Solitude

ceptinthickweather,whentheresometimesappeartobetwo,butoneisamocksun.Godisalone,—butthedevil,heisfarfrombeingaloneheseesagreatdealofcompanyheislegion.Iamnomorelonelythanasinglemulleinordandelioninapasture,orabeanleaf,orsorrel,orahorse-fly,orabumble-bee.IamnomorelonelythantheMillBrook,oraweathercock,orthenorthstar,orthesouthwind,oranAprilshower,oraJanuarythaw,orthefirstspiderinanewhouse. Ihaveoccasionalvisitsinthelongwinterevenings,whenthesnowfallsfastandthewindhowlsinthewood,fromanoldsettlerandoriginalproprietor,whoisreportedtohavedugWaldenPond,andstonedit,andfringeditwithpinewoodswhotellsmestoriesofoldtimeandofneweternityandbetweenuswemanagetopassacheerfuleveningwithsocialmirthandpleasantviewsofthings,evenwithoutapplesorcider,—amostwiseandhumorousfriend,whomIlovemuch,whokeepshimselfmoresecretthaneverdidGoffeorWhalleyandthoughheisthoughttobedead,nonecanshowwhereheisburied.Anelderlydame,too,dwellsinmyneighborhood,invisibletomostpersons,inwhoseodorousherbgardenIlovetostrollsometimes,gatheringsimplesandlisteningtoherfablesforshehasageniusofunequalledfertility,andhermemoryrunsbackfartherthanmythology,andshecantellmetheoriginalofeveryfable,andonwhatfacteveryoneisfounded,fortheincidentsoccurredwhenshewasyoung.Aruddyandlustyolddame,whodelightsinallweathersandseasons,andislikelytooutliveallherchildrenyet. TheindescribableinnocenceandbeneficenceofNature,—ofsunandwindandrain,ofsummerandwinter,—suchhealth,suchcheer,theyaffordforever!andsuchsympathyhavetheyeverwithourrace,thatallNaturewouldbeaffected,andthesun’sbrightnessfade,andthewindswouldsighhumanely,andthecloudsraintears,andthewoodsshedtheirleavesandputonmourninginmidsummer,ifanymanshouldeverforajustcausegrieve.ShallInothaveintelligencewiththeearth?AmInotpartlyleavesandvegetablemouldmyself? Whatisthepillwhichwillkeepuswell,serene,contented?Notmyorthygreat-grandfather’s,butourgreat-grandmotherNature’suniversal,vegetable,botanicmedicines,bywhichshehaskeptherselfyoungalways,outlivedsomanyoldParrsinherday,andfedherhealthwiththeirdecayingfatness.Formypanacea,insteadofoneofthosequackvialsofamixturedippedfromAcheronandtheDeadSea,whichcomeoutofthoselongshallowblack-schoonerlookingwagonswhichwesometimesseemadetocarrybottles,letmehaveadraughtofundilutedmorningair.Morningair!Ifmenwillnotdrinkofthisatthefountain-headoftheday,why,then,wemustevenbottleupsomeandsellitintheshops,forthebenefitofthosewhohavelosttheirsubscriptiontickettomorningtimeinthisworld.Butremember,itwillnotkeepquitetillnoon-dayeveninthecoolestcellar,butdriveoutthestoppleslongerethatandfollowwestwardthestepsofAurora.IamnoworshipperofHygeia,whowasthedaughterofthatoldherb-doctor?sculapius,andwhoisrepresentedonmonumentsholdingaserpentinonehand,andintheotheracupoutofwhichtheserpentsometimesdrinksbutratherofHebe,cupbearertoJupiter,whowasthedaughterofJunoandwildlettuce,andwhohadthepowerofrestoringgodsandmentothevigorofyouth.Shewasprobablytheonlythoroughlysound-conditioned,healthy,androbustyoungladythateverwalkedtheglobe,andwherevershecameitwasspring.