the complete writings-4-第4章

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　himself　with　but　school　and　chores！　　He　would　gladly　do　all　the　work　if　somebody　else　would　do　the　chores；　he　thinks；　and　yet　I　doubt　if　any　boy　ever　amounted　to　anything　in　the　world；　or　was　of　much　use　as　a　man；　who　did　not　enjoy　the　advantages　of　a　liberal　education　in　the　way　of　chores。

A　boy　on　a　farm　is　nothing　without　his　pets；　at　least　a　dog；　and　probably　rabbits；　chickens；　ducks；　and　guinea…hens。　　A　guinea…hen　suits　a　boy。　　It　is　entirely　useless；　and　makes　a　more　disagreeable　noise　than　a　Chinese　gong。　　I　once　domesticated　a　young　fox　which　a　neighbor　had　caught。　　It　is　a　mistake　to　suppose　the　fox　cannot　be　tamed。　　Jacko　was　a　very　clever　little　animal；　and　behaved；　in　all　respects；　with　propriety。　　He　kept　Sunday　as　well　as　any　day；　and　all　the　ten　commandments　that　he　could　understand。　　He　was　a　very　graceful　playfellow；　and　seemed　to　have　an　affection　for　me。　　He　lived　in　a　wood…pile　in　the　dooryard；　and　when　I　lay　down　at　the　entrance　to　his　house　and　called　him；　he　would　come　out　and　sit　on　his　tail　and　lick　my　face　just　like　a　grown　person。　　I　taught　him　a　great　many　tricks　and　all　the　virtues。　　That　year　I　had　a　large　number　of　hens；　and　Jacko　went　about　among　them　with　the　most　perfect　indifference；　never　looking　on　them　to　lust　after　them；　as　I　could　see；　and　never　touching　an　egg　or　a　feather。　　So　excellent　was　his　reputation　that　I　would　have　trusted　him　in　the　hen…roost　in　the　dark　without　counting　the　hens。　　In　short；　he　was　domesticated；　and　I　was　fond　of　him　and　very　proud　of　him；　exhibiting　him　to　all　our　visitors　as　an　example　of　what　affectionate　treatment　would　do　in　subduing　the　brute　instincts。　　I　preferred　him　to　my　dog；　whom　I　had；　with　much　patience；　taught　to　go　up　a　long　hill　alone　and　surround　the　cows；　and　drive　them　home　from　the　remote　pasture。　　He　liked　the　fun　of　it　at　first；　but　by　and　by　he　seemed　to　get　the　notion　that　it　was　a　〃chore；〃　and　when　I　whistled　for　him　to　go　for　the　cows；　he　would　turn　tail　and　run　the　other　way；　and　the　more　I　whistled　and　threw　stones　at　him；　the　faster　he　would　run。　　His　name　was　Turk；　and　I　should　have　sold　him　if　he　had　not　been　the　kind　of　dog　that　nobody　will　buy。　　I　suppose　he　was　not　a　cow…dog；　but　what　they　call　a　sheep…dog。　　At　least；　when　he　got　big　enough；　he　used　to　get　into　the　pasture　and　chase　the　sheep　to　death。　　That　was　the　way　he　got　into　trouble；　and　lost　his　valuable　life。　　A　dog　is　of　great　use　on　a　farm；　and　that　is　the　reason　a　boy　likes　him。　　He　is　good　to　bite　peddlers　and　small　children；　and　run　out　and　yelp　at　wagons　that　pass　by；　and　to　howl　all　night　when　the　moon　shines。　　And　yet；　if　I　were　a　boy　again；　the　first　thing　I　would　have　should　be　a　dog；　for　dogs　are　great　companions；　and　as　active　and　spry　as　a　boy　at　doing　nothing。　They　are　also　good　to　bark　at　woodchuck…holes。

A　good　dog　will　bark　at　a　woodchuck…hole　long　after　the　animal　has　retired　to　a　remote　part　of　his　residence；　and　escaped　by　another　hole。　　This　deceives　the　woodchuck。　　Some　of　the　most　delightful　hours　of　my　life　have　been　spent　in　hiding　and　watching　the　hole　where　the　dog　was　not。　　What　an　exquisite　thrill　ran　through　my　frame　when　the　timid　nose　appeared；　was　withdrawn；　poked　out　again；　and　finally　followed　by　the　entire　animal；　who　looked　cautiously　about；　and　then　hopped　away　to　feed　on　the　clover。　　At　that　moment　I　rushed　in；　occupied　the　〃home　base；〃　yelled　to　Turk；　and　then　danced　with　delight　at　the　combat　between　the　spunky　woodchuck　and　the　dog。　　They　were　about　the　same　size；　but　science　and　civilization　won　the　day。　I　did　not　reflect　then　that　it　would　have　been　more　in　the　interest　of　civilization　if　the　woodchuck　had　killed　the　dog。　　I　do　not　know　why　it　is　that　boys　so　like　to　hunt　and　kill　animals；　but　the　excuse　that　I　gave　in　this　case　for　the　murder　was；　that　the　woodchuck　ate　the　clover　and　trod　it　down；　and；　in　fact；　was　a　woodchuck。　　It　was　not　till　long　after　that　I　learned　with　surprise　；that　he　is　a　rodent　mammal；　of　the　species　Arctomys　monax；　is　called　at　the　West　a　ground…hog；　and　is　eaten　by　people　of　color　with　great　relish。

