01-economy-第2章

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something　against　a　sick　day；　something　to　be　tucked　away　in　an　old

chest；　or　in　a　stocking　behind　the　plastering；　or；　more　safely；　in

the　brick　bank；　no　matter　where；　no　matter　how　much　or　how　little。

　　　　I　sometimes　wonder　that　we　can　be　so　frivolous；　I　may　almost

say；　as　to　attend　to　the　gross　but　somewhat　foreign　form　of

servitude　called　Negro　Slavery；　there　are　so　many　keen　and　subtle

masters　that　enslave　both　North　and　South。　　It　is　hard　to　have　a

Southern　overseer；　it　is　worse　to　have　a　Northern　one；　but　worst　of

all　when　you　are　the　slave…driver　of　yourself。　　Talk　of　a　divinity

in　man！　　Look　at　the　teamster　on　the　highway；　wending　to　market　by

day　or　night；　does　any　divinity　stir　within　him？　　His　highest　duty

to　fodder　and　water　his　horses！　　What　is　his　destiny　to　him　compared

with　the　shipping　interests？　　Does　not　he　drive　for　Squire

Make…a…stir？　　How　godlike；　how　immortal；　is　he？　　See　how　he　cowers

and　sneaks；　how　vaguely　all　the　day　he　fears；　not　being　immortal　nor

divine；　but　the　slave　and　prisoner　of　his　own　opinion　of　himself；　a

fame　won　by　his　own　deeds。　　Public　opinion　is　a　weak　tyrant　compared

with　our　own　private　opinion。　　What　a　man　thinks　of　himself；　that　it

is　which　determines；　or　rather　indicates；　his　fate。

Self…emancipation　even　in　the　West　Indian　provinces　of　the　fancy　and

imagination　　what　Wilberforce　is　there　to　bring　that　about？

Think；　also；　of　the　ladies　of　the　land　weaving　toilet　cushions

against　the　last　day；　not　to　betray　too　green　an　interest　in　their

fates！　　As　if　you　could　kill　time　without　injuring　eternity。

　　　　The　mass　of　men　lead　lives　of　quiet　desperation。　　What　is　called

resignation　is　confirmed　desperation。　　From　the　desperate　city　you

go　into　the　desperate　country；　and　have　to　console　yourself　with　the

bravery　of　minks　and　muskrats。　　A　stereotyped　but　unconscious

despair　is　concealed　even　under　what　are　called　the　games　and

amusements　of　mankind。　　There　is　no　play　in　them；　for　this　comes

after　work。　　But　it　is　a　characteristic　of　wisdom　not　to　do

desperate　things。

　　　　When　we　consider　what；　to　use　the　words　of　the　catechism；　is　the

chief　end　of　man；　and　what　are　the　true　necessaries　and　means　of

life；　it　appears　as　if　men　had　deliberately　chosen　the　common　mode

of　living　because　they　preferred　it　to　any　other。　　Yet　they　honestly

think　there　is　no　choice　left。　　But　alert　and　healthy　natures

remember　that　the　sun　rose　clear。　　It　is　never　too　late　to　give　up

our　prejudices。　　No　way　of　thinking　or　doing；　however　ancient；　can

be　trusted　without　proof。　　What　everybody　echoes　or　in　silence

passes　by　as　true　to…day　may　turn　out　to　be　falsehood　to…morrow；

mere　smoke　of　opinion；　which　some　had　trusted　for　a　cloud　that　would

sprinkle　fertilizing　rain　on　their　fields。　　What　old　people　say　you

cannot　do；　you　try　and　find　that　you　can。　　Old　deeds　for　old　people；

and　new　deeds　for　new。　　Old　people　did　not　know　enough　once；

perchance；　to　fetch　fresh　fuel　to　keep　the　fire　a…going；　new　people

put　a　little　dry　wood　under　a　pot；　and　are　whirled　round　the　globe

with　the　speed　of　birds；　in　a　way　to　kill　old　people；　as　the　phrase

is。　　Age　is　no　better；　hardly　so　well；　qualified　for　an　instructor

as　youth；　for　it　has　not　profited　so　much　as　it　has　lost。　　One　may

almost　doubt　if　the　wisest　man　has　learned　anything　of　absolute

value　by　living。　　Practically；　the　old　have　no　very　important　advice

to　give　the　young；　their　own　experience　has　been　so　partial；　and

their　lives　have　been　such　miserable　failures；　for　private　reasons；

as　they　must　believe；　and　it　may　be　that　they　have　some　faith　left

which　belies　that　experience；　and　they　are　only　less　young　than　they

were。　　I　have　lived　some　thirty　years　on　this　planet；　and　I　have　yet

to　hear　the　first　syllable　of　valuable　or　even　earnest　advice　from

my　seniors。　　They　have　told　me　nothing；　and　probably　cannot　tell　me

anything　to　the　purpose。　　Here　is　life；　an　experiment　to　a　great

