The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-10-23
TAKING OFF THE BRAKES

Inc cOlOTS Oh duIuiuu wclc uiIcduy
Haunted by the rOadSide-yellOw,
brown, dull red. The little noun
tain squirrels sat on the gray rocks
and chartered in the sun, and the
clear, brown water leaped and spark
led in the rushing stream.
We Travelled in a great cushioned
automobile and whizzed along the
highway built and graded by the
convicts in the great gray prison
far below in the canyon.
All at once. down on the winding
road below, a rickety wagon strained
into view. 1t was below us. far, far
down. and yet in the marvellous clear
air we could see every board in the
fashioned settlers wagon, every
bit of rotting rope that held the old
vehicle none too securely together.
There's the driver walking To
tighten the load. What whip he
Las, and how he cracks it bark, yes
you can hear it way up here. Crack,
snap-"Get along there. you old
fools.
The man in the front seat leaned
forward Wait a minute he said.
Yes. it's as thought; the fool is
killing his horses for nothing" and
he made a cup of his brown hands
and called down through the clear
stiffness of the rarified air:
Hello, there" he shouted Take
off your brakes. take off your
brakes lie lifted his arm and mo-
toned.
The driver down in the road be-
low listened, stood a minute. turned
to his wagon, did something to .
lump of wood on the rear wheels,
and up came the wagon, lightly,
easily, with no undue effort on the
!
part of the horses.
Forgot his brake and then whip
ped his horses for it" said the man
on the front seat.
How many times have | done that
very thing all along the road. and
usually IN the very stcepcst part .!
it. too?
Once had a big piece oi work t.
do, hard work it WAS md eXacting.
II took or should have taken every
| bit of energy and courage and ad-
/; dress had, but there was some one
else doing the work with me. some
one didn't like. and was miser-
able Every night lay and thought
:.nd planned how rould get the
Srne one else put on some other
"Ork.
lie is in the way. ! kept think
il.%, all in the way And used up
ny strength and my energy and my
r. sources doing what Ny work?
Not at all; but hating my fellow
worker. and the work was a failure.
= dismal failure. My brakes were
en-, all the way up that hill. and [
got to the top too late.
1 How many of us do that very
thing every day! The brakes are
on. and we've forgotten them in the
very steepest part of the hill, and
that is why, whip as We may. the
poor tired horses that pull the We
hicle of our ambition can never get
up.
Jealousy is a bad brake. I've seen
1t send many good wagon TO the
bottom of the gulch.
I've seen men. clever men, ca,
their hearts out in misery because
anCthcr man rs clever as they did a
good piece of work and was praised
for it. Take off your brakes, my
good fellow; take of the brakes;
you'll never get anywhere if you
dent
know a girl, handsome, bright,
witty. She has a rich father, and all
that money and devoted affection can
give, he can give her. but she is mis-
cradle
| Jealous. cnvious. doesn't want to
hear that any other girl is pretty.
can't bear to see that any other girl
IL admired. "Cat" they call her
when they speak of her, and she's
growing into sour. disappointed
old maid, just because she is trying
To climb the hill with the brakes on,
the dreadful. hampering brakes Of
envy
| The good fcllow"-you know
him. don't you? do Never too busy
to get out and get a drink. never too
absorbed in any piece of work to
stop and light a companionable Gig
arctic. never too tired to stay up
just an hour o. SO longer.
The fellow i'm the wagon ahead of
him started out with a good deal
heavier load, and isn't half such a
good driver, but he took the brakes