The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-04-22
LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE.

LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE.
"Bm Arp'' Philosophises on the Past and
Outside of revelation, there is surely
sufficient proof of original sin and NOR.
al turpitude in human kind. If 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 a horrible revelation of
of war and bloodshed and suferiny :
would pass beneath him in almost
every part OF the earthl We boast of
modern civilization, but has every ad-
vance to be baptized in blood2 Sup.
pose man could see at one time all
the present misery of the world and
all the crime that caused it, could ne
endure the awful picturei 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
off and we have become almost har-
dened to them by their daily repitition.
If familiarity with danger breeds con-
tempt, for itso does. 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 tearsl" 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 SEQ every bat
tle-feld 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 mourners 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 hor-
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 lamenting what is going
on in Turkey and Abysinia and Cuba,
or over the long continued quarrels at
Washington, or the shameful broils
in Kentucky, or tho daily crimes
and murders and suicides and
lynchings that fill .sthe newspapers.
Now is the blessed springtime, when
all nature is smiling upon us. When
the flowers are blooming and the grass
is sp,inging and the birds are singing.
Even the beasts of the field and the
fowls in the yard ara happy, and every
created thing save man seems to rejoice
in the goodness of the Creator. What
is the matter with man, anyhow Wo.
man is not so, nor are the little chill
dren who play and spors around us.
The poet says:
EVERY prospect pleases
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 traveller would
never be sectarian or be intolerant,
like so many Of our called Chris
tians are.
Last Sunday I went out in the coun-
try with a friend to visit an old lady
who is on her last bed. She have lived
eightythree years and reckon never
had an evil thought in her life. She
was pleased to see 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 a
good deal by heart and told us what
portions of it Ware her greatest CON-
fort These old fashioned mothers are
the best people on earth and when they
have passed through all the perils of
motherhood they seem to outlive 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..
I had rather insure the life of wo-
man of forty.five than that of man
of thirty. 7 would get the premiums
longer. The old-fashioned men lived
longer tina / they do now. They had
simple habits and limited desires. l
mean the well-to do men who lived in
comfort. But ever 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. 1t is still the average age of
prudent man whateyer may be his oc-
cupation. Man is very much like q
wagon. If it is kept CREASED and
painted and under shelter it will last
twice as long as if it bs neglected. Of
course, the mind has mucn 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 a
farmers life is the most conducive to
longevity. 1t is the most Independent
of all occupations. 1t is subjected to
less temptation. less hazard, less Wor.