Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-11-28

TO YOUNG MEN WHO ARE AFRAID or WORK
ING THEMSELVES TO DEATH.
lBIrlngtoa Hawkeyel

Burlington Ilawkeye.l
And then remember, my son, Won have
to work. Whether you handle a pick or
pen, Il wheelbarrow or a set Of books,
digging bitches or editing paper, ring
/ ing an auction bell or writing funny
things, you must work. II you will look
around you, You will see that the men
who are most able 10 work are the men
who work the hardest Don't be afraid
of killing yourself with overwork, son.
1t is beyond your power to do that
Men cannot do that on the sunny side Of
thirty. They die sometimes, but it's be-
cause they quit work at & p. m, and
don't get home tile a, m. It's the inter-
walls that XII my son. The work gives
solidity to your slumber, it gives YOU
perfect and grateful appreciation OF
holiday. There are young mon who do
Il living H. Eu:EIa. the end Of cane
whose entire mental development is in
sufficient to tell them which side Of
postage stamp to lick Young men who
can tie necktie in eleven different knots,
and never lay wrinkle i'll it, and then
would get into q West Hill street car to
money in day than You can earn in
month. son. and who will go 10 the
sheriff's to buy postal card and then ap-
ply at the Office OF the street commits
sioner for marriage license. But the
world is not proud of them, son. 1t does
not know their name, even; II simply
speaks of them as old So-and-so's boys. No
body likes them nobody hates them the
4 1
are there, and ut the great day of resur-
rection il they do not appear at the sound
of the trumpet, and they certainly will
not, unless some one tells them what it is
for and what to do, don't think Gabriel
will mss them or notice their absence.
and they will not be sent for or disturbed.
Things Will go on Just rs well without
them. So find out what YOU want TO be
and to do, son, and take off your coat and
make dust in the world. The buster
you are the less deviltry you will be apt |
to get into, the sweeter will beyour sleep, |
the brighter and happier your holidays, |
and the better satisfied will be with Won. |
No, my son, the world does not owe
you a living. The world does not need |
you yet-you need the world If you can
convince the world that you ara neces-
sary to its well-being, its happiness, its
pleasure, its moral existence, then the |
world will begin to claim you and make |
room fcr You in the body pews with the
softest cushions and the easiest footstool |
But don't fall into the common error Of |
supposing the world owes you living.
1t Doesn't owe you anything of the kind.
The world isn't responsible for your be-
ing II didn't send foryou, il neverasked
you to come here, and in no sense is it
obliged TO support you now that you are
here Your living is here-a good, cont
Portable living. Plenty to eat, plenty To
wear, an abundance of good, healthful,
hard w0Ik, ripples oflaughicr and sprink-
les of tears, hours Of happiness and mo-
ments Of hcartachc, days of labor and
nights of rest, duties TO be performed
and rewards to he won; it ID all here,
n-dlsapp0intments. struggles, sue
cesscs and honors, but the world dosn't
owe yen one of them; not one. You
can't collect your living rs you would
debt by simply presenting your bill, or
giving your lawyer the account to sue.
You have 10 work for it, son, and work
like Trojan, too. When YOU hear
man say the world owes him living and
he is going TO have it, make up your
mind that he Is just making himself
good excuse for stealing II living. The
world dosnt owe any man anything, son.
1t will give you anything You earn, and
Won just look out over the world and
know that all the plumber you can gather
in by honest work is yours, and no more
If you can't get any, why, none OF it's
yours, and if you can reach out ami carry
away ten times rs much as your neighbor,
why that is all yours, and he has no night
to wait and whine over his bad luck and
want to divide. And, my son, in all hu-
man probability, You will not want to
divide. | hope you may, but its very
likely you won't