The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-02-02
SETTLING ACCOUNTS.
A View of Matters aud Things nj tho End OF
the Ycar.

A View of Matters aud Things nj tho End OF
the Year.
Bishop Clark writes to the Ledger rs
follows The end Of the year is the
time for settling our accounts. We look
into our affairs to sec how we stand in
the world. And how are you getting on
I hear, in reply, oil sorts of voices in the
air, somo quite cheerful and others very
sad.
The first to which I give heed is
neither joyful or mournful-the man
SAYS "I hold my own; I owe no one
ANYTHING that I cannot pay l have
been able to obtain food and raiment for
myself and my family, and therefore l
suppose I ought to be content. con-
fess, however, that I would like to have
laid up something against rainy day !;
I would like to have made some little IN:
Yestment that would bring me an income
without working for it so hard; 1 would
like to put up something for my chill
dren, as see my neighbors doing around
me-" There are few OF us who would
not sympathize with this feeling. But,
if your work has been we'll done, you
have gained something beside food and
clothing the fiber of your soul has
been made stronger, and if you can
leave your children the legacy OF good
example, put them straight upon their
feet to earn all honest living asyou have
done, they will be better off IN the end
than if you bequeathed to them the
means Of living in idleness and luxury.
The strong men are those who lind their
capital in their brains, and earn credit
by their conduct. These ore the men
who rule.
From another quarter hear more
doleful sound, and the voice says: I
have not been able to hold my own. 1
mn worse off than was when the year
began. I had nothing then, and have
less than nothing now, because have
accumulated debts which l am unable to
pay" This is bad, very bad; for we
NAV sentimentalize about the moral
beauties of poverty rs much as we please,
when we pet at the real thing, with its
daily hungerings and shiverings, its pitt
full make-shifts and dismal contrivances,
skulking around corners, or slipping
quickly into doorways to avoid the mex
orable creditor; its efforts to keep up
appearances and final abandonment of
oil regard for appearances; I say, when
we get at the real thing, it proves to be
o very disagreeable and repulsive thing.
But It may be your own fault that you
have not succeeded any better; you may
have folded your arms while others were
working waiting for opportunities in.
stead of making the opportunity, az all
successful people do; laboring only when
you felt like it, which may have been
very seldom, saying to yourself, because
YOU have been so unfortunate as to be
born into the world, therefore the world
owes you living, whereas it really owes
you only what you earn. Or, perhaps,
you have not been very indolent, but
have lived carelessly and beyond. your
income, contracted debts, without know
ing how they were to be met, and IN,
dulged in luxr-ies which you could not
afford. You hoped that somehow mat
ters would come out right, that some
thing favorable would turn "i,, ...s ~.
year has closed and brought nc relief.
We may be sorry for such disappointed
men, but we do not altogether regret
that they have some anxiety and suffer
ing, because this may lead them to do
better in the future. To persist III this
kind of life will inevitably lead not only
to social degradation, which is no slight
calamity, but also to the utter deteriora-
tion of personal character, which is q
thousand times worse. The young man
who begins with running in debt is in
danger Of running into something worse
than debt before long. 1t is pitiable
sight to see one trying to live by his
wits, with perhaps very slender stock
of wit to draw upon. 70 be rich and
and torpid is bad enough, but to be
poor and torpid is sure destruction.
The next voice that we hear is in
another tone; the note is still Sud, but
the roughncss is gone. This man says:
cit is not my fault that have failed to
better my position. have done the
best that l could. I have toilcd hard,
lived carefully, expended frugally, but
everything has turned against me. If l
had received my dues rs faithfully
as I have tried to pay my debts, If
had had the same return for my labors
that others havo had, I would not com.
plain. As it is, + nm disappointed and
disheartcncd. I do not like to ask for
farors; I will not DO dishonest. l am
trying to do my duty in the state OF life
where God has placed me, but L meet
with no encouragement and no success.
The new year comes to me dark with
clouds; it brings with it q heavier load
than I am able to bcar-nly faith in
Providence is almost gone Beware of
that! To lose your faith would be far
worse than to lose your money. L do
not know why you are thus sorely tried,
but God docs, and you will lind it out
by-and-byc. The best fruit does not
always grow in tho richest soil. Awhile
ago, I saw man removing the mellow
earth from the roots of tree, and sub
stituting in it's place cinders and ashes
the tree was growing too luxuriantly,
and the vitalizing sap ran to wood ana
leaves. I do not mean to say that you
are to sit down doggedly and look for
no further worldly prosperity; it rather
| becomes you W DcIlCNC eu.Ap IL, "h'1 d"
buoyant heart and q strong will, you
perseyere in well-doing, q change for
the better will soon come. You will not
be tried beyond your power OF endur-
ance. Some of those who have been
most prosperous in the end, met with
the seYercst rebuffs in the beginning.
One further voice breaks the stiffness,
and that is brisk and jocund. It says
"I have prospercd abundantly, l nm
much richer than I was year ago,
whatever l touch turns to gold" trust
tncn that you have touched nothing that
is deterioratcd by turning into gold. l
trust that your conscience has not be-
come metallic. trust that there are no
widows or orphans to cry out against
YOU. I trust that you have not kept
back tho hire of the laborer. I trust
that Won have not advanced your pros
perity by ovcr-rcaching. trust that
YOU can look back upon tho process by
which you have grown rich, with as
much satisfaction MS you regard the
wealth you have secured. Ard I also
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