National Republican., 1888-04-09

swearing. His text was from tine BOOK
Of Job, II, Z, 3, and $50 went
Satan forth from the presence of the Lord
and smote job with sore boils from the sole
of his. foot unto his crown. And he took
him potsherd to scrape himself witha; and
he sat down among tho ashes. Then said his
wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine in
tegrityY Curse God, and die" ..
A story oriental and marvellous. job the
richest man in all the East. IIchad cariels sand
oxen and asses and sheep and, what would
have made him rich without anything else,
seven sons and three daughters. II was the
habit of these children to gather together for
family reunion. One day, job is thinking of
his children as gathered together at banquet
at the elder brothers house.
while the old man Is seated at his tent door,
he sees some one running, evidently from his
manner bringing pad news. What Is the mat
Ter nowY "Oh," says the messenger, IA for
aging party of Sabeans have fallen upon the
oxen and the asses and destroyed them, and
Stand aside. Another messenger running
What Is. the matter nowS oh" says the
man, the lightning has struck the sheep
are, destroyed except myself stand
aside. Another messenger running
slain all the camel.drivcrs except myself"
stand aside. Another MESSENGER running
W I1nJ IL tnc InutICr nOWG |On, ne says, u
hurricane struck the four corners Of the tent
where your children were assembled at the
banquet, and they are all dead"
job was smitten with clephantiass, or black
leprosy. Tumors from head to foot-forehead
Iidged with NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. fall out,
erable exhalations from the entire body,
until With none to dress. his sores he sits
down in the ashes with nothing but piece, Of
broken pottery to use In the surgery of his
wounds. At this moment, when he needed
all encouragement and all consolation, his
''This is intolcrable Our property gone, our
children slain, and now You covered up with
this loathsome and disgusting disease; Why
All, 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 cames, would not restore one of
his dead children. lie knew that profanity
would only make the pain more unbearable,
and the poverty more distressing, and the
bereavement more eSeruciatng But judging
from the profanity abroad in our days, you
might come to the conclusion that there was
some great advantage to be reaped from pro-
family.
Blasphemy is all abroad You hear II in
every direction, The .drayman swearing at
his cart the .S sewing girl impreeatins the tan.
gled skein, the accountant cursing the long
line OF troublesome figures. Swearing at the
store, swearing in the loft swearing in the
cellar, swearing on the street, swearing In the
factory. Children swear. Men swear. Women
swear, Swearing from the rough calling on
the Almighty in the low restaurant, clear up
70 the reck ess 80 Lord" Of glittering draw
ingroom; and the one is as much blasphcmy
as the other.
There are times when we must cry. ont to
mental distress, and that Is only throwing out
our weak hand toward the strong arm of a
father It vas no profanity when James Gsa
out MY God, what does this mean !" There
sno profanity IN calling out upon God IN the the
day Of IN e dy S n tha %sy
reayement; but am speaking now of the
ttriviality and Of the recklessness with which hIie
the name Of God Is sometimes managed The
whole land Is cursed with 1t.
A gentleman coming from the far west sat
IN the car day after day behind two persons
up his mind that he e. Would You ma make q record Of
their profanities, and at the end of two days
several sheets of paper were covered viii
Journey he handed the manuscript ma to one @ oi
the persons in front OF him. SIS II possible
said the man, that we have uttered 80 many m n!
Piled, the gentleman. Then said the man
who had taken the manuscript, II will never
swear again." .-...,,
II a man makes record of our improprieties o
speech. The more memorable, consideration
Is that every improper P, I word r every Gyy, oat,
membrance, and that the day will come wheii
all our crimes of speech, # unrepented OF OF
will be our condemnation. shall not to'da!
am going to have plain talk with You, m.
brother, about habit that you admit to b.
The habit grows in the community in tn,
fact that young people think II manly e
swear. Little children hardly able to wall
eness on e to let YOU Know h
they are damning their own souls or damnin
the souls Of others; II Is an awful thing th
first time the little feet are lifted to have ther
set down on the burning pavement Of hell.
Between 1G and 20 years of age there is ap
to- come time when young man Is as m%uG %
ashamed of not being able to swear GRACEFUL
us he is of the dizziness of his first cigar. II
has his hat, his boot, and his coat of the rigl
pattern, and now If he can only swear iuin VIII q
i ne believes ewes he, Is IN the fashion. There ar
=. E0nng men men who walk in an atmosphere :
.si5fars;ises nesting in their shock Of hair. The
abstain from 1t in the elegant drawing room
but the street and the club house ring VII i
God, although they have great respect for tn
ladies' My young brother, there Is no mani
ness in that! The most ungentlemanly thin
"a man can do Is to swear.
Fathers foster this great crime. There ar
parents who are very cautious not to sweari
the presence Of their children; In moment {
sudden anger they look around TO see II q
habit. DO you not know, 9 father, that YOU
child Is aware Of the The fact that you swear
has informed him of your habit: He is pra
tcing now. In ten years he will swear as we
us you 40. 10 NOT, " littHer, Dc uilucr tuc w
lusion.thn you may swear and your son 4, nc
knowit tits, an awful thing 70 start tn
habit in family-the father to be- proian!
come back from other generations; 80 thf
generations after generations curse the Lore
The crime Is also fostered by master m n
chanics, boss carpenters, those who are AZ u
yards, and at the head Of great business 9
e MoTE o the Waea %3y you ind qGt L
not done right, what do You sayY II Is III
praying, Is III The employer swears; his CT
EemReS EnowR 1y TO y empoTer Tee worh
eco or 100000, should have any luxury
should be denied simply because am poe
has, with his large ncomef" Employo
swear and that makes so many employ
The habit also comes from infrmity, of tel
per. There are good many people WI
when they are at peace haye righteousness
precation.. Perhaps, all the rest of the y,e
they talk IN right language, but now tn
hot paragraph of FIVE minutes, knew. of
man who excused himself for the habit, sa
ing: II only swear once ina great while
must do that Just to clear myself out. "
Tho habit comes also from the proiuse u
of bywords. The transition from u bywo
which may be perfectly harmless to imprec
sition it Is my stars" and mercy on me
and good gracious and by George ,,a, a.
"by Jove.' and you go ON with that ntl
while and then yon swear. These wor,
perfectly harmless In themselves, are ne
door TO imprecation and blasphemy. A p
fuse use Of bywords always ends In profanit
The habit is creeping up into the highest styl
of society. Women have no patience with q
and unyarnished profanity, They will orde
man ont of the paror induging In blpsphen
and yet you Will sometimes lind then W
fairy fan to the lip, and under chandellt
which bring no blush to their cheek, TAXI
on their lips the holest of names In utt
tTiyialty. ,-