Henry David Thoreau 199 



tions,Thoreau cut loose from society and buried 

 himself at Walden. You may call it selfish- 

 ness, if you will, but which is more likely to 

 occur: that you will sink to the level of the 

 crowd which surrounds you, or that, by taking 

 up your cross and remaining at your post, the 

 crowd will benefit by your self-sacrifices and 

 reflect one gleam of what you may consider to 

 be your superior light? Is there not egoism in 

 either course, perhaps the lesser in fleeing from 

 the crowd and trying to work out salvation 

 for one's self and one's family? 



