The Washington herald., 1920-12-19
Thoreau Called
Walking AN Art
Author of "Walden" Pic
/, '.tures Delights of
Sduntering

! have met with but one or two persons
in the course Of my life who understood the
art of walking. that is, of taking walks
who had genius. so to speak, for ssunter-
ing; which word is beautifully derived
from idle people who roved about the
country, in the Middle Ages. and asked for
charity, under the pretense of going Ia
Sainte Terre" to the Holy Land, till the
chill }ren exclaimed. There goes a Sainte
Ts<rer," saunterer, Holy Lander.
1t is true, we arc but faint hearted cru
saders, even the walkers nowadays, who
undertake no perseyering, never ending en-
terprises. Our expeditions are but tours
and come round again at evening to the old
hearthside from which we set out. Half
the walk issbut retracing our steps. We
should go forth on the shortest walk per-
chance, in the spirit of undying adventure,
never to return-prcpared TO send back our
embalmed hearts only as relics to our desc
hate kingdoms II you are ready TO leave
father and mother, and brother and sister,
and wife and child, and friends, and never
see them again-if you have paid your
debts, and made your will, and settled all
your affairs and are free man, then you
are ready for a walk.
No wealth can buy the requisite leisure,
freedom and independence which are the
capital in this profession. IL comes only
from the grace of Cod Ii requires a direct
dispensation from heaven to become a
walker. You must be born into the family
of the walkers.
I6elicve that there is subtle magnetism
in Nature, which, If we unconsciously yield
to it, will direct US Alright. il is not indif-
ferent to US which way We walk. There is
a right way; but we are very liable from
heedlessness and stupidity TO take the
wrong one. When ! 60 out of the house
for a walk, uncertain as yet whittier ] will
bend my steps, and submit myself 70 my
instinct to decide for me, l find, strange
and whimsical as il may seem, that i finally
and inevitably settle southwest, toward
some particular wood or meadow or de-
serted pasture or hill in that direction. The
future hes that way to me and the earth
seems more unexhausted and richer on that
side.
Eastward 1 go only by force; but west
ward ! go free. Thither no business leads
me. 1t is hard for me TO believe that |
shall find fair landscapes of sufficient Id
ness and freedom behind the eastern koTi-
ZOn- L am not Dl pIOspNNA "
: a walk thither; but believe that the forest
which / see on the western horIzcB
stretches uninterruptedly toward the setting
sun, and there arc no towns nor Cues ala
it of enough consequence TO disturb me.
Let me live where / WILL on this side is the
city, on that the wilderness. Mankind
progresses from east to west
We go eastward to realize history and
study works of art and literature, retracing
the steps of the race; we go westward as
into the future, with spirit of enterprise
and adventure.
While all men feel an attraction drawing
them to society, few are attracted strongly
to Nature. In their reaction to Nature
men appear to me for the most part, not
withstanding their arts, lower than the ami
mails. 1t is not often beautiful relation,
as IN the case of animals. How little ap-
probation of the beauty of the Landscape
there is among u.s. We have to be told
that the Greeks called the world beauty or
order, but we do not see clearly why they
did so, and We esteem it at best only a
curious pathological fact
And, so we ssunter toward the Holy
Land, till one day the sun shines more
brightly than ever it has done, shall per-
chance shine into our minds and hearts,
and light up our whole lives with a great
awakening light, as warm and serene and
golden as on. bankside in sutumn-Henry
David Thoreau.