The seckund adventists, and adventisses, are a people ov slo growth, but
remarkabel vigor and grate endurance. They have been to work, with both
hands, for about thirty years, to mi knowledge, in bringing this world
tew her milk; and tho often outfigured in the arithmetick ov events,
they rub out the slate, and begin agin.
Like all other moral enthusiasts for right or wrong, they tap the bible
for their nourishment, and several times, so they say, hav only missed
in their kalculations, but about two inches, which iz mighty cluss for
so big a thing.
The time haz bin sott, at least a dozen times since i hav bin an
inhabitant in this country, and when i waz a boy, az tender, and az
green az celery, i kan rekolekt with mi memory, ov having awful
palpitations in the naberhood ov the knee-pans, upon one ov the eventful
days, and crawled under the barn, not to be in the way.
But az i grew older--if i didn't gro enny wizer--I had the satisfackshun
ov growing bigger, and more less afrade ov advents.
I cum tew the konklusion, sum time since, that Divine Providence treated
the world, without enny ov the succor or scientifick attainments ov man,
and he probably would be able to destroy it in the same way.
[Illustration]
I hav alwus thought, judgeing from what little i hav bin able tew pick,
that waz lieing around loose, ov man's internal natur, thet if the world
hadn't bin bilt, before man waz, he probably wouldn't hav bin satizfied
if he couldn't hav put in hiz lip.
Man iz an uneazy kritter, and luvs tew tell how things ought tew be bilt
and haz got jist impudence enuff tew offer his valuable services tew the
Lord espeshily in the way ov advice.
Now I am confidently ov the opinyun that the world will sumtime be
knocked out ov time; it hain't got the least partickle ov immotality
about it, that I hav bin able tew diskover, it iz az certain tew di az
man iz, and i think enny boddy, who will take slate, and pencil, and
straddle a chair calmly, and cypher out the earth's death to day, iz no
wizer; nor less imprudent and wicked, than if he figgured on hiz nabors
phunneral, and then blabbed it all around town.
The bible that i was brought up on, sez: "that the son of man cometh
like a thief in the night," and evry boddy knows, that the fust
intimashun we hav ov a thief's visit iz, that he haz been here, and
left.
Thare iz a large share ov the students, in the secund advent dokter
stuff, that are pupils ov pitty, they cum into this world, not only
naked, but without enny brains, nor enny place suitable tew put enny,
the fust bizzness, ov enny consequence they do, iz to begin to wonder,
and it ain't long before the phool nuss picks them up, and givs them a
stiddy job.
This iz the way the common adventer iz made, and if he aint a stool
pidgeon for life in the second advent speckulashun, he iz in sum other
cuming thing, with a hole in the bottom ov it, for enny man who iz eazy
to phool, loves to be phooled.
The fust originators ov phalse doktrines, are most alwus dupes tew their
own ignorance, but if the doctrine seems tew he a hit, then yu will see
men ov brains, who ought tew be ashamed ov sich wickedness, take the
masheen bi the crank, and run it.
I dont know whether Mr. Miller waz the inventor ov this seckond advent
abortion or not, but if he waz, i will bet a haff pint ov peenuts, and
pay whether i win or lose, that he waz a phatt, lazy old simpleton who
lived on a back road, az ignorant ov the bible az a kuntry hoss doktor
iz ov medicin.
I am alwus reddy tew pitty, and forgiv a phool, espeshily when he dont
step on enny boddy but himself.
Thare iz one thing about theze enthusiasts that iz phair, and rather
remarkable for humbuggers, they destroy themselfs, az well az the rest
ov us, at the same pop.
Mi opinyun iz, if the worl should consent tew cum tew an end, to suit
their reckoning, they would be az skared a sett ov carpet-baggers, az yu
could find, and be the fust ones to say, that the figgures had lied.
I am willing tew dubble mi haff pint bet ov peenuts, and make it a pint,
that thare aint a Millerite now living, nor ever agoing tew liv, whom yu
could git tew take 87 1-2 cents in change for a dollar greenback, or who
would giv a dubble price for a breakfasst, on the morning ov the day
that iz sott for the worlds destrukshun.
Enthusiasm, and seckond adventism, iz cheap, but a dollar iz wuth the
face ov it.
Oh! impudence, whare iz thy sting! Oh! pholly, whare iz thy viktory!