The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-07-05
LET'S LEARN II.
WE WORRY TOO MUCH.
That is What the Philosopher
Has to Say.

Fret not thyself against him who
deviseth iniquity.
Trust in the Lord and do good.
Wait on the Lord.
Those are good sermons and there
are others Like them in David and Sol
| omon. A man can shorten his life and
wear himse!f out by borrowing trouble,
and fretting and worrying about the
iniquity OF other people. There Is a
sight of devilment going on more
than ever before, reckon-more war,
famine, pestilence, unrest and discon-
tent all over the world, and here in
our blessed land crime ia on the in
crease In our cities, and what with the
negro and the corruption of politics
and the strikes as sideshows there is
enough to run worrying man crazy.
OF course we should feel concerned
about crime and do all we can to pre-
vent it, but worrying does not accom-
plish anything. Let us preach and
practice and be happy still. "Carpe
Diem," enjoy the day saith the poet.
Why can't everybody in the country
be as contented and law-abiding as our
people here in North Georgia. There
are 10 murders, no outrages, no lynch
ing, no fights here in Barlow county.
There are no divorces nor burglaries,
and no stealing of any consequence.
A good old antebellum darkey did
come to see . the other day to get
me to sign his sons bond to get him
out of jail. "What Is he in there for?"
said I. Well, boss you see de mans
corn was mlssin' and he find de basket
at Jim's house, but he didn't find no
corn. But jim aint 'cused of stealth
de basket" 1.-The basket is to be the
witness, reckon" said I. "Jes' so,
boss-dat s ali-and de basket can't
talk and tell how it got dar."
I Was Illuminating how easy it is for
! "a we'll msll to ,2ai.c u .ai1 living In
! this region. During harvest good
worker, white or black, gets one dollar
day, and at other times seventy-fye
cents day, and there Is a demand fer
labor. Uncle Sam is very old, but he
gets seventy-ive cents every DAY for
working around in the gardens. His
| four girls cook and wash aud each
makes about two dollars a week. There
Is about twelve dollars week earned
by that family and they are always
happy and don't give themselves any
concern about politics or social equal
ity or Bishop Turner or Booker Wash
ington It is the high strung lazy ne
i groes who are making all the fuss.
Now, lust contrast the condition of
laborers here and in other countries.
In India they are starving by the mil
lion. In the Philippines and South
Africa they are fighting and dying in
battle or from disease and pestilence.
In Germany peasant is rich If he has
two or three acres of land, and his wife
and daughters carry heavy loads Of
vegetables on their back to market,
while the sons are serving in the army.
In Italy the poor work in malarlal
swamps or beg in Naples. In Mexico
the poems get 374 cents day
In Mexican silver, which is worth
about half as much as ours. In Eng
land the poor are kept alive by charity
and in Ireland the peasantry lose crop
about every third year and the little
children go hungry and in rags. What
Is the matter with our people? Why
don't they quit fussing-quit envylng
the rich? Why not lit up their voices
and thank the Lord for His mercy and
goodness unto us? A dihgent man
or woman can live for five or six
months from good garden-and be.
sides the garden the country abounde
in fruit. Peaches, apples, grapes
black berries, dewberries and buckle
berries. never saw the like. From
our own garden we can haye eight
different vegetables every day besides
berries for dessert. It makes me
proud to gather them and show them
round the family before breakfast, FOL
it is my garden. dressed it like old
Farther Adam did..Eden. I'm still
the boy, I am the man with the hoe
} and don't esteem it any hardship
either. MIR. Markham needn't preach
his foollshness to mo, nor do like the
tone of that picture-a pitiful mar
leaning on bis hoe and bemoaning hi
hard lot. Work, labor, toll, sweat: il
the common lot and they are the hap
piest who do it. Solomon said thu
, sleep of the labOrlng man Is sweet.
! love to work with the hoe. I love t.
get all over in q Precipitation
. 1t opens the pores and saves medicine
love the smiles OF approval when
! find new brown rose and bring it t,
! Mrs. Arp and hear her say "Isn't ]
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