01-economy-第11节

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to　lay　the　foundations；　while　the　students　that　are　to　be　are　said

to　be　fitting　themselves　for　it；　and　for　these　oversights　successive

generations　have　to　pay。　　I　think　that　it　would　be　better　than　this；

for　the　students；　or　those　who　desire　to　be　benefited　by　it；　even　to

lay　the　foundation　themselves。　　The　student　who　secures　his　coveted

leisure　and　retirement　by　systematically　shirking　any　labor

necessary　to　man　obtains　but　an　ignoble　and　unprofitable　leisure；

defrauding　himself　of　the　experience　which　alone　can　make　leisure

fruitful。　　〃But；〃　says　one；　〃you　do　not　mean　that　the　students

should　go　to　work　with　their　hands　instead　of　their　heads？〃　　I　do

not　mean　that　exactly；　but　I　mean　something　which　he　might　think　a

good　deal　like　that；　I　mean　that　they　should　not　play　life；　or　study

it　merely；　while　the　community　supports　them　at　this　expensive　game；

but　earnestly　live　it　from　beginning　to　end。　　How　could　youths

better　learn　to　live　than　by　at　once　trying　the　experiment　of

living？　　Methinks　this　would　exercise　their　minds　as　much　as

mathematics。　　If　I　wished　a　boy　to　know　something　about　the　arts　and

sciences；　for　instance；　I　would　not　pursue　the　common　course；　which

is　merely　to　send　him　into　the　neighborhood　of　some　professor；　where

anything　is　professed　and　practised　but　the　art　of　life；　　to

survey　the　world　through　a　telescope　or　a　microscope；　and　never　with

his　natural　eye；　to　study　chemistry；　and　not　learn　how　his　bread　is

made；　or　mechanics；　and　not　learn　how　it　is　earned；　to　discover　new

satellites　to　Neptune；　and　not　detect　the　motes　in　his　eyes；　or　to

what　vagabond　he　is　a　satellite　himself；　or　to　be　devoured　by　the

monsters　that　swarm　all　around　him；　while　contemplating　the　monsters

in　a　drop　of　vinegar。　　Which　would　have　advanced　the　most　at　the　end

of　a　month　　the　boy　who　had　made　his　own　jackknife　from　the　ore

which　he　had　dug　and　smelted；　reading　as　much　as　would　be　necessary

for　this　　or　the　boy　who　had　attended　the　lectures　on　metallurgy

at　the　Institute　in　the　meanwhile；　and　had　received　a　Rodgers'

penknife　from　his　father？　　Which　would　be　most　likely　to　cut　his

fingers？。。。　　To　my　astonishment　I　was　informed　on　leaving　college

that　I　had　studied　navigation！　　why；　if　I　had　taken　one　turn　down

the　harbor　I　should　have　known　more　about　it。　　Even　the　poor　student

studies　and　is　taught　only　political　economy；　while　that　economy　of

living　which　is　synonymous　with　philosophy　is　not　even　sincerely

professed　in　our　colleges。　　The　consequence　is；　that　while　he　is

reading　Adam　Smith；　Ricardo；　and　Say；　he　runs　his　father　in　debt

irretrievably。

　　　　As　with　our　colleges；　so　with　a　hundred　〃modern　improvements〃；

there　is　an　illusion　about　them；　there　is　not　always　a　positive

advance。　　The　devil　goes　on　exacting　compound　interest　to　the　last

for　his　early　share　and　numerous　succeeding　investments　in　them。

Our　inventions　are　wont　to　be　pretty　toys；　which　distract　our

attention　from　serious　things。　　They　are　but　improved　means　to　an

unimproved　end；　an　end　which　it　was　already　but　too　easy　to　arrive

at；　as　railroads　lead　to　Boston　or　New　York。　　We　are　in　great　haste

to　construct　a　magnetic　telegraph　from　Maine　to　Texas；　but　Maine　and

Texas；　it　may　be；　have　nothing　important　to　communicate。　　Either　is

in　such　a　predicament　as　the　man　who　was　earnest　to　be　introduced　to

a　distinguished　deaf　woman；　but　when　he　was　presented；　and　one　end

of　her　ear　trumpet　was　put　into　his　hand；　had　nothing　to　say。　　As　if

the　main　object　were　to　talk　fast　and　not　to　talk　sensibly。　　We　are

eager　to　tunnel　under　the　Atlantic　and　bring　the　Old　World　some

weeks　nearer　to　the　New；　but　perchance　the　first　news　that　will　leak

through　into　the　broad；　flapping　American　ear　will　be　that　the

Princess　Adelaide　has　the　whooping　cough。　　After　all；　the　man　whose

horse　trots　a　mile　in　a　minute　does　not　carry　the　most　important

messages；　he　is　not　an　evangelist；　nor　does　he　come　round　eating

locusts　and　wild　honey。　　I　doubt　if　Flying　Childers　ever　carried　a

peck　of　corn　to　mill。

　　　　One　says　to　me；　〃I　wonder　that　you　do　not　lay　up　money；　you　love

to　travel；　you　might　take　the　cars　and　go　to　Fitchburg　today　and　see

the　country。〃　　But　I　am　wiser　than　that。　　I　have　learned　that　the

swiftest　traveller　is　he　that　goes　afoot。　　I　say　to　my　friend；

Suppose　we　try　who　will　get　there　first。　　The　distance　is　thirty

miles；　the　fare　ninety　cents。　　That　is　almost　a　day's　wages。　　I

remember　when　wages　were　sixty　cents　a　day　for　laborers　on　this　very

road。　　Well；　I　start　now　on　foot；　and　get　there　before　night；　I　have

travelled　at　that　rate　by　the　week　together。　　You　will　in　the

meanwhile　have　earned　your　fare；　and　arrive　there　some　time

tomorrow；　or　possibly　this　evening；　if　you　are　lucky　enough　to　get　a

job　in　season。　　Instead　of　going　to　Fitchburg；　you　will　be　working

here　the　greater　part　of　the　day。　　And　so；　if　the　railroad　reached

round　the　world；　I　think　that　I　should　keep　ahead　of　you；　and　as　for

seeing　the　country　and　getting　experience　of　that　kind；　I　should

have　to　cut　your　acquaintance　altogether。

　　　　Such　is　the　universal　law；　which　no　man　can　ever　outwit；　and

with　regard　to　the　railroad　even　we　may　say　it　is　as　broad　as　it　is

long。　　To　make　a　railroad　round　the　world　available　to　all　mankind

is　equivalent　to　grading　the　whole　surface　of　the　planet。　　Men　have

an　indistinct　notion　that　if　they　keep　up　this　activity　of　joint

stocks　and　spades　long　enough　all　will　at　length　ride　somewhere；　in

next　to　no　time；　and　for　nothing；　but　though　a　crowd　rushes　to　the

depot；　and　the　conductor　shouts　〃All　aboard！〃　when　the　smoke　is

blown　away　and　the　vapor　condensed；　it　will　be　perceived　that　a　few

are　riding；　but　the　rest　are　run　over　　and　it　will　be　called；　and

will　be；　〃A　melancholy　accident。〃　　No　doubt　they　can　ride　at　last

who　shall　have　earned　their　fare；　that　is；　if　they　survive　so　long；

but　they　will　probably　have　lost　their　elasticity　and　desire　to

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