In the deepest snows， the path which I used from the highway to my house， about half a mile long， might have been represented by a meandering dotted line， with wide intervals between the dots.  For a week of even weather I took exactly the same number of steps， and of the same length， coming and going， stepping deliberately and with the precision of a pair of dividers in my own deep tracks ―― to such routine the winter reduces us ―― yet often they were filled with heaven's own blue.  But no weather interfered fatally with my walks，or rather my going abroad， for I frequently tramped eight or ten miles through the deepest snow to keep an appointment with a beech tree， or a yellow birch， or an old acquaintance among the pines；when the ice and snow causing their limbs to droop， and so sharpening their tops， had changed the pines into fir trees； wading to the tops of the highest hills when the show was nearly two feet deep on a level， and shaking down another snow-storm on my head at every step； or sometimes creeping and floundering thither on my hands and knees， when the hunters had gone into winter quarters. One afternoon I amused myself by watching a barred owl （Strix nebulosa） sitting on one of the lower dead limbs of a white pine，close to the trunk， in broad daylight， I standing within a rod of him.  He could hear me when I moved and cronched the snow with my feet， but could not plainly see me.  When I made most noise he would stretch out his neck， and erect his neck feathers， and open his eyes wide； but their lids soon fell again， and he began to nod.  I too felt a slumberous influence after watching him half an hour， as he sat thus with his eyes half open， like a cat， winged brother of the cat.  There was only a narrow slit left between their lids， by which be preserved a pennisular relation to me； thus， with half-shut eyes，looking out from the land of dreams， and endeavoring to realize me，vague object or mote that interrupted his visions.  At length， on some louder noise or my nearer approach， he would grow uneasy and sluggishly turn about on his perch， as if impatient at having his dreams disturbed； and when he launched himself off and flapped through the pines， spreading his wings to unexpected breadth， I could not hear the slightest sound from them.  Thus， guided amid the pine boughs rather by a delicate sense of their neighborhood than by sight， feeling his twilight way， as it were， with his sensitive pinions， he found a new perch， where he might in peace await the dawning of his day.

　　As I walked over the long causeway made for the railroad through the meadows， I encountered many a blustering and nipping wind， for nowhere has it freer play； and when the frost had smitten me on one cheek， heathen as I was， I turned to it the other also.  Nor was it much better by the carriage road from Brister's Hill.  For I came to town still， like a friendly Indian， when the contents of the broad open fields were all piled up between the walls of the Walden road，and half an hour sufficed to obliterate the tracks of the last traveller.  And when I returned new drifts would have formed，through which I floundered， where the busy northwest wind had been depositing the powdery snow round a sharp angle in the road， and not a rabbit's track， nor even the fine print， the small type， of a meadow mouse was to be seen.  Yet I rarely failed to find， even in midwinter， some warm and springly swamp where the grass and the skunk-cabbage still put forth with perennial verdure， and some hardier bird occasionally awaited the return of spring.

　　Sometimes， notwithstanding the snow， when I returned from my walk at evening I crossed the deep tracks of a woodchopper leading from my door， and found his pile of whittlings on the hearth， and my house filled with the odor of his pipe.  Or on a Sunday afternoon，if I chanced to be at home， I heard the cronching of the snow made by the step of a long-headed farmer， who from far through the woods sought my house， to have a social "crack"； one of the few of his vocation who are "men on their farms"； who donned a frock instead of a professor's gown， and is as ready to extract the moral out of church or state as to haul a load of manure from his barn-yard.  We talked of rude and simple times， when men sat about large fires in cold， bracing weather， with clear heads； and when other dessert failed， we tried our teeth on many a nut which wise squirrels have long since abandoned， for those which have the thickest shells are commonly empty.

　　The one who came from farthest to my lodge， through deepest snows and most dismal tempests， was a poet.  A farmer， a hunter， a soldier， a reporter， even a philosopher， may be daunted； but nothing can deter a poet， for he is actuated by pure love.  Who can predict his comings and goings？  His business calls him out at all hours，even when doctors sleep.  We made that small house ring with boisterous mirth and resound with the murmur of much sober talk，making amends then to Walden vale for the long silences.  Broadway was still and deserted in comparison.  At suitable intervals there were regular salutes of laughter， which might have been referred indifferently to the last-uttered or the forth-coming jest.  We made many a "bran new" theory of life over a thin dish of gruel， which combined the advantages of conviviality with the clear-headedness which philosophy requires.

　　I should not forget that during my last winter at the pond there was another welcome visitor， who at one time came through the village， through snow and rain and darkness， till he saw my lamp through the trees， and shared with me some long winter evenings. One of the last of the philosophers ―― Connecticut gave him to the world ―― he peddled first her wares， afterwards， as he declares， his brains.  These he peddles still， prompting God and disgracing man，bearing for fruit his brain only， like the nut its kernel.  I think that he must be the man of the most faith of any alive.  His words and attitude always suppose a better state of things than other men are acquainted with， and he will be the last man to be disappointed as the ages revolve.  He has no venture in the present.  But though comparatively disregarded now， when his day comes， laws unsuspected by most will take effect， and masters of families and rulers will come to him for advice.

