The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-04-17
FLOODING.

"Laborious diligence" is one
of the definitions, and a grand
one too, which is given by Web.
ster to that homely and much
dcspised word called plodding.
ITO travel, with steady, laborious
diligence" along the great high
way of life, thronged with travel
ers of all ranks and occupations,
each more or less intent on his
labor, and all intermingled with
an army of idlers, or seekers OF
pleasure, having no sympathy
with the real workers, is the lot OF
the earnest toiler, who, to what
ever talent or genius he may pos
sess, must add unWearied dill
gence to make success a certain
ty.
n willingness to plod is not one
of the virtues of the American
people, however largely the fore
fathers may have possessed it.
There is rather an unmistakable
disposition to look down on men
and things OF so-called plodding
nature, as if there was something
mean and contemplate in the
word itself. And in proportion
as plodding or laborious dill
gence is pushed to the rear,
smartness and cleverness are
brought To- the front, and held up
for the admiration of children
and youth, to the disparagement
of labor as well as n contempt for
solidity. 1t is no use to disguise
or deny the fact that such n
course has had much to do with
the increasing disposition to de-
spise the day of small things, to
view with disgust homely, useful
trades, and slowly and honestly
acquired fortunes, and to choose
easy, glittering notoriety before
hard, well-earned fame.
1t is hardly fair, considering
the examples and models which
the elders have OF late placed be-
fore the youth, to charge them
with having gon astray; it is not
all their fault that they now icom-
plain so loudly against beginning
at the first round of the ladder in
their ascent to a commanding po-
sition, or honorable fortune. 1t
is true in these days, as a rule,
that the children want to begin
where the father left off; and it is
also true that the fathers are only
too glad and willing to have them
do it. Thus they are thought
lcssly robbed of the toll and
pleasure of acquisition, which,
the most successful always de-
clare, exceeds the pleasure of pos
session. And in its place they
are told of smart people, and clev-
or people, until in their immature
minds: trickery and dishonesty
seem to be rearly the same as
smartness and cleverness.
Il want plenty of money to be-
gin business with,' insisted Clar-
ence the other day. "Well," I
said, "you are young, why don't
you strike out and rough it
awhile in some of the new and
and growing places? SIN a few
years you might be independent"
Il don't want to rough it," said
Clarence. He wanted to he on
the top. of the ladder at once,
without the trouble of taking one
round at time, and with the ex-
amples around him, felt himself
justified. What would "Poor
Richard think of us, if he could
appear to deliver q lecture on in
dustry and economy? There is
no doubt he would be the target
for many a haunting jeer from
young and old; and yet he was, at
least once, considered the Ameri-
can philosopher who believed in
taking time, to save time.
AS 4 corrective to the impa-
thence which reigns, who among
teachers and parents are willing
to assume the pleasant task of
telling the young what splendid
plodding has been done in the
world? That in fact there always
exists the necessity of relying on
the continuous efforG of Flooding
force, to do what flashing, hrilli-
ant uncertainty can not be relied
on to do. And instead of giving
them so many examples of clever
ness and shallow smartness, tell
them what world of homely sub
Unity there is in laborious
diligence that stops to little
things, that does the same task
over and over until patient labor
ends in perfect skill. It is better
that they should know.at the start
that all labor tending to perman-
ency has in it of necessity what,
for want Of 4 more expressive
definition, we call plodding.
What dullncss and stupidity are
by some spoken of in connection
with plodding we caEnot see.
Placing them together thousand
times will not cause them to- be
related to each other: but dull
ness and stupidity are closely re-
lated. Innocent dullness can not
act, obstinate stupidity. will not,
but totally unlike either, noble,
splendid plodding, ''laborious dill
igence" can, will, and does act,
and all along down the ages, we
have tho proof of it. Look at sta
BILE Germany, who has been twit-
ted from time immemorial with
the taunt of dizziness and stupidi-
ty, when she has only been an
active plodder, and has abundant
proof to show of her labors. And
then look at sprightly France
brilliant as a meteor, uncertain as
the orbit of a comet, with plenty
of cleverness, agility, and-shal
lowness.
Perhaps nothing of mans me
chanical labors in the past i'm
press us like the diligence neces-
sary for its execution. The long,
plodding labor which built up the
pyramids, strikes us at times even
more than their vastness of their
antiquity. If We turn to the la
Dor of his head and heart, it is
yet more impressive; for the long,
persistent waiting is, to a certain
extent, equal in value to the thing
accomplished; at least SO it seems
when we consider the tedious
years of patient waiting and pa
tient faith that is needed to sus-
tain the worlds great workers
thinkers, builders, inventors, ar.
lists and all, while they perform
labor which the ancients would
have given the gods credit for
They all had genius, truly, but FOL
all that they were dilligent plod
ding in etherealized plodding.-
Central Advocate.