The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1915-03-25
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
Little Foxes.

Fretfulness, the nettles in the garden
Of our lives and how apt we are if they
sting US to hurl them at our nelghbors.
Grumbling, too; that is like a chilly
north west wind, but it must yield to
the Zephyrs OF patience; while seedlings,
the real thunder storm with hail and
must be dispersed by the
sunlight of a cheerful disposition.
They are useless, nay worse; they are
positively sinful. Yet these are in
great part the venting upon others,
those morbid feelings which are the re-
suit Of dyspepsia, overwork or indispo-
sition. Sometimes they are the result
of genuinely mean disposition.
The little fox of fault finding does not
confne his depredations to social circles
only, but thrusts himself into the church
also, and like Jacob of old takes hold of
the horns of the altar, thinking he
will be safe, but he must be dragged out
and slain at all hazards.
He will sap the life current of our
churches and he is hindering the
spiritual progress of the members and
seriously interferes with the effectual
working of the church.
Here is one, Jealous in good works,
comes forward and puts his hand to the
wheel, having only the good of the cause
of the Master at heart. He is really
trying in his way to do something for
the Master and the good of all concern
ed, yet how often do we find such meet
ing with poor success and little or no
encouragement because a dozen eyes
are watching the progress of the scheme
and throwing cold water on his best
efforts by constant fault-finding.
These self constituted Judges, with
the, keenness of a yulture's eye, detect
every error. and while they magnify
that, they pass over with what they call
the christian grace Of silence the many
good features of the work and the viz
tues of the worker. They like to- look
at the dark side. 1t isn't arranged
properly. It's all wrong; it can't sue
coed. The leader is too unpopular. He
is behind the times. too old fogY. or too
sensational. He hash any influence
and so you might as well give up the
whole scheme, for 1t will surely fail,
and sure enough it does fail, while the
laborer, disheartened and discouraged,
abandons his task, all for the want of
charitable cooperation and sympathy,
while the vine he was trying to cultivate
is spoiled by the perpetual nibbing of
this pesky little fox,
The officers of the church are remind
ed of their duty by having their faults
arrayed before the public. An other
with whom the habit has become
chronic, finds fault with the preacher
when he is doing as well as they have a
right to expect, and they censure him
8 severely FOR doing what he coI'dn't do
to save his neck. Another gives the
choir slap in the face as he sweeps
past and leaves it to smart under the
sting of the blow purposely inflicted,
and while they are performing a very
important and honorable duty in the
worship of the sanctuary, this self con-
cieted fox has his ears pricked up to
listen and though he has not a whit
more music in his soul than a bull-frog
on log, he slashes the rest with the
keen blade of his criticism and very
charitably likens their music to the fill
ing of cross cut saw. He is daft to
the melodies and beauties but awake to
any error, simply because he is a con-
stitutional Pathfinder.
Even ministers are not exempt from
the wiles of this contemplate fox but
they are sometimes guilty of this sin.
After lndulglng too freely, may be in
mince pie or big dinner, they go to
prayer meeting and finding but few
there feel discouraged and vexed at the
negligence of the members and thence
begin to slash the recreant ones over
the shoulders of the faithful few, not
realizing that he is berating the stand
by's instead of the shirks. 1t is a good
deal better to be fault member than a
fault finder.
There is an old adage which reads
thus: Cast not dirt into the well
which gives you water" That means
that you are not to find fault with those
who feed you. nor with the trade from
which you get your support, nor with
the Lord who gives you all things. A
safe rule to follow is never find fault
with what you do not understand. When
you see one finding fault with the goods,
set it down he expects to buy. ct is
naught, it is naught, saith the buyer. !"
He says it because he intends to buy,
but he wants it as cheap as possible.
He thinks he will save a Dit. A very
wise and good man said Look to your
own failings before you look at my
faults" The poet says
I'm other men we faults can spy,
And blame the mote that dims the eye,
Each little speek and error find;
To our own strongest errors blind"