Middletown transcript., 1899-03-11
FRANKNEss.
A Virtue That We Should All Cultiyate
Best Evidence of a Gentleman.

l
Best Evidence of Gentleman.
The Baltimore Sun editorially, says
People who are frank seldom gel
into any misunderstanding with their
fellows or difficulties of any kind. They
check any tendency to misconception
of their views or purposes by frankly
avowing them, and are incapable Of en-.
tering upon an intrigue. But there are
relatively few people who are entirely
frank, and hence in real life, as well as
In novels and plays, there are many
misunderstanding and many intrigues.
Fiction, indeed, could scarce exist il
its characters were frank ard outspok-
en-. There is scarcely a novel or play
which is not dependent for the interest
1t excites upon some misunderstand-
ing arising from want of frankness on
the part of some of the characters.
Sometimes it is the william who deliber-
ately misleads the other characters and
conceals his purposes; sometimes it is
the hero or heroine who fails to speak
the right word at the right time through
pride or perversity, and thus gives to
the story. Nor are these novels and
plays mere works of imagination. They
are founded upon the experiences of
men and women who are valued only
as they approach our conceptions of
truth respecting characters and events.
But the individual need not be deferred
by this consideration from cultivating
frankness. His neighbors can be relied
upon to furnish the material for mis-
understandings and intrigues, while he
enjoys the peace of mind that comes of
truth. 1t is not always easy, however,
to determine the proper limitations of
frankness. When it is assumed it often
degenerates into brutal bluntness and
gives rise not to misunderstanding, but
to the opposite. Every one has met the
man or woman who prefaces disagree
able remarks or interference in other
peoples affairs with the saying: I nev-
er hesitate to speak my mind or Il
think it only right to frankly say SC.
The frankness that is commendable
comes from the truth that is in ones
heart. It is not obtrusive, nor is it
subject to repression by pride or any of
the baser passions. When one is re-
commended to cultivate frdnkness ne
is not advised to merely assume it, but
to plant the seed and nourish it. The
seed is truth. We cannot have the fruit
without the seed, but we may have the |
seed and so neglect it that it will Dever
grow andbear fruit. To be frank we must
not only have fruit in our hearts, but |
have the courage to give it expression,
and the lack of courage is generally the |
chief impeachment. A desire to avoid |
or dislike of what are
callsd "scenes,"s or pride may have to |
be overcome if we would speak frankly |
and we may not have the moral cour-
age to overcome these impediments to
free speaking. To cultivate frankness,
therefore, we must first of all have
truth in our hearts and then develop
the moral courage required to give it
expression. But this is not all: we must
at the same time, keep control of our
tempers that frankness may not degen-
crate into scolding or into unnecessary
Dluntness. The man who is frank in
The best sense Of the word is the ideal
yentleman-true, courageous, consid-
crate. We should all cultivate frank
ness, never merely assume it.