Robert Southey.

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Tell the story of the poem in your own words.  What are some of the important lessons it teaches?

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57

smit’ ing el’ o quence mes’ mer ize ges’ ture vin’ e gar un dy’ ing ly

KIND WORDS.

Kind words are the music of the world.  They have a power which seems to be beyond natural causes, as if they were some angel’s song, which had lost its way and come on earth, and sang on undyingly, smiting the hearts of men with sweetest wounds, and putting for the while an angel’s nature into us.

Let us then think first of all of the power of kind words.  In truth, there is hardly a power on earth equal to them.  It seems as they could almost do what in reality God alone can do, namely, soften the hard and angry hearts of men.  Many a friendship, long, loyal, and self-sacrificing, rested at first on no thicker a foundation than a kind word.

Kind words produce happiness.  How often have we ourselves been made happy by kind words, in a manner and to an extent which we are unable to explain!  And happiness is a great power of holiness.  Thus, kind words, by their power of producing happiness, have also a power of producing holiness, and so of winning men to God.

If I may use such a word when I am speaking of religious subjects, it is by voice and words that men mesmerize each other.  Hence it is that the world is converted by the voice of the preacher.  Hence it is that an angry word rankles longer in the heart than an angry gesture, nay, very often even longer than a blow.  Thus, all that has been said of the power of kindness in general applies with an additional and peculiar force to kind words.

Father Faber.

From “Spiritual Conferences.”

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Explain:  Kind words are the music of the world—­An angel’s song that had lost its way and come on earth—­Smiting the hearts of men with sweetest wounds—­Putting an angel’s nature into us—­Hard and angry hearts of men—­An angry word rankles longer in the heart than even a blow.

Mention some occasions when kind words addressed to you made you very happy.  Which will bring a person more happiness,—­to have kind words said to him, or for him to say them to another?

Memorize the first paragraph of the selection.

Memory Gems: 

Kindness has converted more sinners than either zeal, eloquence, or learning.

Father Faber.

You will catch more flies with a spoonful of honey than with a hundred barrels of vinegar.

St. Francis de Sales.

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58

KINDNESS IS THE WORD.

Memorize: