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[...]Ratherthanlove，thanmoney，thanfame，givemetruth.Isatatatablewherewererichfoodandwineinabundance，andobsequiousattendance，butsincerityandtruthwerenot;andIwentawayhungryfromtheinhospitableboard.Thehospitalitywasascoldastheices.Ithoughtthattherewasnoneedoficetofreezethem.Theytalkedtomeoftheageofthewineandthefameofthevintage;butIthoughtofanolder，anewer，andpurerwine，ofamoregloriousvintage，whichtheyhadnotgot，andcouldnotbuy.Thestyle，thehouseandgroundsand'entertainment'passfornothingwithme.Icalledontheking，buthemademewaitinhishall，andconductedlikeamanincapacitatedforhospitality.Therewasamaninmyneighborhoodwholivedinahollowtree.Hismannersweretrulyregal.IshouldhavedonebetterhadIcalledonhim.

Howlongshallwesitinourporticoespractisingidleandmustyvirtues，whichanyworkwouldmakeimpertinent?Asifoneweretobeginthedaywithlong-suffering，andhireamantohoehispotatoes;andintheafternoongoforthtopractiseChristianmeeknessandcharitywithgoodnessaforethought!ConsidertheChinaprideandstagnantself-complacencyofmankind.Thisgenerationreclinesalittletocongratulateitselfonbeingthelastofanillustriousline;andinBostonandLondonandParisandRome，thinkingofitslongdescent，itspeaksofitsprogressinartandscienceandliteraturewithsatisfaction.TherearetheRecordsofthePhilosophicalSocieties，andthepublicEulogiesofGreatMen!ItisthegoodAdamcontemplatinghisownvirtue.'Yes，wehavedonegreatdeeds，andsungdivinesongs，whichshallneverdie'—thatis，aslongaswecanrememberthem.ThelearnedsocietiesandgreatmenofAssyria—wherearethey?Whatyouthfulphilosophersandexperimentalistsweare!Thereisnotoneofmyreaderswhohasyetlivedawholehumanlife.Thesemaybebutthespringmonthsinthelifeoftherace.Ifwehavehadtheseven-years'itch，wehavenotseentheseventeen-yearlocustyetinConcord.Weareacquaintedwithamerepellicleoftheglobeonwhichwelive.Mosthavenotdelvedsixfeetbeneaththesurface，norleapedasmanyaboveit.Weknownotwhereweare.Beside，wearesoundasleepnearlyhalfourtime.Yetweesteemourselveswise，andhaveanestablishedorderonthesurface.Truly，wearedeepthinkers，weareambitiousspirits!AsIstandovertheinsectcrawlingamidthepineneedlesontheforestfloor，andendeavoringtoconcealitselffrommysight，andaskmyselfwhyitwillcherishthosehumblethoughts，andhideitsheadfrommewhomight，perhaps，beitsbenefactor，andimparttoitsracesomecheeringinformation，IamremindedofthegreaterBenefactorandIntelligencethatstandsovermethehumaninsect.

Thereisanincessantinfluxofnoveltyintotheworld，andyetwetolerateincredibledulness.Ineedonlysuggestwhatkindofsermonsarestilllistenedtointhemostenlightenedcountries.Therearesuchwordsasjoyandsorrow，buttheyareonlytheburdenofapsalm，sungwithanasaltwang，whilewebelieveintheordinaryandmean.Wethinkthatwecanchangeourclothesonly.ItissaidthattheBritishEmpireisverylargeandrespectable，andthattheUnitedStatesareafirst-ratepower.WedonotbelievethatatiderisesandfallsbehindeverymanwhichcanfloattheBritishEmpirelikeachip，ifheshouldeverharboritinhismind.Whoknowswhatsortofseventeen-yearlocustwillnextcomeoutoftheground?ThegovernmentoftheworldIliveinwasnotframed，likethatofBritain，inafter-dinnerconversationsoverthewine.

Thelifeinusislikethewaterintheriver.Itmayrisethisyearhigherthanmanhaseverknownit，andfloodtheparcheduplands;eventhismaybetheeventfulyear，whichwilldrownoutallourmuskrats.Itwasnotalwaysdrylandwherewedwell.Iseefarinlandthebankswhichthestreamancientlywashed，beforesciencebegantorecorditsfreshets.EveryonehasheardthestorywhichhasgonetheroundsofNewEngland，ofastrongandbeautifulbugwhichcameoutofthedryleafofanoldtableofapple-treewood，whichhadstoodinafarmer'skitchenforsixtyyears，firstinConnecticut，andafterwardinMassachusetts，—fromaneggdepositedinthelivingtreemanyyearsearlierstill，asappearedbycountingtheannuallayersbeyondit;whichwasheardgnawingoutforseveralweeks，hatchedperchancebytheheatofanurn.Whodoesnotfeelhisfaithinaresurrectionandimmortalitystrengthenedbyhearingofthis?Whoknowswhatbeautifulandwingedlife，whoseegghasbeenburiedforagesundermanyconcentriclayersofwoodennessinthedeaddrylifeofsociety，depositedatfirstinthealburnumofthegreenandlivingtree，whichhasbeengraduallyconvertedintothesemblanceofitswell-seasonedtomb，—heardperchancegnawingoutnowforyearsbytheastonishedfamilyofman，astheysatroundthefestiveboard，—mayunexpectedlycomeforthfromamidstsociety'smosttrivialandhandselledfurniture，toenjoyitsperfectsummerlifeatlast!

IdonotsaythatJohnorJonathan★willrealizeallthis;butsuchisthecharacterofthatmorrowwhichmerelapseoftimecannevermaketodawn.Thelightwhichputsoutoureyesisdarknesstous.Onlythatdaydawnstowhichweareawake.Thereismoredaytodawn.Thesunisbutamorningstar.