The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-10-23

The prospect is not bright. We were
counting on twice as much: cotton as We
are going TO get. i don't plant cotton,
but my tenants does, and ] thought I
would get enough rent to pay my taxes
and put blinds to the house, but I won't,
and the blinds must 60. It is hard on
me but it is harder on Roland, for be has
worked faithfully and had high hopes of
being able to buy another mule. Roland
is cheerful man and never complains.
He compares himself with those who are
worse of. When sympathized with
him about the long drouth cutting
off his cotton, he said !: "Well, it's not so
bad as it might be, for I made good
corn crop and plenty of wheat and oats,
and / don't owe as much as some of the
nabors. I don't owe more than l can
pay"
"Only two dollars" said he.
I wish everybody vas as we'll off as
Roland. travelled with man from
York in South Carolina the other day,
and he said his people owed enough for
guano to take all their cotton, and there
wasn't enough made in his county to
make shirt apiece for the people who
made it, "but then," said he, I'VE are
having mighty good meetings going on,
and / always noticed thatit took power
of religion to do folks under trouble
more religion in adversity than prosperity
and they always get it." That's so, /
reckon. The good book says: Humble
thyself under the mighty hand of God"
but man can't do it with a pocket full
of money. He may be ever so much in
clined that way, but q man who has no
wants unsupplied can't get down to it
and wrestle in prayer and take nnderholt
like one who is in the low grounds of
sorrow. The rich man feels secure and
independent whether it rains or not. The
only thing he wants it to rain for is to
settle the dust and cool the air so he can
feel better in his skin. But the poor
farmer looks to the clouds for living,
and he never looks up without feeling
his dependence upon Him who made
them and sends the rain upon the just
and the unjust. It is not at all impossi-
bic for q rich man to reverence his Maker,
and do good With his money and have
peaceful conscience. Job is notable
example, and We have them about nova
days, ever and anon, but still they are
scarce. It looks like the more the Lord
gives man the more he ought to love
Him but he don't, and it is the same way
with parent and his children. Poor
folks children love their parents
better than rich folks children, and the
best Christians know of are among the
poor and the afflicted. Rich mems chill
dren stand around waiting for the old
man to die. They don't think they are,
but they are, and they catch themselves
figuring many time about their share,
and what they will get when the old man
dies. DR.. Haygood preached sermon
at our town not long ago, and with
solemn earnestness declared that it was a
perilous thing for a father to lay up
money for his children. "For many long.
years" said he, ~ have been an educa-
tor of the boys of this land. Ihave loved
them and watched them, and tried to
guide them by precept and example, and
say now with solemn conviction, that
there is no danger, no peril, no tempta'
ton 80 fatal to youth as riches. Many
boys come to college as bene6ciaries;
many come whose parents are toiling and
struggling to give them an education,
and many come whose parents are rich,
and their children never know want.
Il is this last class only that. have ever
given us trouble or anxiety. From this
class all the expulsions come, and not
long ago we had to expel one of them
who was only sixteen years old for being
habitual drunkard. I keep roll Of
our graduates and watch them from year
to year after they leave us, and it is only
this class who come to grief and make up
record either of Incidence or of shame.
Of course there are many noble excep.
tions, and I only allude to the contrast
in general"
This was the substance of the doctors
declaration, and wish every parent in
the land could have heard it, and
realized the solemn emphasis with which
he said it, for DR.. Haygood knows. he
has opportunity to know. Poor boys
make the best citizens. They obey the
law, and they; work and toll for an hon
est living. Riches are best with many
perils. a man can pile up and keep on
piling if ne wants to, but let him look
out for breakers. Not long ago passed
by princely mansion in a large city,
and asked my friend what had become
of that mans children. and he said he
didn't know but two. The son is gen.
teel vagabond who loafs around town and
the danuhtar married q gambler who neg
lects her, and that is what killed the old
man. So, after all, there is some good in
poverty; some security for our children.
Not long ago asked wealthy old gen
tleman about his children, where
they we're aud what they were
doing, and he answered with pride about
his oldest boys and said they were sober
and steady and at work-and then ne
added; "but these boys were born when
Twas poor, very poor, and had to work
hard for living and as they grew up
they had to work too and acquired habits
of Industry and economy, but our two
youngest came to us after had got we'll
off and they never worked any, and they
give me great deal of trouble and anxi-
ety. 1 am sorry ever got rich"
That is the way of it exactly. The
perils of riches.
But still fortune gained honestly in
the pursuit of an honest calling is good
thing, and many men manage it Alright
and manage their children too, and l am
like everybody else: think l would be
willing to risk it and take the chances.
It is no sin to have it, but every man
who is hunting for it ought to be fore.
warned and forearmed and bring up his
children on proper principles. "Get
acquainted with them" I heard rich
man at Admission say, II am tired of work
and must quit. I have got money
enough, but it looks like I can't stop. l
want to stop and get acquainted with my
children"
Well, that is right. A man oug hit to
know his children ard they ought to
know him. He ought to take time to
III Al - hnt