THE GARLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3332, 23 January 1918, Page 65

THE GARLAND.

FOR THE QUIET HOUR

No. 230

By Duncan Wright, Dunedin.

THE BEAUTY OF KINDNESS

Do you know the words in Mem Linton's little fragment entitled "Bessie and I" ? It represents two little wanderers, 'brother and sister, abroad and' shelterless in the streets of a great city on a wintry night. At length, the boy, becoming angry with their - hard lot, losing faith in Providence, but still afraid of God, turns and appeals to the cold and unreplyin,g Empress of the night: You Moon! have you got any God in the sky, That we should be scorned by passers-by, And left in the street to starve and diie— Bessie and I? We've been thrust away from many a door; And we only asked for the alms of the poor, A crust of bread and a bed on the floor — Bessie and I. We're hungry and tired, and sore are our feet, From treading so long up and) down the street, Thro' the blinding storm of snow and sleet— Bessie and I. I guess I'll make us a bed in the snow, For Sis is so tired, anu then you know In all tnis city we've nowhere to go— Bessie and I. We'd go to heaven if it wasn't so high, But maybe the angels will come, by and by, And carry us up to the bright blue sky— Bessi© and I.

An American journal asks this perfectly relevant question : —"Did you ever stop to think how beautiful kindness really is '! In the course of your walks have you seen a young woman gently supporting on her arm an old', old man? He is blind. Time has brought the silver to his hair. His steps are slow and feeble. With a, cane he picks his way on, but guided by the one who is so good to' him. At the crossing of a street she says, "Here is a step up. Carefully now! Step up." Or, "Now down! Carefully!" So on they go, chatting all the way, the* old man seeing things' on every side, through the eyes of his companion. And how you feel stirred by the sight. On a stage-coach one day a number of passengers rode many miles together. One man drew into his shell, settled down and never spoke a word from one end? of, the journey to the other. Do you think that man-looked beautiful to those who were his companions ? A little bit of steel struck by a mallet will chip away the hardest granite. Unkindness is the keenest steel in all the world for the chiselling away of beauty in the face, life, and character. No matter how lovely the face might be in the beginning, if one who possesses it gives away often enough to harsh and unkind words, the beauty will surely fade out of her face. But how kind is God to the one who is always thoughtful of the comfort of those about Him! With His own hand He traces lines of beauty over the features of one who is kind. ' Do you wish to be beautiful? Then he kind. Kindness costs something : it would be worth nothing if it did not. Do a kindness, do it well; Angels will the story tell. Do a kindness, toll it not; Angel hands will mark the spot. Do a kindness, though 'tis small; Angel voices sing it all. Do a kindness, never mind, What you lose the angels find. Do a kindness, do it now; Angels know it all somehow. Do a kindness, .any time; Angels weave it into rhyme. Do a kindness—it will pay; Angels will rejoice that -day. Kindly deeds and thoughts and words Bless the world like songs of birds. To the editor of that very excellent magazine. "Great- Thoughts," I am indebted for what seem to me a cloud of witnesses who are wise and helpful. Here is what he writes on : KINDNESS IN WOMAN. "There is no doubt that love is the actuating impulse of woman's life,, and out of love springs gentleness and kindness.

cloeth little kindnesses Which some leave undone or despise; For naught that sets the heart at rest Is low-esteemed in her eyes. Without her tender ministry our infancy would be without succour, our youth without gladness, and ouv age without consolation. Love for dumb animals affection for children, commiseration lor the weak and helpless,'regard for the aged and suffering, pity for the oppressed—all these are natural for women. They are found not only among the civilised, but in rude and savage lauds. Mungo Park tells xis how, on one occasion, when lonely, friendless, and famished, after being driven*forth from an African village by the men, when ho was preparing to spend the night under a tree, exposed to the rain and the wild beasts which there

