Solitude

wydaysandnightsespecially.”Iamtemptedtoreplytosuch,—Thiswholeearthwhichweinhabitisbutapointinspace.Howfarapart,thinkyou,dwellthetwomostdistantinhabitantsofyonderstar,thebreadthofwhosediskcannotbeappreciatedbyourinstruments?WhyshouldIfeellonely?isnotourplanetintheMilkyWay?Thiswhichyouputseemstomenottobethemostimportantquestion.Whatsortofspaceisthatwhichseparatesamanfromhisfellowsandmakeshimsolitary?Ihavefoundthatnoexertionofthelegscanbringtwomindsmuchnearertooneanother.Whatdowewantmosttodwellnearto?Nottomanymensurely,thedepot,thepost-office,thebar-room,themeeting-house,theschool-house,thegrocery,BeaconHill,ortheFivePoints,wheremenmostcongregate,buttotheperennialsourceofourlife,whenceinallourexperiencewehavefoundthattoissue,asthewillowstandsnearthewaterandsendsoutitsrootsinthatdirection.Thiswillvarywithdifferentnatures,butthisistheplacewhereawisemanwilldighiscellar....Ioneeveningovertookoneofmytownsmen,whohasaccumulatedwhatiscalled“ahandsomeproperty,”—thoughInevergotafairviewofit,—ontheWaldenroad,drivingapairofcattletomarket,whoinquiredofmehowIcouldbringmymindtogiveupsomanyofthecomfortsoflife.IansweredthatIwasverysureIlikeditpassablywellIwasnotjoking.AndsoIwenthometomybed,andlefthimtopickhiswaythroughthedarknessandthemudtoBrighton,—orBright-town,—whichplacehewouldreachsometimeinthemorning. Anyprospectofawakeningorcomingtolifetoadeadmanmakesindifferentalltimesandplaces.Theplacewherethatmayoccurisalwaysthesame,andindescribablypleasanttoalloursenses.Forthemostpartweallowonlyoutlyingandtransientcircumstancestomakeouroccasions.Theyare,infact,thecauseofourdistraction.Nearesttoallthingsisthatpowerwhichfashionstheirbeing.Nexttousthegrandestlawsarecontinuallybeingexecuted.Nexttousisnottheworkmanwhomwehavehired,withwhomwelovesowelltotalk,buttheworkmanwhoseworkweare. “HowvastandprofoundistheinfluenceofthesubtilepowersofHeavenandofEarth!” “Weseektoperceivethem,andwedonotseethemweseektohearthem,andwedonothearthemidentifiedwiththesubstanceofthings,theycannotbeseparatedfromthem.” “Theycausethatinalltheuniversemenpurifyandsanctifytheirhearts,andclothethemselvesintheirholidaygarmentstooffersacrificesandoblationstotheirancestors.Itisanoceanofsubtileintelligences.Theyareeverywhere,aboveus,onourleft,onourrighttheyenvironusonallsides.” Wearethesubjectsofanexperimentwhichisnotalittleinterestingtome.Canwenotdowithoutthesocietyofourgossipsalittlewhileunderthesecircumstances,—haveourownthoughtstocheerus?Confuciussaystruly,“Virtuedoesnotremainasanabandonedorphanitmustofnecessityhaveneighbors.” Withthinkingwemaybebesideourselvesinasanesense.Byaconsciouseffortofthemindwecanstandalooffromactionsandtheirconsequencesandallthings,goodandbad,gobyuslikeatorrent.WearenotwhollyinvolvedinNature.Imaybeeitherthedrift-woodinthestream,orIndraintheskylookingdownonit.Imaybeaffectedbyatheatricalexhibitionontheotherhand,Imaynotbeaffectedbyanactualeventwhichappearstoconcernmemuchmore.Ionlyknowmyselfasahumanentitythescene,sotospeak,ofthoughtsandaffect