01-economy-第3章

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

impartial　or　wise　observer　of　human　life　but　from　the　vantage　ground

of　what　we　should　call　voluntary　poverty。　　Of　a　life　of　luxury　the

fruit　is　luxury；　whether　in　agriculture；　or　commerce；　or　literature；

or　art。　　There　are　nowadays　professors　of　philosophy；　but　not

philosophers。　　Yet　it　is　admirable　to　profess　because　it　was　once

admirable　to　live。　　To　be　a　philosopher　is　not　merely　to　have　subtle

thoughts；　nor　even　to　found　a　school；　but　so　to　love　wisdom　as　to

live　according　to　its　dictates；　a　life　of　simplicity；　independence；

magnanimity；　and　trust。　　It　is　to　solve　some　of　the　problems　of

life；　not　only　theoretically；　but　practically。　　The　success　of　great

scholars　and　thinkers　is　commonly　a　courtier…like　success；　not

kingly；　not　manly。　　They　make　shift　to　live　merely　by　conformity；

practically　as　their　fathers　did；　and　are　in　no　sense　the

progenitors　of　a　noble　race　of　men。　　But　why　do　men　degenerate　ever？

What　makes　families　run　out？　　What　is　the　nature　of　the　luxury　which

enervates　and　destroys　nations？　　Are　we　sure　that　there　is　none　of

it　in　our　own　lives？　　The　philosopher　is　in　advance　of　his　age　even

in　the　outward　form　of　his　life。　　He　is　not　fed；　sheltered；　clothed；

warmed；　like　his　contemporaries。　　How　can　a　man　be　a　philosopher　and

not　maintain　his　vital　heat　by　better　methods　than　other　men？

　　　　When　a　man　is　warmed　by　the　several　modes　which　I　have

described；　what　does　he　want　next？　　Surely　not　more　warmth　of　the

same　kind；　as　more　and　richer　food；　larger　and　more　splendid　houses；

finer　and　more　abundant　clothing；　more　numerous；　incessant；　and

hotter　fires；　and　the　like。　　When　he　has　obtained　those　things　which

are　necessary　to　life；　there　is　another　alternative　than　to　obtain

the　superfluities；　and　that　is；　to　adventure　on　life　now；　his

vacation　from　humbler　toil　having　commenced。　　The　soil；　it　appears；

is　suited　to　the　seed；　for　it　has　sent　its　radicle　downward；　and　it

may　now　send　its　shoot　upward　also　with　confidence。　　Why　has　man

rooted　himself　thus　firmly　in　the　earth；　but　that　he　may　rise　in　the

same　proportion　into　the　heavens　above？　　for　the　nobler　plants　are

valued　for　the　fruit　they　bear　at　last　in　the　air　and　light；　far


from　the　ground；　and　are　not　treated　like　the　humbler　esculents；

which；　though　they　may　be　biennials；　are　cultivated　only　till　they

have　perfected　their　root；　and　often　cut　down　at　top　for　this

purpose；　so　that　most　would　not　know　them　in　their　flowering　season。

　　　　I　do　not　mean　to　prescribe　rules　to　strong　and　valiant　natures；

who　will　mind　their　own　affairs　whether　in　heaven　or　hell；　and

perchance　build　more　magnificently　and　spend　more　lavishly　than　the

richest；　without　ever　impoverishing　themselves；　not　knowing　how　they

live　　if；　indeed；　there　are　any　such；　as　has　been　dreamed；　nor　to

those　who　find　their　encouragement　and　inspiration　in　precisely　the

present　condition　of　things；　and　cherish　it　with　the　fondness　and

enthusiasm　of　lovers　　and；　to　some　extent；　I　reckon　myself　in　this

number；　I　do　not　speak　to　those　who　are　well　employed；　in　whatever

circumstances；　and　they　know　whether　they　are　well　employed　or　not；

　but　mainly　to　the　mass　of　men　who　are　discontented；　and　idly

complaining　of　the　hardness　of　their　lot　or　of　the　times；　when　they

might　improve　them。　　There　are　some　who　complain　most　energetically

and　inconsolably　of　any；　because　they　are；　as　they　say；　doing　their

duty。　　I　also　have　in　my　mind　that　seemingly　wealthy；　but　most

terribly　impoverished　class　of　all；　who　have　accumulated　dross；　but

