01-economy-第4节

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themselves。

　　　　To　anticipate；　not　the　sunrise　and　the　dawn　merely；　but；　if

possible；　Nature　herself！　　How　many　mornings；　summer　and　winter；

before　yet　any　neighbor　was　stirring　about　his　business；　have　I　been

about　mine！　　No　doubt；　many　of　my　townsmen　have　met　me　returning

from　this　enterprise；　farmers　starting　for　Boston　in　the　twilight；

or　woodchoppers　going　to　their　work。　　It　is　true；　I　never　assisted

the　sun　materially　in　his　rising；　but；　doubt　not；　it　was　of　the　last

importance　only　to　be　present　at　it。

　　　　So　many　autumn；　ay；　and　winter　days；　spent　outside　the　town；

trying　to　hear　what　was　in　the　wind；　to　hear　and　carry　it　express！

I　well…nigh　sunk　all　my　capital　in　it；　and　lost　my　own　breath　into

the　bargain；　running　in　the　face　of　it。　　If　it　had　concerned　either

of　the　political　parties；　depend　upon　it；　it　would　have　appeared　in

the　Gazette　with　the　earliest　intelligence。　　At　other　times　watching

from　the　observatory　of　some　cliff　or　tree；　to　telegraph　any　new

arrival；　or　waiting　at　evening　on　the　hill…tops　for　the　sky　to　fall；

that　I　might　catch　something；　though　I　never　caught　much；　and　that；

manna…wise；　would　dissolve　again　in　the　sun。

　　　　For　a　long　time　I　was　reporter　to　a　journal；　of　no　very　wide

circulation；　whose　editor　has　never　yet　seen　fit　to　print　the　bulk

of　my　contributions；　and；　as　is　too　common　with　writers；　I　got　only

my　labor　for　my　pains。　　However；　in　this　case　my　pains　were　their

own　reward。

　　　　For　many　years　I　was　self…appointed　inspector　of　snow…storms　and

rain…storms；　and　did　my　duty　faithfully；　surveyor；　if　not　of

highways；　then　of　forest　paths　and　all　across…lot　routes；　keeping

them　open；　and　ravines　bridged　and　passable　at　all　seasons；　where

the　public　heel　had　testified　to　their　utility。

　　　　I　have　looked　after　the　wild　stock　of　the　town；　which　give　a

faithful　herdsman　a　good　deal　of　trouble　by　leaping　fences；　and　I

have　had　an　eye　to　the　unfrequented　nooks　and　corners　of　the　farm；

though　I　did　not　always　know　whether　Jonas　or　Solomon　worked　in　a

particular　field　to…day；　that　was　none　of　my　business。　　I　have

watered　the　red　huckleberry；　the　sand　cherry　and　the　nettle…tree；

the　red　pine　and　the　black　ash；　the　white　grape　and　the　yellow

violet；　which　might　have　withered　else　in　dry　seasons。

　　　　In　short；　I　went　on　thus　for　a　long　time　（I　may　say　it　without

boasting）；　faithfully　minding　my　business；　till　it　became　more　and

more　evident　that　my　townsmen　would　not　after　all　admit　me　into　the

list　of　town　officers；　nor　make　my　place　a　sinecure　with　a　moderate

allowance。　　My　accounts；　which　I　can　swear　to　have　kept　faithfully；

I　have；　indeed；　never　got　audited；　still　less　accepted；　still　less

paid　and　settled。　　However；　I　have　not　set　my　heart　on　that。

　　　　Not　long　since；　a　strolling　Indian　went　to　sell　baskets　at　the

house　of　a　well…known　lawyer　in　my　neighborhood。　　〃Do　you　wish　to

buy　any　baskets？〃　he　asked。　　〃No；　we　do　not　want　any；〃　was　the

reply。　　〃What！〃　exclaimed　the　Indian　as　he　went　out　the　gate；　〃do

you　mean　to　starve　us？〃　　Having　seen　his　industrious　white　neighbors

so　well　off　　that　the　lawyer　had　only　to　weave　arguments；　and；　by

some　magic；　wealth　and　standing　followed　　he　had　said　to　himself：

I　will　go　into　business；　I　will　weave　baskets；　it　is　a　thing　which　I

can　do。　　Thinking　that　when　he　had　made　the　baskets　he　would　have

done　his　part；　and　then　it　would　be　the　white　man's　to　buy　them。　　He

had　not　discovered　that　it　was　necessary　for　him　to　make　it　worth

the　other's　while　to　buy　them；　or　at　least　make　him　think　that　it

was　so；　or　to　make　something　else　which　it　would　be　worth　his　while

to　buy。　　I　too　had　woven　a　kind　of　basket　of　a　delicate　texture；　but

I　had　not　made　it　worth　any　one's　while　to　buy　them。　　Yet　not　the

less；　in　my　case；　did　I　think　it　worth　my　while　to　weave　them；　and

instead　of　studying　how　to　make　it　worth　men's　while　to　buy　my

baskets；　I　studied　rather　how　to　avoid　the　necessity　of　selling

them。　　The　life　which　men　praise　and　regard　as　successful　is　but　one

kind。　　Why　should　we　exaggerate　any　one　kind　at　the　expense　of　the

others？

　　　　Finding　that　my　fellow…citizens　were　not　likely　to　offer　me　any

room　in　the　court　house；　or　any　curacy　or　living　anywhere　else；　but

I　must　shift　for　myself；　I　turned　my　face　more　exclusively　than　ever

to　the　woods；　where　I　was　better　known。　　I　determined　to　go　into

business　at　once；　and　not　wait　to　acquire　the　usual　capital；　using

