Former Inhabitants and Winter Visitors

sedtohearthatsofictileanartwaseverpracticedinmyneighborhood. ThelastinhabitantofthesewoodsbeforemewasanIrishman,HughQuoil(ifIhavespelthisnamewithcoilenough,)whooccupiedWyman’stenement,—Col.Quoil,hewascalled.RumorsaidthathehadbeenasoldieratWaterloo.IfhehadlivedIshouldhavemadehimfighthisbattlesoveragain.Histradeherewasthatofaditcher.NapoleonwenttoSt.HelenaQuoilcametoWaldenWoods.AllIknowofhimistragic.Hewasamanofmanners,likeonewhohadseentheworld,andwascapableofmorecivilspeechthanyoucouldwellattendto.Heworeagreatcoatinmid-summer,beingaffectedwiththetremblingdelirium,andhisfacewasthecolorofcarmine.HediedintheroadatthefootofBrister’sHillshortlyafterIcametothewoods,sothatIhavenotrememberedhimasaneighbor.Beforehishousewaspulleddown,whenhiscomradesavoideditas“anunluckycastle,”Ivisitedit.Therelayhisoldclothescurledupbyuse,asiftheywerehimself,uponhisraisedplankbed.Hispipelaybrokenonthehearth,insteadofabowlbrokenatthefountain.Thelastcouldneverhavebeenthesymbolofhisdeath,forheconfessedtomethat,thoughhehadheardofBrister’sSpring,hehadneverseenitandsoiledcards,kingsofdiamondsspadesandhearts,werescatteredoverthefloor.Oneblackchickenwhichtheadministratorcouldnotcatch,blackasnightandassilent,notevencroaking,awaitingReynard,stillwenttoroostinthenextapartment.Inthereartherewasthedimoutlineofagarden,whichhadbeenplantedbuthadneverreceiveditsfirsthoeing,owingtothoseterribleshakingfits,thoughitwasnowharvesttime.Itwasover-runwithRomanwormwoodandbeggar-ticks,whichlaststucktomyclothesforallfruit.Theskinofawoodchuckwasfreshlystretcheduponthebackofthehouse,atrophyofhislastWaterloobutnowarmcapormittenswouldhewantmore. Nowonlyadentintheearthmarksthesiteofthesedwellings,withburiedcellarstones,andstrawberries,raspberries,thimble-berries,hazel-bushes,andsumachsgrowinginthesunnyswardtheresomepitch-pineorgnarledoakoccupieswhatwasthechimneynook,andasweet-scentedblack-birch,perhaps,waveswherethedoor-stonewas.Sometimesthewelldentisvisible,whereonceaspringoozednowdryandtearlessgrassoritwascovereddeep,—nottobediscoveredtillsomelateday,—withaflatstoneunderthesod,whenthelastoftheracedeparted.Whatasorrowfulactmustthatbe,—thecoveringupofwells!coincidentwiththeopeningofwellsoftears.Thesecellardents,likedesertedfoxburrows,oldholes,areallthatisleftwhereoncewerethestirandbustleofhumanlife,and“fate,free-will,foreknowledgeabsolute,”insomeformanddialectorotherwerebyturnsdiscussed.ButallIcanlearnoftheirconclusionsamountstojustthis,that“CatoandBristerpulledwool”whichisaboutasedifyingasthehistoryofmorefamousschoolsofphilosophy. Stillgrowsthevivaciouslilacagenerationafterthedoorandlintelandthesillaregone,unfoldingitssweet-scentedflowerseachspring,tobepluckedbythemusingtravellerplantedandtendedoncebychildren’shands,infront-yardplots,—nowstandingbywall-sidesinretiredpastures,andgivingplacetonew-risingforests—thelastofthatstirp,solesurvivorofthatfamily.Littledidtheduskychildrenthinkthatthepunyslipwithitstwoeyesonly,whichtheystuckinthegroundintheshadowofthehouseanddailywatered,wouldrootitselfso,andoutlivethem,andhouseitselfintherearthatshadedit,andgrownman’sgardenandorchard,andtelltheirstoryfaintlytothelonewandererahalfcenturyaftertheyhadgrownupanddied,—blossomingasfair,andsmellingassweet,asinthatfirstspring.Imarkitsstilltender,civil,cheerful,lilaccolors. Butthissmallvillage,germofsomethingmore,whydiditfailwhileConcordkeepsitsground?Weretherenonaturaladvantages,—nowaterprivileges,forsooth?Ay,thedeepWaldenPondandcoolBrister’sSpring,—privilegetodrinklongandhealthydraughtsatthese,allunimprovedbythesemenbuttodilutetheirglass.Theywereuniversallyathirstyrace.Mightnotthebasket,stable-broom,mat-making,corn-parching,linen-spinning,andpotterybusinesshavethrivedhere,makingthewildernesstoblossomliketherose,andanumerousposterityhaveinheritedthelandoftheirfathers?Thesterilesoilwouldatleasthavebeenproofagainstalow-landdegeneracy.Alas!howlittledoesthememoryofthesehumaninhabitantsenhancethebeautyofthelandscape!Again,perhaps,Naturewilltry,withmeforafirstsettler,andmyhouseraisedlastspringtobetheoldestinthehamlet. IamnotawarethatanymanhaseverbuiltonthespotwhichIoccupy.Delivermefromacitybuiltonthesiteofamoreancientcity,whosematerialsareruins,whosegardenscemeteries.Thesoilisblanchedandaccursedthere,andbeforethatbecomesnecessarytheearthitselfwillbedestroyed.Wit