Itcaneasilybeunderstoodhowthesewomen，asarule，exertedlittleinfluenceontheirsons。Theirimaginativesidewastoodeeplyhidden，thenatureoftheirpleasurestoosecret，toomysterious。Maleyouth，followingitsobviouspleasure，wentwiththementothehuntThewomenremainedoutsiders。Theboywhochosetodolikewise，wastheincredibleexception。Inhimhadcometoaheadthedeepestthingsintheforestlife：thedarklyfemininethings，itssilence，itsmysticism，itssecretiveness，itstragicpatience。Abrahamwassuchaboy。
Itissaidthatheastoundedhisfatherbyrefusingtoownagun。Heearnedterriblewhippingsbyreleasinganimalscaughtintraps。Thoughhehadinfullestmeasuretheforestpassionforlisteningtostories，theever-populartalesofIndianwarfaredisgustedhim。Butletthetaletakeonanyglintofthemysteryofthehumansoul——asofRobinsonCrusoealoneonhisisland，orofthelordlinessofaction，asinColumbusorWashington——andhewasquickwithinterest。ThestoriesoftalkinganimalsoutofAesopfascinatedhim。
Inthisthrilledcuriosityabouttheanimalswasthesideofhimleastintelligibletomenlikehisfather。Itlivesinmanyanecdotes：ofhisfriendshipwithapoordoghehadwhichhecalled“Honey“；ofpursuingasnakethroughdifficultthicketstopreventitsswallowingafrog；ofloiteringonerrandsattheriskofwhippingstowatchthesquirrelsinthetree-tops；ofthecrowningoffenseofhischildhood，whichearnedhimamightybeating，thesavingofafawn’slifebyscaringitoffjustasahunter’sgunwasleveled。Andbywayofcommentonallthis，thereistheremarkpreservedinthememoryofanotherboytowhomatthetimeitappearedmostsingular，“Godmightthinkasmuchofthatlittlefawnasofsomepeople。“Ofhimasofanothergentlesoulitmighthavebeensaidthatalltheanimalswerehisbrothersandsisters。[7]
Onemighteasilyimaginethispeculiarboywhochosetoremainathomewhilethemenwentouttoslay，asthemeretranslationintomasculinityofhismother，andofhermothers，ofalltheconvergingprocessionsofforestwomen，whohadpassedfromonetoanotherthesecretoftheirmysticism，coloringitmanywaysinthedarkvesselsoftheirsuppressedlives，tillitreachedatlasttheirconcludingchild。Butthiswouldonlyinpartexplainhim。Theirmysticism，asafter-timewastoshow，hehadundoubtedlyinherited。So，too，fromthem，itmaybe，cameanothercharacteristic——thatinstincttoendure，towait，toabidetheissueofcircumstance，whichinthedaysofhispowermadehimtothepoliticiansasunintelligibleasoncehehadbeentotheforesthuntsmen。Nevertheless，themostdistinctivepartofthoseprimitivewomen，thesealedpassionatenessoftheirspirits，heneverfromchildhoodtotheendrevealed。Inthegrownmanappearedaquietude，asortoftrancedcalm，thatwasappalling。Fromwhatpartofhishereditydidthisderive？Wasitthemalegiftoftheforest？
DidprogenitorsworthierthanThomassomehowcastthroughhimtohisaliensonthatpeacetheyhadfoundintheutterheartofdanger，thatapparentselflessnesswhichisbornofbeingeverunfailinglyonguard？