The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-01-04
SLIPSHOD PEOPLE.

%-
We remember reading in our child
hood an old story of a naughty girl who
wouldn't tie her shoes and always went
with them down atheel. Howshe would
trip and stumble, always in the nick Of
time to point the moral, andhoWhaving
scraped her nose, and sprained herankle,
and smashed herlittle brother, she broke
her own back and went to her grave
moaning "Oh, if I had only tied my
shoes!nE
Amidst much grief for 0ur heroine,s
untimely end we thought her fate was
hard, and might have been avoided. Of
course we knew it was highly sinful for
boy or girl not to tie his or her shoes,
but why, in this special case, didn't the
mother, finding the shoes were a snare,
take them off and let the victim go bare
foot. Or why didn't she put boots on
her? The impression made by that
=" pantou1e" storyhas been ineradicable.
SIipshods abound in the world, of every
kind and degree; but though we may
have charity for some, and disgust for
others, we have never changedour early
opinion Of the efficacy Of the primitive
remedy.
When we see fields half titled because
the "turf hunger" of the proprietor is
too strong to allow him to part with a
portion Of his acres that the others may
receive due attention, webelieveit would
be better for him, and the community,
that the shoes he cannot keep Oh with
comfort should be taken off altogether
When people hold life in a loose and
careless grasp, neither making the best
of its good, nor bracing themselves fol
it's trials, in memory we read over the
old story and think they are better out
of it altogether.
At the South we are too much give1
to the slipper system. 1t shows itself il
agriculture, architecture, in social ant
domestic life. Weplant, and build, ant
act, and think for the pressing exigen
cies of the day without thought for thu
future. To patch up a fence for on'
seasons crop, to build a house before
the timbers are seasoned-tO plant al
orchard without any regard to Location
or soil, or cultivate it in q slipshod way
is an every day occurrence among us.
There are vast numbers of slipshod
too in our professional ranks. Mel
whom ambitious parents, Or ambition
selves pushed into the wrong places
Men who would have made excellen
mechanics or farmers, but through ri
diculous pride prefer stumbling an
stumbling through starved life as doc
tors or lawyers. Decidedly slipshod
are they, and forever coming to grie
through their apologies for useful shoes
ANY man or woman whom life duties d
not fit, naturally grow careless of theI
until they become a snare and stumblin
block for luckless feet.
There is slipshod work in all the Pre-
LESSONS and employments Of life. W
find it among artists-looae-peneille
} people who make spraWling sketche
! and though there may be genius in the:
! compositions, it is lost in the eareles
awkward treatment. To them We fe'
: disposed to say, Glitch, delve, do an
thing where nicely Of touch is not II
quired but take off the slipshod shoes
your present business andeast them b.
hind you.n
As for the poets, theirs is generally
! sIipshod business, and we expect notl
ing more Of them. When careless b
You'd a certain point, and they give !
! meagre fancy and bad grammar, Y
loosen their sandals ourselves and tut
them out. Shutting philosophers tt
meet with slight mercy.
: Nor is the pulpit free from the sill
shods. Can We not all recall clergym'
j whose discourses slip YEARLY over Il
debateable ground between Time al
Eternity. Men who, from weak NOR
~fasbenings are p~erDetualy being halt
by the great problems of existence, al
not only stumble themselves, but tai
others with them.
We have oyer-passed II limits Al
y yet have not dealt with half the sd
/, sh0ds WeknoW. The truth is their nar
is legion, and we cannotp pass a day wit
oubmeeting someof the guild, and q
y ing mentally with the girl in the Con
u Morales: "Oh, If you would only
n your shoes!n