The Placer herald., 1872-02-10
Written for the HERALD.1
ODD MO- M Il TT -.
BY A. I. CHER.

are none who have now arrived to the years
of accountability but what have had more or
less odd moments, or time, which was con-
sidered leisure, and which they have the
privilege of spending according to their own
desires. Some, indeed, have had the bene-
fit, or the curse, as the result has proven, Of
a great amount of such time. We would
desire to ask, how has this time been spent I?
Have we improved it to our individual ad
vantage, or have we in this time contracted
habits which have followed to curse us for
ever afterwards =? fear, if we could secure
the testimony of what we term the vaga
bonds or outcasts from society, we would
find their depravity was brought upon them
by indulging in habits which they acquired
during their moments of leisure. These are
our golden moments, for as gold is the most
precious of metals, so are these the most
precious moments of our lives. 1t is in
these moments that we must weave our
golden crown, if we ever expect to wear
one. BY improving these moments much
may be accomplished; by wasting them, all
may be lost. Go ask the great men of the
world; search the biographies of the sages,
the philosophers and the statesmen who have
gone before us, and learn by what means
they acquired such eminence; learn what
course they adopted to make their names
immortal; learn how they obtained their
learning, and what habits they adopted, that
their wisdom, when acquired, should be to
them fountain Of wisdom, virtue and hap
piness. Learn this, and when you have
learned Alright, you will find it was by
improving their odd moments.
Show me, if you can, person who has
arrived at any station in life worthy the
public notice and appreciation, by series of
schools and teachers without earnest endea-
vors on his own part? ! ask this question:
you at once call to mind your friends who
are noted for their superior talents, and be-
come surprised to find that they are invari
ably hard and unceasing students; men and
women who improve their odd moments in
stead of spending them in idle pleasure or
foolish and degrading amusements. School
ing must be had, and teachers are in
dispensable. ! would advocate the i'm
poriance of good schools to the utmost,
but they who rely on these alone will GER
tainly accomplish but little. Let all in their
youth obtain as much information as
possible, and when obtained, use it for what
it is intended, foundation on which TO build
their future. The unequaled productions of
Milton, Newton and Shakespeare were not
the result of polished and refined educa-
ton; on the contrary they were educated in
the severe school of adversely, acquired
knowledge by high-bought experience, be-
came famous in song and immortal in name,
only by diligently improving their odd mo-
menis.
Then again come home to our own country,
which, though young is old enough to have
matured some noble minds and worthy ex
amples of self-improvement. Inquire of
that greatest of generals, wisest Of states
men and truest of patriots, Washington; ask
that most far-seeing philosopher, Franklin,
or the inspired orator. Patrick Henry, how
they acquired such fame; and their answer,
l think hear them say, "by improving our
odd moments. ;"
Then again, Andrew johnson arose from
a poor and ignorant tailor, by improving his
odd moments, to the highest Office in the
gift of the people. Again we have most
striking illustration in the case of General
Banks of what can be done by self-exerion
and an earnest desire to spend our odd
moments in useful improvement. We see
him when but boy of twelve years of age,
taken from school and deprived of all the
privileges of tutored education, and put to
carrying bobbins in an extensive factory.
But, determined not to be discouraged,
he saved his money, few pence at a time,
for the purpose of buying books that he
might have some useful means of improving
his odd moments instead of spending them
in idle and worthless amusements, as, alas
far too many boys at present do. And what
has been the result He is now past the
prime of life, though still lives as model of
wisdom and intelligence. But let us now
run over his past career, and note the effects
of improving his odd moments. We see
him at an early age called upon the stump,
where he successfully combatted his oppo-
nents; we see him advocating, with the most
ardent zeal, principles of right, justice and
morality at a time when the peace of his
State was threatened by the existence of
social evil; we see him Governor OF one OF
the best States in the Union; we see him
enrolled with the command of one of the
prnclpal dlVlSlohs vi t"o ieuoi', amy "
our late civil war; lastly, we see him taking
an active part in the halls of Congress, hold
ing the imp portant Office Of Representative from
one of the best States in the Union. All this
honor during his life, besides immortalzing
his name, leaving it as an example for future
generations, was gained simply by improving
his odd moments.
Thus we see what can be done by self
exertion and the proper application of our
leisure time. Few indeed are the habits OF
vice contracted during the hours of the day
while we are engaged in our daily vocations,
or the days of the week in which we are
steadily employed, or the months OF the year
in which we find lucrative situations. But
we all at times have had, if not months OF
leisure, we have had weeks, if not weeks