The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-03-20
VALUE OF SMALL THINGS.
The Key 10 Happiness II in Small
Deeds of Kindness.
New York Herald.

New York Herald.
Line upon line. line upon line: here little. and
there little.-Issiah xviii: lO.
We ought to give greater heed to the
little things of life and to magnify
their great importance more than we
do. No great experiences, but small
ones, make the sum of human happi-
ness. 1t is folly to disdain the quar-
tiers of an hour of enjoyment which
frequently come within reach, and
wait anxiously for whole holiday.
When the artist is making the mosa-
ic he will defeat his own end unless he
sees the beauty of each bit of stone be-
fore him and recognizes its value as a
contribution to the picture he is build
ing. And in like manner the soul
does itself injustice if it fails to see that
the little duties of life are the material
out of which great natures are shaped.
A single thread may seem very in
significant thing. We hold it up to
the sunshine, admire its beautiful col
or for moment and then rather scorn-
fully throw it to the passing breeze.
The weaver, however, winds it about
his shuttle and makes with it leaf or
a flower in his costly fabric. What we
throw away as not worthy of second
thought is highly priced by the man
who knows how to use it.
1t is very trite and commonplace to
say that we ought 10 lend a helping
hand whenever the opportunity is Of
fered; or better still, that we ought to
search every day for an opportunity to
do so. And yet if you will imagine
life in which a kindly word is spoken
and q kindly deed is done on every
possible occasion, and then imagine
that all these kindly words and. deeds,
extending through many years, are
brought together, you will shade your
ewes as YOU gaze ut the brilliancy of
the spectacle and feel kind of envy
of the happy man or woman whose
life is as beautiful as cathedral win-
dew with the sun shining through it,
or as rich and mellow and inspiring as
the music of cathedral organ when
its keys are touched by masters
hand.
Such a life, however, is within the
the reach Of every human being. The
amount of happiness which we miss
is matter for serious consideration, and
we miss it simply because we cannot
see that God has slowed away vast
amount of enjoyment in the deeds we
never do ana the words we never say.
It does no harm to stop on the high
way for a moment aud chat with
blind beggar. On the contrary, it may
happen That the key to unlock our de-
spondency hangs at the girdle OF just
such an interview. So insignificant All
incident as that may change the whole
current of our thoughts, muzZle our
tendency to grumble because we are
not as we think we ought to be, and
possibly lead US to be grateful for the
little we have. 1t is a representative
incident and serves to show that Gods
hand has been rather generous to us af'
ter all.
A young man has fallen on i'll for
tune or bad habits. All that the
stealthy devil of circumstance asks, is
that you will let that young man alone,
for then his ruin will be assured. If
YOU were to take his hand or in any
way show an interest in his welfare, as
for instance, by fraternal word of en-
couragement, you might fan the dying
embers until they broke into a flame
again. Many life has been saved by
d warm handshake, and many 4 life
been damned for the want of it. The
handshake is little thing, but the
saved life is not little thing.
If man is on the edge of a preci-
pice you need but touch his shoulder
and he will 60 over, or you need but
call him by name and he will step
back. If it is possible to do such SER
vice for fellow-creature by phrase
no longer than the widows mite, our
lips are recreant if we do not utter it,
and when we get to heaven it will be Il
serious reflection that that fellow crea-
went the wrong way because we were
silent. Life is studded with such op-
portunities as coronet is with dia-
mondS.
Then again the cultivation Of a sweet
temper is apparently Il small thing,
but yet il is u duty whose influence
reaches from horizon to horizon. | is
so easy to become eXasperated when
everything is not Us you wish it TO be,
and so easy also to give vent to your ill
nature in words which stick in the
memory like burrs in wool. You can
say in sixty seconds what sixty days
of regret will not destroy. They tell
us of sword tipped with poison which
makes wound past all healing, but no
sword that ever came from the arnlOr-
or can cut rs deep as Il hasty word.
There are some people with whom il
is more difficult To get along smoothly
than it is pick your way through a
hedge of thorns without tearing your
clothes. They are kind of barbaric
folk. for hot temper that is uncon-
trolled banishes happiness from at
least Two lives-the owners and the
victims. 1t has its origin in pure
selfishness which tolera:es on my
way" and has no patience with your
way" 1t is also Il mode of expressing
IA self-conceit which prOclaims hat ]
am always right, while you are always
wrong"
Now, be il known that temper in The
soul is Is necessary as temper in Il To-
IeGO blade. Temper well in hand
makes one enduring, persevering,
brave; but temper that is ungoverned
is like frightened, runaway horse,
who smashes not only the vehicle TO
which he is attached, but every other
vehicle with which he comes into c"l-
IisiOn There is no more admirable