The Ponds

yshallow,andnotremarkablypure.Awalkthroughthewoodsthitherwasoftenmyrecreation.Itwasworththewhile,ifonlytofeelthewindblowonyourcheekfreely,andseethewavesrun,andrememberthelifeofmariners.Iwenta-chestnuttingthereinthefall,onwindydays,whenthenutsweredroppingintothewaterandwerewashedtomyfeetandoneday,asIcreptalongitssedgyshore,thefreshsprayblowinginmyface,Icameuponthemoulderingwreckofaboat,thesidesgone,andhardlymorethantheimpressionofitsflatbottomleftamidtherushesyetitsmodelwassharplydefined,asifitwerealargedecayedpad,withitsveins.Itwasasimpressiveawreckasonecouldimagineonthesea-shore,andhadasgoodamoral.Itisbythistimemerevegetablemouldandundistinguishablepondshore,throughwhichrushesandflagshavepushedup.Iusedtoadmiretheripplemarksonthesandybottom,atthenorthendofthispond,madefirmandhardtothefeetofthewaderbythepressureofthewater,andtherusheswhichgrewinIndianfile,inwavinglines,correspondingtothesemarks,rankbehindrank,asifthewaveshadplantedthem.TherealsoIhavefound,inconsiderablequantities,curiousballs,composedapparentlyoffinegrassorroots,ofpipewortperhaps,fromhalfaninchtofourinchesindiameter,andperfectlyspherical.Thesewashbackandforthinshallowwateronasandybottom,andaresometimescastontheshore.Theyareeithersolidgrass,orhavealittlesandinthemiddle.Atfirstyouwouldsaythattheywereformedbytheactionofthewaves,likeapebbleyetthesmallestaremadeofequallycoarsematerials,halfaninchlong,andtheyareproducedonlyatoneseasonoftheyear.Moreover,thewaves,Isuspect,donotsomuchconstructasweardownamaterialwhichhasalreadyacquiredconsistency.Theypreservetheirformwhendryforanindefiniteperiod. Flint’sPond!Suchisthepovertyofournomenclature.Whatrighthadtheuncleanandstupidfarmer,whosefarmabuttedonthisskywater,whoseshoreshehasruthlesslylaidbare,togivehisnametoit?Someskin-flint,wholovedbetterthereflectingsurfaceofadollar,orabrightcent,inwhichhecouldseehisownbrazenfacewhoregardedeventhewildduckswhichsettledinitastrespassershisfingersgrownintocrookedandhornytalonsfromthelonghabitofgraspingharpy-like—soitisnotnamedforme.Igonottheretoseehimnortohearofhimwhoneversawit,whoneverbathedinit,whoneverlovedit,whoneverprotectedit,whoneverspokeagoodwordforit,northankedGodthathehadmadeit.Ratherletitbenamedfromthefishesthatswiminit,thewildfowlorquadrupedswhichfrequentit,thewildflowerswhichgrowbyitsshores,orsomewildmanorchildthethreadofwhosehistoryisinterwovenwithitsownnotfromhimwhocouldshownotitletoitbutthedeedwhichalike-mindedneighbororlegislaturegavehim,—himwhothoughtonlyofitsmoneyvaluewhosepresenceperchancecursedalltheshorewhoexhaustedthelandaroundit,andwouldfainhaveexhaustedthewaterswithinitwhoregrettedonlythatitwasnotEnglishhayorcranberrymeadow,—therewasnothingtoredeemit,forsooth,inhiseyes,—andwouldhavedrainedandsolditforthemudatitsbottom.Itdidnotturnhismill,anditwasnoprivilegetohimtobeholdit.Irespectnothislabors,hisfarmwhereeverythinghasitspricewhowouldcarrythelandscape,whowouldcarryhisGod,tomarket,ifhecouldgetanythingforhimwhogoestomarketforhisgodasitisonwhosefarmnothinggrowsfree,whosefieldsbearnocrops,whosemeadowsnoflowers,whosetreesnofruits,butdollarswholovesnotthebeautyofhisfruits,whosefruitsarenotripeforhimtilltheyareturnedtodollars.Givemethepovertythatenjoystruewealth.Farmersarerespectableandinterestingtomeinproportionastheyarepoor,—poorfarmers.Amodelfarm!wherethehousestandslikeafungusinamuck-heap,chambersformen,horses,oxen,andswine,cleansedanduncleansed,allcontiguoustooneanother!Stockedwithmen!Agreatgrease-spot,redolentofmanuresandbuttermilk!Underahighstateofcultivation,beingmanuredwiththeheartsandbrainsofmen!Asifyouweretoraiseyourpotatoesinthechurch-yard!Suchisamodelfarm. No,noifthefairestfeaturesofthelandscapearetobenamedaftermen,letthembethenoblestandworthiestmenalone.LetourlakesreceiveastruenamesatleastastheIcarianSea,where“stilltheshore”a“braveattemptresounds.” GoosePond,ofsmallextent,isonmywaytoFlint’sFair-Haven,anexpansionofConcordRiver,saidtocontainsomeseventyacres,isamilesouth-westandWhitePond,ofaboutfortyacres,isamileandahalfbeyondFair-Haven.Thisismylakecountry.These,withConcordRiver,aremywaterprivilegesandnightandday,yearinyearout,theygrindsuchgristasIcarrytothem. Sincethewoodcutters,andtherailroad,andImyselfhaveprofanedWalden,perhapsthemostattractive,ifnotthemostbeautiful,ofallourlakes,thegemofthewoods,isWhitePond—apoornamefromitscommonness,whetherderivedfromtheremarkablepurityofitswatersorthecolorofitssands.Intheseasinotherrespects,however,itisalessertwinofWalden.Theyaresomuchalikethatyouwouldsaytheymustbeconnectedunderground.Ithasthesamestonyshore,anditswatersareofthesamehue.AsatWalden,insultrydog-dayweather,lookingdownthroughthewoodsonsomeofitsbayswhicharenotsodeepbutthatthereflectionfromthebottomtingesthem,itswatersareofamistybluish-greenorglaucouscolor.ManyyearssinceIusedtogotheretocollectthesandbycart-loads,tomakesand-paperwith,andIhavecontinuedtovisititeversince.OnewhofrequentsitproposestocallitViridLake.PerhapsitmightbecalledYellow-PineLake,fromthefollowingcircumstance.Aboutfifteenyearsagoyoucouldseethetopofapitch-pine,ofthekindcalledyellow-pinehereabouts,thoughitisnotadistinctspecies,projectingabovethesurfaceindeepwater,manyrodsfromtheshore.Itwasevensupposedbysomethatthepondhadsunk,andthiswasoneoftheprimitiveforestthatformerlystoodthere.Ifindthatevensolongagoas1792,ina“TopographicalDescriptionoftheTownofConcord,”byoneofitscitizens,intheCollectionsoftheMassachusettsHistoricalSociety,theauthor,afterspeakingofWaldenandWhitePonds,adds:“Inthemiddleofthelattermaybeseen,whenthewaterisverylow,atreewhichappearsasifitgrewintheplacewhereitnowstands,althoughtherootsarefiftyfeetbelowthesurfaceofthewaterthetopofthistreeisbrokenoff,andatthatplacemeasuresfourteeninchesindiameter.”Inthespringof’49ItalkedwiththemanwholivesnearestthepondinSudbury,whotoldmethatitwashewhogotoutthistreetenorfifteenyearsbefore.Asnearashecouldremember,itstoodtwelveorfifteenrodsfromtheshore,wherethewaterwasthirtyorfortyfeetdeep.Itwasinthewinter,andhehadbeengettingouticeintheforenoon,andhadresolvedthatintheafternoon,withtheaidofhisneighbors,hewouldtakeouttheoldyellow-pine.Hesawedachannelintheicetowardtheshore,andhauleditoverandalongandoutontotheicewithoxenbut,beforehehadgonefarinhiswork,hewassurprisedtofindthatitwaswrongendupward,withthestumpsofthebranchespointingdown,andthesmallendfirmlyfastenedinthesandybottom.Itwasaboutafootindiameteratthebigend,andhehadexpectedtogetagoodsaw-log,butitwassorottenastobefitonlyforfuel,ifforthat.Hehadsomeofitinhisshedthen.Thereweremarksofanaxeandofwoodpeckersonthebutt.Hethoughtthatitmighthavebeenadeadtreeontheshore,butwasfinallyblownoverintothepond,andafterthetophadbecomewaterlogged,whilethebutt-endwasstilldryandlight,haddriftedoutandsunkwrongendup.Hisfather,eightyyearsold,couldnotrememberwhenitwasnotthere.Severalprettylargelogsmaystillbeseenlyingonthebottom,where,owingtotheundulationofthesurface,theylooklikehugewatersnakesinmotion. Thispondhasrarelybeenprofanedbyaboat,forthereislittleinittotemptafisherman.Insteadofthewhitelily,whichrequiresmud,orthecommonsweetflag,theblueflag(Irisversicolor)growsthinlyinthepurewater,risingfromthestonybottomallaroundtheshore,whereitisvisitedbyhummingbirdsinJuneandthecolorbothofitsbluishbladesanditsflowers,andespeciallytheirreflections,areinsingularharmonywiththeglaucouswater. WhitePondandWaldenaregreatcrystalsonthesurfaceoftheearth,LakesofLight.Iftheywerepermanentlycongealed,andsmallenoughtobeclutched,theywould,perchance,becarriedoffbyslaves,likepreciousstones,toadorntheheadsofemperorsbutbeingliquid,andample,andsecuredtousandoursuccessorsforever,wedisregardthem,andrunafterthediamondofKohinoor.Theyaretoopuretohaveamarketvaluetheycontainnomuck.Howmuchmorebeautifulthanourlives,howmuchmoretransparentthanourcharacters,arethey!Weneverlearnedmeannessofthem.Howmuchfairerthanthepoolbeforethefarmer’sdoor,inwhichhisducksswim!Hitherthecleanwildduckscome.Naturehasnohumaninhabitantwhoappreciatesher.Thebirdswiththeirplumageandtheirnotesareinharmonywiththeflowers,butwhatyouthormaidenconspireswiththewildluxuriantbeautyofNature?Sheflourishesmostalone,farfromthetownswheretheyreside.Talkofheaven!yedisgraceearth.