Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1856-04-24
UNCLE BEN'S SERMON.


nishes the following, which he calls Uncle
Ben's Sermon, and which, he remarks con-
tains many wholesome truths:
UNCLE BEN's SERMoN.-Not many hours
ago, heard Uncle Ben discussing this mat
ter to his son who was complaining of pres
sure.
rely upon it Sammy" said the old
man, as he leaned upon his staff, with his
grey locks flowing in the breeze of May
morning murmuring pays no bills II
have been an observer many time these ff-
ty years, and l never saw man helped out
of hole by cursing his horses. Be as
quiet as you can, for nothing will grow un-
der moving harrow, and discomfort har-
rows the mind. Matters are bad, I ac-
knowledge, but no ulcer is any better for
lingering: The more'you groan the poorer
you are"
Repining at losses is only putting pepper
into.a sore eye. Crops will fail in all soils,
and we may be thankful that we have not a
famine. Besides, I always took notice that
whenever felt the rod pretty smartly, it
was as much as to say, here is something
which you have got to learn. Sammy don't
forget that your school is not over yet, though
you have wife and two children.
Aye, cried Sammy, you may say that,
and mother-in-law, and two apprentices
into the bargain, and I should like to know
what poor man can learn here, when the
greatest scholars and lawyers are at logger
heads, and can't, for their lives, tell what
has become of the hard money
Softly, Sammy, 1 am older than you; l
have not got these grey hairs and this crook
ed back without some burdens. [ could
tell you stories of the days of continental
money, when my grandfather used to stuff
a sulky box with bills to pay for yearling,
or wheat fan, and when the women used
thorns for pins, and laid their teapots away
in the garret. You wish to know what YOU
can learn? You may learn these seven
things:
First, that you have saved too little and
spent too much. I never taught you to be
a miser, but [ have seen you give your dol
lar for nothin', when you might have laid
one.half for charity, and one-half for rainy
day
Second, that you have gone too much
upon credit. l always told you that credit
was shadow; there is subject behind
which casts the shadow; but a small body
may cast a larger shadow, and no wise man
will follow the shadow any farther than he
can see the substance. You may now learn
that you have followed shadow, and been
decoyed into bog.
Thirdly, that you have gone in too much
haste to be rich. Slow and easy wins the
race.
Fourthly, that no course of life can be de-
pended upon as always prosperous. [ am
afraid the younger race of the working men
in America have notion that nobody will
60 to ruin this side of the water. Provi-
lence has greatly blessed us, and we have
become presumptuous.
Filthy, that you have not been thankful
enough to God for his benefits in past times.
Sixthly, that you may be thankful our
lot is not worse. We mi ght have famine,
or pestilence, or war, Or tyranny, or all to-
gether.
And lastly, to end my sermon, you may
learn to offer, with more understanding, the
prayer of your infancy, "Give us this day
our daily bread"
The old man ceased, and Sammy put on
his apron and told Dick to blow away on
the forge bellows.