"TOM! Here!" said a father to his boy, speaking in tones ofauthority.
The lad was at play. He looked toward his father, but did not leavehis companions.
"Do you hear me, sir?" spoke the father, more sternly than at first.
With an unhappy face and reluctant step, the boy left his play andapproached his parent.
"Why do you creep along at a snail's pace?" said the latter,angrily. "Come quickly, I want you. When I speak, I look to beobeyed instantly. Here, take this note to Mr. Smith, and see thatyou don't go to sleep by the way. Now run as fast as you can go."
The boy took the note. There was a cloud upon his brow. He movedaway, but at a slow pace.
"You, Tom! Is that doing as I ordered? Is that going quickly?"called the father, when he saw the boy creeping away. "If you arenot back in half an hour, I will punish you."
But the words had but little effect. The boy's feelings were hurt bythe unkindness of the parent. He experienced a sense of injustice; aconsciousness that wrong had been done him. By nature he was likehis father, proud and stubborn; and these qualities of his mind werearoused, and he indulged in them, fearless of consequences.
"I never saw such a boy," said the father, speaking to a friend whohad observed the occurrence. "My words scarcely make an impressionon him."
"Kind words often prove most powerful," said the friend. The fatherlooked surprised.
"Kind words," continued the friend, "are like the gentle rain andthe refreshing dews; but harsh words bend and break like the angrytempest. The first develop and strengthen good affections, while theothers sweep over the heart in devastation, and mar and deform allthey touch. Try him with kind words; they will prove a hundred foldmore powerful."
The latter seemed hurt by the reproof; but it left him thoughtful.An hour passed away ere his boy returned. At times during hisabsence he was angry at the delay, and meditated the infliction ofpunishment. But the words of remonstrance were in his ears, and heresolved to obey them. At last the lad came slowly in with a cloudycountenance, and reported the result of his errand. Having stayedfar beyond his time, he looked for punishment, and was prepared toreceive it with an angry defiance. To his surprise, after deliveringthe message he had brought, his father, instead of angry reproof andpunishment, said kindly, "Very well, my son; you can go out to playagain."
The boy went out, but was not happy. He had disobeyed and disobligedhis father, and the thought of this troubled him. Harsh words hadnot clouded his mind nor aroused a spirit of reckless anger. Insteadof joining his companions, he went and sat down by himself, grievingover his act of disobedience. As he thus sat, he heard his namecalled. He listened.
"Thomas, my son," said his father, kindly. The boy sprang to hisfeet, and was almost instantly beside his parent.
"Did you call, father?"
"I did, my son. Will you take this package to Mr. Long for me?"
There was no hesitation in the boy's manner. He looked pleased atthe thought of doing his father a service, and reached out his handfor the package. On receiving it, he bounded away with a light step.
"There is a power in kindness," said the father, as he sat musing,after the lad's departure. And even while he sat musing over theincident, the boy came back with a cheerful, happy face, and said--
"Can I do any thing else for you, father?"
Yes, there is the power of kindness. The tempest of passion can onlysubdue, constrain, and break; but in love and gentleness there isthe power of the summer rain, the dew, and the sunshine.
THE END.
* * * * * * * * * * * *