Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1871-05-30
Nothing to Do"

Rev. j. f. W. Ware, of Baltimore. pastor
of the "ChUrch of the Saviour" in the Ma
sonic Temple, delivered on Sunday last, a dis
course on Nothing TO do, and the .SaA gives
US the following condensed report Of his re-
marks:
His text was from Goth Matthew, 7th verse:
"All the day idle" The reverend speaker
said nothing to wear aud nothing to read had
been treated of. y worse nothing than either
IS nothing to do. 1t touches u lower moral
deep and betrays graver moral want.
The immense amount of aimless living, of
nothing-'O O-doishness, which characterizes
whole classes Of this, of every large COM
munity, bad as it is for the individual, is worse
for the community. The negro is not the
only initiative animal Example desceuds-
1T the mistress shows she has nothing to do,
why wonder that the maid does nothing
Isn't 1t n something fearful when you think
OF the numbers who have no aim in life but
TO get through so mauy days aud nights p
What milestone some people contrivc to hang
about their necks and call it life? How do
they con'rivc not to be worn out with disgust
at their own society? Endowed with every
thing God ever puts into a man, and the world
PIning for workers in every conceivable field,
aud hey-noihing to do; men, magnificent in
taIlors goods, aud women superb in all that
q
cite, over a novel, in elegan; fripperies. or
yawninS aud longing for the next ex excitement,
and beside, Uo,hing TO do! Stars have some.
thing TO dO-atoms. dust, but these poor crea
lures nothing! On how many faces you may
read iOr rent, or for sale, inquire within Of
ferInEa vacancy to any occupant. No wonder
n wandering Satan takes up so many of these
empty abodes. There is not bigger lie that
much lying animal mau can tell than To saw
lie has nothing TO do. There is no possible
ability for which God has not demand. for
which man does not want and suffer. War
has its excmpts but not duty. The cry of
nothing TO do never comes from an earnes,
man. sturdy boy will not suffer it. The
world we live in is full of demand. Spring.
ing upon US everywhere there is mission
ground before every soul. There are great
Impending dangers whose gloomy shadow ad.
vance stealthily and sOlidly upon us There
are private sins ripening into public imm,rali-
tics, class wants and wrongs, social evils abuses
tyrannics, needing grave thoughts and brave
work. These are TO be met only hy the honest
doing OF individual, honest souls. by the coun-
teractant force Of well combined atoms. by
each mans feeling he has something to do,
some word To- say, some stand to take.
An idle life Is as dempralzing to a woman
as to man. There is no grusser self -huess
than the lite OF the woman who has nothing
to do D"wageIs magnificent in poudIes,
misses munIfecut in smiles the whole rout Of
the almIess are busy at the devils loom weav-
ing the mesh that Is to bind their own souls
IN with the growing depraviies which their
Incidence fosters. The city is full Of things
only women can do, waiting, piniug for them.
No man or woman can be held ruiltle.s
who stands through lie idle, under the plea
of nothing TO do. For all there is Just so
much as by best effort they can do. Duty,
ike God, is never far away.