The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1890-03-15
AN ESSAY ON WORK, WORKING.
MEN, AND WAGES.
By Antisltamu us.

work is punishment for disobedi-
ence. Our primeval ancestors,
the venerable Adam and Eve, lived
in a magnificent garden that pro-
duced every variety Of fruit perenni-
ally, and took care Of itself. They
were at liberty to eat from every
tree except one. This was tabu,
and they were told not to meddle
with its fruit. Left TO themselves,
with no work to do, or any leisure for
anything, they began TO cogitate
why they should be debarred from
that particular tree, and concluded
TO try its nice looking, sweet-scent-
ed fruit. anyhow. They carried out
their rebellious resolve, and were
punished for disobeying orders by
being pitched over the fence, and
told to go and work for their living.
Served them right; but it is rather
hard on their youngsters to have to
bear the penalty of the old folks
folly. 1t is their misfortune, not
their fault; and great misfortune
it is, which all succeeding genera
tions until now have hadto grin and
bear.
Some men are born rich, and 9TH
ers have riches thrust upon them by
circumstances. They are lucky
dogs; for they haven't to work for
their living. They eat their bread,
and for dessert cakes and pies, with
cool brows and no sweat. These
are the select few Of Adams sons.
The great majority of his children
are compelled to work for their SUBJ
sistence, and "eat their bread by
the sweat of their brow"
often think how foolish it is
of those born rich or made rich by
fortunate circumstances, or many of
them, to trouble themselves so much
about their possessions, and even
plan, and contrive, and work to in
crease them. A small percentage
of what they have would make NE
happy and contented all my life.
But they are dreadfully afraid all
the time that they are going to lose
some, or be robbed; and grind
down to the last cent the poor gar
dener who furnishes them with We
getabes, or the hard-working la
borer who chops their wood; and
are all the time scraping and
specializing to get more, and
still more, until they die and
leave it all behind. How much
more conducive TO their comfort and
peace of mind to contribute of theil
abundance to the assistance of their
poor and needy neighbors!
Life is short, and to most is q
struggle from beginning to end. 1t
must be precious, or men would moi
labor so hard for its retention anC
support. One half of the worlt
knows not how the other half lives
But one half knows this much, tha
most of the other lives by mar.
work. In latitudes where eterna
snow and everlasting ice abound hu
manity has the hardest struggle
Next come those who reside wher
the four seasons follow in regula
succession. Here in the zone o
perpetual summer, where the health
ful trade winds blow most OF tn
year, and fruits ripen from the be
ginning of January to the close o
December, life is the easiest. Ie
even here laborious work from gen
Grafton to generation is the lot O
the masses. Nature needs it les
than the artificial requirements 0
civilization, and an irrational civil
zatiOn is blamable for most Of tn
irksome drudgery to which the dwel
lers on these islands are subjected
That civilization, however, is here
and here it is going to stay until a
era of wisdom not yet dawnin!
comes upon us and along with it viii
stay that ceaseless and superhuou
work which makes life slavery, an,
the sensible man accepts things a
he finds them until they can b'
mended.
Work is thing which most peo
pie do not take kindly to. The.
have distate for it. They submit
to it as a necessity, but would rathe
not. 1t is about the last item on tn
catalogue of life's concerns whic
they take from choice. confess
am built that way myself. Som