Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-06-13

tor. ! do not thank anybody 10 make INC
cry ! can do that without any assistance
We al cry enough and have enough Ia cry
ahout. God bless all sl,illful punstcrs, All
rcrart~iStS all propoundcrS of ingenious
Conurdrmns, all thosc who mirthfully sur
Prise rs with unusual juXtapostion Of
words. Thomas Hood and Charles Lamb
and sydney Smith had divine mission,
and ~ have their Successors in these times.
They stir into the acid beverage Of life the
saccharne. They make the cup of earthly
existence, which is sometimes stale. cifcr-
vcscc and bubble They placate nn!mos-
ties. They foster longevity. They slly fol
lies and abSur,itics which all the sermons
Of all the pulpifs cannot reach.
They have for example Elijah, who
made fun of the Baalitcs when they called
down ilrc and e did not come, suggesting
that their heathcn god had gone hunting.
or was off on Journey or was asleep, and
nothing hut vocifcration could wake him,
saying: Cry aloud for he is II god. Either
he Is talking or pursuing. or Icradvcnture
he slccrcth and must bc awakcd A" They
have nm example in Christ, who with
hcalthful sarcasm showed up the lying,
hypocriticil pharisccS 10y suggesting that
such Perfect people like themselves needed
need not u physician. but they that arr
sick -
But what use an, you making Of your
wit? Is IL bcsmirchcd with profanity and
unclcanncss: DO you employ il in amu.e-
mcnt at physical defects for which the vic
tins are not responsible: AN your powers
Of mimicry used t. put religion In con
tempt: Is IL II bunch Of ncitlc~omc in
vcctivc: Is IL u bolt of unjust scorn? Is 1t
fun ut others misfortune: i IL glcc ut
their disappointment and defeat: Is il
bitterness put drop by drop into n cup: Is
IL like the squeezing Of Artcmisia alb
sinthium into IA draft alrsidy distastc-
fully pungcnt: Then you are the star
Wormwood. Yours is the fun of n rattle
snake trying how well 1t can sting. 1t Is
the fun Of hawk trying how quickly il
can strike ont the eye Of dove,
Worldly Prosperity.
But will change this and suppose you
are II star of worldly prosperity. Then you
have large opportunity. You can cncour-
age that artist by buying his picture. You
can inn rove the fields, the stables, the
highway. by introducing higher style OF
fowl ard horse ard COW and Sheep. You
can bless the world with genealogical
achievement In the orchards. You can nd
vance nrboriculturc and arrest this death
full iconoclasm of the American forests.
You can put II piece of sculpture into the
niche Of that public academy. You can en-
dow collc.-c. You can stocking ! .000
bare feet irpln the winter frost You can
build church You can put missionary
of Christ on that foreign shore. You can
help ransom world. 4 rich man with
his heart right-can you tell me how much
good n James Icrox or George Peabody
or u Peter Cooper or n William T., Dodge
did while living or Is doing now that he
Is dead: There Is no: city, town or neigh
borhocd that has not glorious specimens
Of conSccr.iitsl wealth
But suppose you grind the face of the
poor. suppose when u mans wages nrc
due you make him wait for them because
he cannot help himself. suppose that, b.
cause his family is sick and lie las Ind cx-
ira expenses, he should politely ask You Ia
raise his WAGES for this year. and you
roughly tell him If he warts n better place
u 30 and get il. suppose 10y your manner
you act ~ though hc were nothing and
you were everything. suppose you arr self
i'h and ovcrlcsring and arrogant Your
first name ought To- he Attila and your
last name Attil.i, because you are the star
Wormwood, and You have imbittcrcd one
third II not thnc-t thirds of the waters that
roll past your employees and operatives
and dc. cildents and associates. and the
long line al c;Irria,-cS which tie undertaken
orders for your funeral. In order t. make
the occasion resi- cciahlc, will be- filed with
twice rs many dry, fearless eyes rs there
are persons occupying them.
There Is an erroneous idea abroad that
that there are only IA few ,,cniusc>. There
are millions Of them. That is. men and
women who huvc csl ccial adaptation and
quicl;ncsS for some one thing II may be
great, IL may b. small. The circle may be
like the circumference Of the earth or no
larger than thim5lc There are thou
sands Of gcniuscs, and in some one thing
you are STIR What kind Of star are
you: You viii he in this world Int few
minutes. As compared with ctcr lily the
stay of the longest litcon earth l. rot more
than a minute. What are We doing with
that minute Arc we imhiitcring the do
nestle or social or political fountains, or
arr va like Moses. who. when the Israel
ties in the wilderness complained that the
waters Of Lake Mar,h were bitter ard they
could not drink them, cut Oft the branch
OF n certain tree and threw that branch in
Ia the water, and IL became sweet and
slaked the thirst Of the suffering host:
Arc we with branch Of the src of life
swcctcning all the brnckish fountains that
we can touch.