Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-10

~ Ebay In our day Is an unpardon-
able sin. and even in the days
Of the stage coach unnecessary
IL delay amounted to a crime. 1t
has wrought untold and meal
culable mischief from the earliest times.
Caesars delay to read a message cost
house Col Rail, the Hessian commander.
was too busy at the card table to attend
to q messenger bearing a letter which
stated that Washington was crossing the
Delaware. He delayed to read that letter
until the game was finished. and then he
had only time to rally his men In for
lorn hope and rush to the scene Of &C
tiyities, but, alas, the enemy had the van
tAge point, and the gallant colonel fell at
the head Of his regiment. while the men
who had followed his lead were taken
prisoners, whereas had he been prompt at
duty's call the tables might have been
turned. at least, that day, and instead OF
being the vanquished he might have been
the victor. How often on a few minutes
depend liberty. honor. and life itself!
Napoleon laid great stress on the "su-
preme moment" and became an adept
in taking advantage of that mick Of
time" which comes in every battle, the
crucial moment on which often depends
the destiny of nations. He said he beat
the Austrians because they did not know
the value of five minutes.
1t has been said that among circum-
stances that conspired to defeat the hith-
erto invincible Corsican at Waterloo was
IL ne fny m
with Grouchy's delay to join him. though
but a few miles distant. All day long the
fierce struggle ragged with terrible In
tensity, but no decisiVeness on either SIDE.
The shades of evening were falling and
the allied forces under Wellington were
almost worn out by wounds and loss or
numbers IT'S said that the little Irish
man was almost in despair. and muir
INJURED: "Oh, for night Or Blucher! AT
that moment Butcher with his Prussian
contingent came dashing up. and the re-
enforcement of the allies decided the
issue. Grouchy, On whom Napoleon was
depending, failed to come. His delay was
fatal to the little corporal'-it sent him
to exile and to death on st. Helena.
Il +
What may be done at any time will
be done at no time. If thing is worth
doing do not stand shivering on the brink,
but Jump III ana 10 IL.
1t won't do to be perpetually calculating
risks and adjusting nice chances. The
man who waits, doubts and hesitates and
consults his neighbors and relations as to
whether he should do this or whether he
should do that, will find himself gray
haired before he attempts to do anything.
and then he will discover that he has
no time to follow anybody's advice or
the strength to take any action.
The time wasted in delaying and post
poning and procrastinating and putting
off, If rightly utilized, would be sufficient
to accomplish the most important of
tasks, which, when thus Stunned for
the present because of some little un-
pleasantness or difficulty, are liable never
to be performed. The evening wasted in
setting aside for tomorrow the duties
which could be performed today would
often be more than enough to accomplish
all that has to be done. Besides, delays
really make work drudgery. You have
to make up for lost time, and. there
fore, the tasks are doubly difficult, and.
moreover. liable to be slouched over in
poor. unworkmanlike manner. which
never gives satisfaction to either the
performer or those for whom the work
Is done.
Work is easy to those who do 1t when
it should be done, but to those who defer
it the task becomes monotonous, dull and
difficult. and develops into downright
drudgery. The latter can never overtake
their work, and, instead of getting less, it
daily accumulates. and a clean, clear,
complete job becomes almost an impossi-
hilftv tn accomnljSh