The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-14
SMALL THINGS THAT
 MAKE THE WRONG
BY MRS. J. B. REID.

1 And still another little fault we find, such a little politeness is shown by our young folks today On crowded cars it is especially noticeable; old ladies may stand, old men can lean, but the best seat is filled by the little man. Perhaps he has l paid his nickel. the seat is his. and so is his rudeness. The others are temporarily uncomfortable, but the child without po- liteness is greatly to be pited, and then we wonder if the parents know? Raising | these little charges to grow up men and women is a grave responsibility; they are only small a short while, and when young and tender, like vine, they need strong frame to lean on, that they may grow to be ornaments to life-not ornaments in a superficial way, but may flower and blos- som into a maturity of honest, upright citizenship-that when that frame, the parent, has decayed and gone they stand perfect specimen of a statewood tree; that in the distribution Of time they may gather the fragrance of the well trained vine.
 Little things are not near so often over looked as imagined-a man does not have to be giant in frame to be q great man, but he must have herculean strength where truth and honesty are involved. These are the prime factors of greatness. Several years ago an invalid sat for hours in a big. magnolia grove, alone, some distance across the yard. He had an accustomed chair for the purpose or resting there-the usual position with elbow on each knee. He rested his face in both hands; his silence seemed fearful and the writer crept up behind him, and soon saw he was intent The question, are you lonesome? brought out a won derful lesson. Lonesome. no indeed, never Lonesome when I can see the won derful working of nature as I see 1t In every spot I rest" and he pointed to bed of tiny red ants. Myriads of the little insects were running back and forth to the little upheavel of earth that they had builded for an 'ant bed' And the watch man said: T have seen them all this while, and they are thinking, striving little rogues. They have been stealing crumbs to hide away for their winter days and they have such wonderful in dustry, don't seem to stop-but watch me move my foot" and they race for life. Natural little thieves, they know they are grafting" And it did look as if they were conscious that wrong was being done and somebody might catch them. And these tiny ants out in the forest were feeding and toiling on i'll gotten goods, because the sparrows had stolen the crumbs and dropped them to the ground.
 And on through life, no matter where  not plant the bad, faulty seed and have good crop We have got to begin at the root of evil in our little folks and when they are grown up the best will fol- low.
 The trihes are part of real life-the nerve of the tooth sometimes crazes man The insect bite makes the elephant mad. The coral rock is the work of tiny in sects.
 Every ounce helps to make the pound. Every hour claims a life-and it has been truly said:
 .T. little acts are the elements of true graatness. They raise lifes value like the little figures over the larger ones in arithmetic, to it's highest power. iheN are tests of character They are straws upon lfe's deceitful current. and show the currents way The heart comes all out in them. They move on the dial Of character They help to make the inl- mortal man. What is the use of child It may become man."
 Our prisons are filled with criminals who began with little wrongs and these grew and became greater crimes.