The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-04-17
al GOOD schoo1-NTarm.

OOOu 0EMUOI@nAdAEAA
This thing which some folks call fate,
and some call predestination, is apower-
full GOOD school-marm, accordin to my
doxology. You understand I have
been one Of her scholars for 10 these
MANY years, and she has learnt me
some lessons which / nev v can live
long enough to disremember. Icouldn't
forget them if I wanted to and tried my
level blamdest. She has likewise also
give me some terrible hard knocks and
made me wear the Ounce cap many and
uany's the time. But as yet | new
have spelt up head, and / amt quit
school neither.
In my bummin and bruisin around
promiscus through this vain and heetin
world below I have already learnt that
q ma can mighty soon run the savinT
uu-for-a-rainy-day business into the
ground IL be wants to. He can starve
and stint and rake and scrape and
worry ard wear his life out before the
reiny day comes or che first frost Of old
sired kNddenE nkeAEaddle a fortune
az one jGmp, as it were, and then live
high and fiotous in their old remainin
days. But if you will only watch aman
like that you win notice that he mostin
generally always gets old quick and
lives hard and dies before his proper
time He may make stacks and cords
of money and put it out where the
dimes win turn to dollars every oncst
and occasionally, but yet at the same
time feel poor and live poor and pass
out ahead of time. Accordin to Andy
Lucas and the Scriptures-money makes
che mare go. But it can't make good,
solid grub 60 and stay when a mans
general machine runs down and the bot
tom drops out of his bread.basket.
So when you come to count up all the
costs / would a whole lot ruther let
everything go as fast as it comes and
take my chances about the settin down
place, than to wear myself out and have
to take put and quit before 1 ever find
time to stop and rest. Mortal man,
born Of female woman, breaks and
-sspurts' a most too much anyhow. He
runs too high up or either too low down.
II he would but only strike a level, and
make a good average, and let well
enough alone, he could hold his speed
better and stand the pace longer.
sIim W-entherRoFd the Quitter.
Little Jim Weatherford half
brother to old man Bunk-waswhaty you
mought call a gutter. He most in
generally went in for the whole hog
CT none, and got none at last. He scared
a good start and got away with a fine
burst Of speed, but he broke all to pieces
before he got on the home stretch and
then went home and quit.
The mainest trouble with little Jim
was that he was too internal neryious
like and smart. He must of been born
in q hurry, and | know for my own in
dividually self that he lived and died
at about the same rate. He was a mover
and a hustler from breakfast all the
way. He didn't have a blessed thing to
start on but so acres of land and one
mule, but his head was set on maxim
money, and he made it. He took the
lead row himself, and everything and
everybody on the place had to follow
and keepup. He lived at home all alone
by himself-lived as clost as the bark
on a dogwood tree-and whensomever
he got i dollar he helt on to it till the
eagle screamed and another one
turned up to keep it company.
Little Jim had been borned and brung
mp in the midst Of poor folks and hard
times, and when he come to be a man
re give II out that he was goin to put
plenty AZ money in his tanks and then
aake os.t and quit and have q high-heel
good time. He wae,as good as his word
70 some extent. and at so years old he
5sad three plantations and tsVenty-odd
hsad If mules and WIS payin taxes on
shout 1900 worth Of STUFF. And yet
a never saw him in my life when he
Nnnt hard run and headed straight for
che poor house. to shear him tell it. He
made money On top Of money. and got
tieh. but lie never ccald zee il IN that
ay. With him the takin out time and
she settin down place meter did come-
lie rakcd and he acrnph. and he
Sisted and saved UP for q rainy day,