, 1872-12-13
"GRUMBLER & CO."
A Humorous and Entertaining Satire On Some
Human Weaknesses.

The Rev. T. De Witt Talmago, ono Of the
brightest stars in tho religious drmament OF
Brooklyn 1ecturcd last evening, in the Michigan
Avenue Baptist Church, to IN audience not at all
commensurate with the ability or fame OF the
lecturer. His subject WAS "Grumbler & Co."
The discourse Was q good-natured satire upon |
the folly Of looking upon the gloomy side OF life,
and, incidentally, illusions were made to other
weaknesses and idioByncrases Of human nature. |
A1r. Talmage is q pleasing g-looking gentleman,
plainly attired, good speaker, with d knack OF
modu1ating his voice, and with dramatic gcs-
lures somewhat novel in pulpit orator. The
Wes1 Sidef folks will havea opportunity Of hearing
him this evening, in the Third Presbyterian
Church, when he will na1rate his stRough-and-
Tumble Experiences IN California" Judging
from last nights lecture, it will be rich treat.
He remarked that this was q very pleasant
world to dwell in Il people had the opportunity
to choose which planet they would walk on, they
would have been wise to select this. 1t WAS q
| splendid world, and q good time to live in it.
They should thank God thoy lived now, when
| He would rather live ten years now than
FIVE hundred in tho age of A1ethuselah.
stu, there were persons who found fault
agreeable people, but there were also q
number Of grumblers. There were many people
| who were satisfied with everything, and enjoyed
life comfortably. How the grumbler contrasted
| with these! He was never satisfied. He took
his family to place Of amusement and WAS dis
gusted with the music and the actors; he went
| to church, and if tho sermon WAS didactic and
| argumentatiye, he called it dull, and went to
| sleep; if it WAS humorous, he found fault be-
cause profane things we're taken into the pulpit.
| He joined the church, and insisted that in tho
| uorning the editico was as cold rs Greenland,
and in the eveningas as warm as blazes. [Laughter.l
Ho Was like hedgohog-with his quills always
| end. 1f Ench narHOnA rot into Heaven thby
would fall out with Saint Peter, find fault with
the music and get mad because tho wall wasn't
plumb. [Laughter:l They should look on the
on how things were looked at whether they we're
| bright or black
The man Of bad manners was next in order.
He hnd no affection for LORD Chesterfeld's or
clothcs-made gentlemen. God only could mako
the large~hearfed, generous being called a. gen
tleman. 4 man revealed himself frequently in
one flash of conduct. If clothes could not make
| gentleman, neither could fine dresses and deli
cate perfumery make q lady.
There was no more pleasant thing than saying
winsome things in pleasant way, and no moro
detestablo persons than those WHO were going
around modelling with everybody and whispering
about their neighbors If mans father had
the misfortune to be hanged, these persons in
sisted upon discussing capital punishment, and
If q financial embarrassment oppressed one, they
wero prepared to expatiate upon the
laws. EccentricitieB, when harmless, were
bcarable, provided they did not hurt any one but
the owners. The philosopher who put the cam
dlo to bed and blew himself out Of the window,
hurt nobody but himself: [Laughte5] Let tWo
100000 and bad manners. and the other without
any money but with good manners and in the
end good manners would win. Politouess and
courtesy we're no indication Of weakness Of char
acter.
The lounger was one who came at the wrong
time, and stayed too long. Some persons had
nothing to do and supposed nobody else had.
: They remained around, sitting all over theroom.
They expected to be entertained. They rose
to CO. and, being requested not to be in hurry,
returned for another two hours stretch Com
pared With such an outrage blessed was sea-
eicknoss blessed wae gout, blessed was the horse
distempor [laughter], blessed were all the shams
and inconyeniences in life.
The greatest bore was the man who felt he
should speak at meeting. He should speak or
, burst. lLaughter.1 He had precedent in
Dalaam's travelling companion. {Laughter.]
. The man perpetually lachrynoso, who always
had the blues, was another nuisance. There
, nostications, although in the lottery Of life
there we're thousands Of prizes to every blank.
There WIS but one pair Of siamese twins to mill
ions Of human beings. Sometimes their lachry-
and intruded into cheerful Sunday Schools to
make everybody Respondent like themselves.
Good hearty laughter was better than spleen,
t and good humor more efhcacious than growing.
1 OuAu4kEA IANA4SeACo LII caAAA1S Ha9 OAc IdAS1
! ragged between the stomach aud the
; brain. Gymnasiums we're excellent Institutions.
: In them doctors Of divinities punched stuffed
n boys millionaires swung dumb-bolls; lawyers
hung from bars by the heels, and all managed to
get rid Of rheumatism and the thousand ills that
= = tlcBh is heir to. The gymnasium was better
. than an ocean Of stomach bitters. The pure ai1
J who could afford it WAS better. There must be
= something wrong with man who did not love a
u u horse. Tho man who misused = horse deserved
Il u to be kicked by q mule. [Laughter:] Skating
= was another excellent exercise. Ladies' should
- skate. Baseball WAS healthy tonic.
= These amusemonts wero supposed to be un'
= dignifod and improper. To the man who never
d kissed bis wife without asking blessing, they
= seemed SO [laughter] but to nobody else.
g g For mental depression he recommended exer
: else indoors, ii not outdoors. Exercise was
u something they would have to teach in the
I churches. and instead Of telling congregations
- what they should not do they would have to tel
% them what they should do.
: Republican and Democratic hypochondriact
= were always blue about the state Of the country
- and saying it VAS going to ruin. To his certain
+ so ho was i've s Years % of "g ago., but It had no
:, :, gone yet. He was not afraid. OF th'
II country until free speech ended. ant
then be wanted to emigrato to Kemtschatka
Ho believed mon Of every party could work fo
the good Of their country, whether Republican
or Democratic, Tory or Wing, native American
l. Fenian, or D Brooklyn lecturer. ELaughtor.
= The country WAS not in the hands OF my party
II but depended on the strong arm OF God.
a Mr.. Talmage told some excellent stories to il
- 1ustrate his discourse. AS an instance OF ba'
: manners, he related how General Scott was Wis
l. iting gentleman in Philadelphia, and the gen
Q tleman being anxious that his son and hei
:, should know the WARRIOR called the youngste
70 in and introduced him, when the followin'
IS eral Scott7" The General" Yes; Tn Genera
r, Scott" Youngster- Are you the General Scot
ID that WAS at Iundy's Lane7" The General
e Yes, I was at Lundy's Lane" Youngster-
s. ,co?" The Generally Yes, I WAS In Mexico.
r Youngster- Are you tho General Scott who raj
1t for President and got icked?" The General
q. stYcs I ran for the Presidency and and Oh
I'd didn't get in" Youngster-"Are you the Gen
ernl Scott they call sold fuss and feathers 7?
Father" Simon, 50 to bed, you rascal, won