The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1908-01-24
KINDNESS THE KEY
TO FRIENDSHIP.
Little Fay0rS Rewarded BY
Loyalty and Devotion.
Lies Happiness EmulateS From
/ the Good Done and Xind-
ness Shown.


rious business of every 'hum3n life.
To attain the one and aybid the
other is sought in ways as various
as the leaves of the forest. The ways
Of the sensuous and the ways of the
saints are directed toward this COM
mon end. My own notion is that
love is the key to the kingdom of hui
man happiness, and the purpose of
this esay is to vindicate my creed by
recounting incidents in my own per-
sonal experience. But it is not enough
to love, If the other never knows. My
notion of this illustrated in an expert
ence with travelling salesman for a
well known corporation. l had met
him a few times and he had impress
ed me as a character to be admired.
His manners were free and easy and
yet wanting entirely in any purpose
of affectation, a quality rarely OBJ
served in human nature. Meeting him
In a railway coach one afternoon
said to him, " Mr.. - it is the GUS
tom of mankind to wait until one is
dead to Speak kindly of him, but par
don me for saying that l see in you
one of those congenial characters that
1t is always good to meet. am sor-
ry indeed that you are no longer in
our territory" Maybe it was childish
to say it, mybe it was patronizing
or would you think my frankness alb
surd, See in my conduct what you will
but in the three years since then that
has more than once left group of
friends and crossed. the street to
shake my hand; nor when passing
my place has the winters storm dis
couraged him to raise a car window
TO shout me friendly greeting. Did
my frankness win me lasting and
a worthy friend?
In making of another friend l re-
ceived big reward for little labor
He is a railroad engineer. Observing
that while the rest OF the train crew
jollied with the crowd at the station
the engineer, many car lengths ahead
receive no attention. l walked up the
track and climbed into the cab. |
found the man on the engine quite as
fond of associating with their fellows
as the conductor and the brakemen.
These visits to the cab repeated at
intervals ! began to nole that the
man at the throttle waved to me at
each passing. l was pleased TO know
that my little kindness had not been
fruitless, and soon found myself with
the habit of coming out when his
train whistled to receive the friendly
greeting of the passing engineer. En-
joyed maybe little selfish graLifica-
ton that he waved to no one else
but me. He was really a nobfc fell
low and we are still good friends.
Has my little thought that the engi-
neer had been neglected been reward
ed?
Under circumstances out of the Or
binary but tedious to relate l once
found myself in a small party includ-
ing a boy of ten. | had not known
the boy before but his father was a
very dear friend of mine and l at
tended 10 some childish anxiety the
others would not regard seriously. A
year afterward | had just boarded a
train and was sitting on The arm OF
a seat engaging a couple of friends
when a bright little boy came up and
laying his hand on my knee and look
ing up into my face with a sweet
childish smile said II am glad to see
YOU" / could not for the moment
recall his name but knowing he ex-
pected me to recognize him as readily
as he did me, would not disappoint
him, and laying my hands on his
shoulders smiling said, my little
friend | had almost forgotten you,you
have grown so' My remark on his
growth was of course venture but II
turned out well. 1t required but a
little time for him to>-refer to the
trifling service had done him-which
perhaps seemed real enough to him at
the time-which disclosed his inder
tity. have registered his name In
the calender of my friends, and cred
it it to the account Of kindness.
A friend of mine for years,a man In
every way my equal, did me a wrong
the details of which would serve nc
purpose in this story, but it was
grievous wrong. A wrong one would
scarce expect his enemy much les'
his friend to do him. He thought
would never know but knew it IL
a day. He knew l knew and wal
COMPOUNDED that ! did not resent 1t
But knew that his motive was al
pure as his judgment was faulty ,an'
passed the matter as If it were trivial
l shall never forget how my generos
ity stung him. His te4ltale efforts Il
conceal his remorse and his painful
-..s.-os.. 80 parvoue axcitamanf &C