inthosedayshelivedintheclerk'shouse,andwastohaveeverythinginthehouse-tobeatfreequarters,asthesayingis;buthewasstill,sotospeak,afineyounggentleman.hewantedtohavehisbootscleanedwithpatentblacking,andtheclerkcouldonlyaffordordinarygrease;anduponthatpointtheysplit.onespokeofstinginess,theotherofvanity,andtheblackingbecametheblackcauseofenmitybetweenthem,andatlasttheyparted.

thisiswhathedemandedoftheworldingeneral,namely,patentblacking,andhegotnothingbutgrease.accordingly,heatlastdrewbackfromallmen,andbecameahermit;butthechurchtoweristheonlyplaceinagreatcitywherehermitage,officeandbreadcanbefoundtogether.sohebetookhimselfupthither,andsmokedhispipeashemadehissolitaryrounds.helookedupwardanddownward,andhadhisownthoughts,andtoldinhisownwayofwhathereadinbooksandinhimself.ioftenlenthimbooks-goodbooks;andyoumayknowbythecompanyhekeeps.helovedneithertheenglishgovernessnovelsnorthefrenchones,whichhecalledamixtureofemptywindandraisin-stalks:hewantedbiographies,anddescriptionsofthewondersof,theworld.ivisitedhimatleastonceayear,generallydirectlyafternewyear'sday,andthenhealwaysspokeofthisandthatwhichthechangeoftheyearhadputintohishead.

iwilltellthestoryofthreeofthesevisits,andwillreproducehisownwordswhenevericanrememberthem.

firstvisit

amongthebookswhichihadlatelylentole,wasonewhichhadgreatlyrejoicedandoccupiedhim.itwasageologicalbook,containinganaccountoftheboulders.

"yes,they'rerareoldfellows,thoseboulders!"hesaid;"andtothinkthatweshouldpassthemwithoutnoticingthem!andoverthestreetpavement,thepavingstones,thosefragmentsoftheoldestremainsofantiquity,onewalkswithouteverthinkingaboutthem.ihavedonetheverythingmyself.butnowilookrespectfullyateverypaving-stone.manythanksforthebook!ithasfilledmewiththought,andhasmademelongtoreadmoreonthesubject.theromanceoftheearthis,afterall,themostwonderfulofallromances.it'sapityonecan'treadthefirstvolumeofit,becauseitiswritteninalanguagethatwedon'tunderstand.onemustreadinthedifferentstrata,inthepebble-stones,foreachseparateperiod.yes,itisaromance,averywonderfulromance,andweallhaveourplaceinit.wegropeandferretabout,andyetremainwhereweare;buttheballkeepsturning,withoutemptyingtheoceanoverus;theclodonwhichwemoveabout,holds,anddoesnotletusthrough.andthenit'sastorythathasbeenactingforthousandsuponthousandsofyearsandisstillgoingon.mybestthanksforthebookaboutthesearefellowsindeed!theycouldtellussomethingworthhearing,iftheyonlyknewhowtotalk.it'sreallyapleasurenowandthentobecomeamerenothing,especiallywhenamanisashighlyplacedasiam.andthentothinkthatweall,evenwithpatentlacquer,arenothingmorethaninsectsofamomentonthatant-hilltheearth,thoughwemaybeinsectswithstarsandgarters,placesandoffices!onefeelsquiteanovicebesidethesevenerablemillion-year-oldboulders.onlastnewyear'seveiwasreadingthebook,andhadlostmyselfinitsocompletely,thatiforgotmyusualnewyear'sdiversion,namely,thewildhunttoamack.ah,youdon'tknowwhatthatis!

"thejourneyofthewitchesonbroomsticksiswellenoughknown-thatjourneyistakenonst.john'seve,tothebrocken;butwehaveawildjourney,alsowhichisnationalandmodern,andthatisthejourneytoamackonthenightofthenewyear.allindifferentpoetsandpoetesses,musicians,newspaperwriters,andartisticnotabilities,-imeanthosewhoarenogood,-rideinthenewyear'snightthroughtheairtoamack.theysitbackwardsontheirpaintingbrushesorquillpens,forsteelpenswon'tbearthem-they'retoostiff.asitoldyou,iseethateverynewyear'snight,andcouldmentionthemajorityoftheridersbyname,butishouldnotliketodrawtheirenmityuponmyself,fortheydon'tlikepeopletotalkabouttheirridetoamackonquillpens.i'veakindofniece,whoisafishwife,andwho,asshetellsme,suppliesthreerespectablenewspaperswiththetermsofabuseandvituperationtheyuse,andshehasherselfbeenatamackasaninvitedguest;butshewascarriedoutthither,forshedoesnotownaquillpen,norcansheride.shehastoldmeallaboutit.halfofwhatshesaidisnottrue,buttheotherhalfgivesusinformationenough.whenshewasoutthere,thefestivitiesbeganwithasong;eachoftheguestshadwrittenhisownsong,andeachonesanghisownsong,forhethoughtthatthebest,anditwasallone,allthesamemelody.thenthosecamemarchingup,inlittlebands,whoareonlybusywiththeirrewereringingbellsthatrangalternately;andthencamethelittledrummersthatbeattheirtattoointhefamilycircle;andacquaintancewasmadewiththosewhowritewithoutputtingtheirnames,whichheremeansasmuchasusinggreaseinsteadofpatentblacking;andthentherewasthebeadlewithhisboy,andtheboywasworstoff,foringeneralhegetsnonoticetakenofhim;then,too,therewasthegoodstreetsweeperwithhiscart,whoturnsoverthedust-bin,andcallsit'good,verygood,remarkablygood.'andinthemidstofthepleasurethatwasaffordedbythemeremeetingofthesefolks,thereshotupoutofthegreatdirt-heapatamackastem,atree,animmenseflower,agreatmushroom,aperfectroof,whichformedasortofwarehousefortheworthycompany,forinithungeverythingtheyhadgiventotheworldduringtheoldyear.outofthetreepouredsparkslikeflamesoffire;theseweretheideasandthoughts,borrowedfromothers,whichtheyhadused,andwhichnowgotfreeandrushedawaylikesomanyfireworks.theyplayedat'thestickburns,'andtheyoungpoetsplayedat'heart-burns,'andthewitlingsplayedofftheirjests,andthejestsrolledawaywithathunderingsound,asifemptypotswerebeingshatteredagainstdoors.'itwasveryamusing!