The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-04-04
REAL PATIENCE AND AVAILABILITY.

other, Take for example, patience
amiabil,ty and like qualities. The
man of energy and enthusiasm, who
by the exercise of self-control pre-
serves his patience when Instructions
are placed in his way and amiably
yields recognition to other peoples
opinions, exhibits virtue of a high
order.
But an equally patient and anna
BILE man may be SO simply because of
his colorless character. He is nat
urally yielding, without ambition or
energy, and as he has no purposes
to be crossed, he has no difficulty in
being patient and amiable. He
could not, in fact be otherwise. His
virtues are OF a negative kind, due,
not to the exercise of self-restraint
or to sacrifices of any kind, but to
the absence of positive views and
purposes-to faults in his character.
Enthusiasm, strong convictions, de-
termined purpose, all ofthese are good
qualities if held in proper restraint /;
they are equally bad when they lead
to dogmatic insistance upon ones
own view, irrespective of the views
of other people, to intolerance or OPP
preston.
But there is no man who has
greater opportunities for the display
of the virtues Of patience and am
liability than the strong, earnest man
who is obliged, much against his
will at times, to restrain his temper,
to yield little to others of equal
authority, to discuss questions on
which his mind is already made up,
to make concessions to others; in
short, to subdue his natural DISPOSE
ton to do things selfshly in his own
way without regard to others.
In such a man patience, amiabil-
ity, or even the appearance of these
qualities, may be considered a posi-
tive virtue The strong earnest man
without the power of self-conirol,
seldom accomplishes much, or, if he
achieves anything, does it at the ex-
pense of much friction, or inspite of
opposition whereas the wiser en-
thusiastic reaches his end by persis-
tence, Cancellation and the use of
persuasive arts that can be enjoyed
only by those who are patient and
amiable. In the larger world OF
business and politics these character
istic dispositions and methods of diff
ferent men are Often conspicuous,
but even in the household one may
readily note the distinction in meth
DDS and results between government
by those who are Indifferent end
therefore amiable, and those who are
earnest and enthusiastic, but at the
same time patient, tolerant and SYM
pathetic
One head of the family will, by
his good-natured indifference, allow
his children to grow up with all
their faults uncorrected, and get the
credit of being amiable because he is
weak or selfish, preferring his own
personal comfort to the good of his
offspring. Another will by the
severity of his rule, his obstinacy
and intolerance deprive his home OF
that cheerful air of freedom and
sympathy which is the surest tie to
bind the members of family to
their household. The equally strong
man who has beside his enthusiasm
and zeal the virtues of patience, tol~
erance and amiability will neither be
Indifferent to the faults of his chill
dren nor SO severe in their correc-
ton as to appear tyrannical. il
He will not be unjust, neither
will he selfshly spare himself the
duty of looking after the moral well
fare of his family. And he will
have his reward not merely in chill
dren obedient to his will, but cheer
full, loving always in after life, look
ing back to their childhood's home
with feelings of pleasure. The
same kinds of men in public life
behave in similar way. One will
be Indifferent to his duties as citi-
zen, amiable enough to vote for re-
form ifethe suggestion is made to
him; too selfish to make any sacri-
fees therefor. Another will fierce
ly attack abuses, fight bravely for
their correction, but with such dog
matte zeal as TO arouse opposition,
which his disposition prevents him
from conciliating.
The third enthusiastic will be
even more persistent in working
his purpose, but holding himself in
control he will no raadx, te, r.r,,c;l;oto