The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-30
1y Charles Wagner, Author Of "rhe simple 8Llfe"'.

are lustreless s this one alone charms
them. When 1t comes they will do this
or that-n the evening Of their days It
will be like a golden ray reaching up To-
the morning Of their life, and they can
already see themselves with their eyes
! fixed on the soft light of the end: '.All
lis well that ends WELL,
My brethren. this mistake that con-
ssts in discountIng the last hour is not
an isolated one that Is peculiar to
few men. 1t is q collective error-it has
been put up as q dogma and has been
taught. The Importance of the end has
been SO immensely exaggerated that
there has often resulted a depreciation of
the whole life to the profit Of that clev-.
enth hour. IN
How many men have lived in tho con-.
viction that suffices that the last breath
should be surrounded by a last formula.
to make fine life out Of what has been
a very ugly one! That Is dangerous
state of mind. All the hours of our life
are precious. To losei or neglect one is
want OF respect toward the One who
gave them all with the same love. The
safest way is to use the hour that is
passing at this moment. To dsdain It
and to rely on the last hour is to leave
lose sure treasures for the sake of de-
ceitful images.
The eleventh hour, as much for our
existence as for the idle school boy or
for the workman who is careless Of his
time, the eleventh hour is full of uncer-5
.tainty, of surprise and Of disturbance.
Many events may prevent us from profit
ing by It. Things may happen that are
quite different to what we expected, and
al
thus prevent US from deriving from It,
what, we expected to derive. That hour
may como as thief in the night. so
quickly, so unexpected, that we may not
know of its coming. DO not rely upon
the eleventh hour.
If there are men who rely upon TIL.
hour, there are others who dis.
daln 1t. Through a peculiar state OF
mind certain people only attach value
to what they possess In quantity. They
only like days In the series of days: they
only care for a glass of water II 1t has
been drawn from an overlooking sprinG,
an enormous amount OF 1t when they
have used a little of it. They do not
care to, see remnants before them, like tile
guest who considers It q dislonor to taAc
tho last piece on n DISH For such people.
when there are only remnants remain
ing. there Is nothing, Thus. some men,
when mn hour comes that Is only an hour
or even tho fragment OF an hour, do noth-
Ing with 1t. II there were other hours
to come after 1t they would take the 'trou-
ble to utilize 1t. But 1t is only a rem
mint Of time, and It passes by vain and
fruHless. Thus In some schools when the
holidays draw near the pupils no llonger
work--the last fortnight Is sacrificed, That
is what some people do with the last
period of life. They consider that the last
days are all useless.
Ali when they We're still young, when
they had tho hope of long days before
Them. they worked, they were Interested III
something Now their eyes are dim,
nothing interests them. FULL OF dsdan
forethe eleventh hour they let their arms
fall, they make 40 use of It. Dull old
lge; ,frni tless end painful illnesses. whose
issue can Stbes foreseen; how many men
ran only draw ono lamentable conclusion;
failure! ~
Why dIsdaini the eleyenth hour, " poverty
from which riches can DO derived hope
that we realize this; I hope that from the
examples that surround us We understand
It's rare and unique beauty. But let IN
first throw q side glance upon those who
do not dsdain the eleventh hour, but
who spoil II. There are men over whose
AZ an q IN ta 1tty searf1s tO how and this