A "Cure" for Cussing

1907

The Penitent Scotsman Found His Load a Heavy One

A clergyman In Scotland observed with much perturbation that a member of his congregation was greatly given to the use of strong language. Over and over again he remonstrated with the man to give up the bad habit. In time the man himself came to see the error of his ways, and desired no less earnestly to break himself of the use of bad language. The difficulty, however, was to find a method of doing so. One day the clergyman hit upon a happy thought.

"Get a bag," he said to the man. "and every time you swear put a pebble into it. At the end of the month you will bring that bag to me. I will count the pebbles and see what the effect has been."

The man accepted the idea with alacrity. He got a bag, and, religiously, every time he swore what Mr. Gilbert in the "Pinafore" calls a "big, big D," he duly put a pebble into it. At the end of the month he went to the clergyman, taking the bag with him. It was not an easy task, for, as any one might see, the bag was very full and very heavy. He went into the clergyman's study and put the bag on the table.

The minister looked up with a serious expression. "This is very serious, my friend. I am sorry to see you have so many pebbles in the bag."

"Hoot, minister!" exclaimed the man cheerfully; "this is only the 'devil's' — the 'damns' are all at the dikeside in another bag. They were over heavy to bring up!" — Excelsior.