The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1916-04-27

ulIn. he IcoIS DlmSol1 OlHnOnOf6Q, Z,
too, by his impatience; and he does
not lose, so far as he indulges it. the
true dignity of life. He is not cast
indeed like the victim of sensual
vice, into the slough OF dishonOr,
his garment perhaps is not Soiled;
but it is burnt through, in thous-
and spots, by the ever-dropping lit
tie sparks of petulance, and it is in
tatters and disorder with the ever
crossing flurries of angry passion and
he seems to himself and to others as
one who scrambles through life,
rather than as one who walks in
the calm and dignifed robe of con-
scious self-possession. Constant
fretting and fault-tinding and break
ing out into sarcasm and anger may
bereave a house of all honor, peace
and comfort, almost as effectually as
gluttony and drunkenness. Or sup
pose that the fretful temper be hid
den and smotbered in the heart;
then it wastes and consumes the
springs of the inmost life.
The first remedy for impatience is
distinctly and deliberately to settle
our minds to the Expectations of
difficulties. 1t is for this reason, in
part, that have endeavored to lay
open the plan of human culture by
little tasks and trials of our intelli-
gence and virtue, and to show that
this is an inevitable part of the com
mon lot. The impatient are always
surprised by their difficulties and
disappointments. Nay, they often 90
to the length of imagining that trials
and mishaps are their peculiar i'll
luck. They complain as if unto
ward chance made them it's special
mark and butt. 1t always rains
when they want to go out. Their
neighbor is always engaged when
they want him." Nay, it goes to
the length of being a sort of super
stltion; and the Man says. Il knew
it would be just 80: things never do
come right for me-"
Now what have TO recommend
to the impatient man, is that he
work out and eliminate from his
problem, as fast as he can, this ele-
ment of surprise, this notion of a
popularity in his case, this idea that
he is honored with the special at
tention, as of some hostile power.
1t is not so. His is the common lot.
Let him calmly say, then. in every
crisis, at every turn Of his hand to
new thing. at the threshold of his
apartment when he enters it. "Of
course there will be difficulties
here: nothing is perfect; no con-
dition. no place can be free from oh
struction or inconvenience; no task
can offer perfect facility; and what l
have to do is to meet, TO disentangle,
or to overcome the difficulties of
every task, of every situation and
emergency, as a part of the very
thing / have to do.
You are not vexed because you
have to build house, or to enter
tain friends or distinguished guests
in 1t, or to conduct an active or pros
porous business in the world, or to
fill an honorable Office. 1t is when
mistakes, crosses, disappointments.
are to be met with that you are
vexed. But this is a part of the
very thing to be done, of the build
ing, the entertaining, the business,
the Office. This meeting with mis-
takes and crosses, 1 say, is a part of
it. | think if every man would
fairly settle this with himself, and
could learn to say to every petty
mischance, yes. of course, something
must task and try me at every STOP"