They then feast on the new corn and fruits， and dance and sing for three days， "and the four following days they receive visits and rejoice with their friends from neighboring towns who have in like manner purified and prepared themselves."

　　The Mexicans also practised a similar purification at the end of every fifty-two years， in the belief that it was time for the world to come to an end.

　　I have scarcely heard of a truer sacrament， that is， as the dictionary defines it， "outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace，" than this， and I have no doubt that they were originally inspired directly from Heaven to do thus， though they have no Biblical record of the revelation.

　　For more than five years I maintained myself thus solely by the labor of my hands， and I found that， by working about six weeks in a year， I could meet all the expenses of living.  The whole of my winters， as well as most of my summers， I had free and clear for study.  I have thoroughly tried school-keeping， and found that my expenses were in proportion， or rather out of proportion， to my income， for I was obliged to dress and train， not to say think and believe， accordingly， and I lost my time into the bargain.  As I did not teach for the good of my fellow-men， but simply for a livelihood， this was a failure.  I have tried trade but I found that it would take ten years to get under way in that， and that then I should probably be on my way to the devil.  I was actually afraid that I might by that time be doing what is called a good business. When formerly I was looking about to see what I could do for a living， some sad experience in conforming to the wishes of friends being fresh in my mind to tax my ingenuity， I thought often and seriously of picking huckleberries； that surely I could do， and its small profits might suffice ―― for my greatest skill has been to want but little ―― so little capital it required， so little distraction from my wonted moods， I foolishly thought.  While my acquaintances went unhesitatingly into trade or the professions， I contemplated this occupation as most like theirs； ranging the hills all summer to pick the berries which came in my way， and thereafter carelessly dispose of them； so， to keep the flocks of Admetus.  I also dreamed that I might gather the wild herbs， or carry evergreens to such villagers as loved to be reminded of the woods， even to the city， by hay-cart loads.  But I have since learned that trade curses everything it handles； and though you trade in messages from heaven，the whole curse of trade attaches to the business.

　　As I preferred some things to others， and especially valued my freedom， as I could fare hard and yet succeed well， I did not wish to spend my time in earning rich carpets or other fine furniture， or delicate cookery， or a house in the Grecian or the Gothic style just yet.  If there are any to whom it is no interruption to acquire these things， and who know how to use them when acquired， I relinquish to them the pursuit.  Some are "industrious，" and appear to love labor for its own sake， or perhaps because it keeps them out of worse mischief； to such I have at present nothing to say.  Those who would not know what to do with more leisure than they now enjoy，I might advise to work twice as hard as they do ―― work till they pay for themselves， and get their free papers.  For myself I found that the occupation of a day-laborer was the most independent of any， especially as it required only thirty or forty days in a year to support one.  The laborer's day ends with the going down of the sun， and he is then free to devote himself to his chosen pursuit，independent of his labor； but his employer， who speculates from month to month， has no respite from one end of the year to the other.

　　于是他們吃起新的谷物和水果，唱歌跳舞三夭，“而接連的四天之內，他們接受鄰近部落的友人們的訪問和慶賀，他們也用同樣的方式凈化了，一應準備就緒了。”

　　墨西哥人每過五十二年也要舉行一次凈化典禮，他們相信世界五十二年結束一次。

　　我沒有聽到過比這個更真誠的圣禮了，就像字典上說的圣禮，是“內心靈性優美化的外在可見的儀式”，我一點不懷疑，他們的風俗是直接由天意傳授的，雖然他們并沒有一部圣經來記錄那一次的啟示。

　　我僅僅依靠雙手勞動，養活了我自己，已不止五年了，我發現，每年之內我只需工作六個星期，就足夠支付我一切生活的開銷了。整個冬天和大部分夏天，我自由而爽快地讀點兒書。我曾經全心全意辦過學校，我發現得到的利益頂多抵上了支出，甚至還抵不上，因為我必須穿衣，修飾，不必說還必須像別人那樣來思想和信仰，結果這一筆生意損失了我不少時間，吃虧得很。由于我教書不是為了我同類的好處，而只是為了生活，這失敗了。我也嘗試過做生意，可是我發現要善于經商，得花上十年工夫，也許那時我正投到魔鬼的懷抱中去。我倒是真正擔心我的生意到那時已很興隆。從前，我東找西找地找一個謀生之道的時候，由于曾經想符合幾個朋友的希望，而有過一些可悲的經驗，這些經驗在我腦中逼得我多想些辦法，所以我常常嚴肅地想到還不如去揀點漿果；這我自然能做到，那蠅頭微利對我也夠了，――因為我的最大本領是需要極少，――我這樣愚蠢地想著，這只要極少資本，對我一貫的情緒又極少抵觸。當我熟識的那些人毫不躊躇地做生意，或就業了，我想我這一個職業倒是最接近于他們的榜樣了；整個暑天漫山遍野地跑路，一路上揀起面前的漿果來，過后隨意處置了它們；好像是在看守阿德默特斯的羊群。我也夢想過，我可以采集些閑花野草，用運干草的車輛把常青樹給一些愛好樹林的村民們運去，甚至還可以運到城里。可是從那時起我明白了，商業詛咒它經營的一切事物；即使你經營天堂的福音，也擺脫不了商業對它的全部詛咒。

　　因為我對某些事物有所偏愛，而又特別的重視我的自由，因為我能吃苦，而又能獲得些成功，我并不希望花掉我的時間來購買富麗的地氈，或別的講究的家具，或美味的食物，或希臘式的或哥特式的房屋。如果有人能毫無困難地得到這一些，得到之后，更懂得如何利用它們，我還是讓他們去追求。有些人的“勤懇”，愛勞動好像是生就的，或者因為勞動可以使他們免得干更壞的事；對于這種人，暫時我沒有什么話說。至于那些人，如果有了比現在更多的閑暇，而不知如何處理，那我要勸他們加倍勤懇地勞動，――勞動到他們能養活自己，取得他們的自由證明書。我自己是覺得，任何職業中，打短工最為獨立不羈，何況一年之內只要三四十天就可以養活自己。短工的一天結束于太陽落山的時候，之后他可以自由地專心于他自己選定的跟他的勞動全不相干的某種活動；而他的雇主要投機取巧，從這個月到下一個月，一年到頭得不到休息。

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