Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-03-27
EVIL SPEAKING.

unamiable habits that can be acquired, and
one that leads to infinite mischief. 1t is not
always easy to avoid this, for there are great
many persons in the world who are not what
they ought to be, and who do many things
they ought not to do. 1t is hard for blunt,
generous mind to refrain from expressing it.
self about mean people and mean acts. There
is something in meanness and dishonesty that
arouses the Indignation of such a mind, and
it likes the luxury of denouncing them in
bold, unsparing language. But the practice,
as practice, is troublesome and dangerous
one.
There are occasions when it is our duty to
speak out in exposure of wrong, but in gene
raj it is best to abstain from evil speaking,
even of evil persons. We are not made
Judges of others actions; no one has right
to assume the character Of arbiter and censor.
Even the best of US have our faults, and if
one should presume to denounce the vices and
misconduct of others, the world would be
given up to defamation.
We may see and hear much that we do not
admire and cannot like; we may become
cognizant of many evil deeds done by evil
persons; but it is the part Of wisdom and dis
cretion to pass them by without notice, ex'
cept when to speak of them cautiously may
be necessary as warning to friend.
We all have enough enemies in this world,
without provoking others by ill-tempered
comments. The enmty of evil men is thing
to be avoided, for while it can do US no good,
it may do us much harm. Besides, we may
make mistakes in the haste of honest indigna-
ton, and speak evil of good men for acts we
do not understand. Such mistake is worse
than the other; for while it is imprudent to
promiscuously denounce evil men, it is cruel
wrong to defame a good one
MELTED OvER.-I stood in the foundry
yard. Great piles of iron, all ready for the
melting, were gathered there. | noticed one
heap of columns, broken, bent, split, shat
tered
went into the foundry. They we're "tap.
ping" the furnace, and the molten metal
flowed out in one stream of fire, sending up
sputter of sparks whittier than the stars. A
row of men, on whose swarthy faces fell the
strange glare of the fire, stood little way
from the furnace to catch the iron in ladies
and carry it off to be run in the moulds.
I knew those broken columns would some
day be cast into the furnace, softened, melted,
to run out in a stream of fire, and be moulded
again in tall, shapely pillars. In no other
way could they be of use. They must be
melted over.
That very afternoon I saw mother all
bent and broken by afHiction. She had part
ed with an only child. Just the Sabbath
before had the earth been broken for that
childs grave. pitied that mother. How
keenly her Saviour felt for her! And yet
perhaps the only way to reach some elements
in that mothers character, and change them,
was through affliction! The character was
not worthless; far from tit only needed
melting over. O, the pain of that furnace Of
suffering its smart, its agony! But in just
this way, is character sometimes made over,
its qualities shaped into the strong, stately
pillars sustaining the interests of the Redeem
er's kingdom !-American Messenger.
ASKING QUEsTIoNs-The world owes about
all it has of good to people who have asked
questions.
Newton saw an apple fall from the bough
of tree. "What does it mean ?" He ques-
toned and in time came the answer OF the
known law of gravitation questioned on, and
found out what holds the sun and stars in
their places and keeps them revolving through
space. =,
Galileo noticed the swinging ola suspended
lamp; questioned, thought out the law Of the
pendulum, and now the world has the Stras-
burg clock and the American watch. Tie
questioned the spectacle, perfected the tele-
scope, and men have searched out the secrets
of the stars, hidden millions Of miles away
off in space.
Watt questioned the steam Of the tea ket-
tie, and we now have the railway.
Franklin questioned the clouds about the
lightning, and now, over the telegraph, you
can talk with your friend across the ocean.
Luther read, "By faith you are saved, -
questioned, learned and preached, and the
light of the Reformation dawned upon the
darkened world. :,
Thank God for the men who have asked,
and for the boys and girls who do and Will
ask questions. Paul taught men to ask, III
any man lack wisdom let him ask" Christ
taught the same and promised answers ASK
and ye shall receive"
ba~ We may be engaged in the work OF the
Lord as we'll with the spade or a plough IN
our hand, as a Bible; on our knees scrubblng
floor, as on our knees in the attitude and
act of prayer.