Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-04-16
HENRY ID. THOREAU.

Thoreau's hermit life was read before
the Concord (Mass.) School Of Philoso-
ply by A. Bronson Alsott "There was
once man in this very town, and you
all know him so well that I may as well
name him-Henry D. Thoreau who
believed that he ought not to eat pota-
toes which were raised by the oppression
of the lahorer. He believed that he
should supply all his own wants, get as
nearly as possible to a state of nature,
and not be dependent upon men for any
thing. 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 l am
now pointing stretching his hand
toward the bust Of Ralph Waldo Emer-
SOM, said to him: Henry-we all call
him Henry here-I have some lands on
the shore of blue-eyed Walden. 1t is
pretty sandy and is covered with brush,
and it is not very good for potatoes.
But, if you want to go there and try liYr
ing alone, you are welcome to the use of
the land. l will not charge you any
rent So Henry found his land, but he
could do nothing without an AK. We'll,
said he, Il must compromise here with
society. must borrow an AK So he
borrowed the ak and this was the very
house where he got it Ghe Orchard
House, where MIR. Alcott lived them.
He went back into the woods and cut
trees to make him-a shanty, shall call
it? No-a hermitage. But he could
not get it up alone, and SO 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
us. That would have been contrary to
his principles, but he had to cempro-
mise there again with society, and we
were glad to help him. Neither did he
have anything strong to offer us. We
behaved like gentlemen, and the raising
was conducted on Temperance princi-
pies. 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 o new house and had no fur
ther use for his old one. So Henry
went to him and made bargain for
some of the old boards. But he was
able to get them without help, for the
Irishman wanted some surveying done,
and Henry was a good surveyor. So he
did the surveying for the boards, for he
believed that barter of that sort was
right. So he made his 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 dug a potato-hole In the
floor of his hut and covered it with q
rrap-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 Thor
eau got his seed potatoes), but, said
he, Il must have clothes. / can't make
them myself 1t is against my princi-
pies to get them where any wrong is in
yolved in making them; but there is my
aunt; she is a good woman; I will get
her to make them, but they shall be all
home-spun.' Well" continued Mr.. Al
colt, 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-pretty large all
around.
"Thoreau lived In that place for eigh.
teen months. He withdrew almost
wholly from human companionship. He
said: I was born among men,of course.
I could not help myself. I had no
choice about that. 1 like my friends,
but I cannot be part of society where
SO much wrong is done. Here is our
Government 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
and afectionate and do no moral wrong.
But shall [ take my fowling- piece and
bring down the bird that sits on the
bough No, that is not bird that lies
on the ground at my feet. It is mere
body. That is the bird which is all pal
pitating with ife.' So Henry studied
the birds as he saw them around him
he learned their habits and wrote their
biographies. They came to know him
and would fly to him at his call. The
squirrels would come and sit on his
hand, and he would study their dentist
ry while they were cracking nuts. So
he lived among his pets, and sometimes
distinguished visitors went to see him.
cat last, however, one day there came
a man who said sEAnry, I want you
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