THE PERSPIRATIONALIST

Hokitika Guardian, 13 June 1925, Page 4

THE PERSPIRATIONALIST

(By C, W. Chandler.)

A\ o licar quite a lot about tlie iuspiratiomilist, but little or nothing about our plodding brother, tho pel'spiral ioualist. 'l'he latter it is who is not heedful of the music in the trees, the dew upon the rose, the mist upon the hills, but who is more interested in tlio throttle of an engine, the handle of a plough, or the wheel of an ocean liner. In this man the tongue ot silver has given away to the heart of oak; he finds expression in the work of his hands and not in the music of his speech.

lie it was who laid the foundations of this—otir island home, blazed thefirst trail, and felled the first tree. Gray, in his ‘'Elegy,'’ has immortalised this man, whose ‘‘sober wishes never learned to stray.” and yet even there my perspirationalist fails to figure in the full majesty of ids being. Gather together all the humbugs ii: the world, and to lint! amongst them a perspirationalist will be as.Jiard alinding the proverbial needle in tnhaystack. lie will never set the world oil lire, but he'll keep what lire there is front going out. ami that is more than the average i n-pi ra l iuiml ist can ever do. Hi' may never, like the explorer, see sail upon an uncliartored sea. hut lie'll l.uihl ih boat for ‘ lhe explorer to go in. lie may never write the ‘‘ldylls of lie King," !• ui lie'll cleave to one maid, and she only will he serve. lie may never, like Krancis Thomson said of .Shelley, ‘‘dabble bis lingers in tic dayfall.” or “run in and out of the loot of lice horses of the sun.” but lie'll -wing bis axe in time with the pulse of the world, and enjoy tl e sweet sleep which only comes to thus who tired of limb, can throw them-

selves into the lap of ‘pat: nature.” and lie down in pknd reams.