walking-第7节

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excitement　was　no　longer　influencing　them。〃　Hence　it　has　been

inferred　that　〃the　hours　of　darkness　are　as　necessary　to　the

inorganic　creation　as　we　know　night　and　sleep　are　to　the　organic

kingdom。〃　Not　even　does　the　moon　shine　every　night；　but　gives

place　to　darkness。



I　would　not　have　every　man　nor　every　part　of　a　man　cultivated；

any　more　than　I　would　have　every　acre　of　earth　cultivated：　part

will　be　tillage；　but　the　greater　part　will　be　meadow　and　forest；

not　only　serving　an　immediate　use；　but　preparing　a　mould　against

a　distant　future；　by　the　annual　decay　of　the　vegetation　which　it

supports。



There　are　other　letters　for　the　child　to　learn　than　those　which

Cadmus　invented。　The　Spaniards　have　a　good　term　to　express　this

wild　and　dusky　knowledgeGramatica　pardatawny　grammar；　a　kind

of　mother…wit　derived　from　that　same　leopard　to　which　I　have

referred。



We　have　heard　of　a　Society　for　the　Diffusion　of　Useful　Knowledge。

It　is　said　that　knowledge　is　power；　and　the　like。　Methinks　there

is　equal　need　of　a　Society　for　the　Diffusion　of　Useful　Ignorance；

what　we　will　call　Beautiful　Knowledge；　a　knowledge　useful　in　a

higher　sense：　for　what　is　most　of　our　boasted　so…called　knowledge

but　a　conceit　that　we　know　something；　which　robs　us　of　the

advantage　of　our　actual　ignorance？　What　we　call　knowledge　is

often　our　positive　ignorance；　ignorance　our　negative　knowledge。

By　long　years　of　patient　industry　and　reading　of　the

newspapersfor　what　are　the　libraries　of　science　but　files　of

newspapersa　man　accumulates　a　myriad　facts；　lays　them　up　in　his

memory；　and　then　when　in　some　spring　of　his　life　he　saunters

abroad　into　the　Great　Fields　of　thought；　he；　as　it　were；　goes　to

grass　like　a　horse　and　leaves　all　his　harness　behind　in　the

stable。　I　would　say　to　the　Society　for　the　Diffusion　of　Useful

Knowledge；　sometimes；Go　to　grass。　You　have　eaten　hay　long

enough。　The　spring　has　come　with　its　green　crop。　The　very　cows

are　driven　to　their　country　pastures　before　the　end　of　May；

though　I　have　heard　of　one　unnatural　farmer　who　kept　his　cow　in

the　barn　and　fed　her　on　hay　all　the　year　round。　So；　frequently；

the　Society　for　the　Diffusion　of　Useful　Knowledge　treats　its

cattle。



A　man's　ignorance　sometimes　is　not　only　useful；　but

beautifulwhile　his　knowledge；　so　called；　is　oftentimes　worse

than　useless；　besides　being　ugly。　Which　is　the　best　man　to　deal

withhe　who　knows　nothing　about　a　subject；　and；　what　is

extremely　rare；　knows　that　he　knows　nothing；　or　he　who　really

knows　something　about　it；　but　thinks　that　he　knows　all？



My　desire　for　knowledge　is　intermittent；　but　my　desire　to　bathe

my　head　in　atmospheres　unknown　to　my　feet　is　perennial　and

constant。　The　highest　that　we　can　attain　to　is　not　Knowledge；　but

Sympathy　with　Intelligence。　I　do　not　know　that　this　higher

knowledge　amounts　to　anything　more　definite　than　a　novel　and

grand　surprise　on　a　sudden　revelation　of　the　insufficiency　of　all

that　we　called　Knowledge　beforea　discovery　that　there　are　more

things　in　heaven　and　earth　than　are　dreamed　of　in　our　philosophy。

It　is　the　lighting　up　of　the　mist　by　the　sun。　Man　cannot　KNOW　in

any　higher　sense　than　this；　any　more　than　he　can　look　serenely

and　with　impunity　in　the　face　of　the　sun：　〃You　will　not　perceive

that；　as　perceiving　a　particular　thing；〃　say　the　Chaldean

Oracles。



There　is　something　servile　in　the　habit　of　seeking　after　a　law

which　we　may　obey。　We　may　study　the　laws　of　matter　at　and　for　our

convenience；　but　a　successful　life　knows　no　law。　It　is　an

unfortunate　discovery　certainly；　that　of　a　law　which　binds　us

where　we　did　not　know　before　that　we　were　bound。　Live　free；　child

of　the　mistand　with　respect　to　knowledge　we　are　all　children　of

the　mist。　The　man　who　takes　the　liberty　to　live　is　superior　to

all　the　laws；　by　virtue　of　his　relation　to　the　lawmaker。　〃That　is

active　duty；〃　says　the　Vishnu　Purana；　〃which　is　not　for　our

bondage；　that　is　knowledge　which　is　for　our　liberation：　all　other

duty　is　good　only　unto　weariness；　all　other　knowledge　is　only　the

cleverness　of　an　artist。〃







It　is　remarkable　how　few　events　or　crises　there　are　in　our

histories；　how　little　exercised　we　have　been　in　our　minds；　how

few　experiences　we　have　had。　I　would　fain　be　assured　that　I　am

growing　apace　and　rankly；　though　my　very　growth　disturb　this　dull

equanimitythough　it　be　with　struggle　through　long；　dark；　muggy

nights　or　seasons　of　gloom。　It　would　be　well　if　all　our　lives

