The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1892-04-30

face of the earth without paying for It
To sit or stand or walk, or to have your
little grave in-you can't have any land
without paying for it!
All right! said the Baby, briskly. 1t
seems absurd to me, but I'm young yet.
I'll pay with all my heart when I'm
bigger. Just feed me well now. and
when Pm grown I'll he credit to You.
The more you do for me now the moro
I'll do for You then--see? And can
pay back compound interest, for tho
work of smart person is worth vastly
more than his keep
And the Baby opened his mouth in
cheerful confidence.
But Society put dirt into it.
Child, said Society, you can't havc
food without paying for it!
But / must have food or / can't live
said the Baby. And the better the food
the better for you when I'm bigger.
It il immaterial to me whether you
live or die, or how you live or die. said
Society. You have got to pay for every
thing you get; and because you can't,
your parents must!
Parents! echoed the Baby. What are
they?
You young heather! cried Society.
Your parents have brought you into
| this world in accordance with the inev-
table laws of nature; this is an inn
mense benefit to You, because the world
is SO pleasant; and, therefore, you
should regard them with veneration,
gratitude and love, no matter what
kind Of people they are, or what they
do to you afterward.
To bring You into the world was q
duty and a privilege to them, an honor
and benefit to you; therefore, you
owe them obedience aPd devotion, but
they owe me your board aud keepl
You don'ts to me to mako that
quite clear, said the Baby. 1t doesn't
seem TO hang together You say it was
by inevitable natural law that came
at all?
Yes, said Society.
Then why should / owe them for do
ing what they ought to do. and couldn't
help doing? Aud if it was what they
ought to do and couldn't help doing.
why should they pay you for 1t? asked
/ the Baby.
You owe them for their affection,
care and support, said Society.
But / have their affection care and
, support, or couldn't live, said Baby.
. I've right to it
Il tell you it makes no difference
to me whether You live or not, said So
l ciety.
oh, come now! 1 know better thar
that. If / am young. said Baby. Who
! are you. anyway?
am Society.
And what are you made of?
People, said Society. with some re
: luctauce.
Aha! l thought SO. And the bette
4 the people are the better you are--i
J. that not SO?
Yes, said Society, with even NOR
q reluctance.
And the people are all Babies first
aren't thcye And the better the Babe
!. are the better the people are, and tn
!. better you are! cried the Baby, VIII
: was beginning to take notice, and feel
], ing his feet. Talk to me about parents
). My business is with you, you old fossil
o My parents are temporary guardians
= but you and are permanently col
= nected. Why, you short-sighted Ostrich
A What hurts me hurts you, and wha
= helps me helps you, and without m
there wouldn't be any You And ther
n you sit and plaster your wounds, an
: nurse your diseases, and fight you
& vices, and pretend you own the eartl
a You are hollow, crack-brained di
= crepant old rudiment! Be of wit
1 you, dodol I'm Society myself!
y But Society, though on its last Leg
i was bigger than the Baby, and pu
- more dirt into it, mouth, and the Bat
.. died.
- But there are more Babies Chariot
Perkins Stitsou. in New Californian