Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-04-09
A BALL oE 1WlNE.
Ned's Passionate Temper, and How He
Subdued 1t.

subdued 1t.
Ned Dixon had a quick, passionate
temper; he spoke first and thought
afterwards. Like a whirlwind his
anger overlook him; there came violent
words, and after awhile a very much
slammed little boy would say: 20 dear,
dear, what shall 1 dop" For he had
been taught that unless he learned to
conquer this evil spirit, in the end it
would subdue him. His mother had
striven with him and tried in all ways
to help him, and at last she said:
"Now, my boy, you must do this
thing for yourself; neither God nor
man can help you unless you strive
yourself"
"But l do, MAMMAL said Ned.
II know you do sometimes, dear
child, but you have not struggled as if
you were in the clutches of a wild beast
that will surely destroy you if you
don't overcome him. Life is a poor
thing. child, if we let ourselves grow
up the slaves of u evil tendencies;
but remember, He that ruleth his
spirit is greater than he that taketh a
q city;' and you have read of some of
the terrible battles men have had to
fight to take cities"
This conversation took place after an
unusually bad exhibition of temper on
Ned's part, and when it was over, the
boy wandered off by himself in
a very contrite mood, and at last
found himself in the barn. Here
he sat down on a carpenters bench,
and began to examine the tools in a
box that stood open beside him. After
awhile he picked up a ball of Irvine
and began to unwind and rewind it.
All at once a new thought took pos
session of him, and tossing the ball OF
Irvine back into the box, he darted off,
and vas 500 running down the street
as fast as he could go.
After awhile he returned with Arrest
ball of Irvine that he had bought, am
put it away in a box Of his own trap.
in the barn-chamber. About this time
Ned's friends began to notice that he
did not get into a passion as often as
usual, and instead Of speaking when he
was angry he ran away. His mother,
who watched him closely, was over
joyed, for she saw that he was learning
self-control, though it was no easy
matter. She saw his face flush often,
and the angry spark in his eye, but he
would shut his lips tightly and disap-
pear, coming back after awhile with
his anger quite gone. Seeing that Ned
always ran to the barn at such times,
his mother followed him one day, curl
Gus to know what the boy would do.
She stepped cautiously, and, looking
up into the ba~rn-chamber, saw Ned,
sitting on a box unwinding with great
rapidity a ball of Irvine. His face was
very red and his lips shut tightly, and
the cord flew fast through his fingers.
Towards the end the hands began to
relax their speed, and when the task
was done the boy gave a great sigh
and slowly began to wind up the Irvine
again. His mother judged that it
would now do to speak to him, so
climbing the stairs she said:
"What are you doing, Ned?"
He looked up surprised, and q little
confused, but said: b
20 mamma, 1 do believe I have
found a way to help myself. I Just
don't speak n word when / am mad,
bot come right up here before I do any
thing, and unwind this Irvine and wind
it all up again; by the time I get it all
unwound, I'm not very angry, and it
is such stupid work winding it up
again, but l do it every time, and ]
guess l shall learn soon not to get mad
at all, when l have to do such a job OF
WORK every time"
Ned Dixon is a man now. and his
letters come addressed to Hon. Edward
Dixon. His mother loves to tell her
grandchildren how their father learned
to conquer his temper and rule his
spirit. They find it hard to believe
that papa eve had a quick temper; NO
cver sees it now.-Golden Rule.