Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1876-06-10
COMMUNICATED.
SERMON ON TIE HALF-SiIELL,
BY DEACON DIoGENEs.
TIE ToNGCE.

Ny tongue within my lips reign.
For who talks much mast talk IN vain,
We from the wordy torrent ily,
Who listens TO the chattering pier
Brethren-Ot all our physical mem
berS the, tongue is the most unruly and
dangerous. Ever since the time when
Il persuaded Mother Eve 10 cat of the
apple, which bit Of maStication caused
her expulsion from the ease OF Paradise,
and overwhelmed our world in sir,
down 20 the present time, this little
member has caused mankind more CT
less difficulty.
Tongues, my brethren, are Of various
kinds, the long tongue pr,dominatirg.
One of these tongues is fully sufficient
for a large community. It's capacity is
unlimited, and its racket Will cause
more confusion in neighoorhood than
an infant earthquake. IL generally tells
all the owner knows, and when the
stock of information is exhausted it can
manufacture 10 an unlimited extent Ii
generally knows the biography Of every
person in the vicinity from the oldest
to the latest inbabitant, and will yolun.
tarily spin You the faiiiugS, fallings aud
short comings, OF any particular family
for halt-adozcn generations.
There is tongue said to be ",ooso
at the ends and hung in the middle
like the clatter OF 4 mill with no griSt
on the burr, its running benefits no one
and iujures itself, The pCsseSsor of
such tongue generally imagincs him
self the personihca,ion Of wisdom. while
wisdom frequently judges him fool.
We have known such Individuals 10
monopolize the conversations OF an even
ing, and we could not remember siu-
Gle sensible expression made. Tie Hut
ter made by this glib middle hung
member is called "chin music in po-
lite circles.
There is smooth tongue which is
very hypocritical member, and should
be avoided at all times Ii il such
tongue rs the fabulous sirens are said 10
have had. 1t Processes friendship 10
destroy you is swift in adulaton to
victimize you for its evil qualifications.
Beware of the smooth tongue, for like
that of the cobra, it glidcs beneath con-
cealei tangs Of deadly venom.
The rough tongue deals in slang, OH
scene and blasphemous language, and
is generally owned by saloon loaters,
"bummers,' "dead beats" and the low
est strata of society, though We regret
to say that some gentcn"n, SO called.
would be benefited 10y having theirs
sand paPered.
We have heard OF The still tongue,
which is said to make wise head but
how We can Judge OF the wisdom OF the
head while the tongue remains silent,
we will not rise TO say, unless the pos
SCISSOR can in some way convey his wis
dom by signs, which we think unneccs.
sary and inconvenirnt 80 long rs his or
gans OF articulation are in good condi-
| ton.
The great fault with most tongues Is
that they frequently say too mnch
ard yet who is willing to bride his
tongue, and how many tongues are bri-
dlewise 7 While discretion III some in
stances may silence il, it would be as
impossible to bride those Of others NJ
it would be 10 bridle Rocky Mountain
buffalo as useless 10 attempt 10 stay
their gushing loquaciiy as it wosld be
TO attempt to stay the Fall Of Niagara
with pitch-fork.
This say ing too much is not an evil
confined entirely to the social circle,
for we have known lawye TO say too
mucE-entirely too much for their own
good reputation and the welfare VI
community, when engaged in bad
cause. Ministers sometime say too
much and thus weary whole congre-
CATION and frequently put halt Of it to
sleep. We have known ministers 10
say more in an Introductory than Paul
did in his whole sermon to the Athcui-
ans on Mars Hill.
Legislators generally talk TOO much.
If these honorablcs would talk less and
act honestly aud intcligcDrly, We woGld
have an improved state OF finance, our
statutes would be wholesome and intel.
ligi5le
Brethren, although ,ho tongue has
many faults and has capsed much mise
ry, it bias nevertheless proclaimed grand
truths and "tiding OF great joy" IL
told of the birth of a worlds l,cdcem-r
aud worlds redemption. Its first
lispings repeat our name, and how often
have We heard it lovingly whispered in
the last expiration as loved one passed
into the dark shadows Of the valley of
death.
Brethren, singl