The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-04-22

DuL YOU SpOho dOOuL IAe 1dTmec and
let US take one thing at time. The
steer will wait. That is a part of his
duty toward man. Don't let him out
do man in politeness. The greatest
thing about man is to teach some
other man somethin'. Each man is an
illustrator of life. And the farmer, in
stead of bein' the joke of the ignorant
folks that live in towns, ought to be
envled by the philosopher. He could
give at least half of his time in winter
to fruitful meditation, and in doing
this he would not only store up con-
the future, but out of it might come
great benefit to mankind at large
Thought is the food of the soul. l re-
member when old Sam Porsey was
dyin'. 1 don't suppose there was
poorer man in the neighborhood. But
some of the shallow minded used to
reproach him for his happiness. They
said he was thoughtless. But the fact
is that he had more of the right sort
of thought than cny man for miles
around. He worked hard, made a liv-
in and didn't grumble. That was
thought to be some sort of mental dis
ease-the fact that he didn't com.
plain; and joker told him he'd better
take somethin for it. He did. He took
things as he found them and tried to
make them better and more cheerful
Well, when he was lynn on his death
bed one of the neighbors asked him if
there was anything he particularly re-
GREETED. Yes he said, in lookin' back
l remember an old niger who had the
rheumatic mighty bad. l went to his
cabin one night just before he died,
and in lookin back recollect forgot
to tell him he might be better next
day Everybody thought that old
Sans mind was wanderin'. And it
was-Wanderin' back to the time
when he had neglected to do a poor
| old fellow momen: of good. The
other day passed through an old
orchard where Sam was buried. The
apple tree above him is always the
; first one to bloom, and in it the sweet
est singin' birds make their nests.
Nobody has tried to keep the grass
| green, but it Is green of itself: and
the wild flowers that grow there are
like psalms burstin' up out of the
ground. There's sermon, colonel.
He laughed nearly all of his life, and
now the weeds about his grave come
out In summer time and with their
blossom seem to be echoin' his merri-
ment. The man that makes the weed
blossom is greater than the man that
causes the rose to die. Wait a minute.
The Bible was written mostly for the
farmer. It is his book We read it
and established liberty in England.
The king said, oh, no; it is my book.
l am the anointed. Pay me- But the
| book had taught the farmer to think,
and action was but a natural out
come"
Yes, that is all very trua," said the
colonel arising. But now let US talk
about that steer. I am in a hurry.
What is he WORTH"
What do you suppose he's worth ?'
Limuel replied. HE looks all right
doesn't he?"
Yes, but steers are cheap" said
the colonel
THAT may be; I'm not keepin' up
with them very Close
But what will you take for him."
Take for him? You said you want.
ed to talk about him and I've humored
you. The fact is, he jumped in there
just now to rest himself, and he
doesn't belong to me- Don't be in a
hurry, colonel; don't be snatched."
Copyright, by Opie Ready