The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1910-08-02
THE MANY EVILS OF
A QUICK TEMPER.
(By Ella Wheeler Wilcox)

DE easily lflltaVeu, engaged OF nauc
resentful in feelings by the daily
trihles which are so much more diff
fcult to bear with composure than
great troubles.
You who read these words are
saying to yourself, perhaps, that
they do not apply to you; that You
are never put out of temper even by
serious matters.
Yet, set watch upon your mind
for one day aid discover the truth
and then you will he IN posi- ton
to profit by this little discussion of
an almost universal fault.
An erroneous impression has
largely prevailed in the world that
quick temper indicated spirit"
and was more or less a mark CT
high qualities.
L have heard parents speak of the
tendency Of child 10 fly INTO a
passion with a certain visible pride
which the child was not slow to
perceive.
Onr educational institutions do
not seem to regard the fault as one
to treat seriously, and our religious
teachers deal gently with it.
Culture bids us control our exhi-
bition of temper, but does not tell
us how necessary it is to overcome
the feeling within.
But in the philosophy of the an
Gent philosophers we find valuable
coupsels which are based upon sci
entific facts regarding the emotion
of anger Here is quotation from
ole of the teachers from the land
which we call heather India:
eff man does evil to us as we
instantly want TO reach evil, and this
impulse uses up the fine material
out of which the mindstaff is made,
aud vitiates It's power; every reac-
ton in the form of anger. hatred or
i'll will, every evil thought OF deed,
is SO much loss to the power of mind
Each time we control such u
thought or feeling, it is a direct
gain to the mind power Not only
do we gain control of ourselves, but
it is just SO much good energy will
be converted into stho higher pow
ers."
Still, again, the same teaching
tells us: 1--WE must have friend
ship for oil, mercy to those in mis-
fortune, happiness for the happy,
and pity for the vic ed"
Then we are instructed how to
control the breath and the body in
order to gain copcensration and g.
obtain complete mastery of the
mind
All this is valuable and important
knowledge to a human being anx-
ious to increase the happine Sand
goodness of the human family by
becoming good and happy himself.
It does not matter to what creed
we subscribe. or what belief is ours
this knowledge of divine fact is
worthy of our effort to obtain it,
III the present hurried. heated
ard excitable method of life it Is a
most severe effort to keep aim
able. kind and full of good feeling
to all human beings, as we push
and crowd through the world in
pursuit of what we think is success
If any simple, healtbful method
Is offered us, no matter from what
source or century. let us be thank
full.
There are something's we know
better today than anyone knew a
thousand or fifty years ago Other
things we're known better a thous-
and or fifty Yeas ago than we know
them.
Concentration was one of thes,
things. The tendency Of modern
times is to scatter our mind forces
and to render us Irritable. resent
full and Illtempered. Here IS lit
tie formula which will rolp as all it
our search for control, composurc
and concentration:
Sit in n quiet room i'm 70 comfort
able chair, erect, with the hand
resting slightly outhe knees Clos,
the eyes. inbale deep breatl
through the nostrils until couutin,
seven, hold the breath while count
ing the same. and slowly exhalo thl
same length of timc Think as yoI
inhole that Won are taking from