The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-09-02
Great Work.

The best work OF the world has been
done by men who magnihed their office.
IL Is one thing FOR a man To have an eXag.
gerated sense of his personal Importance !;
it is quite another thing and vastly wiser.
for a man to have an exalted sense of the
sacred character of his office, his mission
IN tine world.
Any work Is great If II only at into the
plan OF wellordcred and beneticent hie.
What constitutes the greatness of a work
is not the nature of the work Itself, but
the spirit IN II, the purpose OF IT.
A young man about to graduate from
the mechanical engineering course IN a
great university enlisted IN the Spanish
war. He became a common soldier and
never got farther than Chattanooga. IL
was there he wrote to u friend: Il am
shOcing Government horses; not n very
attractive occupation, but anything | can
do - in the line of duty, and / am CON
tent Such a mind az that dgnihes the
hunIblest labor The line of du,y'--it IS
straight, but Il leads straight TO peace and
power.
The common tasks OF life are not COM
mon when looked upon through obedient
eyes. Every man = work IL noble II IT be
lis work And since the majority of us
have our lives IN fields where God alone
observes our course, # " well Tor us to
remember that character is the result of
We eXemphfy in doing ordinary things.
School days are more important than
they seem to the scholar who Sights his
tasks and tries TO see with how little ap-
phcation he can get through" When he
writes a line m a copybook he is writing
something for hfe-not the sentence he
copies, but himself. He is making a rec
ord, good or bad. He Will 70 through life
as he goes through school.
The thinks no pplfInp only
a trade in the work shop, but he is getting
vastly more. He Ia acquiring habits of
carelessness or of thoroughness. The clerk
who came TO his work ten minutes late and
made IT up by leaving his work ten min
utes early Is losing more than his employ
er loses. The employer loses the equiva-
lent of A little time; the clerk is losing
power, loyalty, his grasp of things most
valuable his hold on the biggest factor in
the problem OF life, namely. faith.
Some one asked philanthropst: What
do We need most in order TO accomplish
this or that reform" lie replied: I'VE
need mans lite blood" That ,s exactly
what all great tasks need--the spirit that
inquiries not What can l get out OF thlsy
but What can l put into IT; what of
courage, wisdom seIf denlalf"
All truly patriotic work, all educational
and charitable work, all humanitarian and
religious work. is great IN 80 far as they
who do IT give themselves TO II, put all
there is OF them into it. The most tre.
mendous work ever gwen to man AZ that
of extending the kingdom Of God, buId-
ing the invisible church OF Jesus Christ
More depends upon It; greater and more
permanent good ISSUES from it,
Lucy Larcom, IN an "Arbor Dav Poem, y
praises the philanthropy of one who plants
a tree that may give shelter or fruit TO the
children of a coming age. would cclc.
brate the philanthropy OF all who plant
the seeds OF truth IN human hearts. |
would wreath the brows of all who shape
the lives of others so that they are fl to
take their places as living stones an the rig.
ing temple of a new humanity. ! wou,d
number among the worlds greatest bcno-
factors him who counts his work, whatcyCl
it may be, a sacred trust not TO be 3lightod,
not TO be despised not To be laid down UD-
ill the Master Workman says, Con. up
higher. Philadelphia Ledger.