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walls of solid stone; two or three feet thick; the door of wood and
iron; a foot thick; and the iron grating which strained the light; I
could not help being struck with the foolishness of that institution
which treated me as if I were mere flesh and blood and bones; to be
locked up。 I wondered that it should have concluded at length that
this was the best use it could put me to; and had never thought to
avail itself of my services in some way。 I saw that; if there was a
wall of stone between me and my townsmen; there was a still more
difficult one to climb or break through; before they could get to be
as free as I was。 I did not for a moment feel confined; and the
walls seemed a great waste of stone and mortar。 I felt as if I
alone of all my townsmen had paid my tax。 They plainly did not know
how to treat me; but behaved like persons who are underbred。 In
every threat and in every compliment there was a blunder; for they
thought that my chief desire was to stand the other side of that
stone wall。 I could not but smile to see how industriously they
locked the door on my meditations; which followed them out again
without let or hindrance; and they were really all that was
dangerous。 As they could not reach me; they had resolved to punish
my body; just as boys; if they cannot come at some person against
whom they have a spite; will abuse his dog。 I saw that the State
was half…witted; that it was timid as a lone woman with her silver
spoons; and that it did not know its friends from its foes; and I
lost all my remaining respect for it; and pitied it。
Thus the State never intentionally confronts a man's sense;
intellectual or moral; but only his body; his senses。 It is not
armed with superior wit or honesty; but with superior physical
strength。 I was not born to be forced。 I will breathe after my own
fashion。 Let us see who is the strongest。 What force has a
multitude? They only can force me who obey a higher law than I。
They force me to become like themselves。 I do not hear of men being
forced to have this way or that by masses of men。 What sort of life
were that to live? When I meet a government which says to me; 〃Your
money or your life;〃 why should I be in haste to give it my money?
It may be in a great strait; and not know what to do: I cannot help
that。 It must help itself; do as I do。 It is not worth the while
to snivel about it。 I am not responsible for the successful working
of the machinery of society。 I am not the son of the engineer。 I
perceive that; when an acorn and a chestnut fall side by side; the
one does not remain inert to make way for the other; but both obey
their own laws; and spring and grow and flourish as best they can;
till one; perchance; overshadows and destroys the other。 If a plant
cannot live according to its nature; it dies; and so a man。
The night in prison was novel and interesting enough。 The
prisoners in their shirt…sleeves were enjoying a chat and the
evening air in the doorway; when I entered。 But the jailer said;
〃Come; boys; it is time to lock up〃; and so they dispersed; and I
heard the sound of their steps returning into the hollow apartments。
My room…mate was introduced to me by the jailer as 〃a first…rate
fellow and a clever man。〃 When the door was locked; he showed me
where to hang my hat; and how he managed matters there。 The rooms
were whitewashed once a month; and this one; at least; was the
whitest; most simply furnished; and probably the neatest apartment
in the town。 He naturally wanted to know where I came from; and
what brought me there; and; when I had told him; I asked him in my
turn how he came there; presuming him to be an honest man; of
course; and; as the world goes; I believe he was。 〃Why;〃 said he;
〃they accuse me of burning a barn; but I never did it。〃 As near as
I could discover; he had probably gone to bed in a barn when drunk;
and smoked his pipe there; and so a barn was burnt。 He had the
reputation of being a clever man; had been there some three months
waiting for his trial to come on; and would have to wait as much
longer; but he was quite domesticated and contented; since he got
his board for nothing; and thought that he was well treated。
He occupied one window; and I the other; and I saw that if one
stayed there long; his principal business would be to look out the
window。 I had soon read all the tracts that were left there; and
examined where former prisoners had broken out; and where a grate
had been sawed off; and heard the history of the various occupants
of that room; for I found that even here there was a history and a
gossip which never circulated beyond the walls of the jail。
Probably this is the only house in the town where verses are
composed; which are afterward printed in a circular form; but not
published。 I was shown quite a long list of verses which were
composed by some young men who had been detected in an attempt to
escape; who avenged themselves by singing them。
I pumped my fellow…prisoner as dry as I could; for fear I should
never see him again; but at length he showed me which was my bed;
and left me to blow out the lamp。
It was like travelling into a far country; such as I had never
expected to behold; to lie there for one night。 It seemed to me
that I never had heard the town…clock strike before; nor the evening
sounds of the village; for we slept with the windows open; which
were inside the grating。 It was to see my native village in the
light of the Middle Ages; and our Concord was turned into a Rhine
stream; and visions of knights and castles passed before me。 They
were the voices of old burghers that I heard in the streets。 I was
an involuntary spectator and auditor of whatever was done and said
in the kitchen of the adjacent village…inn a wholly new and rare
experience to me。 It was a closer view of my native town。 I was
fairly inside of it。 I never had seen its institutions before。
This is one of its peculiar institutions; for it is a shire town。 I
began to comprehend what its inhabitants were about。
In the morning; our breakfasts were put through the hole in the
door; in small oblong…square tin pans; made to fit; and holding a
pint of chocolate; with brown bread; and an iron spoon。 When they
called for the vessels again; I was green enough to return what
bread I had left; but my comrade seized it; and said that I should
lay that up for lunch or dinner。 Soon after he was let out to work
at haying in a neighboring field; whither he went every day; and
would not be back till noon; so he bade me good…day; saying that he
doubted if he should see me again。
When I came out of prison for some one interfered; and paid
that tax I did not perceive that great changes had taken place on
the common; such as he observed who went in a youth and emerged a
tottering and gray…headed man; and yet a change had to my eyes come
over the scene the town; and State; and country greater than
any that mere time could effect。 I saw yet more distinctly the
State in which I lived。 I saw to what extent the people among whom
I lived could be trusted as good neighbors and friends; that their
friendship was for summer weather only; that they did not greatly
propose to do right; that they were a distinct race from me by their
prejudices and superstitions; as the Chinamen and Malays are; that
in their sacrifices to humanity; they ran no risks; not even to
their property; that after all they were not so noble but they
treated the thief as he had treated them; and hoped; by a certain
outward observance and a few prayers; and by walking in a particular
straight though useless path from time to time; to save their souls。
This may be to judge my neighbors harshly; for I believe that many
of them are not aware that they have such an institution as the jail
in their village。
It was formerly the custom in our village; when a poor debtor
came o