Henry David Thoreau 183 



was ready for the labors of the day. These 

 labors were partly to keep out of the way of 

 the world. His faculties were of a piece with 

 his moral shyness. He could guide himself 

 about the woods on the darkest night by the 

 touch of his feet. He could pick up an exact 

 dozen of pencils by feeling; pace distances 

 with accuracy. His smell was so dainty that 

 he could perceive faefaetor of dwelling-houses 

 as he passed them at night ; his palate so un- 

 sophisticated that like a child he disliked the 

 taste of wine ; and his knowledge of nature was 

 so complete and curious that he could have 

 told the time of year within a day or so by the 

 aspect of the plants. There were few things 

 that he could not do. He could make a house, 

 a boat, a pencil, or a book. He was a sur- 

 veyor, a scholar, a natural historian. He could 

 run, walk, climb, skate, and swim, and manage 

 a boat. The smallest occasion served to dis- 

 play his physical accomplishments; and a 

 manufacturer, upon observing his dexterity 

 with the window of a railway car, offered him 

 a situation on the spot. 



Thoreau decided from the first to live a life 



