Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-10-25
geligioms department.
WORRY AND WORKERS.

SLanQ an immense zeal OF Work anu
fatten on it. Honest toll toughens
and strengthens the body which keeps
busy at it. 1t invigorates the mind and
lnspirits the soul in proportion as it
keeps mind and soul and body out
of mischief. But, alas for the wor-
ries! Alas for the people who wor
~ themselves by piling up great
mountains of imaginary difficulties,
and then insisting on sitting in sorrow
and wondering how the difficulties
shall ever be overcome Alas for the
men and women who, not having
worries of their own to crafty their
morbid propensity for worrying
launch worry after worry at friend
and neighbor and kinsman, sending
the malaria of misery from face to
face and from heart to heart.
Perhaps there are worries which
are necessary. If so, they are few.
If the wolf of hunger is bowling at
the door, worrying about him will not
keep him out. If position is unsteady
and employment precarious, worrying
will neither secure the tenure of the
old place nor make new engage
ment eaiser to obtain. If disaster is
expected to lover or relative, or help
er OF friend worrying will never ward
it off. If the heavens are expected
to fall worrying over the anticipated
tumble will not prop things up. If
tempests are brewing or confagra
tons about to rage, worrying will
neither stay the storm nor quench the
violence of the flames. The worry
ing people have all their trouble for
nothing, and worse than nothing.
They lose the sunshine of life by in
sisting on cropping in the shadow,
while, by preferring to founder iu the
mire of mental and spiritual despep-
STA they debar themselves the privi-
lege of walking the kings highway of
JOY which is provided for the trusting
souls who cheerfully wait on the Lord
and believe his promises.
If the worrying people would con-
fine their worries to themselves, the
world would he the better for it. If
they could be content to 60 into dark
garrets and do their worrying all
aloneo, Their people might be spared the
dismal lntiiction. But they have no
fancy for doing this. The worry
worry must 60 on in the presence of
others to whom it becomes contagious.
The cheerless soul who lives on wor-
ries begins the worry business very
early In the day; at breakfast for in
stance. With no particular intent to
rob others of the enjoyment of THEN
meal, and yet with manner which
cannot fail of that result, he recounts
the evil dreams of the night, the sac
experience of indigestion and conse.
quent misery. Instead of express
ing thankfulness that the morning
sun has driven away the ugly dreams
of midnight darkness, he puts on al
expression of countenance as to in
dlcate the probable recurrence of the
dreams and the indigestion for al
the nights that are yet to come. Per
haps this worry proceeds from heav,
pie, perhaps from lobster salad, O
perhaps from injudicious dosing will
quack medicines. In either cas-
Satan uses it as a weapon with which
to floor the worrying person and t,
carry unholy gloom among his cncl
of friends. The worrying woman
entertains her hearers with narration
of the shortcomings of the nurse, tn
unreliability of the washerwoman, O
the unfaitbfulness of the cook. Som
: of the worriers are always worrying
about the incapacity of their servants
and seem TO be afflicted with the mos
hel pless lot of so-called help eve
foisted on luckless householders
The worst of the worrying is that tn
people who devote themselves to
= take such hopeless view of the fl
t ture. Because something has gon
2 wrong yesterday or to-day, it seem
to them that tomorrow and all tn
days between that and the day G
, judgment will be as unlucky and a
cheerless.
Much of this worry business is tn
result of ill-health. Much of tn
prevailing ill-health is the result {
IL what might be avoided or mendeC
n 1t would be rash to say that all inv;
o lids are able to rouse themselves fro
d invalidlty and suddenly becon
cheerful and jolly. But there al
many invalids who are exceeding
sr sweet and lovely. The mos dism
worriers are not always those wi
id have the severest affections. Son
who worry the most perversely a
er those who have very little the matt
le with them. Their worrying is mo
of nuisance than necessity: mo
" of habit than means of relic
King David had as much to wor
al him as any of us can have. Inste:
Ct of cultivating the habit he asked hin
re self why he should be cast dow
why his soul should be disquiet
=. within him. Then he said he won
L hope in the Lord and trust Him.
o. o. our Christianity is of any advanta
ed to us, it ought to do at least tn
err much for us. Worrying will new,
never do it; of that every Christi