er,aremywaterprivilegesandnightandday,yearinyearout,theygrindsuchgristasIcarrytothem.
Sincethewoodcutters,andtherailroad,andImyselfhaveprofanedWalden,perhapsthemostattractive,ifnotthemostbeautiful,ofallourlakes,thegemofthewoods,isWhitePond—apoornamefromitscommonness,whetherderivedfromtheremarkablepurityofitswatersorthecolorofitssands.Intheseasinotherrespects,however,itisalessertwinofWalden.Theyaresomuchalikethatyouwouldsaytheymustbeconnectedunderground.Ithasthesamestonyshore,anditswatersareofthesamehue.AsatWalden,insultrydog-dayweather,lookingdownthroughthewoodsonsomeofitsbayswhicharenotsodeepbutthatthereflectionfromthebottomtingesthem,itswatersareofamistybluish-greenorglaucouscolor.ManyyearssinceIusedtogotheretocollectthesandbycart-loads,tomakesand-paperwith,andIhavecontinuedtovisititeversince.OnewhofrequentsitproposestocallitViridLake.PerhapsitmightbecalledYellow-PineLake,fromthefollowingcircumstance.Aboutfifteenyearsagoyoucouldseethetopofapitch-pine,ofthekindcalledyellow-pinehereabouts,thoughitisnotadistinctspecies,projectingabovethesurfaceindeepwater,manyrodsfromtheshore.Itwasevensupposedbysomethatthepondhadsunk,andthiswasoneoftheprimitiveforestthatformerlystoodthere.Ifindthatevensolongagoas1792,ina“TopographicalDescriptionoftheTownofConcord,”byoneofitscitizens,intheCollectionsoftheMassachusettsHistoricalSociety,theauthor,afterspeakingofWaldenandWhitePonds,adds:“Inthemiddleofthelattermaybeseen,whenthewaterisverylow,atreewhichappearsasifitgrewintheplacewhereitnowstands,althoughtherootsarefiftyfeetbelowthesurfaceofthewaterthetopofthistreeisbrokenoff,andatthatplacemeasuresfourteeninchesindiameter.”Inthespringof’49ItalkedwiththemanwholivesnearestthepondinSudbury,whotoldmethatitwashewhogotoutthistreetenorfifteenyearsbefore.Asnearashecouldremember,itstoodtwelveorfifteenrodsfromtheshore,wherethewaterwasthirtyorfortyfeetdeep.Itwasinthewinter,andhehadbeengettingouticeintheforenoon,andhadresolvedthatintheafternoon,withtheaidofhisneighbors,hewouldtakeouttheoldyellow-pine.Hesawedachannelintheicetowardtheshore,andhauleditoverandalongandoutontotheicewithoxenbut,beforehehadgonefarinhiswork,hewassurprisedtofindthatitwaswrongendupward,withthestumpsofthebranchespointingdown,andthesmallendfirmlyfastenedinthesandybottom.Itwasaboutafootindiameteratthebigend,andhehadexpectedtogetagoodsaw-log,butitwassorottenastobefitonlyforfuel,ifforthat.Hehadsomeofitinhisshedthen.Thereweremarksofanaxeandofwoodpeckersonthebutt.Hethoughtthatitmighthavebeenadeadtreeontheshore,butwasfinallyblownoverintothepond,andafterthetophadbecomewaterlogged,whilethebutt-endwasstilldryandlight,haddriftedoutandsunkwrongendup.Hisfather,eightyyearsold,couldnotrememberwhenitwasnotthere.Severalprettylargelogsmaystillbeseenlyingonthebottom,where,owingtotheundulationofthesurface,theylooklikehugewatersnakesinmotion.
Thispondhasrarelybeenprofanedbyaboat,forthereislittleinittotemptafisherman.Insteadofthewhitelily,whichrequiresmud,orthecommonsweetflag,theblueflag(Irisversicolor)growsthinlyinthepurewater,risingfromthestonybottomallaroundtheshore,whereitisvisitedbyhummingbirdsinJuneandthecolorbothofitsbluishbladesanditsflowers,andespeciallytheirreflections,areinsingularharmonywiththeglaucouswater.
WhitePondandWaldenaregreatcrystalsonthesurfaceoftheearth,LakesofLight.Iftheywerepermanentlycongealed,andsmallenoughtobeclutched,theywould,perchance,becarriedoffbyslaves,likepreciousstones,toadorntheheadsofemperorsbutbeingliquid,andample,andsecuredtousandoursuccessorsforever,wedisregardthem,andrunafterthediamondofKohinoor.Theyaretoopuretohaveamarketvaluetheycontainnomuck.Howmuchmorebeautifulthanourlives,howmuchmoretransparentthanourcharacters,arethey!Weneverlearnedmeannessofthem.Howmuchfairerthanthepoolbeforethefarmer’sdoor,inwhichhisducksswim!Hitherthecleanwildduckscome.Naturehasnohumaninhabitantwhoappreciatesher.Thebirdswiththeirplumageandtheirnotesareinharmonywiththeflowers,butwhatyouthormaidenconspireswiththewildluxuriantbeautyofNature?Sheflourishesmostalone,farfromthetownswheretheyreside.Talkofheaven!yedisgraceearth.