Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-12-15
Fault-Finding.
BY HENRY WARD BEEcHER.

BY HENRY WARD BEECHER-
If there is a luxury in the world it .
Is fault-finding! At any rate, thus !
Judge from the universally of the eX- /
ercise. 1t is not only bread but cake I
at once a necessary and luxury of /
life. 1t sometimes rises into a vOlun- |
tary exercise, but generally it is a
thing so thoroughly inwrOught into
the mental constitution that a fish
might as well attempt to swim with
put striking the water with his tail, or
a bird to fly without beating the air
with his wings, as for a person 20
speak of his fellow men without fault
In general, fault-fnding may be
divided into the respectable and less
The respectable is usual
ly called criticism. The less respeeta-
bic has a variety of subdivisions, such
as rebuke, scolding, fretting, nagging,
etc. Fault-finding is, however, a
quality which refuses to be compress
ed into any definition, or to be con-
fined to any limits and though it
flows far more eopIously in some chan
nels than in others, it is by no means
wholly 70 be found there. 1t flashes
from the eye, it rides on the curled lip,
it is thrown OFF by the turn of the
head, it is seen in the sudden elevation
of the eyebrows, the hand is often
lifted up in mute but striking empha-
sis in its behalf, it even subOrns
silence. There are few things, so
speaking, as a skillful silence.
1t may be supposed that, in the inn
perfection of all things here below,
there is never a lack of material for
fault-finding. But in soOth. the cause
of fault-finding is to be looked for in
the person who finds fault, and not in
external occasions. A sleepless night,
a tooth ache, nervous exhaustion, re-
action from cOnvivial excitement, the
irritation of mild sickness, a fit of in
digestion-these are the predispOsing
causes of fault-finding. There are
moral causes also. Persons that are
very nearly perfect usually employ
their excellence as a lens through
which to behold the magnified faults
of others. Persons of vigorous con-
science are apt to be fault-finders.
Persons of fastidious taste seldom find
anything that quite agrees with
them.
A little experience will show that,
if one should put himself in anOther's
place, or should consider charitably
his difficulties and trials, or should
make allowance for human limitation
and weakness, it would make fault
finding well nigh impossible. And il
is, 1 suppose, for this reason that fault
finding people do not allow themselves
such liberties.
While fault-finding is generic trait,
so that man might be defined as q
fault-finding animal, and woman as q
fault-finding angel, yet it is not left in
its naturally diffused condition. 1t is
organized, and becomes official. In
its official sphere, fault-finding be-
comes a duty Us well asa pleasure.
The wife finds fault with the hus'
band. Very soon after marriage there
are certain directions in which his de
fieiencies appear, and paths are duly
laid up and down through all his
weaknesses, and daily his affectiOnatC
spouse walks up and down therein
for her own exercise, and for his. sow
ing the seeds Of good advice, pruning
tying up, hOeing, and raking with the
utmost diligence.
But he is not the subject of compass
sion. Hath he not reprisals? ART
there not on his part times and sea
sons? Doth he not set the woman:
sins in order before her face? Some
times it is regular discourse, some
times impetuOus outburst, sometimes
quiet, but sharp criticism, but alway:
| in the genuine spirit of criticism-thai
| is, fault-finding. But behold the roy
al quality in its glory! 4 hdgetJ
mother with rOmping, headlOng
healthy children, that don't care fly
for anything short of a general whip
ping! From the time of rising to the
time of sleep, some thing is always the
matter. The pockets, the sleeves, the
rufies, the hair, the shoes, the bOis-
ferrous laugh, the rude shove, the loud
step, the sly pinch, the spite, the
roeuery, the selfishness, the giggle
the suppressed laughter exploding
like boom, or rather like the burst
ing of water pipe, the too quick and
the too slow, the awkwardness, the
clumsy grinding against polished fur
niture, the endless questions, the
wantings to go somewhere, or to have
somebody come here-Oh, what Goo
send children are to people, who have
genius for fault-finding-that is, fol
all mortal creaturesl They are 81
many maternal safety-yalves.
If now one considers the duty which
neighbOrs owe to each other, the fac
every man is bishop over his neigh
bOr's affairs if we consider further
! what friend owes to friendship-Oh
the blessedness of friendship, tha
gives one leave to deal faithfully witt
you! to open the north door of Janu
ary on you with the wholesome assur
ance, Now you know that am you
! friend, what a pungent dig mar
is conscientiously impelled to give
YOU when he has been admitted to the
secrets of your life A; if one consider
all these things-and how can he hell
| it if he lives in moral sOciety-he vii
he duly impressed with the wonderful
provision which Providence (witi
some human add has provided for th'
exercise of this innate, universal ten
| dency to fault-finding.
But are there no exceptions? l an
sorry to say that there are few. Their
are persons who weakly judge tha
good nature is more refining than faul
finding. SpiritleSs creatures there arr
who prefer TO wait, on prOvOeatiOn
rather than to let fly the suitable an
swer which folly deserves. 1 hav'
/ known persons so lost to self thai they
really took other peoples part; they
even let boys and girls romp arounC
them all day without q single snarl.
! We have seen weak and sunshinI
natures so nearly demented as to ex
cuse and palliate their neighbours i'm
perfectiOns. They do seem to promOti
for q moment degree of happiness
! But what becomes of the art, thu
duty, the felicity of fault-finding.-
| IN. Y. Ledger?
SEAsoNABLE. ORNANIENT.-We arr
informed by lady friend who be
lieves in the beautiful, that 3 very
4 IL no oh