Old Adam´s trade

[Johnyxxx]

Hello,

Can anybody tell me what exactly Old Adam´s trade and Job himself mean in the text below?

‘Not that I ever took much notice of him until it came to a point past any man’s enduring. I let him rave. But duty is duty, there’s no getting away from that. And when, apart from all this fuss about his fruit, a man takes advantage of what is meant in pure friendliness, well, one’s bound to make a move. Job himself.
‘What I mean to say is, I used occasionally – window wide open and all that, the pantry being on the other side of the house and away from the old gentleman’s study – I say I used occasionally, and all in the way of friendliness, to offer our friend a drink. Like as with many of Old Adam’s trade, drink was a little weakness of his, though I don’t mean I hold with it because of that. But peace and quietness is the first thing, and to keep an easy face to all appearances, even if you do find it a little hard at times to forgive and forget.

Crewe, Walter de la Mare, 1929

Thanks a lot.

 

[GoesStation]

"Job" is the protagonist of the Book of Job, subjected to increasingly severe torments but refusing to deny his faith. As a reward, God gives him brand-new children to replace the faithless ones whose death was one of the torments.

"Old Adam" is apparently a reference to humans in their unredeemed state, though I don't quite see how that fits into the narrative.

 

[Tdol]

Could Adam's trade be a reference to cider as he ate the apple of sin?

 

[Skrej]

I think the Job reference is referring more to the mythical 'patience of Job'. It seems to be a shortened version of the expression 'having the patience of Job himself'.

Note to learners - the name 'Job' differs from the noun 'job'. The name is pronounced with a long 'O', and rhymes with 'robe'.