The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-09-27
A LAY SERMON.
which lncuIcates the wholesome
Doctrine Of Doing Good unto others,
and also OF COntentment with
our Lot.
NEAR THE RAILROAD, Texas, }
Sept. 16, 1879.

Sept. 16, 1879.
To the Editor of the Comet:
The rain has come, and if l use the LAM
guage of the times, must say it came in
floods. From May 9th to September 9th,
was long dry spell. There IS something
peculiar about Texas. In dry weather, it
is hard to start q rain, but when it does
start, it can rain here as easily as in any
other land of the earth. Crops have been
greatly injured-almost ruined, but the
people will live, and, when they wind up,
1T will be just the same as if the crops had
been uniformly good. l can call to mind
some men who lived in Mississippi in days
gone by, but who are now dead. They
made good crops and loaned money at large
rates, and had plenty, and made close trades
| and prospered. l can call to mind others,
who are dead, also, that made poor crops,
borrowed money, and paid interest. What
| is the difference The same stiffness reigns
| about the graves of all, and goblins prone
| made among their silent homes, making no
distinction. The timid boy, on his path to
school, speeds by his fathers grave, as if
some evil lay concealed. Now and then,
in some lonely hour, by the grave of the
man or woman, who, in life, lived for the
happiness of others, may be seen some one
weeping, demonstrating that the good we
do for others is all that can reconcile the
living to the ashes of the dead.
Years ago, there was law firm in Column
bus, Mississippi, styled Harrison & Crusoe.
The firm enjoyed the confidence of courts
and people, and did a large and lucrative
practice. The two partners knew each
other well. Both were great students and
learned and good men. Each wore specta>
cles, and there was similarity In their
conduct, as we'll as dissimmilarity, which,
by the law of mental recognition, caused
the appearance of one 10 suggest the other
Mr.. Orusoe died some years before Mr.
and the family of the deceased,
and all the people of Columbus followed =
The body of the dead lawyer to the grave.
After he was buried, and the last sad words -
we're spoken at the grave, and family and t
citizens had left the cemetery, gentleman G
passing by saw man kneeling at the newly
made grave, with his handkerchief to his
yes. 1t proved to be Mr.. James T. Har> C
1son, the great lawyer, and surviving MEM 4
,er of the firm of Harrison Il Crusoe, il
Weeping aloud over the remains of his V
riend and partner. Both are now dead, p
nd the tribute paid to the first to depart,
" the senior member of the firm, was
Forth all the triumphs of the court room
rofound respect shown to the memory of "
Ir. Harrison by the country, crystalized ID
q the tribute Of Hon. Beverly Matt =,
hews, is the only thing achieved by Fl
be labors of life that was worth ST
be struggles of Mr.. Harrison. Both these s,
len experienced good crops and bad, sues E,
es and reverses, peace and war, and yet
ley are only remembered by the good they Of
id and the virtues of a spotless integrity. in
90 much attention is paid to the condi- x
on Of season or of year. The very Il
that We most deplore are N
those charged with the only
pod that can happen or fall upon us. q,
cath itself, commonly deplored as the IT
reat enemy of man, was declared by N,
icero to be not an evil, but the greatest h;
pod. The true philosophy of life then it