18-conclusion-第4章

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mind。　　Who　knows　what　sort　of　seventeen…year　locust　will　next　come

out　of　the　ground？　　The　government　of　the　world　I　live　in　was　not

framed；　like　that　of　Britain；　in　after…dinner　conversations　over　the

wine。

　　　　The　life　in　us　is　like　the　water　in　the　river。　　It　may　rise　this

year　higher　than　man　has　ever　known　it；　and　flood　the　parched

uplands；　even　this　may　be　the　eventful　year；　which　will　drown　out

all　our　muskrats。　　It　was　not　always　dry　land　where　we　dwell。　　I　see

far　inland　the　banks　which　the　stream　anciently　washed；　before

science　began　to　record　its　freshets。　　Every　one　has　heard　the　story

which　has　gone　the　rounds　of　New　England；　of　a　strong　and　beautiful

bug　which　came　out　of　the　dry　leaf　of　an　old　table　of　apple…tree

wood；　which　had　stood　in　a　farmer's　kitchen　for　sixty　years；　first

in　Connecticut；　and　afterward　in　Massachusetts　　from　an　egg

deposited　in　the　living　tree　many　years　earlier　still；　as　appeared

by　counting　the　annual　layers　beyond　it；　which　was　heard　gnawing　out

for　several　weeks；　hatched　perchance　by　the　heat　of　an　urn。　　Who

does　not　feel　his　faith　in　a　resurrection　and　immortality

strengthened　by　hearing　of　this？　　Who　knows　what　beautiful　and

winged　life；　whose　egg　has　been　buried　for　ages　under　many

concentric　layers　of　woodenness　in　the　dead　dry　life　of　society；

deposited　at　first　in　the　alburnum　of　the　green　and　living　tree；

which　has　been　gradually　converted　into　the　semblance　of　its

well…seasoned　tomb　　heard　perchance　gnawing　out　now　for　years　by

the　astonished　family　of　man；　as　they　sat　round　the　festive　board　

may　unexpectedly　come　forth　from　amidst　society's　most　trivial　and

handselled　furniture；　to　enjoy　its　perfect　summer　life　at　last！

　　　　I　do　not　say　that　John　or　Jonathan　will　realize　all　this；　but

such　is　the　character　of　that　morrow　which　mere　lapse　of　time　can

never　make　to　dawn。　　The　light　which　puts　out　our　eyes　is　darkness

to　us。　　Only　that　day　dawns　to　which　we　are　awake。　　There　is　more

day　to　dawn。　　The　sun　is　but　a　morning　star。