requires　the　boy　to　reorganize　his　whole　campaign；　get　a　new　position　on　the　bank；　a　new　line　of　approach；　and　patiently　wait　for　the　wind　and　sun　before　he　can　lower　his　line。　This　time；　cunning　and　patience　are　rewarded。　　The　hoop　encircles　the　unsuspecting　fish。　　The　boy's　eyes　almost　start　from　his　head　as　he　gives　a　tremendous　jerk；　and　feels　by　the　dead…weight　that　he　has　got　him　fast。　　Out　he　comes；　up　he　goes　in　the　air；　and　the　boy　runs　to　look　at　him。　　In　this　transaction；　however；　no　one　can　be　more　surprised　than　the　sucker。




VII

FICTION　AND　SENTIMENT

The　boy　farmer　does　not　appreciate　school　vacations　as　highly　as　his　city　cousin。　　When　school　keeps；　he　has　only　to　〃do　chores　and　go　to　school；〃　but　between　terms　there　are　a　thousand　things　on　the　farm　that　have　been　left　for　the　boy　to　do。　　Picking　up　stones　in　the　pastures　and　piling　them　in　heaps　used　to　be　one　of　them。　　Some　lots　appeared　to　grow　stones；　or　else　the　sun　every　year　drew　them　to　the　surface；　as　it　coaxes　the　round　cantelopes　out　of　the　soft　garden　soil；　it　is　certain　that　there　were　fields　that　always　gave　the　boys　this　sort　of　fall　work。　　And　very　lively　work　it　was　on　frosty　mornings　for　the　barefooted　boys；　who　were　continually　turning　up　the　larger　stones　in　order　to　stand　for　a　moment　in　the　warm　place　that　had　been　covered　from　the　frost。　　A　boy　can　stand　on　one　leg　as　well　as　a　Holland　stork；　and　the　boy　who　found　a　warm　spot　for　the　sole　of　his　foot　was　likely　to　stand　in　it　until　the　words；　〃Come；　stir　your　stumps；〃　broke　in　discordantly　upon　his　meditations。　　For　the　boy　is　very　much　given　to　meditations。　　If　he　had　his　way；　he　would　do　nothing　in　a　hurry；　he　likes　to　stop　and　think　about　things；　and　enjoy　his　work　as　he　goes　along。　　He　picks　up　potatoes　as　if　each　one　were　a　lump　of　gold　just　turned　out　of　the　dirt；　and　requiring　careful　examination。

Although　the　country…boy　feels　a　little　joy　when　school　breaks　up　（as　he　does　when　anything　breaks　up；　or　any　change　takes　place）；　since　he　is　released　from　the　discipline　and　restraint　of　it；　yet　the　school　is　his　opening　into　the　world；his　romance。　　Its　opportunities　for　enjoyment　are　numberless。　　He　does　not　exactly　know　what　he　is　set　at　books　for；　he　takes　spelling　rather　as　an　exercise　for　his　lungs；　standing　up　and　shouting　out　the　words　with　entire　recklessness　of　consequences；　he　grapples　doggedly　with　arithmetic　and　geography　as　something　that　must　be　cleared　out　of　his　way　before　recess；　but　not　at　all　with　the　zest　he　would　dig　a　woodchuck　out　of　his　hole。　　But　recess！　　Was　ever　any　enjoyment　so　keen　as　that　with　which　a　boy　rushes　out　of　the　schoolhouse　door　for　the　ten　minutes　of　recess？　　He　is　like　to　burst　with　animal　spirits；　he　runs　like　a　deer；　he　can　nearly　fly；　and　he　throws　himself　into　play　with　entire　self…　forgetfulness；　and　an　energy　that　would　overturn　the　world　if　his　strength　were　proportioned　to　it。　　For　ten　minutes　the　world　is　absolutely　his；　the　weights　are　taken　off；　restraints　are　loosed；　and　he　is　his　own　master　for　that　brief　time；as　he　never　again　will　be　if　he　li