【瓦尔登湖】经济篇（2）

Unfortunately, I am confined to this theme by the narrowness of my experience.

Moreover, I, on my side, require of every writer, first or last, a simple and sincere account of his own life, and not merely what he has heard of other men's lives;

such account as he would send to his kindred from a distant land; for if he has lived sincerely, it must have been in a distant land to me.

Perhaps these pages are more particularly addressed to poor students.

As for the rest of my readers, they will accept such portions as apply to them.

I trust that none will stretch the seams in putting on the coat, for it may do good service to him whom it fits.

I have traveled a good deal in Concord; and everywhere, in shops, and offices, and fields, the inhabitants have appeared to me to be doing penance in 1,000 remarkable ways.