know　not　how　to　use　it；　or　get　rid　of　it；　and　thus　have　forged　their

own　golden　or　silver　fetters。

　　　　If　I　should　attempt　to　tell　how　I　have　desired　to　spend　my　life

in　years　past；　it　would　probably　surprise　those　of　my　readers　who

are　somewhat　acquainted　with　its　actual　history；　it　would　certainly

astonish　those　who　know　nothing　about　it。　　I　will　only　hint　at　some

of　the　enterprises　which　I　have　cherished。

　　　　In　any　weather；　at　any　hour　of　the　day　or　night；　I　have　been

anxious　to　improve　the　nick　of　time；　and　notch　it　on　my　stick　too；

to　stand　on　the　meeting　of　two　eternities；　the　past　and　future；

which　is　precisely　the　present　moment；　to　toe　that　line。　　You　will

pardon　some　obscurities；　for　there　are　more　secrets　in　my　trade　than

in　most　men's；　and　yet　not　voluntarily　kept；　but　inseparable　from

its　very　nature。　　I　would　gladly　tell　all　that　I　know　about　it；　and

never　paint　〃No　Admittance〃　on　my　gate。

　　　　I　long　ago　lost　a　hound；　a　bay　horse；　and　a　turtle　dove；　and　am

still　on　their　trail。　　Many　are　the　travellers　I　have　spoken

concerning　them；　describing　their　tracks　and　what　calls　they

answered　to。　　I　have　met　one　or　two　who　had　heard　the　hound；　and　the

tramp　of　the　horse；　and　even　seen　the　dove　disappear　behind　a　cloud；

and　they　seemed　as　anxious　to　recover　them　as　if　they　had　lost　them

themselves。

　　　　To　anticipate；　not　the　sunrise　and　the　dawn　merely；　but；　if

possible；　Nature　herself！　　How　many　mornings；　summer　and　winter；

before　yet　any　neighbor　was　stirring　about　his　business；　have　I　been

about　mine！　　No　doubt；　many　of　my　townsmen　have　met　me　returning

from　this　enterprise；　farmers　starting　for　Boston　in　the　twilight；

or　woodchoppers　going　to　their　work。　　It　is　true；　I　never　assisted

the　sun　materially　in　his　rising；　but；　doubt　not；　it　was　of　the　last

importance　only　to　be　present　at　it。

　　　　So　many　autumn；　ay；　and　winter　days；　spent　outside　the　town；

trying　to　hear　what　was　in　the　wind；　to　hear　and　carry　it　express！

I　well…nigh　sunk　all　my　capital　in　it；　and　lost　my　own　breath　into

the　bargain；　running　in　the　face　of　it。　　If　it　had　concerned　either

of　the　political　parties；　depend　upon　it；　it　would　have　appeared　in

the　Gazette　with　the　earliest　intelligence。　　At　other　times　watching

from　the　observatory　of　some　cliff　or　tree；　to　telegraph　any　new

arrival；　or　waiting　at　evening　on　the　hill…tops　for　the　sky　to　fall；

that　I　might　catch　something；　though　I　never　caught　much；　and　that；

manna…wise；　would　dissolve　again　in　the　sun。

　　　　For　a　long　time　I　was　reporter　to　a　journal；　of　no　very　wide

circulation；　whose　editor　has　never　yet　seen　fit　to　print　the　bulk

of　my　contributions；　and；　as　is　too　common　with　writers；　I　got　only

my　labor　for　my　pains。　　However；　in　this　case　my　pains　were　their

own　reward。

　　　　For　many　years　I　was　self…appointed　inspector　of　snow…storms　and

rain…storms；　and　did　my　duty　faithfully；　surveyor；　if　not　of

highways；　then　of　forest　paths　and　all　across…lot　routes；　keeping

them　open；　and　ravines　bridged　and　passable　at　all　seasons；　where

the　public　heel　had　testified　to　their　utility。

　　　　I　have　looked　after　the　wild　stock　of　the　town；　which　give　a

faithful　herdsman　a　good　deal　of　trouble　by　leaping　fences；　and　I

have　had　an　eye　to　the　unfrequented　nooks　and　corners　of　the　farm；

though　I　did　not　always　know　whether　Jonas　or　Solomon　worked　in　a

particular　field　to…day；　that　was　none　of　my　business。　　I　have

watered　the　red　huckleberry；　the　sand　cherry　and　the　nettle…tree；

the　red　pine　and　the　black　ash；　the　white　grape　and　the　yellow

violet；　which　might　have　withered　else　in　dry　seasons。

　　　　In　short；　I　went　on　thus　for　a　long　time　（I　may　say　it　without

