Live Oak daily Democrat. (Live Oak, Fla.) 190?-190?, 1906-08-30
VACATION MUSINGS.
&c. A. Ridley.

lent. The more one studies him the |
|SeeDer his interest in the insoluble |
Ssnysteries of life. l am never hap |
l<7ier than when, in solemn silence, |
~ watch my fellows, and from them
'IEearn the meaning OF many things
|g<Thich would otherwise be mysterious.
sYou know it is often instructive to
|xEet the other fellows viewpoint
whether you agree with him or not.
u Did you ever think how the same
~ surroundings, the same OppOrtuni-
Cities, the same advantages, and the
IS same moral atmosphere will produce
e Opposite results on different folks?
81 Our ideas of life are so very different.
4 To one man life means only the get
y ting of gain while to another it
s Is an empty bread tray and cherries
, fireplace surrounded by half dozen
pale and palsied children whose lit
= tie lives are destined to be tragedies
dark and deep as the mystery of
death. To one woman life consists
In training her children to be use
full and good citizens, to act honor
ably and wisely their parts in life
and fear nothing except to do wrong.
To such a woman the sum total of
living Is to be a true and loyal wife
and devoted mother. Not long ago
a worldly-minded society woman was
overheard in conversation with a
woman like | have Just described.
Said she: Mrs. Brown, have often
wondered why you didn't give more
attention to society. You know many
of your friends are disappointed that
you have not written a book or two
before now you are certainly cap
able" .
why" said Mrs. Brown, 81 am
writing two very interesting books,
am putting my very hearts blood
into their pages"
Indeed, and am so glad to know
it. What are the titles of your
books?"
We'll, l call one of them john
and the other one Mary"
And the little society lady was dis
gusted. She cared nothing for child
rem. 1t is true that God had given
her two of her own. but one died for
lack of motherly attention, and the
other one was growing up without
any knowledge of the real meaning
of mother. Its only mother was a
rubber nipple, and a negro woman.
Yes, we look at things so different
ly. No wonder there are so many
isms and schisms religiously and
otherwise-fOlks are so different and
see things from so many different
viewpoints Not long ago l was in
troduced to a lady who was quick
to inform me that she was a loyal
Baptist. In the same conversation
learned that she was an enthusiast
on the subject of dancing, and prac-
ticed what she preached both at home
and abroad. From her own city !
met another lady who thought dane
ing was the great curse of the church
and the destroyer of much good. She
was sure that no good ever came
from it san institution and that
many lives were ultimately wrecked
on its hidden reefs.
Another lady, a loyal Methodist OF
the deepest dye, in commenting upon
things religious, said that she knew
her pastor was a very devout man
because he never wasted any time
loafing around with fishing pole.
and guns. To her, staying in door:
was an evidence of piety. To be hap.
by was criminal, but you know there
are some folks who are never happy
except when they are miserable Many
people mistake a bad liver for relig.
ion. Indigestion makes a man lOOB
very pious, but l have heard that il
was not that sort of piety, which gives
our friends the greatest confidence
in our religion. A man may get lit
tie or no pleasure from an outing
with reel, rod and gun, and at the
same time be very religious and very
agreeable; but a man may also enjoy
these things without sacrificing his
piety. Because a man is red-headed
he is not necessarily religious, and
because he enjoys a good hunt, he is
not necessarily profane. He may OF
he may not be religious. He may or
- may not no prOfana M va do