The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1875-01-21
Having Moral Courage.

Moral courage is big thing. All the
good papers advise everybody to have moral
courage. All the almanacs wind up with
a word about moral courage The Rev.
Murray, and the Rev. Collyer, and the
Rev. Spurgeon, and lots Of other reverends
tell their congregations to exhibit moral
courage in daily life Moral courage doesn't
cost cent, everybody can fill up with it
till it can't cat half dinner after going with
out breakfast.
"Have the courage to discharge debt
while you have the money in your pocket"
is one of the ''moral paragraphs"
Mr.. Mower read this once, and deter
mined to act upon it. One day his wife
handed him five dollars, which she had
been two years saving, and asked him to
bring her up parasol and "a pair of CATERS.
On the way down he met creditor and
had the courage to pay him. Returning
home his wife called him 157 900 pet names,
such as ''fool," idiot" etc, and then
struck him four times in the pit of the
stomach with fat iron. After that lie didn't
have as much moral courage as would make
leaning post for sick grasshopper, and
his wife didn't forgiove him for thirteen
years.
"Have the courage to tell man why
you refuse to credit him" is another para
graph. That means if you keep store
and old Mr. Putty comes in and wants
pound of tea charged you must promptly
respond
"Mr. Putty, your credit at this store
isn't worth the powder to blow a mosquito
over tow string You are fraud of the
first water, Mr.. Putty, and I wouldn't trust
you for hcrring's head if herring were
selling at a cent box
Mr.. Putty will never ask YOU for credit
again, and you will have the consciousness
of having performed your duty.
''In providing an entertainment have the
courage not to go beyond your means, is
another paragraph, If your daughter
wants party and you are short don't be
lavish. Borrow some chairs, make bench
of board and two pals and some molasses
and watermelon, and tell the crowd to gather
around the festive board and partake. They
will appreciate your moral courage if not
your banquet.
''Have courage to show your respect for
honesty is another That is, if you hear
of anybody who picked up five dollar bill
and restored it to its owner, take him by
the hand and say: 'Mr. Rambo, let me
compliment you on being an honest man.
[ didn't think it of you, and [ am agrccbly
disappointed | always believed you were
lair, a rascal and thief, and am glad to
think that you are neither-shake"
"Have the courage to speak the truth,
is paragraph always in use. | once knew
a boy named Peter. One day when he was
loafng around he heard some men talking
about old Mr.. Hangmoney. Their talk
made a deep impression on Peter, and he
spoke the truth. He said
MIR. Hangmoney, when | was uptown
to-day, | heard Baker say you were re-
gular old hedgehog, with tin ear"
'What p roared the old gent
"And Clevis said that you were mcancr
than dead dog rolled in tan bark" con-
tinued the truthful lad
"You imp-you villain y reared the old
"And Kingston said that you were a
bald headed, cross-cyed, cheating, lying,
stealing old skunk under the hen-coop ?"
added the boy.
Then old Mr.. Hangmoney fell upon the
truthful Peter, and he mopped the floor
with him, knocked his heels against the
wall, tore his collar of, and put his shoulder
out Of joint, all because that boy had the
moral courage to tell the truth.
And there was young Towboy-it was
the same with him. He had the moral
courage to go over to an old maid and say
Miss Failsair, farther says he never saw
such a withered-up old Hubbard squash as
you are trying to taip man ~
''He did, eh ?" unused the old maid, ris-
ing up from her chair.
"Yes, and mother says it's burning
shame that you call yourself twenty -four
when you are forty seven, and she says
your hair dye costs more than our wood -
''She said that, did she 2" murmurd the
female
''Yes, and sister Jane says that if she
had such big mouth, such freckles, such
big feet, and silly ways she'd want the
lightning to strike her T.
And then the old maid picked up the
rolling pin and sought the house in which
TowhOy resided, and knocked down and
dragged out until it was hospital. Then
Towboy's father mauled him, his mother
pounded him, and his sister denuded him
of hair-all because he had moral cour; ge
il his daily lif. Comic Monthly