West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-04-19
PROFANITY.
THE COUNTRY CURSED WITH IT
How the Habit Grows in the Com.
munity.

y
MIN: DoSt thou StfH retain thine inteOritvP
Curse God, and die. Book OF Job, IL, Z, s
and q.
A story oriental AMI marvellous Job was
the richest man in all the east. He had cam
els and oxen and asses and sheep and, what
would have made him rich without anything
else, seven sons and three daughters. It was
The habit OF these children 10 gather together
for family reunion. One day job isthinking
of his children as gathered together at a ban
quet at the elder brothers house
Whlle the old man is seated at his tent
door he sees some one running, evidently
from his manner, bringing bad news. what
Is the matter nowln "Oh,n saws the uessen-
ger, "a foraging party of Sabeans has
fallen upon the oxen and the asses and
destroyed them and butchered all the SER
wants except myself" Stand aside. Another
messenger running What Is the matter
nowi "oh," says the man, ''the lightning
has struck the sheep and the shepherds, and
all the shepherds are destroyed except my
SELF. Stand aside. Another messenger run
nlng What IS the matter nowl "Oh,n he
says, "the Chaldeans have captured the
camels and slain ali the camel drivers except
myself Stand aside. Another messenger
running. What is the matter nowF' "Oh.
ne says, "a hurricane struck the four cor
ners OF the tent where your children were
assembled at the banquet, and they are all
deadn
But the chapter OF calamity has not ended.
job was smitten with elephantiasis or black
seprosy. Tumors from head 10 foot-fore-
head ridged with Observation-Disclosures fall
out-nostrils observation-disclosures DESTROYED
lntolerable exhalations from the entire body
until with none TO dress his sore he sits
down in the ashes with nothing but pieces of
broken pottery TO use in the surgery OF his
wounds AT this moment, when he needed
all encouragement, and all consolation, his
wife comes IN, in fret and a rage and saws:
This IS intolerable Our property gone.
our children slain, and now you covered up
MIN MIN TINS ioathsome and disgusting disease.
WY don't you swearl Curse God and dieii
An, job knew right well that swearing
would not cure one of the tumors of his ago
nized body, would not bring back one of his
DESTROYED camels, would not restore one of his
dead children. He knew that profanity would
only make the pain more unbearable. and the
poverty more distressing, and the bereave-
ment more excruciating. But, Judging from
the profanity abroad I'm our day, You might
come TO the conclusion that there was some
fly. - - -'p'U ii0" proi"n-
Blasphemy is all abroad You hear Il in
every direction. The drayman swearing ut
ms cart, the sewing girl imprecating the
,,angteu skein, the accountant cursing the
long line OF troublesome figures. Swearing
at the store, swearing in the loft, swearing
IN tine cellar, swearing on the street. swear.
ing IN the factory. Children swear Men
swear Women swearl Swearing from the
rough calling ON the Almighty in the low
restaurant, clear up to the reckless "Oh
Lordl' OF a glittering drawing room: and
che one is as much blaspheny as the other
Ihere are times when we must cry out 20
Lne LORD by reason of our physical agony or
our mental distress, and that is only throw
ing out our weak hand toward the strong
arm OF father 1t was no profanity when
James A. Garfield, shot in the WASHINGTON
depot, cried out: MY God, what does this
upon God in the day of trouble. i'm the dav
OF darkness, in the day of physical anguish.
IN the day OF bereavement: but am speaking
now OF the triviality and OF the recklessness
VIII winch the name of God is sometimes
used The whole land is cursed with il.
A gentleman coming from the far west sat
IN the car day after day behind two persons
VINO were lndulging in profanity. and no
mace up ms mind that he would make
record Oh their profanities, and at the end OF
Two days several sheets OF paper were COW
cred with these imprecations and at the close
OF the journey he handed the manuscript IN
one OF the persons ia front OF him. Us II
possible" said the man, that we have ut
Tered so many profanities the last few daysgr
1T is, replied the gentleman. Then rs said
the man who had taken the manuscript: az
will never swear again.
But itisa comparatively unimportant thing
~ ~ man makes record Of our improprie-
ties of speech. The more memoranda consid.
Grafton is that every improper word every
oath uttered, has record the book OF Gods
remembrance, and that the day will
come when all our crimes of speech, n unre-
pented OF, will be our condemnation shall
not today deal IN distractions. / hate alb
stractions. am going to have a plain talk
with you, my brother, about a habit that
you admit to be wrong.
1he habit grows in the community in the
TACT That young people think IL manly to
swear Little children hardly able to walk
Straight on the street, yet have enough dis
tincuyeness Of utterance to let YOU know
mat they are damning their own souls or
uanhhlng the souls OF others IL is an awful
tning the first time the little feet are lifted
TO have them set down on the burning nave.
msnt of helli F'N
Between 10 and 90 years OF acc 4bara IL
apt TO come time wien young man is ne
much ashamed Of not being able 20 swear
gracefully as he is Of the dizziness Of his first
cigar He has his hat his boot and his coat
OF The right pattern, and now, il lie can
only swear without awkwarkness and rs
wei as his comrades, he believes he is i'm the
Iasnlon. There are young men who walk in
ny, Atmosphere or imprecatiOn--oa ths on their
hp' under their tongues, nesting in their
shock OF hair They abstain from il i'm the
elegant drawing room. but the street and the
cruz house ring with their profanities They
nave no regard for God although they have
great respect for the ladies My young
bfOther, there IS no manliness in that Tho
most ungentlemanly thing man can do is to
swear
Fathers foster this great crime. There are
parents who are very cautious not % swear
IN the presence Of their children: in a moment
Of sudden anger they look around to see il
the children are present when they indulge
Jn TINS haOlt DO you not know Oh father
mat your child is aware Of the fact that You
swearf he overheard you in the next room.
OF some one has informed him Of your habit
lie rs practicing now. In ten wears he will
swear as well as you do Do not. oh
father BE- under the delusion that YOU NAV
swear and your son not know IL IL h an
awful thing ~ start the habit IN a family
tho father 70 be profane. and then 70 have
the echo Of his example come back from other
generations; 50 that generations after genera.
tons curse the Lord
The crime is also fogtered bv master
mechanics, boss carpenters. those who arc al
the head N men iu hat factories, and in dock
yards, and at the head OF great business
establishments When you 20 down 90 look
at the work Of the scanoidiug. Gui Won find
70 b. not done right what do YOU saw Tf is
not praying, 10 So The employer swears b.
tho employe is tempted 20 swear. The man
AYE. don't know why my employer.
worth 5000 OF ei0O 00I. should have any
luxury ! should BE- denied simply leoausa
~ poor. bcoauso am poor and dependent
IN days wages haven't i as much rirht TO
swear os be has with his large iuc0meY
employers swear. and that makes go many
employs swear
The habit also comes from infrnity Of
Nnper. There are "a good many people who
~ bFeech. but when angorel they blaze with
imprecati0n Perhaps ali the rest on tho
year they talk Boz right language. but now
tney pour ont Che fury Of n whole Year in one
req hot paragraph ~ five minutes / knew
vi man who excused himself for the habit