Atacertainseasonofourlifeweareaccustomedtoconsidereveryspotasthepossiblesiteofahouse.IhavethussurveyedthecountryoneverysidewithinadozenmilesofwhereIlive.InimaginationIhaveboughtallthefarmsinsuccession,forallweretobebought,andIknewtheirprice.Iwalkedovereachfarmer’spremises,tastedhiswildapples,discoursedonhusbandrywithhim,tookhisfarmathisprice,atanyprice,mortgagingittohiminmymindevenputahigherpriceonit,—tookeverythingbutadeedofit,—tookhiswordforhisdeed,forIdearlylovetotalk,—cultivatedit,andhimtootosomeextent,Itrust,andwithdrewwhenIhadenjoyeditlongenough,leavinghimtocarryiton.Thisexperienceentitledmetoberegardedasasortofreal-estatebrokerbymyfriends.WhereverIsat,thereImightlive,andthelandscaperadiatedfrommeaccordingly.Whatisahousebutasedes,aseat?—betterifacountryseat.Idiscoveredmanyasiteforahousenotlikelytobesoonimproved,whichsomemighthavethoughttoofarfromthevillage,buttomyeyesthevillagewastoofarfromit.Well,thereImightlive,IsaidandthereIdidlive,foranhour,asummerandawinterlifesawhowIcouldlettheyearsrunoff,buffetthewinterthrough,andseethespringcomein.Thefutureinhabitantsofthisregion,wherevertheymayplacetheirhouses,maybesurethattheyhavebeenanticipated.Anafternoonsufficedtolayoutthelandintoorchard,woodlot,andpasture,andtodecidewhatfineoaksorpinesshouldbelefttostandbeforethedoor,andwhenceeachblastedtreecouldbeseentothebestadvantageandthenIletitlie,fallowperchance,foramanisrichinproportiontothenumberofthingswhichhecanaffordtoletalone.
MyimaginationcarriedmesofarthatIevenhadtherefusalofseveralfarms,—therefusalwasallIwanted,—butInevergotmyfingersburnedbyactualpossession.ThenearestthatIcametoactualpossessionwaswhenIboughttheHollowellplace,andhadbeguntosortmyseeds,andcollectedmaterialswithwhichtomakeawheelbarrowtocarryitonoroffwithbutbeforetheownergavemeadeedofit,hiswife—everymanhassuchawife—changedhermindandwishedtokeepit,andheofferedmetendollarstoreleasehim.Now,tospeakthetruth,Ihadbuttencentsintheworld,anditsurpassedmyarithmetictotell,ifIwasthatmanwhohadtencents,orwhohadafarm,ortendollars,oralltogether.However,Ilethimkeepthetendollarsandthefarmtoo,forIhadcarrieditfarenoughorrather,tobegenerous,IsoldhimthefarmforjustwhatIgaveforit,and,ashewasnotarichman,madehimapresentoftendollars,andstillhadmytencents,andseeds,andmaterialsforawheelbarrowleft.IfoundthusthatIhadbeenarichmanwithoutanydamagetomypoverty.ButIretainedthelandscape,andIhavesinceannuallycarriedoffwhatityieldedwithoutawheelbarrow.Withrespecttolandscapes,—
“IammonarchofallIsurvey,
Myrightthereisnonetodispute.”
Ihavefrequentlyseenapoetwithdraw,havingenjoyedthemostvaluablepartofafarm,whilethecrustyfarmersupposedthathehadgotafewwildapplesonly.Why,theown