Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-04-06
SMALL COURTEsIEs.
Wise Admonition for the Incon-
Siderate and rhoughtless.
Little Kindnesses, How Easily be-
slowed, and Yet How Grudg-
lngIy Glven-A Word
About Friendship.


lngIy GIven-A Word
About Friendship.
Life is not made up OF crises. The
days which mean more to us than 9TH
ers can generally be counted on the fin
gers Of one hand Now and then, truly,
we find ourselves in the grasp OF the
whirlwind or at the mercy OF the pitt
less storm. The waves surge and seethe
around us, threatening to dash us to
atoms against the jagged rocks OF the
neighboring shore. But by and by
their fury passes, and it is calm again.
The angry breakers subside. Once
more, upon quiet sea- we drift with
the tide. A tragedy comes to us, but
it is over after q time. and we are sur
prised to find that existence is still pos
Sible, and that the future is not swept
quite blank and bare.
1t is the trihing, the unimportant,
the insignificant, so-called, which for
the most part makes every fate. We
long for change. for excitement and in
terest, but we. look for it in vain. Each
life has its special accompaniment but
the music is usually in single key.
We weary of the monotone. We call
lmpatiently for new themes but these
not unfrequently prove clashing and
discordant so that to hear them is to
turn shuddering away. We are far
more dependent upon each other than
we care to admit No one, indeed,
can possibly estimate the scope
Of his power for veal or woe
over those about him. That contempt
you felt for an acquaintance the other
day, felt, but carefully refrained from
expressing! Do you imagine it was
without its resultP The word of COM
mendation you spoke this morning to a
little child! 1t will echo sweetly
throughout eternity. The kindness
shown to one in trouble or perplexity
to-day, the cordial grasp of sympathy,
the generously rendered advice! You
have forgotten it, but time is too short
to register its whole capacity for good.
There are small considerations, courte-
sizes, concessions, what you will, which
we may all extend to those about us,
which to neglect degrades not others
but ourselves. Why are we so prone
10 ignore and to forget themP Are we
waiting for large opportunities, for
more magnificent privileges OF assist
ing and inspiring our fellows? II
so. fear we are destined to wait in
vain.
No one is able to establish an accept
able code OF politeness, because cour-
tesy is the language of the heart, a Ian
guage which is and must forever re-
main unwritten. To be gracious is
only to be kind, to be thoughtful, to re-
member our obligations to our friends
and others and ourselves no less. An
act OF selfish rudeness is not 80
hurtful to any as to him who perpe-
trates it. A favor, however small. ac-
cepted without an acknowledgment,
can not but leave a stain upon the deli
cate warp and wool of ones character.
It is easy to be polite in the presence Of
those on whom we care to produce a
good impression. It is easy to cater to
those whom we care to please. 1t
is in the hum-drum life Of the home,
the school, that we are prone to fail.
We do not feel like exerting ourselves
to be particularly courteous, and
we consider ourselves privileged
to omit certain formalities on the
score Of familiarity and intim-
acy. But have we really any such
rightp Does it matter at all how you
feel to any one but yourselfP Is there
any virtue in making others uncomfort-
able because you chance to be nervous
and gloomy and not quite yourselfP |
do not think so. You have had a rest
less night, you have risen with a teas
ing headache, you are late to breakfast.
The coffee is cold, the cakes sodden,
the beef steak overdone, but whose is
the faultp You reprimand the servants
severely, reproach the members OF your
family with more or less bitterness,
and in short succeed in making every
one in your vicinity appropriately mis-
cradle and yourself especially disagree
able. Is it worth whileP There are
words which have spell about them.
II thank you. With your permission.
II you please. After you. When you
have done. am grateful. You are SO
kind;" simple and natural all Of them,
but none the less effective
Extravaganza of speech is a common
error We condemn unjustly, we
praise unreasonahly. We are in most
things extreme. To be courteous does
not mean 70 be untrue, it does not even
imply it. But the whole truth is not
always essential 10 right speaking and
acting Very often it is much better
untold. The thousand graceful words
and deeds which may raise the com
nlonest daily life to a thing OF beauty
and dignity are possible to all. He
tvho naolacfe them does so at hia Iaaril