Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-03-16
ML-TEMPER;; HOW
IT MAY BE CURED
Beatrice Fairfax Writes Con-
corning the Cause of Difficult
ties of Everyday Life
BY Beatrice Fairfax


1t has been suggested By more than
one writer of eminence that ill-tem-
per should be considered Just cause
for divorce. Some, of course, are
absolutely shocked at the idea; but
the suggestion is based on good COM
mon sense.
1t was Henry Drummond who said
mo form of vice, nor worldliness,
nor greed of gold, nor drunkenness
itself, does more to unchristianize
society than evil temper"
Before such strong measures as
divorce are thought of, would 1t not
be better to see in what way this fail
ing might be cured?
One woman of the writer's acquain-
tance was perfect martyr to her own
violent passion. Directly any one an
noyed her she flew out with angry.
meaningless words, and the after
effects proved most painful to herself.
I'm quite sorry for Mr.. j.
His wife's such terribly sharp-tem-
pered woman; she jumps on him for
the least thing"
Those words were overheard by the
lady in question, and they were
spoken of herself. She knew she
was irritable, but had not before
grasped how badly so. She at once
made up her mind to control her
anger, and in time she did so.
Her method is worth relating for
the benefit of others afflicted in the
same way. She carried a pocket
book and pencil, hanging by her
side, and If anything annoyed her,
instead of shouting about it, sne
wrote down the cause of her displeas-
ure. This she read over an hour or
so later, and then saw how foolish it
would have been to waste her energy
in getting angry over it.
OF course, there were several slips
back" at first, but, eventually, she
achieved tie art of controlling her
temper.
The habit of repose is the art of
good-breeding, and every sensible
man or woman will cultivate repose.
so that they may not grow old be-
fore their time, with faces lined and
distorted by anger. Just as a fight
ing person acquires a fighting face,
the termagant soon begins to look the
part.
The folly of some young couples
is that they use up so many pretty
sayings and compliments during
courtship that they have exhausted
their stock; when they come to the
altar they close their shop. Some
times they open another after mar
riage, stocking it with bitter words.
anger, and scowling looks. There
is grit where there should be oil, and
so the wheels of matrimony creak
and grumble as they drag along.
The average man or woman has
little or no money to spare on per-
sonal pleasures. To keep the house
going is as much as can possibly be
managed, and life is absolutely not
worth living if in the home there are
nothing but angry words and grumb-
lings.
The woman who considers it her
conscientious duty to remind her hus-
band of his faults continually, and
the man who scolds and grumbles
with his wife at every turn, would
be far happier and healthier If they
would turn their thoughts to the good
qualities of their respective partners.
The woman of violent temper will
become unloving and unlovable, and
will wreck any home, for when fight
ing" becomes habit, an excuse for
fighting is easily made.
Folk with too even a temper are
usually spiritless and uninteresting;
but there is a vast difference between
the man or woman who gives vent to
an outburst at long intervals, and
such folk who live in a constant state
of irritation. and shower volumes of
abuse whenever their wishes are
crossed. Such, however, really re-
quire medical attendance, and in nine
cases out of ten impaired digestion is
the cause.
A doctor told the writer that reg
ular and even diet has worked won
ders. Nevertheless, ill-temper can
only be cured by letting sound COM
nonsense show up "storming" and
the harm it does.