The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1890-01-09
PERFEcTIoNViN WORK.

~ @--@- 1914
No Matter What Their Occupation, All
Men Should He Artists.
There is q pleasure in looking at q
perfect piece Of work which every one
feels, although no one can satisfactorily
analyse 1t. The delight given by q
beautiful picture, statue, Landscape,
poem or address Is universal. 1t is the
recognition which every nan gives in
stinotively, II not intelligently, to per-
lection. There is nothing which has
such power Of giving permar emit Joy, as
well as Of thrilling one with the iuspira-
ton Of the moment, rs a noble thing no
bly, done, and 1t is just In proportion as
a piece Of work approaches this standard
that it gives delight to him who makes
1t and Joy to those who look upon it. A
piece of work need not be a piece Of art
in order to bear the impress Of this quail
ity; It may be what most men would call
a piece Of drudgery; but II 1t be done
with the honesty, the fidelity and the
intelligence which stamp it with perfec-
ton, 1t has in its effect, at least, the
quality of a work Of art. All men ought
to be artists. God is neve less than an
artist in the most Insignificant detail Of
His workmanship, and never more than
an artist, il one understands what that
term means, in the divinest Of His
creations. Imperfection always implies
ignorance, unfaithfulness, or imperfect
mastery of ones materials; perfection
always involves intelligence, fidelity,
complete skill. If all the work done in
the world were done in the spirit Of the
artist, We should have neither vulgarity
sham, nor any kind Of dishonesty.
Soundness Of substance and beauty Of
form would be the characteristics OF
every thing which we see and use. No
man has any right to put less than his
whole intelligence and his entire charac-
ter into whatever he is called Upon to
do. No man can safely discriminate be-
tween the different kinds Of work which
come to his hand in order that he may
do some we'll and others i'll. The work
which one does in the spirit of an artisan
destroys the ability to do any kind OF
work in the spirit Of an artist.
The Biblical injunction, "Whatever
your hands find to do, do with your
might" covers every possible form OF
activity. The great workers have all
been artists-that is, they have conceived
Of their work as something we'll worth
all they could put into it, and they have
done it with joy because the reward OF
thorough workmanship was to be theirs.
That reward is not always external; II
does not always come in the form of popu.
lar recognition; tits not always paid for in
money; but it is the only reward which
really satisfies a man Of conscience,
Whatever you do, whether 1t be painting
Of pictures, or writing of books, or max
ing of sermons, or keeping of accounts
or the work Of a housewife, do it as Il
your life depended upon the complete
ness, finish, and beauty which you are te
give 1t. Dean Stanley once preached 9
very beautiful sermon OF an old servant
An obscure, unknown woman, whose
whole life had been given to the mos
commonplace work; but when she had
gone, and those whom she had served re.
membered the unbroken fidelity and the
u~nselfish spirit which had characterized
all the years Of her services, they recog'
nized a certain beautiful quality in what
she had done, a certain perfection in the
completeness and harmony Of her life
She was a true artist, although she had
never handled a brush or o pen.-
Christian Union.