Walking

sofAmericaappearinfinitelyhigher,andthestarsbrighter,Itrustthatthesefactsaresymbolicaloftheheighttowhichthephilosophyandpoetryandreligionofherinhabitantsmayonedaysoar.Atlength,perchance,theimmaterialheavenwillappearasmuchhighertotheAmericanmind,andtheintimationsthatstaritasmuchbrighter.ForIbelievethatclimatedoesthusreactonman—asthereissomethinginthemountainairthatfeedsthespiritandinspires.Willnotmangrowtogreaterperfectionintellectuallyaswellasphysicallyundertheseinfluences?Orisitunimportanthowmanyfoggydaysthereareinhislife?Itrustthatweshallbemoreimaginative,thatourthoughtswillbeclearer,fresher,andmoreethereal,asoursky—ourunderstandingmorecomprehensiveandbroader,likeourplains—ourintellectgenerallyonagranderscale,likeourthunderandlightning,ourriversandmountainsandforests,—andourheartsshallevencorrespondinbreadthanddepthandgrandeurtoourinlandseas.Perchancetherewillappeartothetravelersomething,heknowsnotwhat,ofl?taandglabra,ofjoyousandserene,inourveryfaces.Elsetowhatenddoestheworldgoon,andwhywasAmericadiscovered? ToAmericansIhardlyneedtosay— “Westwardthestarofempiretakesitsway.” Asatruepatriot,IshouldbeashamedtothinkthatAdaminparadisewasmorefavorablysituatedonthewholethanthebackwoodsmaninthiscountry. OursympathiesinMassachusettsarenotconfinedtoNewEnglandthoughwemaybeestrangedfromtheSouth,wesympathizewiththeWest.Thereisthehomeoftheyoungersons,asamongtheScandinavianstheytooktotheseafortheirinheritance.ItistoolatetobestudyingHebrewitismoreimportanttounderstandeventheslangoftoday. SomemonthsagoIwenttoseeapanoramaoftheRhine.ItwaslikeadreamoftheMiddleAges.Ifloateddownitshistoricstreaminsomethingmorethanimagination,underbridgesbuiltbytheRomans,andrepairedbylaterheroes,pastcitiesandcastleswhoseverynamesweremusictomyears,andeachofwhichwasthesubjectofalegend.TherewereEhrenbreitsteinandRolandseckandCoblentz,whichIknewonlyinhistory.Theywereruinsthatinterestedmechiefly.Thereseemedtocomeupfromitswatersanditsvine-cladhillsandvalleysahushedmusicasofcrusadersdepartingfortheHolyLand.Ifloatedalongunderthespellofenchantment,asifIhadbeentransportedtoanheroicage,andbreathedanatmosphereofchivalry. Soonafter,IwenttoseeapanoramaoftheMississippi,andasIworkedmywayuptheriverinthelightofto-day,andsawthesteamboatswoodingup,countedtherisingcities,gazedonthefreshruinsofNauvoo,beheldtheIndiansmovingwestacrossthestream,and,asbeforeIhadlookeduptheMoselle,nowlookeduptheOhioandtheMissouriandheardthelegendsofDubuqueandofWenona’sCliff—stillthinkingmoreofthefuturethanofthepastorpresent—IsawthatthiswasaRhinestreamofadifferentkindthatthefoundationsofcastleswereyettobelaid,andthefamousbridgeswereyettobethrownovertheriverandIfeltthatthiswastheheroicageitself,thoughweknowitnot,fortheheroiscommonlythesimplestandobscurestofmen. TheWestofwhichIspeakisbutanothernamefortheWildandwhatIhavebeenpreparingtosayis,thatinWildnessisthepreservationoftheWorld.EverytreesendsitsfibersforthinsearchoftheWild.Thecitiesimportitatanyprice.Menplowandsailforit.Fromtheforestandwildernesscomethetonicsandbarkswhichbracemankind.Ourancestorsweresavages.ThestoryofRomulusandRemusbeingsuckledbyawolfisnotameaninglessfable.Thefoundersofeverystatewhichhasrisentoeminencehavedrawntheirnourishmentandvigorfromasimilarwildsource.ItwasbecausethechildrenoftheEmpirewerenotsuckledbythewolfthattheywereconqueredanddisplacedbythechildrenofthenorthernforestswhowere. Ibelieveintheforest,andinthemeadow,andinthenightinwhichthecorngrows.Werequireaninfusionofhemlockspruceorarborvit?inourtea.Thereisadifferencebetweeneatinganddrinkingforstrengthandfrommeregluttony.TheHottentotseagerlydevourthemarrowofthekoodooandotherantelopesraw,asamatterofcourse.SomeofournorthernIndianseatrawthemarrowoftheArcticreindeer,aswellasvariousotherparts,includingthesummitsoftheantlers,aslongastheyaresoft.Andherein,perchance,theyhavestolenamarchonthecooksofParis.Theygetwhatusuallygoestofeedthefire.Thisisprobablybetterthanstall-fedbeefandslaughterhouseporktomakeamanof.Givemeawildnesswhoseglancenocivilizationcanendure,—asifwelivedonthemarrowofkoodoosdevouredraw. Therearesomeintervalswhichborderthestrainofthewood-thrush,towhichIwouldmigrate—wildlandswherenosettlerhassquattedtowhich,methinks,Iamalreadyacclimated. TheAfricanhunterCummingtellsusthattheskinoftheeland,aswellasthatofmostotherantelopesjustkilled,emitsthemostdeliciousperfumeoftreesandgrass.Iwouldhaveeverymansomuchlikeawildantelope,somuchapartandparcelofNature,thathisverypersonshouldthussweetlyadvertiseoursensesofhispresence,andremindusofthosepartsofnaturewhichhemosthaunts.Ifeelnodispositiontobesatirical,whenthetrapper’scoatemitstheodorofmusquashevenitisasweeterscenttomethanthatwhichcommonlyexhalesfromthemerchant’sorthescholar’sgarments.WhenIgointotheirwardrobesandhandletheirvestments,Iamremindedofnograssyplainsandflowerymeadswhichtheyhavefrequented,butofdustymerchants’exchangesandlibrariesrather. Atannedskinissomethingmorethanrespectable,andperhapsoliveisafittercolorthanwhiteforaman—adenizenofthewoods.“Thepalewhiteman!”IdonotwonderthattheAfricanpitiedhim.Darwinthenaturalistsays,“AwhitemanbathingbythesideofaTahitianwaslikeaplantbleachedbythegardener’sart,comparedwithafine,darkgreenone,growingvigorouslyintheopenfields.” BenJonsonexclaims,— “Howneartogoodiswhatisfair!” SoIwouldsay,— “Howneartogoodiswhatiswild!” Lifeconsistswithwildness.Themostaliveisthewildest.Notyetsubduedtoman,itspresencerefresheshim.Onewhopressedforwardincessantlyandneverrestedfromhislabors,whogrewfastandmadeinfinitedemandsonlife,wouldalwaysfindhimselfinanewcountryorwilderness,andsurroundedbytherawmaterialoflife.Hewouldbeclimbingovertheprostratestemsofprimitiveforesttrees. Hopeandthefutureformearenotinlawnsandcultivatedfields,notintownsandcities,butintheimperviousandquakingswamps.When,formerly,IhaveanalyzedmypartialityforsomefarmwhichIhadcontemplatedpurchasing,IhavefrequentlyfoundthatIwasattractedsolelybyafewsquarerodsofimpermeableandunfathomablebog—anaturalsinkinonecornerofit.Thatwasthejewelwhichdazzledme.Iderivemoreofmysubsistencefromtheswampswhichsurroundmynativetownthanfromthecultivatedgardensinthevillage.Therearenoricherparterrestomyeyesthanthedensebedsofdwarfandromeda(Cassandracalyculata)whichcoverthesetenderplacesontheearth’ssurface.Botanycannotgofartherthantellmethenamesoftheshrubswhichgrowthere—thehigh-blueberry,panicledandromeda,lamb-kill,azalea,andrhodora—allstandinginthequakingsphagnum.IoftenthinkthatIshouldliketohavemyhousefrontonthismassofdullredbushes,omittingotherflowerplotsandborders,transplantedspruceandtrimbox,evengraveledwalks—tohavethisfertilespotundermywindows,notafewimportedbarrow-fulsofsoilonlytocoverthesandwhichwasthrownoutindiggingthecellar.Whynotputmyhouse,myparlor,behindthisplot,insteadofbehindthatmeagerassemblageofcuriosities,thatpoorapologyforaNatureandart,whichIcallmyfrontyard?Itisanefforttoclearupandmakeadecentappearancewhenthecarpenterandmasonhavedeparted,thoughdoneasmuchforthepasser-byasthedwellerwithin.Themosttastefulfront-yardfencewasneveranagreeableobjectofstudytomethemostelaborateornaments,acorntops,orwhatnot,soonweariedanddisgustedme.Bringyoursillsuptotheveryedgeoftheswamp,then(thoughitmaynotbethebestplaceforadrycellar,)sothattherebenoaccessonthatsidetocitizens.Frontyardsarenotmadetowalkin,but,atmost,through,andyoucouldgointhebackway. Yes,thoughyoumaythinkmeperverse,ifitwereproposedtometodwellintheneighborhoodofthemostbeautifulgardenthateverhumanartcontrived,orelseofadismalswamp,Ishouldcertainlydecidefortheswamp.Howvain,then,havebeenallyourlabors,citizens,forme! Myspiritsinfalliblyriseinproportiontotheoutwarddreariness.Givemetheocean,thedesert,orthewilderness!Inthedesert,pureairandsolitudecompensateforwantofmoistureandfertility.ThetravelerBurtonsaysofit—“Yourmoraleimprovesyoubecomefrankandcordial,hospitableandsingle-minded....Inthedesert,spirituousliquorsexciteonlydisgust.Thereisakeenenjoymentinamereanimalexistence.”TheywhohavebeentravelinglongonthesteppesofTartarysay,“Onreenteringcultivatedlands,theagitation,perplexity,andturmoilofcivilizationoppressedandsuffocatedustheairseemedtofailus,andwefelteverymomentasifabouttodieofasphyxia.”WhenIwouldrecreatemyself,Iseekthedarkestwood,thethickestandmostinterminableand,tothecitizen,mostdismal,swamp.Ienteraswampasasacredplace,—asanctumsanctorum.Thereisthestrength,themarrow,ofNature.Thewildwoodcoversthevirginmould,—andthesamesoilisgoodformenandfortrees.Aman’shealthrequiresasmanyacresofmeadowtohisprospectashisfarmdoesloadsofmuck.Therearethestrongmeatsonwhichhefeeds.Atownissaved,notmorebytherighteousmeninitthanbythewoodsandswampsthatsurroundit.Atownshipwhereoneprimitiveforestwavesabovewhileanotherprimitiveforestrotsbelow—suchatownisfittedtoraisenotonlycornandpotatoes,butpoetsandphilosophersforthecomingages.InsuchasoilgrewHomerandConfuciusandtherest,andoutofsuchawildernesscomesthereformereatinglocustsandwildhoney. Topreservewildanimalsimpliesgenerallythecreationofaforestforthemtodwellinorresortto.Soitiswithman.Ahundredyearsagotheysoldbarkinourstreetspeeledfromourownwoods.Intheveryaspectofthoseprimitiveandruggedtreestherewas,methinks,atanningprinciplewhichhardenedandconsolidatedthefibersofmen’sthoughts.Ah!alreadyIshudderforthesecomparativelydegeneratedaysofmynativevillage,whenyoucannotcollectaloadofbarkofgoodthickness,andwenolongerproducetarandturpentine. Thecivilizednations—Greece,Rome,England—havebeensustainedbytheprimitiveforestswhichancientlyrottedwheretheystand.Theysurviveaslongasthesoilisnotexhausted.Alasforhumanculture!littleistobeexpectedofanation,whenthevegetablemouldisexhausted,anditiscompelledtomakemanureofthebonesofitsfathers.Therethepoetsustainshimselfmerelybyhisownsuperfluousfat,andthephilosophercomesdownonhismarrowbones. ItissaidtobethetaskoftheAmerican“toworkthevirginsoil,”andthat“agricultureherealreadyassumesproportionsunknowneverywhereelse.”IthinkthatthefarmerdisplacestheIndianevenbecauseheredeemsthemeadow,andsomakeshimselfstrongerandinsomerespectsmorenatural.Iwassurveyingforamantheotherdayasinglestraightlineonehundredandthirty-tworodslong,throughaswampatwhoseentrancemighthavebeenwrittenthewordswhichDantereadovertheentrancetotheinfernalregions,—“Leaveallhope,yethatenter”—thatis,ofevergettingoutagainwhereatonetimeIsawmyemployeractuallyuptohisneckandswimmingforhislifeinhisproperty,thoughitwasstillwinter.HehadanothersimilarswampwhichIcouldnotsurveyatall,becauseitwascompletelyunderwater,andnevertheless,withregardtoathirdswamp,whichIdidsurveyfromadistance,heremarkedtome,truetohisinstincts,thathewouldnotpartwithitforanyconsideration,onaccountofthemudwhichitcontained.Andthatmanintendstoputagirdlingditchroundthewholeinthecourseoffortymonths,andsoredeemitbythemagicofhisspade.Irefertohimonlyasthetypeofaclass. Theweaponswithwhichwehavegainedourmostimportantvictories,whichshouldbehandeddownasheirloomsfromfathertoson,arenottheswordandthelance,butthebushwhack,theturf-cutter,thespade,andtheboghoe,rustedwiththebloodofmanyameadow,andbegrimedwiththedustofmanyahard-foughtfield.TheverywindsblewtheIndian’scornfieldintothemeadow,andpointedoutthewaywhichhehadnottheskilltofollow.Hehadnobetterimplementwithwhichtointrenchhimselfinthelandthanaclam-sh