The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-10-24
Observation-Disclosures of Self.

S6lI. InlS may arse from Tue love OF ap-
probation. A yearning for the favor of
men toward us may be so strong that
every human being we meet shall throw
back upon us some thought of how we
ourselves stand with them. There is
tendency to keep ones self before ones
own mind. Every man, under such cir
cumstances, brings to us some thought
about ourselves. Or, it may be super
constituencies to his rights and duties that
shall cause one to fix his thought chiefly
on himself. There are persons that are
never out of their own sight; and although
it may be their moral feelings that min
lister the thought of themselves to them
selves, nevertheless it is self that is the
theme of their thought. A generous and
true man let's himself go away out of his
own sight, as wise parents let their chill
dren go away out of their sight A child
that is brought up at home, and is never
allowed to go out of the sight of father
and mother, must be an extremely poor
child if it is not spoiled by the time it is
brought up. The correct idea of family
government is not that the parents should
do all the governing, but that they should
teach the child to do his own governing,
and let him go by himself, and do some
thing Of his own accord aud work out re-
suits in his own way, and have sense of
responsibility. The earlier child can
be inspired in this Way the safer it is for
him. 1t is said that good peoples chill
dren turn out badly. They do not. Good
peoples children, counted one by one, turn
out better than other peoples children.
Now and then there is an instance, it is
true, when good peoples children turn
out badly; but this is not the general
rule. It is said that ministers and dea-
cons children are more apt to turn out
badly than worldly peoples. I do not be-
lieve it. 1t would be strange, consider
ing how many they usually have, if some
of them did not turn out badly; but if
you compare them with equal numbers of
the children of people that make no pro-
fession of religion, you will find the facts
to be exactly the other way. And the in
stances in which the children of Chris
tians turn out badly I think you can gen.
orally trace to their over-anxiety to have
them good. They mean to see to it that
they are good. They do not let them try
the experiment of moral conduct, and
reap the rewards and penalties of it, in
order that, gathering wisdom, they may
know, when they 60 out from under the
parental roof, how to take care Of them
selves. If the housewife is so consider
ate of her daughter as to make the beds
and the bread for her, and do the sewing
for her, and put all her things up for her,
when she is grown she will not know how
to do anything for herself. 1t is possible
for man to mistreat himself 30. 1t is
possible for him to keep himself under
his own eye, and all the time watch what
he is doing and thinking and feeling, so
that his disposition and nature never can
get chance to work without restraint.
There are great many conscientious,
cautious people who keep their own life
90 under their own inspection that it never
gets out where it can be free, and develop
a true, manly breadth and strength. A
true man lives the greater number of
hours with scarcely thought that he
does live. Everybody comes home to
himself occasionally; but man that is
man may be in life exerting great power,
studying, thinking, laboring for others,
working for causes outside of himself,
and for hours and days scarcely think of
himself egotistically. He may be hungry or
thirsty, warm or cold, and he may think of
it; but the thought, "Here am Il; here is my
understanding this is my genius this is
my power and influence" never cutters his
mind from morning till night, nor from
weeks end to weeks end. If man is
busy as he ought to be; if he is using
himself rightly, pouring out his life in
some path of usefulness, what occasion
has he to 60 back and think about him
self But many persons do not permit
this outgoing. They seem to think it is
part of their duty of watchfulness to
keep themselves so near that they never
are out of the reach of self-consciousnes
ALI this may be amiably done; it may be
done by comparison of ourselves with
others it may be done regretfully or COM
placently; but whatever may be the in
Fiction, it is inordinate self-consciousness.
This tendency may be increased in per-
sons who are liable to excessive selfness
by the practice of self-examination.
distinguish between selfness and selfish
ness. A man is selfish when he consults
his own welfare or pleasure at the expense
or disregard of others; but when a man
does not sacrifice anybody else's rights or
advantages, and merely occupies himself
much with his own self, he is given to
selfness. Now, the duty of selfexamina-
ton is an important one; but to be bene-
fetal it must be an examination of gen.
eral results rather than of casual and de-
tailed processes. The habit of perpetual
self-inspection leads, generally, to great
confusion and perplexity, because it is
unnatural. The mind was not made to
be watched while it is working. 1t would
be great deal safer to take your watch
out, and open it, and carry it open through
Broadway, observing the act of its keep
ing time instead of looking at the dial to
see what time it was, than it is to keep
the mind open, and watch the springs OF
thought and the motives of life on the
supposition that you can get a clearer in.
sight in that way than in any other. For
the mind acts best, as roots do, in the
dark. If you insist on bringing the roots
of plant to the top of the ground, they
wither and die. If you would have them
thrive, you must let them lie under ground
and Judge of the plant by its fruit. Self-ex
animation is right but that self'examina
ton which consists in watching the proc
esses of life is false in philosophy and
mischievous In result. There are few who
have the ability to employ the power OF
introversion judioiously. Many stop the
processes they attempt to look in upon
When feeling is excited, and you at
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