BesidethisIgotararemessofgoldenandsilverandbrightcupreousfishes，whichlookedlikeastringofjewels。Ah！Ihavepenetratedtothosemeadowsonthemorningofmanyafirstspringday，jumpingfromhummocktohummock，fromwillowroottowillowroot，whenthewildrivervalleyandthewoodswerebathedinsopureandbrightalightaswouldhavewakedthedead，iftheyhadbeenslumberingintheirgraves，assomesuppose。Thereneedsnostrongerproofofimmortality。Allthingsmustliveinsuchalight。ODeath，wherewasthysting？OGrave，wherewasthyvictory，then？
Ourvillagelifewouldstagnateifitwerenotfortheunexploredforestsandmeadowswhichsurroundit。Weneedthetonicofwildness——towadesometimesinmarsheswherethebitternandthemeadow-henlurk，andheartheboomingofthesnipe；tosmellthewhisperingsedgewhereonlysomewilderandmoresolitaryfowlbuildshernest，andtheminkcrawlswithitsbellyclosetotheground。Atthesametimethatweareearnesttoexploreandlearnallthings，werequirethatallthingsbemysteriousandunexplorable，thatlandandseabeinfinitelywild，unsurveyedandunfathomedbyusbecauseunfathomable。Wecanneverhaveenoughofnature。Wemustberefreshedbythesightofinexhaustiblevigor，vastandtitanicfeatures，thesea-coastwithitswrecks，thewildernesswithitslivinganditsdecayingtrees，thethunder-cloud，andtherainwhichlaststhreeweeksandproducesfreshets。Weneedtowitnessourownlimitstransgressed，andsomelifepasturingfreelywhereweneverwander。Wearecheeredwhenweobservethevulturefeedingonthecarrionwhichdisgustsanddisheartensus，andderivinghealthandstrengthfromtherepast。
Therewasadeadhorseinthehollowbythepathtomyhouse，whichcompelledmesometimestogooutofmyway，especiallyinthenightwhentheairwasheavy，buttheassuranceitgavemeofthestrongappetiteandinviolablehealthofNaturewasmycompensationforthis。IlovetoseethatNatureissorifewithlifethatmyriadscanbeaffordedtobesacrificedandsufferedtopreyononeanother；thattenderorganizationscanbesoserenelysquashedoutofexistencelikepulp——tadpoleswhichheronsgobbleup，andtortoisesandtoadsrunoverintheroad；andthatsometimesithasrainedfleshandblood！Withtheliabilitytoaccident，wemustseehowlittleaccountistobemadeofit。Theimpressionmadeonawisemanisthatofuniversalinnocence。Poisonisnotpoisonousafterall，norareanywoundsfatal。Compassionisaveryuntenableground。Itmustbeexpeditious。Itspleadingswillnotbeartobestereotyped。
EarlyinMay，theoaks，hickories，maples，andothertrees，justputtingoutamidstthepinewoodsaroundthepond，impartedabrightnesslikesunshinetothelandscape，especiallyincloudydays，asifthesunwerebreakingthroughmistsandshiningfaintlyonthehillsideshereandthere。OnthethirdorfourthofMayI
sawalooninthepond，andduringthefirstweekofthemonthI
heardthewhip-poor-will，thebrownthrasher，theveery，thewoodpewee，thechewink，andotherbirds。Ihadheardthewoodthrushlongbefore。Thephoebehadalreadycomeoncemoreandlookedinatmydoorandwindow，toseeifmyhousewascavern-likeenoughforher，sustainingherselfonhummingwingswithclinchedtalons，asifsheheldbytheair，whileshesurveyedthepremises。Thesulphur-likepollenofthepitchpinesooncoveredthepondandthestonesandrottenwoodalongtheshore，sothatyoucouldhavecollectedabarrelful。Thisisthe“sulphurshowers“webearof。
EveninCalidas’dramaofSacontala，wereadof“rillsdyedyellowwiththegoldendustofthelotus。“Andsotheseasonswentrollingonintosummer，asoneramblesintohigherandhighergrass。
Thuswasmyfirstyear’slifeinthewoodscompleted；andthesecondyearwassimilartoit。IfinallyleftWaldenSeptember6th，1847。
ConclusionTothesickthedoctorswiselyrecommendachangeofairandscenery。ThankHeaven，hereisnotalltheworld。ThebuckeyedoesnotgrowinNewEngland，andthemockingbirdisrarelyheardhere。
