GuardYourWeakPoint
?奧裡森·馬登/OrisonMarden
「I』llsignitafterawhile,」adrunkardwouldreply,whenrepeatedlyurgedbyhiswifetosignthepledge;「butIdon』tliketobreakoffatonce,thebestwayistogetusedtoathing.」
「Verywell,」saidhiswife,「seeifyoudon』tfallintoaholeoneofthesedays,withnoonetohelpyouout.」
Notlongafter,whenintoxicated,hedidfallintoashallowwell,buthisshoutsforhelpwerefortunatelyheardbyhiswife.「Didn』tItellyouso?」sheasked.「It』sluckyIwasinhearingoryoumighthavedrowned.」Hetookholdofthebucketandshetuggedatthewindlass;butwhenhewasnearthetophergraspslippedanddown,hewentintothewateragain.Thiswasrepeateduntilhescreamed:「Lookhere,you』redoingthatonpurpose,Iknowyouare.」「Well,now,Iam.」admittedthewife.「Don』tyouremembertellingmeit』sbesttogetusedtoathingbydegrees?I』mafraidifIbringyouupsudden,youwouldnotfinditwholesome.」Findingthathiscasewasbecomingdesperate,hepromisedtosignthepledgeatonce.Hiswiferaisedhimoutimmediately,butwarnedhimthatifeverhebecameintoxicatedandfellintothewellagain,shewouldleavehimthere.
Amancapturedayoungtigerandresolvedtomakeapetofit.Itgrewuplikeakitten,fondandgentle.Therewasnoevidenceofitssavage,bloodthirstynature,anditseemedperfectlyharmless.Butonedaywhilethemasterwasplayingwithhispet,theroughtongueuponhishandstartedthebloodfromascratch.Themomentthebeasttastedblood,itsferocioustigernaturewasroused,anditrusheduponitsmastertotearhimtopieces.
Sometimestheappetitefordrink,whichwasthoughttobeburiedyearsago,isrousedbythetasteorthesmellof「thedevilinsolution」,andthewretchedvictimfindshimselfahelplessslavetothepassionwhichhethoughtdead.
ThewifeofSocrates,Xanthippe,wasawomanofamostfantasticalandfuriousspirit.Atonetime,havingventedallthereproachesuponSocratesherfurycouldsuggest,hewentoutandsatbeforethedoor.Hiscalmandunconcernedbehaviorbutirritatedhersomuchthemore;and,intheexcessofherrage,sheranupstairsandemptiedavesseluponhishead,atwhichheonlylaughedandsaidthat「somuchthundermustneedsproduceashower.」Alcibiades,hisfriend,talkingwithhimabouthiswife,toldhimhewonderedhowhecouldbearsuchaneverlastingscoldinthesamehousewithhim.Hereplied,「Ihavesoaccustomedmyselftoexpectit,thatitnowoffendsmenomorethanthenoiseofcarriagesinthestreet.」
Thestrongmanistheonewhoeverkeepshimselfunderstrictdiscipline,whoneveronceallowsthelowertousurptheplaceofthehigherinhim;whomakeshispassionshisservantsandneverallowsthemtobehismaster;whoiseverledbyhismindandnotbyhisinclinations.Hedrillsanddisciplineshisdesiresandkeepstherootsofhislifeunderground,andneverallowsthemtointerferewithhischaracter.Heisnevertheslaveofhisinclinations,northesportofimpulse.Heisthecommanderofhimselfandheadshisshipduenortheveninthewildesttempestsofpassion.