01-economy-第13节

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I　address　myself　now　to　those　of　my　readers　who　have　a　living　to

get。　　And　to　meet　this　I　have　for　farm　produce　sold



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　23。44

　　　　Earned　by　day…labor　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　13。34

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…

　　　　　　　　In　all　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　36。78；



which　subtracted　from　the　sum　of　the　outgoes　leaves　a　balance　of

25。21　3/4　on　the　one　side　　this　being　very　nearly　the　means　with

which　I　started；　and　the　measure　of　expenses　to　be　incurred　　and

on　the　other；　beside　the　leisure　and　independence　and　health　thus

secured；　a　comfortable　house　for　me　as　long　as　I　choose　to　occupy

it。

　　　　These　statistics；　however　accidental　and　therefore　uninstructive

they　may　appear；　as　they　have　a　certain　completeness；　have　a　certain

value　also。　　Nothing　was　given　me　of　which　I　have　not　rendered　some

account。　　It　appears　from　the　above　estimate；　that　my　food　alone

cost　me　in　money　about　twenty…seven　cents　a　week。　　It　was；　for

nearly　two　years　after　this；　rye　and　Indian　meal　without　yeast；

potatoes；　rice；　a　very　little　salt　pork；　molasses；　and　salt；　and　my

drink；　water。　　It　was　fit　that　I　should　live　on　rice；　mainly；　who

love　so　well　the　philosophy　of　India。　　To　meet　the　objections　of

some　inveterate　cavillers；　I　may　as　well　state；　that　if　I　dined　out

occasionally；　as　I　always　had　done；　and　I　trust　shall　have

opportunities　to　do　again；　it　was　frequently　to　the　detriment　of　my

domestic　arrangements。　　But　the　dining　out；　being；　as　I　have　stated；

a　constant　element；　does　not　in　the　least　affect　a　comparative

statement　like　this。

　　　　I　learned　from　my　two　years'　experience　that　it　would　cost

incredibly　little　trouble　to　obtain　one's　necessary　food；　even　in

this　latitude；　that　a　man　may　use　as　simple　a　diet　as　the　animals；

and　yet　retain　health　and　strength。　　I　have　made　a　satisfactory

dinner；　satisfactory　on　several　accounts；　simply　off　a　dish　of

purslane　（Portulaca　oleracea）　which　I　gathered　in　my　cornfield；

boiled　and　salted。　　I　give　the　Latin　on　account　of　the　savoriness　of

the　trivial　name。　　And　pray　what　more　can　a　reasonable　man　desire；

in　peaceful　times；　in　ordinary　noons；　than　a　sufficient　number　of

ears　of　green　sweet　corn　boiled；　with　the　addition　of　salt？　　Even

the　little　variety　which　I　used　was　a　yielding　to　the　demands　of

appetite；　and　not　of　health。　　Yet　men　have　come　to　such　a　pass　that

they　frequently　starve；　not　for　want　of　necessaries；　but　for　want　of

luxuries；　and　I　know　a　good　woman　who　thinks　that　her　son　lost　his

life　because　he　took　to　drinking　water　only。

　　　　The　reader　will　perceive　that　I　am　treating　the　subject　rather

from　an　economic　than　a　dietetic　point　of　view；　and　he　will　not

venture　to　put　my　abstemiousness　to　the　test　unless　he　has　a

well…stocked　larder。

　　　　Bread　I　at　first　made　of　pure　Indian　meal　and　salt；　genuine

hoe…cakes；　which　I　baked　before　my　fire　out　of　doors　on　a　shingle　or

the　end　of　a　stick　of　timber　sawed　off　in　building　my　house；　but　it

was　wont　to　get　smoked　and　to　have　a　piny　flavor；　I　tried　flour

also；　but　have　at　last　found　a　mixture　of　rye　and　Indian　meal　most

convenient　and　agreeable。　　In　cold　weather　it　was　no　little

amusement　to　bake　several　small　loaves　of　this　in　succession；

tending　and　turning　them　as　carefully　as　an　Egyptian　his　hatching

eggs。　　They　were　a　real　cereal　fruit　which　I　ripened；　and　they　had

to　my　senses　a　fragrance　like　that　of　other　noble　fruits；　which　I

kept　in　as　long　as　possible　by　wrapping　them　in　cloths。　　I　made　a

study　of　the　ancient　and　indispensable　art　of　bread…making；

consulting　such　authorities　as　offered；　going　back　to　the　primitive

days　and　first　invention　of　the　unleavened　kind；　when　from　the

wildness　of　nuts　and　meats　men　first　reached　the　mildness　and

refinement　of　this　diet；　and　travelling　gradually　down　in　my　studies

through　that　accidental　souring　of　the　dough　which；　it　is　supposed；

taught　the　leavening　process；　and　through　the　various　fermentations

thereafter；　till　I　came　to　〃good；　sweet；　wholesome　bread；〃　the　staff

of　life。　　Leaven；　which　some　deem　the　soul　of　bread；　the　spiritus

which　fills　its　cellular　tissue；　which　is　religiously　preserved　like

the　vestal　fire　　some　precious　bottleful；　I　suppose；　first　brought

over　in　the　Mayflower；　did　the　business　for　America；　and　its

influence　is　still　rising；　swelling；　spreading；　in　cerealian　billows

