The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1896-04-22
LOOK ON THE {, BRIGHT !, eide,
"Bni Arp" Philosophises on tho Past ana
% Present.

''Bnl Arp" Philosophises on tho Past and
Present.
Outside of revelation, there Is surely
sufficient proof of original sin and NOR.
al turpitude in human kind. II man
could be lifted up in balloon high
enough to see the earth roll under him
and could keep his position until it
had turned time or two upon its axis
the scene that would pass his
vision would be proof enough.
What o horrible revelation Of
OF war and bloodshed and suffering (
would pass beneath him in almost
every part of the earth We boast Of
modern civilization, but has every adj
vance to be baptized in blooda. Sup.
pose Il man could see at one time all
the present misery Of tho world and
all the crime that caused it, could he
endure the awful picture7 Would it
not paralyze his soul and obliterate
his power Of vision and make him q
maniac2 Every day we read of these
horrors and shudder, but they are afar
of and we have become almost har-
dened to them by their daily repitition.
1t familiarity with danger breeds con-
tempt, for itso does a daily recurrence
OF crime and suffering. and grief
breeds indifference. Unless we see it
with our own eyes we are not greatly
affected.
The weeping prophet exclaimed:
"Oh, that my head were waters and
mine eyes q fountain of tearsn hut
there is no prophet to weep nowadays,
we have no time to weep. The poet
says; q
Mans inhumanity to man
Makes countless thousands mourn" {"
and if we could actually sec every bat
tie field and all the blood and agony,
and into all the prisons and chain.
gangs, and into every hovel and gar
ret and dark alley where the poor do
congregate and into the hearts of all
the lnourners at all the funerals, we
would never smile again. The mem
ory of them would haunt US, and we
would be more willing to quit this nor.
ible world and take our chances in
another
But we will let the preachers talk
about this. We must look on the
brighter side. There is no comfort in
pondering and lanenting what is going
on in Turkey and Abysinia and Cuba,
or over tho long continued quarrels at
Washington, or the shameful broils
in Kentucky, or the daily crimes
and murders aud suicides and
!!ynchings that fill ,the newspapers.
Now is tho blessed springtime. when
all nature is smiling upon us. When
the flowers are blooming and the grass
is spfinging and the birds are singing.
Even the beasts of tho field and the
fowls in the yard are happy, and every
created thing save man seems to rejoice
in the goodness Of the Creator. What
is the matter with man, anyhow2 Wo.
man is not so, nor are the little chill
dren who play and sport around us.
The poet says:
Every prospect pIeases
And only man is vile"
But after all. there is comfort in
knowing that there are some good men.
Yes, lots of them. You can pick them
out IN town and city and country, and
great traveller who has been all over
the world and mingled with Gentiles
and Jews, and Arabs and Hottentots.
and the heathen Chinese, says he found
good, kind hearted people OF every
tribe and nation and religion on the
globe. He said that a traveller would
never be o sectarian or be intolerant.
like SO many of our socalled Chris
tians are:
Last Sunday went out in 1ae coun-
try with a friend to visit ai, old lady
who is on her last beu. She have lived
eighty. three years and reckon never
had an evil thought in her life. She
was pleased to SEQ us and the nearness
OF death gave her no alarm. ''For the
sake of my grandchildren" she said.
II would like to live little longer to
help them and guide them in the right
way" Her Bibble was printed away
before the war and had been patched
and pasted and mended until it would
hardly hold together, but she knew o
good deal by heart and told us what
portions Of it were her greatest COM
fort. These oldfashioned mothers are
the best people on earth and when they
have passed through all the perils Of
motherhood they seem to outliye the
men. There are three times as many
old women in this town as old men
and they are most all of them wide VS..
had rather insure the life of wo-
man of forty. five than that Of a man
Of thirty: I would get the premiums
longer. The old-fashioned mon lived
longer thaa they do now. They had
simple habits and limited desires. L
mean the well-to do men who lived in
comfort. But over since King David
made the declaration that the days of
our years are three score years and
ten that has been the allotted age of
man. It is still the average age of q
prudent man whatever may be his oc.
cupation. Man is very much like a
wagon. If it is kept creased and
painted and under shelter it will last
twice as long as if it be neglected. OF
course, the mind has much to do with
the health of the body. Trouble will
shorten life and bring the gray hairs
sooner to the grave and that is why O.
farmers life is tho most conducive to
longevity. It is the most independent
OF all occupations It is subjected to
less temptation, less hazard, less wor.
ry, and i6 is o little closer to god in its
daily communion with nature. The
accepted tables give to laborers forty
four-years, to mechanics forty-seYen,
to merchants forty eight, to profess
sional mon fifty-two, and to farmers
sixty-four years. If long life is an
index of good health and prosperity
then the farmer is blessed above all
other people. There is force and truth
in the old maxim that "God. made
the country and man made the town" I"
But after all the crime and misery
that we read of, this age is {, great inn
provement on Sodom and Go,norrah
n n i, a M ~