The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-03-31
LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE.
BILL ARP SAYS THERE is NO COMFORT
IN LAMENTATIONS.

Outside of revelation, there is surely
sufficient proof Of original sin and NOR
al turpltude in human kind. II u man
could be lifted up in a balloon high
enough to see the earth roll under him
and could keep his position until it
lac turned q time or two upon it's axis,
the scene that would pass his vision
would be proof enough. What a hor-
r1ble revelation OF war and %bloodshed
and suffering would pass beneath him
ID almost every part OF the earth We
boast of modern civilization, but has
every advance to be baptized in blood?
Suppose q man could see at one time
all the present misery of the world and
all the crime that caused it, could he
endure the awful picture? Would it
not paralyze his soul and obliterate his
power OF vision and make him a mani
&C every day we read Of these hCr-
rors and shudder, but they are afar off
and we have become almost hardened
To them by their daily repetition. il
familiarity with danger breeds con-
tempt, for 1t so does, a daily recur-
renee OF crime and suffering and grief
breeds Indifference. Unless we see it
with our own eyes we arc not greatly
affected.
The weeping prophet exclaimed
on, that my head were waters ana
mine eyes a fountain of tears 90 but
there Is no prophet to weep nowadays.
we have no time to weep. The poet
says.
Mans inhumanity to man
Makes countless thousands mourn"
and If we could actually see every bat
tle,held and all the blood and agony,
and into all the prisons and chain
gangs, and into every howell and garnet
and dark alley where the poor do con-
gregate, and into the hearts of all the
mOurners at all the funerals, we would
never smile again. The memory of
them would haunt US, and we would be
more than willing to quit this horrible
world n take u chances in another.
about this. We must look on the
brighter side. There Is no comfort in
pondering and lamenting what Is going
on In Turkey and Abyssinia and Cuba,
or over the long continued quarrels at
Washington, or the shameful broils in
Kentucky, or the daily crimes and
murders and suicides and lynchipps
that I'LL the newspapers. Now is rne
blessed springtime, when all nature Ia
smiling upon US. When the flowers
are blooming and the grass Is spring
ing and the birds are singing. Even
the beasts OF the field and the fowls in
the yard are happy, and every created
thlng save man seems to rejoice in the
goodness of the Creator. What Ia the
matter with man, anyhow? Woman
is not so, o are the little children
VINO play and sport around us. The
poet says.
every prospect pleases
. .... - a nd nnIu n 10 .;l. IS
But after all, there 10 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
q great traveller who has been all over
the world and mingled with Gentiles
and jews, and Arabs and Hottentots.
and the heather Chinese, says he found
good, kind-hearted people CT every
tribe and nation and religion on the
globe. He said that q traveller would
never be q sectarian or be intollerant,
like many OF our 'so.called Christians
are.
Last Sunday 1 went out In the coua-
try with a friend to visit an old LADY
who is on her last bed. She has lived
eighty-three years and | reckon never
had an evil thought In her life. She
was pleased to see us and the nearness
OF death gave her nc alarm. "For the
sake OF my grandchildren" she said,
II would like to live a little longer to
help them and guide them In the right
way" Her Bible was printed away be-
fore the war and had been patched and
pasted and mendad until IL would hard
ly hold togetheEE but che knew q good
deal by heart aud told us what Dor
tons OF IL were eher greatest comfort.
These old-fashi8ned mothers are the
best people on earth and when they
have passed through all the perils OF
motherhood they seer to outlive the
men. There are three times as many
old women ia this town az old men and
hey are most llli OF them widows. I
rsther insdre tie lie Of 8 wongn