Sometimes,havinghadasurfeitofhumansocietyandgossip,andwornoutallmyvillagefriends,IrambledstillfartherwestwardthanIhabituallydwell,intoyetmoreunfrequentedpartsofthetown,“tofreshwoodsandpasturesnew,”or,whilethesunwassetting,mademysupperofhuckleberriesandblueberriesonFairHavenHill,andlaidupastoreforseveraldays.Thefruitsdonotyieldtheirtrueflavortothepurchaserofthem,nortohimwhoraisesthemforthemarket.Thereisbutonewaytoobtainit,yetfewtakethatway.Ifyouwouldknowtheflavorofhuckleberries,askthecow-boyorthepartridge.Itisavulgarerrortosupposethatyouhavetastedhuckleberrieswhoneverpluckedthem.AhuckleberryneverreachesBostontheyhavenotbeenknowntheresincetheygrewonherthreehills.Theambrosialandessentialpartofthefruitislostwiththebloomwhichisrubbedoffinthemarketcart,andtheybecomemereprovender.AslongasEternalJusticereigns,notoneinnocenthuckleberrycanbetransportedthitherfromthecountry’shills.
Occasionally,aftermyhoeingwasdonefortheday,Ijoinedsomeimpatientcompanionwhohadbeenfishingonthepondsincemorning,assilentandmotionlessasaduckorafloatingleaf,and,afterpractisingvariouskindsofphilosophy,hadconcludedcommonly,bythetimeIarrived,thathebelongedtotheancientsectofC?nobites.Therewasoneolderman,anexcellentfisherandskilledinallkindsofwoodcraft,whowaspleasedtolookuponmyhouseasabuildingerectedfortheconvenienceoffishermenandIwasequallypleasedwhenhesatinmydoorwaytoarrangehislines.Onceinawhilewesattogetheronthepond,heatoneendoftheboat,andIattheotherbutnotmanywordspassedbetweenus,forhehadgrowndeafinhislateryears,butheoccasionallyhummedapsalm,whichharmonizedwellenoughwithmyphilosophy.Ourintercoursewasthusaltogetheroneofunbrokenharmony,farmorepleasingtorememberthanifithadbeencarriedonbyspeech.When,aswascommonlythecase,Ihadnonetocommunewith,Iusedtoraisetheechoesbystrikingwithapaddleonthesideofmyboat,fillingthesurroundingwoodswithcirclinganddilatingsound,stirringthemupasthekeeperofamenageriehiswildbeasts,untilIelicitedagrowlfromeverywoodedvaleandhill-side.
InwarmeveningsIfrequentlysatintheboatplayingtheflute,andsawtheperch,whichIseemedtohavecharmed,hoveringaroundme,andthemoontravellingovertheribbedbottom,whichwasstrewedwiththewrecksoftheforest.FormerlyIhadcometothispondadventurously,fromtimetotime,indarksummernights,withacompanion,andmakingafireclosetothewater’sedge,whichwethoughtattractedthefishes,wecaughtpoutswithabunchofwormsstrungonathreadandwhenwehaddone,farinthenight,threwtheburningbrandshighintotheairlikeskyrockets,which,comingdownintothepond,werequenchedwithaloudhissing,andweweresuddenlygropingintotaldarkness.Throughthis,whistlingatune,wetookourwaytothehauntsofmenagain.ButnowIhadmademyhomebytheshore.
Sometimes,afterstayinginavillageparlortillthefamilyhadallretired,Ihavereturnedtothewoods,and,partlywithaviewtothenextday’sdinner,spentthehoursofmidnightfishingfromaboatbymoonlight,serenadedbyowlsandfoxes,andhearing,fromtimetotime,thecreakingnoteofsomeunknownbirdcloseathand.Theseexperienceswereverymemorableandvaluabletome,—anchoredinfortyfeetofwater,andtwentyorthirtyrodsfromtheshore,surroundedsometimesbythousandsofsmallperchandshiners,dimplingthesurfacewiththeirtailsinthemoonlight,andcommunicatingbyalongflaxenlinewithmysteriousnocturnalfisheswhichhadtheirdwellingfortyfeetbelow,orsometimesdraggingsixtyfeetoflineaboutthepondasIdriftedinthegentlenightbreeze,nowandthenfeelingaslightvibrationalongit,indicativeofsomelifeprowlingaboutitsextremity,ofdulluncertainblunderingpurposethere,andslowtomakeupitsmind.Atlengthyouslowlyraise,pullinghandoverhand,somehornedpoutsqueakingandsquirmingtotheupperair.Itwasveryqueer,especiallyindarknights,whenyourthoughtshadwanderedtovastandcosmogonalthemesinotherspheres,tofeelthisfaintjerk,whichcametointerruptyourdreamsandlinkyoutoNatureagain.ItseemedasifImightnextcastmylineupwardintotheair,aswellasdownwardintothiselement,whichwasscarcelymoredense.ThusIcaughttwofishesasitwerewithonehook.
ThesceneryofWaldenisonahumblescale,and,thoughverybeautiful,doesnotapproachtograndeur,norcanitmuchconcernonewhohasnotlongfrequenteditorlivedbyitsshoreyetthispondissoremarkableforitsdepthandpurit