Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-07-09
SELF-CONTROL.
Its Importance In Securing Sweetness of
Relation Between Man and Man.

Its Importance In Securing Sweetness of
Relation Between Man and Man.
1t would not be easy to select among
recent publications more wholesome
and suggestive little book than DR.. Hor-
tons comments on 1.-THE Art of Living
Together" which bears the imprint of
Messrs. Dodd, Mead g. Co. DR.. Horton
lays great emphasis on the Importance
of self-control in order to secure sweet
ness of relation between man and man
and to get the best out of those rela-
tions. 1t is by the development Of the
power of self-control that one gets that
delightful quality of tact which goes
SO far to soften the asperities of life and
to make social intercourse refreshing
and restful it is through the exercise
of self-control that we make those
minor adjustments to the peculiarities
of others which do SO much to remove
friction. Most people need to be hui
mored On one side or the other, and it is
a matter of good sense as well as of
brotherljness to humor them. Every
body has his sensitive point, and the
wise friend is he who recognizes the
sensitive point and avoids it. On one
occasion, when Sir Thomas More was
meditating on his housetop, lunatic
suddenly appeared and announced his
intention of throwing the philosopher
over tho parapet. With perfect CON-
posture, More suggested that the sport
should be prolonged a little by first
throwing over a dog which happened to
be on the roof with him. This pleased
the lunatic, who instantly proposed to
go down and pick up the dog when he
fell; a procedure which enabled the
philosopher to lock the door on his dan
gerous companion. LET us first throw
over the dog" DR.. Horton says, is an
admirable way of keeping the peace
when peace ought to be kept. But we
need not only to exercise self-control
in dealing with the weaknesses and
foibles of others; we need also to exer-
else it in recognizing and endeavoring
to overcome our own weaknesses and
foibles. Many of us give way to moods
which could be easily overcome, but
which cast their shadow over whole
household. 1t was a wise resolution of
most delightful men to live with-to do
his best, whenever fit of depression
came upon him, to conceal it. lie
thought it bad enough to go through a
fit of depression without inf1icting it
upon others. This is in line with that
maxim of sound living: Burn your
own smoke Sufferings of all sorts
were meant to be endured, not to be
ostentatiously displayed; and Emerson,
who said so many wise things about
practical living as we'll as about litera-
ture and the speculative life, declared
that there is one topic which is
"peremptorily forbidden to all rational
mortals-namely, their distempers. If
you have not slept, or if you have slept,
or if you have the headache, or leprosy,
or thunder-stroke, beseech you by all
the angels to hold your peace and not
pollute the morning. Come into the
azure and love the day" These words
ought to be written on the conscience of
every man and woman who is the prey
Of the disease of depression and moodi-
ness. A mood, which is nothing more
than a fog from a disordered physical
condition, is often suffered not only to
overcloud the spirit of one member of
the household, but to lie like fog over
whole household, sometimes for days
together. A man who has not learned
to control his moods has failed to learn
an elementary lesson of self-control.
No man can wholly avoid moods, but
every man can avoid displaying them
He can learn to keep them to himself,
and the learning of that lesson is duty
to all those with whom he lives. A
moody man neutralizes great gifts and
delightful disposition just as truly rs
the drunkard who, when he is sober, is
the most charming of companions, but
when he is in his cups is little short of
a brute to those with whom he associ-
ates.-Outlook.
Of reth