Henry David Thoreau 187 



than five years this was all that he required to 

 do for his support. For six weeks of occupa- 

 tion, a little cooking and a little gentle hygienic 

 gardening, the man had as good as stolen his 

 living. Or it must rather be allowed that he 

 had done far better ; for the thief himself was 

 continually and busily occupied. He says: 

 "What old people tell you you cannot do, you 

 try and find you can." And his conclusion is: 

 "I am convinced that to maintain one's self on 

 this earth is not a hardship but a pastime if we 

 will live simply and wisely; the pursuits of 

 simpler nations are still the sports of the more 

 artificial." When Thoreau had had enough of 

 Walden Pond, he showed the same simplicity 

 in giving it up as in beginning. He made no 

 fetish of his scheme, and did what he wanted 

 squarely. The frugality he exercised and his 

 asceticism are not the notable points of this 

 notable experiment. The remarkable part of 

 it is his recognition of the position of money ; 

 he had perceived and was acting on a truth 

 of universal application. A certain amount of 

 money, varying with the number and extent of 

 our desires, is a necessity to each one of us in 



