Cedarville College Memorabilia

SILENCE NOT ALWAYS AN INDICATION OF WISDOM . Talking i not simply a habit, but a matter of or;ginal constitution. Some person have a talking endowment and some have n ) t. Th e re i a postive faculty of ex– pres ion, or vocalization, of which si:ence is merely the negative. As cold is only the ab ence of heat, rn silence may not be the remit of prudence but the want of the gift of speech. There is a popular impression that great talkers are, of course, flippant, and that silent people are, presumptively, wise. In popular estimation, to say of a man; '·He talks a great deal," is equivalent to saying that he thinks but little. But will observation bear this out? It is true that some wise people are taciturn; but of others, equally sagaciou , are talkative. Some foolish people talk a great deal, but there are a great man:; foolish people who are very uncommunicative . On the other hand, some wise men talk very little, and other , equally wise, talk a great deal. A little observation will show tuo, that some ilent men think much, and other silent men very little. It is true that a training in the ways ot the world will render a man cautious of what he says, and how and where he says it; but the impulse of speech is so strong in many natures that nothing can repress it. Gen. Sherman was an incessant talker. He would talk for hours, for the ake, it would seem, of relieving himself of some inward fullness. Gen. Grant, except in private and confidential circles, was a very silent man. Yet both of these men were wise, and each one undoubtedly was a great genius, nor wa Sherman le s wise for hi speech. Each of them was wise in his own wa~- . Some people hold their peace because they will not say anything, ome because they cannot say anything, and others because they have nothing to ay! . ilence is a mere cover. It hides ·thought and equally it hides emptiness. As solemnity i the arch-father of hypocrisy- the mask behind which can't and insincerity practice their parts-so silence is sometime used to hide weakn ess or folly. A talkative man i seldom over-e timated, a silent man often i . There is great cunning in a judicious ilence . To sit quietly while one talks, to lo::,k knowingly, to shake the head skillfully, to retire with grave fea ture and silent tong ue., give one the reputation of being wise, con iderate and self-..:ontained. He is to be most commended who u es speech or silen e a an instument of his will. Some there are who di cern your mood and occa ion and know when ilen e will oothe or when speech will cheer. Their conv rse i food wh en you hunger or medicine when you are sick. It does not assault you, rapping on your unwilling ear , like a sheriff that fore son you a process. It steals in like a urnmer wind from the garden. Th e silence of uch i like a pau in mu ic, holding you gently between sound rem mhered and tho e ex1 ected . 17