nicious, the fatal error, that _little_ things are
of no consequence: little sums of money, little fragments of time,
little or trifling words, little or apparently unimportant actions. On
this subject I cannot help adopting--and feeling its force too,--the
language of a friend of temperance in regard to those who think
themselves perfectly secure from danger, and are believers in the
harmlessness of _little_ things. 'I tremble,' said he, 'for the man
that does not tremble for himself.'

SECTION XVII. _Of Anger, and the means of restraining it._

There is doubtless much difference of native temperament. One person is
easily excited, another, more slowly. But there is a greater difference
still, resulting from our habits.

If we find ourselves easily led into anger, we should be extremely
careful how we indulge the first steps that lead towards it. Those who
naturally possess a mild temper may, with considerable safety, do and
say many things which others cannot. Thus we often say of a person who
has met with a misfortune, 'It is good enough for him;' or of a
criminal who has just been condemned to suffer punishment, 'No matter;
he deserves it.' Or perhaps we go farther, and on finding him
acquitted, say, 'He ought to have been hanged, and even hanging was too
good for him.'

Now all these things, in the mouths of the irritable, lead the way to
an indulgence of anger, however unperceived may be the transition. It
is on this principle that the saying of St. John is so strikingly true;
'He that hateth his brother is a murderer;' that is, he that indulges
hatred has the seeds within him, not only of out-breaking anger, but of
murder.

It is on this account that I regret the common course taken with
children in relation to certain smaller tribes of the animal creation.
They are allowed not only to destroy them,--(which is doubtless often a
duty,) but to destroy them in _anger_; to indulge a permanent hatred
towards them; and to think this hatred creditable and scriptural. When
such feelings lead us to destroy even the most troublesome or
disgusting reptiles or insects _in anger_, we have so far prepared the
way for the indulgence of anger towards our fellow creatures, whenever
their conduct shall excite our displeasure.

We can hence see why he who has a violent temper should always speak in
a low voice, and study mildness and sweetness in his tones. For loud,
impassioned, and boisterous tones certainly excite impas