So I watch and they pass up the sheep one by one and as I go down the
road I hear the leader's thick voice, "Stiddy, stiddy," and the response
of the other, "That's the idee." And so on into the gray day!
My Open Road leads not only to beauty, not only to fresh adventures in
outer observation. I believe in the Open Road in religion, in education,
in politics: there is nothing really settled, fenced in, nor finally
decided upon this earth, Nothing that is not questionable. I do not
mean that I would immediately tear down well-built fences or do away
with established and beaten roads. By no means. The wisdom of past ages
is likely to be wiser than any hasty conclusions of mine. I would not
invite any other person to follow my road until I had well proven it a
better way toward truth than that which time had established. And yet I
would have every man tread the Open Road; I would have him upon occasion
question the smuggest institution and look askance upon the most ancient
habit. I would have him throw a doubt upon Newton and defy Darwin! I
would have him look straight at men and nature with his own eyes. He
should acknowledge no common gods unless he proved them gods for
himself. The "equality of men" which we worship: is there not a higher
inequality? The material progress which we deify: is it real progress?
Democracy--is it after all better than monarchy? I would have him
question the canons of art, literature, music, morals: so will he
continue young and useful!
And yet sometimes I ask myself.
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