Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 September 1889 — Josh Billings’ Philosophy. [ARTICLE]

Josh Billings’ Philosophy.

One grate diffrense between a phool and a wize man iz this—the phool gaps at and then swallows allraost everything he sees, but the wize man looks upon most things in this world az perfektly ridikilous. The man who haz sworn not to forgive haz uttered the wust oath he kan take. Real poverty, that cums upon us from no fault ov our own, is the most greavous thing to bear. A tru friend iz one who ain’t-afrade to tell us ov our faults. Tru generosity konsists in knowing when to give and when not to. Genius seems to be the fakulty ov doing a thiug excellently well, that nobody suppozed could be done at all. Thare haz been no man kreated yet who huz been superior to all others in everything. The most dangerous person in this world iz the one with the most tallents and the least virteu. If you are going to help a man, do it rite off. Promised help loozes one haff its aroma by evaporashun. “He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord.” Here iz an investment for yure munny, whare the rate ov interest iz the highest, and the sekuritv undoubted. Thare iz in sum men a grate deal ov good humor that iz like the frolik in a puppy—don’t mean ennything in particular. Health iz like munny;.we never have a true idea ov its value until we loze it. —New York Weekly.