The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-05-10

warantee deed for that property; tho
plea would be of no avail We might
say: 1--WE have a lien on that store
house, that would do us no good.
Death is blind, and he cannot see a seal,
and cannot read an indenture. So that,
first and last, I want to tell you that
when you propose that give up my soul
for the world, you cannot give me the
first item of title.
Having examined the title of a prop
erty, your next question is about in
surance. You would not be silly enough
to buy large ware house that could not
possibly be insured. You would not have
anything to do with such property.
Now, ask you what assurance can you
give me that this world is not going to
be burned up7 Absolutely none. Geolo-
gists tell us that it is already on fire; that
the heart of tie world is one great
living coal; that it is Just like
ship on fire at sea, the flames
not bursting out because the matches
are.kept down. And yet you propose to
palm off on me, in return for my soul,
a world for which, in the first place, you
give no title, and in the second place, for
which you can give no insurance. .sOh,
you say, 'sthe water of the oceans will
wash over all the land and put out the
fire." Oh no. There are infiammable
elements IN the water, hydrogen and
oxygen. Call of the hydrogen, and
then the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans
would blaze like heaps of shavings. You
want me to take this world, for which
you can give no possible insurance.
hoxno cxrov,& tIa;r fol
through the sky, and have found out
that there have been thirteen worlds, in
the last two centuries, that have disap-
peared. At first they looked just like
other worlds. Then they got deeply red;
then they were on fire. Then they got
ashen, showing they were burned down.
Then they disappeared, showing that even
the ashes were scattered. And if the
| geologist be right in his prophecy, then
our world is to go in the same way. And
| yet you want me to exchange my soul
for It. All, no; it is a world that is
burning now. Suppose you brought an
insurance agent to look at your property
for the purpose of giving you policy
upon it, and while he stood in front of
the house he should say: "That house Is
on fire now In the basement" you could
not get any insurance upon it. Yet you
talk about this world as though it were a
safe investment, as though you could get
some insurance upon it, s1hen down in
the basement 1t Is on fire.
remark, also, that this world is a
| property, with which everybody who has
taken it as possession has had trouble.
Now / know large reach of land that
is not BUILT on. ask what is the mat
ter, and they reply that everybody who
has had anything to do with that property
got into trouble about it. It is just SO
with this world; everybody that has had
anything to do with it, as a possession,
has been in perplexity. How was il
with Lord Byron? Did he not sell his
immortal soul for the purpose of getting
the world2 Was he satisfied with the
possession? Alasl alas the poem graph.
ically describes his case when it says:
Drank every cup of joy,
Heard every trump of fame;
Drank early, deeply drank,
Drank draughts which common millions might
have quenched,
Then died OF thirst because there was no more te
drink.
Oh, yes. he had trouble with it; and sc
did Napolean. After conquering nations
by the force of the sword, he lies dowr
to die, his entire possession the military
boots that he insisted on having upon hi.
feet while he was dying. So it has beer
with men who had better ambition
Thaokeray, one of the most genial and
lovable souls, after he had won the ap
4psause0 fAcefige iaf1us rfftough III
wonderful genius, sits down in restau
rant in Paris, looks to the other end O
the room, ,..u wonders whose that for
lorn and wretclied face is; rising up aftel
while, he finds that it is Thackeray il
the mirror. OH, yes, this world is /:
cheat. Talk about man gaining tn,
worldl Who ever owned a hemisphere
Who ever gained a continent2 Wht
ever owned Asiaa Who ever gained :
city2 Who ever owned Brooklyn? Tall
about gaining the worldl No man eve
gained it, or the hundred d-thousandth par
of it. You are demanding that I sell m,
soul, not for the world, but for frag
ment Of it. Here is man who has hal
a large estate for forty or fifty years. HI
lies down to die. You say: THAT MAJ
is worth millions and millions of dollars
Is he9 You call up surveyor, with hi
compass and chains, and you say: ''Ther'
is q property extending three miles in on
direction, and three miles in anothe
, direction" Is that the way to measur
that mans property2 No! You do no
, want any surveyor, with his com
, pass and chains. That is not tn
way you want to measure that man
property now. 1t Is an undertaken tha
you need, who will come and put hi
{ finger in his vest pocket and take out
> tape Kne, and he will measure five fee
, nine inches one way and two feet and
half the other way. That is the man
property. Oh, no, forgot; not 80 mucl
as that, for he does not own even tn
i place in which he lies in the cemetery
J The deed to that belongs to the executor
t andathe heirs. Oh, what q property yo1
, propsSse to give me for my SOUL If yo'
, sell bill Of goods, you go into tn
counting room and say to your partner
, 'Do you think that man is good for thi
} bill2 Can he give proper security VII
/ he meet this paymentG'
| Now, when you are offered this worl
2 as a possession, want you to test tn
, matter. / do not want you to go int
; this bargain blindly. I want you to asl
} about the title, about the insurance
. about whether men have ever had an
} trouble with it, about whether you Cal
, keep it. about whether you can get all
or the.1o, ,000th, or 100, ,000th part of II
) There Is the world now. l shall sa,
( no more about it. Make up your min,
t for yourself, as I shall, before God, hav
| to make up my mind for myself, abou
: the value of this world. I..cannot affor
to make mistake for my soul, and yo'
4 cannot afford to make mistake for you
! soul.
a Now, let us look at the other propert
the soul. We cannot make bargai
4 without seeing the comparative value
8 The souli How shall estimate the valu
/: of ita Well, by its exquisite organiza
t ton. 1t is the most wonderful piece Q
Q mechanism ever put together. Ma
nhinery is of value in proportion as it