Page:Familiar letters of Henry David Thoreau.djvu/230

 206 GOLDEN AGE OF ACHIEVEMENT. [1848,

too often told of &quot;the pursuit of knowledge under difficulties,&quot; how poets depend on pa trons and starve in garrets, or at last go mad and die. Let us hear the other side of the story. Why should not the scholar, if he is really wiser than the multitude, do coarse work now and then ? Why not let his greater wis dom enable him to do without things ? If you say the wise man is unlucky, how could you dis tinguish him from the foolishly unfortunate ?

My friend, how can I thank you for your kindness ? Perhaps there is a better way, I will convince you that it is felt and appreciated. Here have I been sitting idle, as it were, while you have been busy in my cause, and have done so much for me. I wish you had had a better subject ; but j^ood deeds^are no less good because their object is unworthy.

ours was the best way to collect money, but I should never have thought of it ; I might have waylaid the debtor perchance. Even a business man might not have thought of it, and I cannot be called that, as business is under stood usually, not being familiar with the rou tine. But your way has this to commend it also, if you make the draft, you decide how much to draw. You drew just the sum suitable.

The Ktaadn paper can be put in the guise of letters, if it runs best so ; dating each part