haffectthedeepsprings.Thissamesummerthepondhasbeguntofallagain.Itisremarkablethatthisfluctuation,whetherperiodicalornot,appearsthustorequiremanyyearsforitsaccomplishment.Ihaveobservedoneriseandapartoftwofalls,andIexpectthatadozenorfifteenyearshencethewaterwillagainbeaslowasIhaveeverknownit.Flint’sPond,amileeastward,allowingforthedisturbanceoccasionedbyitsinletsandoutlets,andthesmallerintermediatepondsalso,sympathizewithWalden,andrecentlyattainedtheirgreatestheightatthesametimewiththelatter.Thesameistrue,asfarasmyobservationgoes,ofWhitePond.
ThisriseandfallofWaldenatlongintervalsservesthisuseatleastthewaterstandingatthisgreatheightforayearormore,thoughitmakesitdifficulttowalkroundit,killstheshrubsandtreeswhichhavesprungupaboutitsedgesincethelastrise,pitch-pines,birches,alders,aspens,andothers,and,fallingagain,leavesanunobstructedshorefor,unlikemanypondsandallwaterswhicharesubjecttoadailytide,itsshoreiscleanestwhenthewaterislowest.Onthesideofthepondnextmyhouse,arowofpitchpinesfifteenfeethighhasbeenkilledandtippedoverasifbyalever,andthusastopputtotheirencroachmentsandtheirsizeindicateshowmanyyearshaveelapsedsincethelastrisetothisheight.Bythisfluctuationthepondassertsitstitletoashore,andthustheshoreisshorn,andthetreescannotholditbyrightofpossession.Thesearethelipsofthelakeonwhichnobeardgrows.Itlicksitschapsfromtimetotime.Whenthewaterisatitsheight,thealders,willows,andmaplessendforthamassoffibrousredrootsseveralfeetlongfromallsidesoftheirstemsinthewater,andtotheheightofthreeorfourfeetfromtheground,intheefforttomaintainthemselvesandIhaveknownthehigh-blueberrybushesabouttheshore,whichcommonlyproducenofruit,bearanabundantcropunderthesecircumstances.
Somehavebeenpuzzledtotellhowtheshorebecamesoregularlypaved.Mytownsmenhaveallheardthetradition,theoldestpeopletellmethattheyhearditintheiryouth,thatancientlytheIndianswereholdingapow-wowuponahillhere,whichroseashighintotheheavensasthepondnowsinksdeepintotheearth,andtheyusedmuchprofanity,asthestorygoes,thoughthisviceisoneofwhichtheIndianswereneverguilty,andwhiletheywerethusengagedthehillshookandsuddenlysank,andonlyoneoldsquaw,namedWalden,escaped,andfromherthepondwasnamed.Ithasbeenconjecturedthatwhenthehillshookthesestonesrolleddownitssideandbecamethepresentshore.Itisverycertain,atanyrate,thatoncetherewasnopondhere,andnowthereisoneandthisIndianfabledoesnotinanyrespectconflictwiththeaccountofthatancientsettlerwhomIhavementioned,whorememberssowellwhenhefirstcameherewithhisdiviningrod,sawathinvaporrisingfromthesward,andthehazelpointedsteadilydownward,andheconcludedtodigawellhere.Asforthestones,manystillthinkthattheyarehardlytobeaccountedforbytheactionofthewavesonthesehillsbutIobservethatthesurroundinghillsareremarkablyfullofthesamekindofstones,sothattheyhavebeenobligedtopilethemupinwallsonbothsidesoftherailroadcutnearestthepondand,moreover,therearemoststoneswheretheshoreismostabruptsothat,unfortunately,itisnolongeramysterytome.Idetectthepaver.IfthenamewasnotderivedfromthatofsomeEnglishlocality,—SaffronWalden,forinstance,—onemightsupposethatitwascalledoriginallyWalled-inPond.
Thepondwasmywellreadydug.ForfourmonthsintheyearitswaterisascoldasitispureatalltimesandIthinkthatitisthenasgoodasany,ifnotthebest,inthetown.Inthewinter,allwaterwhichisexposedtotheairiscolderthanspringsandwellswhichareprotectedfromit.ThetemperatureofthepondwaterwhichhadstoodintheroomwhereIsatfromfiveo’clockintheafternoontillnoonthenextday,thesixthofMarch,1846,thethermometerhavingbeenupto65°or70°someofthetime,owingpartlytothesunontheroof,was42°,oronedegreecolderthanthewaterofoneofthecoldestwellsinthevillagejustdrawn.ThetemperatureoftheBoilingSpringthesamedaywas45°,orthewarmestofanywatertried,thoughitisthecoldestthatIknowofinsummer,when,beside,shallowandstagnantsurfacewaterisnotmingledwithit.Moreover,insummer,Waldenneverbecomessowarmasmostwaterwhichisexposedtothesun,onaccountofitsdepth.InthewarmestweatherIusuallyplacedapailfulinmycellar,whereitbecamecoolinthenight,andremainedsoduringthedaythoughIalsoresortedtoaspringintheneighborhood.Itwasasgoodwh