TJ A gentleman's first characteristic is that fineness of structure in the body which renders it capable of the most delicate sensation ; and of structure in the mind which renders it capable of the most delicate sympathies — one may say, simply " fineness of nature." This is, of course, compatible with heroic bodily strength and mental firmness ; in fact, heroic strength is not conceivable without such delicacy. Elephantine strength may drive its way through a forest and feel no touch of the boughs ; but the white skin of Homer's Atrides would have felt a bent rose-leaf, yet subdue its feeling in glow of battle, and behave itself like iron. I do not mean to call an elephant a vulgar animal ; but if you think about him carefully you will find that his non-vulgarity consists in such gentleness as is possible to elephantine nature ; not in his insensitive hide, nor in his clumsy
1 G. 0. Morgan.
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foot, but in the way he will lift his foot if a child lies in his way; and in his sensitive trunk, and still more sensitive mind, and capability of pique on points of honour. Hence it will follow that one of the probable signs of high-breeding in men generally will be their kindness and mercifulness.1
TJ The only guarantee of gentleness is to observe the golden rule of the Gospel. " Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye unto them." Put yourself into their position, and see how you would like to be treated. But then there is a real difficulty sometimes in putting this into practice. What are we to do, you will say, when people have really injured us, and we feel obliged to let them know, not that we exactly resent it, for we really wish to be kind, but that we have been pained ? I should say, in nine cases out of ten, better not to let them know it at all. A gentle example has far greater force than the kindest rebuke. In the rare cases in which it is absolutely necessary to explain your feelings, speak as plainly and directly as you can, remembering that a parade even of gentleness may be extremely provoking. You may be assuming thereby a position of moral superiority which has the appearance, perhaps the reality, of affectation. The relations of Christians to each other require an infinity of tact, and may I not add an infinity of common sense ? One thing we may be sure of, that the person who is really kind and really courteous is seldom taken advantage of except by the ignorant and foolish, and these he can generally afford, I won't say to despise, but at any rate to bear with.2
T[ A German with a trained musical ear came a stranger into an American city. He heard the voice of song, and following the sound, found himself where they were singing psalmody in a nasal and discordant way. After he had entered, he wished he were outside, and he did not know whether he ought to put his hands over his ears and so show his disgust, or rush out of the hall ; but being too well bred to do either, he determined to endure it as best he could. And while he was sitting there, he discerned a woman's voice, clear and sweet, singing in exact tune. She was not trying to drown all the rest; nor, on the other hand., was she at all disturbed or her melody at all marred by the discords around her ; she just kept singing that sweet, pure note of concord, until at last it became infectious, and the others began to fall in with it; and it was not long before the whole company was singing in perfect harmony, influenced by the example of that one voice.
1 Ruskin, Modern Painters, pt. ix. ch. 7. * F. H. Wooda.
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2. Strength. Next to the spirit of gentleness, comes the spirit of power. To some these would seem to be antagonists. The one appears to them as the natural and proper character of woman, the other of man. But surely it is not so. If there is any truth in such a view it is that gentleness is the quality which men need most to learn ; power, force of moral character, what women too often lack. But certainly the two are not opposed to each other. Christian gentleness does not mean weakness of character, nor is strength of character at all the same thing as rudeness, nor yet as obstinacy. Eather is it the very opposite; at any rate, gentleness is essential to all true strength. Composure of mind, a quiet determination to do what is right, a readiness to overlook personal wrong, above all, an infinite store of patience, these are what give a man or woman an influence in the world ; and the nobler the work is the truer all this becomes. For there is an attractiveness about sweet- ness of temper which draws us to those who have it. And the attractiveness is all the greater when we realize that that sweet- ness is the fruit of an earnest desire to live the Christian life under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.