Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-07-03
about anybody. or detracfion uttered II

about anybody, or detraction uttered, It
was all put down in this book The
book was kept carefully For the first
few weeks there were great many en-
tries, but after a while there were no
entries at all. Detractfon stopped in
that household. 1t would be a good
thing to have a SANDER book in all
households.
Are any of you given to this habit of
whispering about others? Let me per-
suade you to desist. Mount Taurus
was a great place for eagles, and
cranes would fly along that way, and
they would cackle so loud that the
eagles would know of their coming and
they would pounce upon them and de-
stroy them. 1t is said that the old
cranes found this out, and before they
started on their fight they would al
ways have stone in their mouth so
they could not cackle, and then they
would fly in perfect safety. Oh, my
friends, be as wise as the old cranes
and avoid the folly of the young
cranes! Do not cackle.
If there are people here who are
whispered about, if there are people
here who are slandered, if there are
people here who are abused in any cir
Gle of life, let me say for your encour-
agement that these whiSperers soon
run out. They may do little damage
for awhile, but after awhile their de-
traction becomes a eulogy, and people
understand them just as we'll as though
some one chalzed all over their over
coat or their shawl these words: "Here
goes whisperer. Room for the leper.
Roomv' You go ahead and do your
duty, and God will take care of your
reputation. How dare you distrust
him? You have committed to him your
souls. Can you not trust him with
your reputation? Get down on your
knees before God and settle the whole
matter there That man whom God
takes care of is well sheltered.
Proper Use of the Tongue.
Let me charge you, my friends, to
make right and holy use Of the tongue.
1t is loose at one end and can swing
either way, but it is fastened at the
other end to the floor of your mouth,
and that makes you responsible for the
way it wags. Xanthus, the philoso-
pher, told his servant that on the NOR
row he was going to have some friends
to dine and told him to get the best
thing he could find in the market. The
philosopher and his guests sat down
the next day at the table. They had
nothing but tongue-four or five
courses of tongue-tongue cooked in
this way and tongue cooked in that
way, and the philosopher lost his pa
thence and said to his servant, Didn't
I tell you to get the best thing In the
marketY' He said: 81 did get the best
thing in the market. Isn't the tongue
the organ of sociality, the organ Of
the organ of kindness, the
organ of worshipT
Then Xanthus said, Tomorrow I
want you to get the worst thing in the
market" And on the morrow the phi
losopher sat at the table, and there was
nothing there but tongue-four or five |
courses Of tongue-tongue in this shape |
and tongue in that shape. And the |
philosopher again lost his patience and |
said, Didn't tell you to get the worst |
thing in the marketY The servant re-
piled, 81 did; for isn't the tongue the |
organ of blasphemy, the organ of defa-
nation, the organ of lyingY'
Oh, my friends, employ the tongue
which God so wonderfully created as
the organ of taste, the organ of deglu-
tftion, the organ of articulation to
make others happy and in the service
Of God! If you whisper, whisper good
to TIE fallen and
nope to the lost. All, my friends, the
time will soon come when we will all
whisper! The voice will be enfeebled
n the last sickness, and, though that
Ind halloo until the forest echoes an
'wered it will be so feeble then we can
'nly whisper consolation to those
whom we leave behind and only whis-
Der our hope of heaven.
While I speak this very moment
here are hundreds whispering their
asst utterances. Oh, when that solemn
lour comes to you and to me, as come
Don it will, may it be found that we
lid our best to serve Christ and to
heer our comrades in the earthly
truggle and that we consecrated not
My our hand, but our tongue, to God!
10 that the shadows that fall around
ur dying pillow shall not be the even
ng twilight of a gathering night, but
be morning twilight Of an everlasting
ay.
This morning, at half past 4 o'clock,
looked out Of my window, and the
tars were very dim. I looked out a
ew moments after, and the stars were
lmost invisible. looked out an hour
r two afterward. Not star was to
e seen. What was the matter with
be stars? Had they melted into dark