70 
WALDEN. 
easily still, and wliile these were growing I could use 
various substitutes beside those which I have named. 
“ For,” as the Forefathers sang, — 
61 we can make liquor to sweeten our lips 
Of pumpkins and parsnips and walnut-tree chips.” 
Finally, as for salt, that grossest of groceries, to obtain 
this might be a fit occasion for a visit to the seashore, or, 
if I did without it altogether, I should probably drink 
the less water. I do not learn that the Indians ever 
troubled themselves to go after it. 
Thus I could avoid all trade and barter, so far as 
my food was concerned, and having a shelter already, 
it would only remain to get clothing and fuel. The 
pantaloons which I now wear were woven in a farmer’s 
family, — thank Heaven there is so much virtue still in 
man; for I think the fall from the farmer to the oper¬ 
ative as great and memorable as that from the man to 
the farmer; — and in a new country fuel is an encum¬ 
brance. As for a habitat, if I were not permitted 
still to squat, I might purchase one acre at the same price 
for which the land I cultivated was sold — namely, 
eight dollars and eight cents. But as it was, I con¬ 
sidered that I enhanced the value of the land by squat¬ 
ting on it. 
There is a certain class of unbelievers who sometimes 
ask me such questions as, if I think that I can live on 
vegetable food alone; and to strike at the root of the 
matter at once, — for the root is faith, — I am accus¬ 
tomed to answer such, that I can live on board nails. If 
they cannot understand that, they cannot understand 
much that I have to say. For my part, I am glad to 
