The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-06-09

doing the thing well without regard
to emolument or recognition. / call II
artistry in work. because 1t is the true
artists spirit, the spirit of devotion to
the thing to be done; an absorption
with overwhelming interest in the du-
ties which one is to perform. This
magnifying of ones ONCE is that
which gives dignity to the daily task.
If one cannot believe that his work is
worth doing and cannot therefore find
pleasure in doing II no viii never be
able to do It we'll
THE highest work is not the result
of desire for gain, but It Is the tan
gibie expression OF love for an occus
patton. Into whatever work, there
fore, you enter, see to 1t that 1t com
mands your respect and interest, and
lift II to a higher station by the very
determination you have to make your
work the very best that can be done.
The second element is humanity in
work. The artist as he labors may
have at first but one purpose, viz, to
transfer to some material form the
idea of his own mind. but he knows
very well that when the work does
thus take tangible shape It will affect
human living. The selfshness with
which men labor for their own profit;
the disregard of human life and hu-
man happiness on the part OF others. is
the most alarming outcome of this
commercial and Industrial spirit. What
does II profit a man to gain wealth for
himself, II with every dollar thus
gained he Is extorting from others the
very comforts and necessities of liv-
ing. A broad humanitarian Is deeply
concerned with the elevation OF human
life.
And the third element, and the
loftiest in this idealism in human pro-
gress, is What 1 call the divinity In
work. We are not of course, to divide
labor into honorable and dishonorable
by any arbitrary dualihcation--all labor
is honorable, provided 1t be infused
with the right spirit We cannot con-
slider the labor of the head as being
honorable and the labor of the hands
as dishonorable. We do not dare think
of one form of the labor of the hands
as being worthy of praise and other
forms worthy of condemnation. To
men In this world varied tasks are
given, and the thought is not so much
what work shall 1 do. as in what
spirit shall l do my work. And the
spirit which I believe ought to prevail
and shall use the cant phrase, Is the
spirit OF the perfect mani must be
about my Fathers business
THE obligation to labor is not the
obligation OF self qualification only; In
part in deed 1t Is the obligation to the
duties of humanity. In larger and in
nobler part 1t is a divine compulsion.
Heavenly must, an obligation i'm
posed by the Highest Power. and an
obligation not to be about our own
business, about the things that merely
concern us about our own living; but
to be about our Fathers business.
When a man rightly conceives of his
life as controlled by these principles.
am sure he is leading the life of high
idealistic endeavor.
when he thinks of himself he feels
constrained to do the very best that
he can, because OF the artist that Is
within him; when he thinks of his
neighbor he is compelled to lend a
helping hand, because he sees that man
does not live TO himself alone. but for
his fellow man; and II he coneeives