The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1905-02-17
FARMvILLE, VA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY II, 1905

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is by improving the few moments. the
few stray moments OF the day and the
evening, which, as sacred fragments,
crowd around them.
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 out for the time
you have been accustomed TO spend
every morning and evening I'm the
street car on your way 10 business
looking idly around or trying TO pass
1t 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 I'm for the night.
A gigantic work Of intellectual growth
can be done II only the few wasted mo-
ments Of each day are gathered up FOR
close application to books. One day
Philip OF Macedon, father Of Alexander
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the son Of Dionysius, the great general
Of Syracuse. He said to the son: Il DO
not believe your father could have ever
written the odes and tragedies attrib-
uted to his pen during his busy military
life" my father" the son replied,
wrote those masterpieces during the
time you and l have wasted at our
tables in feasting." Young man, better
improve your stray moments as did
Dionysius the Great than frltter them
away az most folks are doing. with
their lips pressed against the chalice OF
pleasure Better conseerate whole days
in llfe's Journey TO making yourself
better and truer than to drop them into
uselessness
But, though many minutes, which in
the aggregate amount to many days,
are lost to the service Of Christ on ac-
count OF our own follies, how many
are lost to Christ by reason Of people
who seem to have nothing to do them
selves and who seem to be possessed
with the ldes that we have nothing to
dot Alas, how many mornings there
have been when we arose with clear
minds and hearts anxious for study.
These thoughts, like a great flock Of
dying doves, seemed ready TO roost on
our study desk. Then ideas came not
as solitary scouts, but marshaled in
great armies. ready to wheel in line to
attack at our command. Then horror
seemed to palsy our fingers. The door
bell rang. In came a threatening no.
mad ready to encamp upon our prem
ises for the next two hours. Though
"sQuatter," he came not empty hand
ed He had piled upon his back all
the gossip and the "small talk Of the
neighborhood. He had great caravans
halted In your front yard with all the
scandals and the besoiled regulations
OF the homes he had been lately poster
ing. And he talks and he talks until
he drives away all our ideas and all
our desire for work and all our ambi-
ton. and be leaves in his wake a
wrecked day.
How many errands Of mercy and
pressing duties In the home have been
ruined in the busy housewives life by
prolonged visit Of one OF these "daugh-
ters Of iniquity" called the "destroyers
Of timer They criticise your husbands
and your children. They find fault with
the arrangements OF your homes. They
find fault with your dressmakers, and
they try TO steal your cooks. They find
fault with everything yet they stay on.
They are respectable thieves of your
time, who cannot be landed in Jail. but |
they are a bigger nuisance TO you than
IL they stole the meat out OF your ice
chest or the bread and cake from your
cupboards. All. these destroyers Of |
timel How many precious moments,
which in the aggregate have amounted |
to precious days Of work. have been
lost for us In the journey Of life. with |
its vital opportunities. through their
visits Well wrote oliver /
Wendell Holmes in reference TO such |
as these:
Ghun such as lounge through afternoons
and ewes
And on thy dial write. Beware Of
thieves"
Felon OF minutes. never taught to feel
The worth OF treasures which thy fingers |
steal;
Pick my left pocket OF its silver dime.
But spare the right-it holds my golden |
time.
God says: Work, work, work Work, |
for the night cometh when no man can
work" That means we must fight |
against those who would waste our
precious moments as well as against
our own slothful natures, and Of all |
for busy men think this one
Of the most important Where there is
one busy man who would voluntarily |
waste his time there are ten lazy fel-
lows who are ready TO waste II for him.
Look out that these despised "nomads"
msy not ruin any more Of your days Of