06-visitors-第3部分

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　　　　Many　a　traveller　came　out　of　his　way　to　see　me　and　the　inside　of

my　house；　and；　as　an　excuse　for　calling；　asked　for　a　glass　of　water。

I　told　them　that　I　drank　at　the　pond；　and　pointed　thither；　offering

to　lend　them　a　dipper。　　Far　off　as　I　lived；　I　was　not　exempted　from

the　annual　visitation　which　occurs；　methinks；　about　the　first　of

April；　when　everybody　is　on　the　move；　and　I　had　my　share　of　good

luck；　though　there　were　some　curious　specimens　among　my　visitors。

Half…witted　men　from　the　almshouse　and　elsewhere　came　to　see　me；　but

I　endeavored　to　make　them　exercise　all　the　wit　they　had；　and　make

their　confessions　to　me；　in　such　cases　making　wit　the　theme　of　our

conversation；　and　so　was　compensated。　　Indeed；　I　found　some　of　them

to　be　wiser　than　the　so…called　overseers　of　the　poor　and　selectmen

of　the　town；　and　thought　it　was　time　that　the　tables　were　turned。

With　respect　to　wit；　I　learned　that　there　was　not　much　difference

between　the　half　and　the　whole。　　One　day；　in　particular；　an

inoffensive；　simple…minded　pauper；　whom　with　others　I　had　often　seen

used　as　fencing　stuff；　standing　or　sitting　on　a　bushel　in　the　fields

to　keep　cattle　and　himself　from　straying；　visited　me；　and　expressed

a　wish　to　live　as　I　did。　　He　told　me；　with　the　utmost　simplicity　and

truth；　quite　superior；　or　rather　inferior；　to　anything　that　is

called　humility；　that　he　was　〃deficient　in　intellect。〃　　These　were

his　words。　　The　Lord　had　made　him　so；　yet　he　supposed　the　Lord　cared

as　much　for　him　as　for　another。　　〃I　have　always　been　so；〃　said　he；

〃from　my　childhood；　I　never　had　much　mind；　I　was　not　like　other

children；　I　am　weak　in　the　head。　　It　was　the　Lord's　will；　I

suppose。〃　　And　there　he　was　to　prove　the　truth　of　his　words。　　He　was

a　metaphysical　puzzle　to　me。　　I　have　rarely　met　a　fellowman　on　such

promising　ground　　it　was　so　simple　and　sincere　and　so　true　all

that　he　said。　　And；　true　enough；　in　proportion　as　he　appeared　to

humble　himself　was　he　exalted。　　I　did　not　know　at　first　but　it　was

the　result　of　a　wise　policy。　　It　seemed　that　from　such　a　basis　of

truth　and　frankness　as　the　poor　weak…headed　pauper　had　laid；　our

intercourse　might　go　forward　to　something　better　than　the

intercourse　of　sages。

　　　　I　had　some　guests　from　those　not　reckoned　commonly　among　the

town's　poor；　but　who　should　be；　who　are　among　the　world's　poor；　at

any　rate；　guests　who　appeal；　not　to　your　hospitality；　but　to　your

hospitalality；　who　earnestly　wish　to　be　helped；　and　preface　their

appeal　with　the　information　that　they　are　resolved；　for　one　thing；

never　to　help　themselves。　　I　require　of　a　visitor　that　he　be　not

actually　starving；　though　he　may　have　the　very　best　appetite　in　the

world；　however　he　got　it。　　Objects　of　charity　are　not　guests。　　Men

who　did　not　know　when　their　visit　had　terminated；　though　I　went

about　my　business　again；　answering　them　from　greater　and　greater

remoteness。　　Men　of　almost　every　degree　of　wit　called　on　me　in　the

migrating　season。　　Some　who　had　more　wits　than　they　knew　what　to　do

with；　runaway　slaves　with　plantation　manners；　who　listened　from　time

to　time；　like　the　fox　in　the　fable；　as　if　they　heard　the　hounds

a…baying　on　their　track；　and　looked　at　me　beseechingly；　as　much　as

to　say；　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃O　Christian；　will　you　send　me　back？



