Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-01-25
OUR TALK OF OTHERS
DR.. TALMAGE PORTRAYS TWO KINDS
OF BUSYBODES.
Some People Seem to Have the GIFT
of Evil spccch-How We May Have
Bcncvoient Interest In the Affairs
of others.
Copyright, Louis Klopsch, 1901

Copyright, Louis Klopsch 1901
WASH GToN. Jan. 21.-1n this dis
course Dr. Talmage shows how we should
interest ourselves in the affairs OF others
for their benefit, but never for their dam
uge; text, l Peter iy, 10, "a busybody
In other mems matters"
Human nature is the same in all ages.
in the second century of the worlds ex
stence people had the same Characters
lies as people in the nineteenth century,
The only difference being that they had
The characteristics for a longer time. 1t
was 500 years of goodness or 800 years of
neanncss instead of goodness or mean
ness for 40 or 80 years. We'll, Simon Pc
Ter, who was n keen observer Of what
was going on around him, one day caught
sight of man whose characteristics
were severe inspection and blatant criti-
rism of the affairs belonging to people for
whom be lad no responsibility and with
the hand once Drowned and hardened by
fishing tackle drew this portrait for all
subsequent ages; "a busybody in other
mems matters"
That kind of person has been trouble
maker in every country since the world
stood. Appointing himself to the work
of exploration and detection, he goes
gins by reporting the nfcicity discover
ed. lie Is the advertising agent of intirm-
tiles and domestic nharmony and oc-
currences that but for him would never
have come to the public eye or ear. He
feels that the secret ought to be hauled
put into light and horalded II he can get
one line Of it into the newspapers, that he
feels to be n noble achievement to start
with But he must not let il stop. He
whispers it 70 his neighbors. and they. in
turn, whisper it to their neighhOrS until
the whole town is n-buzz and agog. You
can no more catch it or put it down than
you can a malaria. 1t is in the air and
on the wing and afoat. Taken by itself
il seems of little Importance, but after a
hundred people have handled it and each
has given it an additional twist it be-
comes a story in size and shape marvel
Gus. II it can be kept going, after awhile
il will be large enough to call the attcu-
ton of the courts or the presbyteyies or
conferences or associations. The most Of
the scandals abroad are the work OF the
one whom Peter in the text styles "a
busy body in other mems matters"
First, notice that such a mission is most
undesirable, because we all require all
the time we can get to take care of our
own affairs. To carry ourselves through
the treacherous straits OF this life de-
mands that we oil the time keep our hand
on the wheel OF our own craft. While, as
/ shall show you before get through, we
all have mission of kindness to others
we have no time to waste in doing that
which is damaging to others
Winding Our own Business.
There is our worldly calling which
must be looked after or it will become a
failure. Who succeeds in anything with
out concentrating all his energies upon
that one thing? All those who try to do
many things go to pieces either as to
their health or their fortune. They go on
until they pay 10 cents on the dollar, or
pay their body into the grave, We can
not manage the affairs of others and keep
our own affairs prosperous. While we
ire inquiring how preearious is the bust
ness of another merchant and finding out
how many notes he has unpaid and how
soon he will probably be wound up or
make an assignment or hear the sheriff 3
hammer smite his counter our own af-
fairs are getting mixed up and endanger-
ID. While we are crticising our neishbor
for his poor crops we are neglecting the
fertilization OF our own fields or allowing
the weeds to choke our own corn. While
we are trying to extract the mote from
our neighbours eye we fall under the
weight of the beam in our own eye. Those
men disturbed by the faults of others are
themselves the depot at which whole
trains Of faults arrive and from which
whole trains of faults start The men
who have succeeded in secular things or
religious things will tell you that they
have no time for hunting out the deficits
of others. On the way to their counting
room they may have heard that firm in
the same line of business was in trouble,
and they said, Sorry, very sorry" but
they went in and sat down at their table
and opened the book containing a full
statement of their affairs to see il they
were in peril of being caught in similar
cyclone.
Gadders about town, with hands in
pockets and hats set far back on the
head. waiting to hear baleful news, are
failures now or will be failures Chris
tan men and women who go round with
mouth and looks full of interrogation
points to find how some other church
member is given to exaggeration or
thinks too much or neglects his home fol
greater outside attractions have them
selves so little grace in their hearts that
no one suspects they have any. In pro-
portion as people are consecrated and
holy and useful they are lenient with
others and disposed to say; wait unit
we hear the other side of that matter.
cannot believe that charge made agains
hat man or woman until we have some
better testimony than that given by thes,
scandal mongers. guess it is a lie."
No Time For Judging other People.
IL God had given us whole weeks ant
months and days. with nothing to do bu
gauge and measure and scrutiniZe the af
fairs OF others, there might be some tx
cuse for such employment but ! do no
Know anyone who has such a surplus o
nme and energy and qualification that h
can afford much Of the time to sit rs
coroner upon the dead failures OF others
can imagine that an astronomical cranl
.oud get so absorbed in examining thu
,pots on the sun as to neglect clearing
HE spots off his own character, A yer.
Iuccessful man was asked how he ha,
accumulated such vast fortune. He re
piled. IL have accumulated about one
lalf Of my property by attending strictl
10 my business and the other half by let