Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-04-28
THE POUNDED EAR.
rFrom the Philadelphia Times.l

The tvmpanum of the human ear is
one of the most exquisitely delicate
parts of the human frame. 1t
is thinner than a bank note, stronger
than parchment, and is held in its
place by tinny muscles, which regulate
its tension with a perfection never
reached by mechanical art. Rightly
treated and carefully used, the tym-
panum will last its owner a lifetime
Maltreated aud abused, it becomes like
the head Of thonghtless child's drum.
The tympanum is not a blacksmlth's
anvil, nor butchers block, nor the
bottom of tin kettle, nor the metallic
surface Of Chinese gong. All these
things will stand banging and kicking
and pounding and humping. Ii
pounded and banged and shouted at
and yelled into, the tympanum loses
that exquisite sensitiveness which IS
its chief value. Once damaged 1t Is
beyond repair. Nobody ever patched
a tympanum or turned it up when 1t
lost its proper tension.
1t were well if every young man
preparing to be preacher were to
study the formation of the human ear
At some of our theological seminaries
fair amount of attention is given to
the cultivation of the voice, and yet
there are many instances in which
both professors and students imper-
fectly attend to this. The attention
they give to it is more with view to
the students making the most of it for
his own purposes than being merciful
to those who come within ear-shot Of
it. 1t IS as if a gardener carefully
made himself acquainted with the use
of his spade and hoe without learning
anything about the character and
nature of the soil into which these
useful implements are to be thrust.
The young preacher knows that he
must make himself heard and that the
voice is what will carry his message
to the hearers So be lifts it to its
topmost pitch and strains it to bis
utmost ability. If in a church with
two hundred people in its pews, he
puts on force until he launches into the
air volume of sound which might
easily reach five thousand people, if so
many were within hale. He is deeply
in earnest, and he confounds earnest
ness with noise. He is determined to
make his congregation hear and to
keep them awake. Mistaking himself
for a fog-horn or for the blast of an
iron furnace or for locomotive whis-
tie, he screeches out tempest Of
Gospel which is like sudden storm
on Lake Galilee and nearly over
whelms the hearers. They feel as if
beaten and bruised about the ears
Instead of being refreshed by gentle
sound-wayes, they are, as it were,
dashed by surf and hit by breakers.
The suffering tympanum yainly sacks
relief 1t would find it in slumber,
were slumber possible amid the racket.
To listen even to the most faithful
message of the Gospel under such cir
cumstances is to be worried rather
than edited Unfortunately, many Of
our young ministers have this habit Of
making an unnecessary noise Their
intention is good enough. They are
strangely ignorant Of what is best for
them and their hearers. They are
spending much vocal strength in vain
and causing their hearers great discom-
fort One day some kind old body
will drop a hint to vociferous
preacher, and the vociferator will open
bis eyes in astonishment at being told
that he is making more noise than is
needed.