South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-04-14
THE STEADY JOB is
BEST OF SAFEGUARDS
BY ADA PATTERSON.

A man under sentence OF death mas
preached a sermon quite unconscious
~, for his endeavOr was 10 snow that
he was a good man and should be
spared the ignominy of his final leave
taking.
I've been a steamitter and a mar
bic polisher," he is said to have said.
IL worked hard. Once | had a job
in John ID. ROckefeller's office down
town, fitting pipes L fitted up a
school at Garrison. too. / saw il
through the car window on my way
up here"
The sermon he uttered will proba-
bly, live long fter he dies, for those
who think their way through the col
umns Of their newspapers. 1t revealed
itself in the words, ION the Way up
here saw the place where worked"
Through the car window the man
saw himself as he had been and as
he might have continued to be. He
saw himself at work He saw himself
holding steady job. i like that
phrase. "a steady job" 1t conveys
not only that the lob" Is a continu-
Gus one but that ii has a Steadying
influence. There is no balance wheel
like that Of task continuing through
most Of the hours of the day, a task,
the discharge of which leaves you as
Robert Louis Stevenson has said.
weary but not dishonOred." Look
ing through the car window the man
who was travelling handcuffed TO Sing
Sing TO expiate the crime of murder.
saw himself grow at his tasks as We
all do If we wOrthily perform those
tasks. We grow not merely in skill
but in character by the conscientious
performance of the days duties. He
saw himself growing. He saw his pay
increasing as pay does when the work
nj k11
rewards will take care of themselves, ="
said an employer of thousands. He
saw another reward dawn in his life,
the love and trust in maiden's eyes.
He saw the young woman and him
self in their own home. He saw her
keeping the little home as neat and
shining as his polished marbles. He
saw others fill their home, tiny folk
with his strength and the trust and
tenderness in their eyes that had
drawn him first TO the maid. Then
the picture grew dim. over it crept
the mist OF Incidence. He had tired
Of the job. He had grown weary or
work. as we all grow weary OF II for
heavy moments. Those moments are
signals 10 breathe deeply OF fresh air,
to square our shoulders, TO tighten our
belts. to smile and go on, most-out
whatever else we do. 10 go on. the
hravest act in the world is just gong
on-in the right way, and work is
always the right way.
Iaziness does but one thing. Ii oils
the highway for crime. Along the
highway dashes an automobile full OF
youths crouching. with pistols drawn.
Through the car window the man rec
ognized in this load his own face, his
own figure. The sight blotted out the
other picture II was like the eclipse
OF the sun In it's shadow he covered
his face and groaned.
Looking through the car window
that hurries them TO the Sing Sing or
their self-made fate, men catch
glmpses OF many fair pictures OF the
past. They see themselves lads whose
souls brim with the spirit OF world
conquest. They see themselves youths
at the thresholds OF useful careers
They see themselves doing the day s
work honestly, very kings in their
own little realm of achievement The
picture is blurred by the first mood OF
idleness IL Is blOtted out forever
when the mood OF la7inesS oils the
way for the new activity. that OF
crime