House-Warming

hremotenessfromitssymbols,anditsmetaphorsandtropesarenecessarilysofarfetched,throughslidesanddumb-waiters,asitwereinotherwords,theparlorissofarfromthekitchenandworkshop.Thedinnerevenisonlytheparableofadinner,commonly.AsifonlythesavagedweltnearenoughtoNatureandTruthtoborrowatropefromthem.Howcanthescholar,whodwellsawayintheNorthWestTerritoryortheIsleofMan,tellwhatisparliamentaryinthekitchen? However,onlyoneortwoofmyguestswereeverboldenoughtostayandeatahasty-puddingwithmebutwhentheysawthatcrisisapproachingtheybeatahastyretreatrather,asifitwouldshakethehousetoitsfoundations.Nevertheless,itstoodthroughagreatmanyhasty-puddings. Ididnotplastertillitwasfreezingweather.Ibroughtoversomewhiterandcleanersandforthispurposefromtheoppositeshoreofthepondinaboat,asortofconveyancewhichwouldhavetemptedmetogomuchfartherifnecessary.Myhousehadinthemeanwhilebeenshingleddowntothegroundoneveryside.InlathingIwaspleasedtobeabletosendhomeeachnailwithasingleblowofthehammer,anditwasmyambitiontotransfertheplasterfromtheboardtothewallneatlyandrapidly.Irememberedthestoryofaconceitedfellow,who,infineclothes,waswonttoloungeaboutthevillageonce,givingadvicetoworkmen.Venturingonedaytosubstitutedeedsforwords,heturneduphiscuffs,seizedaplasterer’sboard,andhavingloadedhistrowelwithoutmishap,withacomplacentlooktowardthelathingoverhead,madeaboldgesturethitherwardandstraightway,tohiscompletediscomfiture,receivedthewholecontentsinhisruffledbosom.Iadmiredanewtheeconomyandconvenienceofplastering,whichsoeffectuallyshutsoutthecoldandtakesahandsomefinish,andIlearnedthevariouscasualtiestowhichtheplastererisliable.IwassurprisedtoseehowthirstythebrickswerewhichdrankupallthemoistureinmyplasterbeforeIhadsmoothedit,andhowmanypailfulsofwaterittakestochristenanewhearth.IhadthepreviouswintermadeasmallquantityoflimebyburningtheshellsoftheUniofluviatilis,whichourriveraffords,forthesakeoftheexperimentsothatIknewwheremymaterialscamefrom.Imighthavegotgoodlimestonewithinamileortwoandburneditmyself,ifIhadcaredtodoso. Thepondhadinthemeanwhileskimmedoverintheshadiestandshallowestcoves,somedaysorevenweeksbeforethegeneralfreezing.Thefirsticeisespeciallyinterestingandperfect,beinghard,dark,andtransparent,andaffordsthebestopportunitythateveroffersforexaminingthebottomwhereitisshallowforyoucanlieatyourlengthoniceonlyaninchthick,likeaskaterinsectonthesurfaceofthewater,andstudythebottomatyourleisure,onlytwoorthreeinchesdistant,likeapicturebehindaglass,andthewaterisnecessarilyalwayssmooththen.Therearemanyfurrowsinthesandwheresomecreaturehastravelledaboutanddoubledonitstracksand,forwrecks,itisstrewnwiththecasesofcadiswormsmadeofminutegrainsofwhitequartz.Perhapsthesehavecreasedit,foryoufindsomeoftheircasesinthefurrows,thoughtheyaredeepandbroadforthemtomake.Buttheiceitselfistheobjectofmostinterest,thoughyoumustimprovetheearliestopportunitytostudyit.Ifyouexamineitcloselythemorningafteritfreezes,youfindthatthegreaterpartofthebubbles,whichatfirstappearedtobewithinit,areagainstitsundersurface,andthatmorearecontinuallyrisingfromthebottomwhiletheiceisasyetcomparativelysolidanddark,thatis,youseethewaterthroughit.Thesebubblesarefromaneightiethtoaneighthofaninchindiameter,veryclearandbeautiful,andyouseeyourfacereflectedinthemthroughtheice.Theremaybethirtyorfortyofthemtoasquareinch.Therearealsoalreadywithintheicenarrowoblongperpendicularbubblesabouthalfaninchlong,sharpconeswiththeapexupwardoroftener,iftheiceisquitefresh,minutesphericalbubblesonedirectlyaboveanother,likeastringofbeads.Butthesewithintheicearenotsonumerousnorobviousasthosebeneath.Isometimesusedtocastonstonestotrythestrengthoftheice,andthosewhichbrokethroughcarriedinairwiththem,whichformedverylargeandconspicuouswhitebubblesbeneath.OnedaywhenIcametothesameplaceforty-eighthoursafterward,Ifoundthatthoselargebubbleswerestillperfect,thoughaninchmoreoficehadformed,asIcouldseedistinctlybytheseamintheedgeofacake.Butasthelasttwodayshadbeenverywarm,likeanIndiansummer,theicewasnotnowtransparent,showingthedarkgreencolorofthewater,andthebottom,butopaqueandwhitishorgray,andthoughtwiceasthickwashardlystrongerthanbefore,fortheairbubbleshadgreatlyexpandedunderthisheatandruntogether,andlosttheirregularitytheywerenolongeronedirectlyoveranother,butoftenlikesilverycoinspouredfromabag,oneoverlappinganother,orinthinflakes,asifoccupyingslightcleavages.Thebeautyoftheicewasgone,anditwastoolatetostudythebottom.Beingcurioustoknowwhatpositionmygreatbubblesoccupiedwithregardtothenewice,Ibrokeoutacakecontainingamiddlingsizedone,andturneditbottomupward.Thenewicehadformedaroundandunderthebubble,sothatitwasincludedbetweenthetwoices.Itwaswhollyinthelowerice,butcloseagainsttheupper,andwasflattish,orperhapsslightlylenticular,witharoundededge,aquarterofaninchdeepbyfourinchesindiameterandIwassurprisedtofindthatdirectlyunderthebubbletheicewasmeltedwithgreatregularityintheformofasaucerreversed,totheheightoffiveeighthsofaninchinthemiddle,leavingathinpartitiontherebetweenthewaterandthebubble,hardlyaneighthofaninchthickandinmanyplacesthesmallbubblesinthispartitionhadburstoutdownward,andprobablytherewasnoiceatallunde