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THE COUNTRYMAN.
83
How to Account for It.
Col. S. of Louisiana was once discoursing
a Hardshell Baptist. Preacher in a ware
house in Macon, on the perfection of God’s
works—including man’s jpioral, as well as
physical nature. The Colonel was a good
talker, an'd the Hardshell a good listener,
though as an orthodox believer in the total
depravity ot the human .heart, he could
hardly believe in what the speaker was say
ing. The Colonel dilated on the exact
adaptation of every part of the human frame
to every purpose for which it is intended.
He discoursed eloquently and learnedly
too, on the exact adaptation of every object
in nature from the planetary system down
to the microscopic world, to the fulfillment
of certain purposes. God was a perfect
Creator, and all his works were perfect.
He could not do imperfect work. “ And
will you tell me,” said the Colonel, “ that
the soul, the noblest work of this perfect
Workman, can be so imperfect as you theo
logians represent it to be, when the small
est animalcuium is itself perfect % Can a
perfect Workman do imperfect work ! Has
he not rather made men perfect men, as all
his other works are perfect ?”
Before the Hardshell could rally to the
defence of total depravity, Maj. N. of Geor
gia, who had been also an attentive listen
er, “ pitched in” to the rescue, and said :
“ Well, Colonel, I can’t dispute what you
say : but it strikes me that the number of
damned rascals in the world can only be
accounted for upon the supposition that the
boss-workman must have been absent from
the work-shop the greater part of his
time.”
All who have heard the major’s quizzi
cal way of talking, can well imagine the ef-
tect of his quaint and irreverent answer.
But irreverent as it was, not even the min
ister could keep from laughing loud and
long at the odd and forcible reply which
floored the Colonel, at least for awhile.
War.
“One great obstacle to the extinction of
war, is the way in which the heart of man
is carried off from its barbarities and its
honors, by the splendor of its deceitful ac><
companivnents. There is a feeling of the
sublime in contemplating the shock of ar
mies, just as there is in contemplating the
devouring energy of a tempest :♦ and this
so elevates and engrosses the whole man,
that his eye is blind to the tears of bereav
ed parents, and his ear is deaf to the piti-
ous moan of the dying, and the shrieks of
their desolated families. There is a grace
fulness in the picture of a youthful warrior
binning for distinction in the field, and
lured by this generous aspiration in the fell
work of death, the opposing sons of valor
struggle for remembrance or a home ; and
this side of the picture is so much the ex
clusive object of our regard, as to disguise
from our view the mangled carcasses of the
fallen, and the writhing agonies of the hun
dreds, and the hundreds more, who have
been laid on the cold ground, where they
are left to languish and to die. There is
no oye to pity them ! No sister to weep
over them ! Theie no gentle hand is pres-
etit to ease the dying posture, or bind up
the wounds which, in the maddening fury
of the combat, have been given and re
ceived by the children of one common Fa
ther ! There death spreads his pale en
sign over every countenance, and when
night comes on, and darkness is around
them, how many a despairing wretch must
take up with the bloody field as the un
tented bed of his last sufferings, without
one friend to bear the message of tender
ness to bis distant home—without one com
panion to close his eyes !” E. w. R.
Overdoing the Thing.
Sister Dymond was a good Presbyterian
lady who lived on the public highway, and
occasionally allowed the weary traveller to
find a night’s lodging beneath her hospita
ble roof. She was staid, starchy and prim
in her religion, after the manner of her
sect, and had a great horror of fussy Meth
odist preachers. At last one of these—
(brother Jones)—chanced to stay all night
at her house, during the prevalence of a
considerable drought.
When the, hour came for retiring, broth
er Jones proposed family prayer* and
among other things mentioned that he
would pray for rain.. The oid lady was.
very anxious to have rain, but had great
misgivings about allowing a Methodist
preacher to pray for it in her house, though
she finally consented.
Brother Jones was emphatic on petitions,
and put up a most powciful prayer forrain.
Next morning, sister Jones got up, and,
going into her garden, and looking at that,
and at the fields which adjoined the house,
saw that the whole face of the earth was
washed away.—“ I might, have known this,”
said she ; “ Plague take these Methodist
preachers, they always will overdo the thing.
If Mr- Jones had put up a more gentle pc~
tion, we would not have had such a wash
ing rain!"
“ Ridicule dishonors more than dishonor
itself.” 1
A Prediction.
I have not seen a list of the yeas and
nays upon the passage of the resolution
assuming to authorize Gov. Brown to take
away the property of the people, and I do
not know whether the yeas and nays were
called upon the resolution.
I am not aware, either, that the resolu
tion concerning conscription has been pres
sed to a vote, and if it has been, whether
the yeas and nays were called. Bui I will
venture one prediction : and that is, that
whoever shall see the yeas and nay’s re
corded upon these 2 resolutions, will see
that the sticklers about the unconstitution
ality of conscription, were the very ones
who trampled the state constitution under
foot, in assuming to give Gov. Browu au
thority to rob the people.
I saw a statement in the Atlanta Confed
eracy, the other day, that there were mem
bers of the legislature who pertinaciously
refused to vote appropriations to furnish
soldiers with clothing; and 1 will venture
an assertion touching these. I will ven
ture that these men were not at all back
ward in voting for the seizure resolution.
Has Georgia got so poor that she ean-
,not go into the market and bompete with
private persons in the purchase of sup
plies, but must resort to seizure 1 Has
Georgia become so much degraded and
such an outlaw that her Representatives
refuse, to vote money to buy clothing for
her soldiers, and she must turn robber, and
rob her own children 1
Sour Milk Cheese.
“Heat sour, or loppeied milk (which is
better) in an iron pot, over a slow fire, un
til curd is formed. Take out the curd, and
press the whey from it with a ladle, or the
hands. To each quart of curd, add one
half pint of sweet cream, a lump of butter
the size of an egg, and salt to the taste.
Place all the ingredients in a frying-pan,
over a slow fire, and stir until it assumes a
smooth, thick consistence, when it will he
ready for the table, either waim or cold.—
Some housekeepers place the curd in a
strainer bag, and allow the whey to drip
out, before adding the cream, &c. The
second heating appears to be an improve
ment.”
Miss E. W. H.—Your paper has been
sent regularly to Macon, since you ordered
the change.
Attention Conscripts!
Your attention is hereby called to the ad
vertisement of S. J. Saffold, Esq. You will
see. that he, offers extraordinary inducements
to those going into the military service.