The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1855-07-19

this poor sin-cursed world is afflicted,
there is, perhaps, none so prolific Of evil
as is that of idleness. Of tho numerous
truths penncd by DR.. Watts, he never,
perhaps, gave utterance to truer one
than that
"The devil finds some mischief still,
| For idle hands to do"
Indeed, SO fruitful of mischief is this
vice, that we can scarcely accord to it
the appellation Of a negative sin. 1t
might more properly be designated as
the father of vices. Idleness," says
an old writer, is the devils workshop
The human mind is so constituted
that it must be busted about something
and if it be not directed to some good
object, it will vent its energies in evil ;
and yet it would seem as though man
was about the only animal that claims
the immunity Of freedom from the
cares of self-providencc. Nearly all
other created beings labor each to make
provision for its own necessities. But
man seeks to shift this responsibility
from his own shoulders to those of his
less fortunate brother.
When we look into ancient history,
both sacred and profane, we find almost
all other vices and immoralities spring
ing from this fruitful source. 1t would
seem that our first parents in paradise,
being disengaged for a short period of
time, Immediately began to receive
propositions of service from the Old Ser
pent, which, most unfortunately for the
descendants, they accepted; and from
that day to this, it has been considered
pretty conclusive evidence, that if a
man is doing nothing else, he is serving
the same master.
Idleness was the first cause Of thc
: downfall of the school of arts and sciences
9 and the Mistress of the world. Industr,
! and energy betat power and luxuries
: power demanded exemption from labor
is which but produced its necessary result
: cffeminacy and degeneracy; making
9 { once powerful nation an easy prey t
=, the barbarian hordes of northern Eu
! rope.
Taking the worlds past experienc
as criterion from which to JUDI dge,
i may not be altogether an uninterestin
n question for us in this present day, t
v inquire, What shall be the result Of tina
). blight which is Enthusiastically gnawin
r the vitals of our whilom glorious repub
$ lic' Let US look back few years t
that time when our fathers and mother
landed on Plymouth's barren rock
What hardships and privations wer
. theirs And yet how bravely-ho,
}, gloriously they overcame them. Wit
D pious hearts-with minds accustomed t
st plan, and strong hands to execute, the
e soon caused the wilderness, and tn
a = solitary place, to be glad for them i; an
- the desert to rejoice, and blossom as th
rose' But are we, their descendant
making proper improvement of the
n a invaluable privileges to US bequeathed
j. We fear not Already is the tyral
er Incidence weaving around us tho
Cd chains which, if not soon broken, sha
81 bind US down to degradation and miser
Not like other vices, are we lead by hi
into by-paths, but he is content wi
singing in our ears the siren song Of eas
,;s M His touch is like the torpedo, paralyzir
it the strong man, and withering all til
% come within his influence. Who h
On not read Atkins truthful picture of Il
u' fate of his miserable captives, who st
turn their faces toward the bright 20
in the distance, and hope some day
il arrive there but, alas the grou1
Sc seems to slide insensibly beneath the
feet, before they suspect they ha
changed their places, until a melancho
ce languor changes their once placid cou
81. tenancs to deeper and deeper gloo,
~ as they glide down the stream of insi
~ nifcance-a dark sluggish water, viii
is curled by no breeze, and enliven
in by no murmur, till it falls into de-
lr- sea, where startled passengers are ava
90 ened by a shock, and the next nome