The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1901-10-24

BiSt@~eA'S SN"iAS ''N~ oASSSAs~
tons, and it would dull every sword
until it would not cut skin deep, and
unwheel every battery till it could not
roll, and make gunpowder of no more
use in the world except for rock blast
ing or pyrotechnic celebration. Kind
ness is a spirit divinely implanted and
in answer to prayer, and then to be
sedulously cults'a until it fills all
the nature with a perfume richer and
more pungent than mignonette, and,
as if you put a tuft of that aromatic
beauty behind the clock on the mantel
or in some corner where nobody can
see it. you find people walking about
your room looking this way and that,
and you ask them: What are you
looking for?" and they answer: "Where
is that fower?" So if one has in his
soul this infinite sweetness of DISPOSE
ton it's perfume will whelm every
thing.
Let US all pray for the spirit of kind,
ness. 1t will settle thousand ques-
tions. 1t will change the phase of ev-
erything. 1t will mellow through and
through our entire nature. 1t will
transform a lifetime. 1t is not feel
ing got up for occasions, but perennial.
That is the reason I like petunias bet
ter than morning glories. They look
very much alike, and if should put in
your hand a petunia and morning
glory you could hardly tell which is
the petunia and which the morning
glory. But the morning glory blooms
only few hours and then shuts up
for the day, while the petunia is in as
widespread glow at 10 o'clock at
noon and six o'clock in the evening as
at sunrise. And this grace of kind
ness is not spasmodic, it is not inter-
mittent, is not for little while, but
it irradiates the whole nature all
through and clear on till the sunset
of our earthly existence.
Kindness! I am resolved to get it.
Are you resolved to get it? 1t does not
come by haphazard, but through cul-
ture under the divine help. Thistles
grow without culture. Rocky noun
tain sage grass grows without culture.
Mullen stalks grow without culture.
But that great red rose in the con-
servatory, its leaves packed on leaves,
deep dyed as though it had been
obliged to fight for it's beauty and it
were still reeking with the carnage of
the battle, that rose needed to be cul-
tured, and through long years its
floral ancestors were cultured OGod,
implant kindness in all our souls and
rich it. to develop it!
Still further, l must speak of kind
ness of word. When you meet any
one, do you say a pleasant thing or
an unpleasant? Do you tell him of
an agreeable thing you have heard
about him or the disagreeable When
he leaves you does he feel better or
does he feel worse? Oh. the power
of the tongue for the production of
happiness or misery! One would think
from the way the tongue is Gagged in
we might take the hint that it has
a dangerous power. First it is
chained to the back part of the
mouth by strong muscles. Then it is
surrounded by the teeth of the lower
jaw, SO many ivory bars, and then
by the teeth of the upper jaw, more
ivory bars. Then, outside of all, are
the two lips, with the power of COM
preston and arrest. And yet, not
outstanding these four imprison-
ments or limitations, how many take
no hint in regard to the dangerous
power of the tongue, and the results
are liberation, scarifcation and
damnation.
Oh, say the cordial thing! Say the
useful thing. Say the hospita BILE
thing. Say the helpful thing. Say
the Christlike thing. Say the kind
thing. l admit that it is easier for
some temperaments than for others.
Some are born pessimists, and some
are born optimists, and that demon
strates itself all through everything.
1t is cloudy morning. You meet a
pessimist, and you say: s'What wealth
er to-day?" He answers: Its go
ing to Storm" and umbrella under
arm and waterproof coat show that
he is honest in that utterance. On
the same block, minute after, YOU
meet an optimist, and you say: What
do you think of the commercial pros
pects?' and he says: GLORIOUS.
Crops not SO good as usual, but for
eign demand will make big prices.
We are going to have such an autumn
and winter of prosperity as we have
never seem" On your way back to
your store you meet pessimist mer-
chant: What do you think of the
commercial prospects" you ask, and
he answers: well, | don't know,
Wheat and corn crop blasted in Kan
sas and Missouri, and the grain
gamblers will get their fist in, and
the nay crop is short in some places,
and in the southern part of Wiscon-
sin they had hailstorm, and our
business is as dull as it ever was"
You will find the same difference in
judgment of character. A man of
good reputation is assailed and
charged with some evil deed. At the
first story the pessimist will believe
in guilt. "The papers said so. and
that's enough Down with binyn