walking-第2章

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only　beast　which　ruminates　when　walking。　When　a　traveler　asked

Wordsworth's　servant　to　show　him　her　master's　study；　she

answered；　〃Here　is　his　library；　but　his　study　is　out　of　doors。〃



Living　much　out　of　doors；　in　the　sun　and　wind；　will　no　doubt

produce　a　certain　roughness　of　characterwill　cause　a　thicker

cuticle　to　grow　over　some　of　the　finer　qualities　of　our　nature；

as　on　the　face　and　hands；　or　as　severe　manual　labor　robs　the

hands　of　some　of　their　delicacy　of　touch。　So　staying　in　the

house；　on　the　other　hand；　may　produce　a　softness　and　smoothness；

not　to　say　thinness　of　skin；　accompanied　by　an　increased

sensibility　to　certain　impressions。　Perhaps　we　should　be　more

susceptible　to　some　influences　important　to　our　intellectual　and

moral　growth；　if　the　sun　had　shone　and　the　wind　blown　on　us　a

little　less；　and　no　doubt　it　is　a　nice　matter　to　proportion

rightly　the　thick　and　thin　skin。　But　methinks　that　is　a　scurf

that　will　fall　off　fast　enoughthat　the　natural　remedy　is　to　be

found　in　the　proportion　which　the　night　bears　to　the　day；　the

winter　to　the　summer；　thought　to　experience。　There　will　be　so

much　the　more　air　and　sunshine　in　our　thoughts。　The　callous　palms

of　the　laborer　are　conversant　with　finer　tissues　of　self…respect

and　heroism；　whose　touch　thrills　the　heart；　than　the　languid

fingers　of　idleness。　That　is　mere　sentimentality　that　lies　abed

by　day　and　thinks　itself　white；　far　from　the　tan　and　callus　of

experience。



When　we　walk；　we　naturally　go　to　the　fields　and　woods：　what　would

become　of　us；　if　we　walked　only　in　a　garden　or　a　mall？　Even　some

sects　of　philosophers　have　felt　the　necessity　of　importing　the

woods　to　themselves；　since　they　did　not　go　to　the　woods。　〃They

planted　groves　and　walks　of　Platanes；〃　where　they　took　subdiales

ambulationes　in　porticos　open　to　the　air。　Of　course　it　is　of　no

use　to　direct　our　steps　to　the　woods；　if　they　do　not　carry　us

thither。　I　am　alarmed　when　it　happens　that　I　have　walked　a　mile

into　the　woods　bodily；　without　getting　there　in　spirit。　In　my

afternoon　walk　I　would　fain　forget　all　my　morning　occupations　and

my　obligations　to　Society。　But　it　sometimes　happens　that　I　cannot

easily　shake　off　the　village。　The　thought　of　some　work　will　run

in　my　head　and　I　am　not　where　my　body　isI　am　out　of　my　senses。

In　my　walks　I　would　fain　return　to　my　senses。　What　business　have

I　in　the　woods；　if　I　am　thinking　of　something　out　of　the　woods？　I

suspect　myself；　and　cannot　help　a　shudder　when　I　find　myself　so

implicated　even　in　what　are　called　good　worksfor　this　may

sometimes　happen。



My　vicinity　affords　many　good　walks；　and　though　for　so　many　years

I　have　walked　almost　every　day；　and　sometimes　for　several　days

together；　I　have　not　yet　exhausted　them。　An　absolutely　new

prospect　is　a　great　happiness；　and　I　can　still　get　this　any

afternoon。　Two　or　three　hours'　walking　will　carry　me　to　as

strange　a　country　as　I　expect　ever　to　see。　A　single　farmhouse

which　I　had　not　seen　before　is　sometimes　as　good　as　the　dominions

of　the　King　of　Dahomey。　There　is　in　fact　a　sort　of　harmony

discoverable　between　the　capabilities　of　the　landscape　within　a

circle　of　ten　miles'　radius；　or　the　limits　of　an　afternoon　walk；

and　the　threescore　years　and　ten　of　human　life。　It　will　never

become　quite　familiar　to　you。



Nowadays　almost　all　man's　improvements；　so　called；　as　the

building　of　houses　and　the　cutting　down　of　the　forest　and　of　all

large　trees；　simply　deform　the　landscape；　and　make　it　more　and

more　tame　and　cheap。　A　people　who　would　begin　by　burning　the

fences　and　let　the　forest　stand！　I　saw　the　fences　half　consumed；

their　ends　lost　in　the　middle　of　the　prairie；　and　some　worldly

miser　with　a　surveyor　looking　after　his　bounds；　while　heaven　had

taken　place　around　him；　and　he　did　not　see　the　angels　going　to

and　fro；　but　was　looking　for　an　old　post…hole　in　the　midst　of

paradise。　I　looked　again；　and　saw　him　standing　in　the　middle　of　a

