WALDEN

第38章

mayperceivenodifferenceintheweather,itdoes。Whowouldhavesuspectedsolargeandcoldandthick-skinnedathingtobesosensitive?Yetithasitslawtowhichitthundersobediencewhenitshouldassurelyasthebudsexpandinthespring。Theearthisallaliveandcoveredwithpapillae。Thelargestpondisassensitivetoatmosphericchangesastheglobuleofmercuryinitstube。

OneattractionincomingtothewoodstolivewasthatIshouldhaveleisureandopportunitytoseetheSpringcomein。Theiceinthepondatlengthbeginstobehoneycombed,andIcansetmyheelinitasIwalk。Fogsandrainsandwarmersunsaregraduallymeltingthesnow;thedayshavegrownsensiblylonger;andIseehowIshallgetthroughthewinterwithoutaddingtomywood-pile,forlargefiresarenolongernecessary。Iamonthealertforthefirstsignsofspring,tohearthechancenoteofsomearrivingbird,orthestripedsquirrel’schirp,forhisstoresmustbenownearlyexhausted,orseethewoodchuckventureoutofhiswinterquarters。Onthe13thofMarch,afterIhadheardthebluebird,songsparrow,andred-wing,theicewasstillnearlyafootthick。

Astheweathergrewwarmeritwasnotsensiblywornawaybythewater,norbrokenupandfloatedoffasinrivers,but,thoughitwascompletelymeltedforhalfarodinwidthabouttheshore,themiddlewasmerelyhoneycombedandsaturatedwithwater,sothatyoucouldputyourfootthroughitwhensixinchesthick;butbythenextdayevening,perhaps,afterawarmrainfollowedbyfog,itwouldhavewhollydisappeared,allgoneoffwiththefog,spiritedaway。OneyearIwentacrossthemiddleonlyfivedaysbeforeitdisappearedentirely。In1845Waldenwasfirstcompletelyopenonthe1stofApril;in’46,the25thofMarch;in’47,the8thofApril;in’51,the28thofMarch;in’52,the18thofApril;in’53,the23dofMarch;in’54,aboutthe7thofApril。

Everyincidentconnectedwiththebreakingupoftheriversandpondsandthesettlingoftheweatherisparticularlyinterestingtouswholiveinaclimateofsogreatextremes。Whenthewarmerdayscome,theywhodwellneartheriverheartheicecrackatnightwithastartlingwhoopasloudasartillery,asifitsicyfetterswererentfromendtoend,andwithinafewdaysseeitrapidlygoingout。Sothealligatorcomesoutofthemudwithquakingsoftheearth。Oneoldman,whohasbeenacloseobserverofNature,andseemsasthoroughlywiseinregardtoallheroperationsasifshehadbeenputuponthestockswhenhewasaboy,andhehadhelpedtolayherkeel——whohascometohisgrowth,andcanhardlyacquiremoreofnaturalloreifheshouldlivetotheageofMethuselah——

toldme——andIwassurprisedtohearhimexpresswonderatanyofNature’soperations,forIthoughtthattherewerenosecretsbetweenthem——thatonespringdayhetookhisgunandboat,andthoughtthathewouldhavealittlesportwiththeducks。Therewasicestillonthemeadows,butitwasallgoneoutoftheriver,andhedroppeddownwithoutobstructionfromSudbury,wherehelived,toFairHavenPond,whichhefound,unexpectedly,coveredforthemostpartwithafirmfieldofice。Itwasawarmday,andhewassurprisedtoseesogreatabodyoficeremaining。Notseeinganyducks,hehidhisboatonthenorthorbacksideofanislandinthepond,andthenconcealedhimselfinthebushesonthesouthside,toawaitthem。Theicewasmeltedforthreeorfourrodsfromtheshore,andtherewasasmoothandwarmsheetofwater,withamuddybottom,suchastheduckslove,within,andhethoughtitlikelythatsomewouldbealongprettysoon。Afterhehadlainstillthereaboutanhourheheardalowandseeminglyverydistantsound,butsingularlygrandandimpressive,unlikeanythinghehadeverheard,graduallyswellingandincreasingasifitwouldhaveauniversalandmemorableending,asullenrushandroar,whichseemedtohimallatoncelikethesoundofavastbodyoffowlcomingintosettlethere,and,seizinghisgun,hestartedupinhasteandexcited;buthefound,tohissurprise,thatthewholebodyoftheicehadstartedwhilehelaythere,anddriftedintotheshore,andthesoundhehadheardwasmadebyitsedgegratingontheshore——

atfirstgentlynibbledandcrumbledoff,butatlengthheavingupandscatteringitswrecksalongtheislandtoaconsiderableheightbeforeitcametoastandstill。

Atlengththesun’srayshaveattainedtherightangle,andwarmwindsblowupmistandrainandmeltthesnowbanks,andthesun,dispersingthemis

这是VIP章节,可购买本章或开通会员后阅读
开通会员
字体大小
背景颜色