Kontentment is the gift ov God, as it kan be cultivated a little, but it
is hard tew acquire. Kontentment is sed to be the same az happiness,
this ackounts for the small amount ov happiness laying around loose,
without enny owner. I don't beleave that man was made tew be kontented,
nor happy in this world, for if he had bin, he wouldn't hav hankered
enuff for the other world.
When a man gits perfektly kontented, he and a clam are fust couzins.
Contentment iz a kind ov moral laziness; if thare want ennything but
kontentment in this world, man wouldn't be any more of a suckcess than
an angleworm iz.
When a man gits so he don't want ennything more, he iz like a rackcoon
with his intestines full ov green corn.
Contentment iz one ov the instinkts, i admit it tew be happiness, but it
iz kind ov spruce gum chawing happiness.
We all find fault with Adam and Eve, for not being kontented, but if
they had bin satisfied with the gardin ov Eden, and themselfs, they
would hav been living thare now, the only two human beings on the face
ov the arth, az innocent as a couple of vegetable oysters.
They would hav bin two splendid specimens ov the handy work ov God,
elegant portraits in the vestibule ov heaven, but they would not hav
developed reazon, the only God-like attribute in man.
When a man iz thoroly kontented, he iz either too lazy to want
ennything, or too big a phool tew enjoy it.
I hav lived in naberhoods whare everyboddy seemed to be kontented, but
if the itch had ever broke out in them naberhoods, the people would have
skratched to this day.
[Illustration: PERFEKTLY SATISFIED.]
I am in favor of all the vanitys, and petty ambishuns, all the jealousys
and backbitings in the world, not bekauze i think they am hansome, but
bekauze I think they stir up men, and wimmin, git them onto their
muscle, cultivating their venom and reazon at the same time, and proving
what a brilliant cuss man may be, at the same time that it proves what a
miserable cuss he iz.
I had rather see two wimmin pull hair, than tew see them set down,
thoroughly satisfied with an aimless life, and never suffer eney
excitement, greater than bleeding tears together, through their noze,
for a parcel of shirtless heathen on the coast ov Madagaskar, or, once
in a while, open their eyes, from a dream ov young hyson contentment
tea, tew sarch the allmiknak, for the next change in the moon.
Contentment, in this age of the world, either means death, or dekay, in
the days ov Abraham, contentment was simply ignorance.
The world iz now full ov larning, the arts, and sciences, and all the
thousand appliances ov reazon, these things make ignorance the
exception, and no man haz a right tew cultivate contentment, enny more
than he haz tew cut oph hiz thum, and set quietly down, and nuss the
stub.
Show me a thoroughly contented person, and i will show yu an useless
one.
What we want iz folks who won't be kontented, who kant be kontented, who
git up in the morning, not simply to hav their bed made, but for the
sake ov gitting tired; not for the sake ov nourishing kontentment, but
for the sake ov putting turpentine in sum ded place, and stiring up the
animals.
Contentment was born with Adam, and died when Adam ceased tew be an
angel, and bekum a man.
I don't say that a man couldn't be hatched out, and, like a young owl,
set on a dri limb, awl hiz days, with hiz branes az fasst asleep az a
mudturkles, and at last sneak into heaven, under the guize of
kontentment, but i do say, that 10 generashuns ov sich men would run
most of the human race into the ground, and leave the ballance az
lifeless, and az base, as a currency made out ov puter ten cent pieces.
I would like jist az well az the next man, tew crawl into a hole, that
jist fitted me, hed fust, and thus shutting out all the light, be
contented, for i know how awfully unsothening the aims, and ambishuns ov
life are, but this would only be burying mi few tallents, and
sacrificing on the ded alter ov kontentment, what war given me, to make
a fire or a smudge with.
Thare aint no sich thing as contentment and reazon existing together;
thoze who slip out ov the crowd, into sum alley, and pretend they are
chawing the cud of sweet kontentment, the verry best specimens ov them,
are no better than pin cushions, stuck full.
They have jist az menny longings az ennybody, they have jist az menny
vices, their virtews are too often simply a mixtur ov jealousy and
cowardice.
Contentment is not desighned, as a stiddy bizziness, for the sons ov
man, while on this arth.
A yeller dogg, with a tin kittle tew his tale, climbing a hill, at a
three minit gate iz a more reazonable spektacle for me, than a slimy
snail, contented and happy.