St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-03-15

the soul. VlIuOut SAS SJ y S
is big dungeon. l fear that many
of us have never given one hearty e1-
preston of gratitude for treasure OF /
sight, the loss of which is the great
est disaster possible unless 1t be the
loss of the mind. Those Wondrous
seven muscles that turn the eye up
or down, to right or left or around.
No one but God could have created
the retina. If we have ever apprecl-
ated what God did when he gave us
two ewes. it was when we saw others
with obliterated vision. Alas. that
only through the privation OF others
we came to a realization of our own
blessing! If you had harp in hand
and swept all the strings OF gratl-
tude, you would have struck tnls'
which is one of the most dulcet OF the
ten strings.
Further, there are many who never
recognize how much God gives them
when He gives them sleep. Insomnia
is a calamity wider known in our land
than in any other. By midlife vast
multitudes have their nerves SO over
wrought that slumber has to be coaxed,
and many are the victims OF choral
and morphine. Sleeplessness is an
American disorder. If it has not
touched you and you can rest Tor
seven or eight hours without waking
if for that length of time in every "a
hours you can be free OF all care ana
worriment and your nerves are re-
turned and your limbs escape from all
fatigue and the rising sun finds you
a new man. body, mind and soul-you
have an advantage that ought to be
put in prayer and song and congratu-
lation. The French financier, almost
wealthy enough to purchase king
dom, but the victim of insomnia, wrote:
"No slumber to be bought in any mar
ket." He was right. Sleep is gra-
tuity from Him who never sleeps. Oh,
the felicities of slumber! Let all who
have this real benefaction celebrate 1T.
. That is one of the sweetest strings in
all the instrument of ten strings.
Further, celebrate on the instru-
ment of ten strings our illumined
nights. They spread their tents over
us, and some of us hardly go out to
look at them. During the nights 9th
/, er worlds come in sight. The author
of my text chimed the silver bells in
the tower of the midnight heavens,
| saying: when 1 consider the hea'-
ems, the work of Thy fingers; the
moon and the stars, which Thou hast
| ordained, what is man that Thou art
mindful of him?" We thank God for
the day; we ought also to thank Him
for the night. Worlds on worlds in
sight of the naked eye, but more
worlds revealed by telescope. At
least one night in his lifetime every
man ought to go into astronomical
observatory and see what has been
done by the great World Builder.
Thank God for lunar and stellar IL
Elimination!
Further, on the instrument OF ten
strings celebrate the possession OF
our reason. A severe stroke upon the
head or a sudden calamity might de-
throne our reason and leave us worse
off than the brute, for the brute has
a substitute for reason in what is
called instinct, but a mans brain
shattered and he has neither mind
nor instinct. The asylums for the
insane, though all the time multiply
ing, are mott enough to shelter the
demented. Through the examining
system employed in many of the
schools of this country there are tens
of thousands of children having thei1
brain depleted. Philosophers at ter
years of age, astronomers at II years
of age, biologists at IL years of age
They will be first on examination day
but last in all matters of useful ant
successful life. It would be amusing
to see how much children are ex
pected to learn and know if it wer'
not connected with the tragedies o
damaged intellects which follow
. Amid the increasing dementia of tn
world let us appreciate the goodness
of God to us if our mental facultie
are in equipoise. Voyaging from New
Zealand to Australia, storm
swooped upon us, and we saw al
around us fragments of ships tina
: had been caught in the same TEN
pest. And how thankful we were
, sailing into Sydney harbor, that W
. had escaped! So that man and tina
) women whose intellect goes safel
, through the storms of this life, i
which so many have foundered, ough
every day and every night emplo
: one of the ten strings in gratitud
for that particular mercy.
Another string of this instrumen
/ now touch-friendships, deep an
, abiding, by which l refer to thos
people who, when good or bad motiv
t NAV be ascribed to you, ascribe tn
t good: those concerning whom you
t not wonder which side they will tax
4 when YOU are under discussion; thoi
who would more gladly serve yo
D than serve themselves; those
t whom you can tell everything will
7 ont reserve; those who are first
+! your home by person or by telegra1
y when you have trouble. Oh, what
blessing to have plenty of friends
+ Ave. if you have only one good frien
s Won are blessed in that glad posse
0 sion. With one such friend you ca
l. DEFY the world. But he must be
: tried friend. You cannot tell who a
; your real friends till disasters com
Q As long you collect vast DIVIDEND
= and have health jocund and popula
: ity unbounded you will have crow
5 of seeming friends, but let ban
). ruptcy and invalidism and defam
ton come, and the number OF yo1
:. friends will be IS per cent. of.
y YOU have been through some gre
= crisis and you have one friend lei
= thank God and celebrate it on u