Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1882-08-03
THE LITTLE FOXES.

N
"Take us the foxes. the little foxes that
spoil the vines; for our vines have tender
grapes. "-SOlomOn's Song, 2:D.
DEARLY BELOVED: 1t is the little
things in this life that make up our hap
piness or misery. II we had to deal
only with the great things we could get
along. II there were only lions in the
way, life would be pleasanter than it is.
IL we were only expected TO be heroes,
we could accomplish our warfare
and work out our mission with less
trouble than now encompasses us. But
alas, it is not against lions and great
dangers that the voice of inspiration
we are to take. And the man who
despiseth the day of small things is
even rs he who lifteth up his head in
the air and vaunteth himself, even while
he stitch his foot upon the humble
banana peel. Falleth he over a man by
treading upon dry goods box, or doth
he stumble over Il two story houseP
Take us the foxes, the lHtLefoxes, that
spoil the vine"
Brethren. it is easier to kill lion
than to catch fox Ii is easier to build
a wagon than il is TO make watch.
Great is the warrior who taketh city,
but he is better than the mighty, that
is slow to anger, and better is " he that
ruleth his spirit than he that taketh n
city.
Why see, how much of human misery
is based upon the merest tribes The
man who makes himself supremacy
wretched because he wants something
his neighbor has, and can't get it; the
man who swears when he loses his col
lar button; the man who breaks the
furniture because he can't find his hat
on the rack when he left it out in the
back yard; the man who wants to die
when he wakes at night to hear it rain
ing in perfect torrents and remembers
that he left all the kindling wood out
doors on the cistern box; the man who
is unhappy because his boots are tight;
the Young man, or old man either, who
tries to make forty-dollar salary sup
port a ifty-dollar coat, and is miserable
because there is u misiit somewhere; the
man who is cross and savage all through
house-cleaning week; the man who is
always sick and miserable after the pic
mic; the man who is cross because it is
hot, and gruif because it's cold, and ir-
ritable because il s wet what are these
men but the tormented victims of 1.-THE
little foxes that spoil the vines" These
men have no heavy burdens, no grave
trials. They are miserable because they
make themselves so, and they remain
miserable because they are too lazy u
set fox trap. If the old world had ms
heavier sorrows than these, we wosld
be so happy down here some of Us
I.,Nt 30. a.. 4
this paper down right here, dearly be-
loved, and count up all your own trials
and sorrows and tibulationS; strike out
all the little, petty everyday annoy
ances you are ashamed to call tribula.
tons, and see how little you have ia
make life unhappy. Honestly, now. what
trouble have youP You need not tell me
just give yourself an honest answer.
III we allowed the great wrongs of life
to move us as deeply rs do the petty
trials; if we endured our light aillictions
more patiently, and more valiantly com
batted the great evils, how soon would
we reform this old world. Ii one-hali
the Indignation that is poured out upon
the insensate collar buttons that rol
away under the shadowy concealment
OF impassive lounges and bureaus wer,
as faithless politicians who betray theil
trusts and barter their principles fol
place and profit. there would be nC
mourning over any lack OF honest mel
in public places. If society broke tn,
furniture and foamed at the mouth and
tore things when it can find neither its
bank account or the Cashier rs it does
when il simply cannot lind its nat, nc
man could steal trust funds and build q
new house Herewith. If the man who
tries TO reverse the appearance of d
number nine foot, To make il fit Il mum.