The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-05-14
BE KIND.

"Be We kind to one another."-Eph H., 49,
Did you ever notice the way in which
a train of railroad cars are fastened to-
getherP At the end of each car is a
bolt, which slides in and out a little
way, to which is hooked another bolt
just like it on the next car. When the
engine backs and the two cars come to-
gether, they do not strike with a hard
bump, jolting the passengers out of
their seats, but the two fastenings meet,
each slides in a few inches, breaking
the force of the blow, and the two cars
come together easily and gently. These
slides are called buffers, because they
buff each other and save the cars from
many a bump. Now, do you know that
everybody can carry with him buffer.
which will help him to avoid hard hits
with other peopleP That buffer is &ind-
ness. A kind word, spoken gently even
in answer to an unkind one; kind ac-
ton, seeking the good of another; above
all, kind heart, full of love, will make
all around us friendly and fill the world
with sunshine.
You remember how Joseph went out
OF his prison to become a Prince. If he
had moped and sulked in Potiphar's
house. as he had some reason for doing,
or had sat down in the prison cross and
snappish, do you suppose he would ever
have risen to greatness? No, for all
his ability, but for his kindness, and
cheerful, helpful spirit, you and would
never have heard of his name. More
than one man since his time has found
kindness useful in bringing him success
Once young man with very little
money opened small store in New
England city. So few people came in
to buy his goods that he grew dis
couraged, and said to himself, as he shut
Vi, his store one Friday night, ''If L
don't have more customers tomorrow
FL give it up and go away" Just then
q little girl came along, looked up at
him, and said:
Are you the man that keeps this
store?'
Yes" he answered, 'this is my
store; but it is shut and locked up now"
..'Well," said the little girl, won't
you please open it again and sell me
spool of No. 70 cottonP All the stores
are shut up, and my mamma wants it
to finish my dress tonight, so that l
can go and visit my auntie tomorrow.
The young merchant couldnot refuse
the child's pleading voice; so he I'M
locked the store, went in, lit his lamp,
found for her the spool of thread, and
took her six cents. She went happy on
her way home; the next day her mother
came in with two other ladies, thanked
him for his kindness, and bought some
goods, as did the other ladies also, who
had heard the story. Perhaps they
told it to others, for more customers
came in, and from that day his store
was successful. Afterward he became
very rich, and used to say, II owe it
all to that spool of cotton" But it was
the kindness, more than the cotton,
which won him friends and success; for
who wouldn't rather buy of kind,
pleasant person than of one who seemed
selfish and careless of others?
And kindness will overcome diff
culties when harsh and severe treat
ment only increases them. Once
runs an old fable the Lord command
ed an angel to destroy great iceberg,
giving him thousand years for his
task. He called together az army of
men with pickaxes and shovels, and let
them dig at the iceberg for five hundred
years; but even then they had only
made hole in it, and it seemed as big
as ever. Then he called for the storms
to beat and blow upon it. For four
hundred years more the rain and snow
fell, and the north wind whistled around
its crown, but it only grew the greater.
At last the angel went back to Heaven
and said, Lord, cannot destroy this
great mountain Then the Lord said,
al will show you how to conquer it,"
So he called upon the sun to shine with
warm rays upon it; and the soft south
wind to breathe upon it; and soon the
great mountain of ice melted away and
only showed where it had been by the
green meadows, all the greener because
of its moisture. So, if you want to
conquer an enemy, watch your chance,
not to throw stone at him, but to do q
kind act or speak kind word, which
will melt him and make him your friend
forever. That is the way that Christ
wins us, by loving us, and blessing us.
and dying in our stead and even so
may we, Christlike, win and save1 cei
ers.-Rev. j. L. Hurlbsst, in Ctri ~;
- II