ThissmalllakewasofmostvalueasaneighborintheintervalsofagentlerainstorminAugust,when,bothairandwaterbeingperfectlystill,buttheskyovercast,mid-afternoonhadalltheserenityofevening,andthewood-thrushsangaround,andwasheardfromshoretoshore.Alakelikethisisneversmootherthanatsuchatimeandtheclearportionoftheairaboveitbeingshallowanddarkenedbyclouds,thewater,fulloflightandreflections,becomesalowerheavenitselfsomuchthemoreimportant.Fromahilltopnearby,wherethewoodhadbeenrecentlycutoff,therewasapleasingvistasouthwardacrossthepond,throughawideindentationinthehillswhichformtheshorethere,wheretheiroppositesidesslopingtowardeachothersuggestedastreamflowingoutinthatdirectionthroughawoodedvalley,butstreamtherewasnone.ThatwayIlookedbetweenandovertheneargreenhillstosomedistantandhigheronesinthehorizon,tingedwithblue.Indeed,bystandingontiptoeIcouldcatchaglimpseofsomeofthepeaksofthestillbluerandmoredistantmountainrangesinthenorth-west,thosetrue-bluecoinsfromheaven’sownmint,andalsoofsomeportionofthevillage.Butinotherdirections,evenfromthispoint,Icouldnotseeoverorbeyondthewoodswhichsurroundedme.Itiswelltohavesomewaterinyourneighborhood,togivebuoyancytoandfloattheearth.Onevalueevenofthesmallestwellis,thatwhenyoulookintoityouseethatearthisnotcontinentbutinsular.Thisisasimportantasthatitkeepsbuttercool.WhenIlookedacrossthepondfromthispeaktowardtheSudburymeadows,whichintimeoffloodIdistinguishedelevatedperhapsbyamirageintheirseethingvalley,likeacoininabasin,alltheearthbeyondthepondappearedlikeathincrustinsulatedandfloatedevenbythissmallsheetofintervertingwater,andIwasremindedthatthisonwhichIdweltwasbutdryland.
Thoughtheviewfrommydoorwasstillmorecontracted,Ididnotfeelcrowdedorconfinedintheleast.Therewaspastureenoughformyimagination.Thelowshrub-oakplateautowhichtheoppositeshorearose,stretchedawaytowardtheprairiesoftheWestandthesteppesofTartary,affordingampleroomforalltherovingfamiliesofmen.“Therearenonehappyintheworldbutbeingswhoenjoyfreelyavasthorizon,”—saidDamodara,whenhisherdsrequirednewandlargerpastures.
Bothplaceandtimewerechanged,andIdweltnearertothosepartsoftheuniverseandtothoseerasinhistorywhichhadmostattractedme.WhereIlivedwasasfaroffasmanyaregionviewednightlybyastronomers.Wearewonttoimaginerareanddelectableplacesinsomeremoteandmorecelestialcornerofthesystem,behindtheconstellationofCassiopeia’sChair,farfromnoiseanddisturbance.Idiscoveredthatmyhouseactuallyhaditssiteinsuchawithdrawn,butforevernewandunprofaned,partoftheuniverse.IfitwereworththewhiletosettleinthosepartsneartothePleiadesortheHyades,toAldebaranorAltair,thenIwasreallythere,oratanequalremotenessfromthelifewhichIhadleftbehind,dwindledandtwinklingwithasfinearaytomynear