Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 June 1884 — Why He Was Thankful. [ARTICLE]

Why He Was Thankful.

The disposition of some men to look on the bright side of everything was illustrated cn a far Western road. An old gentleman had been an attentive listener to the somewhat remarkable experiences of his fellow-travelers, breaking into the culmination of each anecdote with a pious ejaculation of praise for some redeeming incident in the subject under discussion. Finally they got to setting matters up on the man, and telling stories in which it was hard for him to find anything to be grateful for’ But he managed to get there each trip, until the boys were nearly at their wits’ end. “But one of the worst I ever heard of, ” commenced one, winking at his companions to look for a smasher, “really the worst, was on the Savannah and Pensacola Boad, in 1842. We ran into a coal train, and not a soul escaped. No, not a soul! Every one was killed!” There was a moment's pause, and every one looked at the old man to see how he would take it, “Thank heaven!” he exclaimed fervently, “thank heaven!” “What for,” demanded the relator of the story, “what are you thanking heaven for now?” “To' think you were killed by that train!” ejaculated the old gentleman, rolling up his eyes. “If you had been spared, what a liar you would have been by the time you reached your present age! Thank heaven for that disaster!” And, after that, the boys let him alone.— Germantown Telegraph.