The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-02-27

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tain spoken words to convey mean
ing, quite distinct not only from the
intellectual sense attached to the
articulated syllable, but also from
the emotional sense conveyed by the
tone of voice. The very makeup OF
the word, it's combination of con.
sonants and vowels has a power of
suggestion all it's own. This power
of suggestion defies analysis; it
seems to come partly from associa-
ton and partly from what the rhe-
toricians call onomatopoeia; but its
real source we do not know. And
yet, like many another thing we can.
not explain, it undoubtedly exists.
Such power of suggestion is in the
word kindness.
Kindness: What a character of
gentleness invests the word! 1t can
not be spoken harshly. If we would
say it at all, we must say it kindly.
1t fingers ON the lips like the mem
DRY of deeds of love, it seems loath
to pass away, as if the world would
be more cheerless for it's going.
Kindness! What host of beautiful
things the word implies! Sympathy
of heart, tenderness of thought,
meekness in speech, love in the eye,
compassion in the touch-these and
much more are the connotations of
| kindness.
Now, if this be true of tho mere
word, of its expression in sound, what
must be said of kindness itself, of
! its expression in deed? Kindness is
one of Gods best gifts to an unkind
world. 1t drives gloom from darken-
ed souls: it puts hope into fainting
hearts; it sweetens sorrow; it lessons
pain. 1t passes through the world
like a ray of sunshine, discovering
unsupported beauties of human char
acter and calling forth response
from all that is best in man. 1t puri-
fies, glorifies, ennobles all that it
touches.
What is it that opens the flood
gates of children's laughter, the
sweetest music in all the world? 1t
is kindness. What is it that gathers
the tears of repentant love, the most
priceless of all earths many jewels?
1t is kindness. What is it that light
ems the burden of WEAKNESS for
those who labor, and soothes the
/ pangs of those who suffer, and stays
the torrent of angry passion, and
Gains the storm of laWless rebellion?
Kindness, it is always kindness.
Kindness breaks down the unholy
barriers that pride and caste have
erected between man and man. Kind
ness smoothes the pillow of death.
Kindness takes the sting from failure.
Kindness kindles courageous ambition
Kindness lifts the unfortunate. Kind
ness leads back the hayward. Kind
ness walks close in the steps of the
Saviour.
Of all the little virtues none is so
beautiful as kindness, none has so
wide an influence, none has so broad
an apostolate, none is SO potent for
good. Of all the MINISTRIES that are
open to man, the most effective, the
most far-reaching, the most consol
ing is kindness. All men cannot be
learned, nor give themselves up to
works of zeal; few indeed can sacri.
fee home and country and parents
and kinsfolk and friends and goods,
so as to be free to labor for souls.
But all can be kind The sacred
ministry of kindness is open to all.
All can be apostles of kindness, all
can partake of it's sweetness, all can
aspire to it's holiness. The ministry
OF kindness is exalted, it is sublime.
it is Christlike.