The Chilhowee echo. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1899-19??, 1899-11-11
WORDS THAT COME TOOLATE.

WORDS luat kUIhL LAIL.
How many there are who would glad
ly recall words thoughtlessly or harshly
spoken. And how many are they, also,
who have had cause to regret the I'M
spoken wOrds-words of kindness and
sympathy that might have been spoken
to the friend who has gone. Is there
one among rs who is free from self-re-
proach for such neglect-for withhold
ing the kindly, sympathetic or praise
full word from friend when he or she
needed it, when it would have cheered
and encouraged, when it would have
been so much appreciated and would
have cost us so little? The words we
meant to say, we can utter now only in
. the dull cold ear of DEATH" they can
do our friend no good, whatever melan-
choly consolation their belated utter
ance may afford us. "a man that hath
friends must show himself friendly"
said wise old Solomon. Show yourself
friendly: speak words of encouragement
and praise to your friend-not cheap
tlattery and insincere praise. but hon
est, sincere words of appreciation, of
cheer and kind intent. Behind the
smiling face of your friend may be
sore and heavy heart. a sad and weary
soul to whom kind word of praise or
encouragement would be as healing
balm to bleeding wound. Tomorrow
your friend may have passed away: then
with sense of guilty regret you vii re-
call and repent the good qualities and
virtues of the dead friend for whom, in
life, you had few words of praise, and
for whom, perhaps you had more words
of criticism than praise.
Kind words cost nothing, and who
among us can not honestly speak them to
our friend: AS one has APPLY said: do
not keep the alabaster boxes of your
love and tenderness sealed up until your
friends are dead Fill their lives with
sweetness. Speak approving, cheering
words while their ears can hear them,
and while their hearts can be thrilled
and made happier by them; the kind
things you mean to say when they are
gone, say before they go. The flowers
you mean to send for their collins, send
to brighten and sweeten their homes
before they leave them. If my friends
have alabaster boxes laid away, full Of
fragrant perfumes of sympathy and
affection which they intend to break
over my dead body ! would bring them
out in my weary and troubled hours,
and open them that may be refreshed
and cheered by them while | need them.
| would rather have plain coffin with
out a flower, a funeral without an
eulogy, than life without the sweet
ness of love and sympathy, Let US learn
to annoint our friends beforehand for
their burial. Post-mortem kindness
does not cheer the burdened spirit.
Flowers on the coffin cast no fragrance
backward over the weary way
Words to the living are worth more
than words to the dead. The most sue
cessful, the most sunny-hearted in life
have burdens to bear, have trials and
worries, hours of gloom and days Of sad
ness, and the human heart Graves love
and sympathy, and is cheered by the
approving and sympathetic words of
friends. AS an unkind word may stab
and wound, so may kind words bourgeon
and blossom and shed fragrance in the
hearts of our friends. "a word in sea-
son spoken may calm the troubled
breast" Pleasant words OPPORTUNITY
voiced to friend may sometimes be
dear as remembered kisses after
death" There is world of sympathy
and solace in thoughtful kindness and
timely words.