The Bossier banner., 1891-02-05
WISE SAWS 0lssEcTFn
ProcrastinatiOn Is Not AIwsysa v;c.x.-
Prnmptness q Y.rtnn --n.

Proerastination Is Not Always v.eeN..
Promptuess u Virtue.
There are several wise saws tb..4w
of the evils of procrastination and ,e.
virtues of promptness, and thew
good enough as general guides a..
there are particular cases in which -.
crastination is advisable and &
which the teachings of such nyoys.t
might properly be reversed. There ~
indeed, equally wise saws that cost.s
dict them as, for example: aTb,.s.
twice before you act once. 7ba \,
fort to make a phrase cpigrammaH.
usually leaves it without the quaNss.
tions necessary to the statement os
whole truth. It's sometimes we'll 10 tbint
long while before acting, and tboogs
proerastination may rob Us Of time ~
loss can be borne if delay has breaubs
some eompensating advantage. Tss
fact is that men should act promnev
only after mature consideration. wbes
they have clearly made up their mipss
what to do. The impulsiye people wbs
act without thinking are sometimes
praised for their promptness and com.
mended because they do not procrase
nate, but some day they make grave
mistake because they were too prompt
in action, and then they are eensure5
Many instances of this kind were Ire.
sented during the war. Bold, dash.
ing Generals who had gained BON.
ular favor by their quick move.
mants held their regulations So long as
they were successful. and lost them Il
quickly when disaster followed reeg.
less advance. 0nihe contrary. theGsn
erals who stopped to think twice lor
oftener) before they acted, ana iaereov
frequently saved their armies from az.
feat, lost standing by their inaebion even
where it was the best generalship. Tie
greatest and most successful command.
ers were those who combined the QaaI.
tiles of the thinker with the promptness
OF the impulsiye man OF action. They
did not act impulsively, nor did theY
procrastinate or delay when they had
made up their minds what to al
The procrastnation that Is tho
thief of time is the delay TO act when
tho proper time has come, not the a.
lay that awaits opportunity Some ene
has paraphrased an old proverb 80 IS q
make it read: Never do to-day what
you can put off until tomorrow and
there is reason, as we'll as wit in Tie
saying. It's value. like that Of olho
sayings, lies las Captain Cutie says ia
the application. Thera are times when
one should not put off till to-morrOa
what can be done to-day, but Just as
truly there are times when one should
not do to-day what can without 10.
jury to any one be postponed
Tho delay allows time for reaae.
tion and for a change OF con.
ditions. One of the circumstances nm
der which delay becomes a virtue Is
where the feelings have been greatly
outraged, and where instant action Il
sure to be more under the control Of the
emotions than of the reason. The wise
man governs himself. but he becomes 0
mere machine if he does SO by suppres.
sion of his feelings and emotions Kemp
ing these as Gensitive and fresh in age
as in youth, he who governs himself
wisely does not allow them TO control
his actions. but waits until they have
ceased to influence him and reason eau
resume her sway. Who has not
experienced the advantage 70 he
derived from leaving letter On.
mailed until time gives opportunity ier
cool revision? Who has not experienced
the evil results Of hasty word Or )
hasty action? The delays thatare daa.
gerous arise from conditions where tbe
right course of action is plain. Iha
procrastination that steals nothing q
worth is that which gives time ioi
deliberate thought not swayed BY emo
tion or passion. Proverbs are epigan'
matte condensations OF sound thought
but if taken literally they are not sass
guides Their Office is to furnish tAs
subjects for further thought before tlsg
are applied. Baltimore Sun.