Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-08-28
From the Southwestern Baptist.
THE FAMILY OF GRUMBLES.

THE FAMILY OF GRUMBLES.
The Grumbles are very numerous, and
are scattered over the wide, wide world
You find them in every community. Go
where you may, you are sure to come in
contact with them, whether you travel by
railroad car, stage coach or private convey
ance. You find them alike in the hotel and
in the saloon in the lecture room and in
the sanctuary ofGod. You cannot avoid
their society if you would for they arc sure
to be present on every occasion, and are
always ready to press themselves into your
company whether its suits you or not. Not
q crowd can gather without some one or
more Of them being present to give vent to
their pentup complaints, and they are sure
not to retire so long as they can get persons
to listen to them.
Persons of both sexes, and of every gra-
dation. in society, belong to the family of
Grumbles. Hoary-headcd men and women,
middle-aged and young, youths and chill
dren, belong to it also. What a pity they
are so numerous, 1t would be good thing
if the Lord would convert them from the
error of their ways; and lead them in the
better way of contentment and peace.
They find fault with everything, and
with almost everybody. Nothing ever hap
pens or can happen just as they wish it
The ways Of men cannot please them and
Divine Providence is insufficient to satisfy
them. They murmur at everything and are
contented with nothing. Reader, are you
acquainted with any of them? If you arc
not, allow me to introduce one household of
them to you. Old Peter Grumble lives in
good neighborhood, and has good farm.
He has also wife, several children and a
number of servants. But he and his family
are such iucessant grumbers that they are
an annoyance to all their neighhors. No
one cares to associate with them, and when
persons are necessarily thrown into their
company time passes away very unpleasantly
The old'gcntlemen can never get the sca-
sons to suit him. The weather is always too
warm Or too cold, too wet or too dry, too
windy or too calm. His crops never grow
to suit him, while grass and weeds give
him continual cause of murmuring. His
own stock and his neighbors stock torment
him. His neighbors will not aid him as
much in time of need as he thinks they
ought. And besides his own children and
servants vex him great deal. These with
other things keep him always out of temper,
and keep him grumbling continually. His
wife is worse if possible than he is. With a
women's passion and woman's speech she
grumblcs, and grumbles, aud grumbles.-
The children arc all true to their training,
are every one of them naughty grumblers
too. Even the servants catch the same
spirit and with their characteristic impul-
siveness, grumble at their lot in life, their
labor, and everything else. Thus there is
kept up perpetual grumbling among them,
and When others are out of the way, be-
cause they have not others to grumblc at,
they fall to and grumblc at each other.
Some of them, am ashamed to say, are
members of the Church. The preacher is
never able to preach so as to please them
He is too doctrinal or too practical, too plain
or not plain enough, too learned or too ig-
norant The business of the Church is nev-
er conducted so as to suit them and the
acts of individual Christians fall far short
of giving them satisfaction. To tell the
plain truth, think they arc disgrace to
the Church and I wish they were out it.
They have gone on indulging in their
habit of grumbling until they actually seem
to do itjust for the sake of doing it. They
have exercised that spirit so long it seems
they will never learn that good old apostle
lie lesson: "Do all things without mur-
murings and disputings. Phil. ii: II.
But have said enough J. NJ. W.