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merely； which makes them picturesque； and equally interesting will
be the citizen's suburban box； when his life shall be as simple and
as agreeable to the imagination； and there is as little straining
after effect in the style of his dwelling。 A great proportion of
architectural ornaments are literally hollow； and a September gale
would strip them off； like borrowed plumes； without injury to the
substantials。 They can do without architecture who have no olives
nor wines in the cellar。 What if an equal ado were made about the
ornaments of style in literature； and the architects of our bibles
spent as much time about their cornices as the architects of our
churches do？ So are made the belles…lettres and the beaux…arts and
their professors。 Much it concerns a man； forsooth； how a few
sticks are slanted over him or under him； and what colors are daubed
upon his box。 It would signify somewhat； if； in any earnest sense；
he slanted them and daubed it； but the spirit having departed out of
the tenant； it is of a piece with constructing his own coffin the
architecture of the grave and 〃carpenter〃 is but another name for
〃coffin…maker。〃 One man says； in his despair or indifference to
life； take up a handful of the earth at your feet； and paint your
house that color。 Is he thinking of his last and narrow house？
Toss up a copper for it as well。 What an abundance of leisure be
must have！ Why do you take up a handful of dirt？ Better paint your
house your own complexion； let it turn pale or blush for you。 An
enterprise to improve the style of cottage architecture！ When you
have got my ornaments ready； I will wear them。
Before winter I built a chimney； and shingled the sides of my
house； which were already impervious to rain； with imperfect and
sappy shingles made of the first slice of the log； whose edges I was
obliged to straighten with a plane。
I have thus a tight shingled and plastered house； ten feet wide
by fifteen long； and eight…feet posts； with a garret and a closet； a
large window on each side； two trap doors； one door at the end； and
a brick fireplace opposite。 The exact cost of my house； paying the
usual price for such materials as I used； but not counting the work；
all of which was done by myself； was as follows； and I give the
details because very few are able to tell exactly what their houses
cost； and fewer still； if any； the separate cost of the various
materials which compose them：
Boards 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 8。03＋； mostly shanty boards。
Refuse shingles for roof sides 。。。 4。00
Laths 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 1。25
Two second…hand windows
with glass 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 2。43
One thousand old brick 。。。。。。。。。。。 4。00
Two casks of lime 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 2。40 That was high。
Hair 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 0。31 More than I needed。
Mantle…tree iron 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 0。15
Nails 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 3。90
Hinges and screws 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 0。14
Latch 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 0。10
Chalk 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 0。01
Transportation 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 1。40 I carried a good part
… on my back。
In all 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 28。12＋
These are all the materials； excepting the timber； stones； and
sand； which I claimed by squatter's right。 I have also a small
woodshed adjoining； made chiefly of the stuff which was left after
building the house。
I intend to build me a house which will surpass any on the main
street in Concord in grandeur and luxury； as soon as it pleases me
as much and will cost me no more than my present one。
I thus found that the student who wishes for a shelter can
obtain one for a lifetime at an expense not greater than the rent
which he now pays annually。 If I seem to boast more than is
becoming； my excuse is that I brag for humanity rather than for
myself； and my shortcomings and inconsistencies do not affect the
truth of my statement。 Notwithstanding much cant and hypocrisy
chaff which I find it difficult to separate from my wheat； but for
which I am as sorry as any man I will breathe freely and stretch
myself in this respect； it is such a relief to both the moral and
physical system； and I am resolved that I will not through humility
become the devil's attorney。 I will endeavor to speak a good word
for the truth。 At Cambridge College the mere rent of a student's
room； which is only a little larger than my own； is thirty dollars
each year； though the corporation had the advantage of building
thirty…two side by side and under one roof； and the occupant suffers
the inconvenience of many and noisy neighbors； and perhaps a
residence in the fourth story。 I cannot but think that if we had
more true wisdom in these respects； not only less education would be
needed； because； forsooth； more would already have been acquired；
but the pecuniary expense of getting an education would in a great
measure vanish。 Those conveniences which the student requires at
Cambridge or elsewhere cost him or somebody else ten times as great
a sacrifice of life as they would with proper management on both
sides。 Those things for which the most money is demanded are never
the things which the student most wants。 Tuition； for instance； is
an important item in the term bill； while for the far more valuable
education which he gets by associating with the most cultivated of
his contemporaries no charge is made。 The mode of founding a
college is； commonly； to get up a subscription of dollars and cents；
and then； following blindly the principles of a division of labor to
its extreme a principle which should never be followed but with
circumspection to call in a contractor who makes this a subject
of speculation； and he employs Irishmen or other operatives actually
to lay the foundations； while the students that are to be are said
to be fitting themselves for it； and for these oversights successive
generations have to pay。 I think that it would be better than this；
for the students； or those who desire to be benefited by it； even to
lay the foundation themselves。 The student who secures his coveted
leisure and retirement by systematically shirking any labor
necessary to man obtains but an ignoble and unprofitable leisure；
defrauding himself of the experience which alone can make leisure
fruitful。 〃But；〃 says one； 〃you do not mean that the students
should go to work with their hands instead of their heads？〃 I do
not mean that exactly； but I mean something which he might think a
good deal like that； I mean that they should not play life； or study
it merely； while the community supports them at this expensive game；
but earnestly live it from beginning to end。 How could youths
better learn to live than by at once trying the experiment of
living？ Methinks this would exercise their minds as much as
mathematics。 If I wished a boy to kno