The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-05-29
SOWING AND REAPING.

bargains, and making legal speculations in
way of trade! want gospel sermons, moth
ing but gospel sermons in the pulpit Christ
said nothing in his sermons against chewing,
smoking, snufing, buying and selling tobaccol
| think tits perfectly ridiculous to desecrate
the pulpit in this way!
To he sure, Christ said, "bessed are the
pure in heart, for they shall see God" Now
see how our minister "wrests the Scriptures"
to the destruction of his church and the di-
vision of his people. He says a man can not
be pure in heart and chew tobacco, because
It's filthy. habit and purity can not dwell
with filth. He says, too, It's wicked, because
tobacco is poison, and is injuring the physi-
cal system, and that,a man has no more moral
right to commit suicide by inches than he has
to cut his throat!
Then such parade as he makes in the
pulpit if one of his church members gets n
"ittle tight" on wine-only wine, and every
body who is any thing drinks wine! If we
patronized the low rum groggeries, he might
preach about It. But would like to know if
n gentleman has not right to keep a little
wine in his own cellar just to entertain his
friends, and for his own "of1en infrmities ~
It is certainly according to Scripture, and We
have the Injunction of ST. Paul to Timothy,
ms "backer," besides the example of old
Noah. Now, if a minister can not keep these
ngtating subjects out of the pulpit, It's time
he was himself put out! - -4H.fl
don't believe n word of it! "What man
soweth, that shall he also reap" A pretty
text that to. spin such horrible yarn from!
If that's true, there's little more good for me,
imagine, in this world or the world to come!
Cheating! He calls every thing cheating
that is not "chuck" to the golden rule, and
sets Gods law, that old. fashioned code given
long ago to the Jews, sets that up for us
Americans to live by. Just as if the world
had made no progress since the days of Abra-
ham! Just as if we were not capable of
mahh'B pui o"h
What if did settle my sisters estate, and
cheat her, as our minister calls it, out of $50.
600! Twas all done legally. Next time
reckon she'll look out for No. /. Well, !
took the fifty thousand and built this stylish
house with it, and now | am enjoying the
pleasure of making dash!
1t looks likely that man rcaps as he sows,
doesn't it? Why, there's Widow Morgan's
farm, got all that for song. and now it
brings me in a clean eight hundred every
year. Heard the other day that the widow
had gone to the poor.house, but that was not
my fault Should like to know if man has
not right TO foreclose a mortgage when it
best suits his convenince!
Then there's Tom Tppler's farm--it also
came into my hands by little and little, as it
ran through the spigot into the glass, and
down poor Toms throat; but was not to
blame; if men ioW drink, who's to blame but
themselves If / had not sold him liquor,
somebody else would, and twas as fair for me
to make money out of him as for anybody
else. Twas no use in trying to save Tom;
fact was, he had drank so long he "wasn't
worth saving" His wife used to beg me to
help her save him, said he was fine man and
a good husband when sober; but had plenty
of business Of my own to attend to, without
meddng with her domestic affairs
Then that speculation on -four was n snug
little stroke of policy! Now ! reckon flour
is one of the prettiest things in the market to
speculate upon-you see the people must
have il, cheap or dear. Well, kept my "eyes
peeled" little,scnt out an agent and bought
it all up in several States. Got it home and
safely packed away, then put an article in the
Journal about the scarcity and probable rise
of -four After the peoples minds had been
drawn to the fact, stepped over to neighbor
Turncoat's, and, says ], "Turncont, want to
make trade with you; just business trans
action, You know" and gave him the wink.
Turncoat isn't nobody's fool. "Well," says
he, "glad to accommodate you, name your
article and price" "Flour," says ], "seventy.
five thousand barrels more or less. Are you
ready for trader "Yes," says he. "Well,
then, say Ss so per bbl.!" agreed" says he.
Next morning an article appeared in the
Journal announcing the great sale of -four at
IN advance of so cents per barrel, and that it
was rising rapidly. AT noon stepped over
to Turncoat's again, asked If be had learned
the advance on -four, to which he replied
with grin. Says ], ave must bring Il up
to eleven dollars before four months; what do
you say to six per cent. on the profit for the
use of your nnme!' agreed" says be.-
"Now," says ], "sel me the 10000 barrels
back again, and | will pay you nine.and a.
quarter" "Agreed," says he. The Journal
had another notice the next day of an ad-
vanced sale, and thus we went on in pru-
dent, business like way, till in three months
-four was up to eleven dollars, and none in
the market only what Turncoat and myself
had. As bought II for six dollars per bbl.,
made the snug little sum Of three hundred
thousand, expenses out, before the next crop
came off. Now call that stroke of bust
ness. Suppose our minister wouldn't ap-
prove of il, though. He says honesty is the
best policy, but we business men know bet |
ter. There is no policy at all in honesty, and
man would starve TO death if he should |
undertake to live honestly. Thus soliloquzed