y,Mythology!—Iknowofnoreadingofanother’sexperiencesostartlingandinformingasthiswouldbe.
ThegreaterpartofwhatmyneighborscallgoodIbelieveinmysoultobebad,andifIrepentofanything,itisverylikelytobemygoodbehavior.WhatdemonpossessedmethatIbehavedsowell?Youmaysaythewisestthingyoucan,oldman,—youwhohavelivedseventyyears,notwithouthonorofakind,—Ihearanirresistiblevoicewhichinvitesmeawayfromallthat.Onegenerationabandonstheenterprisesofanotherlikestrandedvessels.
Ithinkthatwemaysafelytrustagooddealmorethanwedo.Wemaywaivejustsomuchcareofourselvesaswehonestlybestowelsewhere.Natureisaswelladaptedtoourweaknessastoourstrength.Theincessantanxietyandstrainofsomeisawellnighincurableformofdisease.Wearemadetoexaggeratetheimportanceofwhatworkwedoandyethowmuchisnotdonebyus!or,whatifwehadbeentakensick?Howvigilantweare!determinednottolivebyfaithifwecanavoiditallthedaylongonthealert,atnightweunwillinglysayourprayersandcommitourselvestouncertainties.Sothoroughlyandsincerelyarewecompelledtolive,reverencingourlife,anddenyingthepossibilityofchange.Thisistheonlyway,wesaybutthereareasmanywaysastherecanbedrawnradiifromonecentre.Allchangeisamiracletocontemplatebutitisamiraclewhichistakingplaceeveryinstant.Confuciussaid,“Toknowthatweknowwhatweknow,andthatwedonotknowwhatwedonotknow,thatistrueknowledge.”Whenonemanhasreducedafactoftheimaginationtobeafacttohisunderstanding,Iforeseethatallmenatlengthestablishtheirlivesonthatbasis.
LetusconsiderforamomentwhatmostofthetroubleandanxietywhichIhavereferredtoisabout,andhowmuchitisnecessarythatwebetroubled,or,atleast,careful.Itwouldbesomeadvantagetoliveaprimitiveandfrontierlife,thoughinthemidstofanoutwardcivilization,ifonlytolearnwhatarethegrossnecessariesoflifeandwhatmethodshavebeentakentoobtainthemoreventolookovertheoldday-booksofthemerchants,toseewhatitwasthatmenmostcommonlyboughtatthestores,whattheystored,thatis,whatarethegrossestgroceries.Fortheimprovementsofageshavehadbutlittleinfluenceontheessentiallawsofman’sexistenceasourskeletons,probably,arenottobedistinguishedfromthoseofourancestors.
Bythewords,necessaryoflife,Imeanwhatever,ofallthatmanobtainsbyhisownexertions,hasbeenfromthefirst,orfromlongusehasbecome,soimportanttohumanlifethatfew,ifany,whetherfromsavageness,orpoverty,orphilosophy,everattempttodowithoutit.Tomanycreaturesthereisinthissensebutonenecessaryoflife,Food.Tothebisonoftheprairieitisafewinchesofpalatablegrass,withwatertodrinkunlessheseekstheShelteroftheforestorthemountain’sshadow.NoneofthebrutecreationrequiresmorethanFoodandShelter.Thenecessariesoflifeformaninthisclimatemay,accuratelyenough,bedistributedundertheseveralheadsofFood,Shelter,Clothing,andFuelfornottillwehavesecuredthesearewepreparedtoentertainthetrueproblemsoflifewithfreedomandaprospectofsuccess.Manhasinvented,notonlyhouses,butclothesandcookedfoodandpossiblyfromtheaccidentaldiscoveryofthewarmthoffire,andtheconsequentuseofit,atfirstaluxury,arosethepresentnecessitytositbyit.Weobservecatsanddogsacquiringthesamesecondnature.ByproperShelterandClothingwelegitimatelyretainourowninternalheatbutwithanexcessofthese,orofFuel,thatis,withanexternalheatgreaterthanourowninternal,maynotcookeryproperlybesaidtobegin?Darwin,thenaturalist,saysoftheinhabitantsofTierradelFuego,thatwhilehisownparty,whowerewellclothedandsittingclosetoafire,werefarfromtoowarm,thesenakedsavages,whowerefartheroff,wereobserved,tohisgreatsurprise,“tobestreamingwithperspirationatundergoingsucharoasting.”So,wearetold,theNewHollandergoesnakedwithimpunity,whiletheEuropeanshiversinhisclothes.Isitimpossibletocombinethehardinessofthesesavageswiththeintellectualnessofthecivilizedman?AccordingtoLiebig,man’sbodyisastove,andfoodthefuelwhichkeepsuptheinternalcombustioninthelungs.Incoldweatherweeatmore,inwarmless.Theanimalheatistheresultofaslowcombustion,anddiseaseanddeathtakeplacewhenthisistoorapidorforwantoffuel,orfromsomedefectinthedraught,thefiregoesout.Ofcoursethevitalheatisnottobeconfoundedwithfirebutsomuchforanalogy.Itappears,therefore,fromtheabovelist,thattheexpression,animallife,isnearlysynonymouswiththeexpression,animalheatforwhileFoodmayberegardedastheFuelwhichkeepsupthefirewithinus,—andFuelservesonlytopreparethatFoodortoincreasethewarmthofourbodiesbyadditionfromwithout,—ShelterandClothingalsoserveonlytoretaintheheatthusgeneratedandabsorbed.
