The same thing occurs in the attendance of such persons upon public business, where they are associated with others. At meetings, appointed for the transaction of such business, if any considerable number are necessary to its accomplishment, there is often, and indeed usually, as much time spent in waiting for a quorum, as is consumed in attending to the object of the meeting. This is a great hardship upon those who make a point of being strictly punctual, for it costs them a double quantity of time. And these behind-hand persons, if they would only suffer themselves to reflect, could not fail to remember, that punctuality would cost themselves no more time than the want of it. Judging from considerable experience and observation, we are very well convinced, that about as much time is spent in waiting for dilatory people, as is necessary for transacting the business immediately in view when appointments for the purpose are made.
Espriella, if we do not mistake the writer, mentions his having taken passage in a stage coach at York, in England, which was to start at a certain hour. A few minutes before the time, every thing was prepared; the passengers took their seats; the coachman mounted his box, took the reins and his whip, but did not move. Upon being inquired of why he did not start, as every thing was ready, he replied, he was waiting for the Minster—which meant the cathedral church of that name. In a minute or two the secret was explained—the Minster clock began to strike, and before it had finished, the carriage was on its way.—We have no doubt that this habit in the driver made every body who intended to make use of his vehicle strictly punctual. If, however, instead of starting at the moment, he had practised waiting 5 minutes, occasionally, there would have been much delay and vexation, by the dilatoriousness of these behind-hand persons of whom we are speaking. We scarcely ever recollect to have been on the wharf when a steamboat was casting off, without finding some person left, or running with breathless speed to get aboard, being a few minutes too late. Such persons, when they find themselves safe on the deck, will almost always look at their watches, and find it a few minutes later than they imagined, or their watches a little too slow, or something else is made chargeable with the evil—when the honest truth is, they are naturally or habitually behind-hand.
It is not easy to imagine, unless our attention has been particularly turned to the subject, how much time is lost, and how much a man's affairs suffer, from this dilatory disposition. It will more or less run through and affect all his concerns. A dilatory man is perpetually in a hurry. His business always drives him—and business transacted in a hurry, is rarely well done. We once knew a respectable mechanic, whose habit of punctuality was such, that in carrying on his trade quite extensively for more than forty years, he never disappointed a single customer by not having his work done at the time appointed—he never failed of sitting down to his meals within five minutes of the time—he made his family, as well as his workmen, conform strictly to his rules of punctuality—and it hardly need be added, that he always supported the fairest reputation as a man of business—and that he acquired an independent property, beyond the handsome support of a large and expensive family.
[N. Y. Daily Adv.
NATURAL CURIOSITY.
Most of our readers, no doubt, have noticed accounts of living toads, that have been found enclosed in stones and trees. This is perhaps one of the most extraordinary facts that has come within the observation of naturalists; so extraordinary, indeed, that few, on the first mention of it, have given it credence. So many instances, however, have occurred, attested by authority so respectable, that it would seem there now remains little room for doubt. Some of the most remarkable may here be mentioned—instances that are well substantiated, and which have led inquiring men to investigate as minutely as possible the philosophy of the matter.—A living toad was found in a large stone at Newark, on Trent, in England—it was white, measured three and a half inches, and appeared incapable of bearing light; for its motions argued an incompatible state, and in an hour it died. But in this time it was seen by several hundred people.—Three living toads were discovered lying together in a stone quarry near Cassel. No aperture was discoverable on the outside of the stone. The toads could with difficulty be removed from their bed, and endeavoured to return whenever they were removed, but died in the course of half an hour. More of the same kind might be added; every one's recollection will no doubt, supply him with instances which have occurred in our own country. Though naturalists have endeavoured to account for this astonishing fact, yet we think their speculations have been in general very visionary. The best account we have seen, is that by J. G. J. Ballenstedt, rector of Papsdorf, in the duchy of Brunswick. The substance of this we present to our readers, hoping that will at least be found amusing, at a time when political news is scarce, and uninteresting. More than amusement need not be expected; for we regard his speculation as we do most speculations of mineralogical travellers and geological societies—mighty light, airy and unsubstantial stuff. But let his rectorship be heard.
Another world besides the one we now inhabit, has had its existence, inhabited, as ours is, by animals terrestrial and marine. A time was when all that is now land was covered by the ocean, as the secondary mountains, with their beds of petrified marine productions, abundantly prove. "There, where at present the plough turns up the soil, and countless cornfields shine with their golden harvests—where immense forests spread their luxuriant trees, among which numerous wild animals sport—where hills and mountains raise their varied summits—where herds of cattle graze—where rivulets and rapid streams wind through valleys, and where cities and villages are now situated—there formerly raged the waves of this ocean—there swarmed hosts of marine animals, of numberless forms and magnitudes."—The Almighty spoke, the waters disappeared, and these animals were left on dry land; those belonging to the dry land were swallowed up, together with their habitations, in the great deep. Sea animals that have been petrified, are found at the present day in the bosom of the earth; and under the bottom of the sea are discovered river muscles and the beds of former great rivers. Whole forests were buried, and have been subsequently turned into coal. The slime and mud of the bottom of the sea, when left dry, was hardened into stone, and strata of regular conformation; which, to produce the present irregularity met with among them, (we suppose,) have undergone divers severe twistifications, by means of earthquakes, the great steam engine of geologists, whose boiler has burst more than once; we may credit the accounts of these profound world makers.
During this awful catastrophe, these living toads were probably enclosed in their stony prisons. They were covered and buried with mud, which afterwards was hardened into stone by the active exertions of Mr. Unknown Process, a worthy old gentleman, of astonishing powers, who occasionally has the kindness to assist poor philosophers in their immense task of creating worlds. In this mud, poor fellows, they would have gone the way of all flesh, had it not been for their peculiar organization; for they possess the "power of sleeping and remaining in a state of torpor during the winter without having occasion for any nourishment during that period." When enclosed in mud, therefore, the same process went on as in winter, but for a longer time.—They had nothing to do but to go to bed, and get to sleep as soon as possible, and enjoy a comfortable nap of several thousand years, till accident should unhouse them, and turn them out to enjoy the glorious light of the sun, and a thousand other things they had never dreamed of. Being fast asleep, and so closely and comfortably wrapped up in a stone blanket several feet thick, "no exhalation could take place from them, and, therefore, there could be no necessity to replace the lost animal juices by various nourishment." Wonderful phenomenon! The toad, this highly and much despised animal, was of all others the only one capable of undergoing this experiment of nature, and, thereby, of viewing a second time the light of the world. All others the most noble and most beautiful of creatures, even man himself, had it not in his power to live to see such a blessing. Man, with his fellow creatures, could only pass into a new world in a petrified state; insects of a former world could only be preserved from complete ruin in amber, and the mammoth be preserved partially in ice; but the toad was capable on account of its tenacious powers of life, and its peculiar nature, to pass from the old world into the new one, in a living state, and by these means to be snatched from destruction. It has twice trodden the theatre of the world!!—Wonderful phenomenon! we respond. Wonderful, indeed, when we take into consideration the many other created beings that sleep during winter, which had the same risk to run of being enclosed in this mud, and therefore, "from their peculiar nature," had the same chance of enjoying a comfortable nap of several thousand years.
[Milledgeville Journal.