Alakeisthelandscape’smostbeautifulandexpressivefeature。
Itisearth’seye；lookingintowhichthebeholdermeasuresthedepthofhisownnature。Thefluviatiletreesnexttheshorearetheslendereyelasheswhichfringeit，andthewoodedhillsandcliffsaroundareitsoverhangingbrows。
Standingonthesmoothsandybeachattheeastendofthepond，inacalmSeptemberafternoon，whenaslighthazemakestheoppositeshore-lineindistinct，Ihaveseenwhencecametheexpression，“theglassysurfaceofalake。“Whenyouinvertyourhead，itlookslikeathreadoffinestgossamerstretchedacrossthevalley，andgleamingagainstthedistantpinewoods，separatingonestratumoftheatmospherefromanother。Youwouldthinkthatyoucouldwalkdryunderittotheoppositehills，andthattheswallowswhichskimovermightperchonit。Indeed，theysometimesdivebelowthisline，asitwerebymistake，andareundeceived。Asyoulookoverthepondwestwardyouareobligedtoemploybothyourhandstodefendyoureyesagainstthereflectedaswellasthetruesun，fortheyareequallybright；andif，betweenthetwo，yousurveyitssurfacecritically，itisliterallyassmoothasglass，exceptwheretheskaterinsects，atequalintervalsscatteredoveritswholeextent，bytheirmotionsinthesunproducethefinestimaginablesparkleonit，or，perchance，aduckplumesitself，or，asIhavesaid，aswallowskimssolowastotouchit。Itmaybethatinthedistanceafishdescribesanarcofthreeorfourfeetintheair，andthereisonebrightflashwhereitemerges，andanotherwhereitstrikesthewater；sometimesthewholesilveryarcisrevealed；orhereandthere，perhaps，isathistle-downfloatingonitssurface，whichthefishesdartatandsodimpleitagain。Itislikemoltenglasscooledbutnotcongealed，andthefewmotesinitarepureandbeautifulliketheimperfectionsinglass。Youmayoftendetectayetsmootheranddarkerwater，separatedfromtherestasifbyaninvisiblecobweb，boomofthewaternymphs，restingonit。Fromahilltopyoucanseeafishleapinalmostanypart；fornotapickerelorshinerpicksaninsectfromthissmoothsurfacebutitmanifestlydisturbstheequilibriumofthewholelake。Itiswonderfulwithwhatelaboratenessthissimplefactisadvertised——
thispiscinemurderwillout——andfrommydistantperchI
distinguishthecirclingundulationswhentheyarehalfadozenrodsindiameter。Youcanevendetectawater-bugGyrinusceaselesslyprogressingoverthesmoothsurfaceaquarterofamileoff；fortheyfurrowthewaterslightly，makingaconspicuousrippleboundedbytwodiverginglines，buttheskatersglideoveritwithoutripplingitperceptibly。Whenthesurfaceisconsiderablyagitatedtherearenoskatersnorwater-bugsonit，butapparently，incalmdays，theyleavetheirhavensandadventurouslyglideforthfromtheshorebyshortimpulsestilltheycompletelycoverit。Itisasoothingemployment，ononeofthosefinedaysinthefallwhenallthewarmthofthesunisfullyappreciated，tositonastumponsuchaheightasthis，overlookingthepond，andstudythedimplingcircleswhichareincessantlyinscribedonitsotherwiseinvisiblesurfaceamidthereflectedskiesandtrees。Overthisgreatexpansethereisnodisturbancebutitisthusatoncegentlysmoothedawayandassuaged，as，whenavaseofwaterisjarred，thetremblingcirclesseektheshoreandallissmoothagain。Notafishcanleaporaninsectfallonthepondbutitisthusreportedincirclingdimples，inlinesofbeauty，asitweretheconstantwellingupofitsfountain，thegentlepulsingofitslife，theheavingofitsbreast。Thethrillsofjoyandthrillsofpainareundistinguishable。Howpeacefulthephenomenaofthelake！Againtheworksofmanshineasinthespring。Ay，everyleafandtwigandstoneandcobwebsparklesnowatmid-afternoonaswhencoveredwithdewinaspringmorning。Everymotionofanoaroraninsectproducesaflashoflight；andifanoarfalls，howsweettheecho！