17-spring-第2部分

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before　it　came　to　a　standstill。

　　　　At　length　the　sun's　rays　have　attained　the　right　angle；　and　warm

winds　blow　up　mist　and　rain　and　melt　the　snowbanks；　and　the　sun；

dispersing　the　mist；　smiles　on　a　checkered　landscape　of　russet　and

white　smoking　with　incense；　through　which　the　traveller　picks　his

way　from　islet　to　islet；　cheered　by　the　music　of　a　thousand　tinkling

rills　and　rivulets　whose　veins　are　filled　with　the　blood　of　winter

which　they　are　bearing　off。

　　　　Few　phenomena　gave　me　more　delight　than　to　observe　the　forms

which　thawing　sand　and　clay　assume　in　flowing　down　the　sides　of　a

deep　cut　on　the　railroad　through　which　I　passed　on　my　way　to　the

village；　a　phenomenon　not　very　common　on　so　large　a　scale；　though

the　number　of　freshly　exposed　banks　of　the　right　material　must　have

been　greatly　multiplied　since　railroads　were　invented。　　The　material

was　sand　of　every　degree　of　fineness　and　of　various　rich　colors；

commonly　mixed　with　a　little　clay。　　When　the　frost　comes　out　in　the

spring；　and　even　in　a　thawing　day　in　the　winter；　the　sand　begins　to

flow　down　the　slopes　like　lava；　sometimes　bursting　out　through　the

snow　and　overflowing　it　where　no　sand　was　to　be　seen　before。

Innumerable　little　streams　overlap　and　interlace　one　with　another；

exhibiting　a　sort　of　hybrid　product；　which　obeys　half　way　the　law　of

currents；　and　half　way　that　of　vegetation。　　As　it　flows　it　takes　the

forms　of　sappy　leaves　or　vines；　making　heaps　of　pulpy　sprays　a　foot

or　more　in　depth；　and　resembling；　as　you　look　down　on　them；　the

laciniated；　lobed；　and　imbricated　thalluses　of　some　lichens；　or　you

are　reminded　of　coral；　of　leopard's　paws　or　birds'　feet；　of　brains

or　lungs　or　bowels；　and　excrements　of　all　kinds。　　It　is　a　truly

grotesque　vegetation；　whose　forms　and　color　we　see　imitated　in

bronze；　a　sort　of　architectural　foliage　more　ancient　and　typical

than　acanthus；　chiccory；　ivy；　vine；　or　any　vegetable　leaves；

destined　perhaps；　under　some　circumstances；　to　become　a　puzzle　to

future　geologists。　　The　whole　cut　impressed　me　as　if　it　were　a　cave

with　its　stalactites　laid　open　to　the　light。　　The　various　shades　of

the　sand　are　singularly　rich　and　agreeable；　embracing　the　different

iron　colors；　brown；　gray；　yellowish；　and　reddish。　　When　the　flowing

mass　reaches　the　drain　at　the　foot　of　the　bank　it　spreads　out

flatter　into　strands；　the　separate　streams　losing　their

semi…cylindrical　form　and　gradually　becoming　more　flat　and　broad；

running　together　as　they　are　more　moist；　till　they　form　an　almost

flat　sand；　still　variously　and　beautifully　shaded；　but　in　which　you

can　trace　the　original　forms　of　vegetation；　till　at　length；　in　the

water　itself；　they　are　converted　into　banks；　like　those　formed　off

the　mouths　of　rivers；　and　the　forms　of　vegetation　are　lost　in　the

ripple　marks　on　the　bottom。

　　　　The　whole　bank；　which　is　from　twenty　to　forty　feet　high；　is

sometimes　overlaid　with　a　mass　of　this　kind　of　foliage；　or　sandy

rupture；　for　a　quarter　of　a　mile　on　one　or　both　sides；　the　produce

of　one　spring　day。　　What　makes　this　sand　foliage　remarkable　is　its

springing　into　existence　thus　suddenly。　　When　I　see　on　the　one　side

the　inert　bank　　for　the　sun　acts　on　one　side　first　　and　on　the

other　this　luxuriant　foliage；　the　creation　of　an　hour；　I　am　affected

