At Close Range

'At Close Range' is a novel penned by Francis Hopkinson Smith. The story begins by describing a man's experience of traveling overnight by train to Cleveland, Ohio, for a speaking engagement. The request was on short notice, but he agreed nonetheless. He has to take a series of trains and make several connections, which makes for a long and tiring journey, and along the way, he reflects on the contrast between his experience and that of Thoreau, who spent a peaceful night alone in the wilderness, listening to nature's sounds.