House-Warming

rthelargestbubbles,whichwereafootindiameter.IinferredthattheinfinitenumberofminutebubbleswhichIhadfirstseenagainsttheundersurfaceoftheicewerenowfrozeninlikewise,andthateach,initsdegree,hadoperatedlikeaburningglassontheicebeneathtomeltandrotit.Thesearethelittleair-gunswhichcontributetomaketheicecrackandwhoop. Atlengththewintersetiningoodearnest,justasIhadfinishedplastering,andthewindbegantohowlaroundthehouseasifithadnothadpermissiontodosotillthen.Nightafternightthegeesecamelumberingininthedarkwithaclangorandawhistlingofwings,evenafterthegroundwascoveredwithsnow,sometoalightinWalden,andsomeflyinglowoverthewoodstowardFairHaven,boundforMexico.Severaltimes,whenreturningfromthevillageattenoreleveno’clockatnight,Iheardthetreadofaflockofgeese,orelseducks,onthedryleavesinthewoodsbyapond-holebehindmydwelling,wheretheyhadcomeuptofeed,andthefainthonkorquackoftheirleaderastheyhurriedoff.In1845Waldenfrozeentirelyoverforthefirsttimeonthenightofthe22dofDecember,Flint’sandothershallowerpondsandtheriverhavingbeenfrozentendaysormorein’46,the16thin’49,aboutthe31standin’50,aboutthe27thofDecemberin’52,the5thofJanuaryin’53,the31stofDecember.Thesnowhadalreadycoveredthegroundsincethe25thofNovember,andsurroundedmesuddenlywiththesceneryofwinter.Iwithdrewyetfartherintomyshell,andendeavoredtokeepabrightfirebothwithinmyhouseandwithinmybreast.Myemploymentoutofdoorsnowwastocollectthedeadwoodintheforest,bringingitinmyhandsoronmyshoulders,orsometimestrailingadeadpinetreeundereacharmtomyshed.Anoldforestfencewhichhadseenitsbestdayswasagreathaulforme.IsacrificedittoVulcan,foritwaspastservingthegodTerminus.Howmuchmoreinterestinganeventisthatman’ssupperwhohasjustbeenforthinthesnowtohunt,nay,youmightsay,steal,thefueltocookitwith!Hisbreadandmeataresweet.Thereareenoughfagotsandwastewoodofallkindsintheforestsofmostofourtownstosupportmanyfires,butwhichatpresentwarmnone,and,somethink,hinderthegrowthoftheyoungwood.Therewasalsothedrift-woodofthepond.InthecourseofthesummerIhaddiscoveredaraftofpitch-pinelogswiththebarkon,pinnedtogetherbytheIrishwhentherailroadwasbuilt.ThisIhauleduppartlyontheshore.Aftersoakingtwoyearsandthenlyinghighsixmonthsitwasperfectlysound,thoughwaterloggedpastdrying.Iamusedmyselfonewinterdaywithslidingthispiecemealacrossthepond,nearlyhalfamile,skatingbehindwithoneendofalogfifteenfeetlongonmyshoulder,andtheotherontheiceorItiedseverallogstogetherwithabirchwithe,andthen,withalongerbirchoralderwhichhadahookattheend,draggedthemacross.Thoughcompletelywaterloggedandalmostasheavyaslead,theynotonlyburnedlong,butmadeaveryhotfirenay,Ithoughtthattheyburnedbetterforthesoaking,asifthepitch,beingconfinedbythewater,burnedlonger,asinalamp. Gilpin,inhisaccountoftheforestborderersofEngland,saysthat“theencroachmentsoftrespassers,andthehousesandfencesthusraisedonthebordersoftheforest,”were“consideredasgreatnuisancesbytheoldforestlaw,andwereseverelypunishedunderthenameofpurprestures,astendingadterroremferarum—adnocumentumforest?,&c.,”tothefrighteningofthegameandthedetrimentoftheforest.ButIwasinterestedinthepreservationofthevenisonandthevertmorethanthehuntersorwoodchoppers,andasmuchasthoughIhadbeentheLordWardenhimselfandifanypartwasburned,thoughIburneditmyselfbyaccident,Igrievedwithagriefthatlastedlongerandwasmoreinconsolablethanthatoftheproprietorsnay,Igrievedwhenitwascutdownbytheproprietorsthemselves.IwouldthatourfarmerswhentheycutdownaforestfeltsomeofthatawewhichtheoldRomansdidwhentheycametothin,orletinthelightto,aconsecratedgrove(lucumconlucare),thatis,wouldbelievethatitissacredtosomegod.TheRomanmadeanexpiatoryoffering,andprayed,Whatevergodorgoddessthouarttowhomthisgroveissacred,bepropitioustome,myfamily,andchildren,&c. Itisremarkablewhatavalueisstillputuponwoodeveninthisageandinthisnewcountry,avaluemorepermanentanduniversalthanthatofgold.Afterallourdiscoveriesandinventionsnomanwillgobyapileofwood.ItisasprecioustousasitwastoourSaxonandNormanancestors.Iftheymadetheirbowsofit,wemakeourgun-stocksofit.Michaux,morethanthirtyyearsago,saysthatthepriceofwoodforfuelinNewYorkandPhiladelphia“nearlyequals,andsometimesexceeds,thatofthebestwoodinParis,thoughthisimmensecapitalannuallyrequiresmorethanthreehundredthousandcords,andissurroundedtothedistanceofthreehundredmilesbycultivatedplains.”Inthistownthepriceofwoodrisesalmoststeadily,andtheonlyquestionis,howmuchhigheritistobethisyearthanitwasthelast.Mechanicsandtradesmenwhocomeinpersontotheforestonnoothererrand,aresuretoattendthewoodauction,andevenpayahighpricefortheprivilegeofgleaningafterthewoodchopper.ItisnowmanyyearsthatmenhaveresortedtotheforestforfuelandthematerialsoftheartstheNewEnglanderandtheNewHollander,theParisianandtheCelt,thefarmerandRobinhood,GoodyBlakeandHarryGill,inmostpartsoftheworldtheprinceandthepeasant,thescholarandthesavage,equallyrequirestillafewsticksfromtheforesttowarmthemandcooktheirfood.NeithercouldIdowithoutthem. Everymanlooksathiswood-pilewithakindofaffection.Ilovetohaveminebeforemywindow,andthemorechipsthebettertoremindmeofmypleasingwork.Ihadanoldaxewhichnobodyclaimed,withwhichbyspellsinwinterdays,onthesu