Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-03-13


Tammany, SO to speak, and Boss Boreas
may be always planning to cheat us out
of the golden sunshine. But no doubt
we deserve bad weather, and it is quite
proper to be patient.
If that mighty force called the ocean
has power of volition, why will it rear its
white crests and lower its deep troughs
for the destruction of mankind?
If the whirlwinds are intelligent, why
should they sweep hundreds of lives with
one breath into eternity?
My egotistic brother man, no doubt to
yourself, and possibly to your sweet
heart, you are the acme of perfection
but there may be existing intelligences
to whom you are no more agreeable than
rattlesnake or potato beetle. Besides
why do you crush every day with your
foot a myriad tiny things that enjoy life
after their own fashion in the microsco-
pic world: Why will you persist in
swallowing day after day-if you live
near Boston-whole colonies of joyous
animalcules, all to alleviate your individ-
ual thirst? Can those tiny organisms
believe that you have sensibility and a
conscience? Will they not believe rather
that you are blind tool?
1t is the old story of the giant and the
pigmies. If the giant continues in the
flesh, and if there are many pigmies, he
will occasionally sit down on few mil
lions, or plant one of his toes upon col
ony, of them. If the giant realizes what
he has done, he is glad or sorry, or else
he thinks the pigmies are SO small that
it doesn't hurt them to be killed. What
ever he thinks, the pigmies continue to
suffer depopulation, and it would be alb
surd to say that the giant did not exer-
else free will.
To be sure, all things are limited as to
free will I cannot, at present, leap off
into space and describe graceful ny
perbola, as our long haired guests, the
comets, have the knack of doing; but 1
can describe comfortable eclipse in
company with Mother Earth. A bur
dock cannot walk abroad, but its burs
cling like book-agent to any one that
passes by. A gold dollar has not muscu-
lar energy with which to jump out of
your pocket, but it can drop through a
very small hole in the lining, or it can
slip through your fingers and roll into
an obscure crack with as much compla-
cency as though it had all the bumps on
the chronological chart. 1t can't laugh
or put its little joke into the "Mirthful
Mention" page, so you think it isn't hay
ing good time.
Although man is unwilling to believe
in intelligence of an order different from
his own, yet modern research-if one be
not blinds constantly revealing con-
seriousness where least expected. 1t is
possible that the time may come when
we will converse with the trees on our
way. through the forests, lift our hats to
the town pump, bid our houses good
and argue with the rocking
chair that has waylaid us in the dark
Even now, when certain persons place
the tips Of their fingers upon a table,
raps follow and questions are answered.
The spirit mongers and their followers
claim that these are from their departed
kindred. Now as every one knows who
has attended seance, the communica-
lions are such as one might expect to
elicit from wooden consciousness.
Although Uncle Ebeh's clock has
never manifested its emotions otherwise
han by a varied and soulful ticks, yet I
venture to assert that it is possessed by
is own appropriate personality. J trust
hat this personality will continue to ex-
st long after the cherry case and weary
pendulum have given up their task.
Since in the present peri ID of eternity
We need to make small coins of time
nown as hours, minutes and seconds, is
not possible that all the periods of du-
alton may be melted out to us in the
anne way? In the Golden City, we read,
here is to be no night The new earth
S never to turn from the glory of its
spiritual sun; yet do We not also read
hat the tree of life is to yield its fruit
very month? And it is not possible
hat this spiritual month will be made up
f days, and the day of hours? If Uncle
1ben's clock has counted the mundane
lours Alright, may it not also dole out
he hours in paradise?
cannot be too eulogistic in speaking
f our clock. Conscientious in the ex-
RENE, it has never purposely misrepre-
ented the time but once; that we will speak
# later. When I say that it has needed
ew repairs, do not expect you to regard
is healthy condition. as virtue, any
more than you would necessarily consid-
T a person virtuous because he had
leeded no physician. Our clock had a
rood constitution to start with, and a
lappy disposition after the first three
ears. 1t rarely stopped unless its keep
r had forgotten to wind it, and when at
asst it waxed old and rheumatic, little
ii has always been potent to bring it to
ime again.
A family clock has duties to perform
outside the regular routine. Uncle Eben's
has discharged these duties
1t has given three warn
ngs.
Once it struck twelve in the middle of
he night when it had been unable to |
move for several days. My Great uncle
Thomas heard the warning, and died
within the year.
One afternoon it stopped, without ap-
parent cause, at twenty minutes past
hree After standing still for half an
lour, to the CONSERVATION of the family |
voluntarily resumed its task, and tick
I'd on peacefully as though nothing had
In just six months from that
Law Grandfather Palmer died at twenty
minutes past three in the afternoon.