Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-10-05
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ess .f1A Busy Idlers. ss & 81
Some of those who seem the busi-
est mon ara IN fact the worst of oilers.
Take the political idler. always posted
up with the latest news from Wash
inpton. his busy brain ever specuIa-
tine as to all possible results of a nom
ination or an election. magnifying and
comb;n;nu the I;ohtest breath of a ru-
NOR into everv form Of party falsehood.
His thoughts travel swifter than mag
nef;c telegrapb and he Is alvavs bu3-
rying off from one caucus to another,
with hardly time TO vhisper the latest
-i,,tell;oence into the ear Of a friend as
he passes He wipes the prespiration
from his forehead with one hand. as he
takes you by the button hole with the
other, being at once the busiest man
and the greatest ;dler Won shall meet
in any street in the CITY.
/, Then there Is the professional idler:
the student who ats in his Office All
day long, with the books Of his pro-
fession oDsn before him. turning over
the papers. while thousand thoughts
pass through his brain, vet ignorant Of
The frst principles of his profession.
and hardly acquainted with the con-
tents of the last page he had read.
There are. too. certain who would
be literary ladies' of this class. who
botan,ze far enough to understand the
language Of flowers, and study history
indefatirable through Walter SCOTS
novels. and cultivate imagination
through Bulwer. and study character
by the e aid of Thackeray and Dickens;
Who attend overv l;,ersyv and sc;en.
,;sc ,scsrrs v;,b donbls sya and enera
gissses. heinz i;ls ali o,ber Eterarv
nersons shorf.sigbted throuoh much
rsad;rc -
Then there is the moral and rel;g.
ions idler "workinc not at ALI but n
busy bodv" He 3 present AZ everv
possible religious meeting, knows the
name and niace of every u n in The
city. and can tell YOU The popular es-
timation in which each is held. He Is
every Temperance Anti.Slayery and
Moral Reform meeting. He has a
kind ofomniure sence at the time of tlIe
spr;ny Arniversar;es. he Is nos,ed mn
as to The controversies of Missionsry
and Bible Societies. and knows more
about them than the Secretaries Yet
none appreciate his zeal He thinks
il is because he is poor. but Il Is. in
fart heca,,se. an HE zeal ;s hus . brsv
lsziness He ;s ever SOAKING nm e..
ciNment 1ust us u spungu sosEks up 3 wa
ter. ~
Now these MI seem 10 be very res
pectable and industrious people, but
what are they in reality |? Idlers.-
For what is idleness but making relax
alton the business, instead Of the re-
creation Of life ? Recreation Is good.
relaxation is necessary, and the bow,
to retain its elasticity, must be at times
unbent; but the idler is the man Who
keeps it always unbent, or bends II on
ly for show. and to unbend 1t again.
Every man. rich or poor. ought to
have some great absorbing purpose.
some active engagement. to which his
main energies are devoted. Not en-
oymcut--duty--dai duty. must be
the aim of each life. No man has a
right to live upon this fair earth, TO
breathe its fair air. 10 consume its food.
to enjoy its beauties. producing moth
ing in return. He has no right to en-
Joy its blessings ct civilization, OF So
ciety. and civil liberty. without con-
tributing earnest and self-denyIng Ia
Dor Of head, or heart, or hand TO the
welfare Of mankind. Certainly. no
man can be truly religious who makes