Economy

    scontentwasthawingaswellastheearth,andthelifethathadlaintorpidbegantostretchitself.Oneday,whenmyaxehadcomeoffandIhadcutagreenhickoryforawedge,drivingitwithastone,andhadplacedthewholetosoakinapondholeinordertoswellthewood,Isawastripedsnakerunintothewater,andhelayonthebottom,apparentlywithoutinconvenience,aslongasIstayedthere,ormorethanaquarterofanhourperhapsbecausehehadnotyetfairlycomeoutofthetorpidstate.Itappearedtomethatforalikereasonmenremainintheirpresentlowandprimitiveconditionbutiftheyshouldfeeltheinfluenceofthespringofspringsarousingthem,theywouldofnecessityrisetoahigherandmoreethereallife.Ihadpreviouslyseenthesnakesinfrostymorningsinmypathwithportionsoftheirbodiesstillnumbandinflexible,waitingforthesuntothawthem.Onthe1stofAprilitrainedandmeltedtheice,andintheearlypartoftheday,whichwasveryfoggy,Iheardastraygoosegropingaboutoverthepondandcacklingasiflost,orlikethespiritofthefog. SoIwentonforsomedayscuttingandhewingtimber,andalsostudsandrafters,allwithmynarrowaxe,nothavingmanycommunicableorscholar-likethoughts,singingtomyself,— Mensaytheyknowmanythings Butlo!theyhavetakenwings,— Theartsandsciences, Andathousandappliances Thewindthatblows Isallthatanybodyknows. Ihewedthemaintimberssixinchessquare,mostofthestudsontwosidesonly,andtheraftersandfloortimbersononeside,leavingtherestofthebarkon,sothattheywerejustasstraightandmuchstrongerthansawedones.Eachstickwascarefullymortisedortenonedbyitsstump,forIhadborrowedothertoolsbythistime.MydaysinthewoodswerenotverylongonesyetIusuallycarriedmydinnerofbreadandbutter,andreadthenewspaperinwhichitwaswrapped,atnoon,sittingamidthegreenpineboughswhichIhadcutoff,andtomybreadwasimpartedsomeoftheirfragrance,formyhandswerecoveredwithathickcoatofpitch.BeforeIhaddoneIwasmorethefriendthanthefoeofthepinetree,thoughIhadcutdownsomeofthem,havingbecomebetteracquaintedwithit.Sometimesaramblerinthewoodwasattractedbythesoundofmyaxe,andwechattedpleasantlyoverthechipswhichIhadmade. BythemiddleofApril,forImadenohasteinmywork,butrathermadethemostofit,myhousewasframedandreadyfortheraising.IhadalreadyboughttheshantyofJamesCollins,anIrishmanwhoworkedontheFitchburgRailroad,forboards.JamesCollins’shantywasconsideredanuncommonlyfineone.WhenIcalledtoseeithewasnotathome.Iwalkedabouttheoutside,atfirstunobservedfromwithin,thewindowwassodeepandhigh.Itwasofsmalldimensions,withapeakedcottageroof,andnotmuchelsetobeseen,thedirtbeingraisedfivefeetallaroundasifitwereacompostheap.Theroofwasthesoundestpart,thoughagooddealwarpedandmadebrittlebythesun.Door-silltherewasnone,butaperennialpassageforthehensunderthedoorboard.Mrs.C.cametothedoorandaskedmetoviewitfromtheinside.Thehensweredriveninbymyapproach.Itwasdark,andhadadirtfloorforthemostpart,dank,clammy,andaguish,onlyhereaboardandthereaboardwhichwouldnotbearremoval.Shelightedalamptoshowmetheinsideoftheroofandthewalls,andalsothattheboardfloorextendedunderthebed,warningmenottostepintothecellar,asortofdustholetwofeetdeep.Inherownwords,theywere“goodboardsoverhead,goodboardsallaround,andagoodwindow,”—oftwowholesquaresoriginally,onlythecathadpassedoutthatwaylately.Therewasastove,abed,andaplacetosit,aninfantinthehousewhereitwasborn,asilkparasol,gilt-framedlooking-glass,andapatentnewcoffeemillnailedtoanoaksapling,alltold.Thebargainwassoonconcluded,forJameshadinthemeanwhilereturned.Itopayfourdollarsandtwenty-fivecentsto-night,hetovacateatfiveto-morrowmorning,sellingtonobodyelsemeanwhile:Itotakepossessionatsix.Itwerewell,hesaid,tobethereearly,andanticipatecertainindistinctbutwhollyunjustclaimsonthescoreofgroundrentandfuel.Thisheassuredmewastheonlyencumbrance.AtsixIpassedhimandhisfamilyontheroad.Onelargebundleheldtheirall,—bed,coffee-mill,looking-glass,hens,—allbutthecat,shetooktothewoodsandbecameawildcat,and,asIlearnedafterward,trodinatrapsetforwoodchucks,andsobecameadeadcatatlast. Itookdownthisdwellingthesamemorning,drawingthenails,andremovedittothepondsidebysmallcartloads,spreadingtheboardsonthegrasstheretobleachandwarpbackagaininthesun.OneearlythrushgavemeanoteortwoasIdrovealongthewoodlandpath.IwasinformedtreacherouslybyayoungPatrickthatneighborSeeley,anIrishman,intheintervalsofthecarting,transferredthestilltolerable,straight,anddrivablenails,staples,andspikestohispocket,andthenstoodwhenIcamebacktopassthetimeofday,andlookfreshlyup,unconcerned,withspringthoughts,atthedevastationtherebeingadearthofwork,ashesaid.Hewastheretorepresentspectatordom,andhelpmakethisseeminglyinsignificanteventonewiththeremovalofthegodsofTroy. Idugmycellarinthesideofahillslopingtothesouth,whereawoodchuckhadformerlydughisburrow,downthroughsumachandblackberryroots,andtheloweststainofvegetation,sixfeetsquarebysevendeep,toafinesandwherepotatoeswouldnotfreezeinanywinter.Thesideswereleftshelving,andnotstonedbutthesunhavingnevershoneonthem,thesandstillkeepsitsplace.Itwasbuttwohours’work.Itookparticularpleasureinthisbreakingofground,forinalmostalllatitudesmendigintotheearthforanequabletemperature.Underthemostsplendidhouseinthecityisstilltobefoundthecellarwheretheystoretheirrootsasofold,andlongafterthesuperstructurehasdisappearedposterityremarkitsdentintheearth.Thehouseisstillbutasortofporchattheentranceofaburrow. Atlength,inthebeginningofMay,withthehelpofsomeofmyacquaintances,rathertoimprovesogoodanoccasionforneighborlinessthanfromanynecessity,Isetuptheframeofmyhouse.NomanwasevermorehonoredinthecharacterofhisraisersthanI.Theyaredestined,Itrust,toassistattheraisingofloftierstructuresoneday.Ibegantooccupymyhouseonthe4thofJuly,assoonasitwasboardedandroofed,fortheboardswerecarefullyfeather-edgedandlapped,sothatitwasperfectlyimpervioustorainbutbeforeboardingIlaidthefoundationofachimneyatoneend,bringingtwocartloadsofstonesupthehillfromthepondinmyarms.Ibuiltthechimneyaftermyhoeinginthefall,beforeafirebecamenecessaryforwarmth,doingmycookinginthemeanwhileoutofdoorsontheground,earlyinthemorning:whichmodeIstillthinkisinsomerespectsmoreconvenientandagreeablethantheusualone.Whenitstormedbeforemybreadwasbaked,Ifixedafewboardsoverthefire,andsatunderthemtowatchmyloaf,andpassedsomepleasanthoursinthatway.Inthosedays,whenmyhandsweremuchemployed,Ireadbutlittle,buttheleastscrapsofpaperwhichlayontheground,myholder,ortablecloth,affordedmeasmuchentertainment,infactansweredthesamepurposeastheIliad. ItwouldbeworththewhiletobuildstillmoredeliberatelythanIdid,considering,forinstance,whatfoundationadoor,awindow,acellar,agarret,haveinthenatureofman,andperchanceneverraisinganysuperstructureuntilwefoundabetterreasonforitthanourtemporalnecessitieseven.Thereissomeofthesamefitnessinaman’sbuildinghisownhousethatthereisinabird’sbuildingitsownnest.Whoknowsbutifmenconstructedtheirdwellingswiththeirownhands,andprovidedfoodforthemselvesandfamiliessimplyandhonestlyenough,thepoeticfacultywouldbeuniversallydeveloped,asbirdsuniversallysingwhentheyaresoengaged?Butalas!wedolikecowbirdsandcuckoos,whichlaytheireggsinnestswhichotherbirdshavebuilt,andcheernotravellerwiththeirchatteringandunmusicalnotes.Shallweforeverresignthepleasureofconstructiontothecarpenter?Whatdoesarchitectureamounttointheexperienceofthemassofmen?Ineverinallmywalkscameacrossamanengagedinsosimpleandnaturalanoccupationasbuildinghishouse.Webelongtothecommunity.Itisnotthetailoralonewhoistheninthpartofamanitisasmuchthepreacher,andthemerchant,andthefarmer.Whereisthisdivisionoflabortoend?andwhatobjectdoesitfinallyserve?Nodoubtanothermayalsothinkformebutitisnotthereforedesirablethatheshoulddosototheexclusionofmythinkingformyself. True,therearearchitectssocalledinthiscountry,andIhaveheardofoneatleastpossessedwiththeideaofmakingarchitecturalornamentshaveacoreoftruth,anecessity,andhenceabeauty,asifitwerearevelationtohim.Allverywellperhapsfromhispointofview,butonlyalittlebetterthanthecommondilettantism.Asentimentalreformerinarchitecture,hebeganatthecornice,notatthefoundation.Itwasonlyhowtoputacoreoftruthwithintheornaments,thateverysugarpluminfactmighthaveanalmondorcarawayseedinit,—thoughIholdthatalmondsaremostwholesomewithoutthesugar,—andnothowtheinhabitant,theindweller,mightbuildtrulywithinandwithout,andlettheornamentstakecareofthemselves.Whatreasonablemaneversupposedthatornamentsweresomethingoutwardandintheskinmerely,—thatthetortoisegothisspottedshell,ortheshellfishitsmother-o’-pearltints,bysuchacontractastheinhabitantsofBroadwaytheirTrinityChurch?Butamanhasnomoretodowiththestyleofarchitectureofhishousethanatortoisewiththatofitsshell:norneedthesoldierbesoidleastotrytopainttheprecisecolorofhisvirtueonhisstandard.Theenemywillfinditout.Hemayturnpalewhenthetrialcomes.Thismanseemedtometoleanoverthecornice,andtimidlywhisperhishalftruthtotherudeoccupantswhoreallyknewitbetterthanhe.WhatofarchitecturalbeautyInowsee,Iknowhasgraduallygrownfromwithinoutward,outofthenecessitiesandcharacteroftheindweller,whoistheonlybuilder,—outofsomeunconscioustruthfulness,andnobleness,withouteverathoughtfortheappearanceandwhateveradditionalbeautyofthiskindisdestinedtobeproducedwillbeprecededbyalikeunconsciousbeautyoflife.Themostinterestingdwellingsinthiscountry,asthepainterknows,arethemostunpretending,humbleloghutsandcottagesofthepoorcommonlyitisthelifeoftheinhabitantswhoseshellstheyare,andnotanypeculiarityintheirsurfacesmerely,whichmakesthempicturesqueandequallyinterestingwillbethecitizen’ssuburbanbox,whenhislifeshallbeassimpleandasagreeabletotheimagination,andthereisaslittlestrainingaftereffectinthestyleofhisdwelling.Agreatproportionofarchitecturalornamentsareliterallyhollow,andaSeptembergalewouldstripthemoff,likeborrowedplumes,withoutinjurytothesubstantials.Theycandowithoutarchitecturewhohavenoolivesnorwinesinthecellar.Whatifanequaladoweremadeabouttheornamentsofstyleinliterature,andthearchitectsofourbiblesspentasmuchtimeabouttheircornicesasthearchitectsofourchurchesdo?Soaremadethebelles-lettresandthebeaux-artsandtheirprofessors.Muchitconcernsaman,forsooth,howafewsticksareslantedoverhimorunderhim,andwhatcolorsaredaubeduponhisbox.Itwouldsignifysomewhat,if,inanyearnestsense,heslantedthemanddaubeditbutthespirithavingdepartedoutofthetenant,itisofapiecewithconstructinghisowncoffin,—thearchitectureofthegrave,and“carpenter”isbutanothernamefor“coffin-maker.”Onemansays,inhisdespairorindifferencetolife,takeupahandfuloftheearthatyourfeet,andpaintyourhousethatcolor.Ishethinkingofhislastandnarrowhouse?Tossupacopperforitaswell.Whatanabundanceofleisurehemusthave!Whydoyoutakeupahandfulofdirt?Betterpaintyourhouseyourowncomplexionletitturnpaleorblushforyou.Anenterprisetoimprovethestyleofcottagearchitecture!WhenyouhavegotmyornamentsreadyIwillwearthem. BeforewinterIbuiltachimney,andshingledthesidesofmyhouse,whichwerealreadyimpervioustorain,withimperfectandsappyshinglesmadeofthefirstsliceofthelog,whoseedgesIwasobligedtostraightenwithaplane. Ihavethusatightshingledandplasteredhouse,tenfeetwidebyfifteenlong,andeight-feetposts,withagarretandacloset,alargewindowoneachside,twotrapdoors,onedoorattheend,andabrickfireplaceopposite.Theexactcostofmyhouse,payingtheusualpriceforsuchmaterialsasIused,butnotcountingthework,allofwhichwasdonebymyself,wasasfollowsandIgivethedetailsbecauseveryfewareabletotellexactlywhattheirhousescost,andfewerstill,ifany,theseparatecostofthevariousmaterialswhichcomposethem:— Boards..........................$8.03?,mostlyshantyboards. Refuseshinglesforroofsides,..4.00 Laths,...........................1.25 Twosecond-handwindows withglass,...................2.43 Onethousandoldbrick,..........4.00 Twocasksoflime,...............2.40Thatwashigh. Hair,............................0.31MorethanIneeded. Mantle-treeir