A PLEA FOR IDLERS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3742, 13 July 1883, Page 4

A PLEA FOR IDLERS.

It in a common habit among most people to disclaim against an idle life, and to assort that a man must do something. Of course ho must. There can bo no doubt about that. But in the universal, indiscriminate r.'ondeinmition to which idleness in Hubjeeted, has it over occurred to those who inveigh so stoutly against it, that there is n great deal to do in being - idle 'i Probably not, or they would alter their opinions on tho subject. The majority of people in a biiHy community like ours are naturally pi'ono to, if not fixed in the belbf, that a man who is not in active business must necessarily be an idler. They never .stop to consider the matter ; the very nature of their own incessant physical activity and mental occupation gives them no time to do so, and it is more than probable that their ■want of pleasure would preclude the possibility of their following an investigation of the subject, did the iixedness of their prejudice permit of their beginning it. Now wo claim that because a man is not busy it does not follow that he is an idler, though such is undoubtedly the popular opinion. Of course we do not speak of and have nothing to do with foolish idlers, lazy drones and sloths who livo upon the efforts of others, and to whoso sluggish mentality and inert physique tho world will never owe aught. With them we have nothing to do. They it is who, in tho main, aro answerable for the common reproach that attaches to idlers, and for the dishonor that is heaped upon it by unthinking people whose minds seem unwilling , if not actually unable to classify idleness and separate the nsoful from the useless idler.

Idleness, we admit, in its general and commonly uccepted .sense, is a sin and a disgraeo to any man who can bo justly acousscd of it. But it is not in its general and commonly accepted sense that we arc considering , it. The idler with whom we wish to deal is ho who can aii'ord to be idle, aud who in being , so is neither a tax nor it burden of any sort upon his fellow - men; in line, the man who has the heart to allow himself leisure and cares more for the pleasure it can give than for that obtainablo in the continuous acquisition of money. We contend that there are idlers and—idlers ; in short, the class of donothings who do nothing - , and another class of do-nothings (who are such from a business point of vioiv), who do a good deal thai is useful and boneiicial in their own way, whose existence is as necessary for the wellbeing of a community and the encouragement and advancement of art, science, literature, and social refinement in its midst, as is the existence of the brain-racked, laborious, energetic business men, for its extension of commerce, conservation ol mercantile greatness and accumulation ot wealth. We ask this :Is not a man with fair faculties and the power to bo idle without drifting into slothfulness, intemperance and vice, equal in his own way, mentally, to a man in business who possesses the same faculties 't Now let us consider the question fairly and squarely, and see what there is in it. First of all, lie who is able to do exactly as lit* likes, pleases himself, and in doing so, having no selfish ambitions to gratify, or jarring jealousies of business successa to crump his good will, he stays good tempered and generous, and is pleasant and agreeable to others. If he has v pretty ■wife he takes time to look at her, find to notice the bloom on her cheek, the light in her eye, and the wave of her hair. His time is uot so engrossed with tho piling up of dollars and cents that lie must needs leave her to the admiration of other aud less busy men. He comes down to breaksast rather late it muy by, but smiling, neat and well-dressed, and cleanly, too,, for he has had time to indulge in a bath. Ho roads his paper slowly, as a carefully prepared newspaper is entitled to bo read; he hails with delight the announcement of a new book, and talks of it to his wife. He is tho first to notice the budding , green leaves of joyous spring , , and to.welcome the first carols of tho returning birds ; he has timo to admire tho boautios and workings of nature, and profit by their lessons; ho has time to look at tho last painting which a promising young artist has on exhibition in his studio, and to say ii few commendatory or advisory ■words to him to enrfourage him in his upward .struggle to fame ; for idler though he be he has had timo to study art and can talk knowingly about it; lie has time to read the last poem, to examino the last discovery m science, or the lust invention in mechanics, though there bo apparently no "money" in either; to consider the pulitcal questions of the day hi nil theii , aspect and bearings and to vote intelligently upon them when required ; he line time to find out where his words can cheer, hi,< hand uphold, and his purso relieve, ho hits time to eat, to digest, to sleep, to live, to bo a man and v good citizen, and he can do all ■without the dread of its interfering with his business. The man who can vary his pursuits, and has time for everything—for himself, his homo, his wife, his children, his friends —alone knows what it is to live, and ko feel that the genuine pursuit of happiness does not lie in money getting. Ilia happiness is not dependent upon a. boom in stockn, nor does '' a break all along the line," means torture and misery for him. He cares not if there be a corner in wheat. or a shrinkage in the wool crop, for what matters either to him, individually ? The one may add a few cents to his monthly barrel of flour, or tho other cut him one (suit- whorl during the yeuv from hi:> t»iW, but ivha'j i.'l'il! He ''an ,';l.;md j> aud 1 '

able to laugh bciiilcs, 'JJii huh: i.> not ;*yey ■n-ith we,' nor }ii.> brow J'ucroive'.l v.jth anxiety. He has no sliip.s at !jea, nor moilffftt'es'lo foreclose, no notes to meet, no judge to bias, or jury to hookwiuk. Never a bore, and he does not talk "fihop," for he has no shop to talk about. Ho is cheerful always, good company ever, the life and soul of every social gathering, and the

"iollygood fellow ,, wo laud his song. "Who is there of us who does not take dolight—if time he can spare to take delight in anything—in the society of the man who lias no aspiring aim, no sordid, greedy, climbing motive in life, who is content to live as he is, to gossip, to chat, and to be good tempered; who has time to describe the places he has visited (when he had time to leisurely inspect their points of interest) to criticise a painting he has had time to see, a book he has had time to read, or a speech he has had time to hear; who has time to talk of the thousand little things that make conversation delightful, and to comment upon topics of national moment or foreign interest that he has had time to reflect upon and understand P On the day when all men shall be in business, there will bo no more artists, no more writers, no more statesmen, no more clever people, no such useless beings, for there will bo nobody left who will have timu to give them heed. Society, in short, cannot exist without our idlers; it is impossible without them. We .should have, perhaps, just as many dinners, parties, banquets and balls, of stupendous magnificence, but still there would be no society, for there can be none when those who meet together have all the same train of thought, the same absorbing de.«iro. It is our idlers who constitute society's charm; in their pursuit of pleasure, pure and simple, they attract and draw others in with them : they have time to utter and to listen to witty sayings, and to indulge in a genuine laughj: they arc able to sit up till the the small hours at: night, without being haunted by the thought of getting up early fur the office next morning ; they never find the day too lonjr, for they have hundreds of resources with which to make it pass only too quickly, though leisurely, away, and they go to' bed at night decidedly happier, though they be not a cent the richer. Busy, hurried, money-getting people will toll you they aro not happy. And why is itP "They have no time to be happy in their rush through life. They cannot ail'urd themselves leisure for anything. They are not idlers. —S.F. News Letter.