Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 July 1877 — Philosophical Sayings by Josh Billings. [ARTICLE]

Philosophical Sayings by Josh Billings.

The wise men and the philosophers are the only ones who can always afford to kick up their heels and have fun; gravity was designed for the fools, and is their strongest hold. To work is not only a duty, but a great privilege; next below a wooden god in point of insignificance ranks a lazy man. Any fool can be sorry for a thing a minute after it is done, but to be sorry a minute before it is done is the correct style. There arc but few folks so wise as those who know they are fools, aud act accordingly. I don’t think it would be a speculation for any man to live his life over again; if he had done well, he probably wouldn’t improve upon it, if bad, he might do worse. One great reason why there is so little happiness is because there is so little innocence The virtuous live three distinct lives—the one they look back upon, tlie one they now enjoy, and the one that is waiting for them. The hardest man to beat is the one who will get drunk with you at your expense, but won’t do any business with you until he gets sober. It takes a lifetime to become perfect in any one thing; I have known men who excelled all others in one thing, but I never knew one who excelled ail others in two. Words have now more than ideas have. It is true that these laurels will fade on a man’s tomb-stone; but so long as they don’t fade on his head, who seems to cure? ” I believe that there is nothing on this earth that has been hung so high that capacity and perseverance can’t reach it. What makes a heap of trouble in this world is, there are so many people who spend their income before they get it The man who overrates himself is pretty sure to underrate others, and thus make two blunders instead of one. I don’t know that a man’s conscience is

infallible; but it cornea the nearest to it of anything human. If we examine c’osely the lsws of God we shall find that they are as much designed for our temporal good as they are for His glory.— N. r. Weekly.