The Red Cloud chief., 1897-06-04

cessful do not occur. Never put of
till tomorrow what can be done today
is a maxim for all time. Napoleon
said that fifteen minutes had won and
lost many a battle, and every event in
the life Ut the greatest conquerer shows
that he knew how to siege an oppor.
tunity ia time, that promptness, the
use IT the moment was with him a
continual virtue. La all the stirring
events of his life, On the arid deserts
Of Egypt, on the sunny PLANES of Italy,
in the somber forests Of Germany, on
Russia's forest bound plans, every
act, deed aud drought demonstrated,
that one of the greatest minds appre'
ciated the Importance vi doing what.
ever was to be done without delay.
As Napoleon approached the Alps with
his army lac asked the Swiss guide
whether the way (pointing) was pass
ible. The guide responded trembling
and frightened, Barely passible, sir
That was enough, the command was
forwarded aud the impossible noun
tain yielded to indomitable energy a
opportuuism. tits told that when Ma
poleon arrived ut Marcngo the battle
was already lost but as the sun de-
clined he muttered there is just time
to recover the day. Giving his orders
with a rapid and characteristic energy
he soon turned defeat into victory apd
this supreme moment on a lost field
made possible for him to become the
Emperor of France. There is a motto
inscribed in Latin on a dial at Oxford,
"The hours perish aud are laid to our
charge" And perhaps many a passer
by has read it to gain renewed vim and
energy for prosecution Of his affairs,
and a renewed appreciation OF the mo-
ments as they pass. An Italian schol-
ar placed an inscription over his door
thus, "Whoever enters must join me in
my work" The sentiment may have
been harsh but the moments were
precious and the scholar surely reaped
the reward Of his precautiOn IN Great
ing an Inheritance of thought for COM
ing generations. Great men do not
write books in a single day or make in
ventions in a moment. Some OF our
greatest authors have written their
masterpieces more than fifteen times.
Books that we may have read in an
hour NAV have found their beginning
in their authors youth and ended in
his whitening hair. Edison has worked
year after year in his garnet on his
great and successful Inventions, the
photograph, vitascOpe, mimeograph
and other important inventions. Yet
with the author and inventor every
moment of the long labor was the I'M
portant one, aud none passed without
doing like the drop of water, cOntribus'
lag its proper share. 1t is not a mod
EN- lesson that the seconds should be
Improved. Renowned, pathetic Homer
VI ancient times, penned literature
that any nation would be proud TO own
"seyen cities contend for Homer dead,
), In which the living Homer begged for bread
As some people never leave a mo
ment u~nimproved, so Others leave toe
many. In France there wasa besieged
army which was ready to attack the
enemy but at the last moment the com
manding general concluded to wait un
til morning. When morning came and
the sun arose with majesty over the
> hills as if to lend his royal splendor,
the enemy had fled and the guard had
lost reputation. The battle of life may
Tins be lost or won. How much the
> coming generation depends upon the
culture and refinement of the present
, Our b~eardless boys will soon be digni
tied men directing affairs. The schoo
! girls of today will he the educated
; women of tomorrow. Commerce,
> medical science, education, politics
and religion will succeed in proportion
to the physical, intellectual and mora
training of our young people of today
!, How necessary then that we improvs
the golden moments AS they are given
to us by an allwise creator.
Trust no future how e'er pleasant,
Let the dead past bury Its dead;
, Act-act In the living present,
:. Heart within. and Gsd o'erhead."
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az r;.i,-,s D,sv IN HIs C>unsrvV