The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-12-18
THE EVANGEL OF WORK..

Wv ASO LII UAL1CS VI uuuSud1 ldUOl
agitation. All over the world the
toiler is coming to the front. But
there has crept into this discussion the
false notion that word is the primal
curse Of man, and to live without work
is the heaven that haunts the lazy agi-
nation of thousands.
And right here turks one of the
most dangerous heresies of the day.
The old saying, ain the sweat of thy
face shalt thou eat bread" was the an
nouncement of a b~enefcent law rather
than, as many think, a penal retribu-
ton to the end of time.
Man was intended to be the I'VE
eign of land and sea. But that lord
ship implies the necessity of conquest.
The great forces of nature will not
tamely submit, nor the earth yield it's
best fruits to the idle. Man was given
the dominion over the the field and
the forests, the cattle upon a thousand
hills and the fish of the sea; but it is
only by hard work that he comes into
the full and joyous possession of his
kingdom.
This is an old law, as old as the
world, but only with the advance Of
civilization has it's wisdom and benef-
cence been discerned, and what seemed
to be a curse been transformed into a
blessing. And this is the gospel which
should be faithfully preached and be-
lovingly received and practiced. 1t
IS needed to cure most of the ills of
which men complain, and to lift man
from the low plane of ~servile and I'M
willing toll. Only so far as he appre-
ciates the nobility and divinity of labor
will he come into his reward.
This is no mere pretty theory. All
human experience has attested the
blessed gospel of work. Nations have
gone up the scale of wealth, greatness
and power just sc far as they have
crowned the toilers and bread-winners.
The greatest progress has been made
where mind and muscle willingly and
harmoniously toiled together. Upon
this higher plane must be sounded the
keynote of a more beneicent and up
lifting labor agitation than has vet
come into the hearts of men.
The beneficence of labor is seen in
the bodily health which it confers. |
The world over, the workers are the |
happlest and most contented. Our zest |
and enjoyment is most keen when the
natural powers are reasonably ex-
ercised. Appetite stronger and sleep
sweeter. Waiting angels "knit up the
raveled sleave of care" as the poet
says. Honest labor sweetens the CUP
of joy and gives that zest of life, that
healthful appreciation of food and
sleep, that wealth cannot buy.
And yet there are many in society.
many who have the loudest voice in
these labor %agitations, who do little or
no work. "Chin-music is their forte.
Indeed most people exault and dignity
labor in theory, but seek to get rid Of
Its performance. They would esteem
it a great achievement to get rid of all
effort, and a large share of work is
done in order to enable the worker to
Use above the necessity of toll. Nature
has little use for drones in her hive
md usually. sends some disease, born
of Incidence and idleness, to cut short
The career of human life. But, be all
his as it may, it is the outcropping of
old heresy that regards work as a
curse and not a blessing.-CazJfornsa
The longest American railway tun