Visitors

guise. Hisonlybookswereanalmanacandanarithmetic,inwhichlasthewasconsiderablyexpert.Theformerwasasortofcyclop?diatohim,whichhesupposedtocontainanabstractofhumanknowledge,asindeeditdoestoaconsiderableextent.Ilovedtosoundhimonthevariousreformsoftheday,andheneverfailedtolookattheminthemostsimpleandpracticallight.Hehadneverheardofsuchthingsbefore.Couldhedowithoutfactories?Iasked.Hehadwornthehome-madeVermontgray,hesaid,andthatwasgood.Couldhedispensewithteaandcoffee?Didthiscountryaffordanybeveragebesidewater?Hehadsoakedhemlockleavesinwateranddrankit,andthoughtthatwasbetterthanwaterinwarmweather.WhenIaskedhimifhecoulddowithoutmoney,heshowedtheconvenienceofmoneyinsuchawayastosuggestandcoincidewiththemostphilosophicalaccountsoftheoriginofthisinstitution,andtheveryderivationofthewordpecunia.Ifanoxwerehisproperty,andhewishedtogetneedlesandthreadatthestore,hethoughtitwouldbeinconvenientandimpossiblesoontogoonmortgagingsomeportionofthecreatureeachtimetothatamount.Hecoulddefendmanyinstitutionsbetterthananyphilosopher,because,indescribingthemastheyconcernedhim,hegavethetruereasonfortheirprevalence,andspeculationhadnotsuggestedtohimanyother.Atanothertime,hearingPlato’sdefinitionofaman,—abipedwithoutfeathers,—andthatoneexhibitedacockpluckedandcalleditPlato’sman,hethoughtitanimportantdifferencethatthekneesbentthewrongway.Hewouldsometimesexclaim,“HowIlovetotalk!ByGeorge,Icouldtalkallday!”Iaskedhimonce,whenIhadnotseenhimformanymonths,ifhehadgotanewideathissummer.“GoodLord,”saidhe,“amanthathastoworkasIdo,ifhedoesnotforgettheideashehashad,hewilldowell.Maybethemanyouhoewithisinclinedtoracethen,bygorry,yourmindmustbethereyouthinkofweeds.”Hewouldsometimesaskmefirstonsuchoccasions,ifIhadmadeanyimprovement.OnewinterdayIaskedhimifhewasalwayssatisfiedwithhimself,wishingtosuggestasubstitutewithinhimforthepriestwithout,andsomehighermotiveforliving.“Satisfied!”saidhe“somemenaresatisfiedwithonething,andsomewithanother.Oneman,perhaps,ifhehasgotenough,willbesatisfiedtositalldaywithhisbacktothefireandhisbellytothetable,byGeorge!”YetInever,byanyman?uvring,couldgethimtotakethespiritualviewofthingsthehighestthatheappearedtoconceiveofwasasimpleexpediency,suchasyoumightexpectananimaltoappreciateandthis,practically,istrueofmostmen.IfIsuggestedanyimprovementinhismodeoflife,hemerelyanswered,withoutexpressinganyregret,thatitwastoolate.Yethethoroughlybelievedinhonestyandthelikevirtues. Therewasacertainpositiveoriginality,howeverslight,tobedetectedinhim,andIoccasionallyobservedthathewasthinkingforhimselfandexpressinghisownopinion,aphenomenonsorarethatIwouldanydaywalktenmilestoobserveit,anditamountedtothere-originationofmanyoftheinstitutionsofsociety.Thoughhehesitated,andperhapsfailedtoexpresshimselfdistinctly,healwayshadapresentablethoughtbehind.Yethisthinkingwassoprimitiveandimmersedinhisanimallife,that,thoughmorepromisingthanamerelylearnedman’s,itrarelyripenedtoanythingwhichcanbereported.Hesuggestedthattheremightbemenofgeniusinthelowestgradesoflife,howeverpermanentlyhumbleandilliterate,whotaketheirownviewalways,ordonotpretendtoseeatallwhoareasbottomlessevenasWaldenPondwasthoughttobe,thoughtheymaybedarkandmuddy. Manyatravellercameoutofhiswaytoseemeandtheinsideofmyhouse,and,asanexcuseforcalling,askedforaglassofwater.ItoldthemthatIdrankatthepond,andpointedthither,offeringtolendthemadipper.FaroffasIlived,Iwasnotexemptedfromtheannualvisitationwhichoccurs,methinks,aboutthefirstofApril,wheneverybodyisonthemoveandIhadmyshareofgoodluck,thoughthereweresomecuriousspecimensamongmyvisitors.Half-wittedmenfromthealmshouseandelsewherecametoseemebutIendeavoredtomakethemexerciseallthewittheyhad,andmaketheirconfessionstomeinsuchcasesmakingwitthethemeofourconversationandsowascompensated.Indeed,Ifoundsomeofthemtobewiserthanthesocalledoverseersofthepoorandselectmenofthetown,andthoughtitwastimethatthetableswereturned.Withrespecttowit,Ilearnedthattherewasnotmuchdifferencebetweenthehalfandthewhole.Oneday,inparticular,aninoffensive,simple-mindedpauper,whomwithothersIhadoftenseenusedasfencingstuff,standingorsittingonabushelinthefieldstokeepcattleandhimselffromstraying,visitedme,andexpressedawishtoliveasIdid.Hetoldme,withtheutmostsimplicityandtruth,quitesuperior,orratherinferior,toanyth