The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-02-24

Labor is rest from the sorrows that greet us;
Rest from all petty vexatlons that meet US;
Rest from sin promptings that ever entreat US;
Rest from world sirens that lure us to ill.,
What tired people we have grown
to be! When our great-grandfathers
were hard at it, chopping down trees,
building cabins, splitting rails and de-
molishlng stumps, and making this
great American wilderness blossom as
the rose, they had little thought or fear
of overwork. They cheerfully &C.
cepied the plan laid down in the begin
ming, 10 do their work in six days and
then rest one. They had 10 time to
fret for fear they were doing too much
work. They never doubted but one
day in seven was sufficient leisure.
The housekeeper piled her unceas-
ing trade of spinning, bleaching, knit
ting, securing and cooking the week
through. No evenings out, no DAT
homes" or afternoon "Teas," no balls,
or concerts, or lectures, or couVerSa-
zioni; it was only work from early
morn to dewy eve. and the question OF
rest was never thought of.
They raised large families of healthy
sons and daughters in those days with
out the aid of doctors or bottles. In
short, our ancestors were a tireless
people, and never dreamed of the rest
needed iu these later days.
But they do say that it is brain work
that is exhaustive, and from the mum
Der of holidays we now require the
inference is that we are running to
brains, and in few more generations
shall not have body to bless ourselves
with-wil be all tnink and no act.
Lawyers and law makers, ard they are
synonymous almost, have found out
how very wearisome to the flesh it is to
work four or five hours each day, and
so they have exerted themselves to get
legal holidays scattered thickly along,
they need not be completely overdone
with the strain. By having New Years
Day, Washington's Birthday, Good
Friday, Memorial Day, Independence
Day, Labor Day, November Election
Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas
Day, and closing up at noon on Sat-
urdays, and on February Election Day,
they can manage to keep moving along
without fear of immediate dissolution
while they regulate the affairs of the
rest of creation.
The farmer seems to be about the
only one left with any ot the old time
stick at it propensities, and he is SO
hampered by the closing up of busi
ness that he finds it difficult to get or
with his affairs on those days. In the
little use he has for Labor Days, Mem.
orial Days, Good Fridays, and the
rest of them, he sometimes forgets they
are going on, and goes into the village
to do some errands but he must sta,
until after O'Clock at night to get hi:
mail, can do 10 bank business, store:
and shops are closed, and the restfu
tin horn, fire cracker and brass banC
are the only things abroad. He only
whose twice taxed land so largely aid
Government officials in their numerou!
holidays rests and outing, is obliged te
keep on working to make both end
meet.
! Children have grown so brainy tina
they can now be taught to be wise
than their parents with only hal
days schooling five days in the week
having all the Saturdays and holiday
to train in idleness and mischief, whll
the teacher devotes the time the publi
is paying for to personal uses. Witt
all our brains and all our rest it seem
surprising that as people we hav
more poverty and wickedness abound
ing among the masses than at any othe
previous time. 1t looks as thougl
rest and brain would not get US int
the Kingdom. 1t looks as though W
have been trying so hard to creep ou
of work by the invention of machinery
by the holiday system, and by genera
, won't do it principles that the Powe
, that rules above has now stepped ir
and is showing US what comes of shirk
{ ing the command, "Sx days shalt tho
labor" The higher law makes n
, provision for holidays, theatres, fire
: works and big feeds. In the sweat {
thy face shalt thou eat bread is i
5 decree.
, The question that seems to concer
E this country particularly -. how
|. obtain the most luxuries with t., lea
v work. Some of the five hours { Ia
fellows have fifteen hours a day wive
e which help out good deal in famil
Il and sometimes ten hours day wit
5 which assures dough cakes for tn
e family. Time was when if man az
q his wife and children all peg,aw