　　有時雖然有雪，我散步回來，還發現樵夫的深深的足印從我門口通出來，在火爐上我看到他無目的地削尖的木片，屋中還有他的煙斗的味道。或者在一個星期日的下午，如果我湊巧在家，我聽見了一個踏在雪上的悉索之聲，是一個長臉的農夫，他老遠穿過了森林而來聊天的；是那種“農莊人物”中的少數人物之一；他穿的不是教授的長袍，而是一件工人服；他引用教會或國家的那些道德言論，好比是他在拉一車獸廄中的肥料一樣。我們談到了純樸和粗野的時代，那時候的人在冷得使人精神煥發的氣候中，圍著一大堆火焰坐著，個個頭腦清楚；如果沒有別的水果吃，我們用牙齒來試試那些松鼠早已不吃的堅果，因為那些殼最硬的堅果里面說不定是空的呢。

　　從離得最遠的地方，穿過最深的積雪和最陰慘慘的風暴來到我家的是一位詩人。便是一個農夫，一個獵戶，一個兵或一個記者，甚至一個哲學家都可能嚇得不敢來的，但是什么也不能阻止一個詩人，他是從純粹的愛的動機出發的。誰能預言他的來去呢？他的職業，便是在醫生都睡覺的時候，也可以使他出門。我們使這小小的木屋中響起了大笑聲，還喃喃地作了許多清醒的談話，彌補了瓦爾登山谷長久以來的沉默。相形之下，百老匯也都顯得寂靜而且荒涼了。在相當的間歇之后，經常有笑聲出現，也可能是為了剛才出口的一句話，也可能是為了一個正要說的笑話。我們一邊喝著稀粥，一邊談了許多“全新的”人生哲學，這碗稀粥既可饗客，又適宜于清醒地作哲學的討論。

　　我不能忘記，我在湖上居住的最后一個冬天里，還有一位受歡迎的訪客，有個時期他穿過了雪、雨和黑暗，直到他從樹叢間看見了我的燈火，他和我消磨了好幾個長長的冬夜。最后一批哲學家中的一個，――是康涅狄格州把他獻給世界的，――他起先推銷那個州的商品，后來他宣布要推銷他的頭腦了。他還在推銷頭腦，贊揚上帝，斥責世人，只有頭腦是他的果實，像堅果里面的果肉一樣。我想，他必然是世界上有信心的活人中間信心最強的一人。他的話，他的態度總意味著一切都比別人所了解的好，隨著時代的變遷，他恐怕是感到失望的最后一個，目前他并沒有計劃。雖然現在比較不受人注意，可是，等到他的日子來到，一般人們意想不到的法規就要執行，家長和統治者都要找他征求意見了。

　　“不識澄清者是何等盲目！”

　　人類的一個忠誠之友；幾乎是人類進步的唯一朋友。一個古老的凡人，不如說是一個不朽的人吧，懷著不倦的耐心和信念，要把人類身上銘刻著的形象說明白，現在人類的神，還不過是神的損毀了的紀念碑，已經傾斜欲墜了。他用慈祥的智力，擁抱了孩子、乞丐、瘋子、學者，一切思想都兼容并包，普遍地給它增加了廣度以及精度。我想他應該在世界大路上開設一個大旅館，全世界的哲學家都招待，而在招牌上應該寫道：“招待人，不招待他的獸性。有閑暇與平靜心情的人有請，要尋找一條正路的人進來。”他大約是最清醒的人，我所認識的人中間最不會勾心斗角的一個；昨天和今天他是同一個人。從前我們散步，我們談天，很有效地把我們的世界遺棄在后邊了，因為他不屬于這世界的任何制度，生來自由，異常智巧。不論我們轉哪一個彎，天地仿佛都碰了頭，固為他增強了風景的美麗。一個穿藍衣服的人，他的最合適的屋頂便是那蒼穹，其中反映著他的澄清。我不相信他會死；大自然是舍不得放他走的。

　　各自談出自己的思想，好像把木片都曬干那樣，我們坐下來，把它們削尖，試試我們的刀子，欣賞著那些松木的光亮的紋理。我們這樣溫和地、敬重地涉水而過，或者，我們這樣融洽地攜手前進，因此我們的思想的魚并不被嚇得從溪流中逃跑，也不怕岸上的釣魚人，魚兒莊嚴地來去，像西邊天空中飄過的白云，那珠母色的云有時成了形，有時又消散。我們在那兒工作，考訂神話、修正寓言，造空中樓閣，因為地上找不到有價值的基礎。偉大的觀察者！偉大的預見者！和他談天是新英格蘭之夜的一大享受。啊，我們有這等的談話，隱士和哲學家、還有我說起過的那個老移民，――我們三個，――談得小屋子擴大了，震動了：我不敢說，這氛圍有多少磅的重量壓在每一英寸直徑的圓弧上；它裂開的縫，以后要塞進多少愚鈍才能防止它漏；――幸虧我已經揀到了不少這一類的麻根和填絮了。

　　另外還有一個人，住在村中他自己的家里，我跟他有過“極好的共處時間”，永遠難忘，他也不時來看我；可是再沒有結交別人了。

　　正如在別處一樣，有時我期待那些絕不會到來的客人。毗瑟奴浦藍那說，“屋主人應于黃昏中，逡巡在大門口，大約有擠一條牛的牛乳之久，必要時可以延長，以守候客來。”我常常這樣隆重地守候，時間都夠用以擠一群牛的牛乳了，可是總沒有看見人從鄉鎮上來。

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