The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1881-03-26
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
POPULAR DELUSIONS.
No. Ill.

BALTIMORE, March 18th, 1881.
Still another of the mischievous proverbs that
have long been enbalmed in popular favor reads
thus: "Better late than never" What boon is
therein conveyed to the sluggard the wavering,
the irresolute! What premium offered to man S
selfshness What stimulus presented for cult
waiting and cherishng inertness, hesitation and
procrastination What soothing embrocation
for heart torn by disappointment or crushed by
defeat
Whilst the vigilant, energetic soldier in lfes
battle, discerning each advantage it arises,
promptly avails of every appliance that can bring
it within his grasp AID strikes the first and ercest
blow for the prize, the needless, indolent disciple
of this false and fatal philosophy waits in vacla-
ting ndecision, like Mcawber, ''for something to
turn up" deuded into disastrous security by this
misleading aphorism, ignorant that victory has
crowned the banner of his adversary, careless or
unconscious that his opportunity has gone and
cannot be recovered.
Is this the mental pabulum with which to nour-
ish men-to develop nerve and muscle-to breed
courage, fortitude and enterprise? Will reliance
on this treacherous maxim build towns, cities and
manufactures, found governments, create COM
merce, advance religion, science, agriculture and
the arts? Rather will not men, under its baleful
influence, gradually sink into imbeclity and
idiocy, slowly but inevitably relapsing into the
impalpable atoms whence, according to some
modern scientists, tney were originally eVolVed
When this infdel proyerb, "better late than
never" is confronted with the successfully incuba-
ted proposition of cheerful christian philosophers
that "procrastination is the thief of time," and
this is supplemented with that sprightly old
legend, "never put off until Tomorrow what can
be done to-day" what becomes of it? Under
which standard shall we fght-the inGde or
christian?
Yet these willy moralsts who thus Indignantly
epitomize falsehood in proverbs, reckless of the
cost to mankind in the eager expectation of being
cannonzed therefor, have secured so firm hold
upon popular regard that their insdious dogmas
are accepted as crceds and themselves worshipped
as saints.
But who is deceived by this cunningly devised
snare? Will any accept as valid payment of ac-
knowledged obligations mere promises Of future
liquidation, happily contented with the comforting
reelection that their recompense will be "better
late than never?" When death, grimly standing
in the open door, beckons us to follow, can we be-
guile him into waiting our convenience by plead
ing this pernicious proverb, "better late than
never"
We may deceive ourselves, degradingly bind
ourselves to the chariot wheels of this infamous
faith but there will continually rise to gaze the
apparitions of those old-fashioned notions that
snow is the accepted time" "to-morrow never
comes" and "never is long, long day." If we
must be sacrificed to this cheap form of condensed
wisdom, let us at least be inundated upon an altar
founded in truth and. exhaling some grateful
aroma Faithfully, CHESAPEAKE.