Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-05-07
nr BEATRICE FAIRFAX.

The art OF being kind Ia "a very simple
one which most OF VS. consistently refuse
to practice We seem TO think that self
love and dignity demand that VIC impress
the world with our own Importance by
being very naughty and superior TO It,
But snobs are the people who arc ~
afraid or insecure In their social position
that they dare not he amiahlo to whom
they choose. Your true aristocrat has no
thought Of criticism or Misunderstanding
ono Of the finest women I know went
hack to her home town after lapse OF
twenty years Up the street came a
STOPPING old ragpicker whom she, to-
scther with all tho children in the place.
had known In her girlhood. Mrs. W.
stopped and spoke to the old man with
perfectly unaffected interest In his wife
twho had worked for her mother) and
his daughter. who had been in her own
class IN public school The poor old man
fairly beamed, l am sure that bit OF I'M
affected friendlness brought sunshine to
his days for n long while TO como. Mts.
VS. companions laughed at her. but
her only reply was: How could you ex-
pect me to b. unkind to a poor old man
1 a htAo NhNNh NHfA was NNAlus
| We don't exactly expect people To- be
unkind In this world. but we are not a
bit surprised when they are IL doesn't
take BIT longer 20 speak TO a girl be-
hind a counter IN shop pieasantiy--lt
doesn't interfere with the efficiency OF
her service--and yet how few Of us are
kind enough 10 do it7
Sometimes think that the only reason
that we are kindly IA because we are
afraid OF being suspected OF Interior mo-
tives. Suspicion Ii such an ugly thing
and rearH it's head with such omnipresont
faithfuness To its cruel course that most
OF us have fallen into the habit of look
ing for II everywhere
Surely, II II were not for the Tear OF
being misunderstood we must be willing
to be kind. Certainly wo arc none of us
SO malicious or coldly dledainful or
serenely proud in our consciousness of
higher state that We hurt wilfully or be-
cause we are unable TO put ourselves in
the other chaps place. II is not possible
that We don't know how TO be kind-so
Il Just must be that we are afraid TO.
A pleasant smile. a kind word q
friendly greeting are such simple trifles
Any OF us is capable OF them. ANY OF
us ought to be willing 20 give them freely
There are pain and sorrow enough n
the world without taking on yourself the
responsibility OF infilcting any II vol
are easily hurt and afraid OF having YOU
advances repealed. how about other PEG
lple7
+ know girl whose friends CRITICS,
her because when she came into room
fun OF people she greeted everybody Il
PLEASANTLY. and with such a show of in
terest that II was hardly possible to tel
which were the friends she loved, which
were mere acquaintance and which tn
people she only tolerated.
People harped for so long OH her over
cordial manner that she set about cur
Ing herself of Il. She got into the wa,
OF inhibiting her friendly impulses les
she be misunderstood. Finally she swun
the pendulum SO far in the opposite al
rection that in her fear OF being though
gushing she became almost rude.
The naxt complaint against her wa
: that She hadn't pleasant manners a
, ALL" for when coldneas and self-oon
: sciousness came TO take the place OF ne
naturally warm and cordial manner the,
! weren't welcome. Naturally not. Eve
, when We suspect people OF shamminE
bit we like them better smiling and amia
Bile than gloomy and diSagreeabIe.
) Sincerity is one OF the big qualities O
life that should never be lost sight Of