Proper reserve is a quality that is rightly commendable, and those individuals who express it are sometimes held up as models of refinement and decorum. The attention of children is frequently called to this trait with the hope that they will cultivate it in well-mannered conduct and poise.
Sometimes, however, reserve may be the means of unwittingly suppressing spontaneous love, co-operation, gratitude, and joy. Let us be alert as to what we are holding in reserve. One meaning of the word reserve refers to something kept in store for future or special use.
Bonds of fear may be instantaneously broken by an unreserved expression of love. A young student of Christian Science was called on to address a large group of people who entertained conflicting opinions regarding her subject. This student had had no preliminary experience in public speaking, and although in a way she looked forward to the occasion she also entertained considerable doubt and fear.
