Thesignificantinscriptionfoundonanoldkey---“IfIrest,Irust”---wouldbeanexcellentmottoforthosewhoareafflictedwiththeslightestbitofidleness.Eventhemostindustriouspersonmightadoptitwithadvantagetoserveasareminderthat,ifoneallowshisfacultiestorest,liketheironintheunusedkey,theywillsoonshowsignsofrustand,ultimately,cannotdotheworkrequiredofthem.
Thosewhowouldattaintheheightsreachedandkeptbygreatmenmustkeeptheirfacultiespolishedbyconstantuse,sothattheymayunlockthedoorsofknowledge,thegatethatguardtheentrancestotheprofessions,toscience,art,literature,agriculture---everydepartmentofhumanendeavor.
Industrykeepsbrightthekeythatopensthetreasuryofachievement.IfHughMiller,aftertoilingalldayinaquarry,haddevotedhiseveningstorestandrecreation,hewouldneverhavebecomeafamousgeologist.Thecelebratedmathematician,EdmundStone,wouldneverhavepublishedamathematicaldictionary,neverhavefoundthekeytoscienceofmathematics,ifhehadgivenhissparemomentstoidleness,hadthelittleScotchlad,Ferguson,allowedthebusybraintogotosleepwhilehetendedsheeponthehillsideinsteadofcalculatingthepositionofthestarsbyastringofbeads,hewouldneverhavebecomeafamousastronomer.
Laborvanquishesall---notinconstant,spasmodic,orill-directedlabor;butfaithful,unremitting,dailyefforttowardawell-directedpurpose.Justastrulyaseternalvigilanceisthepriceofliberty,soiseternalindustrythepriceofnobleandenduringsuccess.