Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-07-14
From the Co,snectieut Gc,nans.
ON INCIDENCE.

I. s. -.
g Leern 10 assist yourself, or ycu mil ind, 4 &
I Yourself sAadow, cy1sher, seorn OF men. :
SoPNocLE.
There scarcely is in the whole catalogue
Of human trail,its enc Of more reincions
conse quepces, OF harder to be, cured, than
inveterate Incidence. 1t stagnates the foun.s
tain of life, ard reEde,s useless AL the gifts
Of nature. What signifies it that one has
hands, il he is too lazy to help himself with
them Or wha, signifies it.,hat one has Ia
Tents if he lets them lie enctusted and buri-
cd under the rust of sloth Health and
strength of body, learning and parts, the
best .ndowments OF nature, answer no pur-
pose without application. What tho the
sluggard has field, il yields him no bread,
being all grown over with shorns. What
tho he has trade, or any occupation else,
neglecting his business or yawning over it,
his customers leave him, his affairs go TO
ruin, & while he is yet folding up his hands
for little more sleep, thu creditor Genes,
and his drowssy eyes are opened at last 10
behold ghastly spectres, poverty and ajaiI.
AS there are no difficulties which resolu-
ton will not sufmount, no. circumstances
which industry and prudence will not i'm
prove there is, en- the contrary, no state
OF man but Incidence will impair and mar
it. As labor braces the body, helps it to
carry On the natural and necessary secre.
lions, ard promotes It's health: inaction, On
the other hand, suffers all parts Of the body
to fall into relaXation: if it does not zuear
the body cut, ii ,usts it out As industry
tends TO conten,ment and selfenjoymtnt,
Incidence tends 10 lassi,ude, peevishness,
an oppressive sense Of the welght of time
and a tabitual oathisg of ones own exist
ence. rs industry is shield to morals,
Incidence or idleness is tie nurse of vice;
engendesne and fostering irregular propen-
s!'ies and laying one open and exposed TO,
every temptation. Il is difficult to be idle
aDG innocent.
Miserable is the condition and pitiful are
the enjoymenIs Of such as have nothing TO
do; no kind of regular employment either
for their hands or for their minds. II poor,
they have but dogs life, hunger and slofh.
If rich and luxurious, they are OBJECTS IA.
th,r CT pity than Of envy. Pleasures them.
selves, by their multiplicity and perpetual
repetition, produce safety and disgust
Delicious food they have in abundance, bot
no keen appetite. The poor latorer (for
nothing whe,s the appetite like exercise)
relishes his coarse morsel far Better than
they dc.sbeir rich dainties. The great sooth-
er OF weary mortals, sound and quiet SLEEP,
is denied them. The sleep Of the laboring
man is sweet; but the idle, and especially
those who are both idle and luxurious, turn
and tura and turn upon their beds, seeking
in vain the balmy repose which exercise and
temperance alone can give. Time itself
hangs psrpetually as a heavy burden upon
,hem; and, grooming under its intolerable
pressure, they devise all possible means and
expedisnts kept the right ones 10 Tighten
it. Nothing can more strongly evince their
want Of self enjoyment and the burden of
even their own existence, than the common
phrase with them, any thing to- pass a7ray
the time.
Such are the pains and penalties of idle
ness. Providence has so ordert dit, tFat a
life of.indolence should be productive of in
convtniencies and wretcheeIness and that
:tontentmenf and Happiness can be found on
ly in the diligens and useful employment of
our faculties. For which reaaon it is one
OF the most important points in education,
to keep children from idltntss ard TO bring
Them Up 10 industry Tolearn them TO be !
not slothful in business" to Be dilipent,
temperate, frugal, prudent, is, of itself, bet
ter than fortune with opposite habits. For
whrn children are left TO contract habits of
idleness, whatever be the fortunes of their
parents, they are placed in the road to ruin !;
not one IN twenty OF them perhaps ever at
ter becoming industrious and useful cisi-
zens, nor knowing any better how to save