were　a　divine　tragedy　even；　instead　of　this　trivial　comedy　or

farce。　Dante；　Bunyan；　and　others　appear　to　have　been　exercised　in

their　minds　more　than　we：　they　were　subjected　to　a　kind　of

culture　such　as　our　district　schools　and　colleges　do　not

contemplate。　Even　Mahomet；　though　many　may　scream　at　his　name；

had　a　good　deal　more　to　live　for；　aye；　and　to　die　for；　than　they

have　commonly。



When；　at　rare　intervals；　some　thought　visits　one；　as　perchance　he

is　walking　on　a　railroad；　then；　indeed；　the　cars　go　by　without

his　hearing　them。　But　soon；　by　some　inexorable　law；　our　life　goes

by　and　the　cars　return。



　　　〃Gentle　breeze；　that　wanderest　unseen；

　　　And　bendest　the　thistles　round　Loira　of　storms；

　　　Traveler　of　the　windy　glens；

　　　Why　hast　thou　left　my　ear　so　soon？〃



While　almost　all　men　feel　an　attraction　drawing　them　to　society；

few　are　attracted　strongly　to　Nature。　In　their　reaction　to　Nature

men　appear　to　me　for　the　most　part；　notwithstanding　their　arts；

lower　than　the　animals。　It　is　not　often　a　beautiful　relation；　as

in　the　case　of　the　animals。　How　little　appreciation　of　the　beauty

of　the　land…　scape　there　is　among　us！　We　have　to　be　told　that　the

Greeks　called　the　world　Beauty；　or　Order；　but　we　do　not　see

clearly　why　they　did　so；　and　we　esteem　it　at　best　only　a　curious

philological　fact。



For　my　part；　I　feel　that　with　regard　to　Nature　I　live　a　sort　of

border　life；　on　the　confines　of　a　world　into　which　I　make

occasional　and　transient　forays　only；　and　my　patriotism　and

allegiance　to　the　state　into　whose　territories　I　seem　to　retreat

are　those　of　a　moss…trooper。　Unto　a　life　which　I　call　natural　I

would　gladly　follow　even　a　will…o'…the…wisp　through　bogs　and

sloughs　unimaginable；　but　no　moon　nor　firefly　has　shown　me　the

causeway　to　it。　Nature　is　a　personality　so　vast　and　universal

that　we　have　never　seen　one　of　her　features。　The　walker　in　the

familiar　fields　which　stretch　around　my　native　town　sometimes

finds　himself　in　another　land　than　is　described　in　their　owners'

deeds；　as　it　were　in　some　faraway　field　on　the　confines　of　the

actual　Concord；　where　her　jurisdiction　ceases；　and　the　idea　which

the　word　Concord　suggests　ceases　to　be　suggested。　These　farms

which　I　have　myself　surveyed；　these　bounds　which　I　have　set　up；

appear　dimly　still　as　through　a　mist；　but　they　have　no　chemistry

to　fix　them；　they　fade　from　the　surface　of　the　glass；　and　the

picture　which　the　painter　painted　stands　out　dimly　from　beneath。

The　world　with　which　we　are　commonly　acquainted　leaves　no　trace；

and　it　will　have　no　anniversary。



I　took　a　walk　on　Spaulding's　Farm　the　other　afternoon。　I　saw　the

setting　sun　lighting　up　the　opposite　side　of　a　stately　pine　wood。

Its　golden　rays　straggled　into　the　aisles　of　the　wood　as　into

some　noble　hall。　I　was　impressed　as　if　some　ancient　and

altogether　admirable　and　shining　family　had　settled　there　in　that

part　of　the　land　called　Concord；　unknown　to　meto　whom　the　sun

was　servantwho　had　not　gone　into　society　in　the　villagewho

had　not　been　called　on。　I　saw　their　park；　their　pleasure…ground；

beyond　through　the　wood；　in　Spaulding's　cranberry…meadow。　The

pines　furnished　them　with　gables　as　they　grew。　Their　house　was

not　obvious　to　vision；　the　trees　grew　through　it。　I　do　not　know

whether　I　heard　the　sounds　of　a　suppressed　hilarity　or　not。　They

seemed　to　recline　on　the　sunbeams。　They　have　sons　and　daughters。

They　are　quite　well。　The　farmer's　cart…path；　which　leads　directly

through　their　hall；　does　not　in　the　least　put　them　out；　as　the

muddy　bottom　of　a　pool　is　sometimes　seen　through　the　reflected

skies。　They　never　heard　of　Spaulding；　and　do　not　know　that　he　is

their　neighbornotwithstanding　I　heard　him　whistle　as　he　drove

his　team　through　the　house。　Nothing　can　equal　the　serenity　of

their　lives。　Their　coat…of…arms　is　simply　a　lichen。　I　saw　it

painted　on　the　pines　and　oaks。　Their　attics　were　in　the　tops　of

the　trees。　They　are　of　no　politics。　There　was　no　noise　of　labor。

I　did　not　perceive　that　they　were　weaving　or　spinning。　Yet　I　did

detect；　when　the　wind　lulled　and　hearing　was　done　away；　the

finest　imaginable　sweet　musical　hum；as　of　a　distant　hive　in

May；　which　perchance　was　the　sound　of　their　thinking。　They　had　no

idle　thoughts；　and　no　one　without　could　see　their　work；　for　their

industry　was　not　as　in　knots　and　excrescences　embayed。



But　I　find　it　difficult　to　remember　them。　They　fade　irrevocably

out　of　my　mind　even　now　while　I　speak；　and　endeavor　t