Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-10-12
JOSH BILLINGS PAPERS.
Kontentnent.

Kontentment is the gift ov God, as it
kan be cultivated little, but it is hard TO
acquire. Kontentment is sed to be the
same az happiness, this ackounts for the
small amount of happiness laying around
losse, without emmy owner. | don't be-
leave that man waz made tew be kon-
tented, nor happy in this world, for if he
had bin, he wouldn't hav hankered enuft
for the other world.
When a man gifts perfektly kontented,
he and a clam are fust couzins.
Kontentment il a kind ov moral lazi-
ness; if thare. warnt ennything but kon-
tentment in this world, man wouldn't be
emmy more ov suckcess than an angie
worm IL.
When man gifts so that he don't want
ennything more, he liz like a rackcoon
with his intestines full of green corn.
Contentment liz one ov the instinkts, /
admit 1t tew be happiness, but it liz kind
ov spruce gum chawing happiness.
We all find fault with Adam and Eve,
for not being kontented, but if they had
been satisfied with the gardin ov Eden and
themselfs, they would have been living
there now, the only 2 human beings on
the face ov the arth, az inherent as a
couple of vegetable oysters.
They would have bin splendid speci-
mess of the handy work ov God, elegant
portraits in the vestibule ov heaven, but
they would not have developed reazon,
the only God-like attribute in man.
When man IL thuroly kontented, he il
ether 2 lazy TO want ennything, or big
phool 2 enjoy it.
have lived in IRborhoods where every
body seemed 2 be kontented, but if the
itch had ever broke out in them nabor-
hoods, the people would have skrstched
to this day.
am in favour ov all the vanitys, and
petty ambishuns, all the jealousys, and
backbitings IN the world, not bekauze i
think they am hansome, but hekauze i
think they stir up men and wimmen, git
them onto their muscle, cultivating their
venom, and reaZon at the same time, and
proving what a brilliant cuss man may be,
at the same time that it proves what a
miserable cuss he IL.
had rather see two wimmen pull hair
than tew see them set down, thoroughly
satisfied with an aimless life, and never
suffer eney excitement, greater than bleed
ing tears together, through their noze, for
parcel of shirtless heather, on the coast
of Madagascar, or, once in while, open
their eyes, from dream ov young hyson
contentment tea, t3w sarch the aIlmiknak
for the next change in the moon.
COntentment, in this age of the world,
either means death or delay; in the days
of Abraham, contentment was simply ig-
norance.
The world il now full ov farming, the
arts and sciences, and all the thousand
appliances of reazon, these things make
ignorance the exception, and no man haz
right tew cultivate contentment, emmy
more than he haz tew cut oph hiz thum,
aud set quietly down and nuss the stub.
Show me thoroughly contented per-
son, and will show yu an useless one.
What we want IL folks who won't be
kontented, who kant be kontented, who
git up in the morning, not simply to haV
their bed made, but for the sake ov git
ting tired; not for the sake ov nourishing
kontentment, but for the sake of putting
turpentine in some ded place, and stirring
up the animals.
Contentment was born with Adam, and
died when Adam ceased tew be an angel,
| and bekum q man.
| don't say that a man couldn't be
Matched out, and, like young owl, set
on dri limb, all hiz days, with hiz branes
az fast asleep az mudturkles, and at last
sneak into heaven. under the guize of
kontentment, but do say, that 10 gener-
ashuns ov SIGH men would run most of
the human race into the ground, and leave
the balance az lifeless, and az base, as q
currency made out ov puter ten cent
pieces.
Iwould like, jist az well az the next
man, teW crawl into q hole, that jist fit
ted me, he'd fust, and thus shutting out
all the light, be conten' ed, for l know
how awfully unsoOtheing the aims, and
ambishuns ov life are, but this would only
be burying mi few talents, and sacrificing
on the ded alter ov kontentment, what
war given me, to make a fire or smudge
with.
Thare amt no SIGH thinSas cOntentment
and reazon existing together, thoze who
| slip out OV the crowd, into sum alley, and
] pretend they are chawing the cud of sweet
kontentment, the very best specimens oy
them, are no better than pin cushions,
| stuck full.
They have jist az menny longings az
ennebody, they have jist az menny vices,
their virtews are too often simply mix
tur ov jealousy and cOwardice.
Contentment is not DESIGNED, as a
stiddy Dizziness, for the sons Ov man,
while on this arth.
A yeller dogg, with a tin kittle tew his
iale, climbing hill, -et a three mint gate,
il a more Reasonable spektakle for me,
than snail small, contended and happy.
| Man York WIeeEZly