ItsMeaning and Method.^145
idleness thai wails on victory. And so man
evolves,and untilthese delights have losttheir
power to attract, il is well that they shall
continue to nerve men to effort and struggle.
But whenthespiritbeginstostirandtoseekits
own manifestation, then the prizes lose their
attractive power, and the man sees duty as
motiveinsteadoffruit. Andthenheworksfor
duty'ssake,aspartoftheOneGreat Life,and
heworkswith all the energyof the manwho
worksforfruit, perhapsevenwith more. The
manwho can work unwearying at some great
schemeforhumangoodandthen,afteryearsof
labour,see thewholeof itcrumbling topieces
beforehim,and remain content, that man has
gone far along the road of the spiritual life.
Doesitseemimpossible? No. Notwhenwe
understand the Life,and havefelt the Unity
;
for in that consciousness no effort for human
good iswasted,nowork forhuman good fails
ofitsperfectend. Theform matters nothing;
a form in which the work is embodied may
crumble,buttheliferemains.
Andinordertomakeitveryclearthat such
a motive may animate men even outside the
spiritual life,we may consider how sometimes
insome great campaignof battle it is realised
thatsuccess and failurearewords that change
