The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-11


we'd make better speed, in the long
run. though we travelled slower An
& EVEN pulling horse; one that joys
along. keeping the traces tight all the
time, will do better work ana go
farther in a day than one that jerks,
and gallops and flkts, and sometimes
takes the sulks and won't go at all;
and when at last he starts, breaks
trace or a hame string and perhaps,
kicks out of harness. There's no
pleasure i'm drivings such a horse. l
used to drive one of that kind. When
he did GO he went like he was gong
all the way, in the shortest possible
time: but when he stopped he was
mean enough and aggravating enough
to try the patience of a first class
saint.
AS l see it, the Lord has to deal
with a great many people who are
worse than fretting, baking, kicking
horses. If there is an animal that has
more bad traits and behaves worse,
than the old Adamic stock, history
has failed to trOt him out
L got into a Illuminating mood the
other day and 1 had a whole sight of
thoughts, concerning the Adam fami-
ly. In the first place, could not help
feeling ashamed of the fact, that we
have made very little, if any, improve
ment upon the family's old time rec
ord. 1t has been long time since old
grandfather Adam got caught in his
sin. and it really seems to me that. by
this time. We all ought to have learn
ed to avoid the gins and snares Of
Satan; i'm other words, ought to have
cut our eye teeth and been able, long
since, to keep out of the traps which
that old serpent sets. But strange 10
say, while we have grown wiser In
some things-things that pertain only
to this life-we are just as green as
Adam was, and old Satan finds it just
as easy now to mislead souls as he did
when he beguiled grandmother Eve
and put it into the heart of grand
father Adam to to sneak out. or try to
sneak out of a scrape, and lay the
blame upon his wife. l have never
had as high an opinion of grandfather
Adam as / would have had If he had
stood up like a man and said: es
Lord, l did it. and am guilty, and de-
serve to be banished." Instead o.
that, he tried to wriggle out of, the
scrape by laying the blame upon oul
grandmother. and, in so doing he Sc
an example that is at work among thu
lords of creation, even to this day.
Yes it would be vastly better il
every way if we would pull evenly. am
do the honest, square thing. We Nigh
not gQsso fast at times, but we would
get there just the same, and be in bet
ter condition when we did get there
BY all of which l mean to say. in 81
many words that it is better to hav'
purpose and work patiently, earnest
ly and continuously towards its &C
complishment, than it is to be chang
ing and whimsical, and noisy-makint
many pretences and a great many pro
LESSONS in the world. yet accomplish
ing almost nothing.
The steady going horse will make
the trip; and so will the steady goint
man.
Some people are very sensational
and withal, prone to brag on thei
don't always head the same way, be
cause they sail before the wind; ant
of course, they are controlled by it
changes. And, what makes the cas-
so bad, one who is adrfft goes wrong
as often as he goes right-goes a
quently he makes no Roadway, in th'
direction of any safe haven. AS al
illustration of all the foregoing l VIII
tell a story of the long ago.
In my childhood, as 1 remember. my
father and mother were very great,
concerned about a neighbor. | use(
to hear them talk about that neighbor
and the reason why heard them, was
because L kept quiet while they talk.
ed, for, be it said in honor of the Older
times, children were required to KEEP
silence when grown folks were talk
he has to put it in edgewise, for the
young people have emphatically taken
unto themselves the right of way and
are running a schedule that don't al
low old folks any right or privilege.
| have been asked by not few peo-
ple how it is that / remember so
many things of my boyhood and early
childhood. My answer is. l looked
and listened. while the grown up 'peo-
pie were talking: those who really had
something to talk about.
AS I was saying, l used to hear my
father and mother talking, in very
serious way of a man who lived not
far from u.s. and | so we'll remember
the distressed look, on my mothers
face, when my father came home, one
2 night and told her something / did
not hear l afterwards learned all
about it, and as l grew into larger
boyhood a great many things were
told me by the negroes and the neigh
boris children that explained the seri-
Gus looks and anxious conduct of my
mother. The neighbor referred to
was a relative of the family-a good
natured man, but a man of no fixed
purpose of life, hard working man,
but a man of no forethought or fru-
gality; a religiously inclined man. but
a man of no we'll defined christian
principles He was one of the stingi-
est. vet one of the most liberal men |
but liberal. almost to the giving of all,
when in a pleasant humOr; or when he
liked the person or object he was ask
ed to help. And what was the strangest
thing about him he was temperance
man and a drunkard.
He was not drunkard of that kind
which fills up during u, the day and
sleeps itself off during the night; but,
he was what might be termed period
ical drunkard. For two three. four.
or perhaps, six months, he would keep
as sober as a Ct liked tofhaye said
judged man who never tasted drop
or liquor, and during that time he
would be extreme in his denunciatlon
or liquor, drinking and drunkenness;
IN TACT was almost, seemingly,>a mono
maniac in conduct and conversation,
ana would assert, calling upon God /
10 witness What he said, that drop of |
liquor would never again enter into |
MS mouth. During those sober peri
DDS he would be religious, hold family |
prayers. attend preaching and some
times pray in public and give literally |