boggy　Stygian　fen；　surrounded　by　devils；　and　he　had　found　his

bounds　without　a　doubt；　three　little　stones；　where　a　stake　had

been　driven；　and　looking　nearer；　I　saw　that　the　Prince　of

Darkness　was　his　surveyor。



I　can　easily　walk　ten；　fifteen；　twenty；　any　number　of　miles；

commencing　at　my　own　door；　without　going　by　any　house；　without

crossing　a　road　except　where　the　fox　and　the　mink　do：　first　along

by　the　river；　and　then　the　brook；　and　then　the　meadow　and　the

woodside。　There　are　square　miles　in　my　vicinity　which　have　no

inhabitant。　From　many　a　hill　I　can　see　civilization　and　the

abodes　of　man　afar。　The　farmers　and　their　works　are　scarcely　more

obvious　than　woodchucks　and　their　burrows。　Man　and　his　affairs；

church　and　state　and　school；　trade　and　commerce；　and　manufactures

and　agriculture　even　politics；　the　most　alarming　of　them　allI

am　pleased　to　see　how　little　space　they　occupy　in　the　landscape。

Politics　is　but　a　narrow　field；　and　that　still　narrower　highway

yonder　leads　to　it。　I　sometimes　direct　the　traveler　thither。　If

you　would　go　to　the　political　world；　follow　the　great

roadfollow　that　market…man；　keep　his　dust　in　your　eyes；　and　it

will　lead　you　straight　to　it；　for　it；　too；　has　its　place　merely；

and　does　not　occupy　all　space。　I　pass　from　it　as　from　a　bean

field　into　the　forest；　and　it　is　forgotten。　In　one　half…hour　I

can　walk　off　to　some　portion　of　the　earth's　surface　where　a　man

does　not　stand　from　one　year's　end　to　another；　and　there；

consequently；　politics　are　not；　for　they　are　but　as　the

cigar…smoke　of　a　man。



The　village　is　the　place　to　which　the　roads　tend；　a　sort　of

expansion　of　the　highway；　as　a　lake　of　a　river。　It　is　the　body　of

which　roads　are　the　arms　and　legsa　trivial　or　quadrivial　place；

the　thoroughfare　and　ordinary　of　travelers。　The　word　is　from　the

Latin　villa　which　together　with　via；　a　way；　or　more　anciently　ved

and　vella；　Varro　derives　from　veho；　to　carry；　because　the　villa

is　the　place　to　and　from　which　things　are　carried。　They　who　got

their　living　by　teaming　were　said　vellaturam　facere。　Hence；　too；

the　Latin　word　vilis　and　our　vile；　also　villain。　This　suggests

what　kind　of　degeneracy　villagers　are　liable　to。　They　are　wayworn

by　the　travel　that　goes　by　and　over　them；　without　traveling

themselves。



Some　do　not　walk　at　all；　others　walk　in　the　highways；　a　few　walk

across　lots。　Roads　are　made　for　horses　and　men　of　business。　I　do

not　travel　in　them　much；　comparatively；　because　I　am　not　in　a

hurry　to　get　to　any　tavern　or　grocery　or　livery…stable　or　depot

to　which　they　lead。　I　am　a　good　horse　to　travel；　but　not　from

choice　a　roadster。　The　landscape…painter　uses　the　figures　of　men

to　mark　a　road。　He　would　not　make　that　use　of　my　figure。　I　walk

out　into　a　nature　such　as　the　old　prophets　and　poets；　Menu；

Moses；　Homer；　Chaucer；　walked　in。　You　may　name　it　America；　but　it

is　not　America；　neither　Americus　Vespueius；　nor　Columbus；　nor　the

rest　were　the　discoverers　of　it。　There　is　a　truer　amount　of　it　in

mythology　than　in　any　history　of　America；　so　called；　that　I　have

seen。



However；　there　are　a　few　old　roads　that　may　be　trodden　with

profit；　as　if　they　led　somewhere　now　that　they　are　nearly

discontinued。　There　is　the　Old　Marlborough　Road；　which　does　not

go　to　Marlborough　now；　me…　thinks；　unless　that　is　Marlborough

where　it　carries　me。　I　am　the　bolder　to　speak　of　it　here；　because

I　presume　that　there　are　one　or　two　such　roads　in　every　town。







　　THE　OLD　MARLBOROUGH　ROAD



　　　Where　they　once　dug　for　money；

　　　But　never　found　any；

　　　Where　sometimes　Martial　Miles

　　　Singly　files；

　　　And　Elijah　Wood；

　　　I　fear　for　no　good：

　　　No　other　man；

　　　Save　Elisha　Dugan

　　　O　man　of　wild　habits；

　　　Partridges　and　rabbits

　　　Who　hast　no　cares

　　　Only　to　set　snares；

　　　Who　liv'st　all　alone；

　　　Close　to　the　bone

　　　And　where　life　is　sweetest

　　　Constantly　eatest。

When　the　spring　stirs　my　blood

　With　the　instinct　to　travel；

　I　can　get　enough　gravel

On　the　Old　Marlborough　Road。