Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1854-09-23
Relisiousano Mloral.
WORDS AND ACTIONS.

II.
in christ's testimony, "By,hy cords thou
shalt be justified, and by Thy words thou
shaltbe condemned." Undoubtedly there
is truth, and nothing else. in the adge,
that actions speak louder than words-that
is man shows what he'is much more
completely and convincingly by actual
conduct towards others, that be can by
mere professions Of principle or affection.
But who does not know how much oil
that outward action, in which q man is
continually exhibiting himselfto his fel-
low-men, consisting ofspeech, words, and
direct utterance ofthe mind within? p
Words are actions. How much Of kind
mans kindness shows itself in kind utter
ance, the spontaneous and unaffected use
ofwords, kind without protesting kindness.
How much Of derout mans reverence
fills and sways the soul, reveals itself in
words that reveal more because moi words
ofprolession. How. much Of true mans
abhorance of lies or Of righteous mans
just sentiments Of indignation against
wrong, makes itself known in burning
words which will not be repressed. How
much Of selfish mans selfshness, how
much of q covetous mans covetousness
how much Of an aspiring mans ambition
how much Of a proud mans seIfesteem
how much Of mean mans meanness,
shove itself continually in words. How
much even though the words employed
be intended TO hide the thoughts and to
disguise the emotions rather than 10 utter
them.
Thisis, perhaps the most obvious aspect
Of the Connection between speech and
character. Speech, language, the utter
ance Of these articuate sounds is tho natu.
raj and necessary manifestation oflhought
Of emotion. ofthe entire mind and heart.
The heart will vent itself in speech
However reserved and cautious the man
may be in certain occasions or in this or
that particular presence, somewhere and
atsometimes and 10 some companions, he
will reveal himself in words that are all
hisown, just as the thoughts and feelings
are bis own from which those words are
inseparable. Asina dramatic poem, the
characters Of the several persons Of the
several persons Of the drama are made
known TO The reader or the nearer not BY
the poets description ofthem and bis anal
iysis Of their views and motives nor by &C.
ton merelyiin dumb shows,but by the dis
courses and speeches which they are made
70 utter whether in colloquy with each
other orin soliloquy apart and as in
true ipoemiof that kind-true TO itself and
to the nature Of man-each parsonage be-
gins to make himself known in his apr,o-
priated character with the first word hr
utsers and all that he says TO the end Of
whole composition is only the progressive
and lat last completed exhibition Of the i
deal character which the poet had in
mind at ihe beginning; so in this great
drama Of human life and ofthe worlds
history every individual person OF the
drama from the greatest to the least is con.
tinual!y exhibiting himself before the all
seeing and all-hearing God land befnre
men loo) in the words which he utters.
and constantly from bis first entrance on
the scrne olaction till his part is ended
each word be utters adds 10 the exhibition
soi his character.-ErcAange.