e of the Cornish mines depends not in
the slightest degree on the quantity of copper they contain. If it did,
the most valuable things ever produced would be copper saucepans." It is
hardly worth my while to answer this; but, lest any of my readers should
be confused by the objection, and as I hold the fact to be of great
importance, I may re-state it for them with some explanation.

Observe, then, the appearance of labor, that is to say, the evidence of
the past industry of man, is always, in the abstract, intensely
delightful: man being meant to labor, it is delightful to see that he
_has_ labored, and to read the record of his active and worthy
existence.

The evidence of labor becomes painful only when it is a _sign of Evil
greater, as Evil, than the labor is great, as Good_. As, for instance,
if a man has labored for an hour at what might have been done by another
man in a moment, this evidence of his labor is also evidence of his
weakness; and this weakness is greater in rank of evil, than his
industry is great in rank of good.

Again, if a man have labored at what was not worth accomplishing, the
signs of his labor are the signs of his folly, and his folly dishonors
his industry; we had rather he had been a wise man in rest than a fool
in labor.

Again, if a man have labored without accomplishing anything, the signs
of his labor are the signs of his disappointment; and we have more
sorrow in sympathy with his failure, than pleasure in sympathy with his
work.

Now, therefore, in ornament, whenever labor replaces what was better
than labor, that is to say, skill and thought; wherever it substitutes
itself for these, or _negatives these by its existence_, then it is
positive evil. Copper is an evil when it alloys gold, or poisons food:
not an evil, as copper; good in the form of pence, seriously
objectionable when it occupies the room of guineas. Let Danae cast it
out of her lap, when the gold comes from heaven; but let the poor man
gather it up carefully from the earth.

Farther, the evidence of labor is not only a good when added to other
good, but the utter absence of it destroys good in human work. It is
only good for God to create without toil; that which man can create
without toil is worthless: machine ornaments are no ornaments at all.
Consider this carefully, reader: I could illustrate it for you
endlessly; but you feel it yourself every hour of your existence. And if
you do not know that you feel i