The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1905-09-28
THE VIRTUE OF sELF-cONTROL.
From the Baltimore Sum-

The need of elf-conrol in small things as well as
great is illustrated in all the affairs OF ife but es-
pecally in the business Of those who attain
positions of trust To be successful they must main
tain high reputation in and out Of business hours
and this they only do by keeping constant con-
troll of their appettes and passions Overndulgence
in anything which units them for the performance
of their business duties will injure their reputation
and put check on their promotion Some who
avoid liquor as very obvious source of injury to
reputation are not careful in guarding against
overindulgence of the appetite for other things
One may overfeed and render his mind dull and
sluggish; another may tire himself out in the even
ngs by attendance at balls, by overstudy or by too
much reading. In any case, if his habits, good or
bad in themselves, lead to exhaustion OF his nervous
energy SO that he goes to his daily work listess and
tired he is inca pable of rendering full SERVICE and
will surely be passed by his companion who keeps
his appetites under control and reserve his best
powers for the service of his employer
The remark is often made by young and inexper-
fenced men that they have right to do az. they
please during off hours; that their employer pays
them only for certain hours of the day and that the
intervening period is at their disposa free from
control. This is true only in limited sense. Ones
duty to an employer requires him to be in perfect
condition during the hours of labor to do his APP
pointed task. He may do as he pleases with his
leisure hours only on condition that the use he may
make Of them shall leave him in good condition for
the next days work Ii he shall habtually neglect
to take needful rest, shall be Incorporate in eat
ing or drinking and shall in consequence return to
his daily labors dulled in intellect lacking in energy
or with nerves disordered, he has united himself
for the best service His employer may not dictate
to him, how he shall spend his leisure hours, but he
may, and doubtless will tell him, after time, that
unless he can come back to work refreshened and
in good condition his services will be dispensed with.
If the ofense is not grave to bring about this
sentence it will nevertheless prove bar to promo
ton, and thus the young man fails to obtain self
control will also fail to advance in his chosen calling.
| Men in active business have little time to study
out the qualities of their employees and inclination
lperhaps to trace the of differences, but they
know almost instnctivey that one young man is at
tentive, full of energy and untring, and that an
lother has his mind filled with outside projects and
personal schemes exhausts himself during his
leisure hours with diversions having relation to
his business. And this knowledge is quite sufficient
to determine which of the two should be given a
higher place. Thus the young man who has his
appetites and passions under control that he is
always fitted to do his days work is put insensiby
in the line of promotion, while he who is elfindul-
gent and pays no heed to his employers interests
except during the appointed hours of labor is passed
by and either suffers degradation fails to get ad
!, vancement.
The young man can scarcely observe these things
for himself the social movement is quite slow
When however, he has reached middle age he can
look back, and, reviewing the life history of his
friends and acquaintance, he will find that those
who have risen have, rule, kept firm control Of
themselves and that those who have failed to ad-
vance have had some fault perhaps trivial one
which has injured their reputation. There Of
|course other elements of success or of failure anc
good bad fortune, that is chance plays some par
in the life history of men, but the important ele.
ment, after ALL is character, and that can be estab
lished and maintained only by those who maintain
Icomplete control over themselves.