阅读理解
No one has a temper naturally so good,
that it does not need attention and cultivation, and no one has a temper so
bad, but that, by proper culture, it may become pleasant. One of the best
disciplined tempers ever seen, was that of a gentleman who was naturally quick,
irritable, rash, and violent; but, by taking care of the sick, and especially
of mentally deranged(疯狂的) people, he so completely mastered himself that he was
never known to be thrown off his guard.
There is no misery so constant, so upsetting, and so
intolerable to others, as that of having a character which is your master.
There are corners at every turn in life, against which we may run, and at which
we may break out in impatience, if we choose.
Look at Roger Sherman, who rose from a humble occupation to
a seat in the first Congress of the United States, and whose judgment was
received with great respect by that body of distinguished men. He made himself
master of his temper and cultivated it as a great business in life. There are one
or two instances which show this part of his character in a light that is
beautiful.
One day, after having received his highest
honors, he was sitting and reading in his sitting room. A student, in a room
close by, held a lookingglass in such a position as to pour the reflected rays
of the sun directly in Mr. Sherman's face. He moved his chair, and the thing
was repeated. A third time the chair was moved, but the lookingglass still
reflected the sun in his eyes. He laid aside his book, went to the window, and
many witnesses of the rude behavior expected to see the ungentlemanly student
severely punished. He raised the window gently, and then—shut the window blind!
I can not help providing another instance of the power he
had acquired over himself. He was naturally possessed of strong passions, but
over these he at length obtained an extraordinary control. He became habitually
calm and selfpossessed. Mr Sherman was one of those men who are not ashamed to
maintain the forms of religion in their families. One morning he called them
all together as usual to lead them in prayer to God. The "old family Bible"
was brought out and laid on the table.
Mr Sherman took his seat and placed beside him one of his
children, a child of his old age. The rest of the family were seated around the
room, several of whom were now grownups. Besides these, some of the tutors of
the college were boarders in the family and were present at the time. His aged
mother occupied a corner of the room, opposite the place where the
distinguished Judge sat.
At length, he opened the Bible and began to read. The child
who was seated beside him made some little disturbance, upon which Mr Sherman
paused and told it to be still. Again he continued but again he had to pause to
scold the little offender, whose playful character would scarcely permit it to
be still. At this time he gently tapped its ear. The blow, if blow it might be
called, caught the attention of his aged mother, who now with some effort rose
from the seat and tottered across the room. At length, she reached the chair of
Mr Sherman, and in a moment, most unexpectedly to him, she gave him a blow on
the ear with all the force she could gather. "There," said she, "you
strike your child, and I will strike mine."
For a moment, the blood was seen mounting to the face of Mr
Sherman. But it
was only for a moment and all was calm and mild as usual. He paused; he raised
his glasses; he cast his eye upon his mother; again it fell upon the book from
which he had been reading. Not a word escaped him; but again he calmly pursued
the service, and soon sought in prayer an ability to set an example before his
household which should be worthy of their imitation. Such a victory was worth
more than the proudest one ever achieved on the field of battle.
