character-第24章

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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　application；　of

study；　and　of　methodical　work。　　His　manuscript　school…books；　which

are　still　preserved；　show　that；　as　early　as　the　age　of　thirteen；

he　occupied　himself　voluntarily　in　copying　out　such　things　as

forms　of　receipts；　notes　of　hand；　bills　of　exchange；　bonds；

indentures；　leases；　land…warrants；　and　other　dry　documents；　all

written　out　with　great　care。　　And　the　habits　which　he　thus　early

acquired　were；　in　a　great　measure；　the　foundation　of　those

admirable　business　qualities　which　he　afterwards　so　successfully

brought　to　bear　in　the　affairs　of　government。



The　man　or　woman　who　achieves　success　in　the　management　of　any

great　affair　of　business　is　entitled　to　honour；it　may　be；　to　as

much　as　the　artist　who　paints　a　picture；　or　the　author　who　writes

a　book；　or　the　soldier　who　wins　a　battle。　　Their　success　may　have

been　gained　in　the　face　of　as　great　difficulties；　and　after　as

great　struggles；　and　where　they　have　won　their　battle；　it　is　at

least　a　peaceful　one；　and　there　is　no　blood　on　their　hands。



The　idea　has　been　entertained　by　some；　that　business　habits　are

incompatible　with　genius。　　In　the　Life　of　Richard　Lovell

Edgeworth；　（16）　it　is　observed　of　a　Mr。　Bicknella　respectable

but　ordinary　man；　of　whom　little　is　known　but　that　he　married

Sabrina　Sidney；　the　ELEVE　of　Thomas　Day；　author　of　'Sandford　and

Merton'that　〃he　had　some　of　the　too　usual　faults　of　a　man　of

genius：　he　detested　the　drudgery　of　business。〃　　But　there　cannot

be　a　greater　mistake。　　The　greatest　geniuses　have；　without

exception；　been　the　greatest　workers；　even　to　the　extent　of

drudgery。　　They　have　not　only　worked　harder　than　ordinary　men；　but

brought　to　their　work　higher　faculties　and　a　more　ardent　spirit。

Nothing　great　and　durable　was　ever　improvised。　　It　is　only　by

noble　patience　and　noble　labour　that　the　masterpieces　of　genius

have　been　achieved。



Power　belongs　only　to　the　workers；　the　idlers　are　always

powerless。　　It　is　the　laborious　and　painstaking　men　who　are　the

rulers　of　the　world。　　There　has　not　been　a　statesman　of　eminence

but　was　a　man　of　industry。　　〃It　is　by　toil；〃　said　even　Louis　XIV。；

〃that　kings　govern。〃　　When　Clarendon　described　Hampden；　he　spoke

of　him　as　〃of　an　industry　and　vigilance　not　to　be　tired　out　or

wearied　by　the　most　laborious；　and　of　parts　not　to　be　imposed　on

by　the　most　subtle　and　sharp；　and　of　a　personal　courage　equal　to

his　best　parts。〃　　While　in　the　midst　of　his　laborious　though　self…

imposed　duties；　Hampden；　on　one　occasion；　wrote　to　his　mother：　〃My

lyfe　is　nothing　but　toyle；　and　hath　been　for　many　yeares；　nowe　to

the　Commonwealth；　nowe　to　the　Kinge。。。。　　Not　so　much　tyme　left　as

to　doe　my　dutye　to　my　deare　parents；　nor　to　sende　to　them。〃

Indeed；　all　the　statesmen　of　the　Commonwealth　were　great　toilers；

and　Clarendon　himself；　whether　in　office　or　out　of　it；　was　a　man

of　indefatigable　application　and　industry。



The　same　energeti