01-economy-第2章

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perchance；　to　fetch　fresh　fuel　to　keep　the　fire　a…going；　new　people

put　a　little　dry　wood　under　a　pot；　and　are　whirled　round　the　globe

with　the　speed　of　birds；　in　a　way　to　kill　old　people；　as　the　phrase

is。　　Age　is　no　better；　hardly　so　well；　qualified　for　an　instructor

as　youth；　for　it　has　not　profited　so　much　as　it　has　lost。　　One　may

almost　doubt　if　the　wisest　man　has　learned　anything　of　absolute

value　by　living。　　Practically；　the　old　have　no　very　important　advice

to　give　the　young；　their　own　experience　has　been　so　partial；　and

their　lives　have　been　such　miserable　failures；　for　private　reasons；

as　they　must　believe；　and　it　may　be　that　they　have　some　faith　left

which　belies　that　experience；　and　they　are　only　less　young　than　they

were。　　I　have　lived　some　thirty　years　on　this　planet；　and　I　have　yet

to　hear　the　first　syllable　of　valuable　or　even　earnest　advice　from

my　seniors。　　They　have　told　me　nothing；　and　probably　cannot　tell　me

anything　to　the　purpose。　　Here　is　life；　an　experiment　to　a　great

extent　untried　by　me；　but　it　does　not　avail　me　that　they　have　tried

it。　　If　I　have　any　experience　which　I　think　valuable；　I　am　sure　to

reflect　that　this　my　Mentors　said　nothing　about。

　　　　One　farmer　says　to　me；　〃You　cannot　live　on　vegetable　food

solely；　for　it　furnishes　nothing　to　make　bones　with〃；　and　so　he

religiously　devotes　a　part　of　his　day　to　supplying　his　system　with

the　raw　material　of　bones；　walking　all　the　while　he　talks　behind　his

oxen；　which；　with　vegetable…made　bones；　jerk　him　and　his　lumbering

plow　along　in　spite　of　every　obstacle。　　Some　things　are　really

necessaries　of　life　in　some　circles；　the　most　helpless　and　diseased；

which　in　others　are　luxuries　merely；　and　in　others　still　are

entirely　unknown。

　　　　The　whole　ground　of　human　life　seems　to　some　to　have　been　gone

over　by　their　predecessors；　both　the　heights　and　the　valleys；　and

all　things　to　have　been　cared　for。　　According　to　Evelyn；　〃the　wise

Solomon　prescribed　ordinances　for　the　very　distances　of　trees；　and

the　Roman　praetors　have　decided　how　often　you　may　go　into　your

neighbor's　land　to　gather　the　acorns　which　fall　on　it　without

trespass；　and　what　share　belongs　to　that　neighbor。〃　　Hippocrates　has

even　left　directions　how　we　should　cut　our　nails；　that　is；　even　with

the　ends　of　the　fingers；　neither　shorter　nor　longer。　　Undoubtedly

the　very　tedium　and　ennui　which　presume　to　have　exhausted　the

variety　and　the　joys　of　life　are　as　old　as　Adam。　　But　man's

capacities　have　never　been　measured；　nor　are　we　to　judge　of　what　he

can　do　by　any　precedents；　so　little　has　been　tried。　　Whatever　have

been　thy　failures　hitherto；　〃be　not　afflicted；　my　child；　for　who

shall　assign　to　thee　what　thou　hast　left　undone？〃

　　　　We　might　try　our　lives　by　a　thousand　simple　tests；　as；　for

instance；　that　the　same　sun　which　ripens　my　beans　illumines　at　once

a　system　of　earths　like　ours。　　If　I　had　remembered　this　it　would

have　prevented　some　mistakes。　　This　was　not　the　light　in　which　I

hoed　them。　　The　stars　are　the　apexes　of　what　wonderful　triangles！

What　distant　and　different　beings　in　the　various　mansions　of　the

universe　are　contemplating　the　same　one　at　the　same　moment！　　Nature

and　human　life　are　as　various　as　our　several　constitutions。　　Who

shall　say　what　prospect　life　offers　to　another？　　Could　a　greater

miracle　take　place　than　for　us　to　look　through　each　other's　eyes　for

an　instant？　　We　should　live　in　all　the　ages　of　the　world　in　an　hour；

ay；　in　all　the　worlds　of　the　ages。　　History；　Poetry；　Mythology！　　I

know　of　no　reading　of　another's　experience　so　startling　and

informing　as　this　would　be。

