SPURGEON ON SHREWS, AND HOW TO TAME THEM.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 37, 13 March 1862, Page 5 (Supplement)

SPURGEON ON SHREWS, AND HOW TO TAME THEM.

Spurgeon lately delivered a lecture on , Shrews, and how to Tame them.” At seven o’clock Mr. Spurgeon ascended the platform, and, haying offered up a brief prayer commenced bis discourse by explaining that he had been delivering a series of lectures in which the peculiarities of the various orders of mammals had been descanted upon. lie would now say a tew words ot the order to which belonged that little animal the shrew. There arc two kinds of taese creatures, the water shrew and the ordinary shrew and they differed in some minor particulars, -the shrew is an exceedingly beautiful animal, and is besides the smallest mammal found in England nith the exception of the harvest mouse. was wonderful how their name ever came to be applied to ill-tempered women. People in tbia cou *, ltry were generally of opinion that the shrew was northing more or loss than a mouse but if they would consult a cat or a dog they would be on the subject. Dogs it is true m kill them but invariably refuse to eat them afterwards, aud if a cat were by any chance to dc'uul; Tn ' .' VullW Ilot retain h on its stomach, it w ouid find it so excessively disagreeable. (Lau<dici.j 1 ho fact is that the shrew has a stroim musty llavour m consequence of the musk secreted in ns glands. Nevertheless the owl, whose taste is

not particularly fastidious, manages to mate a very comfortable meal of the shrew. Many animals perish in this manner. The rev. gentleman then proceeded to give a description of the appearance and habits of the animal in question dwelling • on tl' e tact that it was not destructive to the pro° duce of the earth as was generally supposed, but that his extermination would be fraught with consequences as serious as those which have followed the wholesale slaughter of birds in France. With a view to test the procreative capabilities of the shrew a gentleman put several of them into a box, and on looking into it shortly afterwards found that instead of increasing in numbers they had decreased, the largest shrew having devoured all the rest. (Laughter.) The shrew, like the mole, did everything with fury and passionate energy. He has his pleasurable moments too and then emits a sound which can only bo compared to the grating of a melodious piece of slate pencil on a llatc. (Laughter.) The shrew was formerly an object of great terror. Aristotle and Pliny regarded them with dread. Its bite was considered extremely venomous and many and curious wore the receipts given to cure the wounds it indicted. In England also there were humorous superstitions about this little animal. The reverend gentleman, after read- ; iug several quotations from White’s “ Natural History of Selborne,” passed on to the species of human shrew. He said that on turning to Walker’s dictionary ho found that the word “ shrew” bore , tincc interpretations—first, “ a mouse ;' 1 next, '' a , peevish, brawling, turbulent vixenous, woman”— { (laughter) and in the third instance was a deriva- ! Hon from a Saxon word which he (the rev. gentlci man) could spell, hut was not able to pronounce. 1 On looking, however, into old dictionaries ho discovered that the word “ shrew” has a more oxtend- : 0(1 meaning than is ordinarily assigned to it, and that it applies to males no less than females. : (Roars of laughter.) He was very glad of this, for ; it afforded him an opportunity of taking both sides ;of the question. The number of shrewish women i recorded in history was very small, and this was a : tolerably good proof that many could not have ex- ; Jstcd, or otherwise the historians who were of the : other sox would certainly have recorded (he fact. | He would only particularise two but ho would first ; state his belie! that there were no living specimens. The lemale shrew was extinct or a thing that “ used to was.” (Laughter.) The first shrew mentioned in history was Xantippe, the wife of Socrates the philosopher. Before marriage Socrates was aware that bis intended was illtempered but he said ho wanted some one to teach him patience. It was said that upon one occasion Hrs. Socrates made a great deal of noise at her husband, who thereupon went outside the house and sat down upon a stool. The lady was cxccedjnoly irate at this coolness, went, upstairs and having found something emptied the contents on his head. (Boars of laughter.) The philosopher was in no way disturbed but quietly remarked, “It has thundered so long that 1 was sure it would rain. (Renewed laughter.) Socrates, however, gave his wife a good character and perhaps her failings had been exaggerated. He said she might not have had the best ot tempers but still she had such virtues as he hardly hoped could be discovered in any other woman. Having briefly alluded to Jezebel, the lecturer passed on to. the most renowned of modern shrews, Airs. Wesley, of whom he related several anecdotes, besides reading a lengthy extract from a book respecting her shrewish qualities. The lecturer then said that with regard to male shrews he could point to scores of instances. He was a common object of the seashore, a common object of tho country, and a common object in the town. He was to be found in the police courts, and also undergoing a pleasant course of two mouth’s imprisonment. (Laughter.) But it would perhaps bo as well to pass at once to the consideration of the question, “ How shrews whether male or female are to be tamed. Mr. Spurgeon in solving this problem referred to Shakespeare's well known play, from which ho road several passages. In nine cases out often the reverend gentleman was of opinion where a husband did not get on well with his. wife it was his own fault. There was a clergyman once, who had taken too much to drink, when ho was called upon to “ sprinkle'’ a child. He fumbled at his book, but could not find the place, whereupon bo stammered out, “ What a very difficult child this is to baptise!’ (Laughter.) It was the clergyman himself who was in fault and so it was for the most part with husbands and wives. The rev. gentleman then related a story of a good husband who received from bis wife a ring. Ho at once took it to a goldsmith’s and had some words engraved upon it. IJis wife had a strong desire to see the inscription but be declined to gratify her curiosity* but told her that the time would come when she should see it. The husband died, and outlie wife’s looking at the ring she found these words—■“ I have loved thee on earth, I will meet thee in heaven.” The rev. gentleman trusted that many persons could utter the same sentiment. To return, however to the taming of shrews. The Rev. John Scott was once wailed on hv a man who bad a

