Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-03-14
READER, SPEAK KINDLY.

READER. SPEAK KINDLY.
A Hkcsleat Way Of ExsreiainG . Coed
InAuenee Over Others.
Why not? Why should not husbands
ana wives. bound together as they are
In the most intimate of all earthly re.
iasions. and necessarily in constant In
tercourse with each other. consecrate
ana hallow the sacred relation, and
oless themselves, by always using kind
words when they speak to each other?
"nere Is the place for hard words,
angry words and words of reproach and
bitterness? Such words always leave
. sharp sting behind them. They are
not the words of affection, and become
neither husband nor wife. They con.
tribute nothing to the happiness of
eitner' and are the prolific sources Of
. large amount of misery. The hus-
band who abuses his wife by his words.
and the wife who snaps and snarls I
her husband. are alike untrue to their
marital pledge, and really in very
bad way. Such husbands and wives
ought at once to repent their sins
against each other. and acquire better
affections and better manners.
Speak kindly. Why not? Why
should not parents always speak in
this way to their children, and why
should not children always so speak to
their parents? If parents thus speak
children will naturally learn to do the
same thing. The example by the
parents will reproduce itself in the
practice and habits of the children;
and the latter will grow up into man.
hood or womanhood with q gentleness
and softness of manners, and a care
fulness in the use of words that is
characteristic of refined and cultivated
beings. Authority, when exercised
through kind words, is scarcely felt
simply as authority. The element OF
severity is withdrawn from it; and
obedience to it is secured by love.
Parents who allow themselves to get
into fits of passion with their children,
and then thunder and storm at them
in the language of vehemence and
anger. are making a grave mistake in
the matter of family government.
Such parents need first of all to govern
themselves and put their own passions
nnder q healthfnl restraint
Speak kindly. Why not? Why
should not brothers and sisters living
in the same house, eating at the same
table. and fed and clothed by the same
bounty, always speak to each other in
this way? BY so doing they will minis
ter to each others happiness, avoid
petty quarrels, make home pleasant,
cultivate good affections. crafty their
parents and please God. As they be-
come men and women they will be
scattered hither and thither; and when
thus scattered it will be pleasant for
them to look back to their childhood
days, and remember that their inter-
course with one another was kindly
and affectionate. The friendship then
formed will follow them.
Yes; speak kindly. Why not? Why
should not men who are associated to-
gether in business study and practice
the law of kind words toward each
other? Why should not the master
speak kindly to his servant?
Why should not one speak kind
ly to a stranger who may ask
him question? Why should not IT, ose
who differ in opinion address each other
in the use of respectful and kindly
words? Why should not those who
oppose moral evils temper their Ian
yuage with the law of kindness in the |
'orm of utterance? Why should not
he minister of the Gospel, the doctor
md the nurse in the sick-room, the
buyer and the seller, the banker and
he merchant, the governor and the
.overned. the judge on his bench, the
warden of q prison. and, indeed, every
nan and every woman. on all occa-
ions, in all circumstances, and under
IL provocations. both study and prac-
ice the law of kind words in the total
Intercourse of life from the cradle to
he grave?
We would like to have our readers,
ach one for himself. ponder these
uestions; and also the title placed at
he head of this article. There is an
mazing power for good or evil in
'ords A large part Of human in
uence is exercised through this chan
ell. What one is in life. how he af.
ects others. and how they will feel to-
'ard him, depends very greatly upon
be use he makes of his tongue. II
e goes through Life with a lawless and
Grid tongue, as the instrument of an
qually lawless and acrid heart. hurl-