extent　untried　by　me；　but　it　does　not　avail　me　that　they　have　tried

it。　　If　I　have　any　experience　which　I　think　valuable；　I　am　sure　to

reflect　that　this　my　Mentors　said　nothing　about。

　　　　One　farmer　says　to　me；　〃You　cannot　live　on　vegetable　food

solely；　for　it　furnishes　nothing　to　make　bones　with〃；　and　so　he

religiously　devotes　a　part　of　his　day　to　supplying　his　system　with

the　raw　material　of　bones；　walking　all　the　while　he　talks　behind　his

oxen；　which；　with　vegetable…made　bones；　jerk　him　and　his　lumbering

plow　along　in　spite　of　every　obstacle。　　Some　things　are　really

necessaries　of　life　in　some　circles；　the　most　helpless　and　diseased；

which　in　others　are　luxuries　merely；　and　in　others　still　are

entirely　unknown。

　　　　The　whole　ground　of　human　life　seems　to　some　to　have　been　gone

over　by　their　predecessors；　both　the　heights　and　the　valleys；　and

all　things　to　have　been　cared　for。　　According　to　Evelyn；　〃the　wise

Solomon　prescribed　ordinances　for　the　very　distances　of　trees；　and

the　Roman　praetors　have　decided　how　often　you　may　go　into　your

neighbor's　land　to　gather　the　acorns　which　fall　on　it　without

trespass；　and　what　share　belongs　to　that　neighbor。〃　　Hippocrates　has

even　left　directions　how　we　should　cut　our　nails；　that　is；　even　with

the　ends　of　the　fingers；　neither　shorter　nor　longer。　　Undoubtedly

the　very　tedium　and　ennui　which　presume　to　have　exhausted　the

variety　and　the　joys　of　life　are　as　old　as　Adam。　　But　man's

capacities　have　never　been　measured；　nor　are　we　to　judge　of　what　he

can　do　by　any　precedents；　so　little　has　been　tried。　　Whatever　have

been　thy　failures　hitherto；　〃be　not　afflicted；　my　child；　for　who

shall　assign　to　thee　what　thou　hast　left　undone？〃

　　　　We　might　try　our　lives　by　a　thousand　simple　tests；　as；　for

instance；　that　the　same　sun　which　ripens　my　beans　illumines　at　once

a　system　of　earths　like　ours。　　If　I　had　remembered　this　it　would

have　prevented　some　mistakes。　　This　was　not　the　light　in　which　I

hoed　them。　　The　stars　are　the　apexes　of　what　wonderful　triangles！

What　distant　and　different　beings　in　the　various　mansions　of　the

universe　are　contemplating　the　same　one　at　the　same　moment！　　Nature

and　human　life　are　as　various　as　our　several　constitutions。　　Who

shall　say　what　prospect　life　offers　to　another？　　Could　a　greater

miracle　take　place　than　for　us　to　look　through　each　other's　eyes　for

an　instant？　　We　should　live　in　all　the　ages　of　the　world　in　an　hour；

ay；　in　all　the　worlds　of　the　ages。　　History；　Poetry；　Mythology！　　I

know　of　no　reading　of　another's　experience　so　startling　and

informing　as　this　would　be。

　　　　The　greater　part　of　what　my　neighbors　call　good　I　believe　in　my

soul　to　be　bad；　and　if　I　repent　of　anything；　it　is　very　likely　to　be

my　good　behavior。　　What　demon　possessed　me　that　I　behaved　so　well？

You　may　say　the　wisest　thing　you　can；　old　man　　you　who　have　lived

seventy　years；　not　without　honor　of　a　kind　　I　hear　an　irresistible

voice　which　invites　me　away　from　all　that。　　One　generation　abandons

the　enterprises　of　another　like　stranded　vessels。

　　　　I　think　that　we　may　safely　trust　a　good　deal　more　than　we　do。

We　may　waive　just　so　much　care　of　ourselves　as　we　honestly　bestow

elsewhere。　　Nature　is　as　well　adapted　to　our　weakness　as　to　our

strength。　　The　incessant　anxiety　and　strain　of　some　is　a　well…nigh

incurable　form　of　disease。　　We　are　made　to　exaggerate　the　importance

of　what　work　we　do；　and　yet　how　much　is　not　done　by　us！　or；　what　if

we　had　been　taken　sick？　　How　vigilant　we　are！　determined　not　to　live

by　faith　if　we　can　avoid　it；　all　the　day　long　on　the　alert；　at　night

we　unwillingly　say　our　prayers　and　commit　ourselves　to

uncertainties。　　So　thoroughly　and　sincerely　are　we　compelled　to

live；　reverencing　our　life；　and　denying　the　possibility　of　change。

This　is　the　only　way；　we　say；　but　there　are　as　many　ways　as　there

can　be　drawn　radii　from　one　centre。　　All　change　is　a　miracle　to

contemplate；　but　it　is　a　miracle　which　is　taking　place　every

instant。　　Confucius　said；　〃To　know　that　we　know　what　we　know；　and