The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1899-10-18
ARP FEELS X
sppINEss M Ar.n oun HOMES

Is that which kings or laws can cause or
cure"
We make much ado over the money
question, the tariff, the trusts, the COM
bination OF capital against labor and
the greed and corruption of politicians,
but after all our felicity depends upon
ourselves and what we choose to
make OF our domestic life. Compared
with happiness a4Nhome all other Joys
are %triies, transitory pleasures that
come and go and leave us al last to
take refuge in the domestic circle. A
hundred years ago the poet wrote
of solid happiness we prize
Within our breast this Jewel lies,
From our own selves our Joys must come
And that endearing place--our home"
How sadly sweet is the dream of
homo to the boys who have exiled
themselves to u foreign land-to the
daughters who have followed their
husbands FAR ~away-to the soldiers
who lie in the trenches in tho distant
islands OF tho sea, and to the wretched
COnyiCts who toll in he mines for life
or for a term Of miserable years.
was Illuminating about how much
we complaining mortals have to be
thankful for in this goodly land. 1t is
well for us all to sometimes take an in
voice Of what we have got that neither
kings nor laws can take from us. The
masses Of our people have homes
humble homes, comfortable homes
where, as William Pitt said, 1.-THE
poo. ost man may bid defiance to the
crown. 1t may be frail, it's roof may
shake, the wind may blow through it
and the rain leak in, but the king of
England cannot enter, nor his forces
dare to cross its Threshold" The
masses OF our people have good health,
which is the chiefest OF all the poor
mans blessings. In this goodly South
ern land we have pure air, good water,
q temperate climate and u soil thai re-.
spends easily and surely to the la
Dorer's toll. Adam Smith said in his
great work on the wealth of cations
that u kind Providence had so ordained
that the average labor OF one man
would support eight persons and give
them all Of the necessarics, many of
the comforts and some OF the ~luXuries
OF Lille. How nicely this fits The aver
6 Iamlly-a man n his wife and
six children. If there are moro chill
dren the older ones are able to help,
n rs the man grows old and feeble
Inc younger children have grown up
to take his place. OF course, there
are exceptions, for the vile may be an
invalid or the children all girls or the
farm horse get sick and die, or the
hogs take cholera or the house burn
up, but most all Of our Ills are the re-
suit OF incidence, imprudence or crimi-
nal conduct. If we violate "a law Of
nature we are sure to suffer for it.. If
We spend more han we make and get
In ueOt we Chaln ourselves to a hard
master, Tor, as Solomon said, 1.-THE
borrower is u servant Of the lender"
Frugal habits and contentment at
nome are cardinal virtues that ensure
happiness. hen there are the plea
sures that affect the heart and the
emotions, the joys of loving and being
loved, the innocent sports Of children
or grandchildren, as they play around
us the sweet cham of music, ever
though 1t be "a mothers song as she
soothes her child to sleep. From my
window l see beautiful flowers looking
up to heaven or bending gracefully to
the God who made them.
Flowers hat weep without woe,
And blush without a crime"
And the vines on the trellis are fad
ing into beauty and the forest trees
are taking on their v~ariegatcd colors.
What is l~ovelier than the autumn
robes OF the chestnut and maple and
sWeetgum and the intcrmingleG green
OF the pines? Why not cultivate a
'SN ~ OetSiuC OEutUlGOIS OF
n@ture, for they are not only beautiful,
but The contemplation Of them is re-
lining. A beautiful flower Is a mira
Gle; no human hand could fashion it
and Solomon in all his glory was not
clothed like one OF these The bless
lngs o. nature are gratuities. They
cost n~othing-the trees, the flowers,
the grass, the sunshine and the rain,
the songs OF birds and the reyerentiai
SDnn1 inf distant fhnnla, tha+ $780,
as the poet says, from heavens own
organ.
And so the invoice might go on. or
course, q good citizen will take an in
terest III the laws that govern him,
but he should not forget the blessings
that avs cannot take away, nor should
he fret himself because of evildoers.
a much travelled friend, on his return
from Europe told me that as he iour-
neyed through Germany he saw many
n many IS yoked beside q cow
or "a steer pulling a pillow through the
tough soil, and hundreds of women
going to market half bent under the
burden of wicker baskets piled up
with small wood or vegetables. The
white mans burden is nothing COM
pared with the white woman's burden
among the ~peasantry of Thai country.
Every young man owes military service
. ~ WIZ 6o'Si hLhShU anu Is ODllRCu 10 90
when his time comes, but here eyery
man is a king or q sovereign and can
go or not, as he pleases. The truth Is
that our common people are the most
independent common people in the
world and ought to be grateful to God
b q the lines have fallen to them In
such pleasant places. Why be envious
of the rich, the ~millionaires who have
more care and anxiety than we have
whose children grow up in peril, whose
days are consumed In plans to Increase
their riches, whose nights are restless
with dreams OF gold, and whose health
and appetite require constant nursing.
The law OF compensation Is rs fixed
as fate and 1t Is entirely possible in
this land of liberty for o man Co
be as happy as a--fich me-. But we
1nusLaa-H1% and be diligent in bust.
ness. 1t is every mans duty 70 better
his condition, If he can. He must
make his home comfortable and at
tractiye. His wife and daughters are
compelled to live there and thew like
comforts and ornaments. 1t Is the
nature OF woman. The roof should not
Q nor the wind blow In at q broken
window pane. Tie doors should shut
easily and the front gate hang well on
its hinges. Ii you can't buy q carpet,
you can make one of bagging that will
q comfort In winter. Beg a few