Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-08-11
miscellaneous
5 s s e,
bY DIR. THOMPSON,

49, "
result, not so much Of what we say, or write, or
do, as Of what we ore.
In other words, success depends upon character.
Character is that in a mans language, habit, man
ner, tastes and mode Of thinking and acting, which
distinguishes him from others. 1t is his moral
mark--the result partly Of nature, partly Of art
it is the foundation Of his fears and hopes the
source Of his joys or woes, the chief of his possess
sions. 1t differs. from reputation ; character do
ponds upon the man, reputation upon the public;
che former denotes what one is, the latter what
people think Of him but tho two for the most
par, coincide. Artificial circumstance may de-
press a man for a time, bat be will acquire recu-
perative energies by the pressure. So accidents
may lift a man up unduly, but they cannot hold
him in bis unnatural elevation. Sooner or later
he will obey the law Of moral gravity.
A Ounce goes forth with his diploma it will
procure him a welcome to reputable society, and
excite hopes Of performances worthy Of a cultivat'
cd and well informed mind but that is oil II
will not inspire genius, rectity errors, or shield
him from disgrace rather will it make errors
more glaring, and disgrace more overwhelming.
Moral character is more important than profes
sional, aud more easily detected. You may coun-
terfeit coin, but you must be shrewd indeed if
you are not detected. 1t is a more hopeless task
to coun,erfei5 character, even for a day,
One of the most striking provideuces Of God is
found in the differences Of features, and mind
and thought, by which men recognize each other.
Men have a natural language in which f~alsehood
cannot asily be told. Gestures, attitudes, looks,
tones Of voice are all signs Of the spirit. You can
tell the approach Of your child by the echo of his
footsteps in the hall. You may fix a mans social
position by the way in which he enters the room.
Though the reasons assigned for such judgments
Are generally wrong. the Judgments themselves
are generally right.
A new lawyer comes to town and opens an Of
fee. You ask a friend you meet in the streets.
What kind Of a man he is" The reply is, Don't
like him. why not ? you rejoin. lie walks
too Slow is the reply. A new editor enters q
printing Office. lie is instantly guaged and meas
ured by the inmates of the establishment. Be-
fore he has spoken or written, one says to another
he'll do How do you know that p it is asked.
I'm sure Of it know it by the way he wears his
hat is the answer.
Actions are still better ground of judgment.
Sometimes a single act is au index to n whole
life. Talleyrand being asked by a lady to write
III hCA hAOulu oblht w oholi 4 "iANN tON'
name alone is sufficient A confding, uusophisti-
Gated mind would have been like to write it at the
middle or bottom of the page but the willy diplo-
matist ~ca:fully wrote it at the TOP, leaving no
room for any one to write above it.
Lord Nelson, at the siege of Constartinople
when the work of carnage and destruction was SC
hot that be thought it expedient to propose a ces
sation Of hostilities, sat down coOlly for that pur-
pose in tho midst of the din of battle, and wrote
a careful letter to the Danish authorities. A wa
fer being handed him to seal it. he said indignant,
Iy, What shall | send my spittle to the Crown
Prince? Get me sealing wax and n taper That
well impressed seal was indicative of GOODNESS, de-
termination and bravery and small as it was, it
it was the very thing that disposed the Danes to
grant his request.
What strange power attends the presence of a
warrior When on the bloody field the battle is
poised, the appearance Of such a man as Frede-
rick the Great, or Garibaldi, at the head Of the
army, is equal to thousands of fresh troops new
aife RUGS along the lines new courage pumps the
rapid blood into all the arteries the feet Of the
columns are impatient to advance; even the horse
catches the inspiration, as if he felt his grea
master from afar, and paws the earth for tht
charge.
The little child can fl.hom the faith Of the phi
.losopher. You may preach with The most copiou
'eloquence and illustration the doctrine Of an all
pervading Providence, infinitely wise and good, ye
if you murmor, repine, fret, Jour little ones vii
not receive it. And oven though you be silent
they will read the opposite doctrine on your fac,
md in your movements, if it be in your breast
A little girl into whose heart the truth had enter
ed, raised gently the bonnet of her unquiet moth
er who had taught it, and asked Is God dead p
If children are thus ski!liul. how much more
'Ers @en ? 1t is nothing that they do not set abou
exploring character they do it instinctively.
The eyes around us are many. The world i
like that wheel which the prophet beheld by tn,
river Cheber in visions Of God-Gull Of eyes al
nfame with penetrating thought. They ae Away
upon us.
If the President. of the United States were t
pay sou a visit, do you thiak he could remain i
your house long unknown and concealed ? Be sur
your reighbors would find it out, through som
nook or cTevice or window. the secret would 60
abroad--your own manner would tell it if nothin
else did. And do you imagine the King of King
can dwell 10 your heart, without the evidence {
his presence shining out through some crevice c
the soul, and being known and read by men 4?
When the grass grows, and the buds swell. an,
the tulips sprout, and the dafodi!s bloom, an,
Tho birds sing 10 the branches we know the white
is over and gone, without consulting the stars. s.
when ye see goodness, and gentleness. and meek
ness. and love in your neighbours life, you ma!
know that he has become Gods child, without look
ing over the shoulders of the recording angel a
he writes he name in the book of life.
A few weeks since there sat a German in al
English love feast. lie knew but little Of the Ian
gusgs, yet he felt the spirit; his eyes believed hi
manly cheek, his eountenance become q Who'll,
evangel, his frame trembled with emotion h
could bear it no longer, and rising he burst GU
into o passionate appeal Of mingled Teuton an,
Saxon, beginning with these words
"Mo no much English speak 'em. but me Eng