Page:Familiar letters of Henry David Thoreau.djvu/316

 292 FRIENDS AND FOLLOWERS. [1854,

dinner and supper ; but it will not directly an swer any good purpose that I know of, and it is just as easy to be sane. We have got to know what both life and death are, before we can be gin to live after our own fashion. Let us be learning our a-b-c s as soon as possible. I never yet knew the sun to be knocked down and rolled through a mud-puddle ; he comes out honor- bright from behind every storm. Let us then take sides with the sun, seeing we have so much leisure. Let us not put all we prize into a foot ball to be kicked, when a bladder will do as well.

When an Indian is burned, his body may be broiled, it may be no more than a beefsteak. What of that ? They may broil his heart, but they do not therefore broil his courage, his principles. Be of good courage ! That is the main thing.

If a man were to place himself in an attitude to bear manfully the greatest evil that can be inflicted on him, he would find suddenly that there was no such evil to bear ; his brave back would go a-begging. When Atlas got his back made up, that was all that was required. (In this case a priv., not pleon., and rA.f//u.) The world rests on principles. The wise gods will never make underpinning of a man. But as long as he crouches, and skulks, and shirks his