""I have given up the eating of flesh," the man answered. "I find it disagreeable to my conscience. My bean field is about a hundred rods back.""
""I feel healthier than I have ever been. Being in the woods is like a tonic.""
""No," he said. "In fact, I am leaving today. I feel I have accomplished all that I set out to do. I have discovered what living is all about. I have discovered a great deal about solitude, independence and self-reliance.""
""Yeah, it's the last time I'm doing this," he said. "This is the day Henry Thoreau left the pond, on Sept. 6, 1847. And after 26 years, this is my retirement.""
Richard Smith, 65, performed in character as Henry David Thoreau at Walden Pond State Reservation since 1999. He portrayed a 19th-century transcendentalist living in a one-room cabin with a wood-burning stove and a straw mattress. Visitors asked him about his diet, daily routine and longevity, and he answered in Thoreau's voice about giving up flesh, tending a bean field and finding the woods restorative. On Sept. 6, the historical date of Thoreau's departure from Walden, Smith removed his straw hat and retired from the role after 26 years. He continues a private life at home watching the Pittsburgh Steelers with his cats, Bubble and Squeak.
Read at Boston.com
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