The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1872-09-05
Waste Ends

One Of the most beneficial, If one
of theShumblest applications OF eco
nomic science, has been the utfliza-
ton Of waste. There is scarcely
such a thing as absolutely. useless
Inatter-certainly not in nature, and
only to a very small degree in hu-
man labor; industry and Ingenuity
having combined to discover pos
sibIe value In all that was formerly
refuse, 50 that the process of recon
structiOn and Concentration pefpet
ually going on in the universe
might be as complete in the Ian
cashlre mills as it is in the cosmic,
and the PytbagO: can doctrine jus
tifedin the work OF manufactcries
IL not in the habits Of souls. And
ones one individual life is after the
same pattern, Every one has his
or her waste end, both Of time and
energy, both Of affection and intel
lect which sore use and others do
not; but those who do best utilize
them are those who do most in the
world, who rise highest in the scale
OF human dignity, and who live the
fullest and wOrthiest lives.
Perhaps the most important are
the waste ends of time. 1t is the
extraordinary work which tells. The
daily task has TO be done c0ute qui
coate, but few Of us arc so closely
pressed TO the grindstone as not to
have a few extra moments TO our
sclves---waste ends, On leisure for
good Uses, 'alslRs-like to make them,
moments wherein TO idle, or mo
meuts wherein to labor; time which
we absolutely destroy; or time which
we cherish and employ; short spans
Of worthless desert, or small gardens
of rich and cultivated loveliness. 1t
Is in our own power what We shall
make Of these spare moments; and
some of us are wise enough to make
them both fsnitful aid beautiful If
Others, the fools of time, leave them
unused, without worth ana with
out vitality. All sorts of uses can
be made OF these waste ends OF
time. People have been known. to
learn language in half an hour
here and shalt an hour there,
which others would have wasted tn
counting The rain drops on the win
dow pane, or making out the faces
Of friends IN the fire. Books have
been written In these9 leisure ffag
ments;E aud theAslist, of fauHnine
work that can besdohe during them
is almost endless. When we meet
with any one who gets through
as much again IL his or her life as
the mass of folks accomplish, we
are sure to find two things-ne-
thodical arrangement of time and
labor, and the utilization of waste
ends. And of the two the latter is
only a very little way. behind the
former in Importance. To be sure,
endless labor-no spare mcments al
lowed, no waste ends left unused,
tOiling and a moiling that knows
no rest and takes nc breath-though
laudable in intention, is a failure in
result il done without method 1t
Is merely an industrious muddle,
which makes as much confusion as
it clears away, entangling one end
OF the skem as last as It lays the
other straight But then the most
methOdicai arrangement Of time and
labor that leaves all manner of IN
filed gaps is, IN its turn unsatisfat-
tory. 1t is a nicely -systemized. order
Of incompleteuGss-like a weil-fenc-
ed garden Of alternate luxuriant
beds and barren ones, full-set flower
pots and bare spaces cut into the
turf With only clay and cindcrsf on
the top, and perhaps the contrast
between that which is so well done
Rpd that which is left untouched IS
more painful than If there was not
SO much cause TO admire on, the one
hand, whilet obliged TO leoilIemI1- on
the ether Ir- -r. f-t