dtohearthatsofictileanartwaseverpracticedinmyneighborhood.
ThelastinhabitantofthesewoodsbeforemewasanIrishman,HughQuoil(ifIhavespelthisnamewithcoilenough,)whooccupiedWyman’stenement,—Col.Quoil,hewascalled.RumorsaidthathehadbeenasoldieratWaterloo.IfhehadlivedIshouldhavemadehimfighthisbattlesoveragain.Histradeherewasthatofaditcher.NapoleonwenttoSt.HelenaQuoilcametoWaldenWoods.AllIknowofhimistragic.Hewasamanofmanners,likeonewhohadseentheworld,andwascapableofmorecivilspeechthanyoucouldwellattendto.Heworeagreatcoatinmid-summer,beingaffectedwiththetremblingdelirium,andhisfacewasthecolorofcarmine.HediedintheroadatthefootofBrister’sHillshortlyafterIcametothewoods,sothatIhavenotrememberedhimasaneighbor.Beforehishousewaspulleddown,whenhiscomradesavoideditas“anunluckycastle,”Ivisitedit.Therelayhisoldclothescurledupbyuse,asiftheywerehimself,uponhisraisedplankbed.Hispipelaybrokenonthehearth,insteadofabowlbrokenatthefountain.Thelastcouldneverhavebeenthesymbolofhisdeath,forheconfessedtomethat,thoughhehadheardofBrister’sSpring,hehadneverseenitandsoiledcards,kingsofdiamondsspadesandhearts,werescatteredoverthefloor.Oneblackchickenwhichtheadministratorcouldnotcatch,blackasnightandassilent,notevencroaking,awaitingReynard,stillwenttoroostinthenextapartment.Inthereartherewasthedimoutlineofagarden,whichhadbeenplantedbuthadneverreceiveditsfirsthoeing,owingtothoseterribleshakingfits,thoughitwasnowharvesttime.Itwasover-runwithRomanwormwoodandbeggar-ticks,whichlaststucktomyclothesforallfruit.Theskinofawoodchuckwasfreshlystretcheduponthebackofthehouse,atrophyofhislastWaterloobutnowarmcapormittenswouldhewantmore.
Nowonlyadentintheearthmarksthesiteofthesedwellings,withburiedcellarstones,andstrawberries,raspberries,thimble-berries,hazel-bushes,andsumachsgrowinginthesunnyswardtheresomepitch-pineorgnarledoakoccupieswhatwasthechimneynook,andasweet-scentedblack-birch,perhaps,waveswherethedoor-stonewas.Sometimesthewelldentisvisible,whereonceaspringoozednowdryandtearlessgrassoritwascovereddeep,—nottobediscoveredtillsomelateday,—withaflatstoneunderthesod,whenthelastoftheracedeparted.Whatasorrowfulactmustthatbe,—thecoveringupofwell