THE SPIRIT OF GRATITUDE

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 8, 21 February 1907, Page 37

THE SPIRIT OF GRATITUDE

Some people- seem to-, possess, the idea, that? gratitude is only called lor where some special attention is shown, ; where the courtesy is one „of maghituder Whether it is that- we are growing too' practical-- and" unsentimental, or whatever- it' is? the - fact remains - that N we are altogether too' prone, to disregard the little courtesies of life as .courtesies. -The most subtle thought is often shown, in the smallest attention. We all know that 'the "greatest -pleasures in this - life come from the smaller things'— not - from the" ■ larger. Again and again have I 'seen this, remissness on? : the part of people. A man -shows- some little attention to a woman, and it -goes unnoticed. A young "man shows a , - courtesy to/ a girl, and -. it is - received as her' right; ■ Hospitality Js extended, and remains unacknowledged. Letters of ""congratulation- are written, - and go unanswered. It is in these smaller - things that' we . are lacking. in -the true spirit of gratitude. We take them for granted, ;'absolutely forgetting' 'that ..nothing, is ours "by right in this world.; that whatever", '.comes to us in the way ,of- an attention, be it ever so small, is ** an attention, ~ and comes by favor. - It is to be wished that girls particularly would think a. lfittle more of this. One hears a great .-deal of ' complaint among young men nowadays that girls accept courtesies altogether too much as their • due.