Addresses — Thoreau's Study in the Woods. 249 



sary for its culture, and a place to store the tubers in winter, with 

 other products of the farm.,. If the home is new, their rapid 

 growth will soon surround the dwelling with miniature trees, cov- 

 ered with lovely blossoms. If the garden is filled with Flora's treas- 

 ures, this grand old flower should surely have a place among its 

 lowly, but no less beautiful sisters. If you would have flowers in 

 surprising quantities; flowers of richest, deepest hue, from almost 

 black to purest white, flowers beneath your hand, and flowers 

 above your head, flowers for the garden and flowers for the house, 

 flowers for the church and flowers for the table, flowers for your 

 friends and flowers for the strangers that pass your door, grow 

 dahlias in your garden. 



THOREAU'S LIFE OF LABOR AND STUDY IN THE 



WOODS. 



Mrs. H. M. LEWIS, Madison. 



In the quiet old city of Concord, that wonderful city of culture, 

 where fertile brains come into life, expand and grow into immor- 

 tality, Henry D. Thoreau was born, in the year 1817. He gradu- 

 ated from Harvard college when twenty years of age. While in 

 college, and before, he was in the habit of making solitary excur- 

 sions to woods and fields, in his own way enjoying the mystical 

 and endless works of nature, as well or better than the classical 

 and ancient books made by man. 



His father manufactured lead pencils. After graduating, Henry 

 devoted himself to his father's craft, until he suceeded in making a 

 better pencil than was then in use. Upon this, he received the 

 congratulations of relatives and friends, who now saw an avenue 

 of wealth opened to him; but Henry replied that he should never 

 make another lead pencil. His ambition was for knowledge, truth, 

 freedom and action, and he had decided to devote his life to the 

 study of the woods, hills and waters of his native land, even at the 

 cost of disappointing his friends; as he was not willing to sacrifice 

 his noble ambition to any profession or narrow craft. He felt, with 

 the great i^gassiz, that he could not waste time making money. 

 He says, " I went to the woods because I wished to live deliber- 

 ately, to find out the essential facts of life, and see if I could not 



