The men who are to lead the world and come to the front in the
later battles of life are generally leaders of their school-fellows, in the
play-ground if not always in the school-room. Individual force of
character soon makes its appearance, and is acknowledged as soon as
seen. Whatever the choice of occupation and the results that follow
from that choice, a man's natural force or weakness of character is
quite sure to display itself. As those who cross the seas, according
to the old poet, change their climate but not their disposition, so those
that change their occupation will exhibit the same characteristics.
The man who reasons about things will continue his reasoning whether
he be an apothecary putting up prescriptions or a blacksmith shoeing
horses. The man who takes everything for granted and walks by
bodily sight only, and never asks the why and wherefore of anything
he comes in contact with, will be the same unreasoning machine
whether he drive a team or feed the brutes of a menagerie. The
same instinctive love of what is beautiful to the eye will show itself
whether a man be adorning a house or painting a landscape. The
sense and sentiments of religion and poetry will be with him whether
he earn his living as a market gardener or a school-teacher.
The old motto, " Know thyself," was said to have been sent from
heaven for human guidance. It is not so easy a study, this self-
knowledge, as some people seem to think. A great many men and
women pass all through this life without ever knowing more of them-
selves than the sheep and oxen do of their own individuality and
destiny. It is very difficult to believe that there is any future life
awaiting such grovelling earth-worms as form the greater portion of
the human race. The contemplation of the baseness and stupidity
of his fellow-men led Solomon, who was called the wisest of men, to
doubt, if not thoroughly to disbelieve, in any future destiny for them.
"There is no difference," he argued, "between man and brute; as
the one dieth, so dieth the other ; both are of the dust and both turn
to dust again." If something within you whispers, " It shall not be
so with me ; I shall not all die ; I shall rise above, not sink below,
the common horizon of existence ; I feel a higher pulse and nobler
CHOICE OF OCCUPATION. I^I
aspirations beating within me than those of the base, the mean, the
sordid and the dirty," then carry these high thoughts with you
in all your work. Remember that no honest labor is degrading
in itself, and that man has the heaven-given power of shedding
his own internal light upon the external darkness around him.
"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might," and
whether it make you rich or not it will make you a better man.
But it will also make you comfortable externally and enable you to
give comforts to your wife and children and all who look to you for
help. It is only the lazy man who is always counting the mouths he
has to feed. There is a curious principle involved in the new system
known as Co-operation, which is steadily making its way in various
cities both of the old and the new world. It is, that the more chil-
dren you have the richer you will be, because the more provisions
you will have to buy in order to feed them. This seems quite
ridiculous when first stated.
Page 93
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
The men who are to lead the world and come to the front in the later battles of life are generally leaders of their school-fellows, in the play-ground if not always in the school-room. Individual force of character soon makes its appearance, and is acknowledged as soon as seen. Whatever the choice of occupation and the results that follow from that choice, a man's natural force or weakness of character is quite sure to display itself. As those who cross the seas, according to the old poet, change their climate but not their disposition, so those that change their occupation will exhibit the same characteristics. The man who reasons about things will continue his reasoning whether he be an apothecary putting up prescriptions or a blacksmith shoeing horses. The man who takes everything for granted and walks by bodily sight only, and never asks the why and wherefore of anything he comes in contact with, will be the same unreasoning machine whether he drive a team or feed the brutes of a menagerie. The same instinctive love of what is beautiful to the eye will show itself whether a man be adorning a house or painting a landscape. The sense and sentiments of religion and poetry will be with him whether he earn his living as a market gardener or a school-teacher.
The old motto, " Know thyself," was said to have been sent from heaven for human guidance. It is not so easy a study, this selfknowledge, as some people seem to think. A great many men and women pass all through this life without ever knowing more of themselves than the sheep and oxen do of their own individuality and destiny. It is very difficult to believe that there is any future life awaiting such grovelling earth-worms as form the greater portion of the human race. The contemplation of the baseness and stupidity of his fellow-men led Solomon, who was called the wisest of men, to doubt, if not thoroughly to disbelieve, in any future destiny for them. "There is no difference," he argued, "between man and brute; as the one dieth, so dieth the other ; both are of the dust and both turn to dust again." If something within you whispers, " It shall not be so with me ; I shall not all die ; I shall rise above, not sink below, the common horizon of existence ; I feel a higher pulse and nobler
aspirations beating within me than those of the base, the mean, the sordid and the dirty," then carry these high thoughts with you in all your work. Remember that no honest labor is degrading in itself, and that man has the heaven-given power of shedding his own internal light upon the external darkness around him. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might," and whether it make you rich or not it will make you a better man. But it will also make you comfortable externally and enable you to give comforts to your wife and children and all who look to you for help. It is only the lazy man who is always counting the mouths he has to feed. There is a curious principle involved in the new system known as Co-operation, which is steadily making its way in various cities both of the old and the new world. It is, that the more children you have the richer you will be, because the more provisions you will have to buy in order to feed them. This seems quite ridiculous when first stated.