The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-09-29
SAM JONES'.
The Evangelist Says He L. Sorry for a
Man Who Thinks of Nothing but Busi-
ness From Christmas to Christmas.
AtLGntd Journal.

God has endowed man with social
instincts and every quality Of mind
and heart which God has given to
men, if wisely cultivated and properly
used, brings only good to us. We are
absorbed too much in the business
world. The old adage which says,
"Business is business, and pleasure
is pleasure" is an adage simply be-
cause it is true. I m sorry for a
man who spends his time entirely in
the rounds of pleasure. [ am equally
sorry for a man who knows nothing
but business, business, business, from
Christmas to Christmas, from Mon
day till Monday, from morn till night.
Either life is abnormal. All work
and no play makes Jack a dull boy,
and all play and no work makes Jack
a no account boy.
The most unsocial place in the world
is in a great metropolis, in the great
cities, in the markets of trade. A
man is lonesome as he mixes with the
thousands. Country people are more
social than any class Of people in the
world, for it is m the rural districts
that we find the purest hospitality and
the finest social relations. When
they meet at the country Church it is
handshaking and exchanging of cour-
%tesjes. When they meet at the, camp-
ground occasions every man is at home
in every tent on the ground. He
feels himself invited to every table
| and feels as welcome to bed and board
as if the whole thing belonged to him.
self. Look how the fellowship and
brotherhood of comrades in arms is
perpetuated by these annual reunions
Of both the blue and the gray. Look
how Methodism perpetuates itself in
doctrine and method by annual convo-
cation of the pastors, by the annual
district meetings throughout the vari-
Gus presiding elders charges. The
Baptists, with their annual oonven-
tions, the Presbyterians, with their
presbyteries: and synods. Look how
our great political parties perpetuate
themselves by conventions and pri-
maries, and so on.
In all orr towns and country places
the spirit that encourages annual
gatherings or re unions among the
people is growing. In many OF the
middle and western States they have
inaugurated cold Settlers Day and
sometimes there are twenty thousand
people gathered together on that day.
A few days ago I attended a reunion
of old friends and settlers in the old
town of Oak Bowery, Ala, where I
was born. / never spent such a day
scarcely in my life. [ shook hands
with hundreds Of men whom l had
not seen since my boyhood days old
schoolmates matronly women who
were my mothers intimate friends !;
women who nursed me when | was a
child men who went to school with
my father men who were my fathers
friends men and women who helped
to bury my mother and sister who lie
buried in the old cemetery nea the
Church. It was a day that thousands
will never forget. [ preached twice
in a beautiful grove ear the Church.
The neighbors had gathered the night
before and barbecued ffty-three car
casses-sheep and pigs and yearlings
and to the %improvised tables hun
dreds Of feet long the great crowd
gathered at the noon hour and Toasted
on the highly seasoned barbecued
meats. Mind and soul and body all
seemed to feast that day. 1t seems to
me that ] shook hands with more peo-
pie and hoard more kind words said to
me than in almost any day of my life.
[ liked the day and the occasion and
the people so well that I announced
that we would have another gathering
next year at the same time in Septem-
Der and [ expect to see thousands