s.
Standingonthesmoothsandybeachattheeastendofthepond,inacalmSeptemberafternoon,whenaslighthazemakestheoppositeshorelineindistinct,Ihaveseenwhencecametheexpression,“theglassysurfaceofalake.”Whenyouinvertyourhead,itlookslikeathreadoffinestgossamerstretchedacrossthevalley,andgleamingagainstthedistantpinewoods,separatingonestratumoftheatmospherefromanother.Youwouldthinkthatyoucouldwalkdryunderittotheoppositehills,andthattheswallowswhichskimovermightperchonit.Indeed,theysometimesdivebelowthisline,asitwerebymistake,andareundeceived.Asyoulookoverthepondwestwardyouareobligedtoemploybothyourhandstodefendyoureyesagainstthereflectedaswellasthetruesun,fortheyareequallybrightandif,betweenthetwo,yousurveyitssurfacecritically,itisliterallyassmoothasglass,exceptwheretheskaterinsects,atequalintervalsscatteredoveritswholeextent,bytheirmotionsinthesunproducethefinestimaginablesparkleonit,or,perchance,aduckplumesitself,or,asIhavesaid,aswallowskimssolowastotouchit.Itmaybethatinthedistanceafishdescribesanarcofthreeorfourfeetintheair,andthereisonebrightflashwhereitemerges,andanotherwhereitstrikesthewatersometimesthewholesilveryarcisrevealedorhereandthere,perhaps,isathistle-downfloatingonitssurface,whichthefishesdartatandsodimpleitagain.Itislikemoltenglasscooledbutnotcongealed,andthefewmotesinitarepureandbeautifulliketheimperfectionsinglass.Youmayoftendetectayetsmootheranddarkerwater,separatedfromtherestasifbyaninvisiblecobweb,boomofthewaternymphs,restingonit.Fromahill-topyoucanseeafishleapinalmostanypartfornotapickerelorshinerpicksaninsectfromthissmoothsurfacebutitmanifestlydisturbstheequilibriumofthewholelake.Itiswonderfulwithwhatelaboratenessthissimplefactisadvertised,—thispiscinemurderwillout,—andfrommydistantperchIdistinguishthecirclingundulationswhentheyarehalfadozenrodsindiameter.Youcanevendetectawater-bug(Gyrinus)ceaselesslyprogressingoverthesmoothsurfaceaquarterofamileofffortheyfurrowthewaterslightly,makingaconspicuousrippleboundedbytwodiverginglines,buttheskatersglideoveritwithoutripplingitperceptibly.Whenthesurfaceisconsiderablyagitatedtherearenoskatersnorwater-bugsonit,butapparently,incalmdays,theyleavetheirhavensandadventurouslyglideforthfromtheshorebyshortimpulsestilltheycompletelycoverit.Itisasoothingemployment,ononeofthosefinedaysinthefallwhenallthewarmthofthesunisfullyappreciated,tositonastumponsuchaheightasthis,overlookingthepond,andstudythedimplingcircleswhichareincessantlyinscribedonitsotherwiseinvisiblesurfaceamidthereflectedskiesandtrees.Overthisgreatexpansethereisnodisturbancebutitisthusatoncegentlysmoothedawayandassuaged,as,whenavaseofwaterisjarred,thetremblingcirclesseektheshoreandallissmoothagain.Notafishcanleaporaninsectfallonthepondbutitisthusreportedincirclingdimples,inlinesofbeauty,asitweretheconstantwellingupofitsfountain,thegentlepulsingofitslife,theheavingofitsbreast.Thethrillsofjoyandthrillsofpainareundistinguishable.Howpeacefulthephenomenaofthelake!Againtheworksofmanshineasinthespring.Ay,everyleafandtwigandstoneandcobwebsparklesnowatmid-afternoonaswhencoveredwithdewinaspringmorning.Everymotionofanoaroraninsectproducesaflashoflightandifanoarfalls,howsweettheecho!
Insuchaday,inSeptemberorOctober,Waldenisaperfectforestmirror,setroundwithstonesasprecioustomyeyeasiffewerorrarer.Nothingsofair,sopure,andatthesametimesolarge,asalake,perchance,liesonthesurfaceoftheearth.Skywater.Itneedsnofence.Nationscomeandgowithoutdefilingit.Itisamirrorwhichnostonecancrack,whosequicksilverwillneverwearoff,whosegildingNaturecontinuallyrepairsnostorms,nodust,candimitssurfaceeverfresh—amirrorinwhichallimpuritypresentedtoitsinks,sweptanddustedbythesun’shazybrush,—thisthelightdust-cloth,—whichretainsnobreaththatisbreathedonit,butsendsitsowntofloatascloudshighaboveitssurface,andbereflectedinitsbosomstill.
Afieldofwaterbetraysthespiritthatisintheair.Itiscontinuallyreceivingnewlifeandmotionfromabove.Itisintermediateinitsnaturebetweenlandandsky.Onlandonlythegrassandtreeswave,butthewateritselfisrippledbythewind.Iseewherethebreezedashesacrossitbythestreaksorflakesoflight.Itisremark