The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-06-19
Good and Bad Luck.
/ once came across q pOem, the
first verse which ran as follows:
"A farmer travelling with his load.
Picked up horseshoe in the rad,
And nailed 1t fast to his barn door,
That luck might down upon him pour"

Ana nailed II fa6t 70 Ms Darn u0Ot
That luck might down upon him pour"
The poem went on to tell how he
had nailed it up the wrong way, and
instead of bringing good luck, it
brought bad luck. 1t refused to
rain and his crops were burning up,
and his hens would not lay, and
everything went from bad to worse
and the poor farmer was almost
ready to 60 cover the hill to the
poor house." But one day one of
his neighbors CHANGED to call in
and the poor farmer related to him
his misfortunes. His neighbOr babe
him show him how he had nailed
up the horseshoe, which he did,
and his neighbor exclaimed mo
wonder, you've nailed it upside
down." So the farmer nailed it up
the way his neighbor said and,
Great jemeny! what a change took
place. The rains came and his
crops flourished. His fruit trees
needed props, his hens like to have
layed themselves to death, and last
but not least, his wife presented
him with twins. So thought
would try mailing up a horseshoe
and the first one I found in the road
l nailed it on the barn door. Bat
l could not see any great change in
things, SO changed it around but
still nothing unusal occurred. I Sup
pose 1t brought bad luck at last for
the mule that occupied that stable
let in to kicking at that door and
did not cease his kicking rs long as
there was q board on the
door. So that ended the horseshoe
business with me.
Then was told that if could
find a stem Of clover that had four
leaves on it l would have good luck
the balance Of my days ana Htoufd
marry any one chose. / succeed
ed in finding the clover but have
never succeeded in finding a girl
that l could win, and have come to
the conclusion that marriage and
luck are both failures,-at least it
has proven SO with me.
People have their lucky and
their unlucky days and numbers.
They believe that Friday is an un.
lucky day and an even number is
unlucky and they will not set a hen
on any but an odd number of eggs,
because they believe they will hatch
better. Thirteen is regarded as a
very unlucky number and thirteen
should never eat at the same table
because the thirteenth one will be
apt to die.
God has given us six days to
labor in, and He only forbids us
working on the seventh or Sabbath
day. And, do you believe that God
would withhold blessing from us,
or that He would send a curse upon
US, If we 60 about our duty on Fri.
day as well as the other six days, il
that blessing be sought in humble
prayer? When we are not work.
ing in harmony with the Lord we
often times fail in our undertaking
and may justly expect to do so
The fault is all our own, but moi
liking TO acknowledge it, and not
daring openly to accuse the Most
High, We are SO weak and wicked
as to make strange gods to our.
selves, and if we are prosperous or
otherwise, good luck gets the praise
and bad luck the blame. No one
can believe in luck and tine true
God, for we cannot serve two mas
tiers. And, therefore if luck car
cause good or evil to befall one is i,
not greater than God? And 10y
adding or taking away one egg
from the nest, would that give the
breath of life, or withhold it,
How impressive are the words O
Jehovah, "See now that /, even
am he and there is no God with me
kill and l make alive"
tits from the heather nation,
that we have borrowed the dis
graceful belief in luck. They know
not the Almighty Creator of heav
en- and earth, and were taught b,
Satan to dishonor him, by seekin,
direction in their enterprises from
the fight OF birds, the position o
the stars and the counsel of men q
foolish and ignorant as themselves
They also had their lucky and un
lucky days, and numbers ant
names and customs.
Does it become US who have bee
raised in q land where the LOr,
has given his glorious gospel an