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20 August 1860. Concord, Mass.

Thoreau surveys land on Lexington Road for Nathaniel Hawthorne (A Catalog of Thoreau’s Surveys in the Concord Free Public Library, 8; Henry David Thoreau papers. Special Collections, Concord (Mass.) Free Public Library).

20 August 1861. New Bedford, Mass.

Daniel Ricketson writes in his journal:

At home this A.M. talking a good deal with Thoreau in the Shanty. Rode with Thoreau this P.M., visited the old house at Thomas Wood’s farm. In relation to my friend Thoreau’s health my impression is that his case is a very critical one as to recovery; he has a bad cough and expectorates a good call, is emaciated considerably, his spirits, however, appear as good as usual, his appetite good. Unless some favorable symptom shows itself soon I fear that he will gradually decline. He is thinking of going to a warm climate for the winter, but I think a judicious hydropathic treatment at home would be much better for him.

(Daniel Ricketson and his Friends, 318)

20 December 1834. Cambridge, Mass.

Thoreau’s college class organizes the Natural History Society at Harvard and he becomes a member (Three Centuries of Harvard: 1636-1936, 203).

Thoreau also submits an essay with the prompt “The different ideas we form of men whose pursuit is money, power, distinction, domestic happiness, public good,” for a class assignment given to him on 6 December. Thoreau is also given the prompt for his next essay, “Of keeping a private journal of our feelings, studies, thoughts and daily experience containing abstracts of books, and the opinions we formed on first reading them,” due on 17 January 1835.

(Thoreau’s Harvard Years, part 2:8; Early Essays and Miscellanies, 5-7)

20 December 1848. Gloucester, Mass.

Thoreau lectures on “Economy—Illustrated by the Life of the Student” at Town Hall (“Economy—Illustrated by the Life of the Student”).

The Gloucester News and Semi-Weekly Messenger notes:

Mr. Thoreau lectures before the Lyceum this evening. This lecturer is one of the eccentric characters of the age, of whom Ralph W. Emerson predicted a few years since, that “He would be heard from.” From the notices we have seen of Mr. Thoreau, we think an original and highly entertaining lecture may be expected.

(Studies in the American Renaissance, 1995, 161)

20 December 1851. Concord, Mass.

Thoreau writes in his journal:

2 P. M.—To Fair Haven Hill and plain below.

Saw a large hawk circling over a pine wood below me, and screaming, apparently that he might discover his prey by their flight. Travelling ever by wider circles. What a symbol of the thoughts, now soaring, now descending, taking larger and larger circles, or smaller and smaller. It flies not directly whither it is bound, but advances by circles, like a courtier of the skies. No such noble progress! How it comes round, as with a wider sweep of thought! But the majesty is in the imagination of the beholder, for the bird is intent on its prey. Circling and ever circling, you cannot divine which way it will incline, till perchance it dives down straight as an arrow to its mark. It rises higher above where I stand, and I see with beautiful distinctness its wings against the sky,—primaries and secondaries, and the rich tracery of the outline of the latter (?), its inner wings, or wing-linings, within the outer,—like a great moth seen against the sky. A will-o’-the-wind. Following its path, as it were through the vortices of the air. The poetry of motion . . .

(Journal, 3:142-146)

20 December 1852. Concord, Mass.

On 22 December, Thoreau writes in his journal:

Surveying the Hunt Farm this and the 20th . . . (Journal, 4:431-432)

20 December 1854.

Concord, Mass. Thoreau writes in his journal:

7 A.M.—To Hill . . .

P.M.—Skated to Fair Haven with C. [William Ellery Channing] C.’s skates are not the best, and besides he is far from an easy skater, so that, as he said, it was killing work for him . . .

(Journal, 7:86-88)

New Bedford, Mass. Daniel Ricketson writes to Thoreau in reply to his letter of 20 December:

Dear Sir,—

Yours of the 19th came to hand this evening. I shall therefore look for you on Monday next.

My farm is three miles north of New Bedford. Say to the conductor to leave you at the Tarkiln Hill station, where I or some of my folks will be in readiness for you on the arrival of the evening train. Should you intend coming earlier in the day, please inform me in time.

I will get word to the Committee of the N. B. Lyceum, as you desire.

If I do not hear from you again, I shall prepare for your arrival as before. In the meantime, I remain,

Yours very truly,

Dan’l Ricketson.

(The Correspondence of Henry David Thoreau, 357)

20 December 1855. Concord, Mass.

Thoreau writes in his journal:

Still no snow, and, as usual, I wear no gloves.

P.M.—To Hubbard’s skating meadow . . .

Boys are now devoted to skating after school at night, far into evening, going without their suppers. It is pretty good on the meadows, which are somewhat overflown, and the sides of the river, but the greater part of it is open. I walk along the side of the river, on the ice beyond the Bath Place. Already there is dust on this smooth ice, on its countless facets, revealed by the sun . . .

(Journal, 8:53-54)

20 December 1856. Concord, Mass.

Thoreau writes in his journal:

Rain more or less all day (Journal, 9:192).

20 December 1857. Concord, Mass.

Thoreau writes in his journal:

To Easterbrooks Country with [Daniel] Ricketson.

A hen-hawk circling over that wild region. See its red tail . . . (Journal, 10:224).