sitfollowthathecouldnothaveaccomplishedworksyetmoreworthyofhimselfinthatcase?Whenmenbegintodo,notmerelyunnecessaryorartistic,butluxuriousandidlework,withtheirassistance,itisinevitablethatafewdoalltheexchangeworkwiththeoxen,or,inotherwords,becometheslavesofthestrongest.Manthusnotonlyworksfortheanimalwithinhim,but,forasymbolofthis,heworksfortheanimalwithouthim.Thoughwehavemanysubstantialhousesofbrickorstone,theprosperityofthefarmerisstillmeasuredbythedegreetowhichthebarnovershadowsthehouse.Thistownissaidtohavethelargesthousesforoxen,cows,andhorseshereabouts,anditisnotbehindhandinitspublicbuildingsbutthereareveryfewhallsforfreeworshiporfreespeechinthiscounty.Itshouldnotbebytheirarchitecture,butwhynotevenbytheirpowerofabstractthought,thatnationsshouldseektocommemoratethemselves?HowmuchmoreadmirabletheBhagvat-GeetathanalltheruinsoftheEast!Towersandtemplesaretheluxuryofprinces.Asimpleandindependentminddoesnottoilatthebiddingofanyprince.Geniusisnotaretainertoanyemperor,norisitsmaterialsilver,orgold,ormarble,excepttoatriflingextent.Towhatend,pray,issomuchstonehammered?InArcadia,whenIwasthere,Ididnotseeanyhammeringstone.Nationsarepossessedwithaninsaneambitiontoperpetuatethememoryofthemselvesbytheamountofhammeredstonetheyleave.Whatifequalpainsweretakentosmoothandpolishtheirmanners?Onepieceofgoodsensewouldbemorememorablethanamonumentashighasthemoon.Ilovebettertoseestonesinplace.ThegrandeurofThebeswasavulgargrandeur.Moresensibleisarodofstonewallthatboundsanhonestman’sfieldthanahundred-gatedThebesthathaswanderedfartherfromthetrueendoflife.ThereligionandcivilizationwhicharebarbaricandheathenishbuildsplendidtemplesbutwhatyoumightcallChristianitydoesnot.Mostofthestoneanationhammersgoestowarditstombonly.Itburiesitselfalive.AsforthePyramids,thereisnothingtowonderatinthemsomuchasthefactthatsomanymencouldbefounddegradedenoughtospendtheirlivesconstructingatombforsomeambitiousbooby,whomitwouldhavebeenwiserandmanliertohavedrownedintheNile,andthengivenhisbodytothedogs.Imightpossiblyinventsomeexcuseforthemandhim,butIhavenotimeforit.Asforthereligionandloveofartofthebuilders,itismuchthesamealltheworldover,whetherthebuildingbeanEgyptiantempleortheUnitedStatesBank.Itcostsmorethanitcomesto.Themainspringisvanity,assistedbytheloveofgarlicandbreadandbutter.Mr.Balcom,apromisingyoungarchitect,designsitonthebackofhisVitruvius,withhardpencilandruler,andthejobisletouttoDobson&Sons,stonecutters.Whenthethirtycenturiesbegintolookdownonit,mankindbegintolookupatit.Asforyourhightowersandmonuments,therewasacrazyfellowonceinthistownwhoundertooktodigthroughtoChina,andhegotsofarthat,ashesaid,heheardtheChinesepotsandkettlesrattlebutIthinkthatIshallnotgooutofmywaytoadmiretheholewhichhemade.ManyareconcernedaboutthemonumentsoftheWestandtheEast,—toknowwhobuiltthem.Formypart,Ishouldliketoknowwhointhosedaysdidnotbuildthem,—whowereabovesuchtrifling.Buttoproceedwithmystatistics.
Bysurveying,carpentry,andday-laborofvariousotherkindsinthevillageinthemeanwhile,forIhaveasmanytradesasfingers,Ihadearned$13.34.Theexpenseoffoodforeightmonths,namely,fromJuly4thtoMarch1st,thetimewhentheseestimatesweremade,thoughIlivedtheremorethantwoyears,—notcountingpotatoes,alittlegreencorn,andsomepeas,whichIhadraised,norconsideringthevalueofwhatwasonhandatthelastdate,was
Rice,...................$1.73?
Molasses,................1.73Cheapestformofthe
saccharine.
Ryemeal,................1.04?
Indianmeal,.............0.99?Cheaperthanrye.
Pork,....................0.22
Allexperimentswhichfailed:
Flour,...................0.88CostsmorethanIndianmeal,
bothmoneyandtrouble.
