The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-08-27
From hc Oiirc Brunch.
FAULT FINDING.

The turn Of q lluad-tlic change Of II couu- |
tcnance; the moving of Il finger, smile,
nod, word, kindlcs the fire of conjecture
i'll our imaginations, and sets that little but
mighty me!dlcr, the tongue, running about
to find foggots, and make the slender flame
great blaze, ut which slander and scandal
can spread their claw-like fingers and crono
long stories of evil.
Why humanity is so quick to ccnsure and
so slow to praise, it is difficult to tell; we
love to be well thought of, Individually,
and Il word Of praise will send tho heart.
warm blood to our checks, and set the win
dows of our eyes wide open with pleasure.
A direct compliments is not often ill received
even when we feel that it was prompted by
selfish motive; why then, can we not feel
the same degree of pleasure, in thinking
well OF others, that we do in having others
think well of us
The reason undoubtedly is, that we are
educated to find fault; taught from our
cradles, to tc suspicious. The grown men,
bers of family, where there are little chill.
drcn, seldom use the caution that they
should in speaking of others. The faults
(and they may be real f:.ults) of their neigh
oors are dIscantcd upon, their foiLles dis
sectcd, and their ecccntricities laughed at.
The eyes Of the little folks, thus grow watch.
ful to notice every popularity, until insensi-
bly, 10 themselves, and wholly unthought
OF by their parents, they become fault-ind-
crs in miniature, and flaw finders in every
thing. 1t is pitiable and crying evil, that
this turn is SO carl given to the youthful
imagination, for it is so much more lovely
and gives such delicate shades and touches
TO The character, to look on cvcrybody's
bright side. Every bush yields ripe and
unTipc fruit; tic ripe we seek for and let
the other alone, or perhaps bring it kindly
forward to the sun, that its warm, direct
rays may perfect it; SO every character
bears sweet and sour fruit, and strange to
say, we search only for the sour, and love
to make wry faces over it, and cry it down,
when we had better let it alone; then we
should have nothing to say about it.
There is song called, "Look always on
the sunny sdc;;" if this were done more
than it is, there would he fewer guilty con-
sciences, and thousands Of pillows robbed
Of their thorns for after all, it is & mean
and cowardly thing TO go about finding
something to scold at, something 6 to pretend
to be very sorry for, when the fault is in a
neighbor. Suppose the tlIoughtlcss girl
over the way does stand at the gate and
chat with the gentleman who came home
from church, with her a moment or SO =
Why infer evil, and hint with meaning
words, so that Il vitnperous tongue may set
slandcr flying Oh the wings of the wind 3
What if your next door ncighbor comes
home late at night! How do you know
what dctains Linn, and by what right do
you infer wrong' Strange, hat what seems
Il flaw, is sure to be tlazoncd abroad, Willie
the thousand little channels made up OF
good deeds, flow on unnoticcd. We mag.
nifty little evils, while those in whom we
sec them, may, in some way, be greater
blessings to the world than we. The girl
whose thoughtlcss tongue gives occasion for
prim prudery's horified an!nadverson, may
do thousand good deeds in the sphere in
which she livcs that may move angels TO
admiration the man whose failings show
on the surface, may be purer in heart than
you who sit in judgment upon him. There
is sadness enough in the world, heaven
knows, crime and pollution of every shade;
but why smell of the poppy, when the sweet
rose bends its beautiful head by its sidc all
covered with dew, and rich with fragrance.
How delightful to think, that though
sin ard suffering abound, not day passes
in which some act Of mercy, some deed of
charity is not performed; that the poor
man bestows literally on lis poorer and
suffering brother; that not sun rises and
perhaps to but One. How many feeble
woman is toiling uncomplainingly, though
with bleeding heart, to support those who
are dear to her; how many rich maiden
gives of her afflucncc, to some one depen-
dent upon her.
We do wrong when we eeusure indis.
crimipately, for among both rich and poor,
there are feeling hearts. Nay, we do
wrongs when we censure at att. God has
not delegated any such power to us, and
what he sanctions not, let us not dare to
do. N. A. o.
THE Great Elspator.--AS Southern gentle
man, at NoahsE h0tel, perceivihg that