　　　　The　greater　part　of　what　my　neighbors　call　good　I　believe　in　my

soul　to　be　bad；　and　if　I　repent　of　anything；　it　is　very　likely　to　be

my　good　behavior。　　What　demon　possessed　me　that　I　behaved　so　well？

You　may　say　the　wisest　thing　you　can；　old　man　　you　who　have　lived

seventy　years；　not　without　honor　of　a　kind　　I　hear　an　irresistible

voice　which　invites　me　away　from　all　that。　　One　generation　abandons

the　enterprises　of　another　like　stranded　vessels。

　　　　I　think　that　we　may　safely　trust　a　good　deal　more　than　we　do。

We　may　waive　just　so　much　care　of　ourselves　as　we　honestly　bestow

elsewhere。　　Nature　is　as　well　adapted　to　our　weakness　as　to　our

strength。　　The　incessant　anxiety　and　strain　of　some　is　a　well…nigh

incurable　form　of　disease。　　We　are　made　to　exaggerate　the　importance

of　what　work　we　do；　and　yet　how　much　is　not　done　by　us！　or；　what　if

we　had　been　taken　sick？　　How　vigilant　we　are！　determined　not　to　live

by　faith　if　we　can　avoid　it；　all　the　day　long　on　the　alert；　at　night

we　unwillingly　say　our　prayers　and　commit　ourselves　to

uncertainties。　　So　thoroughly　and　sincerely　are　we　compelled　to

live；　reverencing　our　life；　and　denying　the　possibility　of　change。

This　is　the　only　way；　we　say；　but　there　are　as　many　ways　as　there

can　be　drawn　radii　from　one　centre。　　All　change　is　a　miracle　to

contemplate；　but　it　is　a　miracle　which　is　taking　place　every

instant。　　Confucius　said；　〃To　know　that　we　know　what　we　know；　and

that　we　do　not　know　what　we　do　not　know；　that　is　true　knowledge。〃

When　one　man　has　reduced　a　fact　of　the　imagination　to　be　a　fact　to

his　understanding；　I　foresee　that　all　men　at　length　establish　their

lives　on　that　basis。

　　　　Let　us　consider　for　a　moment　what　most　of　the　trouble　and

anxiety　which　I　have　referred　to　is　about；　and　how　much　it　is

necessary　that　we　be　troubled；　or　at　least　careful。　　It　would　be

some　advantage　to　live　a　primitive　and　frontier　life；　though　in　the

midst　of　an　outward　civilization；　if　only　to　learn　what　are　the

gross　necessaries　of　life　and　what　methods　have　been　taken　to　obtain

them；　or　even　to　look　over　the　old　day…books　of　the　merchants；　to

see　what　it　was　that　men　most　commonly　bought　at　the　stores；　what

they　stored；　that　is；　what　are　the　grossest　groceries。　　For　the

improvements　of　ages　have　had　but　little　influence　on　the　essential

laws　of　man's　existence；　as　our　skeletons；　probably；　are　not　to　be

distinguished　from　those　of　our　ancestors。

　　　　By　the　words；　necessary　of　life；　I　mean　whatever；　of　all　that

man　obtains　by　his　own　exertions；　has　been　from　the　first；　or　from

long　use　has　become；　so　important　to　human　life　that　few；　if　any；

whether　from　savageness；　or　poverty；　or　philosophy；　ever　attempt　to

do　without　it。　　To　many　creatures　there　is　in　this　sense　but　one

necessary　of　life；　Food。　　To　the　bison　of　the　prairie　it　is　a　few

inches　of　palatable　grass；　with　water　to　drink；　unless　he　seeks　the

Shelter　of　the　forest　or　the　mountain's　shadow。　　None　of　the　brute

creation　requires　more　than　Food　and　Shelter。　　The　necessaries　of

life　for　man　in　this　climate　may；　accurately　enough；　be　distributed

under　the　several　heads　of　Food；　Shelter；　Clothing；　and　Fuel；　for

not　till　we　have　secured　these　are　we　prepared　to　entertain　the　true

problems　of　life　with　freedom　and　a　prospect　of　success。　　Man　has

invented；　not　only　houses；　but　clothes　and　cooked　food；　and　possibly

from　the　accidental　discovery　of　the　warmth　of　fire；　and　the

consequent　use　of　it；　at　first　a　luxury；　arose　the　present　necessity

to　sit　by　it。　　We　observe　cats　and　dogs　acquiring　the　same　second

nature。　　By　proper　Shelter　and　Clothing　we　legitimately　retain　our