as　if　in　a　peculiar　sense　I　stood　in　the　laboratory　of　the　Artist

who　made　the　world　and　me　　had　come　to　where　he　was　still　at　work；

sporting　on　this　bank；　and　with　excess　of　energy　strewing　his　fresh

designs　about。　　I　feel　as　if　I　were　nearer　to　the　vitals　of　the

globe；　for　this　sandy　overflow　is　something　such　a　foliaceous　mass

as　the　vitals　of　the　animal　body。　　You　find　thus　in　the　very　sands

an　anticipation　of　the　vegetable　leaf。　　No　wonder　that　the　earth

expresses　itself　outwardly　in　leaves；　it　so　labors　with　the　idea

inwardly。　　The　atoms　have　already　learned　this　law；　and　are　pregnant

by　it。　　The　overhanging　leaf　sees　here　its　prototype。　　Internally；

whether　in　the　globe　or　animal　body；　it　is　a　moist　thick　lobe；　a

word　especially　applicable　to　the　liver　and　lungs　and　the　leaves　of

fat　（jnai；　labor；　lapsus；　to　flow　or　slip　downward；　a　lapsing；

jiais；　globus；　lobe；　globe；　also　lap；　flap；　and　many　other　words）；

externally　a　dry　thin　leaf；　even　as　the　f　and　v　are　a　pressed　and

dried　b。　　The　radicals　of　lobe　are　lb；　the　soft　mass　of　the　b

（single　lobed；　or　B；　double　lobed）；　with　the　liquid　l　behind　it

pressing　it　forward。　　In　globe；　glb；　the　guttural　g　adds　to　the

meaning　the　capacity　of　the　throat。　　The　feathers　and　wings　of　birds

are　still　drier　and　thinner　leaves。　　Thus；　also；　you　pass　from　the

lumpish　grub　in　the　earth　to　the　airy　and　fluttering　butterfly。　　The

very　globe　continually　transcends　and　translates　itself；　and　becomes

winged　in　its　orbit。　　Even　ice　begins　with　delicate　crystal　leaves；

as　if　it　had　flowed　into　moulds　which　the　fronds　of　waterplants　have

impressed　on　the　watery　mirror。　　The　whole　tree　itself　is　but　one

leaf；　and　rivers　are　still　vaster　leaves　whose　pulp　is　intervening

earth；　and　towns　and　cities　are　the　ova　of　insects　in　their　axils。

　　　　When　the　sun　withdraws　the　sand　ceases　to　flow；　but　in　the

morning　the　streams　will　start　once　more　and　branch　and　branch　again

into　a　myriad　of　others。　　You　here　see　perchance　how　blood…vessels

are　formed。　　If　you　look　closely　you　observe　that　first　there　pushes

forward　from　the　thawing　mass　a　stream　of　softened　sand　with　a

drop…like　point；　like　the　ball　of　the　finger；　feeling　its　way　slowly

and　blindly　downward；　until　at　last　with　more　heat　and　moisture；　as

the　sun　gets　higher；　the　most　fluid　portion；　in　its　effort　to　obey

the　law　to　which　the　most　inert　also　yields；　separates　from　the

latter　and　forms　for　itself　a　meandering　channel　or　artery　within

that；　in　which　is　seen　a　little　silvery　stream　glancing　like

lightning　from　one　stage　of　pulpy　leaves　or　branches　to　another；　and

ever　and　anon　swallowed　up　in　the　sand。　　It　is　wonderful　how　rapidly

yet　perfectly　the　sand　organizes　itself　as　it　flows；　using　the　best

material　its　mass　affords　to　form　the　sharp　edges　of　its　channel。

Such　are　the　sources　of　rivers。　　In　the　silicious　matter　which　the

water　deposits　is　perhaps　the　bony　system；　and　in　the　still　finer

soil　and　organic　matter　the　fleshy　fibre　or　cellular　tissue。　　What

is　man　but　a　mass　of　thawing　clay？　　The　ball　of　the　human　finger　is

but　a　drop　congealed。　　The　fingers　and　toes　flow　to　their　extent

from　the　thawing　mass　of　the　body。　　Who　knows　what　the　human　body

would　expand　and　flow　out　to　under　a　more　genial　heaven？　　Is　not　the

hand　a　spreading　palm　leaf　with　its　lobes　and　veins？　　The　ear　may　be

