Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-04-07
The Shortness of Time.

Live as long as you may, the first twen-
tyyears of your life is the longest half of it:
this was said by one of our modern writers,
and | doubt whether anything more true
was ever said by any man.
Don't you find you that have reached mid
Gle life, and you that are approaching middle
life-that time passes much more quickly
thrn it used to pass Don't you find when
the evening comes and the days work is
over, that it seems only few moments since
the day work began You may have been
very busy; but when you return home to
yoDr children it seems but very short time
since you lett them in the morning. Of
course there is exceptional seasons, as when
health is bad, or when heavy grief presses
on you, but, on the whole, is it not now a
| subject of constant remark that the days
pass with Incredible rapidity.
And don't you remember when the case
was very different? Don't you remember
how long they used to be, y hen you yourself
was child-what crowd of delightful in
terest multiplied and diversified the hours
and how extensive the prospect was when
you looked toward the future? The fact is,
you and your children are living lives of diff
ferent lengths in the same space of time.
The day is far longer to them than to you
| They feel, when you think of it, as if its be-
ginning and ending were almost the same
When they lay their little heads on the pill
low. weary with their twelve hours play,
| their toys broken-their excitement about
triles at an end-their merry, their eager
quarrels at length brought to pause, those
twelve hours have made, to them, very
period of their existence. Your toys, too,
perhaps are broken-you, too have been oc
cupied with trifies-your quarrels iuconsid
erate-but your longer. your more RESPONSE
bic day. has been far shorter than theirs.
1t mieht not be very difficult TO explain
this. Our sense of the lapse of time does
not depend entirely, or even chiefly. on the
duration of time itself When impressions
are vivid, forcible, and fresh, the time
seems long. When the events of our livesare
we are in 6iGgent occupatiou-the time
seems short. Any person may test this
for himself by comparing passages of his
own experience The few days spent in a
new place are longer than those that succeed
them but soon the novelty is past and
the stream moves on, quietly and rapidly as
before. And no one, on the other side, needs
to be reminded that days of anxiety and
ua,ehinr whom fhn- --.;.,a constantly nr
the stretch, lrightfuliy luug. At the
battle of Waterloo for instance. can you not
imagine, if you remember the circumstance:
of that engagement. how different was the
length of that summer day to the great cap
tain, on the one hand. on whom rested al
the suspense and responsibility, aud to soms
| private soldier in the ranks, on the other
actively occupied. and with nothing to think
of but TO be prompt and obey.
How desirable then to make sure of doing
something in the present that will really beai
good fruit III the future!
| .Ah me,
There is rest
What rein can cub our headstronS hours!
They pas. away they pass. know not how
| i'ur Now is gone before can say Now:
| Time past and futures none of ours;
| That hath yet no being
| And this has ceased to be:
What is, is ours how short time We have )!