Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1850-08-28
Whiting Shingles.

/
ScExE-Mr. PlowbnndIe's doory ryarL--John and
Editor seated ON logs on the sunny side Ofhi
great wood-pile-John, whiting chip; ih
Editor. q basswooG splinter.
The Editor. While from you, John
why don't you whiuIe from you!
John. What's The difference Whit
ling is whiting any way, whether yo'
whirlle towards or from you.
Editor. A mistake, John a palpabl'
mistake. There is philosophy in whilIing
There is a right way and wrong way tC
do every thing; and for The right way
there is always good reason.
John. Pray, what reason for whiting
from you =! It's small matter. at best
really too small to consider.
Editor. Wrong again! lis the obser'
vance Of these little lhings-,he considera
lion Of trifes-that constitute what men
call good or bad luck. There now, you
have cut your finger not bad, | hope.
John. No, very. Blast the knife.
[ Throws i, down.
Editor. Well, this is an apt illustration
proof positive-belore had commenced
my argument. ..s5
John. l'd like to know what my finger
has to do with luck, good, had, or indiller-
ent t........
Editor. Everything. Ifyou had con-
sidered moment. you would have seen
that whillling towards you was dangerous;
common prudence would have shown you
'ha, you might cut your fingers while, il
you whittled from you there was no danger.
Herein, then, is the key 10 that phantom
which men call luck.
John. Don't you believe in luck :
Editor. DON, believe The moon is
made Of green cheese! No. Sir. There is
no such thing. LIS all moonshinc. Just
now you cut your finger, and you say 81
am unlucky." No such ihing-you were
stupid, careless. There's old Gripe. who
began with no other capital than his axe.
worth now his thousands. and you, and
every body else say as lucky as old Gripe,"
and yet we all know that he has made his
money by the operations Of clear INTEL
lecct-a shrewd. close observance Of little
things-turning the stream at the foun.
tain, and not waiting till it gets 10 be a
river.
John. Training the sapling, and not
the tree. '
Editor. Exactly-a good idea. You
always find him about his business. His
work is never behind. His hay don't get
caught out in The rain. His wheat is new
er wet in the bundle or swath. He looks
at little things. If his grain is to stand out
over night, i, is all nicely put up in shocks
and capped if his hay can't be carted the
same day. it's raked and cooked. He SAYS,
81 am not master Of the elements, but am
Of my Time" So he makes sure against
which he can not control.
He always whites from him; and he is
called "lucky."
John. And he is lucky.
Editor. No such thing, il you mean by
that, chance favorng him more than 9th
ers. Now, there's Dick Careless, he is
always railing at his bad luck. Dick works
hard. think he does more real hard work
than Gripe. Bu, everybody pittes poor
Dick, he has such 'hard uck." ifit were
not for his wife, he would have been in the
poor house before now. Everybody says,
''what clever fellow is Dick , and so he
is, he minds everybody's business but his
own. Dick stacks his hay but neglects 10
put on binders, and the top blows of and
his stack is ruined. He has nice crop
Of wheat cut, and intends TO cart to-mnr.
row, so he leaves the wheat carried into
But tomorrow il comes on to
rain, and his wheat get wet and sprouts, ,and
then you say, "well, that's just Dicks
luck" Dick has bad luck with his sheep,
and cattle, and horses, always losing more
or less every year. Now. you believe in
luck well, just tell me why he loses more
than you do.
John. He is careless-don't take pains
enough with them.
Editor. Oh that's it. Which way do
you think he whites Two to one, John,
he whites torards him. lie cant see any
difference and, like you, is firm belev.
er in luck. There's TapewcIl; everybody
says, "what lucky fellow he has been.
got as rich as nabob, and had only a
few goods TO start upon" While Cling
ham, who had a fine store, full of goods,
went all to smash in three years.
John. Yes. and old Tape bought his
fine store and house at about one quarter
its cost. Wasn't that luck.
Editor. No, sir. Tape lived within
his means, and accumulated his profits.
He did not care for fine store while he