educatedtothedegreeofconsciousness,butonlytothedegreeoftrustandreverence,andachildisnotmadeaman,butkeptachild.WhenNaturemadehim,shegavehimastrongbodyandcontentmentforhisportion,andproppedhimoneverysidewithreverenceandreliance,thathemightliveouthisthreescoreyearsandtenachild.Hewassogenuineandunsophisticatedthatnointroductionwouldservetointroducehim,morethanifyouintroducedawoodchucktoyourneighbor.Hehadgottofindhimoutasyoudid.Hewouldnotplayanypart.Menpaidhimwagesforwork,andsohelpedtofeedandclothehimbutheneverexchangedopinionswiththem.Hewassosimplyandnaturallyhumble—ifhecanbecalledhumblewhoneveraspires—thathumilitywasnodistinctqualityinhim,norcouldheconceiveofit.Wisermenweredemigodstohim.Ifyoutoldhimthatsuchaonewascoming,hedidasifhethoughtthatanythingsograndwouldexpectnothingofhimself,buttakealltheresponsibilityonitself,andlethimbeforgottenstill.Heneverheardthesoundofpraise.Heparticularlyreverencedthewriterandthepreacher.Theirperformancesweremiracles.WhenItoldhimthatIwroteconsiderably,hethoughtforalongtimethatitwasmerelythehandwritingwhichImeant,forhecouldwritearemarkablygoodhandhimself.Isometimesfoundthenameofhisnativeparishhandsomelywritteninthesnowbythehighway,withtheproperFrenchaccent,andknewthathehadpassed.Iaskedhimifheeverwishedtowritehisthoughts.Hesaidthathehadreadandwrittenlettersforthosewhocouldnot,buthenevertriedtowritethoughts,—no,hecouldnot,hecouldnottellwhattoputfirst,itwouldkillhim,andthentherewasspellingtobeattendedtoatthesametime!
IheardthatadistinguishedwisemanandreformeraskedhimifhedidnotwanttheworldtobechangedbutheansweredwithachuckleofsurpriseinhisCanadianaccent,notknowingthatthequestionhadeverbeenentertainedbefore,“No,Ilikeitwellenough.”Itwouldhavesuggestedmanythingstoaphilosophertohavedealingswithhim.ToastrangerheappearedtoknownothingofthingsingeneralyetIsometimessawinhimamanwhomIhadnotseenbefore,andIdidnotknowwhetherhewasaswiseasShakespeareorassimplyignorantasachild,whethertosuspecthimofafinepoeticconsciousnessorofstupidity.Atownsmantoldmethatwhenhemethimsaunteringthroughthevillageinhissmallclose-fittingcap,andwhistlingtohimself,heremindedhimofaprinceindis