Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-12-28
ABOUT puNcruaLIrY.
Tho Secret OF tho suoocss OF somo Famous
Men of Gonlua

, rho seorot OF tho SUCCESS OF somo Famoui
Men of Genius.
Genius Mr. Carlisle has boldly dc
fined TO bo patience. One might vel
adopt the style here, and say that sue
cess Is tho child of two very plain pa
rents-Punctuality and Accuracy. Il
is tho habit with too many young
men-especially young men-of parts
and OF culture - to fancy that the
practice OF the commonplace qualities
we have just named is beneath them
that 1t would detract somehow from
their ecldt; that IL would render them
commonplace, and bring them down
from a higher elevation. Never was
there greater mistake than this. The
most famous men Of genius have been
noted for their punctuality and accu-
racy; tho power OF taking pains, OF
concentrating themselves, was their
most essential gift. "Sir Walter Scotts
punctuality," says Mr.. Smiles, "was
one Of the most carefully cultivated OF
his habits, otherwise it had not been
possible for him TO get through such an
enormous amount of literary labor.
He made 1t rule to answer every let
ter received by him the same day, ox-
| cept whore inquiry and deliberation
were requisite. 1t was his practice to
rise by five o'clock and light his own
fire. BY the time the family assembled
for breakfast, between nine and ten,
he had done enough-to use his
words-to break the neck OF the
days work. Yet he said on one occa-
sion: Throughout every part OF my
career / have felt pinched and ham,
pered by my own ignorance Think
of the humility of that confession, and OF
the healthy, frank, candid nature of the
man, in whose character there was cer-
tainly no room for affectation! Even
in the case of poets OF the moro sensi-
tive, passionate or irritable order, we
find that the power OF abstracting
themselves from outward disturbances
and working on amid manifold draw
backs was one OF the chief elements in
their success Wordsworth was one of
the most systematic and accurate of
men, as we should expect him to be;
but Byron and Shelley were like Schil-
Ter in their power Of accomplishing stiff
bouts OF work, and sticking to their work
till it was finished. Milton, it is clear, was
not only systematically laborious, but
laboriously careful and accurate. In
deed, scarce any thing in biography
IN mn Gttt.r Cd
such men as Byron and Shelley showed
OF devoting certain portions OF time to
certain things-not the least of their
causes of irritation being Interruptions
OF trivial kind while they were at it.
As for the great men of action, all
alike have confessed to the power of
punctuality and accuracy in their lives.
When Nelson was on the eve of de-
parture for one of his great expedi-
tions, the coachman said to him: Tho
carriage shall be at the door punctually
at six o'clock" "A quarter before, " said
Nelson: II have always been a quarter
of an hour before my time, and it has
made man of me-.
Wellington was never known to be
fys minutes late; the most ill-written
note from an old private who had served
under him in the Waterloo campaign
was certain to receive full and imme-
diate answer. So with General Wash
ington. When his secretary on one oc-
casion excused himself for the lateness
Of his attendance, and laid the blame
upon his watch, his master quietly
said; "Then you must get another
watch, or another secretary"
Punctuality intimately connects itself
with the subject of delay, though some
how it is most readily associated in the
mind with minor matters of appoint
ment. 1t is, in reality, far-reaching;
ard there is no important or moment
ous interest that it does not touch. On
the great clock OF time there is but one
word, and that word is now" Now"
says good authority, ''is the watch
word of the wise" Now is on the
banner of the prudent. Let us keep
this little word always in our mind;
and, whenever any thing presents itself
10 us in the shape of work, whether
mental or physical, we should do it
with all our might, remembering that
''now," is the only time for us. 1t is
indeed a sorry way to get through the
world by putting off till tomorrow,
saying, Then" / will do it. No! This
will never answer. Now" is ours,
Then" may never be. Christian
Union.