Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-02-09
~ C0nfesSi0N
| 20 young
ONn2se&eeper
by Barbara BQyU
HEaRT
on0
HONE
TALKS
Misdirected Kindness.

= EEMS TO me there is a lot of misdirected kindness in the world. certain
~ appreciate kindness 1t Is a beautiful thing. But must say do not
full It is a pity that a thing so lovely in itself should produce such warped off,
spring 1t Is simply because some people whose hearts bubble owe with kind
ness hV heads oubbhng over with obsdnacy or bosslness, or to put it more po-
ltey, TOT much individuahsm. They do not want any indivduansm to crop out
In others. They believe in it for themselves, but it Is an unpleasant quality in
somebody else. So, though they may have all the kindness in the world, while
this opinion ruRs their headworks, their kindness is apt to be misdirected.
wanted some shelves put up. Papa-inIaw offered to come and put them
up, having heard me remark that never could hit a nail or make any i'm
preston upon a screw. thought this was lovely in him, for he is a farmer
and knows all sorts Of things, and medtated getting various odd Jobs done
which ] fet. sure he would know exactly how to do.
When he arrived he announced that hadn't any tools suitable, and forth
with went and bought various saw and hammers and chisels and screw
drivers and other complicated looking things regarded this somewhat
obviously for didn't ever expect to go into the carpenter business. Still |
coneoed myself with the thought that iI had hired a man to do the work he
would have charged me as much as the tools cost and not done anything the
way | wanted It.
l wanted a shelf over the kitchen sink, but papa-inlaw waved the sugges-
tn aside and said: "No, you don't want it there. 1t will be in the way of
washing Dishes didn't see 1t. But he paid no attention to me, mounted a
stepladder and fell to work. How he expected me to reach a shelf up there
do not know.
"Hand me the hammer, Barbara. Get ne some nails, 90. And need a
seventeeninch screw" or something of the kind, vas the way the orders flew.
scurred around and handed him up what seemed to me a hardware shop, the
while the pie burned and the baby fell down the front steps. ASH took the
blackened pie from the oven | could hear him thinking, "y wife never burns
her pies, but, of course"
The shelves wanted in the kitchen cupboard he insisted upon putting in
the celarway, where shall bump my head on them every time go down
room doors. "Far more convenient" he insisted. He rehung most of the pic
lures and entirely rearranged the plates In the pate-rack. He sawed and ham,
mered and pounded mTly, scattered shavngs and sawdust all W. the house,
and vas so satisfied when he was done and 81 sure he had helped m e so much
that of course, couldn't say much, especially as he Is papa-nlaw.
His kindness is all right He has a great big heart. But he can't see any
way but his own way, which shows his eyesight is defective, and thus his kind
ness, SO beautiful in itself, is msdirected. And the worst If It,, he never knows
it He says he is coming again to do some little Jobs for me- But he won't If
know it, I'll take his intention for the deed and quietly sdetrack any further
efforts on his part In my behalf.