This very quality is synonymous with the reality of life. The human mind
ostensibly has an aversion to lifelessness. We turn instinctively from
the dead and withered branch to the blossoming flower; from the stagnant
pool to the dashing cataract, and every healthy mind finds delight in
such terms as vim, vigor, energy, and activity, which are the chief
natural characteristics of the human hand. Demosthenes on being asked
what is the first element in oratory, replied, "Action:" when asked to
state the second element, he replied "Action," and when questioned as to
the third, he made the same reply. Action, first, last, and all the time,
is the great principle of life and progress. Without it the most perfect
engine, gigantic in proportions and costly in equipment, is a dead
thing, valueless as the formless mass of ore it once was. But that
marvelous product of man's hand and brain, plus steam, becomes a
veritable giant of power.

Now this same law applies in relation to our bodies in general. Action is
an essential as seen in the beating heart, the throbbing pulse, the
coursing blood, and various other functions. In fact, the body is the
engine that runs the machinery of our lives. Generating energy and storing
it up, it gives impetus to all that we achieve. With all its mysteries,
beauty, and strength, this human organism is worthless, a burden to
society unless vitalized with that majestic force that makes man
industrious.

In the words of a great man, "Nature fits all her children with something
to do." The first man on earth was a gardener. Milton hears Adam
conversing with Eve thus:

"Man hath his daily work of body or mind
Appointed, which declares his dignity,