I would observe， by the way， that it costs me nothing for curtains， for I have no gazers to shut out but the sun and moon， and I am willing that they should look in.  The moon will not sour milk nor taint meat of mine， nor will the sun injure my furniture or fade my carpet； and if he is sometimes too warm a friend， I find it still better economy to retreat behind some curtain which nature has provided， than to add a single item to the details of housekeeping. A lady once offered me a mat， but as I had no room to spare within the house， nor time to spare within or without to shake it， I declined it， preferring to wipe my feet on the sod before my door. It is best to avoid the beginnings of evil.

　　Not long since I was present at the auction of a deacon's effects， for his life had not been ineffectual：――

　　"The evil that men do lives after them."

　　As usual， a great proportion was trumpery which had begun to accumulate in his father's day.  Among the rest was a dried tapeworm.  And now， after lying half a century in his garret and other dust holes， these things were not burned； instead of a bonfire， or purifying destruction of them， there was an auction， or increasing of them.  The neighbors eagerly collected to view them，bought them all， and carefully transported them to their garrets and dust holes， to lie there till their estates are settled， when they will start again.  When a man dies he kicks the dust.

　　The customs of some savage nations might， perchance， be profitably imitated by us， for they at least go through the semblance of casting their slough annually； they have the idea of the thing， whether they have the reality or not.  Would it not be well if we were to celebrate such a "busk，" or "feast of first fruits，" as Bartram describes to have been the custom of the Mucclasse Indians？  "When a town celebrates the busk，" says he，"having previously provided themselves with new clothes， new pots，pans， and other household utensils and furniture， they collect all their worn out clothes and other despicable things， sweep and cleanse their houses， squares， and the whole town of their filth，which with all the remaining grain and other old provisions they cast together into one common heap， and consume it with fire.  After having taken medicine， and fasted for three days， all the fire in the town is extinguished.  During this fast they abstain from the gratification of every appetite and passion whatever.  A general amnesty is proclaimed； all malefactors may return to their town."

　　"On the fourth morning， the high priest， by rubbing dry wood together， produces new fire in the public square， from whence every habitation in the town is supplied with the new and pure flame."

　　我順便說一下，我也不花什么錢去買窗簾，因為除了太陽月亮，沒有別的偷窺的人需要關在外面，我也愿意它們來看看我。月亮不會使我的牛奶發酸，或使我的肉發臭，太陽也不會損害我的家具，或使我的地氈褪色；如果我有時發現這位朋友太熱情了，我覺得退避到那些大自然所提供的窗簾后面去，在經濟上更加劃得來，何必在我的家政之中，又添上一項窗簾呢。有一位夫人，有一次要送我一張地席，可是我屋內找不到地位給它，也沒有時間在屋內屋外打掃它，我沒有接受，我寧可在我門前的草地上揩拭我的腳底。真應該在罪惡開始時就避免它。

　　此后不久，我參觀過一個教會執事的動產的拍賣，他的一生并不是沒有成績的，而：――“人作的惡，死后還流傳。”

　　照常，大部分的東西是華而不實的，還是他父親手里就開始積藏了。其中，還有著一條干絳蟲。現在，這些東西，躺在他家的閣樓和別些塵封的洞窟中已經半個世紀之久，還沒有被燒掉呢；非但不是一把火燒了它們，或者說火化消毒，反而拍賣了，要延長它們的壽命了。鄰居成群地集合，熱心觀摩，全部買下之后，小心翼翼地搬進他們的閣樓和別的塵封的洞窟中，躺在那里，直到這一份家產又需要清理，到那時它們又得出一次門。一個人死后，他的腳踢到灰塵。

　　也許有些野蠻國家的風俗，值得我們學一學，大有益處，因為他們至少還仿佛每年要蛻一次皮；雖然這實際上做不到，他們卻有意象征性地做一做。像巴爾特拉姆描寫摩克拉斯族印第安人的風俗，我們要是也這樣舉行慶祝，也舉行收獲第一批果實的圣禮，這難道不是很好嗎？“當一個部落舉行慶祝圣禮的時候，”他說，“他們先給自己預備了新衣服，新壇新罐，新盤子，新器具和新家具，然后集中了所有的穿破了的衣服和別的可以拋棄的舊東西，打掃了他們的房子，廣場和全部落，把垃圾連帶存下來的壞谷物和別的陳舊糧食，一起倒在一個公共的堆上，用火燒掉了它。又吃了藥，絕食三天，全部落都熄了火。絕食之時，他們禁絕了食欲和其他欲愿的滿足。大赦令宣布了；一切罪人都可以回部落來。”

　　“在第四天的早晨，大祭司就摩擦著干燥的木頭，在廣場上生起了新的火焰。每一戶居民都從這里得到了這新生的純潔的火焰了。”

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