Hills of the Shatemuc Part 33

"One doesn't live to be happy, Mr. Herder!" said Elizabeth.

"What does one live for, then? I am sure _I_ live to be happy."

"And I am sure I do," said Rose.

"Ah, yes -- you, -- you may," said the naturalist good- humouredly.

"When happiness can be found so near the surface," said Rufus with a satiric glance at the cover of Elizabeth's book, -- "it would be folly to go further."

"What do _you_ live for, Mr. Herder?" said Elizabeth, giving Rufus's words a cool go-by.

"I? -- O I live to do my work," said the naturalist.

"And what is that?"

"I live to find out the truth -- to get at de truth. It is for that I spend my days and my nights. I have found out some -- I will find out more."

"And what is the purpose of finding out this truth, Mr.

Herder?" said Rufus; -- "what is _that_ for? doesn't that make you happy?"

"No," said the naturalist with a serious air, -- "it does not make me happy. I must find it out -- since it is there -- and I could not be happy if I did not find it; -- but if dere was no truth to be found, I could make myself more happy in some ozer way."

The fine corners of the young man's mouth shewed that he thought Mr. Herder was a little confused in his philosophy.

"_You_ think one ought to live to be happy, don't you, Mr.

Rufus?" said Miss Rose.

"No!" said Rufus, with a fire in his eye and lip, and making at the same time an energetic effort after a difficult branch of huckleberries, -- "no! -- not in the ordinary way!"

"In what way then?" said the young lady with her favourite pout.

"He has just shewed you, Miss Rose," said Winthrop; -- "in getting the highest huckleberry bush. It don't make him happy -- only he had rather have that than another."

"Let us have your sense of the matter, then," said his brother.

"But Mr. Herder," said Elizabeth, "why do you want to find out truth? -- what is it for?"

"For science -- for knowledge; -- that is what will do goot to the world and make ozer happy. It is not to live like a man to live for himself."

"Then what _should_ one live for," said Elizabeth a little impatiently, -- "if it isn't to be happy?"

"I would rather not live at all," said Rose, her pretty lips black with huckleberries, which indeed was the case with the whole party.

"You yourself, Mr. Herder, that is your happiness -- to find out truth, as you say -- to advance science and learning and do good to other people; you find your own pleasure in it."

"Yes, Mr. Herder," chimed in Rose, -- "don't you love flowers and stones and birds and fishes, and beetles, and animals -- don't you love them as much as we do dogs and horses? -- don't you love that little black monkey you shewed us the other day?"

"No, Miss Rose," said the naturalist, -- "no, I do not love them -- I do not care for them; -- I love what is _back_ of those things; dat is what I want."

"And that is your pleasure, Mr. Herder?"

"I do not know," said the puzzled naturalist, -- "maybe it is -- if I could speak German, I would tell you; -- Wint'rop, you do say nozing; and you are not eating huckleberries neizer; -- what do you live for?"

"I am at cross-purposes with life, just now, sir."

"Cross?" -- said the naturalist.

"Winthrop is never cross," responded Asahel from behind a thick branch of huckleberry.

"Dat is to the point!" said Mr. Herder.

"Well, speak to the point," said Rufus.

"I think the point is now -- or will be presently -- to get home."

"But to the first point -- what should a man live for?"

"It's against the law to commit suicide."

"Pish!" said Rufus.

"Come tell us what you think, Wint'rop," said Mr. Herder.

"I think, sir, I should live to be happy."

"You do!" said the naturalist.

"And I think happiness should be sought in doing all one can, first for oneself, and then for other people."

"That will do," said Mr. Herder. "I agree wiz you."

"_You_ are not apt to do first for yourself," said Rufus, with a tender sort of admission-making.

"I am not sure that first for oneself," said the naturalist musing.

"Yes sir -- or could one ever do much for the world?"

"Dat is true; you are right!"

"Then at any rate one is to put other people's happiness before one's own?" said Elizabeth with a mixed expression of incredulity and discontent.

"It does not seem just reason, does it?" said Mr. Herder.

"It's what n.o.body acts up to," said Rose.

"O Miss Cadwallader," said Asahel, -- "mother does it always!"

For which he was rewarded with an inexpressible glance, which lit upon nothing, however, but the huckleberries.