Visitors

ingthatiscalledhumility,thathewas“deficientinintellect.”Thesewerehiswords.TheLordhadmadehimso,yethesupposedtheLordcaredasmuchforhimasforanother.“Ihavealwaysbeenso,”saidhe,“frommychildhoodIneverhadmuchmindIwasnotlikeotherchildrenIamweakinthehead.ItwastheLord’swill,Isuppose.”Andtherehewastoprovethetruthofhiswords.Hewasametaphysicalpuzzletome.Ihaverarelymetafellow-manonsuchpromisingground,—itwassosimpleandsincereandsotrueallthathesaid.And,trueenough,inproportionasheappearedtohumblehimselfwasheexalted.Ididnotknowatfirstbutitwastheresultofawisepolicy.Itseemedthatfromsuchabasisoftruthandfranknessasthepoorweak-headedpauperhadlaid,ourintercoursemightgoforwardtosomethingbetterthantheintercourseofsages. Ihadsomeguestsfromthosenotreckonedcommonlyamongthetown’spoor,butwhoshouldbewhoareamongtheworld’spoor,atanyrateguestswhoappeal,nottoyourhospitality,buttoyourhospitalalitywhoearnestlywishtobehelped,andprefacetheirappealwiththeinformationthattheyareresolved,foronething,nevertohelpthemselves.Irequireofavisitorthathebenotactuallystarving,thoughhemayhavetheverybestappetiteintheworld,howeverhegotit.Objectsofcharityarenotguests.Menwhodidnotknowwhentheirvisithadterminated,thoughIwentaboutmybusinessagain,answeringthemfromgreaterandgreaterremoteness.Menofalmosteverydegreeofwitcalledonmeinthemigratingseason.Somewhohadmorewitsthantheyknewwhattodowithrunawayslaveswithplantationmanners,wholistenedfromtimetotime,likethefoxinthefable,asiftheyheardthehoundsa-bayingontheirtrack,andlookedatmebeseechingly,asmuchastosay,— “OChristian,willyousendmeback?” Onerealrunawayslave,amongtherest,whomIhelpedtoforwardtowardthenorthstar.Menofoneidea,likeahenwithonechicken,andthataducklingmenofathousandideas,andunkemptheads,likethosehenswhicharemadetotakechargeofahundredchickens,allinpursuitofonebug,ascoreofthemlostineverymorning’sdew,—andbecomefrizzledandmangyinconsequencemenofideasinsteadoflegs,asortofintellectualcentipedethatmadeyoucrawlallover.Onemanproposedabookinwhichvisitorsshouldwritetheirnames,asattheWhiteMountainsbut,alas!Ihavetoogoodamemorytomakethatnecessary. Icouldnotbutnoticesomeofthepeculiaritiesofmyvisitors.Girlsandboysandyoungwomengenerallyseemedgladtobeinthewoods.Theylookedinthepondandattheflowers,andimprovedtheirtime.Menofbusiness,evenfarmers,thoughtonlyofsolitudeandemployment,andofthegreatdistanceatwhichIdweltfromsomethingorotherandthoughtheysaidthattheylovedarambleinthewoodsoccasionally,itwasobviousthattheydidnot.Restlesscommittedmen,whosetimewasalltakenupingettingalivingorkeepingitministerswhospokeofGodasiftheyenjoyedamonopolyofthesubject,whocouldnotbearallkindsofopinionsdoctors,lawyers,uneasyhousekeeperswhopriedintomycupboardandbedwhenIwasout,—howcameMrs.——toknowthatmysheetswerenotascleanashers?—youngmenwhohadceasedtobeyoung,andhadconcludedthatitwassafesttofollowthebeatentrackoftheprofessions,—allthesegenerallysaidthatitwasnotpossibletodosomuchgoodinmyposition.Ay!therewastherub.Theoldandinfirmandthetimid,ofwhateverageorsex,thoughtmostofsickness,andsuddenaccidentanddeathtothemlifeseemedfullofdanger,—whatdangeristhereifyoudon’tthinkofany?—andtheythoughtthataprudentmanwouldcarefullyselectthesafestposition,whereDr.B.mightbeonhandatamoment’swarning.Tothemthevillagewasliterallyacom-munity,aleagueformutualdefence,andyouwouldsupposethattheywouldnotgoa-huckleberryingwithoutamedicinechest.Theamountofitis,ifamanisalive,thereisalwaysdangerthathemaydie,thoughthedangermustbeallowedtobelessinproportionasheisdead-and-alivetobeginwith.Amansitsasmanyrisksasheruns.Finally,thereweretheself-styledreformers,thegreatestboresofall,whothoughtthatIwasforeversinging,— ThisisthehousethatIbuilt ThisisthemanthatlivesinthehousethatIbuilt buttheydidnotknowthatthethirdlinewas,— Thesearethefolksthatworrytheman ThatlivesinthehousethatIbuilt. Ididnotfearthehen-harriers,forIkeptnochickensbutIfearedthemen-harriersrather. Ihadmorecheeringvisitorsthanthelast.Childrencomea-berrying,railroadmentakingaSundaymorningwalkincleanshirts,fishermenandhunters,poetsandphilosophersinshort,allhonestpilgrims,whocameouttothewoodsforfreedom’ssake,andreallyleftthevillagebehind,Iwasreadytogreetwith,—“Welcome,Englishmen!welcome,Englishmen!”forIhadhadcommunicationwiththatrace.