The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1878-10-17
aAistellanp.
Fromthe College Bell. ]

over the pages of our 'Websters
Abridged little white slip hutter>
ed to the floor. AS we stopped to
pick it up, our eyes lighted on the
above which we one day, while in a
sentimental ~ mood, chopped four
scissors are never sharp enough to
admit of our clipping) from the Eat
onton Broad Axe, that dimmest of
all papers that ever tried mortal
eyes.
Don't think for an instant, be-
cause we have chosen such theme,
that we are getting desperate, or,
are on the ragged edge of despair.
Alb, no We don't intend to COM
nit suicide Why somebody had
the impotence to insinuate ~ to us
on one occasion that we were not
woyth the powder and lead oecessa>
ry for the accomplishment Of such a
little by>play ; then, we are afraid
to deal extensively in either strych>
nine or arsenic because they are
poisonous.
We think the writer of the above
lines could have answered his own
query very promptly had some kind
friend ~ been on hand to have pre-
sented "six>shooter" to his head
and limited something about "day
light shining" &c, or to have made
some remark equally as suggestive.
Had grim death, in any form, stared
him in the face for an instant, while
his manuscript was still wet from the
pen, we think he would have chang~
ed his sentiments and framed them
somewhat MuSly:
Life is really worth the living
Though lis filled with carefand pain,
Though here we meet with many losses
And here we get but little gain.
Depend upon it, that the writer, one
j. b. W., would have given half
his kingdom to have even at the
time of writing-possessed that well
known popularity belonging only to
the cat tribe-viz: nine lives. We
know very we'll that we wouldn't
mind being even non opened eyed
kitten for few days, if, at the end
Of the time we could change back to
ourself, still retaining this feline PEI
culiarity.
In great measure it depends on
the LIVER, whether not life is really
worth the living. Some writer has
very sensibly said
This life is dark and drcary
When we make it so
This life is bright and cheerful
When we take il so.
Life, as we have seen it, has been
neither constant sunshine nor has it
been uumitiga,ed darkness, for, as
Celia Thaxter has beautifully exs
pressed it, "There is no life so dark
but through the murk some ray of
hope may steal"
Who Of us 80 foolish as to wish
his or her life to be ga constant
scene ofjoy."
"Why this world were one scene of en-
ioymcnt,
Pleasures repletion would sickcn to pain :
What were our life if II were without sor
row
Troubles are sent but 10 qualify bliss. .
a life such as your friends in
writing 10 your autograph album al
ways hope yours may be-"sweetly
calm and peaceful" or life "with.
out ripple TO disturb its tranquili>
ty" or something as absurd and i'm
possible would of necessity become
monotonous and would surfeit one as
readily as too much sweetness would
whether sweetness in things we
taste or artificial personal sweetness.
We do not believe in that class of
persons who are invariably so sweet. ;
when we see a person of this chars
acter, VIC are Immediately put on our
lookout knowing perfectly we'll
that in some unguarded moment be
will betray us-pardOn the ilustra-
ton as 'quick as cat can wick
her eye.") Why it isn't in the ma
ture of either things or people to be
the personiEcations of calmness and
sweetness always Thunder storms
purify the atmosphere and were it
not for the terrific storms and gales
that pass over the great deep, the
ocean would be one vast stagnant
pool, and life of any kind would be
come insupportable.
Therefore we believe that it is
equally as necessary to have person
al cyclones or thunder storms now
and then-not continuous ones but
occasionsls--in order that people
will not stagnate.
'Ah,' some one says, 1T is SO easy
for you to preach--but the practic,
ingr You are right, friend. 1t is
much easier to preach than to prac>
tice-but then we do try to practice
all we preach, while tho words of
Paul Lest while | preach to 9th
crs |, myself, should become a cast
away con :nually present Them
selves to us. We believe not theo>
retically bat practically in personal
storms land in proof We say that we
spend a regularly breezy day now
and then--and afterwards Oh, we
feel perfectly all rightly Aud we
know that not only we but every
one whose eyes have followed US
this faa believe that while life is