01-economy-第7章

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distance。　　It　would　be　well；　perhaps；　if　we　were　to　spend　more　of

our　days　and　nights　without　any　obstruction　between　us　and　the

celestial　bodies；　if　the　poet　did　not　speak　so　much　from　under　a

roof；　or　the　saint　dwell　there　so　long。　　Birds　do　not　sing　in　caves；

nor　do　doves　cherish　their　innocence　in　dovecots。

　　　　However；　if　one　designs　to　construct　a　dwelling…house；　it

behooves　him　to　exercise　a　little　Yankee　shrewdness；　lest　after　all

he　find　himself　in　a　workhouse；　a　labyrinth　without　a　clue；　a

museum；　an　almshouse；　a　prison；　or　a　splendid　mausoleum　instead。

Consider　first　how　slight　a　shelter　is　absolutely　necessary。　　I　have

seen　Penobscot　Indians；　in　this　town；　living　in　tents　of　thin　cotton

cloth；　while　the　snow　was　nearly　a　foot　deep　around　them；　and　I

thought　that　they　would　be　glad　to　have　it　deeper　to　keep　out　the

wind。　　Formerly；　when　how　to　get　my　living　honestly；　with　freedom

left　for　my　proper　pursuits；　was　a　question　which　vexed　me　even　more

than　it　does　now；　for　unfortunately　I　am　become　somewhat　callous；　I

used　to　see　a　large　box　by　the　railroad；　six　feet　long　by　three

wide；　in　which　the　laborers　locked　up　their　tools　at　night；　and　it

suggested　to　me　that　every　man　who　was　hard　pushed　might　get　such　a

one　for　a　dollar；　and；　having　bored　a　few　auger　holes　in　it；　to

admit　the　air　at　least；　get　into　it　when　it　rained　and　at　night；　and

hook　down　the　lid；　and　so　have　freedom　in　his　love；　and　in　his　soul

be　free。　　This　did　not　appear　the　worst；　nor　by　any　means　a

despicable　alternative。　　You　could　sit　up　as　late　as　you　pleased；

and；　whenever　you　got　up；　go　abroad　without　any　landlord　or

house…lord　dogging　you　for　rent。　　Many　a　man　is　harassed　to　death　to

pay　the　rent　of　a　larger　and　more　luxurious　box　who　would　not　have

frozen　to　death　in　such　a　box　as　this。　　I　am　far　from　jesting。

Economy　is　a　subject　which　admits　of　being　treated　with　levity；　but

it　cannot　so　be　disposed　of。　　A　comfortable　house　for　a　rude　and

hardy　race；　that　lived　mostly　out　of　doors；　was　once　made　here

almost　entirely　of　such　materials　as　Nature　furnished　ready　to　their

hands。　　Gookin；　who　was　superintendent　of　the　Indians　subject　to　the

Massachusetts　Colony；　writing　in　1674；　says；　〃The　best　of　their

houses　are　covered　very　neatly；　tight　and　warm；　with　barks　of　trees；

slipped　from　their　bodies　at　those　seasons　when　the　sap　is　up；　and

made　into　great　flakes；　with　pressure　of　weighty　timber；　when　they

are　green。。。。　　The　meaner　sort　are　covered　with　mats　which　they　make

of　a　kind　of　bulrush；　and　are　also　indifferently　tight　and　warm；　but

not　so　good　as　the　former。。。。　　Some　I　have　seen；　sixty　or　a　hundred

feet　long　and　thirty　feet　broad。。。。　　I　have　often　lodged　in　their

wigwams；　and　found　them　as　warm　as　the　best　English　houses。〃　　He

adds　that　they　were　commonly　carpeted　and　lined　within　with

well…wrought　embroidered　mats；　and　were　furnished　with　various

utensils。　　The　Indians　had　advanced　so　far　as　to　regulate　the　effect

of　the　wind　by　a　mat　suspended　over　the　hole　in　the　roof　and　moved

by　a　string。　　Such　a　lodge　was　in　the　first　instance　constructed　in

a　day　or　two　at　most；　and　taken　down　and　put　up　in　a　few　hours；　and

every　family　owned　one；　or　its　apartment　in　one。

　　　　In　the　savage　state　every　family　owns　a　shelter　as　good　as　the

best；　and　sufficient　for　its　coarser　and　simpler　wants；　but　I　think

that　I　speak　within　bounds　when　I　say　that；　though　the　birds　of　the

air　have　their　nests；　and　the　foxes　their　holes；　and　the　savages

their　wigwams；　in　modern　civilized　society　not　more　than　one　half

the　families　own　a　shelter。　　In　the　large　towns　and　cities；　where

civilization　especially　prevails；　the　number　of　those　who　own　a

shelter　is　a　very　small　fraction　of　the　whole。　　The　rest　pay　an

annual　tax　for　this　outside　garment　of　all；　become　indispensable

summer　and　winter；　which　would　buy　a　village　of　Indian　wigwams；　but

now　helps　to　keep　them　poor　as　long　as　they　live。　　I　do　not　mean　to

