Mrs.
Manvers placed the memorandum book in her daughter's hand without saying
a word.
There, written at the head of the page, were these words:
"_Emily's Waste of Time._"
and beneath was quite a long column of figures, and a list of duties
unfulfilled.
"Oh, mamma," cried Emily, throwing herself upon her mother's breast, "it
is time, precious time, that is the gift I waste; but surely I have not
spent so many idle minutes in just one week."
"I am sorry to say that you have, my dear daughter, all these and even
more. I have promised to keep an account, and I have done so; add them
up and see how many there are."
Emily added up the figures with tearful eyes, and said, "there are four
hundred and twenty, mamma."
"And how many hours does that make, Emily?"
The little girl thought a moment, and then answered,
"Seven hours."
"Very well; then you see you waste seven hours in a week, which would
make three hundred and sixty-four in a year, and if you should live the
allotted period of life, which would be sixty years from the present
time, you will willfully waste twenty one thousand eight hundred and
forty hours of the precious time God has given you in which to work out
His will."
"Oh, dear mamma, it does not seem possible; I am sure I don't know how
the time slips away," said Emily, sadly.
"I will tell you, my love," replied Mrs.
Pages:
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225