The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-01-23
THE EXCUSE OF WANT OF TIME.

There is no eXcuseso frequently urged
for the nOn-Observance of duties, or the
omission of desirable actions, as that
of the want of time. From the failure
to answer letter. or to keep an APP
pointment, to the neglect of regular
occupation or the nOn-performance of
palpable obligation this plea is con-
tinually made in apparent good faith
that it will be received as sufficient
apology by those to whom 1t is ad-
dressed. 1t would be a matter of sur
prise to most of us could d computa
tiOn be made as to what proportion of
the letters we write and receive are de-
voted to this single excuse. And few
would believe how many times day
the same plea Of the want of time
/ passes their lips. Is it then a wise,
reasonable and sufficient one? Are we
prepared to acknowledge all the i'm
/ plcations which it indicates?
"Iou have all the time there is was
| the pertinent reply made to one who
was uttering this favorite complaint
! statement which it would be difficult
! to controyert. The question is, how
ever having all the time, have we the
power to control the use Of it, or is it
heavily mortgaged against our will
In times of slavery the slave had none
of this power. save as it was granted as
a favor by his master. The free man.
on the contrary, owns his time, and
may do with it as he will. II he put it
under the directions of another, it is
only as contract, for an agreed com
pensation. No service that he can rem
der, from that of a street laborer to the
highest government official implies any
loss of freedom as to the disposal ofhis
time.
1t is quite true that circumstances
, and necessities surround us all in vari
Gus ways and that a feeling of mus
, governs us largely in this matter. Ye
, the final decision of how far such {
feeling is right and to be obeyed, o.
wrong and to be resisted, rests will
! each of us at last, and we cannot eScap'
the responsibility. 1t is, of course, In
, cumbent upon every man to earn hi
living, to support his family, to educat
: his children; but in what way he Shal
do this and how much of his time will
Q be necessary to devote to it is a matte
! for no one but himself to determine
: The man who immerSeS himself in busi
r ness that he may accumulate vast prop
: erty, or that his family may live luxuri
- Gus and idle lives, has certainly no righ
: to plead want of time for other claims
f 1t is not true that he cannot cOmpl
e with them, but that he has chosen nc
e to do so. The woman who, absorbed
n round of gayety and society, declare
y that she has no time to train her chi
|, dren and superintend her household.
a uttering an excuse as vain as it is fals'
= She simply decides to use her time fe
l. other purposes. And this liberty {
a choice belongs to every one, in spit
7, of any desire or attempt to disclaim
n Many persons complain of the mutt
q plicity of things which they are aske
s and expected to do, many of which the
ir would like to do were they able, b,
IS which they could not accomplish WEI
ir life ten times as long as is. Does N
,e this very truth, which is so fully rea
II lied in all our city life, call rather #
n an increase of self-government than Fl