Thegrandnecessity,then,forourbodies,istokeepwarm,tokeepthevitalheatinus.Whatpainsweaccordinglytake,notonlywithourFood,andClothing,andShelter,butwithourbeds,whichareournight-clothes,robbingthenestsandbreastsofbirdstopreparethisshelterwithinashelter,asthemolehasitsbedofgrassandleavesattheendofitsburrow!Thepoormaniswonttocomplainthatthisisacoldworldandtocold,nolessphysicalthansocial,wereferdirectlyagreatpartofourails.Thesummer,insomeclimates,makespossibletomanasortofElysianlife.Fuel,excepttocookhisFood,isthenunnecessarythesunishisfire,andmanyofthefruitsaresufficientlycookedbyitsrayswhileFoodgenerallyismorevarious,andmoreeasilyobtained,andClothingandShelterarewhollyorhalfunnecessary.Atthepresentday,andinthiscountry,asIfindbymyownexperience,afewimplements,aknife,anaxe,aspade,awheelbarrow,&c.,andforthestudious,lamplight,stationery,andaccesstoafewbooks,ranknexttonecessaries,andcanallbeobtainedatatriflingcost.Yetsome,notwise,gototheothersideoftheglobe,tobarbarousandunhealthyregions,anddevotethemselvestotradefortenortwentyyears,inorderthattheymaylive,—thatis,keepcomfortablywarm,—anddieinNewEnglandatlast.Theluxuriouslyricharenotsimplykeptcomfortablywarm,butunnaturallyhotasIimpliedbefore,theyarecooked,ofcourseàlamode.
Mostoftheluxuries,andmanyofthesocalledcomfortsoflife,arenotonlynotindispensable,butpositivehindrancestotheelevationofmankind.Withrespecttoluxuriesandcomforts,thewisesthaveeverlivedamoresimpleandmeagrelifethanthepoor.Theancientphilosophers,Chinese,Hindoo,Persian,andGreek,wereaclassthanwhichnonehasbeenpoorerinoutwardriches,nonesorichininward.Weknownotmuchaboutthem.Itisremarkablethatweknowsomuchofthemaswedo.Thesameistrueofthemoremodernreformersandbenefactorsoftheirrace.Nonecanbeanimpartialorwiseobserverofhumanlifebutfromthevantagegroundofwhatweshouldcallvoluntarypoverty.Ofalifeofluxurythefruitisluxury,whetherinagriculture,orcommerce,orliterature,orart.Therearenowadaysprofessorsofphilosophy,butnotphilosophers.Yetitisadmirabletoprofessbecauseitwasonceadmirabletolive.Tobeaphilosopherisnotmerelytohavesubtlethoughts,noreventofoundaschool,butsotolovewisdomastoliveaccordingtoitsdictates,alifeofsimplicity,independence,magnanimity,andtrust.Itistosolvesomeoftheproblemsoflife,notonlytheoretically,butpractically.Thesuccessofgreatscholarsandthinkersiscommonlyacourtier-likesuccess,notkingly,notmanly.Theymakeshifttolivemerelybyconformity,practicallyastheirfathersdid,andareinnosensetheprogenitorsofanoblerraceofmen.Butwhydomendegenerateever?Whatmakesfamiliesrunout?Whatisthenatureoftheluxurywhichenervatesanddestroysnations?Arewesurethatthereisnoneofitinourownlives?Thephilosopherisinadvanceofhisageevenintheoutwardformofhislife.Heisnotfed,sheltered,clothed,warmed,likehiscontemporaries.Howcanamanbeaphilosopherandnotmaintainhisvitalheatbybettermethodsthanothermen?
WhenamaniswarmedbytheseveralmodeswhichIhavedescribed,whatdoeshewantnext?Surelynotmorewarmthofthesamekind,asmoreandricherfood,largerandmoresplendidhouses,finerandmoreabundantclothing,morenumerousincessantandhotterfires,andthelike.Whenhehasobtainedthosethingswhicharenecessarytolife,thereisanotheralternativethantoobtainthesuperfluitiesandthatis,toadventureonlifenow,hisvacationfromhumblertoilhavingcommenced.Thesoil,itappears,issuitedtotheseed,forithassentitsradicledownward,anditmaynowsenditsshootupwardalsowithconfidence.Whyhasmanrootedhimselfthusfirmlyintheearth,butthathemayriseinthesameproportionintotheheavensabove?—forthenoblerplantsarevaluedforthefruittheybearatlastintheairandlight,farfromtheground,andarenottreatedlikethehumbleresculents,which,thoughtheymaybebiennials,arecultivatedonlytilltheyhaveperfectedtheirroot,andoftencutdownattopforthispurpose,sothatmostwouldnotknowthemintheirfloweringseason.
