Which a bird feels in flying, or a fish In darting through the water." H. W. LONGFELLOW. "The law of nature is that a certain quantity of work is necessary to produce a certain quantity of good. If you want knowledge, you must toil for it; if food, you must toil for it; and if pleasure, you must toil for it." JOHN RUSKIN. III WORK A YEAR or two ago, Edward Everett Hale published an article in one of the magazines entitled "Getting the Best of It." It was of special interest because it was understood to describe his methods of daily work. If it had enabled him to accomplish so much, why would it not be serviceable to others? The article attracted much attention, and while some doubted the practicability of his program, all agreed that each day's work should be so planned as to yield the largest possible result with the smallest possible expenditure of nervous energy. No one can measure the power of work. It is work that has built up the world's industries and carries them on, organized its vast systems of transportation and exchange, filled its warehouses with goods and provisions and carried comfort and contentment into millions of homes. A laborer puts in his spade to dig a trench. He can remove but a few pounds of earth at a time, but he perseveres and in a few days he sees a goodly piece of work accomplished. A student looks at the well filled shelves of a library and says to himself: "No one can read all these books; I might as well give up trying to know anything. There is so much to learn in every department of study that I am discouraged before I begin." But we have all heard of the man who read the seven volumes of Rawlinson's Ancient History during the tedious moments when he was waiting for his meals, and a busy young man, who was carrying more than the required amount of college work, found time this year in the leisure hours of two months to read five thick volumes of history. It only requires time and well directed work to make almost any one of us a learned man. Great men have always been great workers. The essential characteristic of strong manhood is power of accomplishment. It is not wealth nor official position, but brains and work that take first rank. Not long ago two important positions became vacant at the same time in a great business office. One man was appointed to fill both positions at a salary higher than the combined. salaries of both of his predecessors. His ability, in one sense, was no greater than theirs; but he was known to be an extraordinary worker. He was more valuable to his employers than two common The highest working power men. stands at the head. A strange mistake in the interpretation of Scripture has taught us to look upon work as a curse. Human pride and laziness readily accept this view. But reason and science, as well as the Bible, teach us that a life of work is man's normal condition and his greatest blessing. Much of the folly, misery and crime of the world are the result of idleness. It is difficult even to provide needed leisure for working men without bringing with it unseemly vices. Christianity honors work, exalts it, distinguishes it from labor. Work implies intelligence, implies a purpose, implies hope; labor is blind, unthinking, aimless. The Latin word labor has come down to us from a heathen civilization and still carries in its meaning the taint of heathen hopelessness and oppression. Christianity teaches man to work out his own salvation. It sets before him a thousand possibilities of improving his condition; it cultivates ambition and then it bids man work; and it teaches that patient work yields grand results, not only in material products but also in intellectual enjoyment and in strong, well balanced character. The gentleman of leisure is not ordinarily the highest kind of a man. Un |