第 20 节
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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。