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forlorner　head。　　What　I　can　do；　and　overdo；　is　to　walk。　　I　am　a

sanguinary　murderer　of　time。　　But　the　oracle　is　silent。〃



No　man　could　be　more　sensible　of　the　practical　importance　of

industry　than　Sir　Walter　Scott；　who　was　himself　one　of　the　most

laborious　and　indefatigable　of　men。　　Indeed；　Lockhart　says　of　him

that；　taking　all　ages　and　countries　together；　the　rare　example　of

indefatigable　energy；　in　union　with　serene　self…possession　of　mind

and　manner；　such　as　Scott's；　must　be　sought　for　in　the　roll　of

great　sovereigns　or　great　captains；　rather　than　in　that　of

literary　genius。　　Scott　himself　was　most　anxious　to　impress　upon

the　minds　of　his　own　children　the　importance　of　industry　as　a

means　of　usefulness　and　happiness　in　the　world。　　To　his　son

Charles；　when　at　school；　he　wrote：…　〃I　cannot　too　much　impress

upon　your　mind　that　LABOUR　is　the　condition　which　God　has　imposed

on　us　in　every　station　of　life；　there　is　nothing　worth　having　that

can　be　had　without　it；　from　the　bread　which　the　peasant　wins　with

the　sweat　of　his　brow；　to　the　sports　by　which　the　rich　man　must

get　rid　of　his　ENNUI。。。。　　As　for　knowledge；　it　can　no　more　be

planted　in　the　human　mind　without　labour　than　a　field　of　wheat　can

be　produced　without　the　previous　use　of　the　plough。　　There　is；

indeed；　this　great　difference；　that　chance　or　circumstances　may　so

cause　it　that　another　shall　reap　what　the　farmer　sows；　but　no　man

can　be　deprived；　whether　by　accident　or　misfortune；　of　the　fruits

of　his　own　studies；　and　the　liberal　and　extended　acquisitions　of

knowledge　which　he　makes　are　all　for　his　own　use。　　Labour；

therefore；　my　dear　boy；　and　improve　the　time。　　In　youth　our　steps

are　light；　and　our　minds　are　ductile；　and　knowledge　is　easily　laid

up；　but　if　we　neglect　our　spring；　our　summers　will　be　useless　and

contemptible；　our　harvest　will　be　chaff；　and　the　winter　of　our　old

age　unrespected　and　desolate。〃　（11）



Southey　was　as　laborious　a　worker　as　Scott。　　Indeed；　work　might

almost　be　said　to　form　part　of　his　religion。　　He　was　only　nineteen

when　he　wrote　these　words：…　〃Nineteen　years！　certainly　a　fourth

part　of　my　life；　perhaps　how　great　a　part！　and　yet　I　have　been　of

no　service　to　society。　　The　clown　who　scares　crows　for　twopence　a

day　is　a　more　useful　man；　he　preserves　the　bread　which　I　eat　in

idleness。〃　　And　yet　Southey　had　not　been　idle　as　a　boyon　the

contrary；　he　had　been　a　most　diligent　student。　　He　had　not　only

read　largely　in　English　literature；　but　was　well　acquainted；

through　translations；　with　Tasso；　Ariosto；　Homer；　and　Ovid。　　He

felt；　however；　as　if　his　life　had　been　purposeless；　and　he

determined　to　do　something。　　He　began；　and　from　that　time　forward

he　pursued　an　unremitting　career　of　literary　labour　down　to　the

close　of　his　life〃daily　progressing　in　learning；〃　to　use　his

own　words〃not　so　learned　as　he　is　poor；　not　so　poor　as　proud；

not　so　proud　as　happy。〃



The　maxims　of　men　often　reveal　their　character。　（12）　　That　of　Sir

Walter　Scott　was；　〃Never　to　be　doing　nothing。〃　　Robertson　the

historian；　as　early　as　his　fifteenth　year；　adopted　the　maxim　of

〃VITA　SINE　LITERIS　MORS　EST〃　（Life　without　learning　is　death）。

Voltaire's　motto　was；　〃TOUJOURS　AU　TRAVAIL〃　（Always　at　work）。　　The

favourite　maxim　of　Lacepede；　the　naturalist；　was；　〃VIVRE　C'EST

VEILLER〃　（To　live　is　to　observe）：　it　was　also　the　maxim　of　Pliny。

When　Bossuet　was　at　college；　he　was　so　distinguished　by　his　ardour

in　study；　that　his　fellow　students；　playing　upon　his　name；

designated　him　as　〃BOS…SUETUS　ARATRO〃　（The　ox　used　to　the　plough）。

The　name　of　VITA…LIS　（Life　a　struggle）；　which　the　Swedish　poet

Sjoberg　assumed；　as　Frederik　von　Hardenberg　assumed　that　of　NOVA…

LIS；　described　the　aspirations　and　the　labours　of　both　these

men　of　genius。



We　have　spoken　of　work　as　a　discipline：　it　is　also　an　educator　of

character。　　Even　work　that　produces　no　results；　because　it　IS

work；　is　better　than　torpor；inasmuch　as　it　educates　faculty；

and　is　thus　preparatory　to　successful　work。　　The　habit　of　working

teaches　method。　　It　compels　economy　of　time；　and　the　disposition

of　it　with　judicious　forethought。　　And　when　the　art　of　packing

life　with　useful　occupations　is　once　acquired　by　practice；　every

minute　will　be　turned　to　account；　and　leisure；　when　it　comes；　will

be　enjoyed　with　all　the　greater　zest。



Coleridge　has　truly　observed；　that　〃if　the　idle　are　described　as

killing　time；　the　methodical　man　may　be　justly　said　to　call　it

