The Somerset reporter., 1908-03-26
Human Nature.


subjects than the one to which he
gave the best years of his life as its
advocate. One of his lectures that
thrilled hundreds OF thousands of hui
man beings in all sections of America
was entitled "Peculiar People. -
Mr.. Cough was natural orator,
singularly gifted in both humor and
pathos in expression. He was ex-
ceptionally versatile in the use he
made of his talents, and certainly
left this world much better than he
found it. The great secret of his
success lay in his ability to compre-
bend human nature. He was fond of
joke, and was capable of the deep
est and intensest feeling. He pos
sessed intuitional power to a remark
able degree, hence could readily see
what would best please, as we'll as
help, his hearers.
He denominated some of the "Pe-
culiar People" of whom he spoke as
Disagree ables." His Illustrations
were as apt as they were numerous.
He referred to the canting hypocrite
in religion, to the habitual fault
finder, to the chronic grumbler, to
the ubiquitous hypochondriac, to the
melancholy burden bearerfor 9TH
ers, and to the gloomy ascetic in
burning words of caustic eloquence.
If any such were in his audience, they
could not but feel that his scathing
denunciations were for them, even
though he laughed at their follies,
and ridiculed their assumptions.
From tears to laughter, and from
laughter back to tears, he would take
his hearers, and leave them at the
close of his address the better for
having heard it.
One of his anecdotes will serve our
purpose here. A certain farmer had
taken his prize hog to market Up
on his return to his home, his face
was as gloomy as that of the proverb-
ial Carthusian monk, and his voice
was tinged with the deepest, most
sombre melancholy. His wife and
immediate neighbors were naturally
greatly concerned as to his condition,
and anxiously questioned him as to
its cause.
"Are you i'll, john" queried the
devoted wife.
"No-o-o OH" he groaned sepul-
chrally.
Ibid you get hurt anywhere?o was
the next question.
Again he moaned "No-o-o oh!'
What is the trouble?" came next.
A prolonged sigh of deepest agony
was the reply.
(.n;l ,,A,, ka,,o x,nnr ,,oo1,ot ,NinIy
ed?" she asked
He could only shake his head in
sorrowful silence.
I'm Heavens name, then, what Is
the matter?" she demadded.
"Well,o he uttered in melancholy
gutterals, "that there hawg didn't
weigh as much as | 'spected, and l
knew twouldn't!"
Surely Mr.. Cough was right i'll la
belling this man "Disagreeable."
1t must be admitted that this gloomy
farmer represents very large class
of American citizens today. 1t is not
too much to say that he ever has been
type of marked degree among the
people of the land. He is not only
never satisfied with just returns from
his labors, nor from bis sales, but he
must also go about with solemn face,
predicting all sorts of disaster, and
pensively anticipating defeat. Let
any hopeful word be spoken in his
presence, and he at once proclaims
the gospel OF despair. mo use try
in" he will mutter, nothing will ever
come ter yer, nor ter me- He
thereby invites failure on his admis-
sion OF his weakness of will. He is
the pestilent pessimist of every
neighborhood. A lost article will
never be found; a sick person cannot
recover; the proposed railroad will
never be built; morality is much
lower than it was when he was boy.
In the field of religion, he is worse
yet. The race is rapidly going to the
bad, and there is no hope of redemp-
ton. Every man, save himself is
dishonest, hence every man is work
ing against him. He is sour in Wis
age, cynical in speech, saturnine in
appearance. Whenever he enters a
company of his fellow men no matter
how gay and happy they were prior
to his coming, his presence soon sub
dues all nirth, and brings chill to
every heart. He is the one nOXious
weed in the garden of the Soul. His
maliferous influence dwarfs and
blights the fora of the whole garden.
He has "pious toneo for the clergy
man, and distinguished guest, and the
harsh, commanding, raucous voice
for those over whom he has authority.
The woman of this class speaks in a
piping falsetto to those whom she
deems her superiors, and in insolent
and sneer ring voice to those who are
at her mercy. She will pray fervent p
~ at prayer meetings, and sell water
ed milk seven days in the week.
There are other types equally AS
marked as those named above, and 1t
would seem as if their numbers were
not decreasing There is constant
danger of daily increase. The mum
Der of suicides is a case in point. De-
spair, gloom, hopelessness have sue
ceeded the conditions of mind TO
which we have adverted. The next
step is to try to escape from every
thing through self murder. Those
who resort to such a means to get
away from earth, little realize that
they go into much worse condition
than the one they seek to escape,
There is no such thing as Death, and
the suicide finds himself thousand
times more alive than he was when
in control of his body. He is sur
prised TO find that he must face him
self throughout an Eternal Future,
and pay the penalty of his rash deed
to the uttermost farthing. There is
no escape from the law of conse-
quences, nor is there any forgiveness
for sin of any sort save that which is
honestly earned, each man for him