St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-08-30
Seven Reasons for Not scolding.
BY REV. PETER STRIKER, D. D.

BY REV. PETER STRYKER, d. d.
Many more reasons could be assigndt
why people should not scold, but sever
are enough, and these we shall state
briefly, and leave the reader to ponder
and develop them. This little homily
is addressed to each one personally, and
he is kindly admonished not to give toe
much of it away to others, certainly not
until he has taken it all to heart him.
SELF Now for the reasons:
1. Scolding dis1fgures the countenance.
This it is sure to do in time. 1t makes
the pale face paler, the sharp nose
sharper, the deep wrinkles deeper. The
scOld Is seldom handsome-certainly
not when in the act of scolding. If by
nature he was good-loOking, he would
soon become repulsive in his appear
ance. His eyes roll and flash uncOm-
fortably. His bony fingers never take
pretty angle. His feet do not move
gracefully. The entire action of his
body is unpleasant, and the expression
upon his cOuntenance is at times for
bidding.
2. Scotding Injuries the aOice.
1t requires no practised ear to distin-
guish confirmed scold by the vocal
Intonation, especially if the individual
Is female. The soprano notes are not
only on minor key, but they are pitch
ed very high, and there is a peculiar
twang about each sound which any one
can interpret for himself, and does in
terpret, but cannot so readily explain
to another. All the sweetness which
naturally belongs to the human voice is
lost, and the shrill and uncouth cry of
bird of prey is substituted. And one
who is compelled to listen to this music.
although not perhaps the object of at
tack himself, cannot but wish the per-
son indulging in this exercise had been
born mute and not vocalist.
B. ScOlding sOurs the temper.
Probably the person subject to this
habit has inherited little accidity of
disposition, but by constant practice
this increases, and by and by the mind
becomes decidedly bilious, and much to
his own discomfort and the mortifica-
tion of his friends, the misanthrope is
ready at any time, and with the slight
est prOvOcatiOn, to effervesce. He does
not become angry-Of course not. This
would be lmpolite, not to say wicked.
But he is often mOrose and peevish.
and TO he III his company is like stand
ing in the east wind when the rain falls
or being suddenly enveloped in cold,
wet blanket.
A: Scolding is sure to make one person
mad.
1t may stir up host of people.
Sometimes it does, and thus for n time
upsets whole community. But how
ever this may be, it is quite certain to
produce an unpleasant sensation in the
mind of the one who is particularly ad-
dressed. This individual may wish he
was bird, and could fly away and be
at rest, or he may envy the hosts of
Korah and Dathan and Abiram who
were swallowed up in the earthquake.
But here he is a prisoner. He can
neither sink or fly. All that he can do
is to get mad, and this comes to him
very naturally. For policy sake he
may keep bottled up, and not say
word, or even look daggers, but for all
that he is mad, and after awhile he as
Stimulates in disposition to the one scold-
ing. And yet, strange to say, these two
people, Notwithstanding their assimila-
ton, do not seem to love each other any
the more.
5. Scolding is disagreeable to erery one
auhO hears it.
While it is apt to make the one at
tackled angry, it is offensive to all who
are compelled to listen to it. The only
one enjoying it is the person speaking,
and it is difficult to determine Just how
it makes him happy. Perhaps he is
like those people who are accustomed
to say they ''enjoy very poor health.n
To all others it is like a limb ont of
joint, or smoky chimney, and each,
as be hastens from the scene of action,
if fortunately he can do so, inwardly
exclaims, "Good Lord, deliver us.n
6. ScOlding does not pay
How often in this practical age the
question is propounded, "Cm bono ?n
lis anybody benefited 1t is said that
scOldlng in some cases prolOngs life.
Whose life? The life of the scold
Then so much the worse, for the short
er the lives of those who indulge in this
practice, the better for the world if not
fol themselves. The most fitting in
scription to put on the tombstone of
such person when he is gone is ''Peace
to his ashes" While here he gave no
peace to his tongue, and his tongue re-
fused to allow peace to its neighbors.
Will any one fell us what benefit
comes from scolding7 Did any one
ever hear or personally know of its ac-
complishing any good purpose? We
wait for a reply. None. 1t is only
evil, and so we say it does not pay.
Z. And to crown all, scOlding is ,eicked.
1t is such because it prostitutes the
powers God has given, because it vio-
lates the Golden Rule, because it ex-
cites evil passions in others, because it
develops an evil spirit in the person
himself, because it is the offspring of
Satan, and breathes the air of the in
ternal pit.
So if you are scold, reader, or in
clined the least in that direction, we
entreat you, for the glory of God and
the sake of your own soul-not to say
the comfort and welfare of your race
in the future entirely and forever alb
stain from it. Remember, it will dis
figure your countenance, iniure your
voice, sour your temper, make the one
you scold mad, and prove disagreeable
to all who hear it; and further, it does
not pay, and it is wicked. Christian at
Work.