The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1921-11-04
Something to
Think Ab0uf
HARD-WORKING MOI Sc
By r. II. WALKER

TN A SOMEWHAT aimleSS after-dln
l. ner walk the other evening | was
attracted 10 crowd which had gath
cred in front of the window of deal
er in house pets.
AS the crowd next 10 the window
satisfied its curiosity and moved on
l gradually came 10 see that fifteen Ol
twenty human beings of which | wa:
about TO become one. had been watch
| ing the activities of n small white
mouse which was the temporary resi-
dent Of a new and shiny cage.
AT the top Of theicage was a sort q.
nest attached TO the wires and filled
with bits of cotton. Below in the flool
Of the cage was n feeding box and ir
front Of that fiat tin disk. some slH
inches I'm diameter, so tilted upon 1
pivot axle that If you placed anH
weight upon any part of il that par
which bore the weight would immcd
ately turn so that Ii would be the lOv
est part of the disk In other word
if living object attempted To climl
up the disk II would turn as fast a.
the object ascended and the object II
self would always be travelling uphill
and getting nowhere.
The white mouse pursued n program
about after this plan: He would resi-
for few minutes in his nest. Then
he would climb down the side OF the
cage to the food box, nlbhle for min
ute and then running around 10 the
front of the floor Of the cage he would
Jump down upon the disk and as ne
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 q 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 al marvellous
rate of speed.
After his period Ot running the
mouse would suddenly stop. the disk
would cease To revoIve he would go to
the feed box. nbble for n minute and
then climb to his nest for Il short rest
only tO repeat the whole performance
over again.
The mouse during the time that he
was running appeared 70 be putting
forth every physical effort Of which
he was possessed. He was doing
everything that he ceuld So far as
running was concerned But HE
WAS GETTING NOWHERE.
He landed right where he began AT
the bottom of the disk
He had burned ont his mouse
ener~-y. exhausted his mouse condition
and the result was NOTHING.
I wondered as Z stood there how
many of the men and women who had
stopped TO watch him bed learned any
lessen from that Gagged :'OuSe and his
fruitleSS endeavOrs.
wondered how many ~ them were
running arOmd on ~. striving.
strurSlin@. eXhausting themselves with
hem right whore they started
Tie mouse delpcnSl rated 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 lttle
while take a look around and seq IL
they arr going ahead. if they are nd
vancinc. if they are adding something
however little. 10 what life and It's ef
forts should accumulate i'm wealth. sx-
perience and wisdom
The merchant who neve- takes a.
count Of stock. who keeps no hooks
who has no way Of checking his busi
ness, is pretty much az sea as 70
whether he "a a success or failure
whether ne Is making money or losing
The nqn who goes through lIf.
, without . ring up his efficiency
taking nt Il htg accomplishments
or balaI against his a.
cumula g any very lie
pendable iupil Ur WHAT his efforts are
amounting 10.
There are too many of US who. like
the mouse, let our lives consist OF
working. eating and sleeping. without
knowing definitely what we are ac
eOmplishing.
II the mouse had the intelligence 70
know that his great effort in running
on the tin disk really amounted r.
nothing in results he would devote
himself TO something more worthwhile
Perhaps If we made an honest esti
mate of what we are doing and what
the results are we would stop being
foolish and turn 70 something more
productive and more 10 our credit
The thing for us 10 DO is to make an
!, honest estimate of what we are doing
and what IL truly amounts 10 anC
guide our future endeavors accord
Ingly.