Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1904-03-26
A LAY SERMON.
BY HAMILTON HAMILTON

evening, while | discuss the cuss
habit with them. If | were to
ask hundred men who swear
habitually why they do it, | doubt
if one of them could give me a
reason. There is no reason for
it. Swearing is Il habit with most
men, and is usually acquired by
the boy through contact with his
elders, and being acquired in
youth holds on to a man until he
dies or resolves to cut it out. 1t
is habit and yet it is a freakish
one. A man will swear to beat
siX-bits on the streets, in his of
flee or among men, but he won't
swear at home before his wife. or,
if he swears before his wife, he
won't swear in his home in the
presence of his neighbours wife.
So you see this swearing habit has
its habit of when and where to
swear, affprding proof that it is a
welcomed habit. If man can
remember not to swear at home
he can, if he so chose, remember
not to swear at other times.
A great many men use oaths to
strengthen their assertions. | don't
know why this should be neces-.
sary unless they are such liars
that they know their assertions
need bclstering up with oaths.
Some men demand that you swear
to thing in black and blue. and
then don't believe you after you
have done your best. Some little |
fellows swear big oaths to try and
raise their Importance. Some men
swear because it suits their tastes,
and is to their liking. Others
swear to be a good fellow in the
company they keep. Others swear
out of thoughtlessness and through
provocation that seems to call for
vigorous expression. Others swear
out of pure cussedness.
The English language is said to
DC the most prolific of oaths and
swearing of all the languages, and
yet, 1T seems to me, there is less
excuse for it in English than many
,ther tongue, a language that
oorrows from every language, and
,ives unlimited latitude to pure
md full expression. With as
many words is are at command
n good English it seems useless
% borrow from the obscene and
lbusive tongue to express any
dea.
Now, i wouldn't much blame a
Russian from swearing; those
names and words he has to wrestle
With in talking are enough, pos
IDLY, to make man swear: but |
I'm told they do very little of it.
Possibly that language reached its
INIT before it got to the cursing
'oint. They say the .Japs don't
wear either, yet they seem to be
men, in a measure. / know our
spanish friends swear very little, ]
5 we understand swearing. They I
fill wish you all the hard luck
his side of hades if they are dis =
LEASED, but their language is c
haste. \
Beloved, you who swear are '
rithOut excuse. The habit is Il
'icious one, and belittles you in h
lie minds of all people whose !
pinions are of any account. b
AXE personal account of things. :
'ou feel a disgust for a fellow h
tho swears promiscously in pub :
c. Well. 1t is a bad habit per- o
Dnally, and has bad influence. 8
our boy or your neighbours boy Il
cts it, and being younger he gets a q
worse, and it is liable to 90 o
rom that to cigarettes. .
Most boys now think they are W
ct men until they have learned II
, swear and smoke. That's a h
ID commentary on American o.
but you know it is so. ii
Cursing and disappearing have II u
D standing even among men who b.