Maryville Republican., 1876-10-07
Selected d Story.
A Kiss for a Blow.

SAC Ivy 6ALAOoO CFCI y Aoy3 duQ BD6Q
q few minutes in each school talkin|
to the children on peace ana temper
ance. The children understood that
when came into the schools, the,
were at liberty to ask me question
pertaining to temperance or peace
They generally had some questions tt
ask.
One day I visited one Of the prima
~ schools There were about fifty
children in it, between four and eighi
years old.
"Children," said I, shave any oi
you question to ask to-day ?"
"Please tell Us" said a little boy,
what is meant by 'ouercomajmg eojl
acith good I'm"
II am glad," Said I, "you have
asked that question for L love to
talk TO you about peace, and show you
how to settle all difficulties without
fighting"
went on, and tried to show them
what the precept meant, and how to
apply it, and carry it out. / was try
ing to think Of something to make it
plain to the children, when the fol-
lowing incident occurred:
a boy about seven, and his sister
about five years old, sat near me. AS
I was talking, George doubled up his
fist, and struck his sister on her head,
as unkind and cruel brothers often
do. She was angry in a moment, and
raised her hand to strike him back. (
The teacher saw her, and said, "Mary,
you had Better kiss your brother"
Mary dropped her hand, and looked
up at the teacher, as if she did not
fully understand her. She had never
been taught to return good for evil
She thought if her brother struck
her, she, Of course, must strike him
back. She had always been taught to
act on this savage maxim, as most
children are. Her teacher looked |
very kindly at her, and at George,
and said again, 'My dear Mary, you
had better kiss your brother. See
how angry and unhappy lie looks y
Mary looked at her brother He
looked very sullen and wretched.
Soon her resentment was gone, and
love for her brother returned to her
heart. She threw both her arms
about bis neck, and kissed him The
poor boy was wholly unprepared for
such kind return for his blow. He
could not endure the generous affec4
tion Of his sister. 1t broke his heart,
and he burst out crying. The gentle
sister took the corner Of her ason :
and wiped-away bis tears, ans1
TO comfort him, by saying, with lost q
sweetness and generous I
affection, aDon't cry, George; you !
did not hurt me much But he only {
cried the harder. No wonder. It
was enough to make anybody cry.
But what made George feel SO bad, :
and cry? Poor little boy! Little
did he dream that his sister would s
give him such a sweet return for his
wicked blow Would he have cried {.
Il his sister had struck him back with
Ter fist, as he had struck her? Not
le. He would rather she had beaten G.
i'm black and Blue than kiss him as y
he did /; for striking him back again i
would not have made him feel sorry a
It all It was that sweet, sisterly !
gentle wiping away his 1
ears with her apron-that generous "
nd anger killing affection, that led 4
er to excuse him, and seek To com
ort him by saying, "Don't cry, m
'eorge; you did not hurt me much.
'hese were the things that made him Il
ry. So it would break anybody's 81
cart, and make him weep, to receive ~
lch kind ana generous treatment ~
'om those whom he had injured. >,
10 man could withstand it. n
A kiss for blow All the school ~
aw, at once, what was meant by s,(
evil with good and they th
eeded no further instruction on the
inject. They never will forget it.
ad Mary struck her brother, there
ID been fight. It was prevented
! her kiss. ne
When others strike you, or do any
ing to you which you think an Be
ury, always do as sweet little Mary sti
!, and give Q kiss fer hlow. ana
Ike care how they wrong you, in ah
~ way, when they are once sure
at the injuries they 40 you viii not
returned. Though George was u
g oldest and the largest, and could ne
rike the hardest, Yet Mary conquer
him. The large, strong body OF Pr
Gorge, his muscular arm, and hard SEE
ows, were not q match for the ge
rong love and sweet kiss of Mary mi
George bad the body Of q giant, un
the strength Of million men in
J arm, Marys sweet love and kiss, Pa
at clean, soft apron wiping away tha
J tears, and those gentle, but hearts hel
9rcing words, Don't cry, George; del
u did not hurt me much" would wit
We conquered them all. What col
lld poor George do? If he had anc
the arms and soldiers in the world pan
help him in his attack upon Mary, tor
u /, 4.