hreesodsyouturnup,ifyoulookwellinamongtherootsofthegrass,asifyouwereweeding.Or,ifyouchoosetogofarther,itwillnotbeunwise,forIhavefoundtheincreaseoffairbaittobeverynearlyasthesquaresofthedistances.
Hermitalone.LetmeseewherewasI?MethinksIwasnearlyinthisframeofmindtheworldlayaboutatthisangle.ShallIgotoheavenora-fishing?IfIshouldsoonbringthismeditationtoanend,wouldanothersosweetoccasionbelikelytooffer?IwasasnearbeingresolvedintotheessenceofthingsaseverIwasinmylife.Ifearmythoughtswillnotcomebacktome.Ifitwoulddoanygood,Iwouldwhistleforthem.Whentheymakeusanoffer,isitwisetosay,Wewillthinkofit?Mythoughtshaveleftnotrack,andIcannotfindthepathagain.WhatwasitthatIwasthinkingof?Itwasaveryhazyday.IwilljusttrythesethreesentencesofCon-fut-seetheymayfetchthatstateaboutagain.Iknownotwhetheritwasthedumpsorabuddingecstasy.Mem.Thereneverisbutoneopportunityofakind.
Poet.Hownow,Hermit,isittoosoon?Ihavegotjustthirteenwholeones,besideseveralwhichareimperfectorundersizedbuttheywilldoforthesmallerfrytheydonotcoverupthehooksomuch.Thosevillagewormsarequitetoolargeashinermaymakeamealoffonewithoutfindingtheskewer.
Hermit.Well,then,let’sbeoff.ShallwetotheConcord?There’sgoodsportthereifthewaterbenottoohigh.
Whydopreciselytheseobjectswhichwebeholdmakeaworld?Whyhasmanjustthesespeciesofanimalsforhisneighborsasifnothingbutamousecouldhavefilledthiscrevice?IsuspectthatPilpay&Co.haveputanimalstotheirbestuse,fortheyareallbeastsofburden,inasense,madetocarrysomeportionofourthoughts.
Themicewhichhauntedmyhousewerenotthecommonones,whicharesaidtohavebeenintroducedintothecountry,butawildnativekindnotfoundinthevillage.Isentonetoadistinguishednaturalist,anditinterestedhimmuch.WhenIwasbuilding,oneofthesehaditsnestunderneaththehouse,andbeforeIhadlaidthesecondfloor,andsweptouttheshavings,wouldcomeoutregularlyatlunchtimeandpickupthecrumbsatmyfeet.Itprobablyhadneverseenamanbeforeanditsoonbecamequitefamiliar,andwouldrunovermyshoesandupmyclothes.Itcouldreadilyascendthesidesoftheroombyshortimpulses,likeasquirrel,whichitresembledinitsmotions.Atlength,asIleanedwithmyelbowonthebenchon