such　slender　means　as　I　had　already　got。　　My　purpose　in　going　to

Walden　Pond　was　not　to　live　cheaply　nor　to　live　dearly　there；　but　to

transact　some　private　business　with　the　fewest　obstacles；　to　be

hindered　from　accomplishing　which　for　want　of　a　little　common　sense；

a　little　enterprise　and　business　talent；　appeared　not　so　sad　as

foolish。

　　　　I　have　always　endeavored　to　acquire　strict　business　habits；　they

are　indispensable　to　every　man。　　If　your　trade　is　with　the　Celestial

Empire；　then　some　small　counting　house　on　the　coast；　in　some　Salem

harbor；　will　be　fixture　enough。　　You　will　export　such　articles　as

the　country　affords；　purely　native　products；　much　ice　and　pine

timber　and　a　little　granite；　always　in　native　bottoms。　　These　will

be　good　ventures。　　To　oversee　all　the　details　yourself　in　person；　to

be　at　once　pilot　and　captain；　and　owner　and　underwriter；　to　buy　and

sell　and　keep　the　accounts；　to　read　every　letter　received；　and　write

or　read　every　letter　sent；　to　superintend　the　discharge　of　imports

night　and　day；　to　be　upon　many　parts　of　the　coast　almost　at　the　same

time　　often　the　richest　freight　will　be　discharged　upon　a　Jersey

shore；　　to　be　your　own　telegraph；　unweariedly　sweeping　the

horizon；　speaking　all　passing　vessels　bound　coastwise；　to　keep　up　a

steady　despatch　of　commodities；　for　the　supply　of　such　a　distant　and

exorbitant　market；　to　keep　yourself　informed　of　the　state　of　the

markets；　prospects　of　war　and　peace　everywhere；　and　anticipate　the

tendencies　of　trade　and　civilization　　taking　advantage　of　the

results　of　all　exploring　expeditions；　using　new　passages　and　all

improvements　in　navigation；　　charts　to　be　studied；　the　position　of

reefs　and　new　lights　and　buoys　to　be　ascertained；　and　ever；　and

ever；　the　logarithmic　tables　to　be　corrected；　for　by　the　error　of

some　calculator　the　vessel　often　splits　upon　a　rock　that　should　have

reached　a　friendly　pier　　there　is　the　untold　fate　of　La　Prouse；

　universal　science　to　be　kept　pace　with；　studying　the　lives　of　all

great　discoverers　and　navigators；　great　adventurers　and　merchants；

from　Hanno　and　the　Phoenicians　down　to　our　day；　in　fine；　account　of

stock　to　be　taken　from　time　to　time；　to　know　how　you　stand。　　It　is　a

labor　to　task　the　faculties　of　a　man　　such　problems　of　profit　and

loss；　of　interest；　of　tare　and　tret；　and　gauging　of　all　kinds　in　it；

as　demand　a　universal　knowledge。

　　　　I　have　thought　that　Walden　Pond　would　be　a　good　place　for

business；　not　solely　on　account　of　the　railroad　and　the　ice　trade；

it　offers　advantages　which　it　may　not　be　good　policy　to　divulge；　it

is　a　good　port　and　a　good　foundation。　　No　Neva　marshes　to　be　filled；

though　you　must　everywhere　build　on　piles　of　your　own　driving。　　It

is　said　that　a　flood…tide；　with　a　westerly　wind；　and　ice　in　the

Neva；　would　sweep　St。　Petersburg　from　the　face　of　the　earth。

　　　　As　this　business　was　to　be　entered　into　without　the　usual

capital；　it　may　not　be　easy　to　conjecture　where　those　means；　that

will　still　be　indispensable　to　every　such　undertaking；　were　to　be

obtained。　　As　for　Clothing；　to　come　at　once　to　the　practical　part　of

the　question；　perhaps　we　are　led　oftener　by　the　love　of　novelty　and

a　regard　for　the　opinions　of　men；　in　procuring　it；　than　by　a　true

utility。　　Let　him　who　has　work　to　do　recollect　that　the　object　of

clothing　is；　first；　to　retain　the　vital　heat；　and　secondly；　in　this

state　of　society；　to　cover　nakedness；　and　he　may　judge　how　much　of

any　necessary　or　important　work　may　be　accomplished　without　adding

to　his　wardrobe。　　Kings　and　queens　who　wear　a　suit　but　once；　though

made　by　some　tailor　or　dressmaker　to　their　majesties；　cannot　know

the　comfort　of　wearing　a　suit　that　fits。　　They　are　no　better　than

wooden　horses　to　hang　the　clean　clothes　on。　　Every　day　our　garments

become　more　assimilated　to　ourselves；　receiving　the　impress　of　the

wearer's　character；　until　we　hesitate　to　lay　them　aside　without　such

delay　and　medical　appliances　and　some　such　solemnity　even　as　our

bodies。　　No　man　ever　stood　the　lower　in　my　estimation　for　having　a

patch　in　his　clothes；　yet　I　am　sure　that　there　is　greater　anxiety；

commonly；　to　have　fashionable；　or　at　least　clean　and　unpatched

clothes；　than　to　have　a　sound　conscience。　　But　even　if　the　rent　is

not　mended；　perhaps　the　worst　vice　betrayed　is　improvidence。　　I

sometimes　try　my　acquaintances　by　such　tests　as　this　　Who　could

wear　a　patch；　or　two　extra　seams　only；　over　the　knee？　　Most　behave

as　if　they　believed　that　their　prospects　for　life　would　be　ruined　if