The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-12-12

d
was not his, but the worlds property.
He was his own servant and he served
himself in most original way. There
was no extravagance about his place |
He made his own bread after q recipe
furnished by Marcus Cato 200 years be-
fore Christ. He was recluse, but still
he was social; and if he abstained from
the good things Of this world he was not
nevertheless, vegetarian. He would
make it pleasant for all who would call
on him. If only one came he would in
vlte HIM to dine; il twenty, he would
not invite any of them. He could then
entertain hundred with the same ease
as twenty. He had good many callers
from time to time, and one young Wis
itor said he would like to live that way
if he had only the means. There were
several stools around the house and if
there was no rocker. why, there was
pumpkin and it served as we'll. He
used to say that fyou need not rest your
reputation on the dinners you can give,"
and certainly there was no danger IF his
name going abroad for prodigality from
the sumptuousness of his table. He
would argue long and earnestly against
fine houses, maintaining that he was
just able to serve his purpose and that
was all that could be expected from the
most costly.
He more than once found himself in
Jail for refusing to pay his tax. But he
enjoyed the time spent there. He would
pick up an acquaintance and measure
him. When first he entered prison he
whiled away the hours by deciphering
what others wrote, and there being but
one other culprit at the time, and he
proving himself genial sort of charac-
ter, he pumped him for what he was
worth. When morning came his friend
Emerson visited him and asking him,
'sWhy are you here?" He answered bv
replying, s'Why are you not here?"
Emerson inquired further and found out
what placed his friend in that plight and
paid the tax-50 cents. But this was
only in accordance with his political
philosophy. The tax was for the sup.
port of slavery and he would never CO.
operate in such work. Thoreau was q
reformer, not only in word but in prac.
tice. He was John Browns friend, and
when that gallant soul was killed be
would harangue the village come what
may; and he told in ferv1d eloquence
how the rebels had sent John Brown to
another world, but not as one of their
representatives
He lived on curious intimacy with nat.
IRE. IT am WISER" said he, t'for know
ing there is minnow in the brook
The wild birds perched on him and the
squirrel adopted him for father. Even
the fish seemed to know him. Sailing
in his boat he had only TO put his hand
and the fish jumped to him, but he
would always let them go. In his excur-
sions he never carried a gun. He had
an inmate horror of destroying bird life
He was as tender as child, and ali
his senses were strikingly acute-he go1
the medal for the best led pencil, but he
did not wish to compete again.
His books consist of nine or ten vol
umes. The greater part of them were
written, originally, for the magazines
and journals of the days. Some are yei
in manuscript, and will, doubtless, be
given some day to the world. But of all
his works, "Valden" is incomparably the
best. If We have not read it then we
have missed treat, as it is bound tc
last as long as we have literature. II
does not compare with Emerson fo1
thought, nor with Lowell for beauty Of
expression, but as a true book-as q
book of the heart-it has no superior.