The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-10-30
SAVING AND WASTING TINE.


WHEN people say that they are doing
this or that ''to pass away the time"
they forget that ''time is the stuff life is
made OF"
Wasting time is the same thing as
wasting life, and those who know how
to economic time have learned the
only possible way of lengthening their
lives.
Almost every one has observed that
some persons are able to accomplish
great deal, while others, who have as
favorable opportunities, equal talent,
and as good health as they, do very lit
tie. Now, one person has really no
more time than another only he chooses
to use it differently.
When you read the lives of famous
persons, you will always find that they
have been great workers. The cele-
brated Madame Roland was not only
politician and a scholar, but a house,
keeper. In her appeal to Posterity,"
she says: "Those who know how to en-
ploy themselves always find leisure mo-
ments, while those who do nothing are
in want of time for everything"
Mrs. Somerville, the famous astrono-
mer, knew how to crowd great deal
into life. Young people are apt to sup
pose that one who was as learned as
she was must have spent all her life in
hard study, and have had very stupid
time. But Mrs. Somerville learned to
use her moments so carefully that she
had time for many things besides her
mo bat,,otioS Che int hill
liant society, read and wrote much, and
let me whisper to the girls-found
time to make her own dresses and at
tend to many domestic duties, which
some people would consider unworthy
the attention of great and learned
mind. What helped her most, in all
these varied employments, was that she
had the power of so concentrating her
attention upon what she was doing,
that nothing going on around her could
distract her thoughts.
1t is true that all cannot do this, if
they try ever so hard; but many who
have not formed the habit of concen-
trating attention cannot read to them
selves or write an ordinary letter where
others are talking.
Another good way of saving time is
to learn to move quickly, not forget
ting, however, that there is kind of
haste which "makes waste" Try
to acquire dexterity in doing those
common things which must be done
very frequently For instance, the
operation of dressing has to be gone
through by all, many times in the
of rnan1,la
always dressed at the appointed time,
while others, who have been busy as
long as they, are sure to be behind
hand, because they have habit of
dawdling.
Whatever you have to do, learn first
to do it in the best way, and then to be
as little while about it as is consistent
with doing it properly.
Those who take care of the moments
find that the hours take care of them
selves.
Some people keep up a large CORE
spondence by writing letters in their
odd moments, while others are always
burdened with unanswered letters, and
when they do write, are sure to take
time which makes it necessary for them
to neglect some more important duty.
Another good rule is, not to try TO
do too many things at time. There
is very pretty story by Jane Taylor,
called "Busy Idleness," which illus
trates this. 1t is an account of two
sisters, one of whom worked hard for
two weeks to accomplish nothing but
collection of beginnings, all of very
useful things, but not one complete;
while the other, without half the
trouble, had really done a good deal
by not attempting more than she was
able to finish.
We waste more time in waiting for
ourselves than we do in waiting for
others, and after we have done one
thing, we are often so long in deciding
what to take up next, that when we have
decided, the time is gone which we
ought to have given to it.
Another help TO save time, is the
habit of keeping things where they be-
long, so that you will not waste precious
moments in looking for them. Have at
least two books always in reading-one
which does not require very close at
tention, for leisure moments, when you
do not feel like doing much, and one
solid one, which requires more con-
tinuous thought. l suppose this was
the plan of the old lady who always sent
to the library for "a sermon book, and
another book"