Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-01-12

duties.
We must have intelligence to fit our
selves for the duties of life. How DO
most successful men get that ncccS |
sary intelligence? will tell you. It
is by improving the few moments the
few stray moments of the day ana the
evening, which. AZ sacred Fragments
crowd around them One farmer
works and works hard. but he does
things merely because his forcfathcrs
did the same things. lie plants wheat
in one field because his father and
grandfather planted wheat i'll that
field. The other farmer says 10 him
self, 81 am farmer but am going
to be an intelligent farmer" He sends
to Washington and gets the latest re-
ports from the agricultural depart
ment He buys the latest books sent
out by our great agricultural colleges
lie finds, by studying during the rev
stray minutes that come to him almost
every day and night, that his farm has
lust the right kind Of soil for Il peach
orchard lie plants the peach trees.
He stops growing wheat. He increases
the value of his farm from So per acre
annually to $40 per acre. Think not |
am telling an imaginary case. am
drawing my Illustration from the own
crs of two farms among the Michigan
hills Both the two farmers worked
hard. but the successful farmer. by
jealousy guarding his spare few mo
mcnts each day. doubled and trchlcd
and five times increased the value of
his property.
Looi. out For the Half Hours.
Young man. be careful about the few
moments which you have been wasting
each day. Guard those extra few mo-
ments for intelligent study. Look out
for that wasted half hour during the
midday meal. Look ont for the tme
you have been accustomed 10 spend
| every morning and evening III the
street car on your way to business
looking idly around or trying TO pass
! it away in reading the advertisements
or the sporting columns in the daily
newspapers Look out for that half
hour which You fool away in your
room before you turn in for the night.
A gigantic work Of intellectual growth
can be done if only the few wasted mo-
ments of each day are gathered up for
close application to books. nne day
Philip Of Macc,ion father of Alexander
the Great, was talking to DionN '.lis.
the son of Dionysits. the great general
of Syracuse. He said to the son: II do
not believe YOUR father could have ever
written the odes and tragedies attrib-
utcd TO his pen during his busy military
life" My father" The son replicG,
wrote those masterpieces during the
time you and | have wasted at our
tables in fcasting." Young man. better
improve your stray moments rs did
Dionysius the Great than fritt"r them
away as most folks are doing, with
their lips pressed against the cilalicc of
pleasure. Better cOusvcrate whole days
Ia ifes journey 10 making yourself
better and truer than to drop them into
uselossncss. as we LOST our Thursday
in the smooth waters Of the Pacific in
our journey around the world
But. though many minutes which In
the aggregate amount 10 many days
are lost To the service of Christ on ac-
count OF our own follicS, how many
are lost to Christ 10y reason of people
who seem to have nothing to do them
selves AMI who seem To be Possessed
with the idca that we have nothing &c
do: Alas. how many mornings Their,
have been when we arose with cic;u
minds ANA hearts auDiou> for study
These thoughts. like Il great flock o1
nyng doves. seemed ready ia roost 81
oIr study desk Then IDEAS came no
as solitary scouts. but marShaicJ IL
great armies. ready to wheel in line t,
Attac, a, our command Then horror
seemed to palsy our fingers. The door
bell rang In came Il threatening no
mad ready % cncamp upon our prem
Uses for the next two hours Though
a "squatter." he came not empty band
ed He had piled upon his back al
the gossip and the small talk" Of III
neighborhood. He had great caravan
halted In your front yard. with all tn
scandals and the hosoiled reputation
of the homes he had been lately poster
ing. And lie talks and he talks unit
he drives away all orr ideas and al
| our desire for work and MI our ambi
ton, and he leaves in his wake
, wrecked day.
Z "Oestroycrs OF Time"
e How many errands Of mercy am
$ pressing duties in the home have bocl
n ruined in the busy housewives life by