1857.] The Crown of Industry. 153 THE CROWN OF INDUSTRY. BY REV. J. V. ECKERT. MANY young men of the present day, glory not in sobriety, industry and wisdom, but rather in intemperance, indolence, ignorance and lust. Instead of adorning their faces with the modesty of intelligence, and their eyes sparkling the pure rays of reason and religion, they are covered and shaded with moustache and rum, and their eyes glare the fiery vapor of hell. They act as though man was destined only for liquor, licentiousness and idleness. These are the gods they worship. At their shrines they sacrifice their time and talents. Law, industry and religion they despise. They never seem to have known, as Solomon says, that "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold." They can boast of industrious and worthy ancestors, but live in open shame to such honor. honesty and diligence of their parents have placed them in the circle of respectable society, but they are prostituting that blessing to unrighteous and dishonorable purposes through idleness and recklessness. "Do you know that I am a descendant of the great reformer Knox," said a young puff of idle vanity once. "What a pity that a part of his brains and his piety did not descend to you," was the sensible and cutting reply. The same boast is still made by many who deserve the same reply. The industry and goodness of ancestors, will not exonerate descendants from them, and allow them to revel in indolence and vanity, without suffering the penalties of disgrace and want. The "I am the son of a Judge," said a young drunken rowdy, as they were leading him toward the lock-up. "So much greater the shame!" said the officer, pushing him on still faster. Some young ladies, too, in the language of Pope, "Break all their nerves, and fritter all their sense," in much the same way. Dancing, idle street promenading, and fashionable folly, are substituted by many of them, for plain modesty, and kitchen exercise. They are permitted by their kind, indulgent mothers, to lounge upon the sofa in the calm close parlor during the light of day. When the invigorating rays of the sun, and the balmy air of the morning, has ceased to bless the earth, they are encouraged to link the arm of some young lord of creation, and spend the dark, dreary hours of night, in what they call recreation for health. Poor creatures! how their health improves under such unnatural treatment. How refreshing! to retire in the small hours of the night, and rise in the long hours of the day. Surely, if it is possible at all, even at the risk of bankruptcy, domestics ought to be kept in the cook-room, that daughters may enjoy such soul-destroying luxuries. God have mercy upon America's maidens who are trained in such habits of activity. Little wonder, that while the kitchen maiden is elastic, blooming and healthy, many of these fair daughters of folly and fashion are pining away with consumption and hysterical affections. It is not the industry of bacchanalian revelry, thespian exercises, or harlequin buffoonery, that we advocate; but the useful diligence of a righteous Bunyan, a benevolent Howard, and enterprising Fulton and Morse. But for such as they, many a heart would be cold as deathmany a mortal languishing in distress-and steam and electricity as things only known, but of no practical use. Arouse, ye sluggards, and behold what laurels and joys industry and the future have in store for you. Who will lightly say that fame like this "Is nothing but an empty name!" There is a charm about the names of the noble, enterprising and good, that braces the nerves, and warms the heart. And if there is a spark of true fire in our hearts, and a drop of pure blood in our veins, the very mention of the names of the industrious we have presented, should stir us into life and diligence. True worth and learning are the rewards alone of industry. Wealth cannot purchase them-titles cannot confer them. They must be acquired by personal acts-they are the result of individual diligence and excellence of character. They are not appendages outwardly hung upon us or assumed-they grow forth from the substance of the soul. They are based upon inward excellence-they are the halo, the light, the radiance of a noble spirit-they are the bloom and the fruit of a well spent life. They are the eternal substance and power which remain when wealth and vain pleasures are contemptible-when the line of ancestry is broken-when titles have dropped away-when urn, and bust, and monuments have mingled with the dust they cover-they are that which time, and death, and the still more fearful ordeal of the last judgment cannot sever from the spirit which they clothe, and honor, and crown, and bless forever. Such enduring excellencies are to be gathered by the hands of industry. They will never lavish their garlands of praise upon the sluggard, the idle puppy of fashion, nor the miserable debauchee. We must bend our energies upward, and not allow them to die in the dust, or the world will at last frown upon us. We must not crawl along upon the earth, like a despicable snail, leaving nothing in our path but the slime of sin and ruin. Whose names are wrought into our orations-whose words are counseled by the learned ?