Higher Laws

AsIcamehomethroughthewoodswithmystringoffish,trailingmypole,itbeingnowquitedark,Icaughtaglimpseofawoodchuckstealingacrossmypath,andfeltastrangethrillofsavagedelight,andwasstronglytemptedtoseizeanddevourhimrawnotthatIwashungrythen,exceptforthatwildnesswhichherepresented.Onceortwice,however,whileIlivedatthepond,Ifoundmyselfrangingthewoods,likeahalf-starvedhound,withastrangeabandonment,seekingsomekindofvenisonwhichImightdevour,andnomorselcouldhavebeentoosavageforme.Thewildestsceneshadbecomeunaccountablyfamiliar.Ifoundinmyself,andstillfind,aninstincttowardahigher,or,asitisnamed,spirituallife,asdomostmen,andanothertowardaprimitiverankandsavageone,andIreverencethemboth.Ilovethewildnotlessthanthegood.Thewildnessandadventurethatareinfishingstillrecommendedittome.Ilikesometimestotakerankholdonlifeandspendmydaymoreastheanimalsdo.PerhapsIhaveowedtothisemploymentandtohunting,whenquiteyoung,myclosestacquaintancewithNature.Theyearlyintroduceustoanddetainusinscenerywithwhichotherwise,atthatage,weshouldhavelittleacquaintance.Fishermen,hunters,woodchoppers,andothers,spendingtheirlivesinthefieldsandwoods,inapeculiarsenseapartofNaturethemselves,areofteninamorefavorablemoodforobservingher,intheintervalsoftheirpursuits,thanphilosophersorpoetseven,whoapproachherwithexpectation.Sheisnotafraidtoexhibitherselftothem.Thetravellerontheprairieisnaturallyahunter,ontheheadwatersoftheMissouriandColumbiaatrapper,andattheFallsofSt.Maryafisherman.Hewhoisonlyatravellerlearnsthingsatsecond-handandbythehalves,andispoorauthority.Wearemostinterestedwhensciencereportswhatthosemenalreadyknowpracticallyorinstinctively,forthataloneisatruehumanity,oraccountofhumanexperience. TheymistakewhoassertthattheYankeehasfewamusements,becausehehasnotsomanypublicholidays,andmenandboysdonotplaysomanygamesastheydoinEngland,forherethemoreprimitivebutsolitaryamusementsofhuntingfishingandthelikehavenotyetgivenplacetotheformer.AlmosteveryNewEnglandboyamongmycontemporariesshoulderedafowlingpiecebetweentheagesoftenandfourteenandhishuntingandfishinggroundswerenotlimited,likethepreservesofanEnglishnobleman,butweremoreboundlesseventhanthoseofasavage.Nowonder,then,thathedidnotoftenerstaytoplayonthecommon.Butalreadyachangeistakingplace,owing,nottoanincreasedhumanity,buttoanincreasedscarcityofgame,forperhapsthehunteristhegreatestfriendoftheanimalshunted,notexceptingtheHumaneSociety. Moreover,whenatthepond,Iwishedsometimestoaddfishtomyfareforvariety.Ihaveactuallyfishedfromthesamekindofnecessitythatthefirstfishersdid.WhateverhumanityImightconjureupagainstitwasallfactitious,andconcernedmyphilosophymorethanmyfeelings.Ispeakoffishingonlynow,forIhadlongfeltdifferentlyaboutfowling,andsoldmygunbeforeIwenttothewoods.NotthatIamlesshumanethanothers,butIdidnotperceivethatmyfeelingsweremuchaffected.Ididnotpitythefishesnortheworms.Thiswashabit.Asforfowling,duringthelastyearsthatIcarriedagunmyexcusewasthatIwasstudyingornithology,andsoughtonlyneworrarebirds.ButIconfessthatIamnowinclinedtothinkthatthereisafinerwayofstudyingornithologythanthis.Itrequiressomuchcloserattentiontothehabitsofthebirds,that,ifforthatreasononly,Ihavebeenwillingtoomitthegun.Yetnotwithstandingtheobjectiononthescoreofhumanity,Iamcompelledtodoubtifequallyvaluablesportsareeversubstitutedfortheseandwhensomeofmyfriendshaveaskedmeanxiouslyabouttheirboys,whethertheyshouldletthemhunt,Ihaveanswered,yes,—rememberingthatitwasoneofthebestpartsofmyeducation,—makethemhunters,thoughsportsmenonlyatfirst,ifpossible,mightyhuntersatlast,sothattheyshallnotfindgamelargeenoughfortheminthisoranyvegetablewilderness,—huntersaswellasfishersofmen.ThusfarIamoftheopinionofChaucer’snun,who “yavenotofthetextapulledhen Thatsaiththathuntersbennotholymen.” Thereisaperiodinthehistoryoftheindividual,asoftherace,whenthehu