The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-12-31
SELF.DISCIPLINE

0GAT O1OI1I LINE
1t is bitter medicine, but the one
thing most needed in the human
soul is discipline.
1t is we'll to have force, genius,
vigor, enthusiasm, power; but you
may have them and he criminal.
maniac, or cad. you become great
only when you add self control
How then, can | learn the art OF
self-mastery? you ask. Here are
few suggestions.
First, it comes only by practice.
You must learn it as you would
learn to play violin. If there is a
certain thing to do, do it at once.
Then when you see clearly what
you ought to do, do it cheerfully.
Don't pity yourself, Don't adver-
tlse your virtue.
Don't wrestle, fight and pray.
The essential elements of strong
personality is quiet power. Those
who fight are weak. DO what you
have to do, dismiss the matter, and
60 ahead.
The first of all insurance policies,
to insure oneself the maximum of
happiness and efficiency, is to learn
how to make oneself to do hat be
knows he ought to do, We. what be
hates to do, aud learn to do this
smoothly, without struggle or self
torture. Without thai. there Is
positively no peace. Without tha',
life Is sure To tuIn bitter.
The contenled people are those
who have themselves in hand, The
qualification of desire is an en.itess
'ask. 1t is IKE attempting To ill
,he botlOnless PIT with water from
a tn cup.
But the control OF desire is j sue
road to full and joy. us life. The
man who has dlciplned himself can
~ happy whether poor or rich lie
is master of the world, not Its
slave.
Your vision must be clear. You
must see plainly that 10 let your de
sreS master you meaus Self-cOn-
tempt and degradatlon, And you
must learn, whenever you have
commanded the fierce waves of pas
sion to be still, when you have re-
sisted the storm of fierce and evil
longing. and the waves and winds
nave suhsliei. baffed by your
strength, Yen mus, learn then. 10
laugh III pride, 10 realize how good
II Is 10 be man.
You know them, the real laIies
of the world. real gentleman not
by heredity or endowment, not by
display or cheap vanity. but by the
open, free. happy, strong life that
comes from self-disclpline con-
stantly exerted.-FraDk Crane.
It's hard to seem quite dignifed.
when wearing shoes fresh from the
store: your feet feel hot, as though
just fried. and all the corde and ten
dons sore. Pm wearing now new
Number Tw elves; the dealer said,
when them he sold from off bis over
burdened shelves. These shoes are
worth their weight In gold. From
lowest basement to the roof. l do
not keep shoe in stock that does
not fit the human hoof, and make
you happy when you walk" The
birds are singing on the boughs.
their songs, no doubt, are pure and
sweet, and soulful as the law allows.
but | can only think of feet. The
trees are clothedin red and gold, thew
glimmer in 'the gentle heat, they
whisper when the nights are cold,
but | can only think of feet. The
busy squirrels gather nuts, preparing
for the time of sleet, when snow
shall hide the highways ruts, but |
can think of naught but feet. The
pastor breaches well and long, his
sermon Is treat, the choir sends up
throbbing song, but all my tho,s
are still of feet. And my guests |
entertain, and when l sit me down
to eat, Pm medltatlng on the pain
that teeters through my swollen fee,.
A d there are moments when |
feel I'd like to be a charger fleet.
and have smith take shoes of steel.
and nail the blamed things on my
feet.-Walt Mason.