Sounds

inkfasterinthedepotthantheydidinthestage-office?Thereissomethingelectrifyingintheatmosphereoftheformerplace.Ihavebeenastonishedatthemiraclesithaswroughtthatsomeofmyneighbors,who,Ishouldhaveprophesied,onceforall,wouldnevergettoBostonbysopromptaconveyance,areonhandwhenthebellrings.Todothings“railroadfashion”isnowtheby-wordanditisworththewhiletobewarnedsooftenandsosincerelybyanypowertogetoffitstrack.Thereisnostoppingtoreadtheriotact,nofiringovertheheadsofthemob,inthiscase.Wehaveconstructedafate,anAtropos,thatneverturnsaside.(Letthatbethenameofyourengine.)Menareadvertisedthatatacertainhourandminutetheseboltswillbeshottowardparticularpointsofthecompassyetitinterfereswithnoman’sbusiness,andthechildrengotoschoolontheothertrack.Welivethesteadierforit.WearealleducatedthustobesonsofTell.Theairisfullofinvisiblebolts.Everypathbutyourownisthepathoffate.Keeponyourowntrack,then. Whatrecommendscommercetomeisitsenterpriseandbravery.ItdoesnotclaspitshandsandpraytoJupiter.Iseethesemeneverydaygoabouttheirbusinesswithmoreorlesscourageandcontent,doingmoreeventhantheysuspect,andperchancebetteremployedthantheycouldhaveconsciouslydevised.IamlessaffectedbytheirheroismwhostoodupforhalfanhourinthefrontlineatBuenaVista,thanbythesteadyandcheerfulvalorofthemenwhoinhabitthesnow-ploughfortheirwinterquarterswhohavenotmerelythethree-o’-clockinthemorningcourage,whichBonapartethoughtwastherarest,butwhosecouragedoesnotgotorestsoearly,whogotosleeponlywhenthestormsleepsorthesinewsoftheirironsteedarefrozen.OnthismorningoftheGreatSnow,perchance,whichisstillragingandchillingmen’sblood,Ihearthemuffledtoneoftheirenginebellfromoutthefogbankoftheirchilledbreath,whichannouncesthatthecarsarecoming,withoutlongdelay,notwithstandingthevetoofaNewEnglandnorth-eastsnowstorm,andIbeholdtheploughmencoveredwithsnowandrime,theirheadspeering,abovethemould-boardwhichisturningdownotherthandaisiesandthenestsoffield-mice,likebowldersoftheSierraNevada,thatoccupyanoutsideplaceintheuniverse. Commerceisunexpectedlyconfidentandserene,alert,adventurous,andunwearied.Itisverynaturalinitsmethodswithal,farmoresothanmanyfantasticenterprisesandsentimentalexperiments,andhenceitssingularsuccess.Iamrefreshedandexpandedwhenthefreighttrainrattlespastme,andIsmellthestoreswhichgodispensingtheirodorsallthewayfromLongWharftoLakeChamplain,remindingmeofforeignparts,ofcoralreefs,andIndianoceans,andtropicalclimes,andtheextentoftheglobe.Ifeelmorelikeacitizenoftheworldatthesightofthepalm-leafwhichwillcoversomanyflaxenNewEnglandheadsthenextsummer,theManillahempandcocoa-nuthusks,theoldjunk,gunnybags,scrapiron,andrustynails.Thiscar-loadoftornsailsismorelegibleandinterestingnowthaniftheyshouldbewroughtintopaperandprintedbooks.Whocanwritesographicallythehistoryofthestormstheyhaveweatheredastheserentshavedone?Theyareproof-sheetswhichneednocorrection.HeregoeslumberfromtheMainewoods,whichdidnotgoouttoseainthelastfreshet,risenfourdollarsonthethousandbecauseofwhatdidgooutorwassplituppine,spruce,cedar,—first,second,third,andfourthqualities,solatelyallofonequality,towaveoverthebear,andmoose,andcaribou.NextrollsThomastonlime,aprimelot,whichwillgetfaramongthehillsbeforeitgetsslacked.Theseragsinbales,ofallhuesandqualities,thelowestconditiontowhichcottonandlinendescend,thefinalresultofdress,—ofpatternswhicharenownolongercriedup,unlessitbeinMilwaukie,asthosesplendidarticles,English,French,orAmericanprints,ginghams,muslins,&c.,gatheredfromallquartersbothoffashionandpoverty,goingtobecomepaperofonecolororafewshadesonly,onwhichforsoothwillbewrittentalesofreallife,highandlow,andfoundedonfact!Thisclosedcarsmellsofsaltfish,thestrongNewEnglandandcommercialscent,remindingmeoftheGrandBanksandthefisheries.Whohasnotseenasaltfish,thoroughlycuredforthisworld,sothatnothingcanspoilit,andputtingtheperseveranceofthesaintstotheblush?withwhichyoumaysweeporpavethestreets,andsplityourkindlings,andtheteamstershelterhimselfandhisladingagainstsunwindandrainbehindit,—andthetrader,asaConcordtraderoncedid,hangitupbyhisdoorforasignwhenhecommencesbusiness,untilatlasthisoldestcustomercannottellsurelywhetheritbeanimal,vegetable,ormineral,andyetitshallbeaspureasasnowflake,andifitbeputintoapotandboiled,willcomeoutanexcellentdunfishforaSaturday’sdinner.NextSpanishhides,withthetailsstillpreservingtheirtwistandtheangleofelevationtheyhadwhentheoxenthatworethemwerecareeringoverthepampasoftheSpanishmain,—atypeofallobstinacy,andevincinghowalmosthopelessandincurableareallconstitutionalvices.Iconfess,thatpracticallyspeaking,whenIhavelearnedaman’srealdisposition,Ihavenohopesofchangingitforthebetterorworseinthisstateofexistence.AstheOrientalssay,“Acur’stailmaybewarmed,andpressed,andboundroundwithligatures,andafteratwelveyears’laborbestoweduponit,stillitwillretainitsnaturalform.”Theonlyeffectualcureforsuchinveteraciesasthesetailsexhibitistomakeglueofthem,whichIbelieveiswhatisusuallydonewiththem,andthentheywillstayputandstick.HereisahogsheadofmolassesorofbrandydirectedtoJohnSmith,Cuttingsville,Vermont,sometraderamongtheGreenMountains,whoimportsforthefarmersnearhisclearing,andnowperchancestandsoverhisbulk-headandthinksofthelastarrivalsonthecoast,howtheymayaffectthepriceforhim,tellinghiscustomersthismoment,ashehastoldthemtwentytimesbeforethismorning,thathe