Smyrna times., 1901-02-06
BENEFIT DERIVED IN BEGINNING RIGHT.
An Unfortunate Habit Of Putting off To.
Morrow What Should be Done To-Day.


"Begin right aud begin right away"
would be a good motto for young peO-
pie who have contracted the unfurtu
nate habit of dawdling, putting off
until tomorrow what should rightly be
done today.
Multitudes of wasted lives date the
beginning from the inception of this
dangerous habit Endowed with tai
ent and ability sufficient, if properly
used, to win recognition and apprecia-
tion in their chosen field, they were
called to render an account of their tai
ents, and because their work had al
ways been postponed until tomorrow,
they found themselves empty-handed
before the great tribunal from which
there is no appeal
If you have inherited a tendency to
delay action whenever possible, or per-
mitted itself to fasten itself upon your
life, rouse yourself and strangle this
insidiOus foe before it saps your ener-
gy, robs you of vitality, and adds one
more to the many victims that have
been sacrificed to this ancient Moloch.
Do not wait until tomorrow. Begin
now, before the sun goes down. Work
promptly done is an incentive to new
endeavor. 1t increases skill and gives
new courage to press forward. 1t re-
pays tenfold, even in the satisfaction
of the present hour, in the peace of
mind that comes from the concious-
ness of completed tasks.
"Procrastination," says poor Rich
ard, sis the thief of time" 1t steals
more than time. 1t purloins our free
dom, makes us slaves and debtors
whose to-mOrrows are ever mOrtgaged.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
! Creeps in this pretty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time"
Nor does the mischief stop here.
No man is sufficient unto himself for
his life at every point touches other
lives. Humanity Is one great family,
and no one can delay or postpone his
work without infringing on the rights
of others, without disarranging some
part of the social fabric. he he ever so
insignificant a unit in that fabric.
''The story is told of the boy who
agreed to NOW three acres of grass in
as many days. Looking over the field
the first morning he decided that the
work could be done in two days, and
spent the day playing with other boys.
The second morning his desire to
| begin the task was even weaker than
it had been the first. He whispered
to accusing concience that the work
could surely be done in one day, and
went off to play again. The third
morning, however, the field appeared
much larger than it had either of the
preceding days, and the boy sat down
awhile to think before he began his
work. Lulled by the hum of insects
in the grass aud the cool shade of the
trees under which he sat, he went to
sleep. When he awoke, it was high
noon. The sun had penetrated his
leafy shade. He arose and went to
dinner. As he could not possibly now
three acres of meadow in one after
noon, he betook himself to sport again.
next day it rained heavily, and the
next, and the next, until the already
over-ripe grass was ruined. Norepen-
tance, however sincere, could make
good the farmers loss. The loss in
character to the victim of dawdling, 1t
would be impossible to estimate.
Shifting the burden of the day to
the morrow is not only slothful and
careless, but betrays lack of thought
and foresight in planning work of
which no intelligent boy or girl should
be guilty You would not be so fool
ish as to try to pour a quart of water
in a pint measure. Is it less foolish
to try to squeeze the labor of two days
into one?
Do not sully the pages of this year,
so full of promise and possibility, with
excuses or pleas for tardiness or delay.
Spare yourselves the pricks of con-
cience, the palsied will, the loss of en-
ergy and ambition, the weakening of
the highest springs of character that
are the sure fruits of the policy, or
rather impolicy of procrastination.
Write, and write in large letters, on
every page of your diary for 1901
"Begin right, and begin right away
Had 70 Cououer or Die