Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-04
THE DAILY CHIT-CHAT.
By Ruth Cameron.

The older I grow the more deeply I am
impressed by the intertexture Of char
acter-that is. the invariable effect Of
self-indulgence and lack of control in any
one direction upon the whole character.
For instance, 1 believe that the child
who is freely allowed to give way to his
temper in his youth, in nine cases out of
ten will be the man who gives free rein
to his passion in his manhood.
And, conversely, / believe that every
time a man exerts control over himself
in any way-overcomes passion, restraints
temper, gives up some self-indulgence,
masters his tongue when it would speak
foolishly or unkindly. compels concentte-
ton, or in any way does the wiser, harder
thing, instead of following the course of
least resistance, he strengthens his whole
character and increases his ability to do
not only that particular thing, but each
and every one Of these things again.
1t seems to me it is as IL king should
make some strong demonstration of his
authority against rebellious faction in
one part of his kingdom. and should
thereafter find 1t much easier to control
other factions in the rest of his realm.
Let us imagine, for instance, a man
whose doctor has told him he must walk
more If he wants to keep well and strong
and efficient. Don't swing onto a street
car every time you have few blocks
to travel the physician has warned him.
Walk, man. If you don't want to rust
before your time you've got to exercise
more"
Let us also suppose that this man has
a terrible temper, which all his life he
has had to fight to control.
Now some cold, unpleasant morning this
man comes out of his Office to go down
town for his lunch. 1t is only a fifteen
minute walk, and he knows he ought to
walk 1t, but just as he comes out of the
door he sees the downtown car stopping
right in front of him and he jumps on.
Now, l believe that this man, in doing
that, has not only weakened his power to
obey the doctors oroers another time,
but has also lessened his ability to con-
troll his temper.
Suppose some other day this man has
been put in a most irritating position and
has managed to keep his temper. Don't
Sou think that that success will help him
not only to control his temper the next
time. but also to do the right thing by
his health?
/ do.
And because of this intertexture of
character. l believe that mothers who are
SO unselhsh that they get their children
into habits of self-indulgence do their
offspring far more harm than they real
lie. For the whole texture Of the child s
character Is weakened. Not only will he
find 1t harder to be unselfish, but he will
| find 1t harder to control his temper and
| his tongue. to master his passions or to
exert control over himself in any one of
| the thousand directions in which life will
| demand it of him.
| Perhaps you are laughing at my psy-
chology and thinking my doctrine of the
| intertexture Of character absurdly strained
and overdrawn. II you are, / wish you
would watch your own character and see
| IL my theory does not work out true,
Try to see TX periods of self Indulgence
in any one direction do not weaken your
control in all directions, and efforts to-
ward self-restraint and self government
in any one direction do not make you
| more the master Of your whole great
kingdom.