“In life–not death,
Hearts need fond words to help them on their way;
Need tender thoughts and gentle sympathy,
Caresses, pleasant looks, to cheer each passing day.
Then hoard them not until they useless be;
In life–not death,
Speak kindly. Living hearts need sympathy.”
“I didn’t think,” is what people say ofttimes when they suddenly become aware of the pain which some heedless act or careless word of theirs has given to a gentle heart. Too often our thoughtfulness is an afterthought; the problem is to get it to its true place, where it will become motive and inspiration to gentleness, instead of pain and penitence over a failure in love’s duty. It is infinitely better that thoughtfulness should strew our friends’ path with flowers than that regret should pile exaggerated floral offerings on their coffins. We would do well to get our kindnesses done while they will do good, giving cheer and encouragement, and not keep them back till there is no need for them. It ought to be possible to get the grace of thoughtfulness into our life, as part of our spiritual culture, even in the early years.
No doubt much evil is wrought by want of thought. Many people with kindly heart continually cause pain to others by mere heedlessness. They seem to have no perception of the sensibilities of those about them. They have never trained themselves to think at all of others in connection with their own words and acts. They have accustomed themselves to think only of their own pleasure, and to say and do only what their own impulses prompt, without asking whether others will be pleased or displeased. They think only of their own comfort and convenience, and never of how the thing they wish to do may break into the comfort or convenience others.
Page 1