Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-02-25
SELF CONTROL.
EVERY DAY UTILITY OF THE ART
 OF STOPPING.


 OF STOPPING.
 A Difference in Street Car Drivers-The
 Deacon's Failing-A Lecturer Who
 Particular Gift.
 'tDid you ever notice the difference in the way that different drivers stop the horse cars. One starts his horses on jump, gives jump himself to avoid the jar, tumbles all his passengers half over toward the rear end of the car, and when the signal to stop is given he gives the brake a sudden jerk, whirls around to see if his passenger is off, whirls again while his human load is tumbled toward the front of the car, is of before they come to an equilibrium, stops again in the same way, jams short gentleman's head into a lady's bonnet, jams ladies' hats into gentlemen's faces, and, all in all, keeps up a continuous strain on peoples politeness; un- corks an occasional immoral invective; has every corn fin the car trod on; elegant dresses plunged into by the soiled hands of tumblinsH unfortunates, all for not knowing how to stop.
 John Excel is my ideal. When he sees a signal he gently touches the brake, draws in his horses, calculates to Q nicety how much force will bring his car to a halt just at the crossing. When passenger wishes to alight, John stops his car in the sape level headed way; rarely turns around; knows when the man is off, by delicate sense of feeling; starts easy, and the car glides off with pie mic smoothness. Nobody is trmbled into mo- body, and everybody is really enjoying the ride. When the car is not overful gentlemen read their papers, put on their spectacles with ease, discuss the news, make nice bows to lady friends; and, when they alight, are never tumbled in the street. All from having the art of stopping.
 THE DRAGONS FAILING.
 Father D. was a pious old deacon in an Ohio church. He was relied on by his pastor as right hand man. He was anxious toIlo his duty, and if called on to ''testify1in meeting had it not in conscience to refuse. stop he never knew. He tried to speak his closing words, but every sentence, in spite of him, would close itself with an land" or with a ''but." This pledged him to another sen- tence, which also fatally closed with another "and." Dear brother" hear him patiently say, "1 am an unworthy disciple, and have nothing to say that is worthy of your con- sideration-but. But I know that I ought always to be ready to testifyof the Lords goodness-and. And now will close what have to say-and. And beg of you always to be instant in season and out of season, doing what your hands find to do-and. And, as was saying, know my own unworthi- ness to speak of what the Lord is doing in Zion-but. But I don't want to stand in the light of others who would do their duty and" "And"-and so the poor fellow stepped on the trap every time, in spite of himself At last, perspiring and scared, the ands and buts rolled into a confused ball of words, and the deacon fell back exhausted. His testi- mony was terrible "cross," i" not only to him. self, but to all the "brethren and sisters"
 When Rev. Dr. M. was invited to lecture before the lyceum of A., he began at 8 o'clock. His leGture was from one of those topics that open at both ends. He lectured from each end alternately; now bit of theory, and then a bit of application. He lectured for one hour. The audience was then somewhat overfulL. They were getting uneasy. He lectured one hour and quarter, and was just beginning to enjoy himself. The audience began to be markedly impa- tient. One hour and a half! Two-thirds of his audience left. One hour and three-quar- ters! He evidently wanted to stop, but could not get to an end. The audience that re- mained from respect to his character was excessively angry. Two hours! The affair grew ludicrous. People looked in each others faces and laughed. Assuring them that he must not detain them any longer, the doctor broke off his thread. All for lack of the art of stopping.
 THE GIFT OF LINCOLN.
 In politics the art of stopping is pre-emi- nent It was the particular gift of Lincoln How terribly impatient we all got with him after the battle of Bull Run! But was he evei driven by clamor to one nasty step? What terrible burden that man bore for those months when Chase said, "If he lives he will wreck us," and honest men wished he would die. It is wonder he did not die. Lincoln had the marvellous power to lead, but never to be more than one step ahead of the people, Henry Clay had somewhat of this popular leadership, and so did Webster; but neither of them could be sure to stop both lost the presidency for that reason. Douglas had the art, but he committed him. self to one great error, and could never be allowed to stop. It is the doom of a political blunder that it leads on and on to perpetual complications. But you cannot read the life of Lincoln, and not admire his art of self control.
 lam peculiarly pleased with the training we are getting in these days by science in the art of stopping. If you study the life of Oar win you will admire nothing so much as his stopping short of mere speculation. do not think he has been found ever to have gone one step beyond the direct and positive war rant of data. You may imagine what the evolution idea born into some brains would have led to. Indeed, we have seen some very eminent men compelled to back out of some very ludicrous places, because they did not stop in time Scientific training is having a wonderful influence in compelling us to test and prove as we go.-''E. F. F." in Globe Democrat.