American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-07-08
The Philosophy of Work and
Play.
A SKETCH BY MARK TWAIN.

,
affectionate dame set to work to white
wash the fence in front of the garden
The world seemed a hollow mockery to
Tom, who had planned all for that day.
and who knew that he would be the
laughing-stock of all the boys as they
came past and saw him set to work like
a" nigger." But great inspiration
burst upon him, and he went TRANQUILITY
to work. What that inspiration was
will appear from what follows. One of
the boys, Ben Rogers, comes by and
passes, eating particularly fine apple.
Tom does not see him. Ben started a
moment, and then said:
"Hi-yi! You're up stump, amt
youP'
No answer. Tom surveyed his last
touch with the eye of an artist, and then
he gave another gentle sweep, and sur
veyed the result, as before. Ben rang
ed up alongside of him. Toms mouth
watered for the apple, but he stuck to
his work. Ben said:
"Hello, old chap, you got to work,
hey?"
"Why, it's you, Ben; wasn't no.
ticing"
essay, I'm going in a-swimming,
am. Don't you wish you couldP But,
of course, you'd druther work,
wouldn't youP Course you would!''
Tom contemplated the boy a bit, and
said:
"What do you call workP'
"Why, amt that workP''
Tom resumed his whitewashing, and
answered carelessly:
swell, maybe it is and maybe it amt.
All know is, it suits Tom Sawyer"
"Oh, come, now, you don't mean to
let on that you like it?'
The brush continued to move.
"Like itP I don't see why oughtn't
to like it. Does boy get a chance to
whitewash fence every dayP"
That put the thing in a new light.
Ben stopped nibbling his apple. Tom
swept his brush daintily back and forth
stepped back to note the effect add
ed a touch here and there criticised
the effect again, Ben watching every
move, and getting more and more in
terested, more and more absorbed.
Presently he said:
essay, Tom, let me whitewash lit
tle.''
Tom considered; was about to con-
no; 1 reckon it wouldn't hardly do, Ben.
You see, Aunt Polly's awful particular
about this fence-right here on the
street, you know-but if it was the back
fence wouldn It mind, and she wouldn't.
Yes, she's awful particular about this
fence; it's got to be done careful;
reckon there amt one boy in a thou
sand, maybe two thousand, that can do
it in the way it's got to be DONE"
"No-is that SOP Oh, come now,
femme just try, only little. I'd let
you, if you was me, Tom.''
"Ben, I'd like to, honest injun; but
Aunt Polly-well, Jim wanted to do it,
but she wouldn't let him. Sid wanted
to do it, but she wouldn't let Sid. Now,
don't you see how I am fixed? If
you was to tackle this fence, and
any thing was to happen to it -
sOh, shucks; I'll be just as careful.
Now femme try. Say-I'n give you the
core of my apple"
Well, here. No, Ben; now don't;
Pm afeared-''
''I'n give you all of it!''
Tom gave up the brush with reluc-
lance in his face, but alacrity in his
heart. And while Ben worked and
sweated in the sun the retired artist sat
on barrel in the shade close by, dang
ling his legs, munched his apple, and
planned the slaughter of more inno-
cents. There was no lack of material /;
boys happened along every little while;
they came to jeer, but remained to
By the time Ben was fag-
ged out, Tom had traded the next chance |
to Billy Fisher for kite in good repair,
and when he played out Johnny Miller |
bought in for a dead rat and a string to
swing it with; and so on, and SO on,
hour after hour. And when the mid
die of the afternoon came, from being
. poor, poverty-stricken boy in
the morning, Tom was literally
rolling in wealth. He had, besides the
.hings I have mentioned, twelve mar
bles, part of jews harp, piece of
blue bottle glass to look through, a
spool cannon, a key that wouldn't I'M
ock any thing, fragment of chalk, a
glass stopper of a decanter, tin SOL
iier, couple of tadpoles, kitten with
only one eye, brass door-knob, dog
collar, but no dog, the handle of knife,
four pieces of orange peel, and dilapi-
lated window-sash. He had a nice,
good, idle time all the while, plenty of
company, and the fence had three
coats of whitewash on it. If he hadn't
run out of whitewash he would have
every boy in the village.
Tom said to himself that it was not
such hollow world after all. He had
great law of human action
without knowing it, namely, that, in
order to make a man or boy covet a
thing it is only necessary to make the
thing difficult to attain. If he had been
a great and wise philosopher, like the
writer of this book, he would now COM
prehend that work consists of whatever
a body is obliged to do. And this would |
help him to understand why construct
ing artificial flowers, or performing on
n tread-mill, is work, whilst rolling |