The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-08-20
HENRY ID. THOREAU.
A Graphic story of HIS Hermit Life.

Graphic story of His Hermit Life.
The following lively sketch of Thoreau's
hermit life was read before the Concord Mass
School of Philosophy by A. Bronson Alcott:
" There was once man in this very town, and
YOU all know MN so well that may as well
name hlm-Henry ID. Thoreau-who believed
that he ought not to eat potatoes which were
raised hv the oppression ofthe !aborer. He be
lieved that he should supply all his own wants,
get AS nearly rs possible To a state of nature,
and no, be dependent upon men tor anything.
So he set out to raise his own potatoes. But
he had no land and he had no means of getting
it, SO he seemed likely to fail at the start.
But very excellent man, toward whom | am
now pointing stretching his hand toward the
bust of Ralph Waldo Emerson), SAID to HIM
'Henrv--we all call him Henry here-l have
some lands on the shore of bluc-eyed Walden.
1t it pretty sandy and is covered with brush,
and it is not very good for potatoes. But. II
YOU want to go there and try living alone, you
are welcome to the use of the land. | will
not charge you any rent So Henry found
his land hut he could do nothing without an
AK. Well said he, 4 must compromise here
with society | must borrow an ak. So he
borrowed the Ak and this was the very house
where he got 1t 0he Orchard House, where
Mr.. Alcott lived them. He went back into
the woods and cut trees to make him-a shan
ty, shall call il? No-a hermitage. But he
could not get it up alone, and 80 he had to ask
some of us, his friends, to come over and help
him. Well, we went and helped HIM. OF
course he did not pay ns. That would have
been contrary to his principles, but he had to
compromise there again With the society, and
we were glad to help him. Neither did he
have anything strong to offer us. We behav-
ed like gentlemen, and the raising was con.
dncted on temperance principles. But he
would take no further help from Us after he
got his frame up. Next he wanted some
boards. 1t so happened that an Irishman near
him had built new house and had no further
use for his old one SO Henry went to him
and made a bargain for some ofthe old boards,
But he was able to get them without help, for
the freshman wanted some surveying done,
and Henry was good surveyor. So he did
the surveying for the boards, for he believed
that barter of that sort was right. SO he made
bis hut He went to the shore of the lake
and brought up stones for chimney, and he
made the mortar and LAID the stones with his
own hands He duga potatoe-hOle in the
floor of his hut and covered it with atrap-door,
that his precious crop might be protected and
very near him. Thus he was provided with
food and shelter (Mr Alcott forgot to state
where Thoreau got his seed potatoes), but,
said he, 4 must have clothes. 1 can't make
them myself. 1t IS against my principles to
get them where any wrong Is involved In max
ing them but there Is my aunt she is good
woman; | will get her to make them, but they
shall be all home-spun.' WELL" continued
Mr. Alcott laughing TO himself as the picture
OF Thoreau in that home spun suit came up
in his memory, she made the clothes, and
they were pretty much like the nature of the
man-prctty large all around.
"Thoreau lived in that place for eighteen
months. He withdrew almost wholly from
human companionshp. He SAID: was born
among men, of course | could not help my.
self. | had no choice about that. like my
friends, but | cannot be a part of society where
so much wrong is done. Here 10 our Govern
ment stealing Texas and trying to steal half
of Mexico. Here Is African slavery. | will
not live In the society which tolerates such
things. will live with the animals and birds.
They shall be my companions. They are
chaste aud atfectionate and do no moral wrong
But shall take my fowling.piece and bring
down the bird that sits upon the boHgh! No.
that is not bird that lies on the ground at my
feet. 1t is a mere body. That is the bird
which is all palpitatlng with lite SO Henry
studied the birds as he saw them around him
he learned their habits and wrote their bog
raphies They came TO know him and would
fy to him at his call. The squirrels would
come and sit on his hand, and he would study
their dentistry while they were cracking nuts.
So he lived amOung his pets, and sometimes
distinguished visitors went to see him.
AT last, however ole day there came man
who said: Henry, want you should pay me
a tax Of $3.50 on your head Why should
pay a tax on my head? SAID Henry. have
nothing to do with society. To be sure, was
born in Concord, but l could not help that.
| stay here because it is pleasant here, and
like to be with my friends. But | have no
thing to do with the town OF Concord We'll,
said the man, you live in the town and you
must pay your poll-tax.' But | haven't any
$3.50 said Henry; 4 haven't any money, and
wouldn't pay you if I had Very well,
said the man q. do you know what we shall do
with you if you don't pay? Why, there are
some stone walls over there and | presume
you will put me inside them That was ex-
actly what they did. They shut HIM up in
prison because he would not pay his poll-tax.
WELL he said, 1T seems | can not do as wish
but society steps IN. | was born here without
any choice of my own, and now society shuts
me up in jail and takes away my liberty. 1t
shuts me up because | refuse to do wrong and
here am among lot OF men 1t has shut up
because they have done wrong. This looks
like good missionary ground, and | Will take