Year: 1871

also store up force for action. The proph-
ct is sent into the wilderness before he
begins his mission amid cities. In the
lives of various great men you will find
periods in which they seemed condemned
to inactivity. But they were merely cou-
chant for spring. In fact, have known
energetic men who, in very quiet times,
ask themselves for what special work they
are reserved, and are firm in the belief
that their rest simply means that there will
assuredly be strain upon their energies.
And they find that thus it comes to pass.


There are all kinds of ways for econo-
mizing rest And just in proportion as a
man realizes the preciousness of effort and
of work, as he would desire not to lead a
feeble life of Intellectual aims, so far will
be be jealous of useless effort, and desire
to spare himself all friction and contro-
versy. Life is too short for quarrelling ng
and for lot of other things as we'll As
far as possible let there be no waste in
life, as there is none in Nature. There
are many ways in which man may
achieve a masterly inactivity. You may
be silent when others speak. You may be
solitary when Others are in company
You may refuse to see people in the
morning. You may always have cigar
or a novel after dinner. You may resolve
never to do any work after the curfew-
bell. You will travel 6rst-class as well
for ease as for comfort. You will insist
that your space Of life shall have park and
flowers as we'll as pavement and cabbage
garden. You will beware Of sudden
abnormal effect, relying rather on steady
careful work. Rest is true element in
good workmanship. I kiow remark
ably able and fertile reviewer who tells
me that though over his midnight oil he
can lucubrate articles with certain sharp
ness and force. yet for quietly looking at
a subject all round and doing justice to
all it's belongings he wanted the quiet
morning hours. Lancelot Andrewes says
that he is no true scholar who goes out Of
bis house before twelve o'clock. Similarly
Ian editor once told me that though his
town contributors sent him the brig ghtest
papers, be always detected a peculiar mel
lowness and finish about the men who
wrote in the country. l knew an impor-
tant Crown official whose hours were from
ten to three. He had to sign bis name
to papers: and as great deal depended
upon his signature he was very cautious
and chary how he gave it. After three
o'clock struck. no beseechi6g powers ol
suitors or solicitors could induce him to
do stroke of work. He would not con-
taminate the quality Of his work by doing
too much of it. He would not impair his
rest by continuing his work. And so ht
fulfilled the duties of his Office for exactly


fifty years before he retired on full pay
from the service of the country. And
when impatient people blame lawyers for
being slow, and Offices for closing punctu-
ally, and shops for shutting early, and,
generally speaking. the wider adaptations
ofour day to periods Of holidays and rest,
they should recollect that these things are
the lessons of experience and the philoso-
ply. of society and life.


1t is so hard when you are in general
izing humor quite to strike the balance
and, as rule. generalization presents
only half truth. / have spoken of rest
when l ought perhaps to have been severe
on laziness. A very acute writer was
talking to me the other day about the
writings of St. Augustine. He told me that
that prolific author advocated. with great
earnestness and ability. two sets of opin-
ions; but that it had apparently never oc-
Cured to St. Augustine to examine how
these different sets of'epinions were relat-
ed, and to perceive that they were incon-
sistent. However, I steer between antag-
onisms when I urge, that only be who
works can rest, and that rest is nothing
without work So to speak, there is the
centripetal influence by which we avoid
work and the centrifugal influence by
which we are driven to work; and between
the two we probably describe exactly that
curve of orbit which we were intended to
fulfil. Of course rest is mainly for the
sake of work. A wise man will rather
wear out than rust out. considering that
he must work while it is day. and that
there is all eternity wherein to rest. But
still we have "a central peace subsist-
ing at the-heart Of endless agitation" a
restfulness of heart which swcetens work
and alone makes it prosperous. A Gym
ical statesman once said that life would
be very tolerable if it were not for its a.
musements; but amusement implies rest,
and without rest life would be intolerable
impossible. A wise man will lay it up
as treasure and economize its stores.