Norwich bulletin., 1913-01-04
SUNDAY MORNING TALK
Overtime in the Excuse Factory.


 One industry knowns no such thing as slack seasons The plant where excuses are manufactured is running night and day the year through. It can never shut down, even to oil ma chinery, if it is to supply the need of the millions who demand it's product. Nothing short of ceaseless operation will keep it square with it's orders.
 There are more than 57 different varieties in the product it turns out neighbor to do something he does not want to do in order to get sample perhaps several samples, from the enormous stock available. If he can not find anything among the stand ardized patterns a minutes search will discover some special design suit ed to particular requirements
 In youth custom required that mother should write an "excuse" to teacher in the event of our being late to school. We soon outgrew the neces- sity of calling on another for such help. By middle life most people have ready at hand stock of excuses of their own selection adequate for all occasions.
 Not many of these excuses would stand close examination. They are generally transparent as glass. Peo- pie sometimes add to their tortuous explanations of failure or neglect, "a
  know" They actually begin to apoio- gize for the very excuses they have put forward
 An Oriental fable tells of man who went to his neighbor to borrow rope. The neignbor replied, T can not lend it to you, for l am using it myself to tie up heap or sand But" said the first, you cannot tie up sand with a rope "Oh, yes" his neighbor returned, you can do almost anything with a rope when you do not wish to lend it." Some of the excuses you heard yesterday were about equally foolish.
 The scripture parable describes a great supper that had been prepared for many guests. Straightway the in vited ones began to send in their let ters of regret. One had bought a piece of ground and must needs go and see it. Having passed it three times a day for 20 years he began to be fearful that it would vanish out Of sight before morning. Another had bought a. yoke of oxen and must go 10 prove them Having tried them out pretty thoroughly before purchase. he fancied they might act a bit different ly now that they actually belonged to him. Another had married wife Tor carpet left him no time to be and therefore could not come. Setting courteous.
 Many centuries have come and gone since that old banquet in Palestine, And the tribe of excuse makers has increased The note of apology is a characteristic one of our time. We are becoming experts in evasion of responsibility.
 When men in our time fail or are unwilling to try there are various scapegoats upon which to lay the l blame-heredity. circumstance. en- vironment, the industrial system, etc 1 A well-known writer says, s'Our peo- i pie have succeeded in explaining away 1 every known form of intquity. There is ! no crime that cannot be apoligized i for, no sin that cannot be gilded with a golden hue"
 l That is a serious indictment and 1 should alarm us if it is true. The only way to set the matter right is for each of us to begin to be honest with i himself and with his fellows. We should put each subterfuge we are i tempted to offer under the moral mi /, croscope that we may see how cow ardly and false and foolish it is, and l then resolve never again to take refuge behind lie.
 l THE PARSON.