01-economy-第13章

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travel　by　that　time。　　This　spending　of　the　best　part　of　one's　life

earning　money　in　order　to　enjoy　a　questionable　liberty　during　the

least　valuable　part　of　it　reminds　me　of　the　Englishman　who　went　to

India　to　make　a　fortune　first；　in　order　that　he　might　return　to

England　and　live　the　life　of　a　poet。　　He　should　have　gone　up　garret

at　once。　　〃What！〃　exclaim　a　million　Irishmen　starting　up　from　all

the　shanties　in　the　land；　〃is　not　this　railroad　which　we　have　built

a　good　thing？〃　　Yes；　I　answer；　comparatively　good；　that　is；　you

might　have　done　worse；　but　I　wish；　as　you　are　brothers　of　mine；　that

you　could　have　spent　your　time　better　than　digging　in　this　dirt。

　　　　Before　I　finished　my　house；　wishing　to　earn　ten　or　twelve

dollars　by　some　honest　and　agreeable　method；　in　order　to　meet　my

unusual　expenses；　I　planted　about　two　acres　and　a　half　of　light　and

sandy　soil　near　it　chiefly　with　beans；　but　also　a　small　part　with

potatoes；　corn；　peas；　and　turnips。　　The　whole　lot　contains　eleven

acres；　mostly　growing　up　to　pines　and　hickories；　and　was　sold　the

preceding　season　for　eight　dollars　and　eight　cents　an　acre。　　One

farmer　said　that　it　was　〃good　for　nothing　but　to　raise　cheeping

squirrels　on。〃　　I　put　no　manure　whatever　on　this　land；　not　being　the

owner；　but　merely　a　squatter；　and　not　expecting　to　cultivate　so　much

again；　and　I　did　not　quite　hoe　it　all　once。　　I　got　out　several　cords

of　stumps　in　plowing；　which　supplied　me　with　fuel　for　a　long　time；

and　left　small　circles　of　virgin　mould；　easily　distinguishable

through　the　summer　by　the　greater　luxuriance　of　the　beans　there。

The　dead　and　for　the　most　part　unmerchantable　wood　behind　my　house；

and　the　driftwood　from　the　pond；　have　supplied　the　remainder　of　my

fuel。　　I　was　obliged　to　hire　a　team　and　a　man　for　the　plowing；

though　I　held　the　plow　myself。　　My　farm　outgoes　for　the　first　season

were；　for　implements；　seed；　work；　etc。；　14。72＋。　　The　seed　corn　was

given　me。　　This　never　costs　anything　to　speak　of；　unless　you　plant

more　than　enough。　　I　got　twelve　bushels　of　beans；　and　eighteen

bushels　of　potatoes；　beside　some　peas　and　sweet　corn。　　The　yellow

corn　and　turnips　were　too　late　to　come　to　anything。　　My　whole　income

from　the　farm　was

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　23。44

　　　　　　Deducting　the　outgoes　。。。。。。。。。。。。　　14。72＋

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…

　　　　　　There　are　left　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　　8。71＋



beside　produce　consumed　and　on　hand　at　the　time　this　estimate　was

made　of　the　value　of　4。50　　the　amount　on　hand　much　more　than

balancing　a　little　grass　which　I　did　not　raise。　　All　things

considered；　that　is；　considering　the　importance　of　a　man's　soul　and

of　today；　notwithstanding　the　short　time　occupied　by　my　experiment；

nay；　partly　even　because　of　its　transient　character；　I　believe　that

that　was　doing　better　than　any　farmer　in　Concord　did　that　year。

　　　　The　next　year　I　did　better　still；　for　I　spaded　up　all　the　land

which　I　required；　about　a　third　of　an　acre；　and　I　learned　from　the

experience　of　both　years；　not　being　in　the　least　awed　by　many

celebrated　works　on　husbandry；　Arthur　Young　among　the　rest；　that　if

one　would　live　simply　and　eat　only　the　crop　which　he　raised；　and

raise　no　more　than　he　ate；　and　not　exchange　it　for　an　insufficient

quantity　of　more　luxurious　and　expensive　things；　he　would　need　to

cultivate　only　a　few　rods　of　ground；　and　that　it　would　be　cheaper　to

spade　up　that　than　to　use　oxen　to　plow　it；　and　to　select　a　fresh

spot　from　time　to　time　than　to　manure　the　old；　and　he　could　do　all

his　necessary　farm　work　as　it　were　with　his　left　hand　at　odd　hours

in　the　summer；　and　thus　he　would　not　be　tied　to　an　ox；　or　horse；　or

cow；　or　pig；　as　at　present。　　I　desire　to　speak　impartially　on　this

point；　and　as　one　not　interested　in　the　success　or　failure　of　the

present　economical　and　social　arrangements。　　I　was　more　independent

than　any　farmer　in　Concord；　for　I　was　not　anchored　to　a　house　or

farm；　but　could　follow　the　bent　of　my　genius；　which　is　a　very

crooked　one；　every　moment。　　Beside　being　better　off　than　they

already；　if　my　house　had　been　burned　or　my　crops　had　failed；　I

should　have　been　nearly　as　well　off　as　before。

　　　　I　am　wont　to　think　that　men　are　not　so　much　the　keepers　of　herds

as　herds　are　the　keepers　of　men；　the　former　are　so　much　the　freer。

Men　and　oxen　exchange　work；　but　if　we　consider　necessary　work　only；

the　oxen　will　be　seen　to　have　greatly　the　advantage；　their　farm　is

so　much　the　larger。　　Man　does　some　of　his　part　of　the　exchange　work

in　his　six　weeks　of　haying；　and　it　is　no　boy's　play。　　Certainly　no

nation　that　lived　simply　in　all　respects；　that　is；　no　nation　of

philosophers；　would　commit　so　great　a　blunder　as　to　use　the　labor　of

animals。　　True；　there　never　was　and　is　not　likely　soon　to　be　a

nation　of　philosophers；　nor　am　I　certain　it　is　desirable　that　there

should　be。　　However；　I　should　never　have　broken　a　horse　or　bull　and

taken　him　to　board　for　any　work　he　might　do　for　me；　for　fear　I

should　become　a　horseman　or　a　herdsman　merely；　and　if　society　seems

to　be　the　gainer　by　so　doing；　are　we　certain　that　what　is　one　man's

gain　is　not　another's　loss；　and　that　the　stable…boy　has　equal　cause

with　his　master　to　be　satisfied？　　Granted　that　some　public　works

would　not　have　been　constructed　without　this　aid；　and　let　man　share

the　glory　of　such　with　the　ox　and　horse；　does　it　follow　that　he

could　not　have　accomplished　works　yet　more　worthy　of　himself　in　that

case？　　When　men　begin　to　do；　not　merely　unnecessary　or　artistic；　but

luxurious　and　idle　work；　with　their　assistance；　it　is　inevitable

that　a　few　do　all　the　exchange　work　with　the　oxen；　or；　in　other

words；　become　the　slaves　of　the　strongest。　　Man　thus　not　only　works

for　the　animal　within　him；　but；　for　a　symbol　of　this；　he　works　for

the　animal　without　him。　　Though　we　have　many　substantial　houses　of

brick　or　stone；　the　prosperity　of　the　farmer　is　still　measured　by

the　degree　to　which　the　barn　overshadows　the　house。　　This　town　is

said　to　have　the　largest　houses　for　oxen；　cows；　and　horses

hereabouts；　and　it　is　not　behindhand　in　its　public　buildings；　but

there　are　very　few　halls　for　free　worship　or　free　speech　in　this

county。　　It　should　not　be　by　their　architecture；　but　why　not　even　by

their　power　of　abstract　thought；　that　nations　should　seek　to

commemorate　themselves？　　How　much　more　admirable　the　Bhagvat…Geeta

than　all　the　ruins　of　the　East！　　Towers　and　temples　are　the　luxury

of　princes。　　A　simple　and　independent　mind　does　not　toil　at　the

bidding　of　any　prince。　　Genius　is　not　a　retainer　to　any　emperor；　nor

is　its　material　silver；　or　gold；　or　marble；　except　to　a　trifling

extent。　　To　what　end；　pray；　is　so　much　stone　hammered？　　In　Arcadia；

when　I　was　there；　I　did　not　see　any　hammering　stone。　　Nations　are

possessed　with　an　insane　ambition　to　perpetuate　the　memory　of

themselves　by　the　amount　of　hammered　stone　they　leave。　　What　if

equal　pains　were　taken　to　smooth　and　polish　their　manners？　　One

piece　of　good　sense　would　be　more　memorable　than　a　monument　as　high

as　the　moon。　　I　love　better　to　see　stones　in　place。　　The　grandeur　of

Thebes　was　a　vulgar　grandeur。　　More　sensible　is　a　rod　of　stone　wall

that　bounds　an　honest　man's　field　than　a　hundred…gated　Thebes　that

has　wandered　farther　from　the　true　end　of　life。　　The　religion　and

civilization　which　are　barbaric　and　heathenish　build　splendid

temples；　but　what　you　might　call　Christianity　does　not。　　Most　of　the

stone　a　nation　hammers　goes　toward　its　tomb　only。　　It　buries　itself

alive。　　As　for　the　Pyramids；　there　is　nothing　to　wonder　at　in　them

so　much　as　the　fact　that　so　many　men　could　be　found　degraded　enough

to　spend　their　lives　constructing　a　tomb　for　some　ambitious　booby；

whom　it　would　have　been　wiser　and　manlier　to　have　drowned　in　the

Nile；　and　then　given　his　body　to　the　dogs。　　I　might　possibly　invent

some　excuse　for　them　and　him；　but　I　have　no　time　for　it。　　As　for　the

religion　and　love　of　art　of　the　builders；　it　is　much