The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-05-25

man to do in these troublous times il
to try to be content with our situation
and surroundings. Good Lord, wha
sight Of time is wasted in longing
for what we haven't got and in appre
hending trouble that may never come
Ambition for fame or wealth or power
is a mistake. It is worse-it is a sin
for it is founded in selGshness. Burke
tried them all and acquired them all
and deserved them all, and yet in his
old age he said in letter to a friend:
ssSolomon was right, for they are all
vanity. Ny time is nearly out and ]
would rather sleep in the corner Of a
little country churchyard than in the
tomb of the Capulets."
was ruminating about this because
Singer sewing machine agent visited
my house to-day and when he found
we didn't want another machine he
sat in the veranda and we talked about
the war and about the beautiful region
and the lovely weather and about in
ventio1s and progress and the rest
lessness and discomfort Of the people.
He was philosopher and had travelled.
We agreed that if a man was making a
Ear ffsr living here he ought to be not
only contented, but thankful and hap
py. "This is the most attractive part
Of Georgia" said he, "and have not
found region SO signally blessed and
yet your people do not seem to know
it or to appreciate their good for
tune"
That is true. What good idea it
would be FOR man to keep debtor
and credit account with his Maker,
and charge himself with every good
thing-his health andi strength, his
sunshine and shower, the pure air and
the trees and fruits and flowers, the
picturesque views Of hills and val
leys. the fast flowing streams, the
songs Of the birds and the music that
cheers the hearth and home. Then
there are the daily greetings and meet
ings with kind neighbors and friends
and the merry voices of the children
and the peaceful, inviting sound of
the Sabbath bells-and the blessed
privilege of worshipping God accord
ing to our conscience, with none to
modest or make us afraid. Then there
is the daily morning prayer that is
daily answered. "Give us this day
our daily Bread" and he gives it, for
we have neither tramps nor beggars to
aflict us and nobody suffers for bread
or the necessaries Of life. Above all,
we have peace within our borders, and
Pope says that "all the joys of
reason and of sense lie in three words
health, peace and competence.
Good gracious what debtor account
We could run up against ourselves and
every item would be God-given.
Well, Of course, there would be
some things to put down on the other
side-such as sickness, death in che
family, or some afflicted child, or what
is worse, some son or daughter who
has disappointed our hopes or brought
grief to broken hearts. But most of
these things are not chargeable to
God, but rather to our own imprudence
or lack Of duty. Fire and storm and
pestilence come through His laws, but
they rarely come.
There is more sunshine than cloud
in our life if we will only look at it
right, for We are the most helpless
creatures on earth, and helpless man
ought to be thankful for everything
he gets. We don't know where we
came from nor where we are going nor
when we will have to go, and yet we
see folks strutting around and swelling
up with consequence. The best way
is to carry our sunshine along with
us and divide with our neighbors, and
if they have got any to spare let US
get little of theirs and mix it.
Heard fat woman say at picnic:
'sNeedent bother about cushion for
me; always carry mire along with
me. That good idea | can pick
out dozen men in this town who
carry sunshine, and you are glad to
meet them. There are many more
who carry clouds and still many more
who don't carry anything. 1t has
been forty years since old Uncle Billy
Baugh died, and I still treasure his
memory, for he carried sunshine
everywhere he went and never COM
planned. If he couldn't sell his
watermelons he gave them away. He
raised the best in the world, at least
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