But　I　have　forgotten　my　beautiful　fox。　　Jacko　continued　to　deport　himself　well　until　the　young　chickens　came；　he　was　actually　cured　of　the　fox　vice　of　chicken…stealing。　　He　used　to　go　with　me　about　the　coops；　pricking　up　his　ears　in　an　intelligent　manner；　and　with　a　demure　eye　and　the　most　virtuous　droop　of　the　tail。　　Charming　fox！　If　he　had　held　out　a　little　while　longer；　I　should　have　put　him　into　a　Sunday…school　book。　　But　I　began　to　miss　chickens。　　They　disappeared　mysteriously　in　the　night。　　I　would　not　suspect　Jacko　at　first；　for　he　looked　so　honest；　and　in　the　daytime　seemed　to　be　as　much　interested　in　the　chickens　as　I　was。　　But　one　morning；　when　I　went　to　call　him；　I　found　feathers　at　the　entrance　of　his　hole；　chicken　feathers。　　He　couldn't　deny　it。　　He　was　a　thief。　　His　fox　nature　had　come　out　under　severe　temptation。　　And　he　died　an　unnatural　death。　　He　had　a　thousand　virtues　and　one　crime。　　But　that　crime　struck　at　the　foundation　of　society。　　He　deceived　and　stole；　he　was　a　liar　and　a　thief；　and　no　pretty　ways　could　hide　the　fact。　　His　intelligent；　bright　face　couldn't　save　him。　　If　he　had　been　honest；　he　might　have　grown　up　to　be　a　large；　ornamental　fox。




V

THE　BOY'S　SUNDAY

Sunday　in　the　New　England　hill　towns　used　to　begin　Saturday　night　at　sundown；　and　the　sun　is　lost　to　sight　behind　the　hills　there　before　it　has　set　by　the　almanac。　　I　remember　that　we　used　to　go　by　the　almanac　Saturday　night　and　by　the　visible　disappearance　Sunday　night。　On　Saturday　night　we　very　slowly　yielded　to　the　influences　of　the　holy　time；　which　were　settling　down　upon　us；　and　submitted　to　the　ablutions　which　were　as　inevitable　as　Sunday；　but　when　the　sun　（and　it　never　moved　so　slow）　slid　behind　the　hills　Sunday　night；　the　effect　upon　the　watching　boy　was　like　a　shock　from　a　galvanic　battery；　something　flashed　through　all　his　limbs　and　set　them　in　motion；　and　no　〃play〃　ever　seemed　so　sweet　to　him　as　that　between　sundown　and　dark　Sunday　night。　　This；　however；　was　on　the　supposition　that　he　had　conscientiously　kept　Sunday；　and　had　not　gone　in　swimming　and　got　drowned。　　This　keeping　of　Saturday　night　instead　of　Sunday　night　we　did　not　very　well　understand；　but　it　seemed；　on　the　whole；　a　good　thing　that　we　should　rest　Saturday　night　when　we　were　tired；　and　play　Sunday　night　when　we　were　rested。　　I　supposed；　however；　that　it　was　an　arrangement　made　to　suit　the　big　boys　who　wanted　to　go　〃courting〃　Sunday　night。　　Certainly　they　were　not　to　be　blamed；　for　Sunday　was　the　day　when　pretty　girls　were　most　fascinating；　and　I　have　never　since　seen　any　so　lovely　as　those　who　used　to　sit　in　the　gallery　and　in　the　singers'　seats　in　the　bare　old　meeting…houses。

Sunday　to　the　country　farmer…boy　was　hardly　the　relief　that　it　was　to　the　other　members　of　the　family；　for　the　same　chores　must　be　done　that　day　as　on　others；　and　he　could　not　divert　his　mind　with　whistling；　hand…springs；　or　sending　the　dog　into　the　river　after　sticks。　　He　had　to　submit；　in　the　first　place；　to　the　restraint　of　shoes　and　stockings。　　He　read　in　the　Old　Testament　that　when　Moses　came　to　holy　ground；　he　put　off　his　shoes；　but　the　boy　was　obliged　to　put　his　on；　upon　the　holy　day；　not　only　to　go　to　meeting；　but　while　he　sat　at　home。　　Only　the　emancipated　country…boy；　who　is　as　agile　on　his　bare　feet　as　a　young　kid；　and　rejoices　in　the　pressure　of　the　warm　soft　earth；　knows　what　a　hardship　it　is　to　tie　on　stiff　shoes。　The　monks　who　put　peas　in　their　shoes　as　a　penance　do　not　suffer　more　than　the　country…boy　in　his　penitential　Sunday　shoes。　　I　recall　the　celerity　with　which　he　used　to　kick　them　off　at　sundown。

Sunday　morning　was　not　an　idle　one　for　the　farmer…boy。　　He　must　rise　tolerably　early；　for　the　cows　were　to　be　milked　and　driven　to　pasture；　family　prayers　were　a　little　longer　than　on　other　days；　there　were　the　Sunday…school　verses　to　be　relearned；　for　they　did　not　stay　in　mind　over　night；　perhaps　the　wagon　was　to　be　greased　before　the　neighbors　began　to　drive　by；　and　the　horse　was　to　be　caught　out　of　the　pasture；　ridden　home　bareback；　and　harnessed。

This　catching　the　horse；　perhaps　two　of　them；　was　very　good　fun　usually；　and　woul