Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1869-12-25
Fault-Findi
BY HENRY WARD BEECuER.

If there is a luxury in the world it is
fault-tinding At any rate, thus judge
from the universally of the exercise. 1t
is not only bread but cake, at once nee
essaly and luxury CT life. 1t sometimes
rises into a voluntary exercise, but gen.
orally it is thing so thoroughly
inwrought into the mental constitution
that a fish might as well attempt to
swim without striking the water with
his tail, or bird to fly without bcathing
the air with his wings, as for person to
speak Of bis fellow men without fault
finding.
In general, fault-fnding may be divided
into the respectable and less respectable.
The respectable is usually called criticism.
The less respectable has a variety of sub
divisions, such as rebuke, soolding, fret
ting, nagging, etc. Fault,fnding is, how
ever, a quality which refuses to be COM
pressed into any definition, or to be con-
fined to any limits and though it flows
far more copiously in some channels than
in Others, it is by no means wholly to 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 eyebrow, the
hand is often lifted up in mute but strik-
ing emphasis in its behalf, it even sub
orns silence. There are few things, so
speaking, as a skillful silence.
1t may be supposed that, in the imper-
fection of all things here below, there is
never lack of material for faut-finding.
But in sooth, the cause of fault-fnding is
to be looked tor i'll the person who finds
fault, and not in external occasions. A
sleepless night, tooth ache, nervous ex-
haustion, reaction from convivial excite
ment, the irritation of mild sickness, a
fit of indigestion. these are the predis-
posing 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 be-
hold the magnified faults of others. Per-
sons of vigorous conscience are apt to be
fault-fnders. Persons of fastidious taste
seldom find anything that quite agrees
with them.
A little experience will show that, if
one should put himselfin another's place,
or should consider charitably his Difficult.
ties and trials, or should make allowance
for human limitation and weakness, it
would make fault. finding well nigh i'm
possible. And it is, l suppose, for this
reason that fault-fnding people do not
allow themselves such liberties.
While fault-fnding is generic trait,
so that man might be defined as fault
finding animal, and woman as a fault
finding angel, yet it is not left in its
naturally diffused condition. 1t is or
ganized, and becomes official In its of
fetal sphere, fault-finding becomes duty
as we'll as pleasure.
The wife finds fault with the husband
Very soon after marriage there are GER
tain directions in which his Deficiencies
appear, aud paths are duly laid up and
down through all his weaknesses, and
daily his affectionate spouse walks up
and down therein, for her own exercise,
and for his sowing 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? Are there
not on his part times and seasons Doth
he not set the woman's sins in order be-
fore her face? Sometimes it is regular
discourse, sometimes impetuous outburst
sometimes quiet, but sharp criticism, but
always in the genuine spirit OF criticism
that is, fanlt-fndipg. But behold the
royal quality in its glory A 6dgety
mother with romping, headlong, healthy
children, that don't care fly tor any
thing short of general whipping
From the time Of rising to the time o.
sleep, something is always the matter
The pockets, the sleeves, the rufies, the
hair, the shoes, the boisterous laugh, thu
rude shove, the loud step, the sly pinch
the spite, the roguery, the selfishness, tn,
leiggle, the suppressed laughter explod