Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 August 1894 — Josh Billing’s Philosophy. [ARTICLE]

Josh Billing’s Philosophy.

The time tew be karefullest iz when we hav a hand full ov trumps. I am a poor man, but i hav this conlolashun—i am poor by aksident, not design. What an unreal life most folks lead; they don’t ever hav a genuine taste ov sorrow durring their existence. How menny people there iz whose importanca depends entirely upon the size of their hotel bills. Mother! The holy thoughts are chastened memorys that cluster around ihis name can never be so well expressed az in the calm utterance o v the name itself. It iz a good thing tew be hedstrong, but it iz a better thing tew understand that a stun wall iz a hard thing tew buk agin. ~ Mankind ain’t apt tew respekt very mutsh what they are familial witli; - Tt 'iz - wliat we don’t know, or kan't see, that we hanker for. When i see people ov shaller understandings extravagantly clothed, i always feel sorry for the cloths.

I am'just as certain that Blare iz siteh a thing az “Spiritual manifestashuns” as lam that thare iz plenty ov superstishuns and trickery. Prosperity makes us suspicious ov ditch other, while adversity make us trust each other. The only way I can ikount for this iz. that in prosperity we hav sumthing to lose, while in adversity we hav everything to gain. I kousider it • a -great kom pliment lew religion that there are only two lubstitutes for it; one is hipokrasy, ind the other is superstishun.

It may seem incredible to people who read The Sun and thereby become residents of every part of New York at the same time, it is nevertheless true, that to some people “up town” is as far awsy as “down town,” to all pracand purposes, as is Chicago or Patchogne. Within a quarter of a mile of the Battery there live a thousand people who from one year’s and to the other travel no further north than the Post Office; to whom the ride to Union square would be a journey, who would look upon a visit to Central Park as upon a voyage of exploration. With some of them this is caused by lack of time. They are poor people and they work long hours. When work is ended for the day they are t ired. But with one famtly at least the cause is sentiment. This family is made up of a very aged mother and two daughters, both on the shady side of fifty. Said the good old lady the other day: “No, I don’t very often go up town The last time I did was in 1860. when I went with my husband to a lawn party on Fourteenth street.” imagine a lawn party on Fourteenth street now! “We used to live on Bowling Green, but by and by some business man offered me so much for the property that 1 thought it would be ivrong not to sell, even though it. was tny horn.’. Then we came to live here. It’s pretty high up, and we have to rent it. but we get a sp endid breeze (rom the sea. No. I wouldn’t live far from the Battery. The Battery used lo be pretty gay In old days, you know. It wouldn’t seem like home to be ffither away from it.”—N. Y. Sun. i - A canvass of the opinions of the member elect of the Vermont Legislature has been made by the Burlington Free Press which shows that there is no chance of a repeal of the prohibition law. This is the result sa far as the returnshave been received: ' Opposed to its repeal, 64, all Republicans favorable to high licenser 8 Republicans. Ji Democrats. X