Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-03-18
.Beggar,s-Licc.n

q, Or, reader, if you don't like the looks and
sound of this name, you are at liberty to sub
stitute the scientific one, viz: EcHTNAsPERNUM
VIRGINIcuM If you are good in Etymelogy
you viii perceive that this jaw-breaking name
is suggestive of the sea-urchin, or the hedgehog.
But it is not of sea-urchins or hedgehogs that
proprose to write, though they like the Echi-
naspernum are rough and bristly. 1t is ofthe
latter that have something to say. Or, rather,
the latter furnished me, recently, with a start
ing-point i'll my reflections. After walking
through the forest found my clothing well COW
cred with what are called in common parlance
''Beggar-lice. | did not know when passed
the weeds that made this deposit ON my gar
ments As | tried to pull them off they clung
SO tightly and were so stubborn that pronoun-
ced them abundantly deserving of the tremen-
dousscientific name which l have already given.
The man who inflicted that name must have
had his trousers terribly covered with the little
burs. As pulled to get my shawl and coat
clear of them, | observed that every one brought
away "a little tuft of the wool. Thus they not
only annoyed me, but did quite business i'll
the way of robbing me of my garments. As |
was working away at them fell to thinking
about the great 'Wilderness-world, through
which we are all walking, and of the abundant
beggar' slice found growing in it. 1t well be-
hooves man to walk cautiously in the world.
Aftera little carelessness, even though he has
designed to get into io harm, he will be very
apt to find himself covered with beggar slice
And when they are once fixed on his garments,
it is no easy matter to get rid of them. They
are only outward evils to be sure, and do not
imply any great criminality but they are proof
of want of care. And they spoil a mans ap-
pearance among men, if no worse.
When see man chewing tobacco, or smok-
ing it, | think of the beggar's lice. | see plen-
ty of men doing these things; might almost
say u don't see anything else They are
many of them, very excellent men indeed
But they have beggar' slice their clothes
They almost uniformly admit the foolishness of
their habit, But they can't get the beggar $
lice off their clothing. One can hardly avoid
the nuisance either. In the pursuit of your le-
gitimate business you have occasion to go
among smoking men. You go home, and Mad
am, your wife pitches into you after this fash
ion-''Now, Mr.. - you have been where
people were smoking, Thus she informs you
that beggar's lice are on your clothing.
When | see man habitually drinking iutox-
cating liquors, think he likes to go among the
beggars lice. When I hear boy swear, or use
obscene language, think the beggar's lice are
beginning to cling not only to his garments,
but to his soul.
None of us can wholly avoid contact with
evil The purest man will find himself some
times surrounded by beggar' r's-lce. But one
may prevent the evil from working permanent
injury to his character. He must keep as clean
of it as he can. He can at least refuse to toler-
ate any bad habit in his life. Then the evil
about him will get no admission to his heart,
and he will be pure.
And yet, it is a misfortune to Il pure man to
suffer even external contact with evil. The
problem of life is more difficult to him by rea-
son of that contact. Here is a thought which
shows the wrong done by those who indulge in
wrong practices. They SOW the seeds of the
beggar slice which attach themselves to other
men garments. B.