Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-11-15

with anger. But you say this is 4
most difficult thing There are few
times when the inclination to speak
is SO irresistible, and when the tongu;
is so ready to be eloquent as then
True, most true; aud it is a singular
fact, that nearly all the seasons
which demand silence are Of this very
character-seasous when the impulse
to speak is the most irresistible. Tc
learn to be silent, therefore, is most
seIfdenying lesson.
But that one should be silent
when angry, can, l think, be made
most apparent. In the first place
it is the duty of the angry man to
get rid of his anger as soon as posi-.
BILE, but every word spoken at such a
time, is but adding fuel to the flame,
We sometimes hear persons speak OF
giving vent to their anger, that they
may be notwithstanding to imply
that by pouring forth torrent of
passionate words they were emptying
their breasts of the anger. But if
such be the meaning it is a great
mistake, as all c. perience will prove.
There is no me- SO effectual for
increasing the al CRY feelings; silence
is the most effectual remedy. But
another reason; An angry man is not
himself, anger is ! species of insanity.
The judgment Is then oyerpowered
AID if any thing is said, it is more
likely to resemble rather the wild
rawlings of a marsiao than the express
sions of sound mind. And finally
if one is angry, it is either with or
without a cause. If he Is angry
without cause, he certainly should
keep silence. But if he has cause
for his anger, and he who has occa-
stoned it deserves reproof, he should
certainly wait till anger has subsidized
before he attempts to administer it.
1t is most clear, then, that it is time
to be silent when the bosom heaves
with anger. Let not a word be
uttered then. We read that Jesus
was angry on oSC, occasion. sup
pose that it was very different
anger from that which so often irri-
tates us. Itwas mingled with grief.
Still it is instructive to notice what
He did. He did not speak word,
bat He looked round about on them
who had been seeking an occasion to
accuse Him. a silent look-that
was all.
Another occasion for silence is
when one is faissfy accused. There
may be times when it is duty to
refute a slanderous report, but in
the great majority of cases, in almost
all, silence is by far the most effectual.
Nothing so certainly tends to bring
the falsehood home (inretaliation)
upon him who sent it abroad as for
the injured one to be silent. But
let man set himself diligently to
work to refute every false thing that
may be said Of him, and if he have
much to do with the world, he will
seldom be out of employment. And,
besides, by taking this course he is
giving the slanderer all the. advan-
tage in the world and is taking upon
himself a most difficult task. Moth
ing is more difficult than to prove a
negative. Let any man make an as
sertion, and however false it may
be, you will find it no easy thing to
prove it so. To attempt. therefore.
to reply to a false accusation is ordi-
narily to place ones self in the most
unfavorable position. Few men who
have had the self-ccmmand to treat
such accusations with silence have
ever suffered from them In the end.
1t is time to keep silence when
one has nothing to say. 1t is a
lamentable fact that so much that
is written and printed actually says
nothing. You read whole pages
without feeling that your stock of
knowledge has been in the least in-
creased, or that any familiar thought
has been brought home with new
power. Printed words have passed
under your eye-that is all. Many
a thoughtful reader has felt like ut
tering the same. But what is thus
true of printed language is still more
Immediately true of spoken Ian
guage. 1t is much easier to utter
words from the lips than to send
them forth from the press, and
hence persons who have nothing to
say are frequently the most con-
stant takers.
One has many times wished in
public meetings that the grace to
keep silent had been more com
monty bestowed. Men who have
something to say, whose matured
thoughts would be a public benefit,
are compelled to be silent because
certain persons who have nothing to
say do not know it. "a man that
speaketh too much, and museth but