The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-21


Being away from home he called at
postoffice for his mail. but could not
tell the postmaster his name. AS he
turned to go out an acquaintance met
and called his name, whereupon he
turned about, called for and received
his letters.
L hear other people complaining OF
the same difficulty. which fact serves
somewhat to reconcile me to my mis-
fortune.
Observation-Disclosures takes on differ
ent forms; or rather effects people in
different ways. For instance | knew
"a man who it was said. would forget
to take off his soiled underclothes
when he went to put on clean; and if
his wife did not keep watch on him
he would wear half dozen shirts at
a time. He nearly always had 81
unfrequently FORGOT his errand when
he went to market afteN meat for his
dinner, and would go home ana ask
his wife If it was spool of cotton or
paper of needles she wanted.
The fellow who started to see his
sweetheart, by appointment, but went
and drove up the COWS, did not dis
cover his mistake until an hour or two
later when his girl, seated in a buggy
with another fellow. went by and she
asked him eff he or his mother did
the milking; and, supposing he had an
engagement with a girl, could he not
keep it without getting leave of his
mother
The most absent-minded people are
those who make the most promises,
as general rule; and they make
promises because they are absent
minded. 1 liked to have COTTON into
Scrape some years ago by making
too many promises. and my absent
mindedness caused me to promise. A
lady in Youngsville said to me- as
was leaving the church: 81 shall ex-
pect you to dine with me tomorrow. :"
told her Ia go. AS I reached the
door, l found another lady, standing
there, who said, in sort of complain
ing way: Doctor. you have never been
to my house to take a meal, and
want you to take dinner with me to-
morrow" told her L would. l re-
membered that last promise, but had
forgotten the first. Next morning,
just before twelve, gentleman re-
marked to me: eff you are going to
dine with Mrs. b. you had better go
on, as her dinner hour is II o'clock"
l then remembered l had promised to
dine at two placeS:-with Mrs. II. rs
we'll as with Mrs. h. I went at once
to Mrs. BIS. with the intention of ex-
planning and apologizing But she
said her dinner was ready, and she did
not propose to release me from my
engagement. So, l could not do other
wise than partake of her good dinner
AS soon as / well could do SO, after
eating, / made haste to Mrs. HIS. 1t
was then nearly one o'clock: but Mr..
III. had not come from the store. Mrs.
ii. rather apologized for his not beinS
there, and hoped | would not groW
impatient; he would come i'm a few
minutes. l told her L was not by any
means, in hurry for dinner-did not
care, in fact, if Mr.. III. did not come
in an hour. l had rather talk to her
awhile anyhow before eating.
But, it was not long before Mr.. II.
came and dinner was quickly an
nounced. Mrs. II. had substantially
the same dinner 1 had lust been a
partaker of at Mrs. BIS. and it was
good. Not knowing that had been to
dinner she helped me bountifully--in
fact gave me a hungry mans portion.
l inWardly groaned when / saw her
piling the good things on my plate and
wondered how l should ever get
through the ordeal alive. She saw
was not relishing my dinner. as I
ought to have done, and several times
remarked that she. feared her dinner
did not suit me. l assured her thai
[ was exceedingly fond Of everything
on the table; but. still l could not eat
as she thought / should. After the
dinner was over / told Mrs. III. and the
company at the table the story of my
Observation-Disclosures and explained to
them how I'd tried to eat my way
out of a difficulty. Mrs. H. was very
much aroused, saying: 81 thought you
were very quiet and patient for a hum
cry man. When / told you Mr.. Fl. had
not come l noticed how readily you
remarked, that you were in no hurry
for dinner. And / wondered all
through the dinner how man who
lives as active life as you do should
eat SO little and with, seemingly, SO
little relish.'
Thus the matter was amicably set
tied, and, since then. whatever else
I've forgotten, I've tried TO keep in
mind my promises to dine. A fellow
can safely attend these swell recep-
lions, where light refreshments are
served, every hour in the day, and
always feel like eating; but try it, who
will, it's a right serious matter to eat
two big dinners in an hour, such as
Mrs. B. and Mrs. II. had prepared that
day.
AS strange as it may SEEM there's
q right smart sprinkling of infidelity
country-peOple who do not believe in
God. Christ nor the gospel of Christ.
The Psalmist wrote: "The fool hath
said in his heart, there is no God" IT
would be astounding to know how
many fools there are in every neigh
borhood, and even in some of the
churches. Men are reading Ingersoll
and are trying to bring themselves to
believe that, while Jesus of Nazareth
was a great teacher he was nothing
more than man: a very remarkable
man, they admit, but nevertheless,
only man-and therefore no Savior
| am sorry for the fools" who say
there is no God, and I look with pity
and great sadness upon the men who
do not accept Jesus as their Savior
How utterly hopeless is the condition
of those who say there is no God,
deny the diversity of Jesus and dis
card the Bible; as infidelity is seeking
to make them do-and as many do!
Yes, strange as it may seem, in
fidelity is on the Increase, and it is
thriving in the so-called higher life,''
among the educated, and like the
leaven of the Pharisees. it is doing it's
destructive work in the church. What
do | mean by all this? l mean that
while churchism is growing just as it
grew under the Mosaic dispensation.
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