ewerealwaysindeedgettingourliving,andregulatingourlivesaccordingtothelastandbestmodewehadlearned,weshouldneverbetroubledwithennui.Followyourgeniuscloselyenough,anditwillnotfailtoshowyouafreshprospecteveryhour.Houseworkwasapleasantpastime.Whenmyfloorwasdirty,Iroseearly,and,settingallmyfurnitureoutofdoorsonthegrass,bedandbedsteadmakingbutonebudget,dashedwateronthefloor,andsprinkledwhitesandfromthepondonit,andthenwithabroomscrubbeditcleanandwhiteandbythetimethevillagershadbrokentheirfastthemorningsunhaddriedmyhousesufficientlytoallowmetomoveinagain,andmymeditationswerealmostuninterupted.Itwaspleasanttoseemywholehouseholdeffectsoutonthegrass,makingalittlepilelikeagypsy’spack,andmythree-leggedtable,fromwhichIdidnotremovethebooksandpenandink,standingamidthepinesandhickories.Theyseemedgladtogetoutthemselves,andasifunwillingtobebroughtin.Iwassometimestemptedtostretchanawningoverthemandtakemyseatthere.Itwasworththewhiletoseethesunshineonthesethings,andhearthefreewindblowonthemsomuchmoreinterestingmostfamiliarobjectslookoutofdoorsthaninthehouse.Abirdsitsonthenextbough,life-everlastinggrowsunderthetable,andblackberryvinesrunrounditslegspinecones,chestnutburs,andstrawberryleavesarestrewnabout.Itlookedasifthiswasthewaytheseformscametobetransferredtoourfurniture,totables,chairs,andbedsteads,—becausetheyoncestoodintheirmidst.
Myhousewasonthesideofahill,immediatelyontheedgeofthelargerwood,inthemidstofayoungforestofpitchpinesandhickories,andhalfadozenrodsfromthepond,towhichanarrowfootpathleddownthehill.Inmyfrontyardgrewthestrawberry,blackberry,andlife-everlasting,johnswortandgoldenrod,shrub-oaksandsand-cherry,blueberryandgroundnut.NeartheendofMay,thesand-cherry(Cerasuspumila,)adornedthesidesofthepathwithitsdelicateflowersarrangedinumbelscylindricallyaboutitsshortstems,whichlast,inthefall,weigheddownwithgoodsizedandhandsomecherries,felloverinwreathslikeraysoneveryside.ItastedthemoutofcomplimenttoNature,thoughtheywerescarcelypalatable.Thesumach(Rhusglabra,)grewluxuriantlyaboutthehouse,pushingupthroughtheembankmentwhichIhadmade,andgrowingfiveorsixfeetthefirstseason.Itsbroadpinnatetropicalleafwaspleasantthoughstrangetolookon.Thelargebuds,suddenlypushingoutlateinthespringfromdrystickswhichhadseemedtobedead,developedthemselvesasbymagicintogracefulgreenandtenderboughs,aninchindiameterandsometimes,asIsatatmywindow,soheedlesslydidtheygrowandtaxtheirweakjoints,Iheardafreshandtenderboughsuddenlyfalllikeafantotheground,whentherewasnotabreathofairstirring,brokenoffbyitsownweight.InAugust,thelargemassesofberries,which,wheninflower,hadattractedmanywildbees,graduallyassumedtheirbr