ly,sofarashewasconcerned.Thisdoublenessmayeasilymakeuspoorneighborsandfriendssometimes.
Ifinditwholesometobealonethegreaterpartofthetime.Tobeincompany,evenwiththebest,issoonwearisomeanddissipating.Ilovetobealone.Ineverfoundthecompanionthatwassocompanionableassolitude.Weareforthemostpartmorelonelywhenwegoabroadamongmenthanwhenwestayinourchambers.Amanthinkingorworkingisalwaysalone,lethimbewherehewill.Solitudeisnotmeasuredbythemilesofspacethatintervenebetweenamanandhisfellows.ThereallydiligentstudentinoneofthecrowdedhivesofCambridgeCollegeisassolitaryasadervishinthedesert.Thefarmercanworkaloneinthefieldorthewoodsallday,hoeingorchopping,andnotfeellonesome,becauseheisemployedbutwhenhecomeshomeatnighthecannotsitdowninaroomalone,atthemercyofhisthoughts,butmustbewherehecan“seethefolks,”andrecreate,andashethinksremuneratehimselfforhisday’ssolitudeandhencehewondershowthestudentcansitaloneinthehouseallnightandmostofthedaywithoutennuiand“theblues”buthedoesnotrealizethatthestudent,thoughinthehouse,isstillatworkinhisfield,andchoppinginhiswoods,asthefarmerinhis,andinturnseeksthesamerecreationandsocietythatthelatterdoes,thoughitmaybeamorecondensedformofit.
Societyiscommonlytoocheap.Wemeetatveryshortintervals,nothavinghadtimetoacquireanynewvalueforeachother.Wemeetatmealsthreetimesaday,andgiveeachotheranewtasteofthatoldmustycheesethatweare.Wehavehadtoagreeonacertainsetofrules,calledetiquetteandpoliteness,tomakethisfrequentmeetingtolerableandthatweneednotcometoopenwar.Wemeetatthepost-office,andatthesociable,andaboutthefiresideeverynightwelivethickandareineachother’sway,andstumbleoveroneanother,andIthinkthatwethuslosesomerespectforoneanother.Certainlylessfrequencywouldsufficeforallimportantandheartycommunications.Considerthegirlsinafactory,—neveralone,hardlyintheirdreams.Itwouldbebetteriftherewerebutoneinhabitanttoasquaremile,aswhereIlive.Thevalueof