03-wealth-第5部分

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fine　saloons。　　But　vanity　costs　money；　labor；　horses；　men；　women；

health；　and　peace；　and　is　still　nothing　at　last；　a　long　way　leading

nowhere。　　　Only　one　drawback；　proud　people　are　intolerably　selfish；

and　the　vain　are　gentle　and　giving。



　　　　　　　　Art　is　a　jealous　mistress；　and；　if　a　man　have　a　genius　for

painting；　poetry；　music；　architecture；　or　philosophy；　he　makes　a　bad

husband；　and　an　ill　provider；　and　should　be　wise　in　season；　and　not

fetter　himself　with　duties　which　will　embitter　his　days；　and　spoil

him　for　his　proper　work。　　We　had　in　this　region；　twenty　years　ago；

among　our　educated　men；　a　sort　of　Arcadian　fanaticism；　a　passionate

desire　to　go　upon　the　land；　and　unite　farming　to　intellectual

pursuits。　　Many　effected　their　purpose；　and　made　the　experiment；　and

some　became　downright　ploughmen；　but　all　were　cured　of　their　faith

that　scholarship　and　practical　farming；　（I　mean；　with　one's　own

hands；）　could　be　united。



　　　　　　　　With　brow　bent；　with　firm　intent；　the　pale　scholar　leaves　his

desk　to　draw　a　freer　breath；　and　get　a　juster　statement　of　his

thought；　in　the　garden…walk。　　He　stoops　to　pull　up　a　purslain；　or　a

dock；　that　is　choking　the　young　corn；　and　finds　there　are　two：　close

behind　the　last；　is　a　third；　he　reaches　out　his　hand　to　a　fourth；

behind　that；　are　four　thousand　and　one。　　He　is　heated　and　untuned；

and；　by　and　by；　wakes　up　from　his　idiot　dream　of　chickweed　and

red…root；　to　remember　his　morning　thought；　and　to　find；　that；　with

his　adamantine　purposes；　he　has　been　duped　by　a　dandelion。　　A　garden

is　like　those　pernicious　machineries　we　read　of；　every　month；　in　the

newspapers；　which　catch　a　man's　coat…skirt　or　his　hand；　and　draw　in

his　arm；　his　leg；　and　his　whole　body　to　irresistible　destruction。　　In

an　evil　hour　he　pulled　down　his　wall；　and　added　a　field　to　his

homestead。　　No　land　is　bad；　but　land　is　worse。　　If　a　man　own　land；

the　land　owns　him。　　Now　let　him　leave　home；　if　he　dare。　　Every　tree

and　graft；　every　hill　of　melons；　row　of　corn；　or　quickset　hedge；　all

he　has　done；　and　all　he　means　to　do；　stand　in　his　way；　like　duns；

when　he　would　go　out　of　his　gate。　　The　devotion　to　these　vines　and

trees　he　finds　poisonous。　　Long　free　walks；　a　circuit　of　miles；　free

his　brain；　and　serve　his　body。　　Long　marches　are　no　hardship　to　him。

He　believes　he　composes　easily　on　the　hills。　　But　this　pottering　in　a

few　square　yards　of　garden　is　dispiriting　and　drivelling。　　The　smell

of　the　plants　has　drugged　him；　and　robbed　him　of　energy。　　He　finds　a

catalepsy　in　his　bones。　　He　grows　peevish　and　poor…spirited。　　The

genius　of　reading　and　of　gardening　are　antagonistic；　like　resinous

and　vitreous　electricity。　　One　is　concentrative　in　sparks　and　shocks：

the　other　is　diffuse　strength；　so　that　each　disqualifies　its　workman

for　the　other's　duties。



　　　　　　　　An　engraver　whose　hands　must　be　of　an　exquisite　delicacy　of

stroke；　should　not　lay　stone　walls。　　Sir　David　Brewster　gives　exact

instructions　for　microscopic　observation：　　〃Lie　down　on　your　back；

and　hold　the　single　lens　and　object　over　your　eye；〃　&c。　&c。　　How　much

more　the　seeker　of　abstract　truth；　who　needs　periods　of　isolation；

and　rapt　concentration；　and　almost　a　going　out　of　the　body　to　think！



　　　　　　　　2。　Spend　after　your　genius；　_and　by　system_。　　Nature　goes　by

