Project Gutenberg excerpt — "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau (public domain).
Opening of Chapter 2, "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For".

At a certain season of our life we are accustomed to consider every spot as
the possible site of a house. I have thus surveyed the country on every side
within a dozen miles of where I live. In imagination I have bought all the
farms in succession, for all were to be bought, and I knew their price. I
walked over each farmer's premises, tasted his wild apples, discoursed on
husbandry with him, took his farm at his price, at any price, mortgaging it
to him in my mind; even put a higher price on it, — took everything but a
deed of it, — took his word for his deed, for I dearly love to talk, —
cultivated it, and him too to some extent, I trust, and withdrew when I had
enjoyed it long enough, leaving him to carry it on.

This experience entitled me to be regarded as a sort of real-estate broker
by my friends. Wherever I sat, there I might live, and the landscape
radiated from me accordingly. What is a house but a sedes, a seat? — better
if a country seat.

Source: Project Gutenberg EBook #205. Full text: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/205
License: Public domain in the United States and most of the world.
