are driven to it, and that if bread and butter grew upon the trees
and fell into their mouths without any trouble, they would stop
workinf^ altogether. This is not so. Happily, it is not possible for
any one but a lunatic or an imbecile to be utterly idle in this world,
and perhaps even they have some employment in their efforts to
think clearly which others do not notice. But if a man or woman
is a rational and healthy bemg, he or she must keep doing something
or other all the time, until they grow too old to do anything else
than sleep, and dream about the past and get ready to die. The
effect of continued idleness is severely felt in mind and body, and is
noticed by every one around us. " The sleep of the laboring man
is sweet," said the wise writer of the Book of Ecclesiastes, but the
man who does no hard work during the day can enjoy no refreshing
sleep at night. He has no weariness to recover from, and therefore
needs no rest. On the contrary, nature will take her just revenge
upon him for breaking the laws of health and happiness. If you
have not walked or used your feet all day, they cannot be tired at
night, except with the dreadfully tired feeling of laziness. If your
hands have done nothing, they do not need a rest. If your brain has
been listless and idle all day, then nature will wind it up at night
like a clock, and it will keep on ticking and striking the hours, and
beating the minutes in your ear, so that you cannot get a wink of
sleep, and are glad when daylight comes so that you may turn out
of bed instead of in it.
Many men and women — thousands and millions of them — are
over-worked and need more rest than they can get. Some of them
break down, and are killed by over-work. Hundreds of factory
hands and store girls in every large city die before they have reached
their prime of life, because the strain of work is too great for their
strength, and they are not able to bear it. Such cases are very sad,
and every year fresh efforts are being made by kind and feeling
masters — for there are some such in the world, though not too many —
to lighten the burden by lessening the hours of labor.
But while those who are over-worked are to be pitied, those who
CHOICE OF OCCUPATION. 1 39
hav'e no work at all are more unhappy still. It is better to die of
work than to live in idleness, and let the powers of mind and body
wear away for want of using. Many persons go crazy or so eccentric
as to be thought crazy lor want of employment. They " don't know
what to do with themselves," as they say, and the world does not know
what to do with them. They bore themselves and everybody that
comes near them. As they do nothing, so they think about nothing,
and as they think about nothing of course their talk is all about
nothing. The man or woman who works has a bright, intelligent look
in the eyes, even if they are sometimes weary and anxious. They
feel an interest in life because they bear their share in its burdens.
If they fall in the hard battle of life, they fall nobly, like brave
soldiers. They have fought a good fight in toiling patiently day by
day to win bread for their children or their parents as well as for
themselves. The working man i« sometimes God's nobleman, higher
in true rank than the man who is rolling in luxury and wealth.
Page 84
Presented as published in 1883. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
are driven to it, and that if bread and butter grew upon the trees and fell into their mouths without any trouble, they would stop working altogether. This is not so. Happily, it is not possible for any one but a lunatic or an imbecile to be utterly idle in this world, and perhaps even they have some employment in their efforts to think clearly which others do not notice. But if a man or woman is a rational and healthy bemg, he or she must keep doing something or other all the time, until they grow too old to do anything else than sleep, and dream about the past and get ready to die. The effect of continued idleness is severely felt in mind and body, and is noticed by every one around us. " The sleep of the laboring man is sweet," said the wise writer of the Book of Ecclesiastes, but the man who does no hard work during the day can enjoy no refreshing sleep at night. He has no weariness to recover from, and therefore needs no rest. On the contrary, nature will take her just revenge upon him for breaking the laws of health and happiness. If you have not walked or used your feet all day, they cannot be tired at night, except with the dreadfully tired feeling of laziness. If your hands have done nothing, they do not need a rest. If your brain has been listless and idle all day, then nature will wind it up at night like a clock, and it will keep on ticking and striking the hours, and beating the minutes in your ear, so that you cannot get a wink of sleep, and are glad when daylight comes so that you may turn out of bed instead of in it.
Many men and women — thousands and millions of them — are over-worked and need more rest than they can get. Some of them break down, and are killed by over-work. Hundreds of factory hands and store girls in every large city die before they have reached their prime of life, because the strain of work is too great for their strength, and they are not able to bear it. Such cases are very sad, and every year fresh efforts are being made by kind and feeling masters — for there are some such in the world, though not too many — to lighten the burden by lessening the hours of labor.
But while those who are over-worked are to be pitied, those who
have no work at all are more unhappy still. It is better to die of work than to live in idleness, and let the powers of mind and body wear away for want of using. Many persons go crazy or so eccentric as to be thought crazy lor want of employment. They " don't know what to do with themselves," as they say, and the world does not know what to do with them. They bore themselves and everybody that comes near them. As they do nothing, so they think about nothing, and as they think about nothing of course their talk is all about nothing. The man or woman who works has a bright, intelligent look in the eyes, even if they are sometimes weary and anxious. They feel an interest in life because they bear their share in its burdens. If they fall in the hard battle of life, they fall nobly, like brave soldiers. They have fought a good fight in toiling patiently day by day to win bread for their children or their parents as well as for themselves. The working man is sometimes God's nobleman, higher in true rank than the man who is rolling in luxury and wealth.