The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-02-14
THE UNRULY MEMBER.


! There was good deal of sound and
practical philosophy in the plain word OF
/ Don Quixote. when he said: Keep your
mouth shut and your eyes open. The
( word Of the wise man is being verified
every day. :" 4 fool uttereth all his mind;
! but wise man keepcth it in till after
wards
/ The Apostle James uttered universal
truth when he declared that the tongue
was an unruly evil, and most men know
something of it by painful experience.
! 1t is member which no man can tame.
Out of the same mouth proceedeth bless
ing and cursing. and often does it prove
a world of iniquity. We have the posi-
tive utterance of sentiments to-day which
are denied with equal assurance to-mor-
row, and loud professions Of strength
and power when all is we'll. changed to a
pitiiul confession of weakness and fear
in the face of danger-the harsh word OF
reproof where the tender accents of true
affection should be heard, and the utter
ance of thoughtlcss word which fans 4
Slumbering SORROW into a hot flame, in
stead of the expression of that finer spirit
which comforts and sootheS; and often
the unintentional bringing of sad thoughts
Nto the mind, when one needs to be urged
onward rather than have his mind stirred
| up by way of remembrance.
Ii is often difficult to decide when to
speak and when to keep silence. As the
.iutocrat happily expresses it, Talking
is like playing on the harp: there is as
much in laying the hands an the strings
to stop their vibrations as i'll twanging
them to bring out their music Some
always chattering. Some are like the
solemn owl, which for the most part
keeps silent. Some in their conversation
have charm that wins and enriches the
| heart, end their words are las an honey
comb. sweet to the soul and health to the
BONES But with the speech of others
there is an icy GOODNESS which is felt, and
they are very like character of Shake
spearc, who, when she talks, speaks
poniariS, and every word stahs.
Men are responsible for every word
that they utter. for they are cXerting an
influence from age to age which is either
enriching or impoverishing human hearts.
Ii there was care taken to speak adj
visedly with the lips, there would be far
less of the unrighteous leaven scattered
in the worlds three measures OF meal.
If there was as much anxiety about cul-
tivating the grace of silence as there Is
| about hearing and repeating the latest
gossip. the social atmosphere would not
he SO tainted with rumors which are
vague. false, and poisonous. 1t has been
said that the Spartans fined a citizen be-
cause he used three words where two
would have done as well. Were such
| rule to be adopted here, We would soon
have another financial crisis. At the
present day it would be looked on as i'm
possible for Il man to keep silence as did
| Job for seven days. Joy and grief. sue
| cess and failure, must always find vent
in words. OF there is a fearful striving
Within If it was the fashion now TO
have household gods. as it was in the
time of Rachel, Il figure representing
silence with her finger upon her lips
should have a chief place. and perhaps
| II
effective where preccpt and example fail,
and there might be fewer words to re-
tract and fewer tangled webs to unravel.
"Words are things" living and power
ful-and should be so handled as to avoid
the willful pcrversion of facts, and the
casting of false Interpretation upon whole
some truths. and thus much of the vain
sugar-coating Of lies would cease to be
common or fashionable. They often make
deep wounds. for which there seems no
balm. They sometimes bring the blood.
and all efforts to stop it for time seem
vain. They may uproot forever deep
seated hnpe, and scatter, as so much
chatl' to the winds, the gathered heart
treasures of many years. They can pol
lutte the heart. and a long life will not be
sufficient to wash away the stain. Many
u human heart will carry to the grave
sears made by the speaking of true words
at the wrong time, or by the saying of
that which is false. How often is it true,
that by
. \ frivolous word, sharp retort,
\ flash from passing cloud,
fwo hearts are sct;hel 10 their inmoSt core,
Are ashes and dust furevernore:
Two faces turn TO the crowd
Masked by pride with lifelong lie,
10 hide the sears of thai agony -:
But while there is time to keep silent,
there is also a time to speak. There come
times when men must use great plainness
OF speech, and i'll words stript of their
shirts" Times will come when personal
being tempered with, and then men must
rise above the weakness of prophesying
smooth things, and speak boldly i'll winged
words, which, being permeated by the
|
force straight to the mark intended.
sometimes they must be like two-edged
swords, piercing even to the dividing
asunder.as when Nathan convicted David,
when Christ pronounced his terrible woes
against the Pharisees, and when Paul
caused the heart of Felix to trem-
BILE. Out of the silence of deep con-
viction and an earnest purpose, men must
sometimes rise to speak words that burn
like William of Orange, who broke the
, silence of many years to reveal to his
countrymen and the world the pertdy
and basencss of Philip II.-like John
Knox, who, in the presence Of Scotland 5
naughty queen without fear of wavcring
called things by their right names.
Silence commanded by sound Judgment.
and speech seasoned with grace, may be
! able instruments by which to counteract
the natural tendency of the tongue to