t an hour of it but is
trembling with destinies--not a moment of which, once passed, the
appointed work can ever be done again, or the neglected blow struck on
the cold iron."

Napoleon laid great stress upon that "supreme moment," that "nick of
time" which occurs in every battle, to take advantage of which means
victory, and to lose in hesitation means disaster. He said that he
beat the Austrians because they did not know the value of five minutes;
and it has been said that among the trifles that conspired to defeat
him at Waterloo, the loss of a few moments by himself and Grouchy on
the fatal morning was the most significant. Blucher was on time, and
Grouchy was late. It was enough to send Napoleon to St. Helena, and to
change the destiny of millions.

It is a well-known truism that has almost been elevated to the dignity
of a maxim, that what may be done at any time will be done at no time.

The African Association of London wanted to send Ledyard, the traveler,
to Africa, and asked when he would be ready to go. "To-morrow
morning," was the reply. John Jervis, afterwards Earl St. Vincent, was
asked when he could join his ship, and replied, "Directly." Colin
Campbell, appointed commander of the army in India, and asked when he
could set out, replied without hesitation, "To-morrow."

The energy wasted in postponing until to-morrow a duty of to-day would
often do the work. How much harder and more disagreeable, too, it is
to do work which has been put off! What would have been done at the
time with pleasure or even enthusiasm, after it has been delayed for
days and weeks, becomes drudgery. Letters can never be answered so
easily as when first received. Many large firms make it a rule never
to allow a letter to lie unanswered overnight.

Promptness takes the drudgery out of an occupation. Putting off
usually means leaving off, and going to do becomes going undone. Doing
a deed is like sowing a seed: if not done at just the right time it
will be forever out of season. The summer of eternity will not be long
enough to bring to maturity the fruit of a delayed action. If a star
or planet were delayed one second, it might throw the whole universe
out of harmony.

"There is no moment like the present," said Maria Edgeworth; "not only
so, there is no moment at all, no instant force and energy, but in the
present. The man who will not execute his resolutions when they are
fresh upon him can have no hopes fr