strainsseemedasfarawayasPalestine,andremindedmeofamarchofcrusadersinthehorizon,withaslighttantivyandtremulousmotionoftheelm-treetopswhichoverhangthevillage.Thiswasoneofthegreatdaysthoughtheskyhadfrommyclearingonlythesameeverlastinglygreatlookthatitwearsdaily,andIsawnodifferenceinit.
ItwasasingularexperiencethatlongacquaintancewhichIcultivatedwithbeans,whatwithplanting,andhoeing,andharvesting,andthreshing,andpickingoverandsellingthem,—thelastwasthehardestofall,—Imightaddeating,forIdidtaste.Iwasdeterminedtoknowbeans.Whentheyweregrowing,Iusedtohoefromfiveo’clockinthemorningtillnoon,andcommonlyspenttherestofthedayaboutotheraffairs.Considertheintimateandcuriousacquaintanceonemakeswithvariouskindsofweeds,—itwillbearsomeiterationintheaccount,fortherewasnolittleiterationinthelabor,—disturbingtheirdelicateorganizationssoruthlessly,andmakingsuchinvidiousdistinctionswithhishoe,levellingwholeranksofonespecies,andsedulouslycultivatinganother.That’sRomanwormwood,—that’spigweed,—that’ssorrel,—that’spiper-grass,—haveathim,chophimup,turnhisrootsupwardtothesun,don’tlethimhaveafibreintheshade,ifyoudohe’llturnhimselft’othersideupandbeasgreenasaleekintwodays.Alongwar,notwithcranes,butwithweeds,thoseTrojanswhohadsunandrainanddewsontheirside.Dailythebeanssawmecometotheirrescuearmedwithahoe,andthintheranksoftheirenemies,fillingupthetrencheswithweedydead.Manyalustycrest-wavingHector,thattoweredawholefootabovehiscrowdingcomrades,fellbeforemyweaponandrolledinthedust.
ThosesummerdayswhichsomeofmycontemporariesdevotedtothefineartsinBostonorRome,andotherstocontemplationinIndia,andotherstotradeinLondonorNewYork,Ithus,withtheotherfarmersofNewEngland,devotedtohusbandry.NotthatIwantedbeanstoeat,forIambynatureaPythagorean,sofarasbeansareconcerned,whethertheymeanporridgeorvoting,andexchangedth