“House-Warming” reminds the reader of a very important caveat to Thoreau’s overall prescription of a slower and more thoughtful life spent in nature: one must devote oneself to some hard work in order to enjoy a fuller sort of peace. Henry David Thoreau marks himself as starkly disapproving of the working man’s toilsome devotion to his wage. He believes this mad sprint for money is responsible for the lack of fulfillment many of his peers feel. However, he clarifies that it is not work which is the culprit, but simply the type of results one seeks from said work. Thoreau himself, for example, dedicates much of his time to the upkeep his humble living requires: farming, fishing, and woodcutting. However, he completes these tasks not for the sole purpose of monetary gain, but simply for the care and keeping of his own lifestyle. His labors permit him to be nearly entirely independent, deciding what work is needed to acquire the few foundational luxuries he seeks. Thoreau muses that “every man looks at his wood-pile with a kind of affection. I loved to have mine before my window, and the more chips the better to remind me of my pleasing work” (Thoreau 224). It is this pleasant work that makes one’s rest truly relaxing. A life devoid of labor of any kind would lead only to emptiness, boredom, and fruitlessness. Just as Thoreau prescribes, even one who attempts to escape from the hustle and bustle of the materialistic wheel of society must still engage oneself in the simple, joyful tasks of homemaking in order to achieve lasting peace.