MANY children, and grown people too, have a habit of saying, when anything needs to be done, “In a minute.” Often the minute grows to five, ten, or fifteen, and sometimes the duty is quite forgotten. A traveler was once sailing down the river Nile in Egypt. He was in a small boat, and often landed to look at the old temples on its banks, and gather flowers. In eastern countries, the cities are still enclosed by walls for protection, as they were in olden times. In this happier land no such defense is needed. The gates in the wall are closed at sunset and opened at daylight. A gun is fired as the signal for closing the gates. The traveler intended to sail next morning, and still had to get his passport; but he thought there was time enough; so he lingered along in this way till the sunset’s golden light was reflected on the water. When the bright tints faded, he realized that he might indeed be late, and felt alarmed. The rowers hastened to the boat with all their strength; he sprang on shore and ran toward the city. When within a little distance, he saw the flash and heard the report of a gun, and an instant afterward the gate was closed. He had to take what poor shelter he could find for the night. The ship sailed early next morning, and without him, as he could not get his passport in season. His friends at home, who were expecting him by that vessel, were disappointed, and the delay was a loss and trouble to himself. “Only a minute too late,” is sometimes as bad as an hour.