"But men make more limits for themselves than Nature makes for them." "You seem to me a person with a singular capacity of growth. You push forth fibres into every soil, and draw nutriment from sources most foreign to you." "An indifferent stock needs all the aliment it can find. I am fortunate in my planting. Companionship is that which shapes us; and I have found men, and what is more to the purpose, women, who have met my best requirement. One's friends have all their special influence with which they affect him. Yours, to me, was always a rousing and wakening influence, an electric life. You have shot a ray of sun down into my shadow, and I am bound at least to thank you for it." "I hope, for old friendship's sake, that your shadow may soon cease to need such farthing-candle illumination.--Here is my mother's house. She will be glad to see you." "I thank you: I will come soon, but not to-day." And, taking leave of his companion, he turned his horse homeward. "A vain attempt! I thought a light might kindle again; but it is all dust and ashes, with only a sparkle or two. No more flame; the fuel is burnt out. Shall I go on? Shall I offer what is left of my heart? A poor tribute for her. She should command a better; and there is something in her manner, warm and cordial as she is, that tells me that I should offer it in vain." CHAPTER LXV. Art thou so blind To fling away the gem whose untold worth, Hid 'neath the roughness of its native mine, Tempts not the eye? Touched by the artist's wheel, The hardest stone flashes the diamond's light.--_Anon_. A few days later, Morton was seated with his friend Meredith. "Ned, this is a slow life. Do you know, I have made up my mind to change it." "You have been so busy this year past, that I thought you would be content to stay where you are." "On the contrary, my vocation takes me abroad." "Where will you go?" "To Egypt, Arabia, India, the East Indies, the South Sea Islands." "All in the cause of science?" "At any rate, the thing is necessary to my plans." "The old Adam sticks to you still. Are you sure that no Pequot blood ever got into your veins?" "I don't know as to that. My ancestors were Puritans to the backbone, witch-burners, Quaker-killers, and Indian-haters. I only know that when I am bored, my first instinct is to cut loose, and take to the woods. It comes over me like an ague-fit. There are two places where a man finds sea room enough; one is a great metropolis, the other is a wilderness. There is no freedom in a place like this. One can only be independent here by living out of the world as I have been doing." "Here in America, we have political freedom _ad nauseam_; and we pay for it with a loss of social freedom." "You remember an agreement of ours, years ago, that you and I should travel together. Now, will you stand to it, and go with me?"