But many are no more worthily employed now. Most men would feel insulted, if it were proposed to employ them in throwing stones over a wall, and then in throwing them back, merely that they might earn their wages. As if a town had no interest in its forests but to cut them down! If a man walk in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer but if he spends his whole day as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making earth bald before her time, he is esteemed an industrious and enterprising citizen. Nevertheless, as I do not need the police of meaningless labor to regulate me, and do not see anything absolutely praiseworthy in this fellow's undertaking, any more than in many an enterprise of our own or foreign governments, however amusing it may be to him or them, I prefer to finish my education at a different school. If I do this, most will commend me as an industrious and hard-working man but if I choose to devote myself to certain labors which yield more real profit, though but little money, they may be inclined to look on me as an idler. The result will be that he will perhaps get some more money to hoard, and leave for his heirs to spend foolishly. The powers have put this into his head to keep him out of mischief, and he wishes me to spend three weeks digging there with him.

Life without principle download