A Victim of Thoreau. 69 



good of all must be considered as well as the 

 comfort of one's self. Life is a game of give and 

 take. Give your energy to the community, and 

 take what pay you can." 



" And if the world, young man," he remarked, 

 quietly, as he stood up, " has elbow-room to spare, 

 as it has, for would-be hermits and contemplative 

 ramblers, why should they be molested ? I tried 

 Thoreau's plan, as I understood it, and liked it ; 

 but every man I meet has some harsh criticism. 

 And one thing more before I go ; here's my sum- 

 ming up of the whole matter: there's a screw 

 loose somewhere in the world's ways when a man 

 without detriment to his fellows cannot do as 

 he pleases. If I prefer the sky to any other roof, 

 I am held a nuisance. Why is it ?" 



And the old man, slinging a small bundle over 

 his shoulder, walked down the road, leaving me to 

 wonder who he was. Truly there is an endless 

 series of strange human freaks, yet none so odd, in 

 my experience, as this self-styled victim of Tho- 

 reau. Who would not walk in the country to see 

 such strange men ? 



