INTEREST IN WORK 119 



abbeys of England, or France, or Italy, to find, 

 from this point of view, a subject for earnest 

 reflection. In these buildings there is, in plenty, 

 stone tracery so lovely as to rival in beauty, in 

 variety, in originality, the wondrous wood-carv- 

 ing in the temples of Nikko. It is interesting 

 to think of the stonecutters who wrought there : 

 these men were certainly never discontented ; 

 they must have gloried in their work. 



In a measure this is still the same. There is 

 a statue in Verona, on the base of which, some 

 years ago, an Italian stonecutter had work to 

 do. In the evening, when his work was over, 

 he, of course, quitted it ; but in no hurry, for 

 his thoughts were with his work. It has hap- 

 pened that, after quitting his work, he even 

 returned to it, just to get clearly in his mind 

 some point on which he might reflect at leisure. 

 It may be said that he was half an artist, and 

 had an artist's yearning to do better and better 

 work ; and that the cathedral workmen, though 

 just workmen, were all really artists. It does 

 not affect the argument. 



The result appears to be just the same in the 

 case of workmen certainly not artistic. Let a 

 workman have an interest in his work, although 

 he is strictly limited to work of one kind, he 

 will not be a hater of work ; he will be con- 

 tented and happy. The bricklayer has to under- 

 take a good deal of rather monotonous work, 

 but sometimes he has not only to apply his skill 

 but to think hard. In laying ordinary courses 

 of bricks from the ground upwards, there is no 



