ehighestthatheappearedtoconceiveofwasasimpleexpediency,suchasyoumightexpectananimaltoappreciateandthis,practically,istrueofmostmen.IfIsuggestedanyimprovementinhismodeoflife,hemerelyanswered,withoutexpressinganyregret,thatitwastoolate.Yethethoroughlybelievedinhonestyandthelikevirtues.
Therewasacertainpositiveoriginality,howeverslight,tobedetectedinhim,andIoccasionallyobservedthathewasthinkingforhimselfandexpressinghisownopinion,aphenomenonsorarethatIwouldanydaywalktenmilestoobserveit,anditamountedtothere-originationofmanyoftheinstitutionsofsociety.Thoughhehesitated,andperhapsfailedtoexpresshimselfdistinctly,healwayshadapresentablethoughtbehind.Yethisthinkingwassoprimitiveandimmersedinhisanimallife,that,thoughmorepromisingthanamerelylearnedman’s,itrarelyripenedtoanythingwhichcanbereported.Hesuggestedthattheremightbemenofgeniusinthelowestgradesoflife,howeverpermanentlyhumbleandilliterate,whotaketheirownviewalways,ordonotpretendtoseeatallwhoareasbottomlessevenasWaldenPondwasthoughttobe,thoughtheymaybedarkandmuddy.
Manyatravellercameoutofhiswaytoseemeandtheinsideofmyhouse,and,asanexcuseforcalling,askedforaglassofwater.ItoldthemthatIdrankatthepond,andpointedthither,offeringtolendthemadipper.FaroffasIlived,Iwasnotexemptedfromtheannualvisitationwhichoccurs,methinks,aboutthefirstofApril,wheneverybodyisonthemoveandIhadmyshareofgoodluck,thoughthereweresomecuriousspecimensamongmyvisitors.Half-wittedmenfromthealmshouseandelsewherecametoseemebutIendeavoredtomakethemexerciseallthewittheyhad,andmaketheirconfessionstomeinsuchcasesmakingwitthethemeofourconversationandsowascompensated.Indeed,Ifoundsomeofthemtobewiserthanthesocalledoverseersofthepoorandselectmenofthetown,andthoughtitwastimethatthetableswereturned.Withrespecttowit,Ilearnedthattherewasnotmuchdifferencebetweenthehalfandthewhole.Oneday,inparticular,aninoffensive,simple-mindedpauper,whomwithothersIhadoftenseenusedasfencingstuff,standingorsittingonabushelinthefieldstokeepcattleandhimselffromstraying,visitedme,andexpressedawishtoliveasIdid.Hetoldme,withtheutmostsimplicityandtruth,quitesuperior,orratherinferior,toanyth