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but an errand boy when he began his career; Cornelius Vanderbilt was a barefooted urchin who was glad to carry passengers in his ferry-boat for a small pittance, and thousands of the leading men of the world have had humble beginnings. We need to go back to the gospel of old-fashioned honesty, industry and frugality, which Franklin so admirably set forth in his day, and then the perplexing question of labor and capital would be solved. The laborer would then very soon merge into the capitalist, and the day of deadly feuds and envious complaining would soon pass forever away.

"Rise from your dreams of the Future,

Of gaining some hard fought field;
Of storming some airy fortress,
Or bidding some giant yield.
Your Future has deeds of glory,
Of honor (God grant it may!);
But your arm will never be stronger,
Or the need so great as To-day."

ALL LABOR HONORABLE.

T is related of President Tyler, that soon after his presidential term of office expired he was elected by his political opponents to the office of road master in the little village in Virginia where he lived. This they thought would annoy him and expose him to ridicule and scorn. But the ex-President accepted the office and entered upon its duties with such energy, and was so vigilant in seeing that the men worked out their road taxes, that he was asked to resign. He replied, "Gentlemen, I never refuse an office, and never resign." He thus gave a noble rebuke to that class who hold honest labor in contempt.

Said Beecher, "Men seem ashamed of labor; and often you will find men who have made themselves respected by labor, have built up a business and amassed a fortune, who turn to their sons and say, 'You shall never do as I did; you shall lead a different life; you shall be spared all this.' Oh, the rich men's sons! They aim to lead a life of emasculated idleness and laziness. Their parents toiled and grew strong; built up their forms of iron and bone; but denying all this to their sons, they turn them upon the world boneless,- simple gristle, and soft at that."

In most of the royal families of Europe the sons are required to learn trades; so, if political revolutions come, they are prepared to be independent of fortune or place. The Emperor of Prussia learned the trade of a glazier, his son was apprenticed as a type setter, and his grandson as a book binder. What noble examples are these to those young men who look upon manual labor as degrading, and think it a disgrace to soil their hands by lowly toil. They crowd the professions, or stand behind the merchant's counter, and with pompous airs sneer at the more humble toilers as the "lower class." A sturdy advocate of labor has said: "The lower class,-who are they? Are they the toiling millions, the laboring men and women, the farmer, the mechanic, the artist, the inventor, the producer? Far from it. These are nature's nobilityGod's favorites the salt of the earth. No matter whether they are high or low in station, rich or poor in pelf, conspicuous or humble in position, they are the 'upper circle' in the order of nature, whatever the fictitious distinction of fashionable society. It is not low; it is the highest duty, privilege, pleasure, for the great men and whole-souled women to earn what they possess, to work their way through life, to be the architects of their own fortune. Some may remark the classes we have alluded to are only relatively low, and in fact the middle classes. We insist that they are absolutely the very highest. Is there a class of beings on earth who may properly be denominated low? If

so, it is composed of those who consume without producing, who dissipate the earnings of their fathers or relatives, without laboring or doing anything themselves."

It is related that, during the Revolutionary War, a squad of men were sent to raise some heavy timbers on certain military works. As this was a difficult undertaking, the timbers went up but slowly, and the commander urged the men constantly by his shouts, though he did not help to lift any himself. An officer not in uniform was passing, and asked the commander why he did not take hold and help a little. The lat ter, astonished, said: "Sir, I am a corporal!" "You are, are you?" replied the officer; "I was not aware of that." Upon this he dismounted, and lifted at the timbers till the perspiration stood in drops on his forehead, and, after the work was finished, he turned to the commander of the squad, and said: "Mr. Corporal, when you have another such job, and have not men enough, send for your commander-in-chief, and I will come and help you a second time." The corporal was paralyzed with shame and mortification, for the officer was General Washington.

What would the world be without labor, but the seat of barbarism?

As some one has remarked:

"Suspend labor, and

where are the glory and pomp of earth,-the fruit, fields and palaces, and the fashioning of matter for which men strive and war? Labor,-which makes

music in the mines, and the furrow, and the forge,—oh, scorn not labor, you man who never yet earned a mor sel of bread! Labor pities you, and laughs you to scorn. You shall pass to dust, forgotten; but labor will live on forever, glorious in its conquests and mon uments."

The following story has been told of a distinguished French nobleman, who, during the dark days of the revolution, was compelled to flee, and sought refuge in London:

“I

Being reduced to want, he called upon a famous singer, with whom he was acquainted, and said: cannot stoop to beg or borrow from any mortal. Formerly, as amateur, I was fond of copying music; I would be glad to do it now for a livelihood. Cannot you obtain work for me, as you would for any copyist? I can content myself with simple fare, and a single bed-room."

His request was granted; and day after day, and from early until late, did he toil, allowing himself no rest until evening came, when he would appear at the concert, in full dress. It was said, that no one, seeing his noble form and fine bearing, would have thought that during the day he was a laborer for wages.

"A

A sensible business man once gave to young men this advice, which, although in homely, plain words, is full of practical meaning. He 'that works for his board,' no matter what honest work he does, has no reason for shame. A young man who

says:

young man

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