own　internal　heat；　but　with　an　excess　of　these；　or　of　Fuel；　that　is；

with　an　external　heat　greater　than　our　own　internal；　may　not　cookery

properly　be　said　to　begin？　　Darwin；　the　naturalist；　says　of　the

inhabitants　of　Tierra　del　Fuego；　that　while　his　own　party；　who　were

well　clothed　and　sitting　close　to　a　fire；　were　far　from　too　warm；

these　naked　savages；　who　were　farther　off；　were　observed；　to　his

great　surprise；　〃to　be　streaming　with　perspiration　at　undergoing

such　a　roasting。〃　　So；　we　are　told；　the　New　Hollander　goes　naked

with　impunity；　while　the　European　shivers　in　his　clothes。　　Is　it

impossible　to　combine　the　hardiness　of　these　savages　with　the

intellectualness　of　the　civilized　man？　　According　to　Liebig；　man's

body　is　a　stove；　and　food　the　fuel　which　keeps　up　the　internal

combustion　in　the　lungs。　　In　cold　weather　we　eat　more；　in　warm　less。

The　animal　heat　is　the　result　of　a　slow　combustion；　and　disease　and

death　take　place　when　this　is　too　rapid；　or　for　want　of　fuel；　or

from　some　defect　in　the　draught；　the　fire　goes　out。　　Of　course　the

vital　heat　is　not　to　be　confounded　with　fire；　but　so　much　for

analogy。　　It　appears；　therefore；　from　the　above　list；　that　the

expression；　animal　life；　is　nearly　synonymous　with　the　expression；

animal　heat；　for　while　Food　may　be　regarded　as　the　Fuel　which　keeps

up　the　fire　within　us　　and　Fuel　serves　only　to　prepare　that　Food

or　to　increase　the　warmth　of　our　bodies　by　addition　from　without　

Shelter　and　Clothing　also　serve　only　to　retain　the　heat　thus

generated　and　absorbed。

　　　　The　grand　necessity；　then；　for　our　bodies；　is　to　keep　warm；　to

keep　the　vital　heat　in　us。　　What　pains　we　accordingly　take；　not　only

with　our　Food；　and　Clothing；　and　Shelter；　but　with　our　beds；　which

are　our　night…clothes；　robbing　the　nests　and　breasts　of　birds　to

prepare　this　shelter　within　a　shelter；　as　the　mole　has　its　bed　of

grass　and　leaves　at　the　end　of　its　burrow！　　The　poor　man　is　wont　to

complain　that　this　is　a　cold　world；　and　to　cold；　no　less　physical

than　social；　we　refer　directly　a　great　part　of　our　ails。　　The

summer；　in　some　climates；　makes　possible　to　man　a　sort　of　Elysian

life。　　Fuel；　except　to　cook　his　Food；　is　then　unnecessary；　the　sun

is　his　fire；　and　many　of　the　fruits　are　sufficiently　cooked　by　its

rays；　while　Food　generally　is　more　various；　and　more　easily

obtained；　and　Clothing　and　Shelter　are　wholly　or　half　unnecessary。

At　the　present　day；　and　in　this　country；　as　I　find　by　my　own

experience；　a　few　implements；　a　knife；　an　axe；　a　spade；　a

wheelbarrow；　etc。；　and　for　the　studious；　lamplight；　stationery；　and

access　to　a　few　books；　rank　next　to　necessaries；　and　can　all　be

obtained　at　a　trifling　cost。　　Yet　some；　not　wise；　go　to　the　other

side　of　the　globe；　to　barbarous　and　unhealthy　regions；　and　devote

themselves　to　trade　for　ten　or　twenty　years；　in　order　that　they　may

live　　that　is；　keep　comfortably　warm　　and　die　in　New　England　at

last。　　The　luxuriously　rich　are　not　simply　kept　comfortably　warm；

but　unnaturally　hot；　as　I　implied　before；　they　are　cooked；　of　course

a　la　mode。

　　　　Most　of　the　luxuries；　and　many　of　the　so…called　comforts　of

life；　are　not　only　not　indispensable；　but　positive　hindrances　to　the

elevation　of　mankind。　　With　respect　to　luxuries　and　comforts；　the

wisest　have　ever　lived　a　more　simple　and　meagre　life　than　the　poor。

The　ancient　philosophers；　Chinese；　Hindoo；　Persian；　and　Greek；　were

a　class　than　which　none　has　been　poorer　in　outward　riches；　none　so

rich　in　inward。　　We　know　not　much　about　them。　　It　is　remarkable　that

we　know　so　much　of　them　as　we　do。　　The　same　is　true　of　the　more

modern　reformers　and　benefactors　of　their　race。　　None　can　be　an