The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-02-14
DIRTY MOUTH REPRoBATEs.
Ifagoca Comments cn the Degrading
ieabit oi Telling Smutty Jokes.

hotel recently we met an old gray
headed man, a member OF the church.
ttrying to be one of the boys, trying to
bo smart, indulging in a lot of dirty
and vulgar talk that no decent man
wants to hear. He was sacrificing his
own s,li respect and losing that OF
ciners. Some fola~ think this dirty
talk shows wit ANA are never SO Wei
pleased as when .,.d1 Sing in Or rs;
,,.lng to it. Nearly eve~y commun1. -
= cursed with nl1tl who is eterna!'v
:av,ng hard things about the women
forgetful that his own pure mother
was one.
Some folks without religion are
more trustworthy than some others
full of it. That is the blessed truth
Ephraim is a cake unturned, aad you
are ever at a loss to know where he
will turn up next.
Don Quixote may be dead, but if
he is he has left a lot of children and
grandchildren behind who are con-
tinually charging upon something, 50
helpless a thing as a flock Of sheep
sufficing. How does that strike you?
Here is a fellow going around all
mounted, with lance (pen) in hand in
search of something to fight, and
chances upon some bit of humor,
though all the truth, and that hurts
so they say whereupon he braces
himself with the air Of one who bears
up the pillars OF the universe, and
my how he spills the ink with "a bit
ter attack and "the veriest rot For
tunately he soon exhausts his vocab-
ularly and the farce is ended.
Have you got one in your commu-
ity? mean Smart Alex" If not do
for goodness sake get onet You don't
know the amount Of fun he will ere
ate, the good he will do, aside from
the satisfaction it will give you to feel
YOU are not such an ass after all.
This comparing ourselves with our
selves is not we'll for then we come to
think we are the people, neither
should we at all times compare our
selves with our superiors lest we get
| discouraged and quit. The shallow
est pate cannot fail to discover him
self superior to the Smart Alex" so
YOU see that for the benefit of all it is
well to have him around, but don't
give him any rein or make him a bell
weather in anything, or you Will nave
trouble enough, because his is not the
Midas touch that turns all to golG, but
rather the touch that turns all to ash
es. AS surely as I am sitting here he
will split any church and ruin any
getty fellow that can't be still, and it is
wonderful the antics he can cut, and
will if he has the attention Of the
crowd. Why he will risk his neck for
applause. Do not conclude all of them
are devoid Of learning, for some are
very learned, but they are perfectly
devoid of common sense and when
turned loose in any important busi-
ness are like a bull in a china shop.
This fellow, I am near through with
him, is a perfect egotist and gasbag,
who will quit anything to parade be-
fore you his accomplishments, whose
favor is won and retained by fattery
which you can lay on with trowel
until man and utensil are used up. Yes.
the Smart Alex" has a place to fill, a
work to do in the world that no else
in it's covets. Will the simpletons lis
ten to me a minute? Always be nat
ural, never try to pass for what you
are not if you do not wish to be
laughed at. Above all be honest, don
be a rascal for you won't get started
before your ears crop out and they
fall afoul of you. No, you will never
go to jail for it because fools are ex-
cusable but besides being made the
butt Of the crowd you will be forced to
puke up so that you will be only =
loser.
A simpleton's mother died leaving a
COW which he wanted, SO early next
morning he posted to a brothers to
whom her blubbered brother" moth
er is dead. She died at midnight.
She died in my arms and her last dy
ing words to me, will never forget
them, were son take care Of the COW,
but he did not do it. Amen.
'Hagood."