The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1900-01-27
INTEREST In OTHERS
Dr.. Talmsgs POrtrays Two Kinds
Of BusybCdieS
The Gtft 81 Evu speech of Some Pee
pIe-How We May lave = nsa-
eVOIeat IRterest In the AZ
fairs Il OIhers.

pls-Hov We May Have = zen
eVoIsat Iaterest In the AZ
fairs sf Others
IcspyrishL 1900. by Louis Klopsehl
Washington. Jan n
In this discourse DIR. Talmage shows
how We should interest ourselves in
the affairs Of Others for their benefit
but never for theis damage. Text
i Peter, AIS: "A busybody in other
mems matters
Human nature Is the same In all
ages IT. the second century Of the
worlds existence people had the same
characteristics as people IN the nine
tenth century, the only difference be
ing that they had the characteristics
for a longer time 1t was 500 years
Of goodness or 500 years Of meanness
instead of goodness or meannesS for
20 or 50 years. Wen, Simon Peter,
who was = keen observer Of what was
going on around him, q day caught
sight of a man whose characteristics
were severe inspection and blatant
criticism Of the affairs belonging to
people for whom he had no respouSi-
bihty, and with the hand once Drowned
and hardened by fishing tackle drew
this portrait for an subsequent ages:
"A busybody in other mems matters
That kind Of person has been a.
--.,AN. -~,tar ~ AuAWU country ElnRe
the world stood. Appointing himself
10 the work Of exploration aud detec-
ton, he goes forth mischief making.
He generally begins by reporting the
infelicity discovered. He is the adver
Using agent of infirmities and domes-
tic inharmony and occurrences that
but for him would never have come
TO the public eye or ear. he feels that
he secret ought 10 be hauled out into
light and heralded. If he can get one
line of it into the newspapers, that he
feels TO be a noble achievement 10
start with. But be must not let 1t
stop. He whispers it TO his neighbors,
and they in turn whisper II to their
neighbors, until the whole town Is
a-buzz and agog. You can no more
catch II or put it down than you can
a malaria. II is in the air and on the
wing and ahoat. Taken by itself II
seems OF little importance, but after
= hundred people have handled 1t and
each has given II an additional twist
II becomes a story in size and shape
marvellous. II 1t can be kept going,
after awhile II viii be large enough TO
call the attention Of the courts Of the
presbyteries or conferences or associ-
atoms. The most of the scandals
abroad are the work Of the one whom
Peter in the text styles "a busybody In
other mems matters"
First notice that such a mission Is
most undesirable. because we Az re-
quire al the time we can get TO take
care Of our own affairs. To carry orr
selves through the treacherous straits
OF this life demands that we all the
time keep our hand on the wheel Of
cur own craft While, as shall show
you before | get through, We all have
n mission OF kindness TO others. we
have no time to waste in doing thai
which is damaging to others.
There is our worldly calling whlct
must he looked after or il will becom,
a failure. Who succeeds in anything
without concentrating all his energies
upon that one thing? All those who
4, try TO do many things 20 TO pieces
, either as TO health or their fortune
? They go on until they pay ten cents Of
> the dollar or pay their body into tn
A grave. We cannot manage the affair
/. Of others and keep our affair
prosperous. While vi are inquirinI
#, tow precarious is the business Of an
n other merchant and finding out hoV
many notes he has unpaid and HOY
soon be will probably be wound up o
make an assignment or hear the sher
n IFS hammer smite his ounter GU
own affairs are getting mixed up an
o endangered. While we are criticism
e our neighbor for his poor crops "
are neglecting the fertilization of GU
l. own fields or allowing the weeds
II choke cur own corn. While we are try
p ing 10 extract the mote from on
neighbours eye we fall under tn
weight of the beam in our own ey,
= Those men disturbed by the faults {
Z others are themselves the depot
! which whole trains OF faults arriS
: aud from which whole trains Of fault
start. The men who have succeede
Z IL secular things or religious thing
! will tell you that they have no tin
Z for hunting out the deficits Of other
On the way TO their counting-rooI
Z they may have heard that q firm
the same line Of business was in trol
Z BILE, ard they said; Sorry, very so
ry," but they went In end sat don
Z at their table and opened the boz
containing a full statement Of the
Z Affairs to see II they were in peril
being caught In a similar cyclone.
Z Gadders about town, with hands
pockets and hats set far back on Il
Z head, waiting to hear baleful news, Al
\ failures now or win be failures. Chri
Z tan men and women who go rouI
with mouth and looks full Of inter-
cation points TO find how some 9th
e, church member is given TO exagger
| ton or drinks too much or neglec
~ his home for greater outside ettra
tions have themselves so little gra
10 their hearts that no . suspec
they have any. In proportion as peop
are c~onsecrated and holy and usef
90 they are lenient with others and d
posed 10 say: "Wait until we hear I
other side Of that matter. ! cam
believe that charge made against tn
NJ. man or woman until we have soI
ar better testimony than that given
these scendal mongers. ! guess II
a lie"
on How Is II that you can always o.
two opinions about anyone and tho
two opinions exactly oppositep "
tell you the reason. II Is because The
are two sides TO every cbaracter-t
=, best side and the worst side. A W,
y disposed man chiefly seeks the b.
side; the badly-disposed seeks chic
tie worst side. BE our the desire
see the best side. for II is healthier
US 10 do so and stirs admiration. wbi
IS an elevated state, while the des
TO find the worst side keeps q ID
up rit Of disquietude aud disgust a
mean suspicion. and that is a pull
down Of our own nature, a dlsfgu
meut Of our own character. /
afraid the imperiections Of others y
kill US yet
The habit ! deplore Is apt to sb
\ itself in the yisage. A kindly m
who wishes everybody well soon de
opstrstes bis disposition in bis loo
His features may fracture all the la
Of handsome pbysiognomy, but I