The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1892-12-23

"ipse dixit."
For years and years have been
working in the harness-pulling
the family wagon, wearing out my
collars going up hill, and wearing
out my Lrilching holding back
when on the down grade; but they
comfort me all along The line, and
say that pulling is healthy and
that il is hetter to wear out than
to rust out, and they call me
good old horse and pat me and
rub me, and so | keep on pulling
and expect to continue until some.
thing breaks. When the maternal
ancesier has raised ten children
and laid by the crop, she can have
some rest and ought TO have, but
The old man must keep pegging
away. Sometimes l think l have
soltening of The brain, and not
long ago Mrs. Arp hinlel that my
perceptions were no! as bright as
they used to be-but my load IS
not lightened, and that perceive.
The monthly bills are atl the same
or same, and | have to shin dig
and kite and lap over as much as
ever.
Not long ago / got behind a little
with The bank, and / got a notice
of j; Sunday morning through the
mail, and it disturbed my tran
guilty at church and liked TO have
cured me of opening my mail on
Sunday. Just get behind with a
bank if you want 10 learn what
"effecIual calling" is. My banker
called me The next day to know il
| got his note. But they are
mighty good 10 me all rounl-mer.
chants and bankers, too. In tact,
everybody, but the State and the
connty and the town. This tax
business is inexorable as death,
and The devil is at The bottom of
1t. If everybody was a good ciii-
zen, there would be no tax, or so
little that we wouldn't feel it.
There would be no courts, no
jails, no calaboose, no sherffs, or
conslables or town marshals, no
locks Or iron bars or night watch
or pistols. Good gracious what a
millennium that would be. But
here We 90 and there we 90. Ey-
erybody is trying to reform some
thing, II is all theory and but little
fact. They have gotten up ''sin-
gle tax" aud "looking backwards
4 and trade unions and sublreasury
schemes, and don't know what all;
but if man will devole The time
he wastes on these things TO work
ing for his family my opinion is he
will be better off in The long run
II we all fight the devil while we
are working it is the best thing we
can do, for he is going about as a
roaring lion. This Is a fact and
not fancy, and the older
grow the more l am con
vinced that he is a power in This
sublunary world. l don't know
why nor wherefore, but there is
no reason for il except The devil
He is a bad citizen. When Davil
was all right and in harmony will
everything that was good he wrote
from The abundance OF his heart
"lf / reward evil to him who is al
peace with me may mine enemy
persecuie my soul and take ii
Yea may he tread my life into the
earth and lay mine honor IN the
dust"
Was there ever more terrible
curse invoked. and yet the OLE
devil got after him and made hm
plot the death of Uriah, a mar
who was at peace with him. Poo
fellow, how he did sin in haste anf
lepen, at leisure. With what an
guish he exclaimed: 81 acknowl
edge thy transgression, and my sil
is ever before me-" heard ole
DR.. Axson preach from that tex
once and if there is any bigge
text in The bible | don't know it
my sin is ever before me-" Booil
and Forrest nor McCready coul.
have thrown no more anguigh init
the recollection Of the crime thar
lie did. A thousand times have
thought OF it. My sin IS ever be
fore me. There is no retreat, NJ
hiding.place, no extinguisheI
Young man, young woman, dom
commit any sin that will be eve
before you. Lite is the unsolve,
problem, anyhow, and The best VI
can do is TO Try to do right and b.
humble and hopeful. Lie is ul
, hill aud on level, but goot
horse will never stall going up ant
he will hold back going down, jus
, 50 it ought TO be with man and
think of that sometimes when III
load is heavy and the hill is sleep
bu, | do want somebody to scotcl
a little sometimes and let me &c
breath.
Alexander Stephens said h
wanted 10 die in the harness, an
, he did, but don't. I want to di
> grazing around in the clover fiel
or the barley patch and have moth
ing 10 trouble me but conscienc
and not much OF that. | dom
r want many Of the luxuries Of lift
, but l do want all the comforts fo
t Mrs. Arp and myself in our old ag
< and enough spare money for he
= 10 pay for cloaks and hats an
Q make Christmas gifts 10 the grant
r children. Somebody will TAX
i. care Of US ! know, but when III
y old folks have 10 quarter on th
"a ~ 4. :