Samuel Smiles：Thrift, Excerpt 25

There are many who murmur and complain at the law of labour under which we live, without reflecting that obedience to it is not only in conformity with the Divine will, but also necessary for the development of intelligence, and for the thorough enjoyment of our common nature. Of all wretched men, surely the idle are the most so;--those whose life is barren of utility, who have nothing to do except to gratify their senses. Are not such men the most querulous, miserable, and dissatisfied of all, constantly in a state of _ennui_, alike useless to themselves and to others--mere cumberers of the earth, who when removed are missed by none, and whom none regret? Most wretched and ignoble lot, indeed, is the lot of the idlers.

Source： https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14418
Locator：Excerpt 25 · Verified：2026-10-19 · Verification：Short excerpt

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