The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1869-08-14
cd Custom.

world at Ghe doors OF custom. Al
Angelina dances the round dances
with an abandon which would be-
fit the cancan of the Jardin Ma
bile, or wears an imperceptible
line of cloth between neck and
waist; if Sempronius lounges out
his hours with brandy, and under !
a cloud Of tobacco smoke, and
passes his weary, fiabby, disgust
ed life without an aim, you hear,
ooh these times, and their Gus
toms! what ruin they are bring
ing on these young people"
Most excellent friends, make
Angelina and Sempronius martyrs,
if you please, to corrupt prece-
dents; give them all the tender
pity in your repertoire, but don't
insist upon convincing US that
the. times have made men and
women weak and worthless
Some writer says the, world is
divided intothe twill, the "won'ts'
aud the "can'ts.7 The "wills,"
have everything. their own way;
tho swon'ts" are the perpetual
porcupines arrayed against all
things; the ''ean'ts" are utterly
helpless, and carried without Yo-
litioR from current to counter cur
rent. .t.r-.
! We think that the "can'ts0 pre-
/ ponderate in modern society,"
/ Men and women who are failures,
and who know that they are, yet
have neither strength nor inclina-
ton to bring about q different
state OF affairs. We don't pretend
to say why there is more of this
class at the present day than at
any past period. rs
Perhaps virtue and strength are
harder to hold when the sineWS
are relaxed by long course OF
idIeaess and luxury. Perhaps
hemmed i'll by doubts before, and
rejected ideas behind, men are
tdallying with friyolities on the
= very verge Of the gulf of eternity
} There may be Subtle changes
going on of which We know moth
ing, until like the new moon which
astronomers promisea the earth,
: some vast constellation of wisdom
and virtue will emerge from thu
! chaotic elements. At any rate i
! will do no harm to hope when W.
? arc surrounded by evils in every
, form. But let us. return to tina
seapegoat custom, which is sad
; died with more than its fair shar,
: of iniquity. 1T ee 81 e.F
= Men make custom, and thel
cut, and slash at the figure o
4 straw. It is an excellent safety
valve for a vast amount of inyeC
t tive which dareS not attack in
: diViduals. We don't pretend t
y say that Angelina would hay
y "can-can'd,n or Sempronius brt
II talized himself with liquor, if som
o one else had not shown them tn
n way; but rest assured, 9ses Gnait
!" that deep down in the souls Q
l. each was the natural depravity
d which would have cropped on
d in some form, if indecent pose
: and degrading liquor had,not bee
}, the fashion OF the day. Exampl
is a great deal, but examples nc
. all. There are strong, true an
good men and women. in til
= world yet, in spite Of all evil Gu
e toms. The royal signet is not "
4 entirely defaeed, though the thrt
IS words of belief are not as plain.
L tthey might be. bsi
l / Still we are weary OF heariu
al custom blamed for everythlr
II wrong. Share the censure wit
- the individuals who, KNOWN
,o good from evil, yet set the latt
~ in high places and do it homag
;e The features of the brute look o
he even through the thick coating
G. the gold laid over them. 1t
MS customary to blame custom, b
1e we prefer throwing our stone in
n headquarters-IN. @. Times.
- TT-7 =, --TT1
Jack S.. a Jolly. shoemalf
Z always kept Blue Monday; b
Is - on Easter Sunday, having
70 friend visiting him, he G
q pretty full, and kept so all t
y week till it came Saturdj
40 morning. when his wife said:
u "John, amt you going
u work today.
u He looked at her d nome
ID in silence, and then said:
70, "Jane is this not a holy wee
l " and haven't | kept Easter So
q IA