Sugar,...................0.80
Lard,....................0.65
Apples,..................0.25
Driedapple,.............0.22
Sweetpotatoes,..........0.10
Onepumpkin,.............0.06
Onewatermelon,..........0.02
Salt,....................0.03
Yes,Idideat$8.74,alltoldbutIshouldnotthusunblushinglypublishmyguilt,ifIdidnotknowthatmostofmyreaderswereequallyguiltywithmyself,andthattheirdeedswouldlooknobetterinprint.ThenextyearIsometimescaughtamessoffishformydinner,andonceIwentsofarastoslaughterawoodchuckwhichravagedmybean-field,—effecthistransmigration,asaTartarwouldsay,—anddevourhim,partlyforexperiment’ssakebutthoughitaffordedmeamomentaryenjoyment,notwithstandingamuskyflavor,Isawthatthelongestusewouldnotmakethatagoodpractice,howeveritmightseemtohaveyourwoodchucksreadydressedbythevillagebutcher.
Clothingandsomeincidentalexpenseswithinthesamedates,thoughlittlecanbeinferredfromthisitem,amountedto
$8.40?
Oilandsomehouseholdutensils,.......2.00
Sothatallthepecuniaryoutgoes,exceptingforwashingandmending,whichforthemostpartweredoneoutofthehouse,andtheirbillshavenotyetbeenreceived,—andtheseareallandmorethanallthewaysbywhichmoneynecessarilygoesoutinthispartoftheworld,—were
House,................................$28.12?
Farmoneyear,..........................14.72?
Foodeightmonths,......................8.74
Clothing,etc.,eightmonths,...........8.40?
Oil,&c.,eightmonths,.................2.00
——————
Inall,...........................$61.99?
Iaddressmyselfnowtothoseofmyreaderswhohavealivingtoget.AndtomeetthisIhaveforfarmproducesold
$23.44
Earnedbyday-labor,...................13.34
——————
Inall,............................$36.78,
whichsubtractedfromthesumoftheoutgoesleavesabalanceof$25.21?ontheoneside,—thisbeingverynearlythemeanswithwhichIstarted,andthemeasureofexpensestobeincurred,—andontheother,besidetheleisureandindependenceandhealththussecured,acomfortablehouseformeaslongasIchoosetooccupyit.
Thesestatistics,howeveraccidentalandthereforeuninstructivetheymayappear,astheyhaveacertaincompleteness,haveacertainvaluealso.NothingwasgivenmeofwhichIhavenotrenderedsomeaccount.Itappearsfromtheaboveestimate,thatmyfoodalonecostmeinmoneyabouttwenty-sevencentsaweek.Itwas,fornearlytwoyearsafterthis,ryeandIndianmealwithoutyeast,potatoes,rice,averylittlesaltpork,molasses,andsalt,andmydrinkwater.ItwasfitthatIshouldliveonrice,mainly,wholovedsowellthephilosophyofIndia.Tomeettheobjectionsofsomeinveteratecavillers,Imayaswellstate,thatifIdinedoutoccasionally,asIalwayshaddone,andItrustshallhaveopportunitiestodoagain,itwasfrequentlytothedetrimentofmydomesticarrangements.Butthediningout,being,asIhavestated,aconstantelement,doesnotintheleastaffectacomparativestatementlikethis.
Ilearnedfrommytwoyears’experiencethatitwouldcostincrediblylittletroubletoobtainone’snecessaryfood,eveninthislatitudethatamanmayuseassimpleadietastheanimals,andyetretainhealthandstrength.Ihavemadeasatisfactorydinner,satisfactoryonseveralaccounts,simplyoffadishofpurslane(Portulacaoleracea)whichIgatheredinmycornfield,boiledandsalted.IgivetheLatinonaccountofthesavorinessofthetrivialname.Andpraywhatmorecanareasonablemandesire,inpeacefultimes,inordinarynoons,thanasufficientnumberofearsofgreensweet-cornboiled,withtheadditionofsalt?EventhelittlevarietywhichIusedwasayieldingtothedemandsofappetite,andnotofhealth.Yetmenhavecometosuchapassthattheyfrequentlystarve,notforwantofnecessaries,butforwantofluxuriesandIknowagoodwomanwhothinksthathersonlosthislifebecausehetooktodrinkingwateronly.
ThereaderwillperceivethatIamtreatingthesubjectratherfromaneconomicthanadieteticpointofview,andhewillnotventuretoputmyabstemiousnesstothetestunlesshehasawell-stockedlarder.
BreadIatfirstmadeofpureIndianmealandsalt,genuinehoe-cakes,whichIbakedbeforemyfireoutofdoorsonashingleortheendofastickoftimbersawedoffinbuildingmyhousebutitwaswonttogetsmokedandtohaveapinyflavor.ItriedflouralsobuthaveatlastfoundamixtureofryeandIndianmealmostconvenientandagreeable.Incoldweatheritwasnolittleamusementtobakeseveralsmallloavesofthisinsuccession,tendingandturningthemascarefullyasanEgyptianhishatchingeggs.TheywerearealcerealfruitwhichIripened,andtheyhadtomysensesafragrancelikethatofothernoblefruits,whichIkeptinaslongaspossiblebywrappingthemincloths.Imadeastudyoftheancientandindispensableartofbread-making,consultingsuchauthoritiesasoffered,goingbacktotheprimitivedaysandfirstinventionoftheunleavenedkind,whenfromthewildnessofnutsandmeatsmenfirstreachedthemildnessandrefinementofthisdiet,andtravellinggraduallydowninmystudiesthroughthataccidentalsouringofthedoughwhich,itissupposed,taughttheleaveningprocess,andthroughthevariousfermentationsthereafter,tillIcameto“good,sweet,wholesomebread,”thestaffoflife.Leaven,whichsomedeemthesoulofbread,thespirituswhichfillsitscellulartissue,whichisreligiouslypreservedlikethevestalfire,—somepreciousbottle-full,Isuppose,firstbroughtoverintheMayflower,didthebusinessforAmerica,anditsinfluenceisstillrising,swelling,spreading,incerealianbillowsovertheland,—thisseedIregularlyandfaithfullyprocuredfromthevillage,tillatlengthonemorningIforgottherules,andscaldedmyyeastbywhichaccidentIdiscoveredthateventhiswasnotindispensable,—formydiscoverieswerenotbythesyntheticbutanalyticprocess,—andIhavegladlyomitteditsince,thoughmosthousewivesearnestlyassuredmethatsafeandwholesomebreadwithoutyeastmightnotbe,andelderlypeopleprophesiedaspeedydecayofthevitalforces.YetIfinditnottobeanessentialingredient,andaftergoingwithoutitforayearamstillinthelandofthelivingandIamgladtoescapethetrivialnessofcarryingabottle-fullinmypocket,whichwouldsometimespopanddischargeitscontentstomydiscomfiture.Itissimplerandmorerespectabletoomitit.Manisananimalwhomorethananyothercanadapthimselftoallclimatesandcircumstances.NeitherdidIputanysalsoda,orotheracidoralkali,intomybread.ItwouldseemthatImadeitaccordingtotherecipewhichMarcusPorciusCatogaveabouttwocenturiesbeforeChrist.“Panemdepsticiumsicfacito.Manusmortariumquebenelavato.Farinaminmortariumindito,aqu?paulatimaddito,subigitoquepulchre.Ubibenesubegeris,defingito,coquitoquesubtestu.”WhichItaketomean—“Makekneadedbreadthus.Washyourhandsandtroughwell.Putthemealintothetrough,addwatergradually,andkneaditthoroughly.Whenyouhavekneadeditwell,mouldit,andbakeitunderacover,”thatis,inabaking-kettle.Notawordaboutleaven.ButIdidnotalwaysusethisstaffoflife.Atonetime,owingtotheemptinessofmypurse,Isawnoneofitformorethanamonth.
EveryNewEnglandermighteasilyraiseallhisownbreadstuffsinthislandofryeandIndiancorn,andnotdependondistantandfluctuatingmarketsforthem.Yetsofararewefromsimplicityandindependencethat,inConcord,freshandsweetmealisrarelysoldintheshops,andhominyandcorninastillcoarserformarehardlyusedbyany.Forthemostpartthefarmergivestohiscattleandhogsthegrainofhisownproducing,andbuysflour,whichisatleastnomorewholesome,atagreatercost,atthestore.IsawthatIcouldeasilyraisemybushelortwoofryeandIndiancorn,fortheformerwillgrowonthepoorestland,andthelatterdoesnotrequirethebest,andgrindtheminahand-mill,andsodowithoutriceandporkandifImusthavesomeconcentratedsweet,IfoundbyexperimentthatIcouldmakeaverygoodmolasseseitherofpumpkinsorbeets,andIknewthatIneededonlytosetoutafewmaplestoobtainitmoreeasilystill,andwhiletheseweregrowingIcouldusevarioussubstitutesbesidethosewhichIhavenamed.“For,”astheForefatherssang,—
“wecanmakeliquortosweetenourlips
Ofpumpkinsandparsnipsandwalnut-treechips.”
Finally,asforsalt,thatgrossestofgroceries,toobtainthismightbeafitoccasionforavisittotheseashore,or,ifIdidwithoutitaltogether,Ishouldprobablydrinkthelesswater.IdonotlearnthattheIndiansevertroubledthemselvestogoafterit.
ThusIcouldavoidalltradeandbarter,sofarasmyfoodwasconcerned,andhavingashelteralready,itwouldonlyremaintogetclothingandfuel.ThepantaloonswhichInowwearwerewoveninafarmer’sfamily,—thankHeaventhereissomuchvirtuestillinmanforIthinkthefallfromthefarmertotheoperativeasgreatandmemorableasthatfromthemantothefarmer—andinanewcou