The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-07-16
CHANGE YOUR CHARACTER
IL Can sse Doae BY Developing the
RIshS Brntsa Cells.

sonality, to be entirely changed" She
says:
"Of course, I believe ones whole i,i-
ture, or the future life Of one, may he
modified or changed in certain re-
spects, but | also believe that the
charac,eriptics born and bred into one
can not I've entirely changed"
Professor Elmer Gates, OF Washing
ton, has proven scientifically that
wholly undeveloped cells in the brain
can he brought to perfection by con-
tinued effort.
Animals with no idea Of color can
he trained to distinguish different col
or, and human brains can with the
same persistent effort he made to un-
dergO complete transformation from
viciousness and laziness to morality
and industry. =,
II the hurrying, thoughtless world
would only pause long enough to con-
slider what such discovery means 10
civilization we might in another gen.
Grafton or two do away with our aw-
ful prisons, which are less than schools
for crime, and substitute great sclen-
tific institution under government
control, where characters could be Gre
ated for those born without them.
have letter from prisoner who
tells me he was for six years deprived
of communication with any one save
associate criminals aud keepers, and
was allowed no reading matter during
that time.
Whatever this mans natural dispo.
sition, such q blind aud stupid method
of punishment could only result IN
making him still more criminai-since
all crime Is the result OF an undevelop-
ed nature undeve'oped in Its best
brain cells.
Had he been given good, cheerful.
wholesome hooks to read-allowed TO
converse with moral people an hour
each day-given the care OF plant
and an animal and talked to concern
ing its dependence upon him, ana
taught to think Of 1t as something oi
his own-surely Justice" would have
lost nothing and the mans better ma
ture would have gained something.
We never remain stationary. We
are always improvinglor retrograding-
going up or down In the moral and the
intellectual scale. .
What possible chance have most of
our criminals In prison to become bet
ter men?
Some future day our methods OF
treating these unfortunates will he re-
garded with as much horror and won
der a. we feel in looking back nj the
day of the Spanish Iuquisition.
Every thought, desire and emotion
Of our hearts Is leaving It's impress on
our brain cells, our features, our bodies.
The child born with happy. loving,
trusting disposition may be transform
ed into a fretful, cold, suspicious adult
bv heing reared among people VINO
talk Of the dark side Of life, who repel
or sneer Mt demonstrations Of affection,
and who are always distrusting their
fellow men.
Exactly opposite re- ulis can be OBJ
tained by talking aud teaching the JOY
of life to the despondent child, show
Ing aud expecting affection and instili-
ing divine trust in its receptive mind.
Lie gives US all more or less rude
blows. But the sooner We think oil
ourselves a. Fate's punching bags,
aud gayly swing back iutO our places,
undiminished aed unsiraid, the better
for US.
The man who thinks himself chosen
by Fate for o peculiarly hard destiny
is an egotist, ~ well Us pessiTnist
and he will find his lite growing hard
er, for hard, bitter thoughts make d
hard, bitter destiny.
With every breath we inhale and
exhale we are thinking events into
shape aud moulding ourselves foi
strength or weakness wherewith tC
cope with those events.
If trouble has come into your life
and you are resentful and angry at
having to bear your burden, you are
not only weakening your powers OF
endurance, but you are opening the
door to future suffering and lessening
your force Of resistance.
You are spelling your character,
which should grow stronger ano nobler
under the strain Of the inevitable.
If you are constantly plying your
self you will always need n consoier.
He who makes light Of his own woes
soon finds trouble seeking mo. - atten-
tive listeners.
Care il like q peddler-if you jest
and laugh at the mass Of things she
brings to you, she will pass your door
OH the next trip without calling.
You who desire to change your un-
pleasant qualities-lhink and say each
day, and many times day. that you
are all you desire to be-useful, health
full, happy, successful. loving, worthy:
And ~ the days 20 by you will find
these qualities coming To you. aud the
future will shape itself TO I'll them.
/ know this will be so-yOu can pro-
vide for yourseIf.-Ella Wheeler Will
cox.
God loves us all He loves you and
He loves me even as we love our own
children, the only difference being thai
He is Infinite; He may say that all i
we'll when we are in agony: He loves
US all the time we are suffering. hui
He must have wider sweep Of vision
than your life or mine; but this We
can say, our trials are working together
for our own good and for His glory
and that is enough.
I A Ceasonable |