-whose characters are set up as examples of imitation ?--whose memories are revered and perpetuated?-whose pens have enriched our literature and filled our libraries?-whose tongues have proclaimed the gospel and plead our country's cause in Legislative halls?-those of the buffoon, bacchanalian, or sluggard? No, but those of the industrious, wise and good. Who has hewed down our forests? who has broken up our soil, filled our garners, built our houses, mills, factories, railroads, churches, halls, &c.? who makes our shoes, coats, hats and dresses? Not the idler, but the industrious. But some may think they have not the muscle and genius to do such things. In this you are mistaken. Are you sane? have you common sense? have you a body? then you are naturally prepared for labor and study. That is the only basis necessary for an education in science, 1857.] The Crown of Industry. 155 art and trade. The difference of persons in intellectual abilities and success in life, is caused more by their difference in industry than natur-· al endowments. Show me an idle and careless individual, and I care not how superior his talents, he will never come to much until a change takes place in his habits. Tell me of a man's habits of study, and I will judge better of his qualifications than by hearing a phrenological description of the faculties of his mind. There is nothing, we believe, that deceives persons more in this respect, than the notion, that unless they have a big head, they can never become learned. If any one desires to become a scholar, or an artist, or a tradesman, or succeed in any good thing let him go to work. Leave the measurement of brains to others, young men and ladies, and work! work! work! That is the secret of learning, prosperity and happiness. Richard Burke being found in a reverie, shortly after an extraordinary display of powers in Parliament by his brother, Edmund Burke, and questioned as to the cause, replied, "I have been wondering how Edmund has contrived to monopolize all the talents of the family; but then, again, I remember when we were at play, he was always at work." The force of this anecdote is increased by the fact that Richard Burke was considered not inferior in natural talents to his brother. Yet the one rose to greatness, while the other died comparatively obscure. Is this not the prevailing cause of a similar difference among many brothers, and in many families? While some, by industry and integrity, are making rapid success in knowledge, skill, prosperity and happiness, others are languishing in ignorance, sorrow and want. They lament, but will not act. If any of you are smothering, by indolence, a spark of honest desire in your hearts, give it vent by industry and perseverance. In the language of the Poet: "Attempt the end, and never stand the doubt, If any man wishes to be poor all his days, just let him remain idle and doubt the possibility of getting rich. If he wishes to remain ignorant and die in obscurity, just let him stand careless, and doubt his ability to become learned and eminent. If he wishes to become feeble and morbid, just let him imagine that through exertion and business he cannot become healthy and strong. If a young lady wishes to fit herself only for the follies of the night, just let her deny herself the activity of day, and doubt that she was created for something better. If she wishes to paralyze her nerves and weaken her mind, just let her live dle, and doat and weep over novels. If she wishes to get a light-minded, foppish husband, just let her never be seen in the kitchen, but always visiting, and suppose that honest young men have no brains. word, if we desire to be useful, wise, healthly, prosperous and good, we must be industrious-must be active. Idleness has damped the ardor of many a promising genius-cast a gloom of despair over the brow of many a hopeful youth, and consigned thousands to a state of disgrace and want. We conculde in the poetic language of Wordsworth: There is no remedy for time misspent, In a AMONG the young men who are floating like drift wood along our thoroughfares, apparently seeking, yet not obtaining situations, there seems to be a lack of a single quality-we mean perseverance. Without this, the young man can do nothing except become a vagabond. Almost all the young men, now out of a place, were once in the enjoy ment of one-not perhaps just such a one as they desired, but still, one which was very much better than no place at all. Their mistake, and it is one which is likely to attend them through life, is that they did not stick to their employment, or, rather, that they left that employment before they had procured something better for themselves to do. We do not counsel sticking to an avocation in which he is satisfied he never can succeed, but we would not advise him to leave even that avocation until, after mature consideration, he is ready to