Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1885-11-12
NO TIME"
A Miserable Plea Given as an Excuse for
Dere1totiou OF Duty.

Many devices have been put forth to
economic time, to ward of old age
and to avert an oarly death. There is
n peculiar contradiction involved in the
conduct Of certain persons who com.
plain Of the brevity Of life; who excuse
their sins of omission by the trans
parent plea that they have mo time."
and yet who are continually devisine
means ITO kill time" and bridge the
hours that intervene between their busi-
ness engagements. Red Jacket. poor
Indian chief, made a wiser reply than
any philosopher" says Emerson, when,
in reproving some one who complained
that he had not time enough, he said.
"Wel, suppose you have all there
Is" IL Is with time as II Is with wealth.
Men of means, who buy gold plate,
costly equipages, contribute to cam
paign funds, pay their club dues and
give fetes and banquets, have certainly
no money for furthering any active
philanthropic work. So the indolent
person. as well as the hard-working,
industrious laborer, appropriates his
time 10 certain ends which yield him
more OF less profit as he values the uses
Of time and the rewards which are con-
tingent upon his labors. before he has
fairly considered the value of time and
its utility.
Men speak of time as II II were an
article Of little value, save as a means
of prolonging life aud enabling them
to buy and sell at a profit. When the
shop-keepcr counts his cash. puts up
the shutters. blows out the lights and
turns the key in his shop door, does he
open the door OF his thinking-shop and
retire his mind from his business. or
does he foot up imaginary columns of
figures, and wait on spectral customers,
with few snatches of sleep at inter-
walls, until he opens his day-books in
the morning9 What a weary routine,
where there are no books nor compan-
ionship, no music, pictures, nor inno-
cent diversion, no rest for the mind, no
serious thought, no desire to know the
real meaning of life. because one has
no timel In the impatient desire to
get rich men are cheated by timo out
OF their just reckonings They waste
SO much time in amassing wealth that
they have no time left for enjoying it.
Their early habits teach them false sys-
TENS of computing time, and in after
years they gaze In blind and stupid
amAzement at their calendars Old age
comes before they have suffered any
loss Of vitality in their dull, calculating
brain, and Yields them no resources for
enjoying their latter days. They lack
tho ingenuity to kill time. Having
neglected, when the mind was young,
to improve the spare hours, and having
made even these an excuse for money
getting. they can not draw as IL were
on early deposits, so die like Midas in
the midst OF their wealth.
Thackeray, while 10 this country, re-
marked one evening TO friend OF the
writer that he had met a great many
men and women in the United States,
| but no children. Incredible as II NAV
seem. this terrible evil Of money-getting
/ takes possession Of the minds Of the
young before they know anything OF
/ The value Of time or of money. They
mature in the ways Of the world and
catch the feyerish spirit of the times be-
fore they have attained their stature.
The great lesson OF life, as exemplihed
on every hand, Is money-making. They
are hidden to emulate the men who
have risen from obscurity 10 be mer-
chant princes and money kings Boys
are sent 10 preparatory schools with
this sole end in view; they obtain sham
fits. are rushed through college, are
drawn or driven into business, and
thence follow in the footsteps Of their
fathers, all Of whom are practical men,
and wish their sons TO be practical men
after them. In the hurry and worry OF
business ard professional life they sci.
dom learn the uses Of time and its
value. "How little leisure can | con-
tent myself with7" Is asked self-iRter.
negatively. What real, practical in.
terest have in affairs that do not per.
tain directly or Indirectly TO my bust.
ness?" what are you reading now.
adays?" we will ask business man
"Readlngl Bless you. l never get
time for reading Haven't read book
In years No leisure in the daytime;
when night comes on am tired and
sleepy. It's all | can do to skim the
newspapers. Life is too short to devote
much time 10 books"
No timeW-a shameful and a sor-
/ rowful excuse for men who have time
for making money. Bunyan was a
! poor travelling tinker; what time had
he for readingp What time had Bur.
, ritt, the blacksmith? What time had
n now venerable editor and successful
man Of affairs, who, when a boy, did
his reading at night by the light OF {
pine Knot while feeding the sap kettle
OF sugar manufactory2 Ignorance
! is not the result OF no time, but ol
misspent time. Il would be as absurd
To say that n laborer has M Tina foi
} eating his dinner as 10 claim that &
man OF whatsoever occupation has nc
: time for reading.
Tie plea Of "no time" Is a miser
, able, shufliing plea when given as ar
, excuse for the dereliction OF duty. i
we do not take time now il may be toe
late. for soon time will merge int
eternity. II Is doubtful, too, whether
we lengthen life by living fast. ant
crowding as many incidents and eyentl
into the day as the day will hold; fol
IL Is impossible 10 interfere with tho
laws of nature and set back her clock
as we regulate the hands Of our owr
timepieces- They live the longest who
make the best use of time; and wher
good deeds are made the links OF the
chain which constitutes mans tenure
or tie 10 the things OF this life, he Il
happier and more secure than the mar
Of the world, whose life is "a series oi
broken links" or a rope Of sand
Christian at Work.
-
Rev Samuel Jones. OF Georgia, IA
In his thirty-eighth year; and his minis
/ try al tWelve wears has beoD eOnGned N