There are others to whom Idleness dictates another expedient， by which life may be passed unprofitably away without the tediousness of many vacant hours. The art is， to fill the day with petty business， to have always something in hand which may raise curiosity， but not solicitude， and keep the mind in a state of action， but not of labor.
This art has for many years been practiced by my old friend Sober， with wonderful success. Sober is a man of strong desires and quick imagination， so exactly balanced by the love of ease， that they can seldom stimulate him to any difficult undertaking； they have， however， so much power， that they will not suffer him to lie quite at rest， and though they do not make him sufficiently useful to others， they make him at least weary of himself.