, 1874-02-21
THE LABORER'S HIRE
Something More than Koney-PaymeRt Duo
to tho Jealous Worker.
The Wages of Gratitude for the
Gift of Endeavor.

To the Editor Of The Chicago Tribune:
SIR: That the laborer III worthy Of his hire
in money. no ono disputes. II you agree to
give . man so much, and he does the work for
which you haYo contracted, you generally pay
his bill without too much demur. But there is
more THANH the mere money-payment OF which
the laborer ia worthy, and that is
RECOGNITION OF HIS DESIRE TO DO wELI,-
thanks for the goodwill with which ho has
workad,-the wages of gratitude for the gift Of
cndeavor. and these arc just the wages which
are seldom, il ever, paid. Yet it is amaz-
Of human Kindness, puts into mans
work. It is like soul to the body,-lko life
brenthed into brute matter. It warns the work.
cr as nothing else can, and makes heavy burdens
light and thorpy paths easy.
Unfortunately, praise is not 30 frequent aB
blamo- People will attack And abuse vigorously
enough, but they will not commend an effort;
and, while they let nothing pass that displeases
them. live ns if dead and dumb to all that
ought to win regard. Every manifestation Of
virtue ia to them only what We have to expect
from all men, and doing one's duty is q matter
Of course, and not to be commended, because Of
course. Service, though the moat loving, ia d
LQkuE DoQbuk auN pAAA Iva oAA "AoeA
Won, their seryitor, have performed your
with theirs. You have no more to say.
Any extra percentage of gratitude does not enter
into their calculations and
"Ir WAS ONLY Ills DUTY
is the limitation to all they might be supposed to
feel.
Now, + contend that all service done with zeal
and heart ought to be repaid With gratitude and
recognition, extra the moncy-WagcB; and that
no service iB too email, and no server too mean,
to be 60 repaid, given the conditions.
Tho spirit in which thing is done enters into
and transforms the most insignificant act; and
the very ehopman who measures of yard OF
ribbon can make hia obligatory work personal
kindness by tho pains he takes to pleasc, and the
wish he has to treat you vol.
Another man. who just docs what he is obliged
to do, and no more, is like ono of those sinners
who keep promise to the ear and break it to
tho hope, who obey the letter of tho Command
ments and disobey the spirit OF the Gospel.
You have nothing to bring against him. but you
know that his service is grudgingly renderad,
aud that 1e is only solicitous to tho least he
may You cry quits with him when you lay
down your money, and you feel that you have
paid him
ALL YOU owE,-
your bargain having been q material affair
throughout--a g1udgips one.
Having found by experience that no extra en-
deavor secures even 30 much as q talDt recoG-
milton, the man to whom praise is dear
steels himself against What Le has learnt to call
the weakness Of giving himself trouble for any
body, and henceforth resolves to give the least
and exact the most within bis power. Wrong IL
always reflex, and no fault can be committed
which has not it's offspring and exaggerated
result.
Recognition Of endaayor is the most potent
OF all tie influences which the superior can e1-
erciso over the inferior Desire OF praise IL
stronger than dread OF blanc in healthy minds,
and love is an acsive and living power, where
Children will do more, and forbear
moro. to be caressed and applauded
for their good behavior, than they will for fear
they may be punished and scolded for their bad.
The appreciation. the love, the careeses, OF the
parents, rouse al that is best in them; their
hearts arc warmed. their conscienccs satisfied,
their ambition fulfilled: while constant reproof,
if it does not break their spirit, tends to harden
and make them robelGous and defying, Nature
giving the instinct OF resistance as well as tho
Impulse of obedience. OF course there must bo
reproof and punishment, too, at times; but
free use Of
GENEROUS RECOGNITION,
and rs much care taken that no endeayor to do
right SHALL pass uurawarded, as that no wrong
doing shall pass unrebuked, will do mora to Sc
cure both happiness and yirtuo than any other
means ne know Of.
How well one can read the signs Of q houso-
| hold that is ruled by love, and kept up to tho
mark by recognition aud encouragement! There
il moral oxygen spiritual sunshine, in the whole
| atmosphere and souls are stimulated, not re-
ressed,-heartenet up and not bounded down.
The children are free and uuconstralned, and de-
void Of that craven terror so painful to see in
the weaker; the servants move easily, speak
| naturally and look as if they arc ut homc,-that
is, in pace where they arc loved, made much OF.
| and the good thnt is in them recognized. There
| of encouragement; and tho vice Of fault-hnd-
| ing for its own eako is not known. Every ono
| has room to grow, power to expand and this
careful mixture Of the good and the noble OF IT.
| sell atrophies evil tendencies, as the vigorous
| growth OF forcst-t1ees chokes out forever the
pc7uicious weeds which in the beginning might
! have choked them.
Almost all the best things in life have been
| done by
LOVE EXTRA TO LAW;
but it will be profitable return
! bare money-payment for tho grace
We ourselves give beyond the strict covenant.
| Grant that we arc but Improbable servants at
amount OF any unprodtableness counts some-
thing in our favor. and deserves to be scored to
| the good for us. Bnt Home people arc SO des-
| perate1y afraid OF spelling those who work for
| them, they keep off all commendation as . weak
| ness. danger, if not sin. They. think that
every word Of praise will be used against
| them as basis for e1acting better terms;
| and, the lower they can beat you down III your
own sef-estecm, the more good they imagine
themselves to be. They maintain that praise
| makes people presnmptuous and conceited, and
they make no distinction between. injudicious
| dattery-praise given where there has been no
effort consequently no merit--and that appro-
baton which is the hearty recognition OF doslre
| to do we'll, These people, therefore,
GET ONLY WHAT TuET BARGAIN FOB;
tho strict letter OF the law is kept but no wide
Interpretation given beyond; the stipu--
lated work il done; the hours agreed
on are honestly employed; but OF all
those little extra touches which give that value
| which love alone can give to work, there'is not
| ono: and if another haif-hour would render
perfect what is now only pnssab1e, it is not
| given. -,
WHY should they, the workers, toll begond
| their terms Of their covenant,-they think
when no effort will be recognized, and all extra
| vii te taken IS SO much due aud in tho bond?
| Human nature has need Of praise and love: It
and the tesn nGan rF1e
hsps it ought to be; but We have
to deal with the world as We find it, and make
- -. - at hand and il 4trikh8