The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-11-13
GRUMBLE, GRUMBLE.

n few days ago young man died ull-
der peculiarly distressing circumstances.
His death was so sudden, and it might
have been so easily avoided by a little
thoughtfulness, and he was so young,
and SO strong and so well. But the most
distressing thing about it to his mother
was his evident lack of readiness for
death. Why he died-that is, the cause
of his death, the doctor seemed not to
know; but why he was not ready to die,
some who knew him and his family well,
have suggested most significant reason.
He died an ungodly man if these people
reason about correctly, because of his
parents habit of grumbling.
They were church members, but many
years ago had changed their residence
from the country to the city, and their
position in the church from one of intiu-
ence in small society to one of compare
tive obscurity in a large one. The new
status never pleased them: they were
proud and Disappointed they did not
enjoy their back seats. Then they be
gan to grumble. They grumble at the
minister, he did not do pastoral work
enough to please them: they had been
accustomed to see the pastor every day
or two, in the old home; this man seemed
Indifferent to them; neither did his preach
ing suit them; and he had altogether too
big a salary. and they fancied, seemed to
preach for money. They grumbled at
the aristocrats in the church, people who
had no business to be so "stuck up" the
church itself was becoming g. too expen-
sive luxury for poor folks They grum-
bled at the hypocrites; people who joined
the church who were no better than they
should be; they did not know but there
were as good people out Of the church as
in: the church was afraid to discipline its
black sheep, and such state of things
was disgrace. They grumbled at the
quartette choir, and all the city and new
tangled notions: at the stupid prayer
meetings, and the ''clap-trap Sunday
school," And every Sabbath at dinner
table, after the morning sermon, the chill
dren heard this same grumble, grumbc,
grumble, until it was little wonder. it.
after awhile, this sort of Endorsement of
the church and the minister by the par
ents, began to bear fruit in an indiftcr-
ence and presently even a hostility to the
whole thing represented by the church,
which gradually made an irreligious. Sab
bath breaking, low-lived family out Of
one which, fifteen years before, had been
conspicuously Christian household.
The mother changed least. She made
no particular effort to silence the grum-
bling: did her full share of it: was very
ready to make pretext of illness to dis
continue church going altogether: by her
incessant complainings made it decidedly
uncomfortable for the ladies of the church
who called upon her, and for the pastors
who came one after another and sought
her out as church member. and tried
first to be conscious of wrong drift
among those she loved: she could not
long be blind to the change for the worse
which was TRANSPORTING in her sons. She
mourned the company they kept-thc
company they had often heard her say
was as good as the people in the church,
many of them; she was wounded by their
coarse abuse of religious people: she be
gan to be sensible of dull agony of spirit
on account of their habits: she was be
wildered, and her own faith was some
times almost lost, as she heard them
boldly avow the greatest intidelity-thosc
boys of hers who, in their country home
years ago, had SO delighted in the Sab
bath school, one Of whom she had consc-
Grated at his birth 20 the Christian min
istry; but the finishing touch to her mis-
cry came when that same son, having
outstripped all the others i'll bolClnesS of
intidelity and badness of life, was one
day, without moments warning, sum-
moned to yield his soul into the hands of
his Maker. And now she sits in her
darkened room scarcely sure of her rea-
son at times. going over again the years
of the downward grade of her family
career. and whether or not some echo OF
the reasons people are giving for her sad
experience has reached her ears, her own
words are not empty of bitter self-rC-
proach for this sin of hers, repented Of
shall we say-too late?
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