The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-06-04
Invisible Spirits of Mischief.
BI-HFNRY WARD BEEcHER.

Invisible Spirits of Mischief.
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BI-HFNRY WARD BEEcHER.
Mr.. BONNER DO you believe in
invisible spirits of mischief? I do.
Ny whole life has been infested with
them. They are of various kinds.
| could make large catalogue of
them, whose presence 1 have detec-
ted at various times. But one there
is SO busy, and yet SO lazy, so un-
prlncipled, and yet assuming such
airs of conscience, so wanton, with
yet the pretence Of good heed, that
l am out of all patience with him.
After performing the proper in
carnations, l have evoked his name.
1t is ''carelessness." Other spirits
are limited, both in sphere and
function. But this one is. ubiouit-
Gus, and lays it's hand to every va
riety of misdeed. SItinfests nv STU
dy, my parlor, my kitchen, and my
cellar. It devours my substance,
and provokes me to i'll temper. If
go from the city to the country,
the imp travels faster than 1 do and
appears to me as hostler, or a
gardener, or simple day laborer.
This spirit of evil loves to go un-
der the name of "Nobody" It was
nobody that left the window open.
through which the storm beat and
spoiled my book. It was Nobody
that broke my favorite coffee-cup;
that set the cat to eat milk out of a
cut glass preserye-dish, which the
grocer hit with his foot and broke,
not to pieces, for that would have
had q consolation, but broke Just
enough to be good to throw away,
and not good enough to keep.
1t was Nobody that ate my nuts,
put my salad oil in the sun, left nv
ice box open devoured my cream put
damp sheets ON my bed
I track this Nobody in my books,
whose leaves have been badly cut,
or snouched with dirty finger marks,
in my portfolios, where the costly
engravings have been touched with
sweaty fingers, or the paper broken
with careless handling. 1t was no.
body that left the keys IN the area
door ready for the thief's hand that
|devoured fabulous quantities of tea
and sugar; that took my fine hand
kerchief; that broke all that china
which I found slowed in a barrel
down cellar!
It was nobody that left her work
in my sitting chair with the needle
lying in ambush for me; but, I as
sure you, it was not nobody that
jumped up quicker than he set down,
that was T
I have often watched for this no.
body, and should I ever catch him,
without judge or jury, I will work
him such harm as shall be an exam
pie to. all miscreants
But, how many nameless other
disguises has this arch spirit of
Carelessness put on! It is my epin-
ion that more harm has come to
business by reason of Carelessness,
than by the instrumentality of all
thieves, swindlers and counterfeiters
together. 1t is universal enemy.
In spite of its fair face, and silver
speech Of excuse, every mans hand
should be ruthlessly set. against it.
Carelessness is permitted to do mis-
chief, which performed Intentional
ily, would be deemed crimes. It is a
pick-pocket, and yet keeps respect
able society. If not burglar, it is
a house destroyer. It strips off the
shingles. it drops the clapboards, it
breaks the window pane, it tears the
clothes, meulds sour bread, burns
the meat, wipes my mouth with soil
ed napkins, feeds me with unsecured
knives. It founders my horse, bat
ters my carriage, saws my wood a
foot too long for the stove, digs my
borders too early, and destroys half
Of my unsprouted treasures. am
pestered and tormented with Care
lessness.
Important letters are not written
and the suit goes wrong. ''Ah,"
SAYS the man "Carelessness, care
lessness." With CHEEKY voice you
ask man after his wife's health
whose funeral you attended last
week. s'What Carelessness," you
say, as if it, not you, were culpable.
You wound a friend deeply, and
make it all right bv assuring him
that sit was mere Carelessness,
nothing more You put choice
engraving on the sofa, through
Carelessness and then in a few
minutes set down on it. "Alas'
cries the owner, "Oh dear me-" you
|innocently respond; "that was very
careless" You snatch a babe from
the floor, wrong end upward and at
temp to appease the you 6 mothers
indignation. ooh excuse me Care
lessness. What was / thinking
about" The surgeon cuts main
artery, during an operation, and
soothes the dying fellow with the
assurance that lit was wholly unde-
signed; it was slip; indeed, it was
| Carelessness.
If ever | am called to remake the
Code of Morals, in the very first
place higher than vices or crimes,
shall mark down Carelessness.
1t is not only an egregious sin.
but the heartless mothes of nearly
every other sin known to afflicted
humanity. -5~-.----
The Urbana Gazette, of last week
says: