This is one of the most mischievous sentences in the English language. Not that it is bad in itself--for it is strictly true, as we intend to show presently. But its meaning is sadly perverted, and what was meant for good, becomes the occasion of evil. Many a good thing might have been done had it been begun in season; but because there was time enough, it was let alone, and let alone, and so not started until too late, or never moved at all. But there is such a thing as bringing good out of evil. The bee extracts honey, as sweet, if not as abundant, from the thistle, as from the rose. And he who would profit by studying human nature, and watching divine providence, may learn wisdom from his past errors, and turn over his misfortune to some good account. The wisest man in ancient days, (and we believe he was fully as wise as people commonly are at present,)--the wisest man of ancient days has given us to understand that there is _a time_ for everything under the sun. _A time for laughter and for tears, for sorrow and for joy._ A time for business, a time for recreation, and a time for rest; but he does not say a word about leisure time, or time for idleness. He speaks too of a time to die, leaving us to infer, as we may very naturally, that He, _who made the sun to rule the day_, the moon and stars to govern the night, has given us _time enough_, just time enough, and none to spare, to perform all our duties, and to enjoy every rational pleasure--to make the world better for our having lived in it, and to become better fitted ourselves, for “another and a better world.” There is _time enough_, says the schoolboy; whose time runs out, and he goes half fitted to the counting room, or enters half fitted at college. _Time enough_, thinks many a young man, if he does not say so, to commence habits of frugality and economy, and thus provide for future wealth; but the time never, never comes, and he, to use a homely phrase of Dr. Franklin’s, “scratches a poor man’s head as long as he lives.” How many designs have we formed, of doing this and that good thing, which fell through, not because we had little time, but because we had time enough, and so wasted one hour after another till the time had passed. Time enough to work says the idler and spendthrift; but his clothes wear out before he finds time to earn new ones; and his pockets are emptied, and he has no time to replenish them. Franklin has a homely saying to this effect,--that he who loses an hour in the morning, must run all day, and ’tis a wonder if he overtakes his business before night. So, if any one finds himself pinched for time, it is likely he has thrown away an hour, when he thought he had time enough and a little to spare. _Time enough_--say we, when in a serious mood we resolve to be more diligent, more systematic, more punctual; when we resolve upon any _reform_. We do not mean to procrastinate; but while we muse, the moment passes, and is irrecoverably lost.