boasting）；　faithfully　minding　my　business；　till　it　became　more　and

more　evident　that　my　townsmen　would　not　after　all　admit　me　into　the

list　of　town　officers；　nor　make　my　place　a　sinecure　with　a　moderate

allowance。　　My　accounts；　which　I　can　swear　to　have　kept　faithfully；

I　have；　indeed；　never　got　audited；　still　less　accepted；　still　less

paid　and　settled。　　However；　I　have　not　set　my　heart　on　that。

　　　　Not　long　since；　a　strolling　Indian　went　to　sell　baskets　at　the

house　of　a　well…known　lawyer　in　my　neighborhood。　　〃Do　you　wish　to

buy　any　baskets？〃　he　asked。　　〃No；　we　do　not　want　any；〃　was　the

reply。　　〃What！〃　exclaimed　the　Indian　as　he　went　out　the　gate；　〃do

you　mean　to　starve　us？〃　　Having　seen　his　industrious　white　neighbors

so　well　off　　that　the　lawyer　had　only　to　weave　arguments；　and；　by

some　magic；　wealth　and　standing　followed　　he　had　said　to　himself：

I　will　go　into　business；　I　will　weave　baskets；　it　is　a　thing　which　I

can　do。　　Thinking　that　when　he　had　made　the　baskets　he　would　have

done　his　part；　and　then　it　would　be　the　white　man's　to　buy　them。　　He

had　not　discovered　that　it　was　necessary　for　him　to　make　it　worth

the　other's　while　to　buy　them；　or　at　least　make　him　think　that　it

was　so；　or　to　make　something　else　which　it　would　be　worth　his　while

to　buy。　　I　too　had　woven　a　kind　of　basket　of　a　delicate　texture；　but

I　had　not　made　it　worth　any　one's　while　to　buy　them。　　Yet　not　the

less；　in　my　case；　did　I　think　it　worth　my　while　to　weave　them；　and

instead　of　studying　how　to　make　it　worth　men's　while　to　buy　my

baskets；　I　studied　rather　how　to　avoid　the　necessity　of　selling

them。　　The　life　which　men　praise　and　regard　as　successful　is　but　one

kind。　　Why　should　we　exaggerate　any　one　kind　at　the　expense　of　the

others？

　　　　Finding　that　my　fellow…citizens　were　not　likely　to　offer　me　any

room　in　the　court　house；　or　any　curacy　or　living　anywhere　else；　but

I　must　shift　for　myself；　I　turned　my　face　more　exclusively　than　ever

to　the　woods；　where　I　was　better　known。　　I　determined　to　go　into

business　at　once；　and　not　wait　to　acquire　the　usual　capital；　using

such　slender　means　as　I　had　already　got。　　My　purpose　in　going　to

Walden　Pond　was　not　to　live　cheaply　nor　to　live　dearly　there；　but　to

transact　some　private　business　with　the　fewest　obstacles；　to　be

hindered　from　accomplishing　which　for　want　of　a　little　common　sense；

a　little　enterprise　and　business　talent；　appeared　not　so　sad　as

foolish。

　　　　I　have　always　endeavored　to　acquire　strict　business　habits；　they

are　indispensable　to　every　man。　　If　your　trade　is　with　the　Celestial

Empire；　then　some　small　counting　house　on　the　coast；　in　some　Salem

harbor；　will　be　fixture　enough。　　You　will　export　such　articles　as

the　country　affords；　purely　native　products；　much　ice　and　pine

timber　and　a　little　granite；　always　in　native　bottoms。　　These　will

be　good　ventures。　　To　oversee　all　the　details　yourself　in　person；　to

be　at　once　pilot　and　captain；　and　owner　and　underwriter；　to　buy　and

sell　and　keep　the　accounts；　to　read　every　letter　received；　and　write

or　read　every　letter　sent；　to　superintend　the　discharge　of　imports

night　and　day；　to　be　upon　many　parts　of　the　coast　almost　at　the　same

time　　often　the　richest　freight　will　be　discharged　upon　a　Jersey

shore；　　to　be　your　own　telegraph；　unweariedly　sweeping　the

horizon；　speaking　all　passing　vessels　bound　coastwise；　to　keep　up　a

steady　despatch　of　commodities；　for　the　supply　of　such　a　distant　and

exorbitant　market；　to　keep　yourself　informed　of　the　state　of　the

markets；　prospects　of　war　and　peace　everywhere；　and　anticipate　the

tendencies　of　trade　and　civilization　　taking　advantage　of　the

results　of　a