The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-02-02
LEARN TO CoNTROL YOUR TEMPER
IN YOUTH.
A STORY WITH A MORAL. BY TIE cREsCEsT's
FASHION CONTRIBUTOR.

While there is pause in the sacred precincts
devoted to Ia mode, and her most ardent servitors
are resting on their laures from the labor Of in
venting, modifying, changing the fashions, and
are regarding with complacency the results Of
sleepess nights and days Of anxiety, let me, too,
pause, and in place of my gossip on the fashions,
give you little picture from real life.
This is the season when is displayed on the per-
sons of bellies and beaux the labor of untiring,
earnest, inventive genuses, whose whole minds
have been directed TO the accomplishment of one
object-a change Of fashion; and whose short
hour Of triumph is at its zenith. While they are
preparing for the spring csmpsigu-a as to me does
not belong the pleasing and exciting talk of H.
venting pyramids for the head, envelopes for tue
"human form divine" paints, patches or cos
metics for waning beauty, or any of the thousand
ard one eccentricides Of fashionable life-I fad
my occupation Of recorder Of fashions gone. |
therefore descend with a run. and beg you to &C.
company me, friends of the CRESCENT, from the
blue Olympisn heights to common place work
day life, where from the ethereal 'glories Of
belehoOd young ladies pass to the more common
place duties of wives and mothers.
Boys, cease this wrangling. Cannot you play
together without temper? Strangle temper, my
sons, in youth; even as the infant Hercules did
the serpent sent TO destroy him, which, the
speaker added, musingly, " was doubtless
! Intended to represent the Evil passions com non
TO mankind, and which in the vnd destroy those
who foster them lovingly in their bosoms. Do
not let your temper gain control over you. You
can never tell 10 what its indulgence may
lead"
But, father" said the younger Of the Two
boys addressed, Z" Herbert has lost his ball,
which was small has taken possession of mine,
and won't give IL back to me.n
The bail is not Charles's, but mine" replied
Herbert, angrily.
81 have not time now, boys, to listen and Judge
Of the merits Of the case. Take the disputed
ball 10 your mother, and ask her to keep it till
come home to dinner"
Indeed, boys" he added. gravely, sadly,
almost sternly, "dearhs you both are to me,
would sooner follow you to your graves thar see
you grow up in the indulgence Of your too violent
tempers. Had not come TO the door at the mo
ment you would doubtless have gone to bio Us
over poor toy that cost but a few cents, and
God knows" he added with SILVER, how the
fight would have ended"
The boys, awed by their fathers earnestness,
and mortified at his rebuke, Obeyed in silence,
and started to school with graVer taces than they
usually wore.
{ Mr.. Grsy-as we will call the speaker-ihe
father Of Charles and Herbert, was welItO-dO
merchant Of New Orleans. know most readers
would prefer story located abroad, aud fad like
Mrs. Jeliby, "whOse fine eyes were ever directed
t., Africa" little interest in home events. Truth,
however compes me 10 locate this tale here yet
imagination will allow readers to locate it in the
moon, if So it pleases them. Mr.. Gray was not q
nstive CT New Orleans but had come here while
quite youth. Those who knew him then, OBJ
served that dark shadow, as of some misfortune
great and overwhelming enough to crush out the
tuOyancy OF youth, seemed ever to rest on his
spirit. To none had he conided The cause Of his
gloom. As years rolled by and he gained by hi5
ipfe4ibe honesty, aud attention to busine IS p0-
stiop Of trust, he mingled more in society, and at
length at thirty, married young lady he had long
known remarkable for her sweetness of dispOsi-
ii D. By this lady Mr.. Gray had ia the course of
fifteen years three children. Two fine boys Her
bert nd Charles, aged respectively twelve aud
fourteen, already introduced to the realer, aud
little fairy girl possessing all her mothers sweet
ness Of disposition.
The boys we're both passionate. high spirited
youngsters totally unlike 10 disposition. she often
r. ma ked, TO either her, or their father, who was
rema ksble for evenness of temper. He never
became irritated at the thousand add one little
conrets mpts that will occur ia the best regua
establishments, and was never heard to use a
rough word to any Of the employees beneath him
in his ofNce. Want Of space obliges me to COM
press my story within the narrowest limits, aud |
viii return to the day when the above dialogue
occurred.
At DINER Mr.. Gray was unusually silent and
abstracted. After the cloth was removed he said
TO Lila IONS, q" Boys, | shall be home from the
Office early this evening; prepare your 10 NOR
rows les before dark. tonight, after tea,
] shall tell YOU all q story"
TIE children looked at each other with some
surprise, and aHed by their fathers gravity did
not receive the promise of the story with the
rapture that usually creets such promises.
Evening came, and with it, much earlier than
usual, tht ir father. Greatly loved by his family,
the children having recovered from the ave
caused by lis gravity, hailed his presence with
delighted curiosity.
The boys Of an evening generally used the tea
room rs their study, leaving the parlors 20 their
mo Of aotfr .
Mr.. Gray, after the tea table was cleared. the
curtains drawn, and the fire stirred, seated him-
self in his armchair. and with bis wife at his side
and his three children grouped around, COM
menced his story.
my dear boys, in this big city that have lived
in for thirty years. there is not one person that
knows my story. And now, did 1 not hope to
benefit you, my children, would not rake from
its ssbes the far past.
a" was born in the south OF Ireland Of English
parents / had but one brother-Herbert his
name. He was older than |, but Of a very deli
cate organization. Ny parents never thought he
would survive the usual sickness of infancy on
account Of a weakness OF the chest. Tie, how
ever, struggled through them, and at fifteen the
ply sicisn who Was in constant attendance on him,
gave my parents strong hopes OF his ultimate re-
cOvery. Though two years younger than Her
bert, ! was as tall, much stronger, snd Overlooking
with life and yivacity. was my fathers favOrite
and ever accompanied him in his rides over the
estate and often in bis hunts. At thirteen could
bhAh dDy morse on Tue pace duQ LAke MN over
the worst fence or ditch in the country without
hesi' stiOn. The doctor advised that Herbert
sh, uld take much gentle exercise in the open air,
and my father, TO induce his compliance, pur-
chased him the best horse, gun and leash of dogs
be found in the country. | had also some fine
dogs.
"As have told you, was overlooking With life
and vivscity. There was one dark spot in my
character which, alas, my dear father did not
gard a serious blemish, and which he rather
encouraged as a mark OF high spirit than checked.
Ii was a most violent temper. On the smallest
proyocatOn | would curse violently at the SER
wants, end storm and rave like a maniac at any
contradiction Of my will, which | believed to be
sovereign. Indeed, did not hesitate to come to
blows With an offending groom generally the son
Of some of the tenants Of the estate. and looked
upon as fixtures, When my mother, most gentle
lady, called my father attention to my violence,
be rebuked me slightly, or liughingly declared
came by my temper legitimately, as in his youth
he had been, II possible, more fiery than | was.
To return to toe day when my brother received
his presents He was already tOlerabe horse
man end shot, for il would be impossible for a
boy TO live on estate in Ireland, without be-
coming both. The day was fine. aad dared him
10 a tide to try the respective merits Of our
sninsls. We started, and carried away by the
excitement of the hour, rode fast and far. / was