step into another. A young man is seriously injured by being out of business. Every day that he is unemployed lessens his capacity to do anything when he can procure employment, and it is very well known that a young man stands ten chances to go immediately from one place to another, where he bas one chance to get a place while he is idle and unemployed. A merchant or mechanic always looks with suspicion upon an applicant for work who has been for long a time loitering about the streets. Such loiterers either manifest too much fastidiousness as to the situation which would suit them or they have not the requisite energy to procure a place. In either case they exhibit their unfitness for any good situation, and hence the difficulty, nay the almost impossibility, of their procuring one. The young man who has been long out of employment, ought to take, at once, the best place he can get, whether it exactly comes up to his notions or not. If it produces no other advantages, he will have something to do, and get accustomed to work. Thereby when a better situation offers, he will be capable of taking it. But after months of idleness, he cannot be said to be qualified for any situation at all. He must commence his business life anew, and perhaps at the lowest round of the ladder. The sooner he determines to do this the better it will be for him, for every day idleness is decreasing his capacity, and by and by, when his already prostrated power is further diminished, he will find himself obliged to follow our advice at last. Therefore, let us conjure him to begin now. He can do it easier now than at any future time, and if he will but commence and persevere he will surely overcome the habits of idleness, and make himself useful and respected. When we cast our eyes over our cities, and note the men who have 1857.] Spare the Birds. 157 accumulated fortunes, we find them almost invariably to be of those who commenced life with small pecuniary capital, but who, by sedulous attention to one kind of business, have compelled fortune to yield to their demands. The kind of business does not seem to have had much effect upon the fortunes of those who have been successful. No matter how unpromising their business may have appeared to others, or even to themselves, at first, all that was needed was perseverance against every obstacle, and a determination to make money, and finally they made a business almost from nothing, became wealthy, and are now enjoying the reward of their industry and perseverance. Let no young man tell us that the days are past when fortunes can be amassed by a regular business perseveringly attended to. We could point out individuals who, by attention to business which ten years ago was thought Quixotic, are now in possession of a competence, and will certainly be wealthy men. Any young man may get into this class if he will. He has only to undertake any thing for which nature and education have fitted him, and having done this, to stick to it, to the exclusion of every thing else. His gains may be slow at the outset, and his prospects be, at times, discouraging; but let him persevere, and he will find that the gains of each year will increase upon those of its predecessor, until middle age will find him possessed of a competence, and his declining years will enrol him among the wealthy. SPARE THE BIRDS. Boys, let the birds alone! Watch them, study them, love them, and protect them, but do not seek amusement in slaughtering these beautiful tenants of the groves. Do you ask why? Because They have a right to live. He who created these joyous birds, and without whose notice a sparrow falls not to the ground, doubtless made them to live and to enjoy life-not to be ruthlessly torn to pieces by powder and shot, for the amusement of idle boys. Alive, they contribute largely to the general stock of happiness; but dead, they are of no use to any body. By their gay plumage, their elegant forms, their graceful flights, their sociable chirpings, and their sweet songs, they fill the woods and fields with gladness, and make the solitary places rejoice. What would Summer be, were there no birds. They are entitled to protection, on the score of their usefulness. The occasional depredations they make on the farmer's fields are merest peccadilloes, compared with the untiring service they render in the destraction of noxious insects. It is estimated that one swallow will destroy nine hundred insects in one day. The alarming increase of the insect plagues, of late years, calls loudly for the protection of the birds. The shooting of harmless little birds is a cruel, hardening and despicable amusement. It is doubly mean when followed early in the Summer, before, or during the breeding season. It is a dangerous amusement. It has been said, by one who has paid much attention to the subject, that "more persons fall, by their own hand, and by the hand of their sporting companions, while engaged in this wicked and cruel sport, than are executed for murder, or than fall beneath the bolts of the lightning or the thunder." |