aracter of men and women is perhaps better known "by
the treatment of those below them than by anything else; for to them
they rarely play the hypocrite." The man who is a bully and abusive to
those weaker or less fortunate than himself, is at heart a poor
creature; though, in company of his equals, he may be affable and
polished enough. For example, Kingsley mentions regarding Sir Sydney
Smith that "the love he won was because, without any conscious
intention, he treated rich and poor, his own servants, and the
noblemen, his guests, alike courteously, cheerfully, considerately,
affectionately, bearing a blessing and reaping a blessing wherever he
was." When a celebrated man returned the salute of a negro, he was
reminded that he had done what was very unfashionable. "Perhaps so,"
he replied, "but I would not be outdone in good manners by a negro."

"Good words," says holy George Herbert, "are worth much, and cost
little." The same may be said of good manners.

[1] _The Secret of Success_.

[2] _Plain Living and High Thinking_.

CHAPTER XI.

TEMPER.[1]

Temper is the harmonious and well-balanced working of the different
powers of the mind. Good temper is when harmony is maintained; bad
temper when it is violated. "Temper," it was said by an English
bishop, "is nine-tenths of Christianity." We may think this an
exaggerated statement, but there is much to commend it. The fruit of
the Spirit of God is peace, and peace is the condition of a heart which
is at rest--in harmony with God and man. Peace may be taken as the
Scriptural word for temper.

Good temper is a sign that the different powers of the soul are working
in harmony.--For instance, the atmosphere is well tempered when it is
neither too hot nor too cold, neither too dry nor too moist, having
neither too much electricity nor too little. Then the weather is
called fine. It is a pleasure to live. When the weather is bad, the
balance of the elements is broken, and life is disagreeable and
unpleasant. The body is well tempered when the nervous system and the
blood and the nutritive system all work in due harmony. When these
three great constituents of the body are well balanced against each
other, the result is health. The body is not well tempered in a
student who takes no exercise, and where everything goes to feed the
brain; nor in a pugilist in training, where everything goes to feed the
muscles. The result is disease. We all k