Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1870-12-10
HARD ScRABBIr DFc Z 1874

For the Register.
HARD SCRABBLE, DEC. & 1870.
DEAR REGisTER:-l stand without your sane.
Jun uoor, and humbly ask permission 10 cross
e . aiir to set down with "Peregrinus"
r"u Iemplar,' in the light of your favor
-N"u "hIle the wanderer from The land of Call
Iou"' taxes quiet nap III the corner, aud
uteahs OF the "iow swampS," and ''high hills, ="
VI NE Saniee-and "TempIar," rests enamel.
rd'eu IRON The hustle and confusion Of Lee tow
'io'ouSh-iareS, permit Inc 10 edge my chair
C'"se 10 your SIDE, and III whisper IN your ear
thing or two
a gentleman once had q cow-and lie NAV
nave her yet, for all | know. This COW once
on lime, while grazing ali unconscious Of
ud"ser' stepped on some rotten boards, the
covering of a well, and the consequence was.
she found herself fifteen feet below terra frna
How long she remained in her unpleasant, silua-
tion, and the particulars Of how size came 10
laiI' she has not yet communicated; tho il is
supposed she went 10 the well, and gcUia- d.
rectly over, she went down; illustrating tie
philosophical fact, that "fa!ling bodies tend
downward, >" tho our modern philosophers will
have IT, that she came near ''guing up" She
was drawn up somewhat Damaged, tho we
learn she Ia now convalesceni
lhls is from the chapter Of accidents Of tue
week ending Dec. 3, Ammo Mundi, $50, and
Is not reported for general publication; and we
hope the Press Will fOrbear noticing il, as il is
Of but local. import, tho il may perhaps, bea. a
general application.
Many Individuals forge. that on ether side,
along the highway Of lie, there are pitfalls and
vehicles, SO nicely concealed that the most
careful sometimes get q foot in, and frequent
/ ly some find themselves tcaol!y la which means
III the hole. These pitfalls are OF various kinds;
some are as deep as the YI.lany Of Zen Butler;
oilers as shallow as the BRAN Of Grant, and
tbs Is very shallow indeed, and fellow, should
lie be so unfortunate as 10 tumble in, will have
hut little trouble in getting out, provided he
clasps with moral courage, the hand Of sympa-
Thy that may be extended 10 him, and with
resouie spring he will land out with as little
difficulty as a Government official has in Gch
ing The pockets OF Uncle Sam, or q Radical
Registrar in violating the law.
Oi The deeper pitfalls, they are the scru-
Chres where Ambitions, Hopes. and Manhood,
he entombed. Over tkcSo hidden ctasms, no
Resurrection angel stands 10 call The wrecked
Hopes, JOYS and Aspirations back 10 life again;
and sympathy may bring her clcriu- Ct bitter
tears; may put forth her hand, tut ules, in vain
-'herc comes no answer TO her crCs-she
turns away, and human clarity, may perhaps,
with gentle hands, erase the record Of the poor
We have bu. Z few stumblngs into these deep
er pitfalls, tho many get in the shallow ones.
Some imagine hole aud then fall in it, but
have no difficulty in getting out It more viii try
TO help them; let them alone, and they will soon
crawl out, but just sigh over them; exhibit
little mock sympathy for them, and they seem
better pleased ~ their imaginary pitfalls, than
they would be out and il they are once drawn
out, they viii go and step right in again.
Some fail IN thro' carsles.ness, others th:o
fancied security, and some 20 ii bind.
How often has the Sentimental Young nan.
facinatcd by the "glance Of an eye" or charm
ed by the scf sweet logcs Of so,ae daughter Of
Mother Eve, been led 10 roam in CuPijs pas
ture field, and gra2gd cC the sweet grasses Of
affection, all unconscious OF danger, Uutil at
last, alas he finds himself on The rotten boards
OF lnconstancy-they burst aSunder, and he Is
PreciPitated headong, down, down, and finds
himself al last sloshing around in the mile
and mud Of dependency; the breehes oC his
pride are torn; his suspenders Of seli-conCeit
arc bursted; his hopes IRE squashed; he bears
sUnGry hurts. by eXertIon be craws up again.
some fair taIlOreSs IN course of time, sews up
the Tents; repairs his suspcnJers; and good
Samaritan like, heals hrs hurts, and fills him
as ful of hopes, - newly elected Legislator,
Is Of conceit; lie goes to pasture, but unlike the
COW, he will 20 and fall right in again.
J his Is the consequence Of cOnceIted security,
ard OF going il blind. There are many travel
ers who YEARLY plod along LIES pathway, who
10 save a scratch or two, will step aside from
the brambie patch Standardization, and viii
fall into The pit OF shame and Difficulty for these
they have but 10 climb oft again, ard wade
through the briers, scratch CT 20 scratch.
There are other pits-tUey are tie graves
Of politicians, dug by their own hands, and
covered BY party platform, and much depends
on the material OF which the platform IS made;
if the boards are rotten they wort bear ! heavy
weight, and persons should beware lest they
fall through, as the Republican party lately
did. They knew the boards were rotten, tie
pins were loose-it had holes 10 il as large as
those in your town ci,tern on "Pcla,o N,il"
They did what they could 10 strengthen il
amendments were tackled on 10 stop the holes,
and in fancied security they all stepped aboard;
they closed their eyes and went II bind-;he
main-siils bursied, the boards broke, and they
all went to-the ID believe | have talked
you almost 10 sleep, so Will leave; not how
ever, until request that you insert what YOU
have heard from me, and if"TemplaT" claims
his corner this week and YOU nave no space
for me, suggest thai you take out the sierco-
type plate Of Walker's California Vinegar Bit
tiers, and lei me have the space.
Yours IS tgh; as
BRICKS"