The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-11-15
Pitching In.
ny JERRY McGROwLER.

was born to the McGrowler name
and have not taken it up, as some people
take up names, because I have married
into the family.
believe in the McGrowlers as much
as Tom Hughes believes in the Browns.
They are too full as democratic as the
Browns, and are as widely scattered.
They have an old grudge against the
Softs, and mean to keep on fighting them
to the end of time.
The Softs take things as they come, ,and
think them all very nice the McGrow-
lers pitch in, and find fault, and knock
heads together, and out Of the stew hope
to see things grow better-but not Sc
much better as to forbid their growing
to the end of the chapter. The Softs have
the upperhand-there is no doubt Of that
and are largely in the majority. There
is no other way of accounting for the
successful humbugs of the day; but the
McGrowlers have the satisfaction Of
punching their heads, nowadays, that a
great many people enjoy having their
heads punched. They get notice they
wouldn't have in any other way; and
know of dozens who would pay a large
figure for good half.column of black.
guardism from some of those sharp daily
newspapers that make thrift out of tina,
trade.
1t is healthful to many man to have
good kicking but it's only in our time
think, that a man will run after it and
consider the notoriety he gains by it good
balance for the pain.
When a man is so little worthy of hon.
orable notice as to plume himself on the
punishment he receives, even the honest
McGrowlers must be shy of truth-telling
My landlady knows that when She
for little saving in the price-buys her
tea of some peddling representative of q
universal company" that somebody al
her table will smack the difference and
sniff at it in way that will compel hel
to 60 back to the good English break.
fast" Of the corner-grocer.
Yet there are Softs at her table who
would keep on guzzlins slops and say
nothing.
Am l not favoring honest trade and
honest speech in grumbling?
When | am looking after good bas
ket of fruit to take as gift to old Mrs
Lightly, have | not right to raise some
two or three of the snowy peaches ant
grapo-clusters that cover the top, and dis
close to the on-lookers the fimsy greer
things which the cheat has stuffed into
the bottom Of the basket, and warn all thu
people whose ear | can reach against en-
couraging such deception Did any bo
dy ever buy such made-up show fruit AM
find them as good at the bottom as at the
top? Never trust such parade, whether
in the Broadway baskets or in the two
quart measures of the markets. Buy youl
own basket and fill it to your liking, and
then you will have what you bargainet
for.
Then, again, there is Rev. Mr. Sinsom
whom all the ladies who follow his min
istrations, from our Sunday table, are il
love with-shall keep silent when
know he is preaching fimsy stuff,an who
when he says good thing,has stolen then
from Robertson! If the ladies will keeI
on sending him custards and comfts, shan
the McGrowlers have an outspoken tall
about him? How else shall we do jus
tice to the earnest ones who are doing
their work as it ought to be done?
Then what is to be said of those up
town churches, which, the moment ho
weather sets in, close their doors, anC
leave us sweltcring sinners to knock abou
through the hot weather as we may? l.
cool-weather piety all the piety that need.
to be taught? Do the society manager,
or the dcacons suppose that we who ar,
left behind, while they are delectatinl
themselves at the springs and on the sea
shore, are not worth consideration, or have
a stock of godliness that will carry u,
through,
The preacher must have his vacation, IL
be sure and his season of recruit ant
so must the cook-but shall we therefore
60 without our dinner
The church-seats are very neatly up
holstered, it is very true, and are mostly
private property. But what is Christian
charity worth if it cannot make over thu
occasional use of these to those beleaguer
ed by their poverty, or drifted by trave
upon the Sundays of city summer ? Ant
what is the boasted Christian wealth goot
for, if it cannot sustain missionary servic,
at season when it has most chance Of
being effective.
An Episoopalian--and it is to the ere
dit of that sect it may be spoken-may
indeed find open churches where he may
hear prayers, if nothing more land nin'
out of ten these make the best thing
spoken), but Presbyterian or a Metho
dist will wander widely before he vii
find any open doors.
It's all very well to talk about custom
and habit. But Christian custom is on,
thing, and heather custom is another
and if the shutting of churches through
all the sultriness of the summer is no
heathenish, will somebody tell me wha
would be heathenish ?