regarded；　fancifully；　as　a　lichen；　umbilicaria；　on　the　side　of　the

head；　with　its　lobe　or　drop。　　The　lip　　labium；　from　labor　（？）　

laps　or　lapses　from　the　sides　of　the　cavernous　mouth。　　The　nose　is　a

manifest　congealed　drop　or　stalactite。　　The　chin　is　a　still　larger

drop；　the　confluent　dripping　of　the　face。　　The　cheeks　are　a　slide

from　the　brows　into　the　valley　of　the　face；　opposed　and　diffused　by

the　cheek　bones。　　Each　rounded　lobe　of　the　vegetable　leaf；　too；　is　a

thick　and　now　loitering　drop；　larger　or　smaller；　the　lobes　are　the

fingers　of　the　leaf；　and　as　many　lobes　as　it　has；　in　so　many

directions　it　tends　to　flow；　and　more　heat　or　other　genial

influences　would　have　caused　it　to　flow　yet　farther。

　　　　Thus　it　seemed　that　this　one　hillside　illustrated　the　principle

of　all　the　operations　of　Nature。　　The　Maker　of　this　earth　but

patented　a　leaf。　　What　Champollion　will　decipher　this　hieroglyphic

for　us；　that　we　may　turn　over　a　new　leaf　at　last？　　This　phenomenon

is　more　exhilarating　to　me　than　the　luxuriance　and　fertility　of

vineyards。　　True；　it　is　somewhat　excrementitious　in　its　character；

and　there　is　no　end　to　the　heaps　of　liver；　lights；　and　bowels；　as　if

the　globe　were　turned　wrong　side　outward；　but　this　suggests　at　least

that　Nature　has　some　bowels；　and　there　again　is　mother　of　humanity。

This　is　the　frost　coming　out　of　the　ground；　this　is　Spring。　　It

precedes　the　green　and　flowery　spring；　as　mythology　precedes　regular

poetry。　　I　know　of　nothing　more　purgative　of　winter　fumes　and

indigestions。　　It　convinces　me　that　Earth　is　still　in　her

swaddling…clothes；　and　stretches　forth　baby　fingers　on　every　side。

Fresh　curls　spring　from　the　baldest　brow。　　There　is　nothing

inorganic。　　These　foliaceous　heaps　lie　along　the　bank　like　the　slag

of　a　furnace；　showing　that　Nature　is　〃in　full　blast〃　within。　　The

earth　is　not　a　mere　fragment　of　dead　history；　stratum　upon　stratum

like　the　leaves　of　a　book；　to　be　studied　by　geologists　and

antiquaries　chiefly；　but　living　poetry　like　the　leaves　of　a　tree；

which　precede　flowers　and　fruit　　not　a　fossil　earth；　but　a　living

earth；　compared　with　whose　great　central　life　all　animal　and

vegetable　life　is　merely　parasitic。　　Its　throes　will　heave　our

exuviae　from　their　graves。　　You　may　melt　your　metals　and　cast　them

into　the　most　beautiful　moulds　you　can；　they　will　never　excite　me

like　the　forms　which　this　molten　earth　flows　out　into。　　And　not　only

it；　but　the　institutions　upon　it　are　plastic　like　clay　in　the　hands

of　the　potter。

　　　　Ere　long；　not　only　on　these　banks；　but　on　every　hill　and　plain

and　in　every　hollow；　the　frost　comes　out　of　the　ground　like　a

dormant　quadruped　from　its　burrow；　and　seeks　the　sea　with　music；　or

migrates　to　other　climes　in　clouds。　　Thaw　with　his　gentle　persuasion

is　more　powerful　than　Thor　with　his　hammer。　　The　one　melts；　the

other　but　breaks　in　pieces。

　　　　When　the　ground　was　partially　bare　of　snow；　and　a　few　warm　days

had　dried　its　surface　somewhat；　it　was　pleasant　to　compare　the　first

tender　signs　of　the　infant　year　just　peeping　forth　with　the　stately

beauty　of　the　withered　vegetation　which　had　withstood　the

winter　　life…everlasting；　goldenrods；　pinweeds；　and　graceful　wild

grasses；　more　obvious　and　interesting　frequently　than　in　summer

even；　as　if　their　beauty　was　not　ripe　till　then