第 20 节
作者:片片      更新:2022-08-21 16:31      字数:9322
  been paid for it。 (6)
  There must be work before and work behind; with leisure to fall
  back upon; but the leisure; without the work; can no more be
  enjoyed than a surfeit。  Life must needs be disgusting alike to
  the idle rich man as to the idle poor man; who has no work to do;
  or; having work; will not do it。  The words found tattooed on the
  right arm of a sentimental beggar of forty; undergoing his eighth
  imprisonment in the gaol of Bourges in France; might be adopted as
  the motto of all idlers: 〃LE PASSE M'A TROMPE; LE PRESENT ME
  TOURMENTE; L'AVENIR M'EPOUVANTE;〃(The past has deceived me; the
  present torments me; the future terrifies me)
  The duty of industry applies to all classes and conditions of
  society。  All have their work to do in the irrespective conditions
  of lifethe rich as well as the poor。 (7)  The gentleman by
  birth and education; however richly he may be endowed with worldly
  possessions; cannot but feel that he is in duty bound to
  contribute his quota of endeavour towards the general wellbeing in
  which he shares。  He cannot be satisfied with being fed; clad; and
  maintained by the labour of others; without making some suitable
  return to the society that upholds him。  An honest highminded man
  would revolt at the idea of sitting down to and enjoying a feast;
  and then going away without paying his share of the reckoning。  To
  be idle and useless is neither an honour nor a privilege; and
  though persons of small natures may be content merely to consume
  FRUGES CONSUMERE NATImen of average endowment; of manly
  aspirations; and of honest purpose; will feel such a condition to
  be incompatible with real honour and true dignity。
  〃I don't believe;〃 said Lord Stanley (now Earl of Derby) at
  Glasgow; 〃that an unemployed man; however amiable and otherwise
  respectable; ever was; or ever can be; really happy。  As work is
  our life; show me what you can do; and I will show you what you
  are。  I have spoken of love of one's work as the best preventive
  of merely low and vicious tastes。  I will go further; and say that
  it is the best preservative against petty anxieties; and the
  annoyances that arise out of indulged self…love。  Men have thought
  before now that they could take refuge from trouble and vexation
  by sheltering themselves as it were in a world of their own。  The
  experiment has; often been tried; and always with one result。  You
  cannot escape from anxiety and labourit is the destiny of
  humanity。。。。  Those who shirk from facing trouble; find that
  trouble comes to them。  The indolent may contrive that he shall
  have less than his share of the world's work to do; but Nature
  proportioning the instinct to the work; contrives that the little
  shall be much and hard to him。  The man who has only himself to
  please finds; sooner or later; and probably sooner than later;
  that he has got a very hard master; and the excessive weakness
  which shrinks from responsibility has its own punishment too; for
  where great interests are excluded little matters become great;
  and the same wear and tear of mind that might have been at least
  usefully and healthfully expended on the real business of life is
  often wasted in petty and imaginary vexations; such as breed and
  multiply in the unoccupied brain。〃 (8)
  Even on the lowest groundthat of personal enjoymentconstant
  useful occupation is necessary。  He who labours not; cannot
  enjoy the reward of labour。  〃We sleep sound;〃 said Sir Walter
  Scott; 〃and our waking hours are happy; when they are employed;
  and a little sense of toil is necessary to the enjoyment of
  leisure; even when earned by study and sanctioned by the
  discharge of duty。〃
  It is true; there are men who die of overwork; but many more die
  of selfishness; indulgence; and idleness。  Where men break down by
  overwork; it is most commonly from want of duly ordering their
  lives; and neglect of the ordinary conditions of physical health。
  Lord Stanley was probably right when he said; in his address to
  the Glasgow students above mentioned; that he doubted whether
  〃hard work; steadily and regularly carried on; ever yet hurt
  anybody。〃
  Then; again; length of YEARS is no proper test of length of LIFE。
  A man's life is to be measured by what he does in it; and what he
  feels in it。  The more useful work the man does; and the more he
  thinks and feels; the more he really lives。  The idle useless man;
  no matter to what extent his life may be prolonged; merely
