Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-01-14


our course. or perhaps we would never
o. able to do so. We might land in
China. as a dishonest captain made the
pilgrim fathers land on the cold, bleak
New England shores when they had
set sail for the southern lands. No
matter how good n mans purpose may
be. If he knows not the laws of navi-
CATION he cannot guide his boat to the
right harbor."
What would you think of laborer
who should enter your sickroom and
say: discharge the doctor. Let me
be your physician and prescribe your
Medicines What would you think
of mechanic who would try to con-
duet case In court when he did not
know the first A B C's Of the law?
What would you think of a minister
who would try to build the Panama
canal when he had never taken
course In engineering? And yet the
landlubber trying to pilot a ship, the
hodcarrier trying to cure sickness, the
layman trying to draw up his own
last will and testament" the clergy
man trying to be the chief engineer Of
Brooklyn bridge. Is no more absurd
than the ordinary men and women try
ing to perform their tasks in life with
out an intelligent knowledge of their
duties.
We must have intelligence to fit our
selves for the duties of Hfe. How do
most successful men get that neces-
sary intelligence? l will tell you. It
is by improving the few moments, the
few stray moments of the day and the
evening, which, as sacred fragments,
crowd around them. One farmer
works and works hard, but he does
things merely because his forefathers
did the same things. He plants wheat
in one field because his father and
grandfather planted wheat in that
field The other farmer says to him
self, Il am farmer, but I 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.
He finds. by studying during the few
stray minutes that come to him almost
every day and night, that his farm has
just the right kind Of soil for a peach
orchard. He 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
drou-f,,. my ;ll,,Sx ro f;o, from, thu cum
ers of two farms among the Michigan
hills. Both the two farmers worked
hard, but the successful farmer. by
jealousy guarding his spare few mo-
ments each day, doubled and trebled
and five times increased the value of
his property.
Look 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 out for the time
you have been accustomed to spend
every morning and evening in 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 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
the Great. was talking to Dionysius,
the son Of Dionysius, 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-
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 fritter them
away as most folks are doing, with
their lips pressed against the chalice Of
pleasure. Better consecrate whole days
in life's journey to making yourself
better and truer than to drop them into
uselessness. 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 to many days,
are lost to the service of Christ on &C
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 idea that we have nothing to
do: Alas. how many mornings there
have been when we arose with clear
minds and hearts anxious for study!
These thoughts. like great flock Of
flying 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 ut 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