tic　speculations；　besideour　fire　of　fallen　boughs；　with　Ellery　Channing；　after　talking　withThoreau　about　pine…trees　and　Indian　relics；　in　his　hermitage　atWalden；　after　growing　fastidious　by　sympathy　with　the　classicrefinement　of　Hillard's　culture；　after　being　imbued　with　poeticsentiment　at　Longfellow's　hearth…stone…　it　was　time；　at　length；　that　Ishould　exercise　other　faculties　of　my　nature；　and　nourish　myselfwith　food　for　which　I　had　hitherto　had　little　appetite。　Even　the　oldInspector　was　desirable；　as　a　change　of　diet；　to　a　man　who　had　knownAlcott。　I　looked　upon　it　as　an　evidence；　in　some　measure；　or　asystem　naturally　well　balanced；　and　lacking　no　essential　part　of　athorough　organisation；　that；　with　such　associates　to　remember；　I　couldmingle　at　once　with　men　of　altogether　different　qualities；　and　nevermurmur　at　the　change。 Literature；　its　exertions　and　objects；　were　now　of　little　momentin　my　regard。　I　cared　not；　at　this　period；　for　books；　they　wereapart　from　me。　Nature…　except　it　were　human　nature…　the　nature　that　isdeveloped　in　earth　and　sky；　was；　in　one　sense；　hidden　from　me；　and　allthe　imaginative　delight；　wherewith　it　had　been　spiritualised；　passedaway　out　of　my　mind。　A　gift；　a　faculty；　if　it　had　not　departed；　wassuspended　and　inanimate　within　me。　There　would　have　been　somethingsad；　unutterably　dreary；　in　all　this；　had　I　not　been　conscious　that　itlay　at　my　own　option　to　recall　whatever　was　valuable　in　the　past。　Itmight　be　true；　indeed；　that　this　was　a　life　which　cou