Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-03-23
The Dignity Of Labor.

The great mass Of mankind are la
borer.. The broad sweep Of that uni
ycr,al law, that IN the sweat Of our
face we shall cat our bread. laws on
the race the stern altcrnaiiyc-work
or staryc. In some lights this looks
like the law of Il hard master; and
the philosophic friend OF humanity i.
saddened at the spectacle Of wearincss
aud toll, barren alike for body aud
soul, and very naturally wonders how
this drudgery aud care can bc made
to harmonic with the dignity of mans
nature, or the beucvolence of mans
creator. What relation has the bent
back aud the furrowed brow. and the
hard hand and the wornout frame, aud
the overlasked brain and the weary,
sinking heart, with the growth Of the
immortal mind, and with all those bet.
ter aspirations Of the soul--those most
characteristic marks Of the divine fng.
cr which formed it,
These, and thousand questions
like them. which pass through the
thoughtful mind, would be bard 10
answer, if there were not a brighter
side to the decree. But once find in
this Law the noble purpose and the
beneficial results of labor--lct down
upon this busy, toiIiug scene Of life,
the beautiful light of the Creators
love, aud the difficulty vanishe..
Work is mans appointed task-the
great mission he Is sent upon. Labor
is not mere a necessity, but a duty
the fulfllment of a responsible trust
obedience to a wisely imposed and
beneficial law.
You are obliged to work, Thank
God aud all your stars for il, Out Of
his infinite treasure house Of gifts. We
know not that the Creator could find
n more precious one than this same
necessity of labor. In the midst of
your weariness and pain, think mo.
ment-labor Of some sort lies at the
foundation of all progress, all good,
here or hereafter. From first 10 last,
life Is a school TO teach activity, effort,
labor. Every sense and every muscle
Of the body must be trained every in
tellectual aud moral power within Us
has to be brought out aud cultivated.
Nature is vigorous old schoodame;
and her morning greeting and evening
charge to her pupil is, what the voice
of God is, and what the voice of con.
science within US is--he that will not
work shall not eat. We are not sent
into the world to be sheep, to crop the
spontaneous herbage ofthe fields. aud
then recline on full stomachs in
thoughtless repOse. Nature gives moth.
ing but the raw material, which We
must work up for our wants.
Thoughts, as we'll as wool, must
be combcd and spun; virtue, as well as
gold, must he dug out aud, clcansed
aud assayed; honor, station, power
all good must be built up, course by
course, toiling and anxiously every
step to the top. If nature had her
way, the monarch of this world would
be the greatest worker, and the only
order of nobility composed of those
that achieve the largest aud best re-
suits. Labor Is life's great function.
With spade and plow, with shaft aud
furnace, with FIRE aud steam, amidst
the noise and whirl Of swifl aud bright
machinery, abroad 10 the silent fields
under the roofing sky--everywhere
and always man must work, always by
experimenting, pushing. progressing.
lie is a man only when he worke--he
Is faithful to life's great Law and
Gods express will, only as he tolls on,
IN imitation ofthe nature that supports
him.