Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1856-05-17
UNCLE BEN's SERMON.

GoEEeS pOuueHL vi the boston 1OSt
furnishes the following, which he calls
Uncle Ben's Sermon, and which, he re-
marks, contains many wholesome truths:
Not many hours ago / heard Uncle
Ben discussing this matter to his son, who
was complaining of pressure.
RELY upon it, Sammy said the old
man, as he leaned upon his staff, with his
grey locks flowing in the breeze of a May
morning, 'murmuring pays no bills
have been an observer many times these
fifty years, and never saw man helped
out of a hole by cursing his horses. Be
as quiet as you can, for nothing will grow
under moving harrow, and discomfort
harrows the mind. Matters are bad,
acknowledge, but no ulcer is any better
for lingering. The more you groan, the
poorer you are.
'Repining at losses is only putting pep,
per into a sore eye. Crops will fail in all
soils, and we may be thankful that we
have not a famine. Besides, 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
schooling is not over yet, though you have
wife and two children
Aye cried Sammy, you may well say
that, and m0ther-in-law and two ap-
prentices into the bargain, and / should
like to know what poor man can learn
here, when the greatest scholars and law
yers are at loggerheads, and can't for
their lives fell what has become of the
hard money! ...... ........
Softly, Sammy, | am older than you;
I have not got these grey hairs and this
crooked back without some burdens.
could tell you stories of the days of con
tinental money, when my grandfather us
ed to stuff sulky box with bills to pay
for yearling or wheat fan, and when
the women used thorns forpins, 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. ! never taught you to
be miser, but have seen you give your
dollar for nothin', when you might have
laid one-half aside for charity, and one
half for rainy day.
Second, that you have gone too much
upon credit. / always told you credit
was shadow; there is substance behind
which casts the shadow; buta small body
may cast larger shadow, and no wise
man will follow the shadow any father
than he can see the substance. You may
now learn that you have followed a sha-
dow and been deeoyed 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-
depended upon as always prosperous. I
am afraid the younger race of workin-.
men in America hove notion that no
body will go to ruin this side of the wa
ter. Providence has greatly blessed Us
and we have become presumptuous.
Filthy, that you have not been thank
full enough to God for his blessings il
time past.
sixthly, that you may be thankful our
lot is not worse. We might have famin
or pestilence, Or war, or tyranny, or n!f
together.
And lastly, to end my sermon, yoa
may learn to offer with more understand
ing the prayer Of your infancy, Give Us
this day our daily bread
The old man ceased, and Sammy puf
on his apron and told Dick to blow AVA
on the forge bellows.