小说园

第24章 人生最好的奖励9（第1页）

ereiscommonlysufficientsaceaboutus。Ourhorizonisneverquiteatourelbows。Thethickwoodisnotjustatourdoor，northeond，butsomewhatisalwaysclearing，familiarandwornbyus，aroriatedandfencedinsomeway，andreclaimedfromNature。ForwhatreasonhaveIthisvastrangeandcircuit，somesquaremilesofunfrequentedforest，formyrivacy，abandonedtomebymen?Mynearestneighborisamiledistant，andnohouseisvisiblefromanylacebutthehill-toswithinhalfamileofmyown。Ihavemyhorizonboundedbywoodsalltomyself;adistantviewoftherailroadwhereittouchestheondontheonehand，andofthefencewhichskirtsthewoodlandroadontheother。ButforthemostartitisassolitarywhereIliveasontherairies。ItisasmuchAsiaorAfricaasNewEngland。Ihave，asitwere，myownsunandmoonandstars，andalittleworldalltomyself。Atnighttherewasneveratravellerassedmyhouse，orknockedatmydoor，morethanifIwerethefirstorlastman;unlessitwereinthesring，whenatlongintervalssomecamefromthevillagetofishforouts—theylainlyfishedmuchmoreintheWaldenPondoftheirownnatures，andbaitedtheirhookswithdarkness—buttheysoonretreated，usuallywithlightbaskets，andleftheworldtodarknessandtome，andtheblackkernelofthenightwasneverrofanedbyanyhumanneighborhood。Ibelievethatmenaregenerallystillalittleafraidofthedark，thoughthewitchesareallhung，andChristianityandcandleshavebeenintroduced。

YetIexeriencedsometimesthatthemostsweetandtender，themostinnocentandencouragingsocietymaybefoundinanynaturalobject，evenfortheoormisanthroeandmostmelancholyman。TherecanbenoveryblackmelancholytohimwholivesinthemidstofNatureandhashissensesstill。WhileIenjoythefriendshioftheseasonsItrustthatnothingcanmakelifeaburdentome。

Menfrequentlysaytome，“Ishouldthinkyouwouldfeellonesomedownthere，andwanttobenearertofolks，rainyandsnowydaysandnightsesecially。”Iamtemtedtorelytosuch—thiswholeearthwhichweinhabitisbutaointinsace。Howfaraart，thinkyou，dwellthetwomostdistantinhabitantsofyonderstar，thebreadthofwhosediskcannotbeareciatedbyourinstruments?WhyshouldIfeellonely?IsnotourlanetintheMilkyWay?Thiswhichyouutseemstomenottobethemostimortantquestion。Whatsortofsaceisthatwhichsearatesamanfromhisfellowsandmakeshimsolitary?Ihavefoundthatnoexertionofthelegscanbringtwomindsmuchnearertooneanother。

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Ifinditwholesometobealonethegreaterartofthetime。Tobeincomany，evenwiththebest，issoonwearisomeanddissiating。Ilovetobealone。Ineverfoundthecomanionthatwassocomanionableassolitude。Weareforthemostartmorelonelywhenwegoabroadamongmenthanwhenwestayinourchambers。Amanthinkingorworkingisalwaysalone，lethimbewherehewill。Solitudeisnotmeasuredbythemilesofsacethatintervenebetweenamanandhisfellows。ThereallydiligentstudentinoneofthecrowdedhivesofCambridgeCollegeisassolitaryasadervishinthedesert。Thefarmercanworkaloneinthefieldorthewoodsallday，hoeingorchoing，andnotfeellonesome，becauseheisemloyed;butwhenhecomeshomeatnighthecannotsitdowninaroomalone，atthemercyofhisthoughts，butmustbewherehecan“seethefolks，”andrecreate，and，ashethinks，remuneratehimselfforhisday’ssolitude;andhencehewondershowthestudentcansitaloneinthehouseallnightandmostofthedaywithoutennuiand“theblues”;buthedoesnotrealizethatthestudent，thoughinthehouse，isstillatworkinhisfield，andchoinginhiswoods，asthefarmerinhis，andinturnseeksthesamerecreationandsocietythatthelatterdoes，thoughitmaybeamorecondensedformofit。

Societyiscommonlytoochea。Wemeetatveryshortintervals，nothavinghadtimetoacquireanynewvalueforeachother。Wemeetatmealsthreetimesaday，andgiveeachotheranewtasteofthatoldmustycheesethatweare。Wehavehadtoagreeonacertainsetofrules，calledetiquetteandoliteness，tomakethisfrequentmeetingtolerableandthatweneednotcometooenwar。Wemeetattheost-office，andatthesociable，andaboutthefiresideeverynight;welivethickandareineachother’sway，andstumbleoveroneanother，andIthinkthatwethuslosesomeresectforoneanother。Certainlylessfrequencywouldsufficeforallimortantandheartycommunications。Considerthegirlsinafactory—neveralone，hardlyintheirdreams。Itwouldbebetteriftherewerebutoneinhabitanttoasquaremile，aswhereIlive。Thevalueofamanisnotinhisskin，thatweshouldtouchhim。

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Ihaveagreatdealofcomanyinmyhouse;eseciallyinthemorning，whennobodycalls。Letmesuggestafewcomarisons，thatsomeonemayconveyanideaofmysituation。Iamnomorelonelythantheloonintheondthatlaughssoloud，orthanWaldenPonditself。Whatcomanyhasthatlonelylake，Iray。Andyetithasnotthebluedevils，buttheblueangelsinit，intheazuretintofitswaters。Thesunisalone，excetinthickweather，whentheresometimesaeartobetwo，butoneisamocksun。Godisalone—butthedevil，heisfarfrombeingalone;heseesagreatdealofcomany;heislegion。Iamnomorelonelythanasinglemulleinordandelioninaasture，orabeanleaf，orsorrel，orahorse-fly，orabumblebee。IamnomorelonelythantheMillBrook，oraweathercock，orthenorthstar，orthesouthwind，oranArilshower，oraJanuarythaw，orthefirstsiderinanewhouse。