The Country ParsonPart 1

Those of you who are a little older may recognize The Country Parson. It was once a common feature in many newspapers. The Country Parson would give short bits of thought-provoking wisdom. The advice was put together by Frank A. Clark and the Parson was illustrated by Denny Neal. What follows are some classic quotes from The Country Parson. I hope to post more in the future.

Time, like a snowflake, disappears while we’re trying to decide what to do with it.

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One of our faults is our tendency to ignore everything that has no commercial value.

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It’s hard for us to reform the world because each of us wants to start with somebody else.

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Sins, like weeds, seem to get started where nothing else is growing.

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I don’t remember ever seeing a happy man who had nothing to do.

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Sometimes the roughest road may be the best way to get you where you are going.

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A day ought to start with eager anticipation and end with pleasant memories.

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We used to teach our children to work— now we teach them how to get someone else to do the work for them.

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Environment must be important—I never saw a kid play in mud without getting some on him.

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I can remember when folks used to stay out of debt by going without—now we do neither.

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Most of the folks I know who have good luck seem to have good judgment too.

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I’ve known a lot of folks who didn’t have great minds who made up for it by having big hearts.

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A mind that isn’t being used, like an attic, usually gets filled with junk.

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A fellow who thinks greed won’t hurt him has never seen what happens to a hungry cow in a green alfalfa patch.

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Self-respect in a man is kind of like salt in the soup— the right amount is good— too much is awful.

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Poverty  may not be so bad— it’s what keeps most of us from behaving like rich folks do.

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Folks say it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere—I wonder if they mean to include the fellow who sincerely believes poison would be good for him.

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Religion may not improve a child’s behavior—but it will build in an alarm system which may someday wake him up in the middle of a nightmare.

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It appears that some folks do great things easily—that’s because we don’t see them struggle through the necessary preparations.

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Straight people, like straight trees, usually were started straight.

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You don’t win the game of life by making goals—if you foul somebody doing it.

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I’d rather see  boy become a good street sweeper than a bad professor.

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The reason that nature’s laws always work is that Congress didn’t pass them.

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Parents try to protect their children from struggle—the very thing they must have in order to grow strong.

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Folks nobody ever heard of are busily influencing lives which will change the course of history.

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I'd rather a boy had a good father than a good preacher.

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