The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-01-28
,pnlsixa hapghtiRess. eoarsely. and xnds'

mility may abide with the purple,i if the
heart beat in unison with the great,
suffering heart OF universal humanity.
The fault Of our age is Q tendency
to extremes. even in great and good
reforms. The wealthy believe them
selves exempted from labor by reason
of their well-6lled Golfers, that preclude
the necessity of toll. They look upon
it only from its material and toughest
side; they give no thought to its
healthful activity; its productive en-
ergy; its brain-inspiring power; when
used in moderation and with Ideal aim.
They think only of roughened hands
and weary limbs, Of CRIME, and dirt,
and unpresentable appearance and
SO not only discard all labor that calls
for the use of the hands, but effect to
despise it as something ] W and vulgar.
On the other hand, the workingman
claims that he looks with supreme con-
tempt on the super re6nements of fash
ionable life and polite society. All
right, my friend, if you mean ceremony.
mere etquette.th bowings and scrap
ings, the vapid talk of the ballroom.
But true refinement should abide in the
breast of every man and woman, and
find visible expression, in cleanliness
of the strictest ord en-, in touches OF
beauty and grace about the humblest
home. An unexpected floor may be
''neat as wax !" the window may be
draped with commonest muslin, pure
and white. A single growing plant
give evidence of poetic taste cal
leo dress have a queenly fit in the
simple elegance of the wearer; table
linen may be spotless, and the common
ware upon it bright in its keeping
The woman can cultivate ''the soft
low voice." the gentle manner; the
man can be,if he will, the hearty ,cour'
teoas, refined, and agreeable gentleman
who uses no profsne word no slang
no uncouthness of speech, or action
Because you WELD the hammer or driv,
the plough, shall you be excelled il
natural good breeding by yonder per-
fumed, lazy-moving donkey II mean
to say dandy.) In all the essentials 0
manhood You are his superior be hi
equal in trss politeness, that is the of
spring of . benevolent heart and /,
clear intellect
Because you sew for a livelood, o.
wash, or do anght honorable to yoursel
and useful to the community you liv'
in, shall you cultivate no graces of th'
mindf give no attention to yonr choici
of language, your manner at hoDi,
and sbroadr How often has the ex
preston panied me: "We are only
poor folks, anything is good enough
for us r.
False humility and sad loss OF hu
man dignity If you make use of the
royal bounties of the heavens and the
earth, the skies. and the bene6ee6
4..~nAiae-Ahat flows from the afeamfu
s,ot e .ssE 4 spar hsg water, and tn,
= ~ al. Il:aA.. ~ o&..,
orers, maintain on even In Your city homes
how dare you accept SO freely the best
gifts of God, yet Shink and speak &C
meanly of yourselves? Can ought b,
higher, nobler, than a human and i'm
mortal soul?
And because there is nothing higher
that God has called into being,i it is oul
duty to cultivate every fac atty; ele-
vate every aspiration improve every
opportunity for advancement There
should be no monopoly of the gracet
of life; no prerOgatives Of culture the
thirst for knowledge should ennob all;
the search for wisdom be the effor
OF eact one.
All labor has upon it the Divine
blessing when it is performed in The
right spirit. There are no mental task
when love dictates that we serve one
another in the manner we are best fit
ted for. 1t is the fretful, repining, dis
contented mind that makes a curse Of
healthtul, necessary work :; the slower
and the ecold make of housekeeping
drudgery. The ::envious man has al
his tools 60 wrong; and bad temper
sOurs the prospect of the fairest day,
and the most useful toll.
Of all the hard work in the world,
nothing to do % the hardest The suspi-
ciOn that engendersj Jealousy, the brood
ing evil thoughts that come with idle
ness; the promptings of ILL will, can
not sffiict the man who Iovcs hts Lcbor
the woman sweeuy content with her
allotted place in life.
1t is just as necessary to human hap
piness to know how to do the rough
work OF the world, as it is to chiseI
grand Ideals from the marble, and
paint the realities of nature. He il
the artist who does his work vel, what
ever it be; who consecrated to human
ity with loving thought for others
who does his best always, yet strives
after more perfection. She is refined
in heart, who with artistic eye oranges
her food invitingly; a coarse, unaspir-
ing, needless person, for whom blue
skies and sunshine beam in vain, can
never cook a palstable dinner, and
render it attractive TO the eye and
taste. Many homes Of wealth lack the
expression of good taste; many a mar
row cottage is the realization of a pO-
cts dream. Attention to the smallest
requirements OF lite. is as essential as
the care bestowed upon the greatest,
as far as happiness is involved. To
speak kindly, deal gently with the low
ing ones at home; 10 give a constant
good example, and that chiefly by dig
nitying ones labor is as true q royal
emmence as ever was held by human