66 In Touch with Nature. 



losophy. Did you ever read the book ?" he asked, 

 abruptly, eying me closely as he put the ques- 

 tion. 



" I have, several times," I replied. 



" And what do you think of it ?" he asked. 



"All that I understand I like extremely; the 

 rest I let go unheeded," I told him. 



" It's all easy enough to understand ; but what 

 puzzles me is why his philosophy won't work. 

 I have been trying it, and the contemplation 

 and study of nature, and all that, came easy 

 enough, but I could not get bread from my bean- 

 field." 



" Did you plant one ?" I asked. 



" No ; but I helped myself to others' beans, here 

 a little and there a little; but never in a whole 

 neighborhood could I gather enough to trade for 

 bread enough." 



" Was that Thoreau's plan ?" I asked. 



" Not exactly ; but mine had the advantage of 

 allowing more time for study and contemplation. 

 Still, it didn't work. His philosophy is at fault, 

 and mine, which is an improvement, has never 

 worked; and yet why I do not see;" and here the 



