St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-08-03
The Farmers Friend.

control over it it will make slave of him.
It is hard to get this control after it has
mastered him for a time.
A man who conquers tendency to get
angry, shows in so doing that he is worthy
of esteem and he will make mark in the
world.
Let us compare and contrast the lives of
two men, the one with an unruly temper,
the other a man who takes look on all
sides of thing before he gives his decision
upon it, We will first take look at the
ill-tempered man. 1t is not always his
fault that he has bad temper; he may
have gotten it from his parents if so, he
should try and get rid of it and the sooner
the easier. Take an instance from real
life. A man, who, although old and gray
now, is completely in the clutches of his
temper. We know his history from boy
hood up until now. He was very wild
tempered boy we will call him Thomas.
He had one of the best of mothers, SO very
modest and graceful in what she said and
did that everyone liked and respected her
as lady. But unfortunately, as it seemed,
she died when the boy was only twelve
years of age, and he was left to be trained
by his father, who, although very good
business man was very rash in his words
and actions when anything happened con-
trary to his wishes he would get angry and
say and do things he would not under other
circumstances.
Thomas having no one to teach him to
the contrary, soon commenced to contract
his fathers habits, and went from bad to
worse until he was as bad as his father
when he was yet in his teens. Thomas
was married when he was twenty three
years old and several children were born
to them. Now, when he was in the midst
of his growing family was just the time he
needed his good Judgment, but he did not
have it; he could not bear to have the
children crying about him, as children are
very apt to do when rebuked by the father
or mother they grew up like weeds, with
out much training. 1t was very misera-
BILE family, for Thomas made cross father
and poor husband, and at the end of tif-
teen years his wife killed herself as she
had threatened to do several times if he
would not use her better he was married
the second time but he seemed to do better
by his second wife, at least she never COM
planned of his roughness, but after twenty
years she succumbed and died. Again he
married and his third wife is still living,
but it seems that the older Thomas gets the
more of slave he is to his passions he
seems to think that fate is against him and
is cross and surly all the time; In short
Thomas ever since he lost control over
himself has led miserable life, and those
around him have always suffered as con-
sequence of his bad temper in his COM
pany no one can enjoy himself.
Let us set up beside him man of mod
esty and one who is always on his guard
against wrong Judgment and evil passions.
His name is Hugh c.; he is now about
ifty-seven years old. When boy his
parents were of but moderate means, and
Hugh was required to work hard in order
to get what education he could his will
power was strong, and whatever he under
took to do, he did, if at all in his power;
he cured himself of lisping and any other
habit he did not like, with ease, as it
seemed, but the energy that he would put
forth in such work would not show itself.
When he was yet quite young Hugh's
temper began to get hold on him, but he
did not know it. One day his mother
talking to him in her room, kindly told
him that she could notice in him one of
the worst of habits and that it was making
progress, was growing out on him. When
he first heard this it angered him, but
overcoming this feeling with his good ma
ture, he vowed that from that time on he
would be his own master and put down
his passions that were trying to destroy
his good nature. Although it cost him
hard struggle, he finally overcame it; he
could see his rash disposition gradually
disappearing. and again he was his own
master. The effort only served to strength
en- his judgment and fit him for all kinds
of emergencies; his words and actions
showed his forethought When Hugh
was married, at the age of twenty-five
years, he was strong, robust man, with
well formed habits and good judgment,
backed by will fit for the king he really
was, at least over himself, which can be
said of very few persons. He raised
family of three children, all of whom con-
tracted their fathers steady habits, and
happy family it is at present. The father
is yet strong and hearty, always ready for
laugh, and is respected as one having good
opinions and well able to give good advicess
A person with an evil temper is never in
a good position to succeed in life, because
his passions overcome him so that his
energy and enterprising spirit give out too
soon. A rash, fiery tempered man will
yell at and beat or kick COW or horse If
they give him the least cause =; if he milks
a nervous cow he will make her worse and
she will get to kicking the milk will not
be as good as it would be otherwise, nor
will there be as much of it, also the cow
will get wild, and as natural consequence
of the rough handling, she will not thrive
well. If this man drives horse that has
much tendency to baking, it is sure to do
so, because he is pretty sure to get in q
hurry and overload, or whip at the wrong
time his stock will never be the best If
he tends it himself.
The sober, steady man is the one who
not only enjoys life himself, but the others
around him are the better because he
lives; his neighbors have in him friend
and look upon him as being good exam
pie; he can pillow rooty ground and not
break the pillow either, and can stop and go
forward to the horses heads without their
shying off or backing over the swinging
tree for fear of him, which thing | have
often seen, as result of the man jerking
his horses or whipping them over the head
and face, which should never be done. A
person should always think this way,
when tempted to whip horse or any
beast: "Will it really pay me in the end
to do this? Is not this only using up, fol
nothing, flesh which I will have to replace
with so much cornY Sometimes animals
need correcting, but they seldom get it al
the right time and in the right way. A
man when using the rod on an animal il
pretty apt to get excited and go too fal
and the beast is worse than before. Thi.
is the case unless the person working will
the animals can control his temper, ant
the animal Of such person is pretty ap
not to need any birch or strap. The man
then, whosscan resist his temper can worl
more for his own advantage than the mai
who does things in excitement. If 20,
wish to do yourself and family good, i
you wish the happiness of others, if 20,
want the farm to look nice, control you