One　real　runaway　slave；　among　the　rest；　whom　I　helped　to　forward

toward　the　north　star。　　Men　of　one　idea；　like　a　hen　with　one

chicken；　and　that　a　duckling；　men　of　a　thousand　ideas；　and　unkempt

heads；　like　those　hens　which　are　made　to　take　charge　of　a　hundred

chickens；　all　in　pursuit　of　one　bug；　a　score　of　them　lost　in　every

morning's　dew　　and　become　frizzled　and　mangy　in　consequence；　men

of　ideas　instead　of　legs；　a　sort　of　intellectual　centipede　that　made

you　crawl　all　over。　　One　man　proposed　a　book　in　which　visitors

should　write　their　names；　as　at　the　White　Mountains；　but；　alas！　I

have　too　good　a　memory　to　make　that　necessary。

　　　　I　could　not　but　notice　some　of　the　peculiarities　of　my　visitors。

Girls　and　boys　and　young　women　generally　seemed　glad　to　be　in　the

woods。　　They　looked　in　the　pond　and　at　the　flowers；　and　improved

their　time。　　Men　of　business；　even　farmers；　thought　only　of　solitude

and　employment；　and　of　the　great　distance　at　which　I　dwelt　from

something　or　other；　and　though　they　said　that　they　loved　a　ramble　in

the　woods　occasionally；　it　was　obvious　that　they　did　not。　　Restless

committed　men；　whose　time　was　an　taken　up　in　getting　a　living　or

keeping　it；　ministers　who　spoke　of　God　as　if　they　enjoyed　a　monopoly

of　the　subject；　who　could　not　bear　all　kinds　of　opinions；　doctors；

lawyers；　uneasy　housekeepers　who　pried　into　my　cupboard　and　bed　when

I　was　out　　how　came　Mrs。　　to　know　that　my　sheets　were　not　as

clean　as　hers？　　young　men　who　had　ceased　to　be　young；　and　had

concluded　that　it　was　safest　to　follow　the　beaten　track　of　the

professions　　all　these　generally　said　that　it　was　not　possible　to

do　so　much　good　in　my　position。　　Ay！　there　was　the　rub。　　The　old　and

infirm　and　the　timid；　of　whatever　age　or　sex；　thought　most　of

sickness；　and　sudden　accident　and　death；　to　them　life　seemed　full　of

danger　　what　danger　is　there　if　you　don't　think　of　any？　　and

they　thought　that　a　prudent　man　would　carefully　select　the　safest

position；　where　Dr。　B。　might　be　on　hand　at　a　moment's　warning。　　To

them　the　village　was　literally　a　community；　a　league　for　mutual

defence；　and　you　would　suppose　that　they　would　not　go

a…huckleberrying　without　a　medicine　chest。　　The　amount　of　it　is；　if

a　man　is　alive；　there　is　always　danger　that　he　may　die；　though　the

danger　must　be　allowed　to　be　less　in　proportion　as　he　is

dead…and…alive　to　begin　with。　　A　man　sits　as　many　risks　as　he　runs。

Finally；　there　were　the　self…styled　reformers；　the　greatest　bores　of

all；　who　thought　that　I　was　forever　singing；



　　　　　　　This　is　the　house　that　I　built；

　　　　　　　This　is　the　man　that　lives　in　the　house　that　I　built；



but　they　did　not　know　that　the　third　line　was；



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　These　are　the　folks　that　worry　the　man

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　That　lives　in　the　house　that　I　built。



I　did　not　fear　the　hen…harriers；　for　I　kept　no　chickens；　but　I

feared　the　men…harriers　rather。

　　　　I　had　more　cheering　visitors　than　the　last。　　Children　come

a…berrying；　railroad　men　taking　a　Sunday　morning　walk　in　clean

shirts；　fishermen　and　hunters；　poets　and　philosophers；　in　short；　all

honest　pilgrims；　who　came　out　to　the　woods　for　freedom's　sake；　and

really　left　the　village　behind；　I　was　ready　to　greet　with　

〃Welcome；　Englishmen！　welcome；　Englishmen！〃　for　I　had　had

communication　with　that　race。







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