There is one piece of prudence, above all others, absolutely necessary
to those who expect to raise themselves in the world by an employment
of any kind; I mean a constant, unwearied application to the main
pursuit. By means of persevering diligence, joined to frugality, we see
many people in the lowest and most laborious stations in life, raise
themselves to such circumstances as will allow them, in their old age,
that relief from _excessive_ anxiety and toil which are necessary to
make the decline of life easy and comfortable.
Burgh mentions a merchant, who, at first setting out, opened and shut
his shop every day for several weeks together, without selling goods to
the value of two cents; who by the force of application for a course of
years, rose, at last, to a handsome fortune. But I have known many who
had a variety of opportunities for settling themselves comfortably in
the world, yet, for want of steadiness to carry any scheme to
perfection, they sunk from one degree of wretchedness to another for
many years together, without the least hopes of ever getting above
distress and pinching want.
There is hardly an employment in life so trifling that it will not
afford a subsistence, if constantly and faithfully followed. Indeed, it
is by indefatigable diligence alone, that a fortune can be acquired in
any business whatever. An estate procured by what is commonly called a
lucky hit, is a rare instance; and he who expects to have his fortune
made in that way, is about as rational as he who should neglect all
probable means of earning, in hopes that he should some time or other
find a treasure.
There is no such thing as continuing in the same condition without an
income of some kind or other. If a man does not bestir himself, poverty
must, sooner or later, overtake him. If he continues to expend for the
necessary charges of life, and will not take the pains to gain
something to supply the place of what he deals out, his funds must at
length come to an end; and the misery of poverty fall upon him at an
age when he is less able to grapple with it.
No employment that is really useful to mankind deserves to be regarded
as mean. This has been a stumbling stone to many young men. Because
they could not pursue a course which they deemed sufficiently
respectable, they neglected business altogether until so late in life
that they were ashamed to make a beginning. A most fatal mistake. Pin
making is a minute affair, but will any one call the employment a mean
one? If _so_, it is one which the whole civilized world encourage, and
to which they are under lasting obligation daily. Any useful business
ought to be reputable, which is reputably followed.
The character of a drone is always, especially among the human species,
one of the most contemptible. In proportion to a person's activity for
his own good and that of his fellow creatures, he is to be regarded as
a more or less valuable member of society. If all the idle people in
the United States were to be buried in one year, the loss would be
trifling in comparison with the loss of only a _very few_ industrious
people. Each moment of time ought to be put to proper use, either in
business, in improving the mind, in the innocent and necessary
relaxations and entertainments of life, or in the care of the moral and
religious part of our nature. Each moment of time is, in the language
of theology, a monument of Divine mercy.