man
behind,
Good day's work, bad day's work, pet stock, mean stock,
first out, last out, turning-in at night,
To
think that these are so much and so nigh to other drivers,
and he there takes no interest in them.
5
think what account they are through our nights and
days,
To think that other working-men will make just as great
account of them, yet we make little or no account.
The vulgar and the refined, what you call sin and what
you call goodness, to think how wide a difference,
To
think the difference will still continue to others, yet we lie
beyond the difference.
To think how much pleasure there is,
Do you enjoy yourself in the city? or engaged in business? or
planning
a nomination and election? or with your wife
and family?
Or with your mother and sisters? or in womanly
housework?
or the beautiful maternal cares?
These also flow onward to others, you and I flow onward,
But
in due time you and I shall take less interest in them.
Your farm, profits, crops — to think how engross'd you are,
To think there will still be farms, profits, crops,
yet for you of
what avail?
6
To take interest is well, and not to take interest shall be well.
The domestic joys, the daily housework or business, the
building of houses, are not phantasms, they
have weight,
form, location,
Farms, profits, crops, markets, wages, government, are none
of them phantasms,
The
difference between sin and goodness is no delusion,
The earth is not an echo, man and his life and all
the things of
his life are well-consider'd.
You are not thrown to the winds, you gather certainly and
safely around yourself,
Yourself! yourself! yourself,
for ever and ever!
7
and father, it is to identify you,
It is not that you should be undecided, but that you should
be decided,
Something long preparing and formless is arrived and form'd
in you,
You are henceforth secure, whatever comes or goes.
The threads that were spun are gather'd, the weft crosses the
warp, the pattern is systematic.
The preparations have every one been justified,
The orchestra have sufficiently tuned their instruments,
the
baton has given the signal.
The guest that was coming, he waited long, he is now housed,
He is one of those who are beautiful and
happy, he is one of
those that to look upon and be with is enough.
The law of the past cannot be eluded,
The law of the present and future cannot be eluded,
The law of the
living cannot be eluded, it is eternal,
The law of promotion and transformation cannot be eluded,
The law
of heroes and good-doers cannot be eluded,
The law of drunkards, informers, mean persons, not one
iota
thereof can be eluded.
8
Northerner goes carried and Southerner goes carried, and
they on the Atlantic side and they on the Pacific,
And they between, and all through the Mississippi country,
and all over the earth.
The great masters and kosmos are well as they go, the heroes
and good-doers are well,
The known leaders
and inventors and the rich owners and
pious and distinguish'd may be well,
But there is more account
than that, there is strict account of
all.
The interminable hordes of the ignorant and wicked are not
nothing,
The barbarians of Africa and Asia
are not nothing,
The perpetual successions of shallow people are not nothing
as they go.
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