Page:Anti-slavery and reform papers by Thoreau, Henry David.djvu/70

 A Plea for Captain JoJm Brown. 59 usual allowance of sleep, I will warrant him to fatten easily under any circumstances which do not touch his body or purse. I put a piece of paper and a pencil under my pillow, and when I could not sleep, I wrote in the dark.

On the whole, my respect for my fellow-men, except as one may outweigh a million, is not being iucreased these days. I have noticed the cold-blooded way in which newspaper writers and men generally speak of this event, as if an ordinary malefactor, though one of unusual " pluck " — as the Governor of Virginia is re- ported to have said, using the language of the cock-pit, " the gamest man he ever saw ^' — had been caught, and were about to be hung. He was not dreaming of his foes when the governor thought he looked so brave. It turns what sweetness I have to gall to hear, or hear of, the remarks of some of my neighbors. When we heard at first that he was dead, one of my townsmen observed that "he died as the fool dieth'^; which, pardon me, for an instant suggested a likeness in him dying to my neighbor living. Others, craven-hearted, said dis- paragingly, that ^'he threw his life away," because he resisted the government. Which way have they thrown iheir lives, pray ? — such as would praise a man for attack- ing singly an ordinary band of thieves or murderers. I hear another ask, Yankee-like, " What will he gain by it ? " as if he expected to fill his pockets by this enter- prise. Such a one has no idea of gain but in this worldly sense. If it does not lead to a " surprise " party, if he does not get a new pair of boots, or a vote of thanks, it must be a failure. " But he won't gain anything by it." Well, no, I don't suppose he could get four-and-sixpence