Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1876-12-19
Cdrelessness of Speech.

| have no faith that love can abide by
any determination of the will alone, but
| have faith that determination OF the
will concerning certain mannerisms OF
conduct one towards another, can assist
love greatly. The husband can assist his
love ard his wiie's love ior him by de-
termination not TO say word that can
ruflle her temper, or do thing that will
slike her oiIensively; and the wife can
assist her husbands love for her by the
same determination. Determination is
like a brake that can be put on TO stop
the buzzing wheels OF mans or wo-
mans temper with great profit. and these
brakes are absolutely needed by usall.
think most OF the unhappiness OF fam
ily life comes from carelessness. | do not
think that oung people deliberately mar
~ into grow. | lhiuk they marry, so lar
as they marry deliberately, into peace and
concord ore with another, and into family
union and delight. The more | observe
families, the more catch the beginnings
of evil in family life. the more trace the
sound OF discord back 10 the initial chord
and note, the more am led TO think that
family unhappiness comes from careless
ness OF speech and demeanor, which gov
ernment Of the tongue and OF the conduct
in the beginning would, in nearly every
case. have prevented.
Now, we are only just married here, as
it were. we have only just been joined
together in spiritual wedlock, and our
family life just begins. We are in The
very dawn OF it, and the flush and beauty
and glory OF the dawn have not yet risen
into meridian splendor. and hence our
lives are all happiness. | wish to suggest
to every one of you, and TO all who do
not yet belong to our fellowship, that one
habit we should cultivate in our family
life is great care in the way we speak to
each other. A little thorn seed, while It
is thorn seed, is little thing, and it has
no point OF ugliness to it, and it does not
seem to threaten any one with prick
but you plant it and let it grow till it gets
its stalk, and branches and twig exten-
sions, and you will have protrusions at
every twig that will thorn every one that
comes near it. Ugliness has law of
development as well as goodness, and all
manner of mischief grows with devilish
exuberance. Now, friends. l pray you,
as your pastor and leader, make VOW
and covenant with me, and with each
other, known and unknown, and with
your God, that whatever sin may come 10
US, the sin of careless speaking shall
never come here. do not say evtI
speaking, for that is so bad that cannot
conceive of Christians indulging in it,
You may say that Christians do indulge
in it. do not believe it. You have got
10 snap the line somewhere. and snap
the chalk line just there. The man who
talks maliciously is not Christian; and
do not care how high his professions,
how bulky his VOWS, how orthodox his
sentiments, or how many covenants he
signs, he is in the gall OF bitterness yet,
in an unregenerate state, and | have no
belief that that mans soul is accepted
before God. But we are all liable TO
speak carelessly Of one another.
TIE family lite expresses it entirely
The husband comes down in the morning
after working at his books till twelve or
one O'Clock, having had only half enough
sleep, with soured stomach, iurred
tongue and his temples beating violently,