It may be that even the work of “holystoning” the deck of a ship could
become an act of devotion if done in the right spirit, notwithstanding
this seaman’s aversion to it:
“This is what you call the sailor’s prayer-book,” a seaman said
bitterly as he kicked a holystone out of the way. “Why is it
called that? Well, in the first place, it is called that because
in using it, in holystoning the deck, the sailor has to kneel
down; and in the second place, because all holystoning is done
on Sunday. Don’t you know the chantey?
“‘Six days shalt thou work and do all that thou art able,
And on the seventh holystone the decks and scrape the cable.’
“The stone is called holystone because the first holystones
were bits of tombs stolen from cemeteries. It’s got a pious,
religious sound--holy, and prayer-book, and Sunday and all
that--but it is when he is using this stone that the seaman is
most profane.”
(829)
See BEST, MAKING THE.
=Drudgery as a Teacher=--See HUMDRUM DEVELOPMENT.