The Breckenridge news., 1905-01-04

us III his everyday ll1e. NO one can
imagine what profit would accrue TO
his moral life from the constant obser-
walton of this principle: BE sincere
moderate, simple in the expression of
your feelings and opinions IL private
and public alike; never pass beyond
bounds, give out faithfully what is
within you, and above all watcll-that
Is the main thing.
For the danger in fine words is that
they live from a life Of their own.
They are servants of distinction that
have kept their titles, but no longer
perform their functions, of which roy
al courts Offer us example. You speak
well. write well, and all is said How
many people content themselves with
speaking and believe that il eXempts
them from acting! And those who lis
ten are content with having heard
them. So ii sometimes happens that
life may in the end be made up of n few
well turned speeches, a few fine books
and few great plays. AS for practic-
ing what is so magisterially set forth
that Is the last thing thought Of. And
if we pass from the world of talent
to spheres which the mediocre exploit,
there in pellmell of confusion we see
those who think that we are in the
world to talk and hear others talk
the great and hopeless rout of bab-
blers, of everything that prates bawls
and perorates and, after all, finds that
there isn't talking enough. They all
forget that those who make the least
noise do the most work. An engine
that expends all its steam in whistlrlg
has nothing left with which to turn
wheels. Then let us cultivate silence.
All that we can save i'm noise we gain
in power.
These reflections lead us to consider
a similar subject, also very worthy of
attention. l mean what has been cali
ed "the vice of the superlative." If
we study the Inhabitants of a country
we notice differences of temperament,
Of which the language shows signs.
Here the people are calm and phleg-
matte. Their speech is jejune, lacks
color Elsewhere temperaments are
more evenly balanced. One finds pre-
cision, the word exactly fitted to the
thing. But farther on-effect of the
sun, the air. the wine perhaps-hOt
blood courses in the veins, tempers are
eXcitable, language is eXtrayagant. and
the simplest things are said in the
strongest terms.
If the ty'e of speech varies with eli
mate, it differs also with epochs. Com
pare the language, written or spoken.
of our own times with that of certain
other periods Of our history. Under
the Old regime people spoke differently
than at the time of the Revolution, and
we have not the same language as the
men of 1880. 1913 or the second empire.
In general, language is now charac-
teri2ed by greater simplicity. We no
longer wear perukes, we no longer
write in lace frills, but there is one
significant difference between us and
almost all of our ancestors, and it is
the source of our exaggerations-our
nervousness Upon overeXcited nerv-
GUS systems-and heaven knows that
to have nerves is no longer an aristo-
cratic privi!ege-words do not produce
the same impression as under normal
conditions; and quite as truly simple
language does not suffice the man of
overwrought sensibilities when he tries
10 express what he feels. In private
life. in public in books. on the stage
calm and temperate speech has given
place 10 excess. The means that novel
lists ana playwrights employ to galva-
nize the public mind and compel its at
tention are TO be found again in their
rudments. I'm our most commonplace
conversations, in our letter writing
and. above all. in public speaking. Our
performances in language compared to
those of Il man well balanced and Sc
rene are what our handwriting is COM
pared TO that Of our fathers. The fault
is laid to steel pens. If only the truth
We're acknowledged! Geese then, could
save us. But the evil goes deeper; it
is in ourselves. We write like men
possessed. The pen of our ancestors
was more restful, more sure. Here we
face one of the results of our modern
life, so complicated and so terribly eX
haustive OF energy. 1t leaves us impa-
tient, breathless. in perpetual trepida
ton. Our handwriting. like our speech.
suffers thereby and betrays us. Let us
go back from the effect to the cause
and understand well the warning it
brings us
What good can come from this habit
Of exaggerated speech? False inter.
r eterS of our own impressions, we
cannot out warr the minds of our fel-
low men as well as our own. Between
people who eXaggerate, good under
standing ceases. Rufiled tempers. vio-
lent and useless disputes, hasty judg-
ments devoid of all moderation. the
utmost extravaganza in education and
social life-these things are the result
Of intemperance of speech.
May be permitted in this appeal for
simplicity Of speech to frame wish
whose fuliillment would have TIE hap