Maumee express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1837-07-29


our saying what we might just as well
not have said. There's is much wisdom
in the old maxim, keep your nou!h shut
and your ears open There is rely upon
il.
do not know any body, in any stu
alton or profession in life, to whom the
advice isnot applicable. 1t sometimes
said that the lawyers live by talking
that talking is their trade, and SO on; but
the fact is, the lawyers are apt to talk too
much as any body, and TO suffer as much
by it; to spin out long argument, they
necessarily fall into the habit Of dealing
in fancy more than in facts--saying
things about parties and witnesses that
do much harm and no good-and their
reputation for candor will generally di-
minish in the same proportion as that for
loquacity increases. Tohear some men
at the bar. you would suppose that ifthey
were held up by, the feet the words
would run out Of their mouths by mere
force Of gravity, for week at time,
without disturbing the brainsat all.
A preacher may talk too much. One
of the best sermons ever delivered in. the
world, was the sermon on the Mount
You may read it, as it is reported in fiE
teen minutes. And though its style and
power are unapproachable, IFS brevity
might well be oftener initiated. -Fcs
Our Legislators talk to much. About
nine-tenths of all the speech making in
Congress, and our Legislatures, is the
mere sounding brass and tinkling cymbal
OF vanity and egotism. Your really sem
sible men-such as Ben Franklin and
Roger Sherman never got up unless they
had something to say, and always sat
down as soon as they had said it.
Our politicians talk too much. Il is
really refreshing, and as uncommon as il
is refreshing, TO hear sensible men talk
on this topic for fifteen minutes. But If
one listens to the sweet rant Of the day,
the whole science Of politcks seems to
have become twisted into Chinese puz-
zle, that no body can find the beginning
or end of.
When find neighbor caught in the
meshes of a slander suit, feel more SYM
pathy than indignation. He has probably
said, in a moment of excitement, what
his cooler judgement would have re-
strained, what he does not deliberately
approve himself and probably is sorry
for. But the thing is said, his pride is
up, and he has in the end to open his
pocket for having opened his mouth. If
he will listen to my short lesson, he will
not be caught in such scrape again
Don'ttaM too much.
When hear that man and bis wife
do not live happily together--read of an
application for divorce-am told Of agree
ment for separation-or any thing Of that
kind, am always suspicious that know
the cause, that | perfectly understand the
true secret of the difficulty. Mister 10
occasionally petulant and huffy, and Ma
dame lectures instead of humors him.
Each party stands upon the martial bill
of rights, until it ends in legal bill of
divorce. There is no interfering in such
matters. But I wish could whisper in
the ear ofevery husband and every wife's
too-DomttaM too much. s@
Some young people have notion that
they can talk each other,into- to-matrimony.
II is mistake; in such delicate matter
as this the tongue had better be conten-
ted with playing subordinate part. The
eye can tell better story-the language
Of actions will make better impressions;
the love that grows up inthe silent sun
shine which congenial hearts reflect up.
on each other, is the healthiest and most
enduring. The manner will always sink
deeper than the language Of affection.
But this is a matter which people are
so bent upon managing in their own way
that doubt whether my advice will be
worth the ink and the paper.
II may be singular conceit, but I'll
tell you what like. | like to look at
that quiet. thoughtful, contemplative, old
man who sits in his arm chair, his chin
resting between his thumb and fingers.
reading Seneca through pair of specta-
cles. He likes old fashioned ways, old
friends, old books. The old man makes
no noise in the world because he is a'reg-
ular built thinker. You give him your
opinion about men and things, and he
hears it tell him facts and he examines
and satisfies himself about them. Ask
his opinion, and if you get it, it will come
as slow and as cautiously as The believ-
ed it to be worth something. And so it
is. He goes upon the principle that
man is not bound to speak--but he does
speak, he is bound to say just exactly