Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-21

OF ldleneSS; that silence which will
not take the trouble to speak
common form of silence, and objectionable
one. For you have right to go into society
unless you prepared to give as well as take
your share in the game of conversation. You may
eat your dinner at home alone in as profound
a silence you please; that is to say, as long as
you have no husband or wife relation or friend
to share it with you but you may sit at anothers
table and eat of another's fare without paying for
the same in the silver coinage of agreeable speech,
and you may not invite another to sit at your own
board without extending to him the hospitality of
the tongue well the hospitality of the table.
For the sake of them that sit at meat with you,
you are bound to be agreeable and entertaining
as in you lies; and if you find it too great effort
to be either then you ought not to go into society
at all. Your room will be far more acceptable
than your company.
Fourth, there is the Silence of Temper most
abomnable silence. Temper is always a sin, in
whatever form it may display itself; and sin which
lnterfereS perhaps more than any other with the
happiness of social and domestic life There are
set of people who win little love and diffuse
SO much misery people with bad tempers; and
a bad temper is the less Observation-Disclosures
it is more so-if it is understood rather than ex-
pressed. There are persons who lose their
tempers and hold their tongues at the same time,
and they count it to themselves for righteousness;
but they count wrongly There is an offended
silence which is worse than any angry word-that
sort of lurid and onnous stiffness which comes
before thunder storm, and to which rain and
thunder and lightning relief
Then fifth there is the Silence of Indifference;
that silence which keep when we do not care for
the people with whom we are thrown nor care
what they think of us. And is it a sin to be in
different to Companions-to derive no enjoy
ment from their society and to make effort in
order that they should find enjoyment in ours? The
answer is not far to seek: This is the command
ment which we had from the beginning, that we
love another"
Sixth, there is the Silence of Impenitence; the
silence of those who will not say Pecca1T," even
though in their heart of hearts they know that they
have sinned who refuse to say the word that will
break down the wall of partition between them
selves and another, that will restore another's
self-respect at the cost of their own. True that
word is by easy to say; it is not pleasant
thing to confess oneself in the wrong and to ask
for pardon; but it is word that must be spoken
all the same, if a would be at peace with his
Maker and with his fellow-men. To keep back
such word is to be guilty indeed of the sin of
silence.
And lastly there is the Silence of Cowardice;
silence which all the world will agree in condemning
contemplate; the silence of those who will allow
another to be falsely accused when they themselves
and they only to blame; who will leave stigma
attached to other when it is the right appendix
to their This is the silence which holds it's
tongue when it ought to be loudly protesting,
and which skulks out of sight when it ought to
be in the thick of the fray it lacks the courage to
take up the cudges when that which it holds
sacred is attacked and when those whom it counts
dear abused. 1t is the silence which fails alike
to to the help of the Lord and of its fellow
men and SO brings down upon itself the curse of
Meroz