Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-08-01
"Do what thy Hand Findeth "

There are two kinds Of men, those who do
! faithfully what they find to their hand
and those who idle away life, pretending
that what offers is beneath them. SYDNEY
Smith, the wit, is an example of the FIRST, az
| Haydn, the artist, is Of the last Both had
ordinary advantages in the outset, both had
| considerable ability, both lived through near
| ~ Two generations. both were Englishmen, and
| oOtn moved in the Same society. Nor was the
| profession Of either such as 10 give him any
| superior chances OF success. Yet Sydney
| omltn died in bed, after a life Of more th an
average felicity, while Haydn perished by his
own nsnas after long years Of poverty, suffer
Nor was ever the great truth, that "as a
man soweth SO shall he reap" more strikingly
/ exemplihed than in poor Haydu's beegsry
and suicide. With sufficient merit 10 have
earned a decent competence in more than one
branch of his profession, he haughtily refused
70 work on any pictures except such as be-
longed to what be called bis art. He consid.
| cred himself insulted if asked to paint a por-
trait, sneered at Wilkie for the latter "Biind
Fiddler" spoke contemptuously Of Landseer
for painting dogs, and declared that IL he
could not exercise genius On heroic themes If
he could not delineste a Belsarius or a Corio-
lanus, and cover half an acre Of canvas, be
would starve. And stsrve he did, for the sim
pie reason that neither had be ability TO paint
such pictures nor did buyers want them.
If Haydn had starved alone, his folly had
been less. But he had a family who suffered
incessant privations as the result of his obstis
macy. A man first duty in this world is 20 his
wife and children; if he can earn them food,
be has no right 70 leave them to beg Nor
was this all. Often, in order TO escape baiIiffs
for the time, Haydn would borrow money
which he knew he could not return; and the
day after he left the sponging house he would
begin again the old career, which be was we'll
aware must lead to similar catastrophes. He
sneered at painting portraits, but did not
scorn petty acts of dishonor. He said il was
beneath him to stoop from "high art" but IL
was not beneath him at last to cheat.
This is strong language, but when a man
who might pay his debts refuses TO do 80 on the
plea that he will not condescend TO unpleasant
work, he acts like a rascal, no matter in what
eloquent phases he disguises his conduct, no
matter how successful he may have PLAYED
the sophist with his conscience. If all men
emulated such examples, the world would
soon be merely den Of scoundrels If every
person acted on Haydn's doctrine, and shirk-
ed such labor as was not agreeable, few Of us.
we fear, weuid come honestly by our bread
and butter. 1t is by the "sweat of the brow"
not by play, that men must earn their sub
sistence
Sydney Smith was the very opposite Of
Haydn. In early life he was an ukbenenced
he supported himself by teaching; and hav-
ing been, al last, appointed to a rectorship,
he gave up the brilliant society of London,
and buried himself in an obscure Yorkshire
village. As he did this, from a sense of duty,
so be did manfully all other duties; never
seeking the excuse that they were too petty,
too laborious, or too far beneath his genius.
Celebrated for his wit, he sought to be as ia
NOUS for his common sense; the delight of cul-
tivated circles, he did not ssorn to talk on
equal terms with the most rustic Of his par
ishiOners; stinted in his means, he wasted no
time in idle regrets, but brayely narrowed
his desires within the limits Of bis income.
In word, whatever his hand found TO do.
that he did. Gradually, as a just reward. as
the prize earned by his self-denisI, success
came TO him. And now that he is dead, and
his life is known, in its smallest details, it is
rather for his manly discharge of duty than
even for his wit, that Sydney Smith will bs
remembered.