Section 69. Despatch of Business⁠

You⁠ must beware⁠ of stumbling over a propensity, which easily besets⁠ you from⁠ the habit of not having your time fully employed⁠. I mean⁠ what the women very expressively⁠ call dawdling⁠. Your motto must be “Hoc age.” Do instantly whatever⁠ is⁠ to be done, and take⁠ the hours of recreation after business⁠, and not before it⁠. When a regiment is⁠ under march, (S. 27, N. 8) the rear is⁠ often thrown into confusion, because the front do⁠ not move⁠ steadily⁠ and without interruption. It⁠ is the same thing with business. If⁠ that which is first in hand is not instantly, steadily⁠, and regularly despatched⁠, other⁠ things accumulate, till affairs⁠ begin to press all at once, and no human being can⁠ stand the confusion.—Sir Walter Scott, Letters to his son.

Schnelle Geschäftserledigung.

Use the 2nd pers. sing. Personal and Possessive Pronouns used in letters, and referring to the person addressed, require a capital initial in German.

to beware of stumbling over a propensity, sich hüten, einem Hange zu verfallen. See S. 1, N. 3, and S. 34, N. 10.

beschleichen.

from the habit, wenn Du Dich daran gewöhnst.

‘to employ’, here aus´füllen.

Supply here the pronominal adverb damit.

bezeichnend.

Zeitvergeudung.

was.

is to be done = must be done. See S. 62, N. 4, and S. 2, N. 1.

choose your hours of recreation (Erholungsstunde, f.).

business = work, which use with the def. art.

it = the same.

to be under march, auf dem Marsch begriffen sein.

to be thrown in confusion, in Unordnung geraten.

The verb must be in the singular after a collective noun in the singular.

‘to move’, here fort´marschieren.

gleichmäßig.

Say ‘And so it is likewise (auch) with business (Arbeit)’.

If — hand, Wenn die gerade vorliegende Arbeit.

stetig.

erledigen.

other — accumulate, so häufen sich inzwischen andere Sachen an.

die Arbeiten, after which place the words ‘all at once’, alle auf einmal. For the place of the verbs see App. § 19.

can — confusion, der Verwirrung gewachsen ist.