Page:Familiar letters of Henry David Thoreau.djvu/165

 jsT.26.] TO HELEN THOREAU. 141

nity is, that they need and deserve sympathy themselves rather than are able to render it to others. They want faith, and mistake their pri vate ail for an infected atmosphere ; but let any one of them recover hope for a moment, and right his particular grievance, and he will no longer train in that company. To speak or do anything that shall concern mankind, one must speak and act as if well, or from that grain of health which he has left. This &quot; Present &quot; book indeed is blue, but the hue of its thoughts is yellow. I say these things with the less hesita tion, because I have the jaundice myself ; but I also know what it is to be well. But do not think that one can escape from mankind who is one of them, and is so constantly dealing with them.

I could not undertake to form a nucleus of an institution for the development of infant minds, where none already existed. It would be too cruel. And then, as if looking all this while one way with benevolence, to walk off another about one s own affairs suddenly ! Something of this kind is an unavoidable objection to that.

I am very sorry to hear such bad news about Aunt Maria ; but I think that the worst is al ways the least to be apprehended, for nature is averse to it as well as we. I trust to hear that she is quite well soon. I send love to her and