The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1921-04-29
Something to
Think Ab0uf
HARD-WORKING MOUSE
INA SOMEWHAT aimless after-din.
By r. II. WALKER

ia hD- w OhhlNU IlOO De
TN A SOMEWHAT aimless after-din-
l. ner walk the other evening / was
attracted TO a crowd which had gath
cred in front OF the window of a deal
er In house pets.
AS the crowd next 10 the window
satisfied its curiosity and moved on
gradually came 10 see that fifteen or
twenty human beings Of which / was
about TO become one, had been watch
ing the activities OF a small white
mouse which was the temporary resi-
dent Of a new and shiny cage.
At the top OF the cage was a sort OF
nest attached TO the wires and filed
with bits Of cotton. Below In the floor
OF the cage was feeding box and I'm
front of that a fiat tin disk, some six
inches in diameter. so tilted upon Al
pivot axle that II you placed any
weight upon any part OF ii that part
which bore the weight would immedi
ately turn so that II would be the low
est part of the disk. In other words.
If living object attempted 10 climb
up the disk II would turn as fast "a
the object ascended and the object It
self would always be travelling uphill
and getting nowhere.
The white mouse pursued a program
about after this plan: He would rest
for few minutes In his nest. Then
he would climb down the side of the
cage to the food box. nibble for a min
ute and then running around to the
front Of the floor Of the cage he would
jump down upon the disk and as he
did so the disk would begin 10 revolve.
The faster he ran. in his attempt to
climb the faster the disk would re-
! vOlve. with the mouse always at the
bottom.
For three or four minutes at a time
the mouse would run as fast as he
could. A human being running as
fast as that mouse, In proportion 10
his size and weight, would have gone
ten or twelve miles at a marvellous
rate of speed.
mouse would suddenly stop. the disk
would cease TO revolve. he would 90 10
the feed box, nIbble for a minute and
then climb to his nest for short rest,
only TO repeat the whole performance
over again.
The mouse during the time that he
was running appeared 10 he putting
forth every physical effort OF which
he was possessed He was doing
everything that he could so far az
running was concerned. BUT HE
WAS GETTING NOWHERE.
He landed right where he began at
the bottom OF the disk
He had burned out his mouse
energy. exhausted his mouse condition
and the result was NOTHING.
] wondered as / stood there how
many OF the men and women who had
stopped TO watch him had learned any
lesson from that Gagged mouse and his
fruitless endeavors.
l wondered how many OF them were
running around on a disk, striving,
struggling, exhausting themselves with
efforts which would end by leaving
them right where they started.
The mouse demonstrated q good les
son. He taught those who watched
him-if they thought at all about the
thing they were looking at-that every
man and woman ought every little
while take a look around and see II
they are going ahead. II they are ad-
vancing, II they are adding something,
however little, 10 what life and its ef-
forts should accumulate In wealth, ex-
perience and wisdom.
The merchant who never takes ac-
count Of stock. who keeps no books.
who has no way OF checking his busi-
ness, IS pretty much at sea as 20
whether lie is a success or a failure,
whether he is making money or losing
The man who goes through life
without checking I'D his efficiency.
taking account OF his accomplishments
or balancing his efforts against his ac-
emulation cannot have any very de-
pendable idea OF what his efforts are
amounting to-
There are too many Of Us who, Ike
the mouse, let our lives consist OF
working, eating and sleeping, without
knowing definitely what we are ac-
complishing-
II the mouse had the intelligence 10
know that his great effort In running
on the tin disk really amounted to
nothing In results he would devote
himself 20 something more worthwhile.
Perhaps II We made an honest esti-
mate Of what we are doing and what
the results are We would stop being
foolish and turn 10 something more
productive and more TO our credit.
The thing for as to do is 10 make an
honest estimate OF what we are doing
and what Il truly amounts 10 and
guide our future endeavors Accord