Where I Lived, and What I Lived For

gsinproportion.OurlifeislikeaGermanConfederacy,madeupofpettystates,withitsboundaryforeverfluctuating,sothatevenaGermancannottellyouhowitisboundedatanymoment.Thenationitself,withallitssocalledinternalimprovements,which,bythewayareallexternalandsuperficial,isjustsuchanunwieldyandovergrownestablishment,clutteredwithfurnitureandtrippedupbyitsowntraps,ruinedbyluxuryandheedlessexpense,bywantofcalculationandaworthyaim,asthemillionhouseholdsinthelandandtheonlycureforitasforthemisinarigideconomy,asternandmorethanSpartansimplicityoflifeandelevationofpurpose.Itlivestoofast.MenthinkthatitisessentialthattheNationhavecommerce,andexportice,andtalkthroughatelegraph,andridethirtymilesanhour,withoutadoubt,whethertheydoornotbutwhetherweshouldlivelikebaboonsorlikemen,isalittleuncertain.Ifwedonotgetoutsleepers,andforgerails,anddevotedaysandnightstothework,butgototinkeringuponourlivestoimprovethem,whowillbuildrailroads?Andifrailroadsarenotbuilt,howshallwegettoheaveninseason?Butifwestayathomeandmindourbusiness,whowillwantrailroads?Wedonotrideontherailroaditridesuponus.Didyoueverthinkwhatthosesleepersarethatunderlietherailroad?Eachoneisaman,anIrish-man,oraYankeeman.Therailsarelaidonthem,andtheyarecoveredwithsand,andthecarsrunsmoothlyoverthem.Theyaresoundsleepers,Iassureyou.Andeveryfewyearsanewlotislaiddownandrunoversothat,ifsomehavethepleasureofridingonarail,othershavethemisfortunetoberiddenupon.Andwhentheyrunoveramanthatiswalkinginhissleep,asupernumerarysleeperinthewrongposition,andwakehimup,theysuddenlystopthecars,andmakeahueandcryaboutit,asifthiswereanexception.Iamgladtoknowthatittakesagangofmenforeveryfivemilestokeepthesleepersdownandlevelintheirbedsasitis,forthisisasignthattheymaysometimegetupagain. Whyshouldwelivewithsuchhurryandwasteoflife?Wearedeterminedtobestarvedbeforewearehungry.Mensaythatastitchintimesavesnine,andsotheytakeathousandstitchesto-daytosavenineto-morrow.Asforwork,wehaven’tanyofanyconsequence.WehavetheSaintVitus’dance,andcannotpossiblykeepourheadsstill.IfIshouldonlygiveafewpullsattheparishbell-rope,asforafire,thatis,withoutsettingthebell,thereishardlyamanonhisfarmintheoutskirtsofConcord,notwithstandingthatpressofengagementswhichwashisexcusesomanytimesthismorning,noraboy,norawoman,Imightalmostsay,butwouldforsakeallandfollowthatsound,notmainlytosavepropertyfromtheflames,but,ifwewillconfessthetruth,muchmoretoseeitburn,sinceburnitmust,andwe,beitknown,didnotsetitonfire,—ortoseeitputout,andhaveahandinit,ifthatisdoneashandsomelyyes,evenifitweretheparishchurchitself.Hardlyamantakesahalfhour’snapafterdinner,butwhenhewakesheholdsuphisheadandasks,“What’sthenews?”asiftherestofmankindhadstoodhissentinels.Somegivedirectionstobewakedeveryhalfhour,doubtlessfornootherpurposeandthen,topayforit,theytellwhattheyhavedreamed.Afteranight’ssleepthenewsisasindispensableasthebreakfast.“Praytellmeanythingnewthathashappenedtoamananywhereonthisglobe,”—andhereadsitoverhiscoffeeandrolls,thatamanhashadhiseyesgougedoutthismorningontheWachitoRiverneverdreamingthewhilethathelivesinthedarkunfathomedmammothcaveofthisworld,andhasbuttherudimentofaneyehimself. Formypart,Icouldeasilydowithoutthepost-office.Ithinkthatthereareveryfewimportantcommunicationsmadethroughit.Tospeakcritically,Ineverreceivedmorethanoneortwolettersinmylife—Iwrotethissomeyearsago—thatwereworththepostage.Thepenny-postis,commonly,aninstitutionthroughwhichyouseriouslyofferamanthatpennyforhisthoughtswhichissooftensafelyofferedinjest.AndIamsurethatIneverreadanymemorablenewsinanewspaper.Ifwereadofonemanrobbed,ormurdered,orkilledbyaccident,oronehouseburned,oronevesselwrecked,oronesteamboatblownup,oronecowrunoverontheWesternRailroad,oronemaddogkilled,oronelotofgrasshoppersinthewinter,—weneverneedreadofanother.Oneisenough.Ifyouareacquaintedwiththeprinciple,whatdoyoucareforamyriadinstancesandapplications?Toaphilosopherallnews,asitiscalled,isgossip,andtheywhoeditandreaditareoldwomenovertheirtea.Yetnotafewaregreedyafterthisgossip.Therewassucharush,asIhear,theotherdayatoneoftheofficestolearntheforeignnewsbythelastarrival,thatseverallargesquaresofplateglassbelongingtotheestablishmentwerebrokenbythepressure,—newswhichIseriouslythinkareadywitmightwriteatwelve-month,ortwelveyears,beforehandwithsufficientaccuracy.AsforSpain,forinstance,ifyouknowhowtothrowinDonCarlosandtheInfanta,andDonPedroandSevilleandGranada,fromtimetotimeintherightproportions,—theymayhavechangedthenamesalittlesinceIsawthepapers,—andserveupabull-fightwhenotherentertainmentsfail,itwillbetruetotheletter,andgiveusasgoodanideaoftheexactstateorruinofthingsinSpainasthemostsuccinctandlucidreportsunderthisheadinthenewspapers:andasforEngland,almostthelastsignificantscrapofnewsfromthatquarterwastherevolutionof1649andifyouhavelearnedthehistoryofhercropsforanaverageyear,youneverneedattendtothatthingagain,unlessyourspeculationsareofamerelypecuniarycharacter.Ifonemayjudgewhorarelylooksintothenewspapers,nothingnewdoeseverhappeninforeignparts,aFrenchrevolutionnotexcepted. Whatnews!howmuchmoreimportanttoknowwhatthatiswhichwasneverold!“Kieou-he-yu(greatdignitaryofthestateofWei)sentamantoKhoung-tseutoknowhisnews.Khoung-tseucausedthemessengertobeseatednearhim,andquestionedhimintheseterms:Whatisyourmasterdoing?Themessengeransweredwithrespect:Mymasterdesirestodiminishthenumberofhisfaults,buthecannotcometotheendofthem.Them