over　the　land　　this　seed　I　regularly　and　faithfully　procured　from

the　village；　till　at　length　one　morning　I　forgot　the　rules；　and

scalded　my　yeast；　by　which　accident　I　discovered　that　even　this　was

not　indispensable　　for　my　discoveries　were　not　by　the　synthetic

but　analytic　process　　and　I　have　gladly　omitted　it　since；　though

most　housewives　earnestly　assured　me　that　safe　and　wholesome　bread

without　yeast　might　not　be；　and　elderly　people　prophesied　a　speedy

decay　of　the　vital　forces。　　Yet　I　find　it　not　to　be　an　essential

ingredient；　and　after　going　without　it　for　a　year　am　still　in　the

land　of　the　living；　and　I　am　glad　to　escape　the　trivialness　of

carrying　a　bottleful　in　my　pocket；　which　would　sometimes　pop　and

discharge　its　contents　to　my　discomfiture。　　It　is　simpler　and　more

respectable　to　omit　it。　　Man　is　an　animal　who　more　than　any　other

can　adapt　himself　to　all　climates　and　circumstances。　　Neither　did　I

put　any　sal…soda；　or　other　acid　or　alkali；　into　my　bread。　　It　would

seem　that　I　made　it　according　to　the　recipe　which　Marcus　Porcius

Cato　gave　about　two　centuries　before　Christ。　　〃Panem　depsticium　sic

facito。　　Manus　mortariumque　bene　lavato。　　Farinam　in　mortarium

indito；　aquae　paulatim　addito；　subigitoque　pulchre。　　Ubi　bene

subegeris；　defingito；　coquitoque　sub　testu。〃　　Which　I　take　to　mean；

　〃Make　kneaded　bread　thus。　　Wash　your　hands　and　trough　well。　　Put

the　meal　into　the　trough；　add　water　gradually；　and　knead　it

thoroughly。　　When　you　have　kneaded　it　well；　mould　it；　and　bake　it

under　a　cover；〃　that　is；　in　a　baking　kettle。　　Not　a　word　about

leaven。　　But　I　did　not　always　use　this　staff　of　life。　　At　one　time；

owing　to　the　emptiness　of　my　purse；　I　saw　none　of　it　for　more　than　a

month。

　　　　Every　New　Englander　might　easily　raise　all　his　own　breadstuffs

in　this　land　of　rye　and　Indian　corn；　and　not　depend　on　distant　and

fluctuating　markets　for　them。　　Yet　so　far　are　we　from　simplicity　and

independence　that；　in　Concord；　fresh　and　sweet　meal　is　rarely　sold

in　the　shops；　and　hominy　and　corn　in　a　still　coarser　form　are　hardly

used　by　any。　　For　the　most　part　the　farmer　gives　to　his　cattle　and

hogs　the　grain　of　his　own　producing；　and　buys　flour；　which　is　at

least　no　more　wholesome；　at　a　greater　cost；　at　the　store。　　I　saw

that　I　could　easily　raise　my　bushel　or　two　of　rye　and　Indian　corn；

for　the　former　will　grow　on　the　poorest　land；　and　the　latter　does

not　require　the　best；　and　grind　them　in　a　hand…mill；　and　so　do

without　rice　and　pork；　and　if　I　must　have　some　concentrated　sweet；　I

found　by　experiment　that　I　could　make　a　very　good　molasses　either　of

pumpkins　or　beets；　and　I　knew　that　I　needed　only　to　set　out　a　few

maples　to　obtain　it　more　easily　still；　and　while　these　were　growing

I　could　use　various　substitutes　beside　those　which　I　have　named。

〃For；〃　as　the　Forefathers　sang；



　　　　　　　〃we　can　make　liquor　to　sweeten　our　lips

　　　　　　　　Of　pumpkins　and　parsnips　and　walnut…tree　chips。〃



Finally；　as　for　salt；　that　grossest　of　groceries；　to　obtain　this

might　be　a　fit　occasion　for　a　visit　to　the　seashore；　or；　if　I　did

without　it　altogether；　I　should　probably　drink　the　less　water。　　I　do

not　learn　that　the　Indians　ever　troubled　themselves　to　go　after　it。

　　　　Thus　I　could　avoid　all　trade　and　barter；　so　far　as　my　food　was

concerned；　and　having　a　shelter　already；　it　would　only　remain　to　get

clothing　and　fuel。　　The　pantaloons　which　I　now　wear　were　woven　in　a

farmer's　family　　thank　Heaven　there　is　so　much　virtue　still　in

man；　for　I　think　the　fall　from　the　farmer　to　the　operative　as　great

and　memorable　as　that　from　the　man　to　the　farmer；　　and　in　a　new

country；　fuel　is　an　encumbrance。　　As　for　a　habitat；　if　I　were　not

permitted　still　to　squat；　I　might　purchase　one　acre　at　the　same

price　for　which　the　land　I　cultivated　was　sold　　namely；　eight

dollars　and　eight　cents。　　But　as　it　was；　I　considered　that　I

enhanced　the　value　of　the　land　by　squatting　on　it。

　　　　There　is　a　certain　class　of　unbelievers　who　sometimes　ask　me

such　questions　as；　if　I　think　that　I　can　live　on　vegetable　food

alone；　and　to　strike　at　the　root　of　the　matter　at　once　　for　the

root　is　faith　　I　am　accustomed　to　answer　such；　that　I　can　live　on

board　nails。　　If　they　cannot　understand　that；　they　cannot　understand

much　that　I　have　to　say。　　For　my　part；　I　am　glad　to　bear　of

experiments　of　this　kind　being　tried；　as　that　a　young　man　tried　for

a　fortnight　to　live　on　hard；　raw　corn　on　the　ear；　using　his　teeth

for　all　mortar。　　The　squirrel　tribe　tried　the　same　and　succeeded。

The　human　race　is　interested　in　these　e