abounded, a poor negro woman, returning from the labours of the field, took ((impassion on him, conducted him to her hut, and there gave him food, succour, and shelter, "ii&ving conducted mo into her hut," lie writes, "she lighted a lamp, spread a mat on the floor, and told me 1 might remain there for the night. Finding that I -was very hungry, she said she would get me something to eat. She accordingly went out and returned very soon with a very fine fish, which, having caused to be 'half broiled upon some embers, she gave me for supper. The rites of hospitality being thus performed towards a stranger in distress, my benefactress—pointing to the mat, and telling me I might sleep there without apprehension—called to the female part of her family, who had stood gazing on me all the while in fixed astonishment to resume their task of spinning cotton, in which they continued to employ themselves a great part of the night. They lightened their labours by songs, one of which was composed extempore, for I was myself the subject of it. It was sung by one. of the young women, the rest joining in a sort of ahorus. The air was sweet and plaintive, and the words, literally translated, were these : 'The winds roared, and the rains fell; the poor white man, faint and weary, came and sat under, our tree; he has no mother to bring him milk, no wife to grind his corn. Chorus—Let us pity the white—no mother has he, etc' Trifling as the recital may appear to the reader, to a person in my circumstance was' affecting in fie highest degree. I was oppressed by such unexpected kindness, and sleep fled from my eyes." Such, even in savage lands, is the tenderness of woman. The Bedouin cry, £o beautifully voiced by Whittier, comes naturally from the lips of a woman : Whoever thou art whoso need is great, In the name of God, the coni.passionaie And merciful one, for thee I wait. Into the new year let us carry the song of another gifted singer : we shall need it, and others around us will greatly need it : Put a bit of sunshine in tlie day; Others need its cheer and so do you— Need it most when outer sky's dull grey Leaves the sunshine-making yours to do. Give- the day a streak of rosy dawn; Give it, too, a touch of highest noon ; Make the ones about you wonder why Sunset crimson should appear so soon. Sunshine-making is a blessed task; Cheery hearts, like lovely, wide-blue sky, Banish weary gloom and give fresh hope. Check the rising teat or thoughtless sigh. Put the golden sunshine in each day; Others neod the cheer that comes through you— Need it. most when outer sky's dull grey Leaves the sunshine-making yours to do. —Juanita Stafford. Says an anonymous writer : "A large part of our . unkindness is sheer. thoughtlessness. In fact, most people are kindly disposed toward others, and would be glad to help them; but they simply do not think. They are so intent upon their own affairs, their minds are so focused upon themselves, that all thought of others or their needs are crowded out. "There is no other thing which will give greater satisfaction than the forming of a kindly habit, the habit of holding a kindly spirit toward everybody, and of cheering and encouraging others. "If we persist in this- habit it will drive out all petty little jealousies, all moroseness and gloom, envy and selfishness, everything that would seriously mar our lives. "If we hold the right mental attitude, sow the right mental seeds, sow.the right thoughts, we should get the right habits. What a splendid opening there is in the cheering up business for all sorts of people ! Everybody ought to be in it. It is the grandest occupation in the world. See what a harvest it brings of satisfaction, joy, and helpfulness! "In addition to all this, it is a real money-maker, for it increases one's power of efficiency wonderfully. It keeps life's machinery lubricated so that it runs more harmoniously, and consequently can turn out a great increase of product. "How many good things this kindly spirit brings to us, and how many unpleasant things it keeps away from us!

"No efforts we ever may make can bring such a splendid return as the endeavour to scatter flowers as we go along, to plant roses instead of thorns ; no investment will pay such fat dividends as the firm effort put into kind words and kindly acts, the effort to. radiate a kindly spirit toward every living creature. "Do not be discouraged even if people you try to help and encourage are ungrateful and irresponsive. You will be enlarged by your own shining, by your efforts to help others, just as the life of the one who loves is always enriched, even if the love is not appreciated or returned. Such efforts can never be lost, no matter how coldly they may be received. No one can honestly try to help another in vain. He is sure to be a larger, richer man himself for the effort." That beat portion of a good man's life— His little, nameless, miremembered acts Of kindness and of love. —"Wordsworth. Are Tennyson's words effete? No, and never will be : Howe'er it be, jt seems to rue "Pis only noble to be good. Kind hearts a.ve more than coronets. And simple faith than Norman blood. Should we be guilty of forgetting the imperishable words of the Great Teacher? "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me."