rule；　not　by　sallies　and　saltations。　　There　must　be　system　in　the

economies。　　Saving　and　unexpensiveness　will　not　keep　the　most

pathetic　family　from　ruin；　nor　will　bigger　incomes　make　free　spending

safe。　　The　secret　of　success　lies　never　in　the　amount　of　money；　but

in　the　relation　of　income　to　outgo；　as　if；　after　expense　has　been

fixed　at　a　certain　point；　then　new　and　steady　rills　of　income；　though

never　so　small；　being　added；　wealth　begins。　　But　in　ordinary；　as

means　increase；　spending　increases　faster；　so　that；　large　incomes；　in

England　and　elsewhere；　are　found　not　to　help　matters；　　the　eating

quality　of　debt　does　not　relax　its　voracity。　　When　the　cholera　is　in

the　potato；　what　is　the　use　of　planting　larger　crops？　　In　England；

the　richest　country　in　the　universe；　I　was　assured　by　shrewd

observers；　that　great　lords　and　ladies　had　no　more　guineas　to　give

away　than　other　people；　that　liberality　with　money　is　as　rare；　and　as

immediately　famous　a　virtue　as　it　is　here。　　Want　is　a　growing　giant

whom　the　coat　of　Have　was　never　large　enough　to　cover。　　I　remember　in

Warwickshire；　to　have　been　shown　a　fair　manor；　still　in　the　same　name

as　in　Shakspeare's　time。　　The　rent…roll；　I　was　told；　is　some　fourteen

thousand　pounds　a　year：　but；　when　the　second　son　of　the　late

proprietor　was　born；　the　father　was　perplexed　how　to　provide　for　him。

The　eldest　son　must　inherit　the　manor；　what　to　do　with　this

supernumerary？　　He　was　advised　to　breed　him　for　the　Church；　and　to

settle　him　in　the　rectorship；　which　was　in　the　gift　of　the　family；

which　was　done。　　It　is　a　general　rule　in　that　country；　that　bigger

incomes　do　not　help　anybody。　　It　is　commonly　observed；　that　a　sudden

wealth；　like　a　prize　drawn　in　a　lottery；　or　a　large　bequest　to　a　poor

family；　does　not　permanently　enrich。　　They　have　served　no

apprenticeship　to　wealth；　and；　with　the　rapid　wealth；　come　rapid

claims：　which　they　do　not　know　how　to　deny；　and　the　treasure　is

quickly　dissipated。



　　　　　　　　A　system　must　be　in　every　economy；　or　the　best　single

expedients　are　of　no　avail。　　A　farm　is　a　good　thing；　when　it　begins

and　ends　with　itself；　and　does　not　need　a　salary；　or　a　shop；　to　eke

it　out。　　Thus；　the　cattle　are　a　main　link　in　the　chain…ring。　　If　the

non…conformist　or　aesthetic　farmer　leaves　out　the　cattle；　and　does

not　also　leave　out　the　want　which　the　cattle　must　supply；　he　must

fill　the　gap　by　begging　or　stealing。　　When　men　now　alive　were　born；

the　farm　yielded　everything　that　was　consumed　on　it。　　The　farm

yielded　no　money；　and　the　farmer　got　on　without。　　If　he　fell　sick；

his　neighbors　came　in　to　his　aid：　each　gave　a　day's　work；　or　a　half

day；　or　lent　his　yoke　of　oxen；　or　his　horse；　and　kept　his　work　even：

hoed　his　potatoes；　mowed　his　hay；　reaped　his　rye；　well　knowing　that

no　man　could　afford　to　hire　labor；　without　selling　his　land。　　In

autumn；　a　farmer　could　sell　an　ox　or　a　hog；　and　get　a　little　money　to

pay　taxes　withal。　　Now；　the　farmer　buys　almost　all　he　consumes；　

tin…ware；　cloth；　sugar；　tea；　coffee；　fish；　coal；　railroad…tickets；

and　newspapers。



　　　　　　　　A　master　in　each　art　is　required；　because　the　practice　is　never

with　still　or　dead　subjects；　but　they　change　in　your　hands。　　You

think　farm…buildings　and　broad　acres　a　solid　property：　but　its　value

is　flowing　like　water。　　It　requires　as　much　watching　as　if　you　were

