TEMPER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 414, 23 July 1908, Page 4

TEMPER.

Lady Helen Forbes writes on the above interesting subject in the Daily Mail, ancj says, inter alia: For the porpqle of classification, tempers may be arranged under eight sub-divisions : the sweet, the good, the hot, the quick, the bad, the mad, the : slow, the sulky. The sweet and the good are not the same, though only a thin line divides them. The good temper is born with a person, but the sweet one can be made. Of the sweet temper it may be said that the owner is a true gentleman, whatever may be his station or calling, and a true Christian ; one may go a step further and say he is a saint; and certainly we have it on the best authority that he is “greater than he that taketh a city.” He may have been born possessed of a devil, but he has learnt to cast it out and to feel amiable until it becomes second nature.

The good temper is - born in natures of low vitality, iron nerves and thick skin. These are insensitive to changes of moral atmosphere, and what would wound another soul mortally, barely inflicts a scratch on them. The rest of their emotions are usually on a par with the temper, placid, imperturable, and sluggish. Those incapable of passion or anger must be incapable of any other great passion.

The hot and quick tempers are not distinguishable by the other attributes of their possessor. They are both signs of a temperament full of vitality, capable of enthusiasm and strong feeling. But the hot temper is compatible with a weak mind and a cold, sometimes even cruel, heart. The hottempered person flares up like a straw rick in flames, and is almost instantly cool again. He seldom, if ever, cherishes any resentment as soon as he has had his violent say. A hot temper is supposed to be lovable, and the hot-tempered races to be more romantic than their more sluggish brethren. But it is usually a sign of weakness of character. The quick temper, on the other hand, may go hand-in-hand with a strong mind. It is susceptible of being controlled, which the hot temper is not. The quick-tempered man may be swift to take fire -and slower to strike ; in the hot-tempered man the two are simultaneous. The quick temper is far more likely to be really generous, not because he feels less, but because he has a larger outlook.

The actually bad temper is the attribute of a very strong character and decided will. As such it is probably under the perfect control of its possessor, and is a smouldering volcano under smiling green fields. But when the psychological moment, arrives, and the bad-tembered man lets ■loose his demon then it is tenfold Tore terrible than any other. Ihyt waited, straining in the

laying

as to destroy

ing in its own life and Tnl^H

those around it. The mad temper is, however, capable of good impulses, which the sulky temper is not. The mad temper may be pitied, and sometimes, though rather rarely, loved. But no one genuinely loves a sulky temper, which indeed is widely unpopular on account of the gloom it throws on its surroundings, to the eclipse of all gaiety, and on account of the fact that it never forgives and forgets, but goes on turning its grievance over and over like a growling dog with a bone. As to the slpw temper, it is the property of the same sort of pachydermatous temperament as the good temper, the only difference being that its owners seldom have as strong health and nerves. Their vitality is low, and when offended they do not hit back, but whine ; theirs is a mean-spirited demon.

It is impossible to be born with no temper at all, and it would be going too far to assert that no temper is capable of modification. Indeed, we know that devils can be cast out neck and crop. But what a pity that more people are not their own exorcisors instead of being, as they usually are, proud of their especial demon ! —Daily Mail.