The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-05-25
BY FRANCES sHAFFER.

Well, II Is no wonder that some OF US
never get up on the heights where great
things are accomplished and mighty
thoughts evolved.
many precious moments dawdling over
inconsequential affairs when there are
pressing needs that fairly cry about for
attention.
At least. that is what the wise folk
say, and when they tell US that by
neglecting the odd moments we shorten
the usefulness OF our lives Just that
much, the awful truth fairly makes US
gasp. For. no doubt. 1t is a truth.
They assure us, these wise folk who
are so very strenuous themselves. that
time is money. and that we are nothing
less than thieves II We deliberately pill
fer bit OF time here and there from
honest needs and turn 1t into useless
channels.
They say that every minute in the
day ought to count for something; that
II is a sin to waste 10. %, 30 minutes
or so, Just riding on a car, when We
might better, far better, be reading
something to stir up our slumbering
minds. And it does seem a pretty sim
full waste. does it not?
II we walk. they warn us that on the
way there is ample time TO think out
some of the problems that perplex US.
and that II we would not let that walk
ing period go to waste. we would be as
tonished TO learn what the time was
worth.
Plan In Bed.
And now. listen. We indoIent folk.
they even tell us that some successful
men and women plan out their best
projects as they lie abed in the morning,
taking the last bit of relaxation They
quote the case of a man who all Of a
sudden realized that the time spent in
that little refreshment represented so
many minutes gone TO waste. and then
and there he determined that he must
either give UP his morning relaxation
entirely, else somehow make II count.
So this man. who rode straight to bust
ness success on the wave OF minutes
saved. instead OF stealing another wink
of sleep in the morning or lying there
building beautiful dream-castleS. mar
shaled his waking energies and thought
things out in bed. His brain was clear
In the early hours of morning. he said
and il surprised himself how his busy
mind could work. and II surprised him
more how those minutes affected his
business
II seems sort of terrible. does II not,
to figure out the multiplied minutes We
literally waste in bed? But somehow
or other it seems more terrible yet to
think of taking our work with us in
the hours when the tired body seeks
rest. because" the very fact that those
last few minutes are stolen so eagerly
gives warrant for the belief that they
are needed.
And as to novel reading. the kind of
stories that tell about the interesting
ways and affairs OF very interesting FOLK,
they warn us that We are simply throw
ing away valuable time. for there Is all
the big realm OF more worthy literature
to choose from, and we ought to select
the best
or course they are as right as right
car be. but there is something very hu-
man about some of the true-to-life
stories we know, and we occasionally
neglect TO feed our minds as carefully
a. they ought to be fed, deliberately
stealing the time that should go to higher
things
There's the bumblebee. and there's
the honey-bee.
The foolish old bumblebee has the
greatest lot of false motions. He fuses
and fumes and ffirts all around the posy
whose sweetness he wants to devour'
makes altogether too much noise for so
with a last futile buzz buries himself In
the flower. Not 80 the wise. busy 1T
tie honey-bee. She is business, through
and through. No lost motions for her
She selects her flower. extracts its sweet
ness. then away she hurries through the
air with her sweet northumberland
precious bee-minute lost. And the bum
blebee pleases not a person but his idle,
silly self. while the active little honey
bee delights all the world.
But the poor little honey-bee-the hard
worker, you know-never knows what 1t
is to rest and to dream honey-bee
dreams a single sweet hour the whole
summer through.
And somehow, while we know all about
the sin of lost minutes. we cannot look
at the tired, anxious faces We see on
the car and in other places where work.
a-day folk are gathered, without wishing
that they might steal a little time to en-
joy the rest of the faithful, might even
see some of the big things slip by for
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