Excursions
by Henry David Thoreau
1863
Contents
| BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH |
| NATURAL HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS |
| A WALK TO WACHUSETT |
| THE LANDLORD |
| A WINTER WALK |
| THE SUCCESSION OF FOREST TREES |
| WALKING |
| AUTUMNAL TINTS |
| WILD APPLES |
| NIGHT AND MOONLIGHT |
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.
BY R.W. EMERSON.
HENRY DAVID THOREAU was the lastmale descendant of a French ancestor who came to this country from the Isle ofGuernsey. His character exhibited occasional traits drawn from this blood insingular combination with a very strong Saxon genius.
He was born in Concord, Massachusetts, on the 12th of July, 1817. He wasgraduated at Harvard College in 1837, but without any literary distinction. Aniconoclast in literature, he seldom thanked colleges for their service to him,holding them in small esteem, whilst yet his debt to them was important. Afterleaving the University, he joined his brother in teaching a private school,which he soon renounced. His father was a manufacturer of lead-pencils, andHenry applied himself for a time to this craft, believing he could make abetter pencil than was then in use. After completing his experiments, heexhibited his work to chemists and artists in Boston, and having obtained theircertificates to its excellence and to its equality with the best Londonmanufacture, he returned home contented. His friends congratulated him that hehad now opened his way to fortune. But he replied, that he should never makeanother pencil. “Why should I? I would not do again what I have doneonce.” He resumed his endless walks and miscellaneous studies, makingevery day some new acquaintance with Nature, though as yet never speaking ofzoölogy or botany, since, though very studious of natural facts, he wasincurious of technical and textual science.
At this time, a strong, healthy youth, fresh from college, whilst all hiscompanions were choosing their profession, or eager to begin some lucrativeemployment, it was inevitable that his thoughts should be exercised on the samequestion, and it required rare decision to refuse all the accustomed paths, andkeep his solitary freedom at the cost of disappointing the natural expectationsof his family and friends: all the more difficult that he had a perfectprobity, was exact in securing his own independence, and in holding every manto the like duty. But Thoreau never faltered. He was a born protestant. Hedeclined to give up his large ambition of knowledge and action for any narrowcraft or profession, aiming at a much more comprehensive calling, the art ofliving well. If he slighted and defied the opinions of others, it was only thathe was more intent to reconcile his practice with his own belief. Never idle orself-indulgent, he preferred, when he wanted money, earning it by some piece ofmanual labo