Lesson 60 Too early and too late

\documentclass{article} \usepackage{color} \usepackage{ctex} \begin{document} \textbf{Punctuality is a necessary habit} \underline{in all public affairs} \underline{in civilized society}. \\ Without it,nothing could ever be \underline{brought to a conclusion}:everything would be \underline{in a state of chaos}.\\ Only\underline{ in a sparsely-populated rural community} is it possible to disregard it.\\ \underline{In ordinary living},there can be \underline{some tolerance of unpunctuality}.\\ \textbf{The intellectual},who is \underline{working on} \underline{some abstruse problem},\textbf{has everything coordinated and organized} \underline{for the matter in hand}.\\ \textbf{He is} therefore \textbf{forgiven} if late \underline{for a dinner party}.\\ But \textbf{people are} often \textbf{reproached} for unpunctuality when their only fault is \underline{cutting things fine}.\\ \textbf{It is hard} for energetic,quick-minded people \textbf{to waste time},so they are often tempted \underline{to finish a job} before \underline{setting out to keep an appointment}.\\ If no accidents occur \underline{on the way},like punctured tyres,diversions of traffic,sudden descent of fog,\textbf{they will be on time}.\\ \textbf{They are} often more industrious,useful \textbf{citizens} than those who are never late.\\ \textbf{The over-punctual can be }as much \textbf{a trial} to others as the unpunctual.\\ \textbf{The guest} who arrives \underline{half an hour too soon} \textbf{is the greatest nuisance.}\\ \underline{Some friends of my family} had \underline{this irritating habit}.\\ The only thing to do was ask them to come half an hour later than other guests.\\ Then \textbf{They arrived} just when we wanted them.\\ If you are \underline{catching a train},it is always better to be comfortably early than even \underline{a fraction of a minute} too late.\\ Although being early may mean \underline{wasting a little time},\textbf{this will be less than} if you \underline{miss the train} and \underline{have to wait an hour} or more for the next one;and \textbf{you avoid the frustration of arriving} at the very moment when the train is \underline{drawing out of the station} and being unable to get on it.\\ \underline{An even harder situation} is \underline{to be on the platform} \underline{in good time} \underline{for a train} and still to see it go off without you.\\ \textbf{Such an experience befell} a certain young \textbf{girl} \underline{the first time} she was \underline{travelling alone}.\\ \textbf{She entered the station} 20 minutes before the train was due,since her parents had impressed upon her that it would be unforgivable to miss it and cause the friends with whom she was going to stay \underline{to make two journeys to meet her}.\\ She gave her luggage to a porter and showed him her ticket.\\ \underline{To her horror} \textbf{he said} that she was \underline{two hours too soon}.\\ \textbf{She felt} \underline{in her handbag} \underline{for the piece of paper} on which her father had written down \underline{all the details of the journey} and gave it to the porter.\\ He agreed that a train did come into the station \underline{at the time} \underline{on the paper} and that it did stop,but only \underline{to take on mail},not \underline{passengers}.\\ \textbf{The girl asked to see a timetable},feeling sure that her father could not have \underline{made such a mistake}.\\ \textbf{The porter went to fetch one and arrived} back with the station master,who produced it with a flourish and \underline{pointed out a microscopic 'o'} beside\underline{ the time of the arrival of the train} \underline{at his station};\underline{this little 'o'indicated} that the train only stopped for mail.\\ Just as that moment \textbf{the train came} into the station.\\ \textbf{The girl},tears streaming down her face,\textbf{begged to be allowed to slip into the guard's van.}\\ But \underline{the station master} was adamant:rules could not be broken.\\ And she had to watch that train disappear \underline{towards her destination} while she was left behind. \end{document}