Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-06-10
Time.

Times
The following extract from Thomas De
Qunceys essay on conN ersation, may serve
to impress upon the mind of some young man
the value of his tine,-how little of It he can
afford to devote to plea sure, so called, and that
even though he survive to good old age Ca
lot which falls to but few of US he hath no
hours to spare:
A day has persisted from our brief calendar
of days,-and that we could endure, but this
day is no more than the reiteration of many
other days, counted by thousands, that have
persisted to the same extent and by the same
unhappy means. viz: the evil usages of the
world made e.iectual and ratified by our own
sloth. Bitter is the upbraiding which we
seem to hear from secret monitor" My
friend, you make very free with your days -
| pray, how many do you expect to have: What
| is your rental, re cards the total harvest Of
| days which this life is likely to yield: Let US
consider. Three score years and ten produce
total sum OF 25,550 days, to say nothing of
! IL or Is more that will be payable to you as a
bonus on account of leap years. Now out of
! this total, one third must be deducted at sim
| gle blow for single item, viz: sleep. Next,
| on account of illness, OF recreation ahd the Sc
rious occupations spread over the surface Of
| life, it will be little enough to deduct another
| third. e4ai rs g
gone from the earlier end of your life. GVlz
above 1000 days before you can have attained
any ski or wisdom,or any definite purpose i'll
the distribution of your time. Lastly, for
that single item, which amongst the Roman ar
mics was indicated by the technical phrase,
"corpWs cGrare, attendance on on the animal
necessities, viz: eating, drinking, washing,
bathing and exercising, deduct the smallest
allowance consistent with propriety, and upon
summing up all these appropriations you will
notfind so much as 1000 days left disposable
for direct intellectual culture. Four thous-
ands of forty hundreds win be hundred for
ties that is, according to the lax Hebrev
method Of indicating six weeks by the phrase
of forty DAYS, you will have hundred bills or
drafts on Father Time. value six weeks each,
as the whole period available for intellectual
labor. A solid block of about eleven, and q
half continuous years is all that a long life
will furnish Tor the development of what is
most august in mans nature. After that, the
night comes when no man can work brain
aud arm will be alike uuseryiee lbe; or, il the
life should be unusually extended, the VITAL
powers will be dropping as regards all motions
in advance"
The GRAvE.--'Tis cold-dark-dreary, A
place whep we are shut out from the world,
and all the busy scenes of life. There we
shall have no more thrill OF the warm blood
through our VEINS, imparting joyousness to
the soul, and life and animation to the body;
no more listening to topics of interest, and
discussing the news of the day; no more
greeting of friends; no more social inter-
course; no more gazing upon the beauties of
nature; no more breathing the balmy air of
Spring, or listening to the sweet carol OF the
birds no more wander ng beside the meadow
anA 1f,oir fln hah nj a
SLY cry brook no more ranging through the
mighty forests, aud looking upon the giant
monarehs that have stood for ages there; no
more viewing the sun III his MONDAY splen-
dor nor the moon in her evening glory; no
more of these-but death and the & ave.
When we think Of these things, a sadness aud
gloom come over US. What is che end oil liIes
we inquire what is our course, and to what
are we tending: The answer comes back
like death knell upon us-the grase-'tis
the grave the charnel house of the world
the resting place OF miIhens; the gateway 70
eternity. De c ie 81 sssv
But this is the dark side Of the picture ~
there is another, and brighter side to the
grave. 1t is not all darkness and gloom to
those who view it Alright, for the star Of hope
still shines, and its rays penetrate there. Its
q place OF repose-a rest from the weary la
bors of lie. Our trials and our sorrows VII
then be over; our earthly pilgrimage at an
end. We shall not go there alone; there will
be many to accompany Us. Great and good
men have gone before us, and good men will
come after US. The patrarchs and prophets
have long since laid Their bodies in the grave.
The lost are there. Christ was there : the )
martyrs are thee Luther, Melancthon,
Howard, Whiteield, Baxter, Bunyan, Wes-
ley, Fletcher, and a host OF other noble men
are there Thew reDose beneath the sod, aud