The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-02
EVENING CHAT
BIZ RUTH CAMERoN.

Tine older grow the more deeply | am
impressed by the intertexture of charac.
,ter-that is, the invariabIe effect of self
indulgence and lack of control in anv one
dlrecton upon the whole character
For instance, 1 believe that the chtI5
VINO VINO IS freely allowed to give way to his
temper IN his youth, in nine cases out of
ten, VIII be the man who gives free Tai,1
to his passion in his manhood.
ana conversely, l believe that ever
time man eXerts control over himself il,
e aliy Way-oVercomes passion, restraints
temper, gives up some self-ind1IeencaD
masters his tongue when it would snesL
fooishly or unkindly, compeIs concentra
ti3 OF IN any way does the wiser, harder
IIIhS' instead of following the course of
least resistance, he STRENGTHENS his Whole
n'1 acIer ana increases his ability to do
nos oliIy that particular thing, but each
ana everyone of these things again
II seems to me it is as if a KING sbo,,1d
maze some strong demonstration of his
dulhoTlty against a rebellious faction in
ohe part OF his kingdom, and should
thereafter find it much easier 70 controi
other factions in the rest of his realm.
Let US imagine, for instance, man
whose doctor has told him ha ynue+ Ill
more if he wants to keep well and s+ w.in
and efficient. Don't swing onto a stre1s
car every time you have a few blocks r,
49, me physician has warned him.
walk, man. If you don't want to So
more.' 81 " exercise
Let US also suppose that this man has a
terrible temper, which all his life he Nj
to fight to control W ne hdu
NOW some cold unpleasant mornine +Ess
nan comes out of his office to go down
IoMh Tor MS lunch. 1t is only a Fifteen
minute walk, and he knows he ought fo
walk 1t, but just as he comes out of az
uoor ne sees the downtown car stonpine
IighL IN front of him and jumps on. Nov
pelleVe that this man, in doing that -
not only weakened his power 10 ohaI, a.
DOCTOR S orders another time but has sIno
ieSsened ms ability to control his tenaper
do J,
peen put in a most irritating position 49,
mas managed to keep his temper Dors4
you tnlnk that that success will holm h{r9
not only to control his temper the net
tlIne put also to do the right thing bv lis
1 do.
And because of this intertextura oe
character, | believe that mothers who are
So unselIlsh that they get their children
INTO habits of self-indulgence do their orr
spring lar more harm than they realize.
or the whole texture of the chiId's
character is weakened. Not onIv will no
lind 1t harder to be unselfish but he vii
ind 1t harder to control his temper and
MS tongue, to master his passions or to
exert control over himself in any one Of
the thousand directions in which life win
demand it of him.
Perhaps you are laughing at my
psychology, and thinking my doctrine of
the lnterteXture of character absurdly
strained and overdrawn. If you are, /
WISH you Wouid watch your own charac-
ter, and see if my theory does not work
out true
Try to see if periods of seIf-indulxencs
IN any one direction do not weaken your
control In all directions; and efforts to-
ward self-restraint and seIf-Royernn,en+
IN any one direction do not make Won |
more the master of your whole great !
kingdom.