Idonotmeantoprescriberulestostrongandvaliantnatures,whowillmindtheirownaffairswhetherinheavenorhell,andperchancebuildmoremagnificentlyandspendmorelavishlythantherichest,withouteverimpoverishingthemselves,notknowinghowtheylive,—if,indeed,thereareanysuch,ashasbeendreamednortothosewhofindtheirencouragementandinspirationinpreciselythepresentconditionofthings,andcherishitwiththefondnessandenthusiasmoflovers,—and,tosomeextent,IreckonmyselfinthisnumberIdonotspeaktothosewhoarewellemployed,inwhatevercircumstances,andtheyknowwhethertheyarewellemployedornot—butmainlytothemassofmenwhoarediscontented,andidlycomplainingofthehardnessoftheirlotorofthetimes,whentheymightimprovethem.Therearesomewhocomplainmostenergeticallyandinconsolablyofany,becausetheyare,astheysay,doingtheirduty.Ialsohaveinmymindthatseeminglywealthy,butmostterriblyimpoverishedclassofall,whohaveaccumulateddross,butknownothowtouseit,orgetridofit,andthushaveforgedtheirowngoldenorsilverfetters.
IfIshouldattempttotellhowIhavedesiredtospendmylifeinyearspast,itwouldprobablysurprisethoseofmyreaderswhoaresomewhatacquaintedwithitsactualhistoryitwouldcertainlyastonishthosewhoknownothingaboutit.IwillonlyhintatsomeoftheenterpriseswhichIhavecherished.
Inanyweather,atanyhourofthedayornight,Ihavebeenanxioustoimprovethenickoftime,andnotchitonmysticktootostandonthemeetingoftwoeternities,thepastandfuture,whichispreciselythepresentmomenttotoethatline.Youwillpardonsomeobscurities,fortherearemoresecretsinmytradethaninmostmen’s,andyetnotvoluntarilykept,butinseparablefromitsverynature.IwouldgladlytellallthatIknowaboutit,andneverpaint“NoAdmittance”onmygate.
Ilongagolostahound,abayhorse,andaturtle-dove,andamstillontheirtrail.ManyarethetravellersIhavespokenconcerningthem,describingtheirtracksandwhatcallstheyansweredto.Ihavemetoneortwowhohadheardthehound,andthetrampofthehorse,andevenseenthedovedisappearbehindacloud,andtheyseemedasanxioustorecoverthemasiftheyhadlostthemthemselves.
Toanticipate,notthesunriseandthedawnmerely,but,ifpossible,Natureherself!Howmanymornings,summerandwinter,beforeyetanyneighborwasstirringabouthisbusiness,haveIbeenaboutmine!Nodoubt,manyofmytownsmenhavemetmereturningfromthisenterprise,farmersstartingforBostoninthetwilight,orwoodchoppersgoingtotheirwork.Itistrue,Ineverassistedthesunmateriallyinhisrising,but,doubtnot,itwasofthelastimportanceonlytobepresentatit.
Somanyautumn,ay,andwinterdays,spentoutsidethetown,tryingtohearwhatwasinthewind,tohearandcarryitexpress!Iwell-nighsunkallmycapitalinit,andlostmyownbreathintothebargain,runninginthefaceofit.Ifithadconcernedeitherofthepoliticalparties,dependuponit,itwouldhaveappearedintheGazettewiththeearliestintelligence.Atothertimeswatchingfromtheobservatoryofsomecliffortree,totelegraphanynewarrivalorwaitingateveningonthehill-topsfortheskytofall,thatImightcatchsomething,thoughInevercaughtmuch,andthat,manna-wise,woulddissolveagaininthesun.
ForalongtimeIwasreportertoajournal,ofnoverywidecirculation,whoseeditorhasneveryetseenfittoprintthebulkofmycontributions,and,asistoocommonwithwriters,Igotonlymylaborformypains.However,inthiscasemypainsweretheirownreward.
FormanyyearsIwasself-appointedinspectorofsnowstormsandrainstorms,anddidmydutyfaithfullysurveyor,ifnotofhighways,thenofforestpathsandallacross-lotroutes,keepingthemopen,andravinesbridgedandpassableatallseasons,wherethepublicheelhadtestifiedtotheirutility.
Ihavelookedafterthewildstockofthetown,whichgiveafaithfulherdsmanagooddealoftroublebyleapingfencesandIhavehadaneyetotheun