The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-09-25
49, -. s.c
sGsufnblers.

ron on our fingers q half. dozen ef our
acqaaiDtances 70 whom the term might
with sjustiea Bio applied. Tks type
Edourishea exceedingly in eli organi-
Ezed communities such as societies,
lodges, churches. They are near re-
latives Of those chronic vet b!aukess
vho-sre yclept pessimists. The chief
/ diRerense is khst they deal with che
tpass and present, while the croakipga
OF the spessimist have reference 10 the
ill that he fears II had almost written
'hopes) to see in the future.
We meet them 10 all communities
under nearly all circumstances, but
nowhere are they 30 much in evidence,
nowhere do they give their neiehbora
such damp, shivery feeling as they
lido "a tho otaureein. is
IL the minister, afeer earnest study
and patient work, has endeavored 20
render clearly to his hearers some
more or less abatrnae ro;as e 4ees:rias,
our friend che grumbler wishes he
would preach the Gospel. If. he
fpreaehes simple direct sermon, we
hear the muttered criticism, II guess he
did not spend much time getting that
sermon ready" sIf,he does not visit
frequently, he lie stiff aud negligent; il
he visits great desi, grumbler thinks
that he might better spend more time
in bic study.
tBut he does not limit his attentions
60 the minister. The choir does not
sing 20 suit him. or there are too
many anthems, or not enough. The
elders do not do taeir daty. But
the officials whom grumbler specially
delights TO honor with his criticism axe
the managers and their saceoeum, che
sexton. aIf he Gads q little dust on
his hat at the close Of the service, IL
the church is too warm. or too cool, il
| q draft happens to strike his bald
head, the property committee are to
blame; If he happens to. 6ad stranger
lin his aeat at morning service, he won
ders why the.pew steward or usher
did not put the casual visitor into
his. evn pew.
| There is one night in the year, how
lever, when grumbler has an especially
| delightful opportunity for the ,,exer-
else of his peculiar talent. This is
the anunAl meeting. IF there is q de-
,ficit,,he pounces upon it with avidity,
notwith the desire Of showing way
out of the difficulty, not with the OBJ
jace.of. cheering his fellows to greater
efforts, but only for the purpose of
showing ahat somebody has made a
mistake, or is extravagant, or that one
official or another is overpaid. The
managers have not reduced she out
1 standing debt as much as they might,
1 when, poor men, theyslave been half
the year. az their wits end to stretch
the finances far as they have.
| And 80 he goes on grumbling, grum-
| bling, ,grumbling at everything and
| everybody, until he is not only miser-
able himself, but,he too often paraiy-
zee the energies Of others, who are
discouraged when their best efforts
call fenth nothing but ssneering and
fauls.fnding. @or you cannot silence
the grumbler. he does no. fight in
/ the open. He whispers in the ssr Of
his neighbor as he .passas ont %
church. He sits ia tho back seats at
meetings, and is eloquent on the street
corner. You rarely are able to pin
him down 60 categorical statement
| and prove him in the wrong.
1 It is hard to say what is the trou-
! ble with our friend. It may be an
anaatiafied deai.e fer n.ss:-e; :. :. 4ss5T 70 70
dyanenaia; ar il meg BE l;ssttllee Of f
! Hhe. Abe E-=;aeclls called '.ioawa5s::aa.ass ..ioawa5s::aa.ass
cussedness." He is general; good
man; he goes to ohnroh with COM
mendeble reguisrity, yog have the
impression generally chat he would
be . 6rst.rate member IL ho had not
gone wee bit wrong In this gay.
Whatever be the cause Of his trouble,
there seems TO be no doubt that he Is
afflicted with moral and spiritual bill
iousness. And the most probably
successful cure lie 50 that which often
benefits q torpid liver-exercise. Set
the man TO work. Give him an Office
Of some kind. If he wants it, SO
much the better. The cnre will be
easier. AZ any.Tats you will shut of
his grumbling in one direction. Very
| likely by the end Of o year everyone
will be better satisfied. anu eli Gn-
cluding himself) will be on better