The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-10-08

In the remarkable interview between
the widow Cullum and David, in which
pathos mingles with exquisite humor,
the following dialog takes place:
cts amazin' how much trouble an
sorrer the is in the world, an how
soon it begins, she remarked, moving II
little to avoid the sunlight. L hain't
never ben able to reconcile how many
good things the be. and how little most
on us gifts O. them. l hain't ben to
meetin fer long spell cause | hain't
had no fit clo'es, but | remember most
of the preachin' I've set under either
dwelt on the wrath to come, or else on
the Lords dom all things well, an pro-
vidin' | hope | amt no wickeder
than the gen'ral run, but it's putty hard
TO hev faith in the Lords providin' when
YOU hain't got nothin' III the house but
corn meal. an none too much o that
".That's so, Mis- Culom, that's So
affirmed David i don't blame ye a
mite. Doubts assail, an oft prevail as
the hymn-book says, an | reckon it's
sight easier to have faith ON meat an
potatoes n it is on corn meal mush.
But David, in spite of his often cyni-
| cal words and hard exterior was to
offer to this widow in her afflictiOn one
of the most touching of object-lessons
as to what is true religion and unde-
! filed. 1t is in the course of this inter
| view between David Harum and the
widow Cullom that the former gave
what he says is the commonly received
version of the Golden Rule.
Bus'nis is bus'ns amt part Of the
Golden Rule, L allow; but the way it
gen'ally runs, fur's I've found out, is,
| DO unto the other Teller the way he'd
| like to do unto you, an do it fust.
For the weakness that is worse than
positive dishonesty David had no toler-
| ance. John Lenox and David are talk
| ing. in the banking office, of David $
| former clerk:
- should say he was honest enough,
was he not?' said John.
"'Oh. yes, replied David with touch
of scorn, he was honest enough FUR
| money matters was concerned; but he
| hadn't no tack, nor no sense, an many
a time he done more mischief with his
| gibble-gabbe than if he'd took fifty dol
| lars out an out Fact is said David,
the kind of honesty that won't actually
| steal IS a kind of fool honesty that's
common enough; but the kind that keeps
| a feller's mouth shut when he hadn
ought to talk S about the scurcest thing
goin'.
| Perhaps the pure pagan crops out
most Enthusiastically in the following bit
of epicurean philosophizing:
IL understand said David, AN if l
had my life to live over agin, KNOWN
what | do now, I'd do different in num-
Der o ways. | often think he pro-
| ceeded, as he took Il pull at the cigar
! and emitted the smoke with a chewing
movement of his mouth, of what Andy
| Brown used to say. Andy was Il Curl
Gus kind of IL customer + | used to know
up to Syrchester. He liked good things,
| Andy did, an didn't scrimp himself
| when they was to be habitat is, when
| he had the go-an -fetch-it to git 'em
with He used to say, Boys, whenever
YOU git holt of a tendollar note you
want to git it into We or onto We jest 5
| quick S you kin. We're here today an
gone tomorrer,' he'd say, AN the amt
10 pocket in shroud, an I'm dumd
if | don't think sometimes, declared Mr.
Harum, that he want very fur off
neither. Il any rate, he added with
philosophy unexpected by his nearer, $
| look back. it amt the money t I've
spent fer the good times t I've had t
| regret; it's the good times t | might
s well We had an didn't. I'm inclined
to think he remarked with an air Of
having given the matter consideration,
that after Adam an Eve got bounced
out Of the gard'n they kicked them
selves as much as anythin' fer not hav-
in cleaned up the hull tree while they
was about it,
John laughed and said that that was
very likely among their regrets
David Harums views as to what he
regarded as Il prevalent fault of preach
ing were pronounced. LenoX and he
were discussing the Episcopal rector in
bonneville:
Putty nice kind of a man. remarked
David when John came back; putty
nice kind of man. Bout the only
'quaintance you've made of his kind,
amt he? Wa'al,, he'ssall right fur s he
goes. Comes of good stock, I'm told, an
looks it. Runs a good deal to emptins
in his preachin tho, they say. How do
you find him?
- think | enjoy his conversation
more than his sermons, admitted John
with smile.
Less of it at times, amt the? sug
gested Davis. i may have told ye,' he
continued, that l. want very regular
church goer, but I've ben more or less
in my time, an when / did listen to the
sermon all through, it genally seemed
to me that if the preacher ID put all the
really was in it together he wouldn't
need to have took only bout quarter
the time; but what with scorin' fer
start, an laggin' on the back stretch an
evry now an then breakin' to STAN
still, l gen'ally wanted to come down
out o. the stand before the race was
over. The's good many fast quarter
hosses,' remarked Mr.. Harum, but them
that en- keep it up fer a full mile is |
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