thing.Themillionsareawakeenoughforphysicallaborbutonlyoneinamillionisawakeenoughforeffectiveintellectualexertion,onlyoneinahundredmillionstoapoeticordivinelife.Tobeawakeistobealive.Ihaveneveryetmetamanwhowasquiteawake.HowcouldIhavelookedhimintheface?
Wemustlearntoreawakenandkeepourselvesawake,notbymechanicalaids,butbyaninfiniteexpectationofthedawn,whichdoesnotforsakeusinoursoundestsleep.Iknowofnomoreencouragingfactthantheunquestionableabilityofmantoelevatehislifebyaconsciousendeavor.Itissomethingtobeabletopaintaparticularpicture,ortocarveastatue,andsotomakeafewobjectsbeautifulbutitisfarmoreglorioustocarveandpainttheveryatmosphereandmediumthroughwhichwelook,whichmorallywecando.Toaffectthequalityoftheday,thatisthehighestofarts.Everymanistaskedtomakehislife,eveninitsdetails,worthyofthecontemplationofhismostelevatedandcriticalhour.Ifwerefused,orratherusedup,suchpaltryinformationasweget,theoracleswoulddistinctlyinformushowthismightbedone.
IwenttothewoodsbecauseIwishedtolivedeliberately,tofrontonlytheessentialfactsoflife,andseeifIcouldnotlearnwhatithadtoteach,andnot,whenIcametodie,discoverthatIhadnotlived.Ididnotwishtolivewhatwasnotlife,livingissodearnordidIwishtopractiseresignation,unlessitwasquitenecessary.Iwantedtolivedeepandsuckoutallthemarrowoflife,tolivesosturdilyandSpartan-likeastoputtoroutallthatwasnotlife,tocutabroadswathandshaveclose,todrivelifeintoacorner,andreduceittoitslowestterms,and,ifitprovedtobemean,whythentogetthewholeandgenuinemeannessofit,andpublishitsmeannesstotheworldorifitweresublime,toknowitbyexperience,andbeabletogiveatrueaccountofitinmynextexcursion.Formostmen,itappearstome,areinastrangeuncertaintyaboutit,whetheritisofthedevilorofGod,andhavesomewhathastilyconcludedthatitisthechiefendofmanhereto“glorifyGodandenjoyhimforever.”
Stillwelivemeanly,likeantsthoughthefabletellsusthatwewerelongagochangedintomenlikepygmieswefightwithcranesitiserroruponerror,andcloutuponclout,andourbestvirtuehasforitsoccasionasuperfluousandevitablewretchedness.Ourlifeisfritteredawaybydetail.Anhonestmanhashardlyneedtocountmorethanhistenfingers,orinextremecaseshemayaddhistentoes,andlumptherest.Simplicity,simplicity,simplicity!Isay,letyouraffairsbeastwoorthree,andnotahundredorathousandinsteadofamillioncounthalfadozen,andkeepyouraccountsonyourthumbnail.Inthemidstofthischoppingseaofcivilizedlife,sucharethecloudsandstormsandquicksandsandthousand-and-oneitemstobeallowedfor,thatamanhastolive,ifhewouldnotfounderandgotothebottomandnotmakehisportatall,bydeadreckoning,andhemustbeagreatcalculatorindeedwhosucceeds.Simplify,simplify.Insteadofthreemealsaday,ifitbenecessaryeatbutoneinsteadofahundreddishes,fiveandreduceotherthin