The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-12-04
UNLOVELY PEOPLE
The Rev. John L. Scudder
Urges His Congregation
to Avoid Being Them.
OF wUNHAPplNESS
The Habit Of Looking On the
Dark side Is Per-
nicious.

AT the First Congregational Cnurcn'
last night, the Rev. John L. Scuoder
preached upon Some of the Causes OF
| U-nhappiness, and asked his people to
avoid them. He said, in ~part:-"There
would be universal Thanksgiving in this
world ii every one did right and lived
up to the law of love. Unhappiness IS
| largely the result of human m~isbehavior.
| There are several classes OF disagreeapie
people who destroy the sunshine OF me.
| There are the melancholy souls who i've
amid the shadows and have a wonderful
| faculty for developing gloomy feelings IN
others. S~torekeepers put their prettiest
| articles in the windows and showcases,
but these sombre people dwell and diiate
upon the miseries Of life and always push
them to the front in conversation They
are such a contrast to these big souls
who, If sad at heart, wear smiles upon
| their faces: who could tell tales Of want
or woe, but maintain angelic silence; who
see the dark side, but never exhibit it.
1--WE have all met people who were al
ways talking about their ailments or mis-
fortunes. Disease and death were con-
genial topics with them. Like incessant
drizzle on a rainy day, they had a de-
pressing influence upon us. My advice IS
to shun such people, and beware lest
YOU become one of them yourself Lie
has its pains and worriments ana Woes
of course; but we can wear binders, iike
the horses, If we wish and refuse 10 see
anv more than we have to. We can scnooi
| ourselves to cheerful modes OF tnought
and expression, and if we are truly re-
ipious we shall do it; for our business is
! to make other people happy. Bismarck
| used to wear a ring with the Woros'
Never mind inscribed upon it. Perhaps
that is one reason why he attained such
| a good old age. 1t does not pay TO take
| things too much to heart, or NOPE over
what we cannot help. Look at the hui
morous side of things. Better TO be a
clown than one of these unduly solemn
folk. with faces as long as that OF q
horse. Go and beget gladness IN others
| and A reflex warmth and cheer Will now
into your own soul.
"Next to these lackadaisical people In
point Of disagreeableness are the grum-
blers. Despondent people are usually OF
a retiring disposition and nurse tnelr
griefs in private, but those who possess
) fault-finding disposition are active ano
mingle freely with their fellows.
.sThev are like a setting hen-in a state
Of dissatisfaction. and go sputtering about
nothing. Like the lookout on the DOW OF
q steamer. they are ever watching for
something wrong. You give them a fig
and they VIII turn it inside out in search
for a worm. Hand them a piece OF cake
and they will declare the stem of a cur
rent to be the leg of a fly. If a minister
II ryord they forget the
sermon and chew the cud over that one
word all the way home. II a singer nats
a trifie. they are delighted, for 1t gives
them a theme. If a rich man gives hner-
ally they accuse him of ostentation; II
he gives privately, they call hin a miser.
There is no sufting them, and there is no
use to try. Like Mount Vesuvius, they
are always in a state of ebullition, AM
likely to spout out mud and ashes. Among
these murmurers are the ddscontenteo
who, instead of learning to say, Tha
YOU seem to know but one word, More.
The tendency of ambition and pride IS 70
make us dissatisfied with our lot and
petulant.
Another class of unlovely people are
the sarcastic and cynical. Their pleasan-
tries are poisoned, and their barbed ar
rows stick. When brought into eontaci
with them, we feel as If we had beer
stuck by ~netties. For the mementary
qualification of saying a cute and cutting
thing these satirical people will not scruple
to lose their best friend. The clergy are
sometimes tempted to indulge in denunci-
atory remarks, intermingled with sar-
casm, but little is gained by such pro
cedure. Other classes of disagreeable
people are the tattlers and backbiters, who
want to know what does not concern
them, and report 80 per cent. more thar
they know; who, like curved mirrors, dis
tort everything they reflect and turn II
into a caricature. Others are too forward
n funny. Still others are conceited and
condescending in their bearing towards
others. Some take delight in letting YOU
understand that they know more thar
you do, or possess more of the worlds
goods. Others are excessively doganatit
and bigoted, lacking charity; unwilling
to allow others to think for them
selves. Now to make the world happy, W,
must avoid falling into any of these dis
agreeable companies, but rather follow
the Master, who loved everybody ant
went about doing good.