Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-06-16
Let something Good be Said.

Over the fireplace in Frances E.
Wizards study in Rest Cottage
are inscribed these words; "Let
Something Good Be Said"
The motto is painted on the
bricks and was placed there by an
artist friend who offered to deco
rate the fireplace as Miss Willard
might desire. Miss Willard asked
that these words should be used,
and was wont to say in e~xplana-
ton of their significance, 81 wish
we might never in this room leave
the discussion Of a character or a
subject, if adverse criticism has
seemed necessary, unless some
thing good has been said of that
individual or subject"
At the commemorative meetings
in which we hope u legioners
will participate, the following
paragraphs from an article written
by Miss Willard might helpfully
be read or spoken:
"When l saw that the tendency
to repeat the same act and the
greater ease with which this is
done the second time than the
first, and the third time than the
second, is the key to paradise, as
we'll as pandemonium; saw the
slow, unerring, unfailing plan Of
God, by which our habits may be-
come our step-ladder to saintship,
l said to my own heart, what |
now whisper to whoever reads:
mo evil habit, however small,
shall have dominion over me-
For l am free to say that I have
set out for saintship and nothing
less, though only God knows SO
well as l how long the road and
how far off the goal. Let us have
sacred emulation in this slow,
steady climb after good habits.
take it for granted that the law
of repetition has confirmed US inn
movably already in the habit of
chaste and ~reverent language, SO
that we should involuntarily stop
our ears in presence of vulgar or
blasphemous words. Ones lam
guage is so thoroughly a part of
ones own inmost self that in my
hearing a young man whom | had
befriended and who meant me no
disrespect, once crimsoned every
sentence with an oath, and when
frequently called to account he
kept repeating; Il beg your par
don, l had no idea of swearing-it
says itself By the same law, l
know of men as we'll as women
who would as soon try to grasp an
object by turning their fingers
backward instead of forward as
they would use vile language or
profane the name of God, They
don't know how it is done. But
there are pleasantries and witty
irreverences ''into the habit" of
which many good people have
fallen. Whose vocabulary would
bear the electric light of publicity
from one years end to another?
But a Christian ought to stand this
test. Let US raise a standard right
here. Get your memorandum
book and pledge yourself hereby
with Gods help
"Resolved, That | will utter no
word and convey no thought un-
worthy of a Christian disciple.
"Coleridge gave us the divine
canon of criticism when he said
we were to look for the beauties in
a picture or a character. Instead
of that how often have we heard a
long discussion of some famous,
and on the whole, benignant
character, with not one appreci-
alive word from first to last, and
in neighborhood gossip it is the
same. Let us, then, listen to our
selves carefully, and see if we
have been SO churlish or onesided
as to speak only Of faults in our
analysis, be it only Of a child, a
household helper, or a dog.
every considerate word we ut
ter concerning those about US,
every time we give them the bene-
fit Of a doubt in u Judgment Of
their motive, every time we take
occasion to couple with our de-
murrer from their position some
saving clause OF appreciation, we
are habituating ourselves to that
charity which ''suffereth long and
is kind" that heavenly love which
alone can make us meet for
heavenly company"
"Time doth the impression deep
er make as streams their channels
deeper wear
Just as you now play without
the music and do not think what
notes you strike, though once you