The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1961-05-19
Diligence
Lesson for May Fl, 1861

world" Yes, it has certainly
come to be dull-sounding. It's
like a coin that hasn't been used
much, it just gradually gets tar
nished even if kept in a glass
case. Yet we know what it means
and we admire what it stands
for even if we personally leave
being diligent to other people.
ION the job ION the ball, "
"On his toes 'in there pitch
ing" always after it," never
lets grass grow under his feet, "
we have all heard such ex-
pressions and we know they are
intended to be compliments. So
let us not shy away from that
word diligence" 1t is simply
a somewhat more formal way
to say what all those express
sicns like Ion the ball" are try
ing to say.
To save questions, let us
agree, right at the start, that
diligence by itself is not neceS-
sarily good thing. Let us take
for instance, out of the book Of
Proverbs, the example of ants.
Lazy people (sluggards) are told
to go study the ant" consider
her way and be wise" In other
words, it is limited that even
those little insects have more
sense than some people. Most
animals are diligent. especially
when it somes to gathering food;
but ants are known everywhere
1t would have made just as
good sense to say, Consider
the ichneumon wasp, and be
wise But more people know
what ants are than could tell you
about ichneumon wasps. Ants
are always working. They do at
tend our picnics. to be sure: but
to work, not to play. Every pic
mic is Harvest Day for the ants
that live around there.
Ants. furthermore. sell m
work alone. They work in gangs,
in armies. They do a great deal
this way that solitary ants can
not SO easily get done. There is
no virtue whatever in doing
things the hard way. Even ants
know b G t e + than that. Now,
most ants are harmless. But all
through the south a new invader
is spreading from the insect
world: the fire-ant, more de-
structive, and more painful and
dangerous too, than any other
ant in this country. Victims of
this insect only wish he were
not SO diligent! So the Devil
next to God, perhaps, is the
hardest worker in the universe.
But that is a most gloom
thought For the devil is dill
gent only in evil.
"Diligo" Means Love"
The English word Diligence"
comes from the Latin word dill
gentia" and that comes from a
verb "diligo" which in the Latin
Bible is used to translate the
strongest Hebrew and Greek
words for love This suggests
something, doesn't it? Diligence
isn't mere hard work. it is not
drudgery done in a drudglng sort
of way. 1t is not forced labor.
Diligence is work lovingly done,
work done for the joy Of it. The
writer of Ecclesiastas speaks of
enjoying work. And why not?
A bus driver one day was talk
ing with an old friend. while driv-
ing his bus route. They got to
talking. as men of sixty plus
will, about retirement. What
are you going to do when you
retire?' k d the driver.
Don't knew" said his friend. I'd
like to get two jobs with g.
month vacation ariece. What
would you like to do?' The
driver answered promptly, in
one word. This" The friend
was astonlshed. You don't mean
to tell me you LIKE your
work Z? But like it he did.
That's diligence, that's the root
of it. ....
The Stacker
The opposite Of diligence is not
doing something else, it's doing
nothing at all He that is slack
in his work, an Old Testament
proverb says. is brother to them
that is a destroyer The Stacker
in peace is a traitor likewise.
What do you do to let a farm
60 down? You don't have to
scatter rocks in the fields. set
fire to the woods, plant loco
weed III the pastures and poison
tho cattle All you have to do is
nothing. Let everything slide.
never do today what you can put
off till tomorrow. never finish any
Job. lust don't care. A farm
doesn't have to be pushed down
hill, it will run down if you Just
leave it alone.
BASED on outlines copyright