Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1890-06-21
WORKING AND WAITING.
BY sENEx SMITH.

Sam Sledge, who is the Vulcan of our
neighborhood, was standing by his
forge, with one hand on the lever
that blows the bellows. He was NOV
ing the lever very slowly, and gossip
ing with Tom Jones and Bill Brand
as if he was a man of leisure, and not
one of the hardest workers in this
region. AS l watched him, could
not help saying:
"Why Sam you seem to be taking
matters very easy this morning"
But before he had time to answer,
a great and sudden change passed
over him. He dropped the lever and
seized a pair of tongs with his left
hand and heavy hammer with his
right hand. He drew red-hot horse
shoe out of the fire, laid it on the am
vii, and began to beat it with all his
might. The sparks flew all over us,
like shower of meteors, and the
ring of those stalwart blows, iron ups
on iron, almost deafened us. Nobody
could think of Sam lazy then. He
wrought like giant, and soon had
his shoe in shape for the foot of the
waiting horse. While pairing the
hoof he said:
"Friend Smith, you thought that /
was taking it easy a little while
ago; but don't you know that a
blacksmith has to wait until his iron
is hot? 1 was doing as much for that
job while 1 was watching the fire as
while 1 was pounding on the anvil. {"
Yes see. And what pity it
is that everybody does not under
stand-as you seem to-how waiting
and working belong together. 1 find
lots of people who are to lazy to work.
They are waiting, they say, for some
thing to turn up. And 1 find other
people who don't know how to wait
at all. They insist upon hammer
ing cold iron. We Americans are
the most impatient people on the
face of the earth. We are always in
a hurry. And, as haste makes
waste, it is a wonder that we are so
prosperous. 1t is not due to our in
tense activity, as some suppose, but
to the abundance of everything in
this new land. God is bountiful and
we are extravagant. We throw
away, in our reckless haste and hurry
enough to support millions of people,
| once asked friend who had spent
twenty years in China what impres.
sed him most on his return to this
country. His reply was: 1T seemed
to me as if l had landed in a place
where everybody was crazy. Crowds
were rushing to and fro, as if in mad
pursuit of something they knew mo-
what, The contrast of the scene
with those of the Orient, where every
moment is so deliberate, was startling
The Asiatics are never in a hurry
They have a genius for waiting
They go to the other extreme. Blu
the result is that, though they arr
miserably poor as compared with ou
people, they are more contented thai
we are. five could import a littl,
Of their superintendent patience, anC
mingle it with our impotence, W,
would be probably quite as success
full, and certainly happier "
THE INPATIENT PREACHER.
Watching that blacksmith, as h
waited until the iron was hot, / wa
reminded of bit of church history
Years ago, when 1 lived in the tow
of W., the church was very cold an,
worldly. 1t had been vacant 70
some time and many of the member
had fallen into habits wholly aincon
sistent with their Christian profeS
sion. We called pastor. He came
and entered upon his work with
great deal of zeal. He began at ono
to denounce visiting on the Sabbath
parlor dances, and other fashionabl
designations. Many were offended
and left the church. They were M
going there, they said, just to b
abused. And even the faithful fe'
who had mourned over the condut
of the others, did not want preachin
that was merely denunciatory. The
hungered for gospel food. The resu
was that after a few months the elC
ers were compelled to ask this son
thunder to resign, and he did. w
Secdred as his successor a man of Il
tally different spirit. Some though
and even said, that he lacked mOrt
courage-that he was afraid to Ger
aloud, and spare not" declaring uni
the people their transgressions. 81
I,o yrooobod olOpuontIx, fho Lowe