The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1876-02-23
NOTHING IF NOT CRITICAL
Bascum Tries Advice to Youths.


DEAR COUSIN JoHN: Isn't it very
strange that we have men in our mids
at thissday who will pretend to dispute
the truthfulness Of the Bible, when there
is SO many things. happening day after
day to- verify the truths therein con
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Now, there Is no doubt in my mind,
but that you have often heard, and you
may, perchance, have read in that Book
of books, where it tells of the devil tax
| ing Christ up into an exceeding high
mountain, from which he showed him
much of the world, and the good and
beautiful things therein, and proposed
giving him all these things if he would
but fall down and worship him. Right
then and there the devil was trying to
practice fraud, for none of these things
were his, and he had no right to trade
them. Moreover, lie was not worthy of
being worshipped.5 But had it been any
common being of the present day, no
doubt the devil would have accomplish
ed his object, for no doubt he showed
our Savior many beautiful and valuable
things-thlngs..that. even member
of Congress or a President dare refuse
at the present time. But again, had he
been successful, and were he Indicted
for the same under our present code of
laws. lie would be punished for obtain
ing things under false pretenses.
How often do we sec things in this
life, that remind us of the things we
read about, but more especially this one
thing For Instance, you will see la
dy with beautiful hat, erected high up,
on the very topmost peak of beautiful
coil of hair the hat all covered with the
most beautiful flowers, delicious fruits,
minerals of various sorts, and jewelry in
abundance. She will probably gain the
attention of some young club, whose
eyes will be dazZled by those fascinating
smiles of hers, as also by the lurid flash
of that glittering breast-pin and ear
drops, and at length his eyes rest upon
that pinacle-that elevated peak-that
mountain all covered with roses, holly
hook, morning-glories,p pretty knights,
dog-fennel, and those delicious looking
fruits, such as grapes, masculines, figs,
apricots, hickory nuts, walnuts, cab
bageS, &c, &c. The damsel takes him
by the hand, leads him up higher, places
him in good position, and tells him,
NOW, look. You see all these beauti-
full things connected with that peak
Now, all those things. whatsoever thou
seest, will / give unto thee, if thou wilt
but fall down and worship me; or, in
other words, if thou wilt marry me. ~
But this is not the only fraud likely to
be practiced in case of this kind, for
young and inexperienced mind, might
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furniture itself-so decorated with flow
ers, ffounces, &c.,-was valuable to
poor man, from the fact that it might
and would be both able and willing to
assist him in procuring the necessaries
of life, by cooking his meals and wash
ing the dishes, and by many other little
acts calculated to save n penny; but
marry time; for as the devil again tempt
cd our Savior by challenging him to
turn stones into bread, so also will she,
at the proper time, take him by the hair
of the head, (if yet any remaineth), and
say: Now. young man, not into bread
alone will have thee turn thy labor,
(woman cannot live upon bread alone),
but into flowers, fruits, and fantasticles,
to adorn the hat which is still to rest up
on this high mountain of mine, the in
side of which mountain is plated with
pure gold, and adOrEed with false teeth.
as white as the whiteSt of marble, and
the top of which is inhabited by many
creeping things" This, cousin John, is
the great fraud of.the present day, and
in ninety-nine cases out of every hun
dred the perpetrators of these frauds arc
liable to Indictment for fraud in the
first degre; for malicious matrimony; for
false pretenses and malice aforethought;
for an attempt to commit matrimony
with intent TO rule or ruin; for skull
duggery VS.. pro bono publico, &c, &c
But as nothing is 10 be gained by suits
of this sort, my advice TO young men is
to not place themselves in a position
that it will cost lawsuit to get out of
it. Steer clear of those flowery peaks
Select a low elevation, and be sure that
nothing Objectionable is hidden bylfalse
hair and artificial flowers
THoS BAsCI-M