Year: 1869

Many young persons are growing up
with the idea that industry-especislly
manual industry--is not quite respec-
table. There is no modern notion that
more completely cuts at the root Of
wholesome sentiment and of national
or individual prosperity than this
Whether idleness takes the form of
street lounging and gossip that begets
more active vices, or of the dreamy
sentimentalism that fritters away life in
vague fancies, or the busy idleness that
occupies itself in hundred ways to
avoid the steady, energetic pursuit of
regular duty, it is equally culpable in
its character and pernicious in its eff
fects. To some degree, circumstances
may tend to produce this evil


Some climates and some seasons of
the year, induce lassitu,le; some consti-
tutions have less energy and power of
viii than others; and many diseases de-
prive the body of Us strength and the
mind of its elasticity. Even in these
cases, the complete surrender of such
influences is the surest method of in
creasing their power, while steady re-
sistance will gradually weaken and Of
ten remove much of the cause. In by
far the larger number Of instances, the
vice of idleness results from the indul-
gence of luxurious habits, which break
down the native energy of the charac
ter. The person who regards moment
airy qualification as the chief good, will
soon lose the vigor and enterprise nee
essary to undertake, and the persever-
ance to carry through any scheme re-
quiring industry and self command
Some, from paucity ofideas, lack en-
terprise and become torpid, being una
BILE to see the utility of proper under
takings; while others, overwhelmed
with vast conception of what is to be
done, sit down in the inaetion of de
spair. Others there are who begin
with earnestness and hope, but, lack
ing perseverance, are intimidated by the
first difficulty, and accomplish nothing
because they have not the courage to
face obstacles.


The want of method and habit in
early life is largely answerable for this
evil. Those accustomed in youth to
regular and Industrious employment
will seldom lose such habits in after
life; while those who have been suffer
ed to pass desultory childhood will re-
quire an extra fortitude of character to
become persevering, energetic and in
dustrious in after life. A resolution of
character, a firmness of principle, which
seeks to do what is right, rather than
that what is temporarily agreeable, is
the great safeguard against this dan
gerous evil. Impulsive exertions may
produce magnificent deeds; but without
methodical and steady resolution,
without system and habit, and strength
of will, but little that is permanently
useful will ever be accomplished Our
natures are so constructed, that it is
only in the cultivation and improve
ment of all our faculties that we can
properly enjoy any of them.


The listless lethargy shown by many
young people is productive of many
evils. To the body it is a predisposing
cause of many forms of disease; the
want of healthy excitement and occu-
patton leads too often to intemperance
in eating and drinking "to pass away
the time" and this, in its turn, brings
fever, indigestion and depression, and
makes the frame less able to withstand
the attacks of any disease. A large
proportion of the drunkenness and dis
sipation of various forms, so common,
may be traced directly to this source.
Its effect on the mind is quite bad -
While producing instability ofpurpose,
it is in time followed by humiiating
sense of inferiority. No man has
right to go through life, whatever his
position may be, without honest, use
full and regular employment of some
kind.