Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 June 1878 — Josh Billings’ Philosophy. [ARTICLE]

Josh Billings’ Philosophy.

The things that we are positively certain of are few and very seldom in our favor. “ The laborer is worthy of his hire,” but the hire is not always worthy of the laborer. The cunning man is welcome to his victory; as for me, I had rather be a common fool than a cunning cuss. . Men are never so happy, and seldom so innocent, spending their money as they are in making it. There are lots of folks who are never satisfied with the best there is, but always want something a little better. It don’t require much genius to find fault with the crooks in aaog’stail, but to straighten them out does. Next to a clear conscience, for solid comfort, comes an old shoe. The more a man studies himself, the less fault he will find in his labor. The hardest working, and the poorest paid people in this world, are those who have nothing to do. As a general rule, the folks who ought to succeed are those who do. Young sinnpfi recollect one thing, Whatever you get dishonestly you have got (o divide with the devil, and he always takes the lion's share. • What a man gets of this world’s goods by accident, he is very apt"to lose in the same way. Tbe world is full of sublime truths, and vet most people spend their time hunting after vapid curiosities. When I wai a young man "I was always crazy To take hold of the big end of the leg, and do all of the lifting; now l am older, I seize hold of the small end and do all of the grunting. We all pray for a long life, but few of us pray for a good one.

If we would grant to others the hame firivileges that we claim for ourselves, t would almost pay to live forever in this world. “ f There is not a cheaper ceeature in all creation than the man who is trying to live on the reputation of money that he has squandered foolishly. Wise men make the mistakes, and fools the blunders, and this is about all the difference between them. Pleasure is the most risky kind of happiness.-ts. Y. Weekly.