Winter: From the Journal of Henry David Thoreau (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Winter: From the Journal of Henry David Thoreau<br><br>As the young pass out of childhood that fore taste or symbol of the kingdom of heaven the expression of serene innocence is too apt to fade from their faces and the clouds to gather there while it is considered a matter of course that each one should attach himself to the social machine. One becomes a lawyer another a clergyman another a physician another a merchant and the treasure which the childlike soul has lost is sought to be regained in some general and far-off way by society at large. But the burden which men thus readily take upon themselves in the common race for comfort luxury and social position is out of all proportion to their spiritual vitality and so the truest life of individuals is being continually sacrificed to the Juggernaut of society. Men associate al most universally in the shallower and falser part of their natures so that while institutions may seem to ?ourish corruption is also gaining ground through the spiritual failure of individ nals; finally the fabric falls and a new form rises to go through the same round The highest form of civilization at the present day seems to be an advance upon all that have pre ceded it though in some particulars it plainly falls behind. Perhaps only by this alternate rising and falling can the human race advance.<br><br>About the Publisher<br><br>Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com<br><br>This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases an imperfection in the original such as a blemish or missing page may be replicated in our edition. We do however repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.