The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-06-29
WISDOM FROM BILL ARP.
ne eliminates Over the Good and
Bad Things of Life-He Takes a
Cheerful View of This World.

SIleerIui we" III This World.
Another paternal birthday in nv
FAMILY. They seem to come about twice
q year to me now. How everything
shrlnks as we near the goal. The trees
are not so tall nor the hills as high as
they used to be. That is very natural.
and Is nothing new, but how is that
even time should shrink-time that is
so exact, so Interchangeable and that it is
measured by the same ticking of the
clock, and that is measured by the ris-
ing and setting of the sun and that bv
the revolving earth and that by it's an
nual course around the can't
see why time should seem to shrink at
all, or II any change, 1T should expand,
FOR we can do more, think more, learn
more In a day than when we were chill
dren. Seventy-two years ago to-day |
came into this %sublunary world and
nave had my share Of JOY and sorrow,
and am content with my lot in life. AS
David said, The lines have fallen to
me in pleasant places. Yea, | have a
good heritage" But poor old Job took
1T ard when Satan %despoiled him. and
he cursed his day and said in the an
guish Of his soul, Let the day perish
wherein L was born. Why died | not
from the womb, for then [ should have
lain still and been at rest, for there the
wicked cease from troubling and the
weary are at rest?' Poor old man ::
his sad story always excites nov sympa-
thy. Then there was jeremiah, who
exclaimed "Oh, that mine head were
waters and mine eyes a river of tears.
Cursed he the day wherein | was born:
cursed be the man who brought tidings
to my father saying a man child is born
unto thee"
don't like these sad people nor sad
stories o tales of misery. | never
read a romance that ends sadly. | don't
II the company OF people who wear
sad faces and are never happy unless
they are miserable. | wish that Rob
ert Burns had never written Man
was made to mourn" for I don't be-
ileVe 1T. or all Gods creatures, man
ls the only n that can smile, and
ne should smile as often as he can.
Co"per was q sad poet, but he does
say
"Behind a frowing providence
he wears a smiling face"
That Is better. The Creator who
Deautlhed and adorned the earth with
fruits and flowers and gave us birds to
sing and music to charm, ard studded
the heavens with stars, did not make
man to mourn. If He had given us
only buzzards for birds and dog fennel
Tor flowers and the bowling of the
winds Tor music, we might have
mourned but ] rather like that poet
who in the gush Of his gratitude said
'This world is very lovely. Oh, nv God
i thank Thee that | live"
Young was another sad and solemn
poet, and says
"Man wants but little here below.
Nor wants that little long"
Sidney Smith was more genial, and
says:
"Man wants but little here below,
AS beef, pork, lamb and veniscn show"
/ wish somebody would tell me
where L can find a parody on that same
text That was written by John Quincy
Adams about half q century ago. 1t
was q charming poem, and began:
Man wants but little here below,
nor wants That little long;
lis not with me exactly so,
mo tbs so in the song"
hen he sets forth a delightful cata-
logue OF whath he does want, and Il ac-
cords with our desires and excused ia
ior indulging them. Let a man, and
especially a woman, wish as much as
or sae pleases, but no good comes
OF q distrcssful longing for things we
can't gst. Woman is peculiar ebont
that. She a want pretty things eve
badly and do without Thorn ever so
graclously. During the war and about
its distressing close the wives end
mothers who had lived In luxury came
TO poverty and hard times with
more iortitude than the men-I knew
many men who gave up and pinedawaSJl