Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-03-16

fGlrSeJa shado7r, cyther, scoTn q men.
SoPHOCLES.
There scarcely is in the whole Catalogue Of
human frailues, enc of more pernlclous conse-
Guences, OF harder to be cured, than lnvcte-
rate Incidence. 1t stagnatcs the fountain OF
lie, and renders useless all the gifts OF nature
What signifies it that one has hands, II he IL
too lazy to help himself with them? Or what
signifies it that one has taleEts, if he lets them
liz encrusted and buried under the rust OF
sloth Health & strength OF body, learning
and parts, the best eiilowments OF nature, an
swcr 10 purpose without application. What
though the sIHs,gsrd has fed, it yields him
no bread, being all grown over with thorns.
What though he has trade CT any occupation,
while negiecting his business, Or yawnng O.
YER it, his customers leave him, his atlalrs go
to ruin, aud wEile he is yet folding up his
hands for little more sleep, the creditor
comes, and his drowsy eyes are opened at last
to behold ghastly spectres, poverty and Jail.
AS there are no difficulties which resolution
will not surnount, no circumstances which
industry and prudence will not improve there
Is, on the contrary, TO state of man but lido.
lence will impair and mar it. AS labour braces
the body, helps 1t to carry on the natural and
necessary secretions, and promotes its health
inaction, on the other hand, suffers all parts Of
the body to fail into relaxation il it does not
wear the body out, it rusts it out AS indus
try tends to contentmen; and self-e0ioyment,'
Incidence tends to lassitude, peevishness, all
oppressive sense of the weight Of time and an
habituai loathing Of ones own existence. AS
industry is shield to morals, incidence or l.
dIeness is the nurse of vice; engendering and
fostering irregular propensities, and laying
one open and exposed to every temptation.
1t is difficult to be idle and innocent.
Miserable is the condition, and pititul are
the ehioyments ct such as have nothing to do;
no kind irregular employment either tor their
hands or for their minds. If poor they have
but dogs life, hunger and slcth- Nrich and
luxurious, they are objects rather ofpity, than
of envy. Pleasures themselves by their null
tiplcity ard perpetual repetition, produce sa-
tiety and disgust. Delicious food they have
in abundance, bu: no keen appetite. The poor
laborcr (for nothing whets the appetite like
exercise) relishes his coarse morsel tar better
than they do their rich dainties. The great
soother of weary mortals, sound and quiet
sleep, is denied them. The sleepoi thelaboring
lNul Is SWcct, DuL lifC INV enlu SoPS Si"iiy
those who are both idle and luxurious, turn
and turn and turn upon their beds, seeking in
vain the balmy repose which exercise and
alone can give. Time itself /
hangs perpetually as heavy burden upon
them, and grooming under its intolersble pres
sure, they devise all possible means and ex-
pedients Except the right one) to tighten 1t.
Nothing can more strongly evinee their want
Of self-enjoyment, and the burden OF even
their own existence, than the common phrase
with them, any thins hass azyay the time.
Such are the penalties Of ioIeness -Provi- !
tlence has so ordered it, that life ofiadoiencc
should be productive of inconyenencles AID
wretchedness ard that contentment and
happiness can be found only IN the dillgent
and useful employment at our faculties. For
which reason it is one of the most important
points in education. to keep children from
Idleness and to bring them up to industry.
To learn them to be 81 moi slotLful in busi-
ness" to be diligent, temperate, frugal pru-
Cent, is, Of itself, better than fortune with !