The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-08-03
Only Five Minutes

Bob was frankly telling his father
about his failure in the algebra class
that day. II don't see why missed,
he said. II studied 1t an hour before
school this morning, and that was time
enough to put on it."
DO you suppose you really studied
|it hard for an hour?' mildly inquired
his father.
well. half an hour. anyway. And
I put my mind right on 1t. toy"
Half an hour Is a long time-a
very long time-for a person to keep
his mind on any one subject. Five
minutes In only one-sixth as long, but
1 wonder IL you realize how long five
minutes is He took his watch from
his pocket and held IL in his left hand
while he raised his right hand with
the forefinger extended. Now stand
there" he said. land watch my finger.
/ will bring 1t down at the end of Ave
minutes exactly. Now"
Bob stood az he was bid, with his
eyes fixed on the appraised finger. AZ
first he felt like laughing at the idea
OF looking at his fathers finger; but
before he knew he was thinking OF
something else, and hts eyes had wan
dered to some object across the room.
Then he heard the big clock ticking
out in the hail. 1t never licked SC
slowly before. He made q calcula-
big clock before that appraised finger
would come down. He began to count
the ticks, but 1t was such slow work
that when he got to forty he was tired
OF It, Surely II could not take sixty
Of those ticks to measure on single
minute. Would the five minutes never
be up? His mind raced from one
thing to another-things that happen
ed at school. plans for the big game
next week, the coming class election
the queer ways of the new teacher
IT grew harder and harder to keep his
eyes on the finger. and In spite of his
efforts they wandered away many
times. He shifted from one foot to
the other At last in desperation he
began to count again and kept dog
gedly at it.
4 Five minutes! II was more likely
that his father was playing joke on
him, and that ten minutes or more
had passed. His fathers gaze had not
left the watch. At last, as Bob was
YEARLY changing his weight again
from one foot to the other, down
mashed his fathers hand.
Now" he said. and smiled as he
Honestly, now. was that only Ave
minutes?" asked Bob as he sank into
a chair.
Exactly 1--WE minutes."- responded
his father. Seemed pretty long. die
it? Well, there is q lot of time to use
or to waste in the space of Ave min
utes If your mind is concentrated
on the study or work at hand, you
can accomplish a Kreat deal in thai
time. and the minutes have wings. II
you let your attention wander away
from your work and think of this oil
that or the other thing, and then force
1t back to the task for an instant
only to let 1t wander off again at once
why, then the time dra9s and the task
remains undone or half done. 81 sus-
pect that was the way You worked or
your algebra lesson this morning
Next time try to keep your whole at
tention on your lesson. When II be
gins to wander of force IL back a
once 1t will be hard at first, but 1
will grow easier and easier and yo,
will be amazed to see how much more
quickly you can get lesson that wa,
or do any task that has seemed Ions
to you before. Just try II for few
days; try 1t honestly and faithfully"
And Bob promised that he would.