insist　here　on　the　disadvantage　of　hiring　compared　with　owning；　but

it　is　evident　that　the　savage　owns　his　shelter　because　it　costs　so

little；　while　the　civilized　man　hires　his　commonly　because　he　cannot

afford　to　own　it；　nor　can　he；　in　the　long　run；　any　better　afford　to

hire。　　But；　answers　one；　by　merely　paying　this　tax；　the　poor

civilized　man　secures　an　abode　which　is　a　palace　compared　with　the

savage's。　　An　annual　rent　of　from　twenty…five　to　a　hundred　dollars

（these　are　the　country　rates）　entitles　him　to　the　benefit　of　the

improvements　of　centuries；　spacious　apartments；　clean　paint　and

paper；　Rumford　fire…place；　back　plastering；　Venetian　blinds；　copper

pump；　spring　lock；　a　commodious　cellar；　and　many　other　things。　　But

how　happens　it　that　he　who　is　said　to　enjoy　these　things　is　so

commonly　a　poor　civilized　man；　while　the　savage；　who　has　them　not；

is　rich　as　a　savage？　　If　it　is　asserted　that　civilization　is　a　real

advance　in　the　condition　of　man　　and　I　think　that　it　is；　though

only　the　wise　improve　their　advantages　　it　must　be　shown　that　it

has　produced　better　dwellings　without　making　them　more　costly；　and

the　cost　of　a　thing　is　the　amount　of　what　I　will　call　life　which　is

required　to　be　exchanged　for　it；　immediately　or　in　the　long　run。　　An

average　house　in　this　neighborhood　costs　perhaps　eight　hundred

dollars；　and　to　lay　up　this　sum　will　take　from　ten　to　fifteen　years

of　the　laborer's　life；　even　if　he　is　not　encumbered　with　a　family　

estimating　the　pecuniary　value　of　every　man's　labor　at　one　dollar　a

day；　for　if　some　receive　more；　others　receive　less；　　so　that　he

must　have　spent　more　than　half　his　life　commonly　before　his　wigwam

will　be　earned。　　If　we　suppose　him　to　pay　a　rent　instead；　this　is

but　a　doubtful　choice　of　evils。　　Would　the　savage　have　been　wise　to

exchange　his　wigwam　for　a　palace　on　these　terms？

　　　　It　may　be　guessed　that　I　reduce　almost　the　whole　advantage　of

holding　this　superfluous　property　as　a　fund　in　store　against　the

future；　so　far　as　the　individual　is　concerned；　mainly　to　the

defraying　of　funeral　expenses。　　But　perhaps　a　man　is　not　required　to

bury　himself。　　Nevertheless　this　points　to　an　important　distinction

between　the　civilized　man　and　the　savage；　and；　no　doubt；　they　have

designs　on　us　for　our　benefit；　in　making　the　life　of　a　civilized

people　an　institution；　in　which　the　life　of　the　individual　is　to　a

great　extent　absorbed；　in　order　to　preserve　and　perfect　that　of　the

race。　　But　I　wish　to　show　at　what　a　sacrifice　this　advantage　is　at

present　obtained；　and　to　suggest　that　we　may　possibly　so　live　as　to

secure　all　the　advantage　without　suffering　any　of　the　disadvantage。

What　mean　ye　by　saying　that　the　poor　ye　have　always　with　you；　or

that　the　fathers　have　eaten　sour　grapes；　and　the　children's　teeth

are　set　on　edge？

　　　　〃As　I　live；　saith　the　Lord　God；　ye　shall　not　have　occasion　any

more　to　use　this　proverb　in　Israel。

　　　　〃Behold　all　souls　are　mine；　as　the　soul　of　the　father；　so　also

the　soul　of　the　son　is　mine：　the　soul　that　sinneth；　it　shall　die。〃

　　　　When　I　consider　my　neighbors；　the　farmers　of　Concord；　who　are　at

least　as　well　off　as　the　other　classes；　I　find　that　for　the　most

part　they　have　been　toiling　twenty；　thirty；　or　forty　years；　that

they　may　become　the　real　owners　of　their　farms；　which　commonly　they

have　inherited　with　encumbrances；　or　else　bought　with　hired　money　

and　we　may　regard　one　third　of　that　toil　as　the　cost　of　their　houses

　but　commonly　they　have　not　paid　for　them　yet。　　It　is　true；　the

encumbrances　sometimes　outweigh　the　value　of　the　farm；　so　that　the

farm　itself　becomes　one　great　encumbrance；　and　still　a　man　is　found

to　inherit　it；　being　well　acquainted　with　it；　as　he　says。　　On

applying　to　the　assessors；　I　am　surprised　to　learn　that　they　cannot

at　once　name　a　dozen　in　the　town　who　own　their　farms　free　and　clear。

If　you　would　know　the　history　of　these　homesteads；　inquire　at　the

bank　where　they　are　mortgaged。　　The　man　who　has　actually　paid　for

his　farm　with　labor　on　it　is　s