. Through the year with Thoreau. h conduct to the outside of earth, overits uppermost crust; where you may forget in whatcountry you are travelling; where no farmer cancomplain that you are treading down his grass, nogentleman who has recently constructed a seat in thecountry that you are trespassing; . . along whichyou may travel like a pilgrim, going nowhither; wheretravellers are not too often to be met; . . where thewalls and fences are not cared for; where your headis more in heaven than your feet are on earth; . .w^iere it makes no odds which way you face, whetheryou are going or coming,
. Through the year with Thoreau. h conduct to the outside of earth, overits uppermost crust; where you may forget in whatcountry you are travelling; where no farmer cancomplain that you are treading down his grass, nogentleman who has recently constructed a seat in thecountry that you are trespassing; . . along whichyou may travel like a pilgrim, going nowhither; wheretravellers are not too often to be met; . . where thewalls and fences are not cared for; where your headis more in heaven than your feet are on earth; . .w^iere it makes no odds which way you face, whetheryou are going or coming, whether it is morning orevening, mid-noon or midnight; where earth is cheapenough by being public; where you can walk andthink with least obstruction, there being nothing tomeasure progress by; where you can pace whenyour breast is full, and cherish your moodiness;where you are not in false relations with men, arenot dining nor conversing with them; by which youmay go to the uttermost parts of the earth. Journal, ii, C 69 ] . July 23, 1851. On such a road (the Corner) i Iwalk securely, seeing far and wide on both sides, asif I were flanked by light infantry on the hills, to routthe provincials, as the British marched into Concord,while my grenadier thoughts keep the main is, my light-armed and wandering thoughtsscour the neighboring fields, and so I know if thecoast is clear. With what a breadth of van I advance!I am not bounded by the walls. I think more thanthe road full. Journal, ii, 339. Thoreau would hardly apostrophize the Corner road {, the roadto Nine-Acre Corner) to-day, for it has been carefully graded and mac-adamized; the root fences, the little brook crossing the road, and otherfeatures so attractive to him have disappeared, and there are plenty ofNo Trespassing signs on either hand. Instead of walking securely,his grenadier thoughts would be chiefly occupied in the effort to avoiddisaster from the frequently passing automobiles! H. W. G. C 70
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