ectssomebythenexttrainofprimequality.ItisadvertisedintheCuttingsvilleTimes.
Whilethesethingsgoupotherthingscomedown.Warnedbythewhizzingsound,Ilookupfrommybookandseesometallpine,hewnonfarnorthernhills,whichhaswingeditswayovertheGreenMountainsandtheConnecticut,shotlikeanarrowthroughthetownshipwithintenminutes,andscarceanothereyebeholdsitgoing
“tobethemast
Ofsomegreatammiral.”
Andhark!herecomesthecattle-trainbearingthecattleofathousandhills,sheepcots,stables,andcow-yardsintheair,droverswiththeirsticks,andshepherdboysinthemidstoftheirflocks,allbutthemountainpastures,whirledalonglikeleavesblownfromthemountainsbytheSeptembergales.Theairisfilledwiththebleatingofcalvesandsheep,andthehustlingofoxen,asifapastoralvalleyweregoingby.Whentheoldbell-wetherattheheadrattleshisbell,themountainsdoindeedskiplikeramsandthelittlehillslikelambs.Acar-loadofdrovers,too,inthemidst,onalevelwiththeirdrovesnow,theirvocationgone,butstillclingingtotheiruselesssticksastheirbadgeofoffice.Buttheirdogs,wherearethey?Itisastampedetothemtheyarequitethrownouttheyhavelostthescent.MethinksIhearthembarkingbehindthePeterboro’Hills,orpantingupthewesternslopeoftheGreenMountains.Theywillnotbeinatthedeath.Theirvocation,too,isgone.Theirfidelityandsagacityarebelowparnow.Theywillslinkbacktotheirkennelsindisgrace,orperchancerunwildandstrikealeaguewiththewolfandthefox.Soisyourpastorallifewhirledpastandaway.Butthebellrings,andImustgetoffthetrackandletthecarsgoby—
What’stherailroadtome?
Inevergotosee
Whereitends.
Itfillsafewhollows,
Andmakesbanksfortheswallows,
Itsetsthesanda-blowing,
Andtheblackberriesa-growing,
butIcrossitlikeacart-pathinthewoods.Iwillnothavemyeyesputoutandmyearsspoiledbyitssmokeandsteamandhissing.
Nowthatthecarsaregonebyandalltherestlessworldwiththem,andthefishesinthepondnolongerfeeltheirrumbling,Iammorealonethanever.Fortherestofthelongafternoon,perhaps,mymeditationsareinterruptedonlybythefaintrattleofacarriageorteamalongthedistanthighway.
Sometimes,onSundays,Iheardthebells,theLincoln,Acton,Bedford,orConcordbell,whenthewindwasfavorable,afaint,sweet,and,asitwere,naturalmelody,worthimportingintothewilderness.Atasufficientdistanceoverthewoodsthissoundacquiresacertainvibratoryhum,asifthepineneedlesinthehorizonwerethestringsofaharpwhichitswept.Allsoundheardatthegreatestpossibledistanceproducesoneandthesameeffect,avibrationoftheuniversallyre,justastheinterveningatmospheremakesadistantridgeofearthinterestingtooureyesbytheazuretintitimpartstoit.Therecametomeinthiscaseamelodywhichtheairhadstrained,andwhichhadconversedwitheveryleafandneedleofthewood,thatportionofthes