character-第38章

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walk　near　Freshford；　when　he　met　a　little　girl；　about　five　years

old；　sobbing　over　a　broken　bowl；　she　had　dropped　and　broken　it　in

bringing　it　back　from　the　field　to　which　she　had　taken　her

father's　dinner　in　it；　and　she　said　she　would　be　beaten　on　her

return　home　for　having　broken　it；　when；　with　a　sudden　gleam　of

hope；　she　innocently　looked　up　into　his　face；　and　said；　'But　yee

can　mend　it；　can't　ee？'



〃My　father　explained　that　he　could　not　mend　the　bowl；　but　the

trouble　he　could；　by　the　gift　of　a　sixpence　to　buy　another。

However；　on　opening　his　purse　it　was　empty　of　silver；　and　he　had

to　make　amends　by　promising　to　meet　his　little　friend　in　the　same

spot　at　the　same　hour　next　day；　and　to　bring　the　sixpence　with

him；　bidding　her；　meanwhile；　tell　her　mother　she　had　seen　a

gentleman　who　would　bring　her　the　money　for　the　bowl　next　day。

The　child；　entirely　trusting　him；　went　on　her　way　comforted。　　On

his　return　home　he　found　an　invitation　awaiting　him　to　dine　in

Bath　the　following　evening；　to　meet　some　one　whom　he　specially

wished　to　see。　　He　hesitated　for　some　little　time；　trying　to

calculate　the　possibility　of　giving　the　meeting　to　his　little

friend　of　the　broken　bowl　and　of　still　being　in　time　for　the

dinner…party　in　Bath；　but　finding　this　could　not　be；　he　wrote　to

decline　accepting　the　invitation　on　the　plea　of　'a　pre…

engagement；'　saying　to　us；　'I　cannot　disappoint　her；　she　trusted

me　so　implicitly。'〃



（11）　Miss　Florence　Nightingale　has　related　the　following　incident　as

having　occurred　before　Sebastopol：…　〃I　remember　a　sergeant　who；　on

picket；　the　rest　of　the　picket　killed　and　himself　battered　about

the　head；　stumbled　back　to　camp；　and　on　his　way　picked　up　a

wounded　man　and　brought　him　in　on　his　shoulders　to　the　lines；

where　he　fell　down　insensible。　　When；　after　many　hours；　he

recovered　his　senses；　I　believe　after　trepanning；　his　first　words

were　to　ask　after　his　comrade；　'Is　he　alive？'　'Comrade；　indeed；

yes；　he's　aliveit　is　the　general。'　At　that　moment　the　general；

though　badly　wounded；　appeared　at　the　bedside。　　'Oh；　general；　it's

you；　is　it；　I　brought　in？　I'm　so　glad；　I　didn't　know　your　honour。

But；　…；　if　I'd　known　it　was　you；　I'd　have　saved　you　all　the

same。'　This　is　the　true　soldier's　spirit。〃



In　the　same　letter；　Miss　Nightingale　says：　〃England；　from　her

grand　mercantile　and　commercial　successes；　has　been　called　sordid；

God　knows　she　is　not。　　The　simple　courage；　the　enduring　patience；

the　good　sense；　the　strength　to　suffer　in　silencewhat　nation

shows　more　of　this　in　war　than　is　shown　by　her　commonest　soldier？

I　have　seen　men　dying　of　dysentery；　but　scorning　to　report

themselves　sick　lest　they　should　thereby　throw　more　labour　on

their　comrades；　go　down　to　the　trenches　and　make　the　trenches

their　deathbed。　　There　is　nothing　in　history　to　compare　with　it。。。。



Say　what　men　will；　there　is　something　more　truly　Christian　in　the

man　who　gives　his　time；　his　strength；　his　life；　if　need　be；　for

something　not　himselfwhether　he　call　it　his　Queen；　his　country；

or　his　coloursthan　in　all　the　asceticism；　the　fasts；　the

humiliations；　and　confessions　which　have　ever　been　made：　and　this

spirit　of　giving　one's　life；　without　calling　it　a　sacrifice；　is

found　nowhere　so　truly　as　in　England。〃



（12）　Mrs。　Grote's　'Life　of　Ary　Scheffer；'　pp。　154…5。



（13）　The　sufferings　of　this　noble　woman；　together　with　those　of　her

unfortunate　husband；　were　touchingly　described　in　a　letter

afterwards　addressed　by　her　to　a　female　friend；　which　was

published　some　years　ago　at　Haarlem；　entitled；　'Gertrude　von　der

Wart；　or；　Fidelity　unto　Death。'　Mrs。　Hemans　wrote　a　poem　of　great

pathos　and　beauty；　commemorating　the　sad　story　in　her　'Records　of

Woman。'