decanting　wine　from　a　cask。　　The　farmer　knows　what　to　do　with　it；

stops　every　leak；　turns　all　the　streamlets　to　one　reservoir；　and

decants　wine：　but　a　blunderhead　comes　out　of　Cornhill；　tries　his

hand；　and　it　all　leaks　away。　　So　is　it　with　granite　streets；　or

timber　townships；　as　with　fruit　or　flowers。　　Nor　is　any　investment　so

permanent；　that　it　can　be　allowed　to　remain　without　incessant

watching；　as　the　history　of　each　attempt　to　lock　up　an　inheritance

through　two　generations　for　an　unborn　inheritor　may　show。



　　　　　　　　When　Mr。　Cockayne　takes　a　cottage　in　the　country；　and　will　keep

his　cow；　he　thinks　a　cow　is　a　creature　that　is　fed　on　hay；　and　gives

a　pail　of　milk　twice　a　day。　　But　the　cow　that　he　buys　gives　milk　for

three　months；　then　her　bag　dries　up。　　What　to　do　with　a　dry　cow？　who

will　buy　her？　　Perhaps　he　bought　also　a　yoke　of　oxen　to　do　his　work；

but　they　get　blown　and　lame。　　What　to　do　with　blown　and　lame　oxen？

The　farmer　fats　his；　after　the　spring…work　is　done；　and　kills　them　in

the　fall。　　But　how　can　Cockayne；　who　has　no　pastures；　and　leaves　his

cottage　daily　in　the　cars；　at　business　hours；　be　pothered　with

fatting　and　killing　oxen？　　He　plants　trees；　but　there　must　be　crops；

to　keep　the　trees　in　ploughed　land。　　What　shall　be　the　crops？　　He

will　have　nothing　to　do　with　trees；　but　will　have　grass。　　After　a

year　or　two；　the　grass　must　be　turned　up　and　ploughed：　now　what

crops？　　Credulous　Cockayne！



　　　　　　　　3。　Help　comes　in　the　custom　of　the　country；　and　the　rule　of

_Impera　parendo_。　　The　rule　is　not　to　dictate；　nor　to　insist　on

carrying　out　each　of　your　schemes　by　ignorant　wilfulness；　but　to

learn　practically　the　secret　spoken　from　all　nature；　that　things

themselves　refuse　to　be　mismanaged；　and　will　show　to　the　watchful

their　own　law。　　Nobody　need　stir　hand　or　foot。　　The　custom　of　the

country　will　do　it　all。　　I　know　not　how　to　build　or　to　plant；　neither

how　to　buy　wood；　nor　what　to　do　with　the　house…lot；　the　field；　or　the

wood…lot；　when　bought。　　Never　fear：　it　is　all　settled　how　it　shall

be；　long　beforehand；　in　the　custom　of　the　country；　whether　to　sand；

or　whether　to　clay　it；　when　to　plough；　and　how　to　dress；　whether　to

grass；　or　to　corn；　and　you　cannot　help　or　hinder　it。　　Nature　has　her

own　best　mode　of　doing　each　thing；　and　she　has　somewhere　told　it

plainly；　if　we　will　keep　our　eyes　and　ears　open。　　If　not；　she　will

not　be　slow　in　undeceiving　us；　when　we　prefer　our　own　way　to　hers。

How　often　we　must　remember　the　art　of　the　surgeon；　which；　in

replacing　the　broken　bone；　contents　itself　with　releasing　the　parts

from　false　position；　they　fly　into　place　by　the　action　of　the

muscles。　　On　this　art　of　nature　all　our　arts　rely。



　　　　　　　　Of　the　two　eminent　engineers　in　the　recent　construction　of

railways　in　England；　Mr。　Brunel　went　straight　from　terminus　to

terminus；　through　mountains；　over　streams；　crossing　highways；　cutting

ducal　estates　in　two；　and　shooting　through　this　man's　cellar；　and

that　man's　attic　window；　and　so　arriving　at　his　end；　at　great

pleasure　to　geometers；　but　with　cost　to　his　company。　　Mr。　Stephenson；

on　the　contrary；　believing　that　the　river　knows　the　way；　followed　his

valley；　as　implicitly　as　our　Western　Railroad　follows　the　Westfield

River；　and　turned　out　to　be　the　safest　and　cheapest　engineer。　　We　say