Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-11-30

SHIRKING.

People are frequently blamed for lazi-
ness who are only slow. No man is lazy
who is performing his duty according to
the measure of his strength. and accord
ing to the activity OF his temperament.
But people who think quickly, act quickly,
and have the mack of turning off work
rapdly-whieh depends far more upon
mental qualities of practical kind than
people are apt to suspect-lose patience
with those who are slow by reason of
feebleness, or who are phlegmatic, and
whose nerves are not large enough to
vitalize the body. We are apt also to blame
those whose minds are slow and not in
genious, as if their inefficency was de-
! liberate unfaithfulness. There is also
source of vexation in the different ideas
which people form as TO what is thorough,
neat, and satisfying, in the thousand me-
chanical details of housekeeping, or of
the management of a store, or of the
processes of farm or garden. The
sense of fitness, of order, arrangement,
and of beauty, is extremely feeble in
many natures. If an employer has an
acute sensibility in these respects, and his
workmen are very obtuse, there will be
likely to be great deal OF fault-inding
and impatience, even if it does not come
to the injustice of scolding and abusing.
But there is such thing as laZiness.
And there is kind of laziness which we
have heard called soldering. In some
circumstance it would be exceedingly
provoking. But some recent observation
of this kind of tactics has afforded us a
good deal of amusement. We are con-
vinced that some forms of laziness rise up
to the dignity of an art, and that the ex-
ercise of it, in his highest fopms, requires
no small amount of skill and experience.
We have had one expert in this business
under our eye for several days. Long,
lean, with plausible manner. he takes
hold of work in way that assures you
that you have secured available assistant.
He is voluble, and on no topic more than
upon thoroughress and efficiency For
considerable period you take him at his
word. Only by degrees and dimly does
IL subtle feeling steal in on You that he is
shirking work. At the windlass, in dig
ging u well, you begin to notice that the
work is almost wholly by the man at the
other end. In lifting stone, with all the
air of great exertion, you will, on close
inspection, see that he hardly strains
muscle, leaving nine-tenths OF the burden
to his luckless mate. In the regular work
of pick, spade and wheelbarrow, the de-
vices for shirking are infinite. He is con-
tinually thirsty, and stops to drink. He
first perceives that the water is out and
volunteers to go to the well. The jug or
bucket needs washing-there are specks
on the surface of the water requiring care
ful removal. When at length he gets
back the receptacle must be placed in the
shade, propped mp carefully and covered,
and sometimes it has to be fixed twice de-
fore it is satisfactory. Then he surveys
the trench, and takes time to consider
how best to "put in his licks." But, after
a dozen blows, he must spit on his hands,
and that is to be done deliberately. his
spade leaning against his person, that he
may carefully rub the moisture over his
palms with motion as careful as If he
were preparing an engraven plate for
tproof impression. Again he bestows a
few moments attention to work, but just
then button gives way. After little
perceiveithat his buttons have all been put
ON for the purpose of coming off, and that
they furnish an infinite number of inter-
vals / now understand why braces were
called suspenders-on account Of the sus-
pension of work required to keep them in
order.
NV strategist has all the vigilance that
should characterize a soldier. He knows
with nice accuracy the position of the
employer or the foreman. Without look
ING at YOU, he knows whether you are
looking at him. So long as your eye is
upon him, he bustles with commendable
diligence Sometimes he will perform
several unnecessary slips, or acts, to show
YOU how anxious he is for thoroughness.
Nay, he contidentially speaks with you of
the pitiable laziness of that jumping fell
low who was discharged yesterday.
This notable shirk | kept for several
days for my amusement, among other
things. He was q study in natural histo-
ry. In his presence l felt how superior
each man is in his own sphere. l had no
conception before of the ingenuity and
the versatility of genuine shirk.
At last one noon, he disappeared had
sat on the veranda, in the shaded forenoon
, watching the progress of a drain which
was to be opened from the house. | fol-
lowed him up with my eyes without inter-
mission. Whichever way he turned, l
was looking at him. He knew it, and
needed no words to tell him my opinion.
After the nooning he did not appear. Jim
who had not a lazy bone in his body, in
formed me that the fellow was seized with
a chill, and had gone home. 1t may be.
But nothing will make me believe that he
will shake long. 1t is too hard work. The
ague will find that he will dodge about
one-half the shakes.-HenrY Ward Beech
| a, no e1osr