THE THINKER* BERTON BRALEY Back of the beating hammer And tramples it under heel! The drudge may fret and tinker 10 Or labor with dusty blows, But back of him stands the Thinker, Each piece and part and whole, 15 Must go the Brains of Labor, Back of the motors humming, 25 Might of the roaring boiler, *From Songs of a Workaday World, by Berton Braley. Copyright, 1915. George H. Doran Company, Publishers. Greatly in these we trust. But back of them stands the Schemer, The Thinker who drives things through; Who's making the dream come true! NOTES AND QUESTIONS Biography. Berton Braley (1882- -), poet and journalist, is a native of Wisconsin, and was graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1905. He served on the staff of The Evening Mail, New York, and was for a time associate editor of the magazine, Puck. He is a frequent contributor to the leading magazines and metropolitan newspapers. During the World War Mr. Braley was a special correspondent in France and England. Among his published works are: Songs of a Workaday World; A Banjo at Armageddon; In Camp and Trench. Discussion. 1. What is the theme of the poem? 2. What is the relation of the planner to the worker? 3. What is meant by the "Brains of Labor"? 4. What confidence does the poet express in the worker? In the "Dreamer"? 5. What does the poet mean when he says that the brain is back of the brawn? 6. Show that the poem is a plea for coöperation. 7. Class reading: Read the poem aloud to bring out the meaning and the rhythm; read other poems from Songs of a Workaday World that particularly interest you. THE WAY TO WEALTH BENJAMIN FRANKLIN COURTEOUS READER: I have heard that nothing gives an author so great pleasure as to find his works respectfully quoted by others. Judge, then, how much I must have been gratified by an incident I am going to relate to you. 5 I stopped my horse, lately, where a great number of people were collected at an auction of merchants' goods. The hour of the sale not being come, they were conversing on the badness of the times; and one of the company called to a plain, clean old man, with white locks: "Pray, Father Abraham, what think you of the 10 times? Will not these heavy taxes quite ruin the country? How shall we ever be able to pay them? What would you advise us to do?" Father Abraham stood up and replied: "If you would have my advice, I will give it to you in short; for 'a word to the wise 18 is enough,' as Poor Richard says." They joined in desiring him to speak his mind, and, gathering around him, he proceeded as follows: "Friends," said he, "the taxes are indeed very heavy; and if those laid on by the Government were the only ones we had to pay, we might more easily discharge them; but we have many 20 others, and much more grievous to some of us. "We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly; and of these taxes the commissioners can not ease or deliver us by allowing an abatement. However, let us hearken to good advice, 25 and something may be done for us. 'Heaven helps them that help themselves,' as Poor Richard says. "It would be thought a hard government that should tax its people one tenth part of their time to be employed in its service; but idleness taxes many of us much more; sloth, by bringing 80 on diseases, absolutely shortens life. 'Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears; while the used key is always bright,' as Poor Richard says. How much more than is necessary do we spend in sleep! forgetting that 'the sleeping fox catches no poultry,' and that there will be sleeping enough in the grave. 'Lost time is never found again; and what we call time enough, always proves little enough.' Let us, then, be up and doing, and doing to the purpose; so by diligence shall we do more with less perplexity. 'Drive thy business, and let not that drive thee'; and 'early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise,' as Poor Richard says. "So, what signifies wishing and hoping for better times? We 10 may make these times better if we bestir ourselves. 'Industry need not wish, and he that lives upon hopes will die fasting.' "There are no gains without pains; then help hands, for I have no lands'. 'He that hath a trade hath an estate; and he that hath a calling hath an office of profit and honor'; but then the 15 trade must be worked at, and the calling well followed, or neither the estate nor the office will enable us to pay our taxes. Work while it is called today, for you know not how much you may be hindered tomorrow. 'One today is worth two tomorrows,' as Poor Richard says; and further, 'Never leave that till tomorrow 20 which you can do today.' "If you were a servant, would you not be ashamed that a good master should catch you idle? Are you, then, your own master? Be ashamed to catch yourself idle, when there is so much to be done for yourself, your family, and your country. It is true, there 25 is much to be done, and perhaps you are weak-handed; but stick to it steadily, and you will see great effects; for 'constant dropping wears away stones,' and 'little strokes fell great oaks.' "But with our industry we must likewise be steady, settled, and careful, and oversee our own affairs with our own eyes, and so not trust too much to others; for, as Poor Richard says, "Three removes are as bad as a fire'; and again, 'Keep thy shop, and thy shop will keep thee'; and again, 'If you would have your business done, go; if not, send'; and again, "The eye of the master will do more work than both his hands'; and again, 'Want of care 35 does us more damage than want of knowledge.' "So much for industry, my friends, and attention to one's own business; but to these we must add frugality, if we would make our industry more certainly successful. A man may, if he knows not how to save as he gets, keep his nose to the grindstone all his life, and die not worth a groat at last. 'If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as of getting.' • "Away with your expensive follies, and you will not then have so much cause to complain of hard times, heavy taxes, and chargeable families; for 'what maintains one vice would bring up two children.' Beware of little expenses. 'Many a little makes a mickle'; 'A small leak will sink a great ship.' Here you are all 10 got together at this sale of fineries and knickknacks. You call them goods, but if you do not take care, they will prove evils to some of you. "You expect they will be sold cheap, and perhaps they may be, for less than cost; but if you have no occasion for them, they 15 must be dear to you. Remember what Poor Richard says: 'Buy what thou hast no need of, and ere long thou shalt sell thy necessaries.' 'Silks, satins, scarlet, and velvets put out the kitchen fire.' These are not the necessaries of life; they can scarcely be called the conveniences; and yet, only because they look pretty, 20 how many want to have them! "By these and other extravagances, the greatest are reduced to poverty, and forced to borrow of those whom they formerly despised, but who, through industry and frugality, have maintained their standing. 'If you would know the value of money, go and 25 try to borrow some; for he that goes a-borrowing goes a-sorrowing'; and, indeed, so does he that lends to such people, when he goes to get it again. "It is as truly folly for the poor to ape the rich as for the frog to swell in order to equal the ox. After all, this pride of appearso ance can not promote health, nor ease pain; it makes no increase of merit in the person; it creates envy; it hastens misfortunes. "But what madness it must be to run in debt for superfluities! Think what you do when you run in debt: you give to another power over your liberty. If you cannot pay at the time, you will 8 be ashamed to see your creditor; you will be in fear when you speak to him; you will make poor, pitiful, sneaking excuses, and by degrees come to lose your veracity, and sink into base, down |