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making my best bow to each unfamiliar hill； and taking everywhere that
toll of pleasure which comes of quiet discovery。
One evening； having walked farther than usual； I came quite suddenly
around a turn in the road and saw stretching away before me an
extraordinary sight。
I feel that I am conveying no adequate impression of what I beheld by
giving it any such prim and decorous name asa Hedge。 It was a
menagerie； a living； green menagerie！ I had no sooner seen it than I began
puzzling my brain as to whether one of the curious ornaments into which
the upper part of the hedge had been clipped and trimmed was made to
represent the head of a horse； or a camel； or an Egyptian sphinx。
The hedge was of arbor vite and as high as a man's waist。 At more or
less regular intervals the trees in it had been allowed to grow much taller
and had been wonderfully pruned into the similitude of towers； pinnacles；
bells； and many other strange designs。 Here and there the hedge held up a
spindling umbrella of greenery； sometimes a double umbrellaa little one
above the big oneand over the gateway at the centre； as a sort of final
triumph； rose a grandiose arch of interlaced branches upon which the artist
had outdone himself in marvels of ornamentation。
I shall never forget the sensation of delight I had over this discovery；
or of how I walked； tiptoe； along the road in front； studying each of the
marvellous adornments。 How eagerly； too； I looked over at the house
beyonda rather bare； bleak house set on a slight knoll or elevation and
guarded at one corner by a dark spruce tree。 At some distance behind I saw
a number of huge barns； a cattle yard and a siloall the evidences of
prosperitywith well…nurtured fields； now yellowing with the summer
crops； spreading pleasantly away on every hand。
It was nearly dark before I left that bit of roadside； and I shall never
forget the eerie impression I had as I turned back to take a final look at the
hedge； the strange； grotesque aspect it presented there in the half light with
the bare； lonely house rising from the knoll behind。
It was not until some weeks later that I met the owner of the
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wonderful hedge。 By that time； however； having learned of my interest； I
found the whole countryside alive with stories about it and about Old
Nathan Toombs； its owner。 It was as though I had struck the rock of
refreshment in a weary land。
I remember distinctly how puzzled was by the stories I heard。 The
neighbourhood portraitand ours is really a friendly neighbourhoodwas
by no means flattering。 Old Toombs was apparently of that type of hard…
shelled； grasping； self…reliant； old…fashioned farmer not unfamiliar to many
country neighbourhoods。 He had come of tough old American stock and
he was a worker； a saver； and thus he had grown rich； the richest farmer in
the whole neighbourhood。 He was a regular individualistic American。
〃A dour man；〃 said the Scotch Preacher； 〃but justyou must admit that
he is just。〃
There was no man living about whom the Scotch Preacher could not
find something good to say。
〃Yes； just；〃 replied Horace； 〃but hardhard； and as mean as pusley。〃
This portrait was true enough in itself； for I knew just the sort of an
aggressive； undoubtedly irritable old fellow it pictured； but somehow； try
as I would； I could not see any such old fellow wasting his moneyed hours
clipping bells； umbrellas； and camel's heads on his ornamental greenery。 It
left just that incongruity which is at once the lure； the humour； and the
perplexity of human life。 Instead of satisfying my curiosity I was more
anxious than ever to see Old Toombs with my own eyes。
But the weeks passed and somehow I did not meet him。 He was a
lonely； unneighbourly old fellow。 He had apparently come to fit into the
community without ever really becoming a part of it。 His neighbours
accepted him as they accepted a hard hill in the town road。 From time to
time he would foreclose a mortgage where he had loaned money to some
less thrifty farmer； or he would extend his acres by purchase； hard cash
down； or he would build a bigger barn。 When any of these things
happened the community would crowd over a little； as it were； to give him
more room。 It is a curious thing； and tragic； too； when you come to think
of it； how the world lets alone those people who appear to want to be let
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alone。 〃I can live to myself；〃 says the unneighbourly one。 〃Well； live to
yourself； then；〃 cheerfully responds the world； and it goes about its more
or less amusing affairs and lets the unneighbourly one cut himself off。
So our small community had let Old Toombs go his way with all his
money； his acres； his hedge； and his reputation for being a just man。
Not meeting him； therefore； in the familiar and friendly life of the
neighbourhood； I took to walking out toward his farm； looking freshly at
the wonderful hedge and musing upon that most fascinating of all
subjectshow men come to be what they are。 And at last I was rewarded。
One day I had scarcely reached the end of the hedge when I saw Old
Toombs himself； moving toward me down the country road。 Though I had
never seen him before； I was at no loss to identify him。 The first and vital
impression he gave me； if I can compress it into a single word； was； I
think；forceforce。 He came stubbing down the country road with a brown
hickory stick in his hand which at every step he set vigorously into the soft
earth。 Though not tall； he gave the impression of being enormously strong。
He was thick； solid； firmthick through the body； thick through the thighs；
and his shoulderswhat shoulders they were！round like a maple log； and
his great head with its thatching of coarse iron…gray hair； though thrust
slightly forward； seemed set immovably upon them；
He presented such a forbidding appearance that I was of two minds
about addressing him。 Dour he was indeed！ Nor shall I ever forget how he
looked when I spoke to him。 He stopped short there in the road。 On his big
square nose he wore a pair of curious spring…bowed glasses with black
rims。 For a moment he looked at me through these glasses； raising his chin
a little； and then； deliberately wrinkling his nose； they fell off and dangled
at the length of the faded cord by which they were hung。 There was
something almost uncanny about this peculiar habit of his and of the way
in which； afterward； he looked at me from under his bushy gray brows。
This was in truth the very man of the neighbourhood portrait。
〃I am a new settler here；〃 I said； 〃and I've been interested in looking at
your wonderful hedge。〃
The old man's eyes rested upon me a moment with a mingled look of
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suspicion and hostility。
〃So you've heard o' me；〃 he said in a high…pitched voice； 〃and you've
heard o' my hedge。〃
Again he paused and looked me over。 〃Well；〃 he said； with an
indescribably harsh； cackling laugh； 〃I warrant you've heard nothing good
o' me down there。 I'm a skinflint； ain't I ？ I'm a hard citizen； ain't I？ I grind
the faces o' the poor； don't I？〃
At first his words were marked by a sort of bitter humour； but as he
continued to speak his voice rose higher and higher until it was positively
menacing。
There were just two things I could dohaul down the flag and retreat
ingloriously； or face the music。 With a sudden sense of rising spiritsfor
such things do not often happen to a man in a quiet country roadI paused
a moment； looking him square in the eye。
〃Yes；〃 I said； with great deliberation； 〃you've given me just about the
neighborhood picture of yourself as I have had it。 They do say you are a
skinflint； yes； and a hard man。 They say that you are rich and friendless；
they say that while you are a just man； you do not know mercy。 These are
terrible things to say of any man if they are true。〃