The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-07-16
SECULAR DISCOURSE ON SACRED
SUBJECT.
Treatise on the American Trait OF
Unanswered Question Cui Bono?

The commandment which begins,
Remember the Sabbath day to keep il
holy" also enjoins us to work for six
days, and one part is no less imperative
than the other, says the Hartford
Times. The Isrealites We're fleeing
from the house of bondage and it is re-
markable that the leader OF band OF
runaway slaves should bid his follow
ers to labor for six days" The pre-
cept recognizes the great law of per-
iodicity which governs all human &C
ton, and recognizes, too, the necessity
of work If we would obtain happiness.
Such insight into the springs of human
nature we rightly call illumination or
inspiration. For If human experience
proves anything it proves that If a
man labors for six days and does all
that he has to do, that is, all that he
ought to do-all that duty lays on him
and rests on the seventh day. his
days will be long" he will live a full,
natural life in accordance with the laws
of his being.
In this country we all work except
few at the very bottom and the sons
of a few at the top. The country is
prosperous for this reason in spite OF
the lack of wisdom and foresight in
our Congress and in spite of selfishness
and dishonesty in our politicians. How
many men are there in Hartford who
do not work? We venture to say not a
great number When we say "work''
we mean labor in some employment
that conduces to the well being of So
ciety or to the comfort of others, or to
the general advancement of humanity
in an indirect manner. From the man
who writes a translation of Plato to
the man who lays a sewer pipe or in
vents a mouse trap, all do what they
have to do"
The trouble with us is that we do
more than we have to do. We are
too feVerish, too hasty, too energetic.
An English manufactures, coming into
one of our shops, asked if the men
were working for a half holiday. He
thought they were trying to do days
work in half day, so different were
their movements from the elaboration
of the workmen in England The ma
Chimes he said, "all seemed to be in
a hurry, and would soon wear out" 1t
is so in Wall street, the machines are
all in hurry, and they wear out soon.
1t is so from the Atlantic to the Pa
cfic, the machines are running too
fast and wear out too soon. In a ma
chine of iron and steel this may be
good economy. 1t can be sold for
scrap and a new one bought with
profit, but machines of flesh and blood
We're meant to have long days in the
land.
Why is it that Americans work so
hard no one can tell. 1t is said to
due to the climate to the dry sun
shine. and chill air of New England,
and that in the south men take life
easier, but whatever the reason the fact
cannot be denied, nor can any argu-
ment make the nOrtherner take life in
placid, leisurey way. College students
are said to be our only leisure class,
but even they oVertrain at football. our
energy in work is drawing to us the
wealth of the world, but what good
is it going to do us? We work harder
than before. Who will teach America
the chatty ease of France, the merry
good fellowship of England, the socia-
bic comfort of Germany? National
traits cannot be imported, and It IS
probable that we shall keep on in the
old high-strung, tense, nervous fash
ion of our country, doing two days
work in one and getting one days COM
fort out of ten, regardless of the result.
But does it pay?
If an individual slackens the pace
he falls behind in the race, and that
does not pay either. But why should
life be a race-a mad, headlong race?
Gould it not be made a dignified march,
with frequent halts for refreshments2
We fear not, in America.