Higher Laws
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ntersarethe“bestmen,”astheAlgonquinscalledthem.Wecannotbutpitytheboywhohasneverfiredagunheisnomorehumane,whilehiseducationhasbeensadlyneglected.Thiswasmyanswerwithrespecttothoseyouthswhowerebentonthispursuit,trustingthattheywouldsoonoutgrowit.Nohumanebeing,pastthethoughtlessageofboyhood,willwantonlymurderanycreaturewhichholdsitslifebythesametenurethathedoes.Thehareinitsextremitycrieslikeachild.Iwarnyou,mothers,thatmysympathiesdonotalwaysmaketheusualphil-anthropicdistinctions.
Suchisoftenesttheyoungman’sintroductiontotheforest,andthemostoriginalpartofhimself.Hegoesthitheratfirstasahunterandfisher,untilatlast,ifhehastheseedsofabetterlifeinhim,hedistinguisheshisproperobjects,asapoetornaturalistitmaybe,andleavesthegunandfish-polebehind.Themassofmenarestillandalwaysyounginthisrespect.Insomecountriesahuntingparsonisnouncommonsight.Suchaonemightmakeagoodshepherd’sdog,butisfarfrombeingtheGoodShepherd.Ihavebeensurprisedtoconsiderthattheonlyobviousemployment,exceptwood-chopping,ice-cutting,orthelikebusiness,whichevertomyknowledgedetainedatWaldenPondforawholehalfdayanyofmyfellow-citizens,whetherfathersorchildrenofthetown,withjustoneexception,wasfishing.Commonlytheydidnotthinkthattheywerelucky,orwellpaidfortheirtime,unlesstheygotalongstringoffish,thoughtheyhadtheopportunityofseeingthepondallthewhile.Theymightgothereathousandtimesbeforethesedimentoffishingwouldsinktothebottomandleavetheirpurposepurebutnodoubtsuchaclarifyingprocesswouldbegoingonallthewhile.Thegovernorandhiscouncilfaintlyrememberthepond,fortheywenta-fishingtherewhentheywereboysbutnowtheyaretoooldanddignifiedtogoa-fishing,andsotheyknowitnomoreforever.Yeteventheyexpecttogotoheavenatlast.Ifthelegislatureregardsit,itischieflytoregulatethenumberofhookstobeusedtherebuttheyknownothingaboutthehookofhookswithwhichtoanglefortheponditself,impalingthelegislatureforabait.Thus,evenincivilizedcommunities,theembryomanpassesthroughthehunterstageofdevelopment.
Ihavefoundrepeatedly,oflateyears,thatIcannotfishwithoutfallingalittleinself-respect.Ihavetrieditagainandagain.Ihaveskillatit,and,likemanyofmyfellows,acertaininstinctforit,whichrevivesfromtimetotime,butalwayswhenIhavedoneIfeelthatitwouldhavebeenbetterifIhadnotfished.IthinkthatIdonotmistake.Itisafaintintimation,yetsoarethefirststreaksofmorning.ThereisunquestionablythisinstinctinmewhichbelongstothelowerordersofcreationyetwitheveryyearIamlessafisherman,thoughwithoutmorehumanityorevenwisdomatpresentIamnofishermanatall.ButIseethatifIweretoliveinawildernessIshouldagainbetemptedtobecomeafisherandhunterinearnest.Beside,thereissomethingessentiallyuncleanaboutthisdietandallflesh,andIbegantoseewherehouseworkcommences,andwhencetheendeavor,whichcostssomuch,towearatidyandrespectableappearanceeachday,tokeepthehousesweetandfreefromallillodorsandsights.Havingbeenmyownbutcherandscullionandcook,aswellasthegentlemanforwhomthedisheswereservedup,Icanspeakfromanunusuallycompleteexperience.Thepracticalobjectiontoanimalfoodinmycasewasitsuncleannessand,besides,whenIhadcaughtandcleanedandcookedandeatenmyfish,theyseemednottohavefedmeessentially.Itwasinsignificantandunnecessary,andcostmorethanitcameto.Alittlebreadorafewpotatoeswouldhavedoneaswell,withlesstroubleandfilth.Likemanyofmycontemporaries,Ihadrarelyformanyyearsusedanimalfood,ortea,orcoffee,&c.notsomuchbecauseofanyilleffectswhichIhadtracedtothem,asbecausetheywerenotagreeabletomyimagination.Therepugnancetoanimalfoodisnottheeffectofexperience,butisaninstinct.ItappearedmorebeautifultolivelowandfarehardinmanyrespectsandthoughIneverdidso,Iwentfarenoughtopleasemyimagination.Ibelievethateverymanwhohaseverbeenearnesttopreservehishigherorpoeticfacultiesinthebestconditionhasbeenparticularlyinclinedtoabstainfromanimalfood,andfrommuchfoodofanykind.Itisasignificantfact,statedbyent