  vegetates。
  The early teachers of Christianity ennobled the lot of toil by
  their example。  〃He that will not work;〃 said Saint Paul; 〃neither
  shall he eat;〃 and he glorified himself in that he had laboured
  with his hands; and had not been chargeable to any man。  When St。
  Boniface landed in Britain; he came with a gospel in one hand and
  a carpenter's rule in the other; and from England he afterwards
  passed over into Germany; carrying thither the art of building。
  Luther also; in the midst of a multitude of other employments;
  worked diligently for a living; earning his bread by gardening;
  building; turning; and even clockmaking。 (9)
  It was characteristic of Napoleon; when visiting a work of
  mechanical excellence; to pay great respect to the inventor; and
  on taking his leave; to salute him with a low bow。  Once at St。
  Helena; when walking with Mrs。 Balcombe; some servants came along
  carrying a load。  The lady; in an angry tone; ordered them out of
  the way; on which Napoleon interposed; saying; 〃Respect the
  burden; madam。〃  Even the drudgery of the humblest labourer
  contributes towards the general wellbeing of society; and it was a
  wise saying of a Chinese Emperor; that 〃if there was a man who did
  not work; or a woman that was idle; somebody must suffer cold or
  hunger in the empire。〃
  The habit of constant useful occupation is as essential for the
  happiness and wellbeing of woman as of man。  Without it; women are
  apt to sink into a state of listless ENNUI and uselessness;
  accompanied by sick headache and attacks of 〃nerves。〃  Caroline
  Perthes carefully warned her married daughter Louisa to beware of
  giving way to such listlessness。  〃I myself;〃 she said; 〃when the
  children are gone out for a half…holiday; sometimes feel as stupid
  and dull as an owl by daylight; but one must not yield to this;
  which happens more or less to all young wives。  The best relief is
  WORK; engaged in with interest and diligence。  Work; then;
  constantly and diligently; at something or other; for idleness is
  the devil's snare for small and great; as your grandfather says;
  and he says true。〃 (10)
  Constant useful occupation is thus wholesome; not only for the
  body; but for the mind。  While the slothful man drags himself
  indolently through life; and the better part of his nature sleeps
  a deep sleep; if not morally and spiritually dead; the energetic
  man is a source of activity and enjoyment to all who come within
  reach of his influence。  Even any ordinary drudgery is better than
  idleness。  Fuller says of Sir Francis Drake; who was early sent to
  sea; and kept close to his work by his master; that such 〃pains
  and patience in his youth knit the joints of his soul; and made
  them more solid and compact。〃  Schiller used to say that he
  considered it a great advantage to be employed in the discharge of
  some daily mechanical dutysome regular routine of work; that
  rendered steady application necessary。
  Thousands can bear testimony to the truth of the saying of Greuze;
  the French painter; that workemployment; useful occupationis
  one of the great secrets of happiness。  Casaubon was once induced
  by the entreaties of his friends to take a few days entire rest;
  but he returned to his work with the remark; that it was easier to
  bear illness doing something; than doing nothing。
  When Charles Lamb was released for life from his daily drudgery of
  desk…work at the India Office; he felt himself the happiest of
  men。  〃I would not go back to my prison;〃 he said to a friend;
  〃ten years longer; for ten thousand pounds。〃  He also wrote in the
  same ecstatic mood to Bernard Barton: 〃I have scarce steadiness of
  head to compose a letter;〃 he said; 〃I am free! free as air!  I
  will live another fifty years。。。。  Would I could sell you some of
  my leisure!  Positively the best thing a man can do isNothing;
  and next to that; perhaps; Good Works。〃  Two yearstwo long and
  tedious years passed; and Charles Lamb's feelings had undergone an
  entire change。  He now discovered that official; even humdrum work
  〃the appointed round; the daily task〃had been good for him;
  though he knew it not。  Time had formerly been his friend; it had
  now become his enemy。  To Bernard Barton he again wrote: 〃I assure
  you; NO work is worse than overwork; the mind preys on itself
  the most unwholesome of food。  I have ceased to care for almost
  anything。。。。  Never did the waters of heaven pour down upon a
  forlorner head。  What I can do; and overdo; is to walk。