Economics

Now I saw this man in his spare time inspecting all the stores that are wanted, as a matter of course, in the ship.[*](Or, more probably, during the voyage.) I was surprised to see him looking over them, and asked what he was doing. Sir, he answered, I am looking to see how the ship’s tackle is stored, in case of accident, or whether anything is missing or mixed up with other stuff.

For when God sends a storm at sea, there’s no time to search about for what you want or to serve it out if it’s in a muddle. For God threatens and punishes careless fellows, and you’re lucky if he merely refrains from destroying the innocent; and if he saves you when you do your work well, you have much cause to thank heaven.

Now after seeing the ship’s tackle in such perfect order, I told my wife: Considering that folk aboard a merchant vessel, even though it be a little one, find room for things and keep order, though tossed violently to and fro, and find what they want to get, though terror-stricken, it would be downright carelessness on our part if we, who have large storerooms in our house to keep everything separate and whose house rests on solid ground, fail to find a good and handy place for everything. Would it not be sheer stupidity on our part?