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reliable , than in these present days of numbers , and of mere names on brass plates on d ^ oors , or over them . We would stake that great fact—our insight into the smallest matters—upon this truth . Thus it is , that we see ( or rather we hear ) men ' s voices as the
most immediate and familiar sign of them . These , rightly heard , answer partly to their natures . Tea , in their very inflections , they open , as it were , a book , wherein we may read ( or , at least , in which the gifted may ) a whole history of most private predilections , prejudices , and humours . Each man , as it were , in his voice , wields and flourishes a brush , wherewith nature daily sets him painting him self
out to the comprehension of his fellows . Befuse to listen to a man when he talks aboutTiimself : he will be sure to dip in the wrong paint-pot . [ Receive not his own sign , when he has just touched it all up for you . Believe not even in the gold letters that he sticks under it . Away with a man ' s words , we say , when himself is the subject . Away with all those capitally chosen phrases . With these , as it were , he will soon lay you a whole pavement , upon which for you to walk his own mosaic way over .
No , we must have our friends—ay , and our best friends—at a disadvantage . If you knock at a man ' s front door , there will be always the porter to answer it in the guise of himself . We are sadly changed in these modern times . Civilization has indeed
wrought wonders amongst us . Not the least remarkable of its transformations , is the fact , that we do not in any way correspond to the appearances which we offer to other people of ourselves . And we shall be told that no man can afford , now , to paint himself out candidly to the comprehension of his fellows .
Thus I have thought , and lamented , that there should be a greatly too considerable amount of this moral sign-painting among us . The worst of it is , too , that while you very contentedly read the false signs , and while they who offer thus , not their blind but their seeing side to you , laugh to themselves at your simplicity , the real signs , if
to be found , would be discovered in the most unexpected places . Those pictures of what people really are—that knowledge for which we would give a whole bank-full of treasure , if we could—are to be found only—such is the deceit of the world—in the greatest exertion of our sagacity .
And now for some moral warnings . We are perfectly aware that such are unpalatable ; but in the excess of our sincerity , misguided and mischievous , even to ourselves , as it may prove , we cannot
avoid imparting truths that appear to us to be so serious . Header , believe that we are friendly to you , when we advise some caution about this picturing of yourself so favourably to others ; in other words , about this sign-painting . Be careful of the colours wherein you offer your likeness . If you are so happy as to be able to manage it , have but one sign and take care that that be the true . Most
men have two signs—one for themselves , and another for those who are to believe in them . And do not hang your sign too ostentatiously or too conspicuously . The world hath affairs of as equal
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Untitled Article
reliable , than in these present days of numbers , and of mere names on brass plates on d ^ oors , or over them . We would stake that great fact—our insight into the smallest matters—upon this truth . Thus it is , that we see ( or rather we hear ) men ' s voices as the
most immediate and familiar sign of them . These , rightly heard , answer partly to their natures . Tea , in their very inflections , they open , as it were , a book , wherein we may read ( or , at least , in which the gifted may ) a whole history of most private predilections , prejudices , and humours . Each man , as it were , in his voice , wields and flourishes a brush , wherewith nature daily sets him painting him self
out to the comprehension of his fellows . Befuse to listen to a man when he talks aboutTiimself : he will be sure to dip in the wrong paint-pot . [ Receive not his own sign , when he has just touched it all up for you . Believe not even in the gold letters that he sticks under it . Away with a man ' s words , we say , when himself is the subject . Away with all those capitally chosen phrases . With these , as it were , he will soon lay you a whole pavement , upon which for you to walk his own mosaic way over .
No , we must have our friends—ay , and our best friends—at a disadvantage . If you knock at a man ' s front door , there will be always the porter to answer it in the guise of himself . We are sadly changed in these modern times . Civilization has indeed
wrought wonders amongst us . Not the least remarkable of its transformations , is the fact , that we do not in any way correspond to the appearances which we offer to other people of ourselves . And we shall be told that no man can afford , now , to paint himself out candidly to the comprehension of his fellows .
Thus I have thought , and lamented , that there should be a greatly too considerable amount of this moral sign-painting among us . The worst of it is , too , that while you very contentedly read the false signs , and while they who offer thus , not their blind but their seeing side to you , laugh to themselves at your simplicity , the real signs , if
to be found , would be discovered in the most unexpected places . Those pictures of what people really are—that knowledge for which we would give a whole bank-full of treasure , if we could—are to be found only—such is the deceit of the world—in the greatest exertion of our sagacity .
And now for some moral warnings . We are perfectly aware that such are unpalatable ; but in the excess of our sincerity , misguided and mischievous , even to ourselves , as it may prove , we cannot
avoid imparting truths that appear to us to be so serious . Header , believe that we are friendly to you , when we advise some caution about this picturing of yourself so favourably to others ; in other words , about this sign-painting . Be careful of the colours wherein you offer your likeness . If you are so happy as to be able to manage it , have but one sign and take care that that be the true . Most
men have two signs—one for themselves , and another for those who are to believe in them . And do not hang your sign too ostentatiously or too conspicuously . The world hath affairs of as equal