Omaha daily bee., 1919-06-13

London Times.

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a London Times.
No one cares to plead guilty to the charge OF
sidieness II is condemned by general consent
and every one is ready to offer evidence which
sin his judgment proves that he is free from this
fault But II we suspect that our friends are
not quite so guiltless we may be sure that our
industry is not always SO heartily appreciated
as might be desired There are too many
sleeping partners in the business life.
Before we can come to any sound judgment
about it we must be clear as to the nature of
idleness. If we use the word to describe any
may be recommended for its high social and
moral valus. Such periods of idieness are nee
essafy for our highest efficiency The most
fruitful soil must now and again be allowed to
lie fallow. and il men are to retain the power of
doing difficult work they must secure periods
cease from work become its slaves, and are held
in the bonds Of labor without high purpose, and
with no thought beyond its gain. They give
themselves to degrading occupation.
The Jews were distinguished among the peo-
pies Of antiquity for their insstcnce on the dig
own honors, and these were not the least val
ued when they were won by hard manual toll.
The Greeks and Romans, on the other hand,
considered such work unworthy of freeman,
Many citizens of the Empire preferred to de-
pend for their subsistence on the uncertain gifts
of their patrons or the meager doles of the state
rather than work for their daily bread. But if
the Jews insisted on the duty Of work, it was
part of their religion to cease from it at regular
intervals. The Sabbath was the solemn sane
ton OF rest. No other people had day like
this in every. week for complete withdrawal
from work. 1t gave special dignity and grace
to the nation On that day they presented
fn he ID nfr oh hxt thA I nrd 4
lifted their souls above the noise Of the world,
and learned how daily work was to His honor
not less than for their own gain Thus, while
toll was honored, their work became no small
part Of their worship.
Other. nations missed the JOY OF rest because
they despised honorable work For rest they
substituted amusement, which they regarded as
an end in itself The ethics of amusement can
not be discussed in a paragraph, but they are
always important, and certainly at this time,
when the days OF war are over and the season,
free from the shadows of the last five years.
once more invites men to indulge themselves
in pleasure. they deserve careful consideration.
We must distinguish between recreations which
demand physical or mental energy and call into
activity powers of body and mind not other
wise exercised and those pleasures which end
in the merely. frivolous consumption of time.
In these days when so many people are abb
sorbed in monotonous labor or exhausting re-
sponsibilities men naturally welcome relaxa-
tons in which there is nothing to be done but
to be amused. They have their justihc alton
but when amusement is made the main business
or chief desire of life idleness is not only sane
toned, but cultivated, and its sinister results
become manifest. It brings degradation and
moral ruin to those who succumb to its snares,
while it robs the community of the service it
has right to claim from all its members But
this is not ALL "The idle man is the devils
cushion, on which he taketh his ease; who, as
he is incapable of any good, SO he is htly dis
posed for all evil motions"
But man may be idle even when he appears
to be busiest. Idleness is activity without pur-
pose, with no end but itself, and probably the
most idle men today are to be found among
those who are entirely absorbed in their occu-
pations Work which offers no service to others
and effects no improvement in the character of
the worker is sheer idleness Henry Sidgwck
in one Of his lectures describes man who after
a distinguished career at the university was
expected to make some Noteworthy contribution
to scholarship. With that object in view he
brought together large library. But the task
of classifying and arranging his books absorbed
him so long and so completely that he neve-
settled down to produce the work every Ole
expected from him. He was busy in idleness.
Other men may work and achieve their purpose
but it gives mo happiness to themselves and
renders no true service to their fellows that also
are idle men, men of the shadows whose lives
are vanity. ~ fs[
Dante provides us with typical picture of
the idle man. He describes his old Florentne
friend Belaequa in purgatory, sitting with his
face between his knees, more careless than if
sloth were his sister," Dante speaks to him.
but is met with contemptuous mocking. and
when the poet asks why he still sits idly, Belac-
qua only replies, whats the use?" That is
the question by which laziness absolves itself
Men never know their powers until they test
them in work; they can sever tell of what use
they may be until they make the attempt to
discharge the nearest duty that confronts them.
This effort in itself endows them with new ca
pacities. Most of those who fail to reach truth
and righteousness and the happy service to
which these invite men must trace their failure
to the idleness Of work without an ideal, OF eff
fort without high purpose. True work seeks
perfection, in manual work in intellectual actiy-
ity, in moral and spiritual life, and unless we
keep the ideal before use we shall iaways be
liable to sink into sloth.
Idleness is rarely self-convicted.. 1t is too
siothful for the effort necessary for this disci
pline of compunction. But there are few who
do not know themselves to be capable of better
things than they have yet accomplished and
that they can achieve higher se1f-sacrifce. a
feadier sympathy, . truer devotion to the ideal
than they have yet attained When their work
is inspired and directed by this self-knowledge
they may still fail in much, but they will attain
more than they now hope for. Of one thing they
will be. freeS the numbing disease Of dleness.
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