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He persevered in this, after all novelty had been exhausted, from an intuitive dread of weariness. There was nothing to see. An old woman once bobbed out of an attic, and doused the flints with water. Harassed by increasing dread of the foul nightmare of nothing-to-do, the Thier endeavoured to establish amorous intelligence with her.
But after the children have out-grown puzzles, and picture-books, and nurses, and when even a parent's advice is received with a little impatience, then the NOTHING-TO-DO complaint, if it seizes them at all, is a serious disease, and often very difficult to cure; and, if not cured, alas! then follows the melancholy spectacle of grown-up men and women, who are a plague to their friends, and a weariness to themselves; because, living under the notion that there is NOTHING for them TO DO, they want everybody else to do something to amuse them.
I can't imagine what is the matter with me this morning." "I can tell you," said Sir Patrick, in his gravest and dryest manner. "You are suffering, Blanche, from a malady which is exceedingly common among the young ladies of England. As a disease it is quite incurable and the name of it is Nothing-to-Do." Blanche dropped her uncle a smart little courtesy.
There is a complaint which is not to be found in the doctor's books, but which is, nevertheless, such a common and troublesome one, that one heartily wishes some physic could be discovered which would cure it. It may be called the NOTHING-TO-DO complaint. Even quite little children are subject to it, but they never have it badly.
But it was a difficulty which mamma, with a little explanation, got over very easily; and before the little ones went to bed, they quite understood that in restraining themselves from teazing and being troublesome, they were not only not being "tiresome," but were actually obeying several Gospel rules. "Had I a little son, I would christen him NOTHING-TO-DO." CHARLES LAMB.
But people in the nothing-to-do complaint are never quiet for long. Teazing is quite as constant a symptom of it, as growling, so No. 3 soon came lounging from the window to the table, and began: "I say, Judy, I wish you would put those tiresome books, and drawings, and rubbish away, and I think of something to do."
He would do what Ruth wanted him to do, what everybody wanted him to do get a job. The thought of going to work reminded him of Joe Joe, tramping through the land of nothing-to-do. Martin heaved a great sigh of envy. The reaction of nineteen hours a day for many days was strong upon him.
This old church answered to my Transatlantic fancies of England better than anything I have yet seen. Not far from it was the Rectory, behind a deep grove of ancient trees; and there lives the Rector, enjoying a thousand pounds a year and his nothing-to-do, while a curate performs the real duty on a stipend of eighty pounds.
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