Thewildgooseismoreofacosmopolitethanwe；hebreakshisfastinCanada，takesaluncheonintheOhio，andplumeshimselfforthenightinasouthernbayou。Eventhebison，tosomeextent，keepspacewiththeseasonscroppingthepasturesoftheColoradoonlytillagreenerandsweetergrassawaitshimbytheYellowstone。Yetwethinkthatifrailfencesarepulleddown，andstonewallspileduponourfarms，boundsarehenceforthsettoourlivesandourfatesdecided。Ifyouarechosentownclerk，forsooth，youcannotgotoTierradelFuegothissummer:butyoumaygotothelandofinfernalfirenevertheless。Theuniverseiswiderthanourviewsofit。
Yetweshouldoftenerlookoverthetafferelofourcraft，likecuriouspassengers，andnotmakethevoyagelikestupidsailorspickingoakum。Theothersideoftheglobeisbutthehomeofourcorrespondent。Ourvoyagingisonlygreat-circlesailing，andthedoctorsprescribefordiseasesoftheskinmerely。OnehastenstosouthernAfricatochasethegiraffe；butsurelythatisnotthegamehewouldbeafter。Howlong，pray，wouldamanhuntgiraffesifhecould？Snipesandwoodcocksalsomayaffordraresport；butI
trustitwouldbenoblergametoshootone’sself——
“Directyoureyerightinward，andyou’llfindAthousandregionsinyourmindYetundiscovered。Travelthem，andbeExpertinhome-cosmography。“
WhatdoesAfrica——whatdoestheWeststandfor？Isnotourowninteriorwhiteonthechart？blackthoughitmayprove，likethecoast，whendiscovered。IsitthesourceoftheNile，ortheNiger，ortheMississippi，oraNorthwestPassagearoundthiscontinent，thatwewouldfind？Arethesetheproblemswhichmostconcernmankind？IsFranklintheonlymanwhoislost，thathiswifeshouldbesoearnesttofindhim？DoesMr。Grinnellknowwherehehimselfis？BerathertheMungoPark，theLewisandClarkandFrobisher，ofyourownstreamsandoceans；exploreyourownhigherlatitudes——
withshiploadsofpreservedmeatstosupportyou，iftheybenecessary；andpiletheemptycanssky-highforasign。Werepreservedmeatsinventedtopreservemeatmerely？Nay，beaColumbustowholenewcontinentsandworldswithinyou，openingnewchannels，notoftrade，butofthought。EverymanisthelordofarealmbesidewhichtheearthlyempireoftheCzarisbutapettystate，ahummockleftbytheice。Yetsomecanbepatrioticwhohavenoself-respect，andsacrificethegreatertotheless。Theylovethesoilwhichmakestheirgraves，buthavenosympathywiththespiritwhichmaystillanimatetheirclay。Patriotismisamaggotintheirheads。WhatwasthemeaningofthatSouth-SeaExploringExpedition，withallitsparadeandexpense，butanindirectrecognitionofthefactthattherearecontinentsandseasinthemoralworldtowhicheverymanisanisthmusoraninlet，yetunexploredbyhim，butthatitiseasiertosailmanythousandmilesthroughcoldandstormandcannibals，inagovernmentship，withfivehundredmenandboystoassistone，thanitistoexploretheprivatesea，theAtlanticandPacificOceanofone’sbeingalone。
“Erret，etextremosalterscruteturIberos。
Plushabethicvitae，plushabetilleviae。“
LetthemwanderandscrutinizetheoutlandishAustralians。
IhavemoreofGod，theymoreoftheroad。
ItisnotworththewhiletogoroundtheworldtocountthecatsinZanzibar。Yetdothiseventillyoucandobetter，andyoumayperhapsfindsome“Symmes’Hole“bywhichtogetattheinsideatlast。EnglandandFrance，SpainandPortugal，GoldCoastandSlaveCoast，allfrontonthisprivatesea；butnobarkfromthemhasventuredoutofsightofland，thoughitiswithoutdoubtthedirectwaytoIndia。Ifyouwouldlearntospeakalltonguesandconformtothecustomsofallnations，ifyouwouldtravelfartherthanalltravellers，benaturalizedinallclimes，andcausetheSphinxtodashherheadagainstastone，evenobeythepreceptoftheoldphilosopher，andExplorethyself。Hereinaredemandedtheeyeandthenerve。Onlythedefeatedanddesertersgotothewars，cowardsthatrunawayandenlist。Startnowonthatfarthestwesternway，whichdoesnotpauseattheMississippiorthePacific，norconducttowardawornoutChinaorJapan，butleadsondirect，atangenttothissphere，summerandwinter，dayandnight，sundown，moondown，andatlastearthdowntoo。
ItissaidthatMirabeautooktohighwayrobbery“toascertainwhatdegreeofresolutionwasnecessaryinordertoplaceone’sselfinformaloppositiontothemostsacredlawsofsociety。“Hedeclaredthat“asoldierwhofightsintheranksdoesnotrequirehalfsomuchcourageasafootpad“——“thathonorandreligionhaveneverstoodinthewayofawell-consideredandafirmresolve。“