dreadfully bad wife, and wanted to know what ho should do with her. Mr. Scott said, “ You must be very kind to her j treat her with patience.” -The man said he had done so for a long time, but it was no use she was so passionate. 53 hfever mind said Mr. Scott, “ continue the treatment.” The promised to do so, and on the next Saturday nbdit took all his wages home and threw them into his wife’s lap. She threw the money at him, and got in a furious passion. The man went again to Mr. Scott and told him what had occurred, but the reverend gentleman told him to persist. A third time however he came with the same story, and .mded that he had been informed by a friend that the only way to subdue a refractory wife was by a free application of a horsewhip, bnt'bcfore adoptin'* tkat extreme course he would like to know Mix Scott’s opinion on the matter. Mr. Scott renewed his former advice, and some time afterwards had the gratification of seeing the man and his wife reconciled to each other. Mr. Spurgeon went on to say that there was an old proverb to the effect that women ought to have their wills wliilst they were alive, for they were not allowed to make them at their deaths. (Laughter.) 11 ut on the other hand it was assorted that if they had their wills they would soon die. Mr. Spurgeon’s advice to husbands with bad wives was this—Keep your temper, for love with good temper will assuredly tame the most stubborn creatures. Christian women have often much sorrow of heart because they were yoked to ungodly husbands. The rev. lecturer then enumerated several instances of men baling been converted through the instrumentality of the patience and forbearance of their wives. Silence and patience worked a great deal of <*ood, though there was once a man who was killed bv the silence of a minister whom he used to annoy by constantly sending him abusive letters. He sent them at first through the Tost, but us no 'nopas taken of them he ftmeied they had not reached their destination. Accordingly' lie waylaid the minister in <lie street and handed him a letter. Tha latter quietly put it in his pocket and walked unconcernedly on. This contempt uous treatment so preyed upon the mind of the poor man, who imagined he had a real grievance, that he’ died shortly afterwards. The lecturer then made a few remarks respecting himself. “ When I first came to London, ’ he said, “a person gave me a by no means reputable character. I met Hr. Heteher in the street and he said to me, ‘ 1 see they have put you m the papers ; are you going to answer them ? A ever,’ said 1, ‘I will never answer anything.’ xou are right, he replied, ‘for their ink will dry up, and their pens be worn out some day or other. I think that advice was very good. If dogs bark it is by no means a proper thing to reply by barkmg again. If a Christian man meet with abuse - lie may say with old Quarles, ‘lf I had not been a stranger in this parish the dogs would not have, barked at me.” (Laughter.) Mr. Spurgeon, in conclusion, said that the moral of his lecture was that all should strive in their family relationship to contribute to the comfort of others. They might rest assured that there was more enjovmeiit m helping others to bo happy than in always looking to oneself. It was said' that charity' should begin at home, but in a higher sense it would be found that to have true joy at homo one must begin by shedding that joy and peace on others. Ho would exhort all to make their households Christian households and their families would then bo brought to love the Lord.