CHAPTER　VI。SELF…CONTROL。







〃Honour　and　profit　do　not　always　lie　in　the　same　sack。〃GEORGE

HERBERT。



〃The　government　of　one's　self　is　the　only　true　freedom　for　the

Individual。〃FREDERICK　PERTHES。



〃It　is　in　length　of　patience；　and　endurance；　and　forbearance；　that

so　much　of　what　is　good　in　mankind　and　womankind　is　shown。〃

ARTHUR　HELPS。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Temperance；　proof

　　　　　　Against　all　trials；　industry　severe

　　　　　　And　constant　as　the　motion　of　the　day；

　　　　　　Stern　self…denial　round　him　spread；　with　shade

　　　　　　That　might　be　deemed　forbidding；　did　not　there

　　　　　　All　generous　feelings　flourish　and　rejoice；

　　　　　　Forbearance；　charity　indeed　and　thought；

　　　　　　And　resolution　competent　to　take

　　　　　　Out　of　the　bosom　of　simplicity

　　　　　　All　that　her　holy　customs　recommend。〃WORDSWORTH。





Self…control　is　only　courage　under　another　form。　　It　may　almost　be

regarded　as　the　primary　essence　of　character。　　It　is　in　virtue　of

this　quality　that　Shakspeare　defines　man　as　a　being　〃looking

before　and　after。〃　　It　forms　the　chief　distinction　between　man

and　the　mere　animal；　and；　indeed；　there　can　be　no　true　manhood

without　it。



Self…control　is　at　the　root　of　all　the　virtues。　　Let　a　man　give

the　reins　to　his　impulses　and　passions；　and　from　that　moment　he

yields　up　his　moral　freedom。　　He　is　carried　along　the　current

of　life；　and　becomes　the　slave　of　his　strongest　desire　for

the　time　being。



To　be　morally　freeto　be　more　than　an　animalman　must　be　able

to　resist　instinctive　impulse；　and　this　can　only　be　done　by　the

exercise　of　self…control。　　Thus　it　is　this　power　which　constitutes

the　real　distinction　between　a　physical　and　a　moral　life；　and　that

forms　the　primary　basis　of　individual　character。



In　the　Bible　praise　is　given；　not　to　the　strong　man　who　〃taketh　a

city；〃　but　to　the　stronger　man　who　〃ruleth　his　own　spirit。〃　　This

stronger　man　is　he　who；　by　discipline；　exercises　a　constant

control　over　his　thoughts；　his　speech；　and　his　acts。　　Nine…tenths

of　the　vicious　desires　that　degrade　society；　and　which；　when

indulged；　swell　into　the　crimes　that　disgrace　it；　would　shrink

into　insignificance　before　the　advance　of　valiant　self…discipline；

self…respect；　and　self…control。　　By　the　watchful　exercise　of　these

virtues；　purity　of　heart　and　mind　become　habitual；　and　the

character　is　built　up　in　chastity；　virtue；　and　temperance。



The　best　support　of　character　will　always　be　found　in　habit；

which；　according　as　the　will　is　directed　rightly　or　wrongly；　as

the　case　may　be；　will　prove　either　a　benignant　ruler　or　a　cruel

despot。　　We　may　be　its　willing　subject　on　the　one　hand；　or　its

servile　slave　on　the　other。　　It　may　help　us　on　the　road　to　good；

or　it　may　hurry　us　on　the　road　to　ruin。



Habit　is　formed　by　careful　training。　　And　it　is　astonishing　how

much　can　be　accomplished　by　systematic　discipline　and　drill。　　See

how；　for　instance；　out　of　the　most　unpromising　materialssuch　as

roughs　picked　up　in　the　streets；　or　raw　unkempt　country　lads　taken

from　the　ploughsteady　discipline　and　drill　will　bring　out　the

unsuspected　qualities　of　courage；　endurance；　and　self…sacrifice；

and　how；　in　the　field　of　battle；　or　even　on　the　more　trying

occasions　of　perils　by　seasuch　as　the　burning　of　the　SARAH

SANDS　or　the　wreck　of　the　BIRKENHEADsuch　men；　carefully

disciplined；　will　exhibit　the　unmistakable　characteristics　of　true

bravery　and　heroism！



Nor　is　moral　discipline　and　drill　less　influential　in　the

formation　of　character。　　Without　it；　there　will　be　no　proper

system　and　order　in　the　regulation　of　the　life。　　Upon　it　depends

the　cultivation　of　the　sense　of　self…respect；　the　education　of　the

habit　of　obedience；　the　development　of　the　idea　of　duty。　　The　most

self…reliant；　self…governing　man　is　always　under　discipline：　and

the　more　perfect　the　discipline；　the　higher　will　be　his　moral

condition。　　He　has　to　drill　his　desires；　and　keep　them　in

subjection　to　the　higher　powers　of　his　nature。　　They　must　obey　the

word　of　command　of　the　internal　monitor；　the　conscience

otherwise　they　will　be　but　the　mere　slaves　of　their　inclinations；

the　sport　of　feeling　and　impulse。



〃In　the　supremacy　of　self…control；〃　says　Herbert　Spence