Thiswasmanly，astheworldgoes；andyetitwasidle，ifnotdesperate。Asanermanwouldhavefoundhimselfoftenenough“informalopposition“towhataredeemed“themostsacredlawsofsociety，“throughobediencetoyetmoresacredlaws，andsohavetestedhisresolutionwithoutgoingoutofhisway。Itisnotforamantoputhimselfinsuchanattitudetosociety，buttomaintainhimselfinwhateverattitudehefindhimselfthroughobediencetothelawsofhisbeing，whichwillneverbeoneofoppositiontoajustgovernment，ifheshouldchancetomeetwithsuch。
IleftthewoodsforasgoodareasonasIwentthere。PerhapsitseemedtomethatIhadseveralmorelivestolive，andcouldnotspareanymoretimeforthatone。Itisremarkablehoweasilyandinsensiblywefallintoaparticularroute，andmakeabeatentrackforourselves。Ihadnotlivedthereaweekbeforemyfeetworeapathfrommydoortothepond-side；andthoughitisfiveorsixyearssinceItrodit，itisstillquitedistinct。Itistrue，I
fear，thatothersmayhavefallenintoit，andsohelpedtokeepitopen。Thesurfaceoftheearthissoftandimpressiblebythefeetofmen；andsowiththepathswhichthemindtravels。Howwornanddusty，then，mustbethehighwaysoftheworld，howdeeptherutsoftraditionandconformity！Ididnotwishtotakeacabinpassage，butrathertogobeforethemastandonthedeckoftheworld，forthereIcouldbestseethemoonlightamidthemountains。Idonotwishtogobelownow。
Ilearnedthis，atleast，bymyexperiment:thatifoneadvancesconfidentlyinthedirectionofhisdreams，andendeavorstolivethelifewhichhehasimagined，hewillmeetwithasuccessunexpectedincommonhours。Hewillputsomethingsbehind，willpassaninvisibleboundary；new，universal，andmoreliberallawswillbegintoestablishthemselvesaroundandwithinhim；ortheoldlawsbeexpanded，andinterpretedinhisfavorinamoreliberalsense，andhewilllivewiththelicenseofahigherorderofbeings。Inproportionashesimplifieshislife，thelawsoftheuniversewillappearlesscomplex，andsolitudewillnotbesolitude，norpovertypoverty，norweaknessweakness。Ifyouhavebuiltcastlesintheair，yourworkneednotbelost；thatiswheretheyshouldbe。Nowputthefoundationsunderthem。
ItisaridiculousdemandwhichEnglandandAmericamake，thatyoushallspeaksothattheycanunderstandyou。Neithermennortoadstoolsgrowso。Asifthatwereimportant，andtherewerenotenoughtounderstandyouwithoutthem。AsifNaturecouldsupportbutoneorderofunderstandings，couldnotsustainbirdsaswellasquadrupeds，flyingaswellascreepingthings，andhushandwhoa，whichBrightcanunderstand，werethebestEnglish。Asifthereweresafetyinstupidityalone。Ifearchieflylestmyexpressionmaynotbeextravagantenough，maynotwanderfarenoughbeyondthenarrowlimitsofmydailyexperience，soastobeadequatetothetruthofwhichIhavebeenconvinced。Extravagance！itdependsonhowyouareyarded。Themigratingbuffalo，whichseeksnewpasturesinanotherlatitude，isnotextravagantlikethecowwhichkicksoverthepail，leapsthecowyardfence，andrunsafterhercalf，inmilkingtime。Idesiretospeaksomewherewithoutbounds；likeamaninawakingmoment，tomenintheirwakingmoments；forIamconvincedthatIcannotexaggerateenougheventolaythefoundationofatrueexpression。Whothathasheardastrainofmusicfearedthenlestheshouldspeakextravagantlyanymoreforever？Inviewofthefutureorpossible，weshouldlivequitelaxlyandundefinedinfront，ouroutlinesdimandmistyonthatside；asourshadowsrevealaninsensibleperspirationtowardthesun。Thevolatiletruthofourwordsshouldcontinuallybetraytheinadequacyoftheresidualstatement。Theirtruthisinstantlytranslated；itsliteralmonumentaloneremains。Thewordswhichexpressourfaithandpietyarenotdefinite；yettheyaresignificantandfragrantlikefrankincensetosuperiornatures。
Whyleveldownwardtoourdullestperceptionalways，andpraisethatascommonsense？Thecommonestsenseisthesenseofmenasleep，whichtheyexpressbysnoring。Sometimesweareinclinedtoclassthosewhoareonce-and-a-half-wittedwiththehalf-witted，becauseweappreciateonlyathirdpartoftheirwit。Somewouldfindfaultwiththemorningred，iftheyevergotupearlyenough。
