The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-02-18

If you want to be happy, to this
give heed
Let no day pass you without kind
| deed
He read out the motto to Walter,
and said:
That's an unusual motto to find
In candy. Most OF 'em are silly /
like the sound of that one"
so do +" echoed Walter. "Read it
again 2
And Will read it out to his friend
once more:
If you want to be happy, to this
! give heed
Let no day pass you without kind
deed:
Will put it in his vest pocket and
went on having good time at Wal
ter's, seeing the latter's present and
talking over their common affairs.
The motto was forgotten until the
day before New Years. Then, when
Will went to confession, the priest
said to him:
Make few good resolutions to
guide you every day. Take something
simple, something against laziness, or
self1shness, or disobedience, or greed
mess at table, especially against your
predominating fault. Put them down
in writing. Try like man of will
power to keep them"
Will answered: 'I'll do it, Father"
but when he went home he had to
get dictionary to find the meaning
of predominating.
! Then he could not see that he had
any predominating fault. He was
weak in half dozen ways and fell in
one of them about as often as in any
of the others. He blew long whistle.
"Whew! / must have six predomi-
mating faults. I'm rich in the wrong
way"
| Just then he remembered the
motto that he had gotten at Walters.
He searched his pocket and found
1t. He opened the crumpled paper
carefully and read it:
If you want to be happy, to this
give heed
Let no day pass you without kind
deed"
That's good enough to be one of
my resolutions" he said 'I'll do
some kindness in word or act to some
one every day"
Then he made six other resolutions
that he'd get up promptly in the
morning, that he'd be more obedient
to his mother, that he'd not fuss"
with his brothers and sisters, that he'd
study his lessons faithfully, and he'd
do his chores without having to be
told, and that he'd control his appetite
for dessert at table.
4 Whether or not it was the rhyme
that helped him by keeping kindness
in his mind, certain it was that Will
kept the resolution of the motto bet
ter than any of the others. He began
to be kind in word and act. It grew
on him. He seemed to rise to an op.
portunity to do kindness, until to
do SO became habit with him Soon
there was notable change in him.
WI He grew more thoughtful, more con
siderate, brighter. For every body be
came kind to him. So he looked fo1
goodwill from every body and was not
disappointed. People began to be
fond of him and to show him af
lection. This love increased his de
sire to please them.
: The trait that had it's beginning in
the motto found in candy bag, af
. fected not only Wills conduct and
character, but also helped to shape
his career. 1t won him friend who
opened up to him chance to enter
an occupation that eventually became
: his life-work and gave him congeniaI
employment and a comfortable com
petence. But that is another story
Sufficient for us today is to know
that his observance of the motto made
Will that most charming parsonage
| "a nice boy" And for our own sake
: let us get it by heart:
II you want to be happy, to this
give heed
Let no day pass you without kline
deed"