St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-04-30
PRAISE TO I'll FACE.
1t Costs so Little to Say Nice Things, and the
Pleasure They Give Others Will Repay Us.

1t Costs so Little to Say Nice Things, and the
Pleasure They Give Others Will Repay Us.
No, we do not remember to say nice
things to one another, says a writer in
Harper's Bazaar, or rather we do not
make the effort to say those nice things
we are often actually thinking. If the
front of Mary's new dress fits well, and
we are wishing she would turn so that
we could see the back, it is just as simple
to say: ooh, Mary, that gown fits you
beautifully. Do let me see the back"
But in place of doing that, we wait until
Mary turns by accident, and then we
view her back in silence.
1t is not that we mean to be grudging
of our praise, nor are we restrained by
delicacy, but we just do not think of
opening our mouth and enclosing our
teeth on the pleasant thought that
would give Mary undeniable pleasure.
There, no doubt, have been times when
you yourself have worn a new gown or
made some conspicuous effort of one kind
or another, and found a friend utterly
silent on the subject-so silent that you
thought she had no good thing to say,
and so kindly held her tongue; thenlater
Through more thoughtful channels)
trickles to you a warm approval that
she had spoken behind your back.
Behind-the. back approval is extremely
valuable, more so than before the face,
of course, but somehow it is never so
sweet.
Flattery? 1t is not 1attery to speak
of a true admiration. 1t is rather a duty
to do so than TO refrain. The use o
clean, honest praise is not its abuse. 1t
costs more effort to speak pleasant
thoughts aloud than to think them in
silence, and when one feels irritable or
tired the effort is greater to thus max,
ones self very pleasant; but there is ne
doubt whatever about the duty in tn
case.
once saw a father walk up to a maj
his little boy had made and pinned or
the wall. He stood before it a long time
in silence, and in silence walked away
The little fellow was sitting in the room
and his father knew he was there. He
was watching with his eager child's eyes
waiting ~anxiously for a word of ap
proval. AS none came, his poor littl'
face fell u~nhappily. Straight into tn,
next room walked the father, and said
carelessly'
Robert has drawn a very clever little
map in there. Look at it when you &c
in"
Ibid you tell him it was clever ?"asket
a judicial listener, following from the
room where little Robert sat.
why, no. ought to have done so.
l never thought to mention it,"
"Well, you ought to be ashamed o.
yOuiSSH, was liz uSoSiNSu ISpIys VI
back now and tell him."
We ought all Of us to be ashamed O
ourselves a dozen times a day for like
sins of omission. 1t costs so little to say
nice things, and the result in another's
pleasure is out Of all proportion to our
trouble.
Praise to the face; open disgrace.
No such thing. The proverb is wrong.
Praise to the face is one OF the sweetest
things on earth, and there is no disgrace
in it, unless untruth enters, or unless the
praise is undeserved. 1t is the more
grateful because no one may ask for
open praise and receive by asking. When
it comes thus at call it is not praise; its
fine flavor is quite gone, and it is but
fattery.
1--WE may have died for praise, but
never asked it." All we need to do to
give proper praise to the face is to think
aloud a little more when thinking
pleasantly of those with whom we live.
In a word, as spoken by an old French
lady Of fiction, 1T costs so little TO be
pleasant, and it does so grease the wheels
of lifp's chariOt.p