Brute Neighbors

SometimesIhadacompanioninmyfishing,whocamethroughthevillagetomyhousefromtheothersideofthetown,andthecatchingofthedinnerwasasmuchasocialexerciseastheeatingofit. Hermit.Iwonderwhattheworldisdoingnow.Ihavenotheardsomuchasalocustoverthesweet-fernthesethreehours.Thepigeonsareallasleepupontheirroosts,—noflutterfromthem.Wasthatafarmer’snoonhornwhichsoundedfrombeyondthewoodsjustnow?ThehandsarecomingintoboiledsaltbeefandciderandIndianbread.Whywillmenworrythemselvesso?Hethatdoesnoteatneednotwork.Iwonderhowmuchtheyhavereaped.WhowouldlivetherewhereabodycanneverthinkforthebarkingofBose?AndO,thehousekeeping!tokeepbrightthedevil’sdoor-knobs,andscourhistubsthisbrightday!Betternotkeepahouse.Say,somehollowtreeandthenformorningcallsanddinner-parties!Onlyawoodpeckertapping.O,theyswarmthesunistoowarmtheretheyareborntoofarintolifeforme.Ihavewaterfromthespring,andaloafofbrownbreadontheshelf.—Hark!Iheararustlingoftheleaves.Isitsomeill-fedvillagehoundyieldingtotheinstinctofthechase?orthelostpigwhichissaidtobeinthesewoods,whosetracksIsawaftertherain?Itcomesonapacemysumachsandsweet-brierstremble.—Eh,Mr.Poet,isityou?Howdoyouliketheworldto-day? Poet.Seethosecloudshowtheyhang!That’sthegreatestthingIhaveseento-day.There’snothinglikeitinoldpaintings,nothinglikeitinforeignlands,—unlesswhenwewereoffthecoastofSpain.That’satrueMediterraneansky.Ithought,asIhavemylivingtoget,andhavenoteatento-day,thatImightgoa-fishing.That’sthetrueindustryforpoets.ItistheonlytradeIhavelearned.Come,let’salong. Hermit.Icannotresist.Mybrownbreadwillsoonbegone.Iwillgowithyougladlysoon,butIamjustconcludingaseriousmeditation.IthinkthatIamneartheendofit.Leavemealone,then,forawhile.Butthatwemaynotbedelayed,youshallbediggingthebaitmeanwhile.Angle-wormsarerarelytobemetwithintheseparts,wherethesoilwasneverfattenedwithmanuretheraceisnearlyextinct.Thesportofdiggingthebaitisnearlyequaltothatofcatchingthefish,whenone’sappetiteisnottookeenandthisyoumayhavealltoyourselfto-day.Iwouldadviseyoutosetinthespadedownyonderamongtheground-nuts,whereyouseethejohnswortwaving.IthinkthatImaywarrantyouonewormtoeverythreesodsyouturnup,ifyoulookwellinamongtherootsofthegrass,asifyouwereweeding.Or,ifyouchoosetogofarther,itwillnotbeunwise,forIhavefoundtheincreaseoffairbaittobeverynearlyasthesquaresofthedistances. Hermitalone.LetmeseewherewasI?MethinksIwasnearlyinthisframeofmindtheworldlayaboutatthisangle.ShallIgotoheavenora-fishing?IfIshouldsoonbringthismeditationtoanend,wouldanothersosweetoccasionbelikelytooffer?IwasasnearbeingresolvedintotheessenceofthingsaseverIwasinmylife.Ifearmythoughtswillnotcomebacktome.Ifitwoulddoanygood,Iwouldwhistleforthem.Whentheymakeusanoffer,isitwisetosay,Wewillthinkofit?Mythoughtshaveleftnotrack,andIcannotfindthepathagain.WhatwasitthatIwasthinkingof?Itwasaveryhazyday.IwilljusttrythesethreesentencesofCon-fut-seetheymayfetchthatstateaboutagain.Iknownotwhetheritwasthedumpsorabuddingecstasy.Mem.Thereneverisbutoneopportunityofakind. Poet.Hownow,Hermit,isittoosoon?Ihavegotjustthirteenwholeones,besideseveralwhichareimperfectorundersizedbuttheywilldoforthesmallerfrytheydonotcoverupthehooksomuch.Thosevillagewormsarequitetoolargeashinermaymakeamealoffonewithoutfindingtheskewer. Hermit.Well,then,let’sbeoff.ShallwetotheConcord?There’sgoodsportthereifthewaterbenottoohigh. Whydopreciselytheseobjectswhichwebeholdmakeaworld?Whyhasmanjustthesespeciesofanimalsforhisneighborsasifnothingbutamousecouldhavefilledthiscrevice?IsuspectthatPilpay&Co.haveputanimalstotheirbestuse,fortheyareallbeastsofburden,inasense,madetocarrysomeportionofourthoughts. Themicewhichhauntedmyhousewerenotthecommonones,whicharesaidtohavebeenintroducedintothecountry,butawildnativekindnotfoundinthevillage.Isentonetoadistinguishednaturalist,anditinterestedhimmuch.WhenIwasbuilding,oneofthesehaditsnestunderneaththehouse,andbeforeIhadlaidthesecondfloor,andsweptouttheshavings,wouldcomeoutregularlyatlunchtimeandpickupthecrumbsatmyfeet.Itprobablyhadneverseenamanbeforeanditsoonbecamequitefamiliar,andwouldrunovermyshoesandupmyclothes.Itcouldreadilyascendthesidesoftheroombyshortimpulses,likeasquirrel,whichitresembledinitsmotions.Atlength,asIleanedwithmyelbowonthebencho