The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1895-03-08
GhDrmnfrM-Sta
Mental ~Sslf.Csalrsl.


"a ~
,uire, the principles we esp0use, the
duties We perform OF neglect, the
temperatures we resist or yield to,
The words We speak and the influence
We exert are matters upon which we
are often urged to be ylgilant +; hut
the thoughts and imaginings which
pass through our MInd are seldom
brought up for scrutiny. There are
two reasons for this-nrst, they are Z
% entirely hidden from Others that
all the class OF motives which ihci0de
the hope OF esteem or the fear OF cen.
sure are quite imperative and, scc-
ondly, we are accustomed to consider
them 70 involuntary an 10 prevent any
serious sense Of responsibility. The
irst VI these reasons Is undoubtedly
operative. No One but ourselves
knows what We are thinking about;
therefore, We can be held accountable
for our reflections only W our own
coLsciences. THE second, however, II
OILY partly correct. Impressions and
conceptions do float through our
minds unbidden; but we are not un.
able To resist them, To correct then,
to turn them into other channels, or
to dismiss them altogether. The
power " do this resides in every anc
person, and the degree to which II Is
developed marks with t0lerable GER
tainty the strength Of the mind and
the manl,ness Of the character. There
are weak and indolent dreamers who
are slaves to their faDcics, who care
not to break their chains, and whose
ability to do so Is steadily diminish
ing. Yet ' In them " may be re-
i~nstated, nor Is 1t ever wholly extinct,
save 10 those unfOrt innate cases when.
through disease or injury, reason has
been driven from her throne.
The human mind Is never wholly
inactive In Its waking hours. No mat
ter how passive or how idle We may
BE-, the thoughts and the fancies are
busy, with OF without our will. SOnN.
/; times, indeed, they act energetically,
in obedience to u purpose. We SIT
ourselves to work to think out y
problem, to weigh an argument, to
arrive at a decision, To fath0m an
idea, to consider the details Of a plan
or a piece of work, and OUT thoughts
= Iserve us well or i'll according to their
training. To think cOnsccutiyely and
, to a conclusion Is one Of the supreme
x acts Of life, and the power to do 1t IL
x one Of the best gifts that education
x can bestow. Beyond this, however,
. there is u vast amount OF musing and
x meditation that seems to 90 on with
X In and Involuntarily. Pictures rise
x up Of the past as it was or might have
. been, Of the future AS we hope Or fe :
~ II may bc. These are more or less
. vague OF indistinct !; but they either
- grow In clcarness or fade away, ac'
= cOrdlng to the interest they excite
~ within US. Sometimes these floating
notions will take the form Of sugges.
- tions, and will pass into real purposes
= which are pat into execution. In the
words Of another, ''The mind play
- with the picture OF them, until sud
- denly the picture has become u fact.
. Many u crime, from which the doe
~ would once have shrunk In horror, Ia
- slowly shaped itself In hours Of secrc
meditation; and from long familiar
y ity IN solitary thought has lost Its re
n pulsiveness, and assumed a strenGtl
and proportion suflicient to create til
I%actual deed. On the other hand
many an act Of duty Or s~elf.sacri1e,
, at first supposed to be impossible, hu
by continual contemplation beconl
so attuned to the disposition that !
has been performed with case AM
even with pleasure.
~ Even where these imaginings ~
:" nO~trealized In active life, they pr
I. mote various mental conditions an
nOurish various emotions. A fair
suspicion entering the mind an
brooded ovcr will often develop int
jealousy, anger and hatred, while o
Ia the other hand, pure and mob
Thoughts cherished will make u
rs. character more pure and noble. "
can brood upon our troubles unit
!, they become unbearable, Or we ca
dwell upon our blessings until ou
- hearts are melted into thankfulncs
We can ponder over the faults Of d
neighhors until we are imbued vii
disapproval and contempt, Or we CT
~ muse upon their rcdecming qualiti
i. iii the kindly sympathies Of Our a
turc assert themselves. ~Seli-compa
ionship, indeed, Is more influential
forming character and regulating II
chan any other intercourse. II
N more constant, more uncnnstrains
Y more. absolutely sincerc. Yet,
NJ make its influence truly salutary
must direct It's cOurse, and not SUD
1t to DRIFT with the wind and III
We must bc master Of our though
as well Is OF our actions; we Mu
control the mental pictures In Will
we indulge, IN much as tho VOL
which Issue from our lips.
Awarded