Silence and Wisdom.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXVLL, Issue 4275, 14 September 1895, Page 1 (Supplement)

Silence and Wisdom.

The Two Virtues Do Not Always Go Hand in Hand.

•Thile Many Forgo to tne Front by Keep* ing Their Months Closed, They Often Fall by Being Fore 3d to SpeakSome Interesting Examples.

fho silent man buildeth better than be knoweth. He acquires wealth, reputation and the odor of sanotity. His forte i 3 keeping quiet. Ha is the original of the poet who Baid : •• Silenoe is golden." But Sir Boyle Roche, the author of that famouß Irjsh bull about the man who put hia foot in it every tin?e he opened his mouth, plainly outlived the ultimate fate of tha silent man. For that is the invariable fate of nearly all the men whose entire reputation rests on the tocky foundation of silence. Lucky he who has already achieved a competence on the strength of his silenoe In nine oases oat of ten he talks too much when he talks at all.

nowever there is generally a day when ha i» found out. To illustrate: Several years ftgo a young man went to the general offioe of one of our leading railroad oompaniea in Jown. He was the bearer of strong letterß of reoommendation from an old friend of tha saanager in a email rural town. The letters referred especially heavy to the discretion— 11 unusual for hi 3 years "—of tho young man, on hia marvellous capacity for keeping hia mouth shut. The manager, who had been on the lookout for jast suoh a young man. at once gave him a berth in hia private offioe. He prospered amazingly, for all that was required of him waa to esercise his natural talent— keeping hia mouth shut. The manager Bwore by him. Other men in the office caught the infection. Every clerk oamo to look upon Mr. Tytelippa— let us call him Tytelipps for short— bb a phenomenon, as a model young man. Everybody marvelled how this country-bred young man had acquired bo much wisdom. Tbua Mr. Tyteliprt rose, step by step, and bis salary with him. One d*y ho wa9 indaoted into a high and re« sponeible position, commanding an almoel princely remuneration. For a little while it was all right. He continued to keep hia mouth shus. But there was a turn in the tide. At a directors' meeting some information and suggestions bearing on the bettei working of the department whose head Mr, Tytelipps h&d shortly become was oalled forMr. Tytelipps' assistant, a man who had grown gray in the service of the company and who kn6W all about tho ins and outs ol the department to a T (but who had the misforturse once in awhile to talk too much), was sick at home. So Tytdippa himself had to respond. And when the questions had been fired at him and tha board waa waiting to be enlightened Tytelippa shook hia head savagely, southed and hemmed and hawed. Tbat " didn't go." He had to do come' talking. Then the direotors came to tha conclusion that Tyteiippßwaa a monumental ass and ought to be bounced. And he was bounced not long after. At least he was reduced to the ranks. But he couldn't stand this long. He went, and when last heard from be was peddling matches or apples oi something. !

Another case was that of Mr. Buugstarter, who became connected with the business offioe of a large newspaper conoein some years ago. Ilia antecedents were similar to those of Mr. Tjtelipps'— that is, they were !o3t is the obscurity of somo small village. He came highly reoommeoded. He looked wisa and kept his mouth shut; and he proseeded on his wsy upward at a Maud S. pac6« Finally he was pot in charge of the a«lver» tiering department, and his salary wag mada high enough to earn him the envy of all the brilliant geniuses in the editorial-room— men who bad forgotten a great deal more than Mr. Bungstaiter could by any possibility ever have learned. It waa all right lor a spell. Bungßtarter atili kept his mouth shut, and tba blight men working under him looked upon him as they bad before— as the embodiment of dignity, classic repose and miistodonio intellect. One afternoon, though; a t mall advertising patron, a man of no aooo ant whatever, happened to alight on the m.ijestio Bungstarter. The point at issue wi a a matter of ten shillings. The advertiser undoubtedly was right. He explained things to Bungatarter, and ha proved by, receipts and other papers that he was right. But Bangatarter couldn't Bee it. It was re illy no fault of his. Bang^tattez's braini was simply not large" enough to grasp the fa its and figures. So he didn't give in to the advertising patron. Bat the latter was a fighter and a man determined to have his, riiihts. He raised hia voice, and after again be d again explaining fchiDga to BuDgstartei aid getting no satisfaction, ha forthwith isitied a prcnunciamento against Bungstarter, calling Mm, in the presence and ht aring of the office employes, an etc., etc., fa )1, who had no business to occupy the re« BT. onsible position he did, and winding un wi th the assertion that within a fortnight tie owners and business manager of tba pi per would coincide with him and give him thß g. b. The advertiser made it his business to explain the occurrence to every man he knew. He went to tho owners of the paper.' la making explanations on his own Bide, Bingßtarterso effectually proved that the other man waß right in oalling him a fool H at he really was discharged. ! There are quite a number of Tytelippa at d Bnngstarters in town, bat they are not generally known. But they will be one of th ese days ; and that the day may oome a li:tle earlier than it otherwise would thii «l«tob possibly will help to achieve.

Netbb argue. In society nothing must be - g=ve only results. If any person differs from y ju, bow and turn the conversation.— Be» onsfield.

Let a man be never so ungrateful oi iihuman, b.B shall never destroy the aatiafiction of my having done a good office.— fteneca. •

He that hath on inward beauty none per ceives. 'Though all around is beautiful.

—B. H. Dana.

Wbsh yon know a thing, to hold that yoi k low it ; and when you do not know a thine tt« allow that you do not know it, thii « k. wwledge.— Gonf aoim,

Conduotor (crowded oar) : » Plenty ol room inside." Pagsengtr (one of fort* hanging to strape) : » Plenty of room, eh I Where is it ?" Conductor (wratbioilyU Alongside o' you, you selfish hank o' bamc snUjr. Want teg ktep tb » t ****^jiL^^B