into　life　and　moral　being；　while　he　makes　it　the　distinct　object

not　only　of　the　consciousness；　but　of　the　conscience。　　He

organizes　the　hours　and　gives　them　a　soul；　and　by　that；　the　very

essence　of　which　is　to　fleet　and　to　have　been；　he　communicates　an

imperishable　and　spiritual　nature。　　Of　the　good　and　faithful

servant；　whose　energies　thus　directed　are　thus　methodized；　it　is

less　truly　affirmed　that　he　lives　in　time　than　that　time　lives　in

him。　　His　days　and　months　and　years；　as　the　stops　and　punctual

marks　in　the　record　of　duties　performed；　will　survive　the　wreck　of

worlds；　and　remain　extant　when　time　itself　shall　be　no　more。〃　（13）



It　is　because　application　to　business　teaches　method　most

effectually；　that　it　is　so　useful　as　an　educator　of　character。

The　highest　working　qualities　are　best　trained　by　active　and

sympathetic　contact　with　others　in　the　affairs　of　daily　life。　　It

does　not　matter　whether　the　business　relate　to　the　management　of　a

household　or　of　a　nation。　　Indeed；　as　we　have　endeavoured　to　show

in　a　preceding　chapter；　the　able　housewife　must　necessarily　be　an

efficient　woman　of　business。　　She　must　regulate　and　control　the

details　of　her　home；　keep　her　expenditure　within　her　means；

arrange　everything　according　to　plan　and　system；　and　wisely　manage

and　govern　those　subject　to　her　rule。　　Efficient　domestic

management　implies　industry；　application；　method；　moral

discipline；　forethought；　prudence；　practical　ability；　insight　into

character；　and　power　of　organizationall　of　which　are　required

in　the　efficient　management　of　business　of　whatever　sort。



Business　qualities　have；　indeed；　a　very　large　field　of　action。

They　mean　aptitude　for　affairs；　competency　to　deal　successfully

with　the　practical　work　of　lifewhether　the　spur　of　action　lie

in　domestic　management；　in　the　conduct　of　a　profession；　in　trade

or　commerce；　in　social　organization；　or　in　political　government。

And　the　training　which　gives　efficiency　in　dealing　with　these

various　affairs　is　of　all　others　the　most　useful　in　practical

life。　（14）　　Moreover；　it　is　the　best　discipline　of　character；　for

it　involves　the　exercise　of　diligence；　attention；　self…denial；

judgment；　tact；　knowledge　of　and　sympathy　with　others。



Such　a　discipline　is　far　more　productive　of　happiness5　as　well　as

useful　efficiency　in　life；　than　any　amount　of　literary　culture　or

meditative　seclusion；　for　in　the　long　run　it　will　usually　be　found

that　practical　ability　carries　it　over　intellect；　and　temper　and

habits　over　talent。　　It　must；　however；　he　added　that　this　is　a

kind　of　culture　that　can　only　be　acquired　by　diligent　observation

and　carefully　improved　experience。　　〃To　be　a　good　blacksmith；〃

said　General　Trochu　in　a　recent　publication；　〃one　must　have　forged

all　his　life：　to　be　a　good　administrator　one　should　have　passed

his　whole　life　in　the　study　and　practice　of　business。〃



It　was　characteristic　of　Sir　Walter　Scott　to　entertain　the　highest

respect　for　able　men　of　business；　and　he　professed　that　he　did　not

consider　any　amount　of　literary　distinction　as　entitled　to　be

spoken　of　in　the　same　breath　with　a　mastery　in　the　higher

departments　of　practical　lifeleast　of　all　with　a　first…rate

captain。



The　great　commander　leaves　nothing　to　chance；　but　provides　for

every　contingency。　　He　condescends　to　apparently　trivial　details。

Thus；　when　Wellington　was　at　the　head　of　his　army　in　Spain；　he

directed　the　precise　manner　in　which　the　soldiers　were　to　cook

their　provisions。　　When　in　India；　he　specified　the　exact　speed　at

which　the　bullocks　were　to　be　driven；　every　detail　in　equipment

was　carefully　arranged　beforehand。　　And　thus　not　only　was

efficiency　secured；　but　the　devotion　of　his　men；　and　their

boundless　confidence　in　his　command。　（15）



Like　other　great　captains；　Wellington　had　an　almost　boundless

capacity　for　work。　　He　drew　up　the　heads　of　a　Dublin　Police　Bill

（being　still　the　Secretary　for　Ireland）；　when　tossing　off　the

mouth　of　the　Mondego；　with　Junot　and　the　French　army　waiting　for

him　on　the　shore。　　So　Caesar；　another　of　the　greatest　commanders；

is　said　to　have　written　an　essay　on　Latin　Rhetoric　while　crossing

the　Alps　at　the　head　of　his　army。　　And　Wallenstein　when　at　the

head　of　60；000　men；　and　in　the　midst　of　a　campaign　with　the　enemy

before　him；　dictated　from　headquarters　the　medical　treatment　of

his　poultry…yard。



Washington；　also；　was　an　indefatigable　man　of　business。　　From　his

boyhood　he　diligently　trained　himself　in　habits　of　appl