St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-04-23
~ BE-
Speech Vulgar
and Profa1le.

" NJ.
NWkHLX body knows that it is lit
- tie cigar. 1t is bit OF to-
bacco rolled up in bit OF
paper, and made to look both attrac-
tive and harmless. 1t is cigar in its
infancy. In time, If the one who In
dulges in cigarette smoking lives long
enough, it will grow into cigar. But
the weed done up in the fine style OF
cigarette is not thought to be quite
so offensive and vulgar as when en-
joyed in the form of pure Havana or
big black Conestoga, or clay pipe.
It is tobacco all the same, whether
held together by leaf from its own
stem. or wrapped up in curl papers,
or crammed into the bowl of meer-
schaum. For obvious reasons 1t is the
cigarette that Is most affected by
ladies'.
However, it is not with cigarette
smoking that we are now concerned,
but with cigarette swearing. For there
is kind Of profanity which bears the
same relation to the coarser sort OF
taking the name of the Lord in vain
that the tempting little cigarette does
to the full grown cigar. This, too. is
the form of swearing which is most
INDUCED in by the fair sex. 1t Is not
often, fortunately, that one hears
round, plump oath from the lips of
woman. When one does, it Is unut-
terably shocking, especially If 1t be
from the lips of mother in the midst
of her children.
"Poiite" Profanity.
But profanity akin to this loud.
mouthed and repulsive type. and
which suggests very strong inclina-
ton to use the more emphatic words,
were it allowable to do SO, is not un-
common in the conversation of large
numbers of our well-meaning and even
cultivated ladies. At every turn OF
surprise in the talk that is going on,
on every little occasion when there
seems to be call for protest, it is
Good Lord" Good heavens!' My
gracious!" and so on through the list.
Sometimes there is more boldness in
the expletive employed, and one
whose opinions on actions are not
satisfactory is denounced as blank
idiot" Every one who hears the ex.
preston knows exactly what the
speaker wishes to say, and the soften
ed substitute does not much relieve
the situation; nor does the smile
which goes round in the circle OF
listeners do much toward atonipg for
the suggested blasphemy.
Habit Vicious Ono.
Now there is no need here of wan.
dering off into wide ethical discus.
sions, and trying to fix the precise
measure or the comparative measure
of guilt in Gods sight which there
may be In this or that or the other
form of profanity. 1t Is enough to
say that the cigarette habit of swear
ing is not good. 1t is mild type OF
profanity; and because it is mild is
more frequently put In evidence by
women than men; but 1t is not good.
1t is an offense to refined taste. 1t
is a debasement OF language, and
tends all the time to reduce ones vo-
cabulary of choice and appropriate
words 1t lowers the mental tone OF
individuals and circles and under the
delusive guise of vivacity reduces
thought to the cheap quality of bar
gain counter.
The atmosphere Of home which
is filled with these explosives is not
wholesome one for children to breathe
1t is bad anywhere and everywhere.
It is impossible to believe that dis
ciple of our Lord can be quite so
spiritually minded, can live in quite sc
close and vital relationship with him
who made that startling deliverance
about our responsibility for even the
idle words that we use, and be quite
so much like him in mind and aim
and character, If there is no restraint
Of the kind of speech which savors
even in a mild degree of the profane
If one cannot express ones opinion
and say ones say, whether man or
woman, without swearing, or so much
as indicating a desire to swear, 1t is
! better to remain Observation-Disclosures
Christian Advocate.