9.  Power of words.—­It is necessary to one’s personal happiness, to exercise control over one’s words as well as acts:  for there are words that strike even harder than blows; and men may “speak daggers,” though they use none.  The stinging repartee that rises to the lips, and which, if uttered, might cover an adversary with confusion, how difficult it is to resist saying it!  “Heaven, keep us,” says Miss Bremer, in her ‘Home’, “from the destroying power of words!  There are words that sever hearts more than sharp swords do; there are words the point of which sting the heart through the course of a whole life.”

10.  Character exhibits itself.—­Character exhibits itself in self-control of speech as much as in anything else.  The wise and forbearant man will restrain his desire to say a smart or severe thing at the expense of another’s feeling; while the fool blurts out what he thinks, and will sacrifice his friend rather than his joke.  “The mouth of a wise man,” said Solomon, “is in his heart; the heart of a fool is in his mouth.”

11.  Burns.—­No one knew the value of self-control better than the poet Burns, and no one could teach it more eloquently to others, but when it came to practice, Burns was as weak as the weakest.  He could not deny himself the pleasure of uttering a harsh and clever sarcasm at another’s expense.  One of his biographers observed of him, that it was no extravagant arithmetic to say that for every ten jokes he made himself a hundred enemies.  But this was not all.  Poor Burns exercised no control over his appetites, but freely gave them the rein: 

  “Thus thoughtless follies laid him low,
  And stained his name.”

12.  Sow pollution.—­Nor had he the self-denial to resist giving publicity to compositions originally intended for the delight of the tap-room, but which continued secretly to sow pollution broadcast in the minds of youth.  Indeed, notwithstanding the many exquisite poems of this writer, it is not saying too much that his immoral writings have done far more harm than his purer writings have done good; and it would be better that all his writings should be destroyed and forgotten, provided his indecent songs could be destroyed with them.

13.  Moral principle.—­Many of our young men lack moral principle.  They cannot look upon a beautiful girl with a pure heart and pure thoughts.  They have not manifested or practiced that self-control which develops true manhood and brings into subordination evil thoughts, evil passions, and evil practices.  Men who have no self-control will find life a failure, both in a social and in a business sense.  The world despises an insignificant person who lacks backbone and character.  Stand upon your manhood and womanhood; honor your convictions, and dare to do right.