The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1866-02-01
For The Jcfersoaian.
Mr.. WHACKHAMMER'S LECTURES.
NO. VI.
TONGUE UerSuS HEART.

TONGUE Uersus HEART.
That brutes possess a language of their owl
| cannot doubt. 1t may be in the eye
Of some. and some the throat, with sound o.
not;
And read as we, without instinct. cannot:
Nor doubt less that they these powers use
! So foollshly as do our noble selves.
The business man talks business, acts
business, dreams business, lives business
and, when the great summons to another
world is about to be read off to him, he
calls in doctor of the law that he may
arrange his business so he can depart
like business man. That man died lea
wing an estate, but his head was so enyel-
oped in his own idea that the idols of the
heart, those truer pleasures of life, were
entirely neglected. He gained his point,
but his life was failure. The poor pit
tance received for all his toll and care
were the clothes he wore and the food he
ate, with full prospect of children's
fight over the substance he accumulated
Business should have its proper thought
and place but this man let it run to seed
and it made him miserable. Because it
was in all his thoughts it was in all his
conversation and he was bore to the
man of intellect and refinement and not
much less to his own family. He was so
intent on business, whilst his family were
more intent on pleasure, that they hardly
sailed in the same boat, although they
did sleep and eat in the same house
They were happiest when he was absent
and so was he But [ intended to direct
this Lecture more especially to the small
talk of big folks in every day life. Sup
pose you are sane man. You are walk
ing or the street with two ladies and you
meet two other ladies', friends Of the two
with you, but whom you have never seen
before. You are introduced, OF course,
and the small talk is at ouce begun
Blank cartridges fly like hail and you step
a little back out of harms way-or fe-
male way-and paw with the toe Of your
boot, any stray pebble you may fnd con-
veniently near on the sidewalk, to find
out if you are really sane. Now tell me
were there ever any four stenographers
who could take down, On paper, the puffs
of that high pressure machine before you?
And suppose the thing could be done; let
it be trimmed up and boiled down, and
then show me one sensible thought aud
I'll criticise no more. Something of this
kind, l think, is what Pope calls, THE
war Of tongues"
An example of this kind came under
my own observation short time ago
Two ladies called on two other ladies', in
a great hurry; wouldn't "take off their
things y wouldn't sit down wouldn't do
anything but talk. They make a move
to 90, and now comes the rattle Of lips and
jaws! They face up! No. l is facing
No but she is talking with No. 4. No.
3 is facing No 4 but she is pelting away
with No. 2. All cracking ahead through
this cross fire and nobody listening
This charge lasted about five minutes and
was the most ludiorous scene | ever gaw
or heard. Rather than this give me the
war of ideas. 1t put me in mind of that
little celebration at the tower of Babel.
My wife says We men would not call this
war of tongues if we possessed the quick
comprehension Of woman, by which she
can talk, listen and phiIosophize, all al
the same time. This may be SO but beg
the privilege of using the phrase OF the
old deacon, who, when he could not as
sent to what his wife said, always replied
that he was under no obligations to be-
lieve it.
Take any freside and how much the
conversation might be improved. Ho"
the mind could be elevated, the thought
regulated and an ennobling happiness ad
vanced 1t is almost constant talk o
things not worth remembering or talking
about. 1t is tattle on character whicl
you make your business and delight t.
make appear as badly as possible. In
stead of bringing out the beautiful anC
eudeavoring to hide the ugly it is jus
the reverse, and your own wicked thought
by this means, are made more wickec
still. If the faults Of others are conspic
uous remember you are not chargeabl'
with their sins but you are chargable will
| the manner in which YOU delight yOursel