The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-12-18

dress, reads 4 book. or beholds 4 stirring
scene by which noble emotions are arous
ed, but in few days they will all be
dead. Such things spring up within him
in night, like Jonah gourd, because
the surface soil is good: they perish also
III night, because the soil is only on the
surface. There is Il convenient side tc
To all this, for the mans bad emotions
are also tleeting. His animosities are
short lived. He thinks himself forgiv-
ing, but the truth is he has not the DOW.
er to be q long hater OF permanent
enemy. The charitable say OF him that
his temper flares, tlickerS. and dies in q
moment: that lie is always sorry for ii
and quickly apologies. Yet it is plain
that any emotion for which one must
Immediately apologize is unmitigated
weakness. y strong nature, when Justly
angry, is angry all day and contemns
apologies.
Again, 1t is trite to say that the weak
man meets difficulties and misfortunes
badly. He creates them and finds temp
tation where others do not. To-day he
may be starving: tomorrow when he re-
ceiyes a handsome sum he will have a
champagne dinner. or will buy bric-a-
orac, gold pen, a seven bladed knife or
IA new ring-as Goldsmith would write
himself impranus, and within few days
afterwards strut the streets in new and
costly gold laced velvet coat. With sur
plus money in his pocket. although it be
his entire resource for given period,
the weak man is constantly tempted to
spend it on trihes. He will walk up
town to save a car fare and then buy a
cigar of fine quality to make the walk
pleasant. He will tell himself that he
cannot afford dollar for a theatre or lee
ture, but may indulge the cheaper lux
ury of glass of wine or spirits. This
being pleasant, leads to another: exhila-
rating, he takes third: then reckless.
he passes all previously fixed bounds
and next morning probably realizes that
in trying to save one dollar he has wasted
ten. This is part of his nature, which
habitually delies the strong and sue
cumbs to the weak. In temptation of all
kinds. where Il frIner character says
No" and passes on. he dallies and
yields. 1t is not a question of knowl-
| edge. None better than he knows the
result Of folly. 1t is simple question
Of ability to resist at the right time.
In his occupations the weak man APP
| pears to no better advantage. The hours
are too long, the work is too unfairly dis
| tributed, the distance is too great, the
employer is too severe-there is always
some threatening lion in the way. While
he is murmuring, stronger men work
rapidly through the liardships to some
thing better.
Among the trials and sorrows Of life
| the weak man is always heard in the
minor key. He wllines and raves at des-
| tiny; he blames this man and that: his
comments on modern civilization are full
seeks oblivion in drink when he might
find it in mental OF bodily occupation
1t is not uncommon to hear him talk
about total WEAKNESS of life and to see
him follow up this by suicide. Where
one is isolated from society suicide may
contain an element of heroism. But
! 1rborn ~ will rtaiplv b1irbt
life it is either insanity or the acme of
cowardice. The weak man. who under
reverses of fortune or want of employ
ment destroys himself and leaves for his
wife and children. as such misanthropes
usually do, 4 letter full Of gush and af-
fectionate pity, is beneath contempt.
since, without relieving their burden OF
want, he throws upon them new burden
of shame and protracted grief.
Again, no matter what his circum-
stances, the weak man is in disposition
VIGOROUSLY obstinate. Stronger people
know how to listen to reason-they are
plant, they will yield, forego or make
timely concessions. The weak man will
neither listen or bulge. 1t is with men
as with metals. Gold is mallcable: cop
per is luctile: steel is flexible. but cast
iron, the lowest in grade, is simply fran
gible. The weakly, obstinate man is
cast iron. He will not yield, but is easily
broken. This is true of heggars and
rulers alike. King John, Of England,
refused to make even slight concessions
to his subjects, so the Barons assembled
at Runnymede and forced him to accept
the Great Charter from them. There is
event. Life is crowded with people who
get broken because they will not yield in
time
The weak man would be an object of
less Importance to us if he lived apart
ard bore alone lis retributive miseries.
Unfortunately he has a knack of exciting
the interest of others, and worries them
greatly. He seeks favor and makes pro-
fuse promises. His benefactorS know
that the promises will be surely broken.
and this from no necessity of the case
but only on account of the promisors
weakness.
Moreover. whilst strong characters by
reason of their strength either avoid or
undertake the responsibilities and obi
cations Of social life deliberately, he
commonly falls into them unaware and
spends his life in a slough of despond.-
Mistaking an impulse for a manly pas
sion. he is quite likely to marry impru-
IDENTIFY. Even where this is not the case
where he makes what seems to be an
excellent choice--hiS weakness is the GER
tain precursor of domestic suffering, for
no woman can wholly change his nature.
See him at fifty. lie is cowed and timid.
and speaks bitterly of the world which
has beaten him. His wife is grey before
she is old. After twenty or thirty years
with him. she can tell a sad story of de-
fcrrcd hope. She can tell of excellent
opportunities lost by his want of pluck.
OF his months of Incidence. of his fool
ish outlaws. of ill-advised and desperate
speculations. on which were staked not
ONLY the position and the home but the
clothing. the shoes and the bread of the
family. She can tell of foreclosures,
auctions, removals and frequent resi-
dence in the obscurity of back streets.
No eApoStulations or bitter experiences
make the weak man wiser. If his wife
happens to be oak he may climb around
her. but if she. like him. is only ivy they
both crawl in perpetual adversely. Per-
hapS no husband and father intlicts upon
his family such an aggregate of woe and
suffering as does the weak man. His
sincere affections may save him from de-
spair and his good intentions may soften
our judgment concerning him. yet I'M