The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1899-12-02
Letters from the people.
Observer On Ingratitude.
I'm prosperity friends do swarm;
In adverity they withdraw
Their heads are not to be found

III piOopCiltr Iiicuuo uO oWolht /
III adverity they withdraw
Their heads are not to be found
Thought sought" I
Rmay not have the above words We ssh I
fed as they are found In the writings Of
the dramatist of immortal fame, but the
changed position Of them does not alter
the sense. They coatain so much truth
that is apparent even to the young mild
that committed them to memory be-
fore was voter. and my observation
all through life Of the depravity OF
mans nature in this particular line has ,
kept them in remembrance. II were |
asked to select the meanest, the most |
dangerous, the lowest of Gods creatures
as gift to Satan, / would point to the
liar and say there he stands. take him. !
and give him the warmest berth you |
have; and then to prove my generosity, |
l would take an migrate and say, take
him and give him berth close to the
liar. Lying is not the only vice Of u
liar; for he will steal; he viii Islander.
But shall drop him here. and will give
my attention to the migrate.
The latter occupies safer position III !
society. then the former, for the reason
that his baseuess Is not amenabfe to
law, and it is not so conspicuous to pub
lie view: he can practice his ingrati-
tude unseen and unknown except by
those who feel it. The migrate to ne
cessarily selfish and unsympathetici vii
these are companionable vices-cannOt
be separated. That is not all; he will
even magnify the misfortanes of those
he once fawned upon to advance his own
selfish purposes; il ifl-health has over
taken friend by long continued ser
vice in official station, the migrate white
bypocritically bemOaning his friends
condition will take the pains to call tn
ailment insanity, although he may have
ridden into his own Official position on
the popularity Of that friend. We see
this exemplified in the case Of John
Sherman of Ohio. When this old man
by the treachery of friends and a long
service in official station had lost some
4 of his former vim and combstativeness
we see that embodiment of scOundreiism
in all phases-Mark Hanna, and that
political bypocrite Mckinley planning
to get rid of man in every way their
superior by sneakingly circulating the
report that lie was crazy. Bnt We DO
not have to 20 as far from home as Ohio
to find an illustration Of the truth Of
the charge made against the migrate.
He is akin to the vile adder that sends
bis venomous fangs into the breast that
has warmed its stiff body into life. The
sycophsnt is the migrate in a chrysahs
state. remaining dormant during the
! sunshine Of prosperity of friends. await
n ing the coming of the cold wave Of ad-
9 versity to his benefactor to develop into
Z the perfect migrate. What such human
!. mOnstrosities were made for is one OF
4 the mysteries of an all wise Providence.
' We can only presume they are set up as
: guide posts on the road Of life as warn
q ings to mankind, for the same reason
d that we put the symbols of death OF
!. deadly poisons to warn us against thedan
It ger of using them carelessly. We arr
/. told that man is made in the image o.
}. God. II such animals are to be cOnsi'
/. dered as belonging TO the human king
I. dom, do not believe 1t; to admit II
D. would be nothing less than profaniDi
n Gods name. When one Of the old Gre
clan philosophers was building a YER
10 small residence some one chided hin
for erecting such small dwelling, b
IS replied "'it will hold all my friends"
1t presume that reply was intended a.
satire upon mans insincerity, and va
l. likely given to a pretended friend. h
d. might have said. II am not buildiD
Ia this house for the purpose OF entertain
ing my professed friends for it will ne
AZ hold them. How true are the words
ey the poet that knew what adversely wa
er which say. MANS in humanity to ma
,le makes countless thousands mourn.
OBSERVED