Page:Familiar letters of Henry David Thoreau.djvu/429

 ^T. 41.] TO HARRISON BLAKE. 403

you and I and all the world been trying, ever since lie was born, to sympathize with him ? (as doubtless he with us), and yet we have got no farther than to send him to the House of Cor rection once at least ; and he, on the other hand, as I hear, has sent us to another place several times. This is the real state of things, as I un derstand it, as least so far as James s remedies go. We are now, alas ! exercising what charity we actually have, and new laws would not give us any more. But, perchance, we might make some improvements in the House of Correction. You and I are Dobson ; what will James do for

us.

Have you found at last in your wanderings a place where the solitude is sweet?

What mountain are you camping on nowa days ? Though I had a good time at the moun tains, I confess that the journey did not bear any fruit that I know of. I did not expect it would. The mode of it was not simple and ad venturous enough. You must first have made an infinite demand, and not unreasonably, but after a corresponding outlay, have an all-absorb ing purpose, and at the same time that your feet bear you hither and thither, travel much more in imagination.

To let the mountains slide, live at home like a traveler. It should not be in vain that