e with heads high and with clean
hearts. Their eyes see beyond the daily toil of life. They are in touch
with the big things and it is up to us to keep step with them. They want
us and they will give us the "glad hand." All they want to know is
whether our courage is equal to our ambitions and whether our _house of
life is kept in good order_. And so we journey along together in all
good nature, not forgetting to laugh as we live.

CHAPTER IX

CONSIDERATION FOR OTHERS

Consideration for others is man's noblest attitude toward his fellow
man. For every seed of human kindness he plants, _a flower blooms in the
garden of his own heart_. In him who gives in such a way there is no
hypocritical feeling of charity bestowed. His very act disarms the
thought. It is as natural for an honorable man to show consideration to
others as it is for him to eat and sleep. Acts of kindness are the
_outward manifestations of gentle breeding_--a refinement of character
in the highest sense of the word.

What would we do in this world without the helping hand, the friendly
word of cheer, the thought that others shared our losses and cheered our
victories? If consideration for our feelings and thoughts did not exist
on this earth we would never know the depths of the love of our friends.
There would be no such thing as an earthly reward of merit. We know that
no matter what happens to us in the battle of life there will be someone
to cheer us on our way. We may be strong and thoroughly able to rely
upon ourselves but there comes a time when we need friendship and
sympathy. Society would crumble into dust without these influences. The
family circle would degenerate into a hollow mockery if consideration
each for the other was absent. It sweetens and makes wholesome what
otherwise might only be an existence of monotonous toil.

Consideration for others is _the milk of human kindness_. For what we do
for others our recompense is _in the act itself_ ... we should claim no
other reward. Observation brings to view that they who give in real
charity _cloak their acts from the eyes of all save the recipient_.
Givers of this type rise to the supreme heights of greatness. It is a
part of their wisdom to know what is best to be done and they go about
it as a pleasure as well as a duty.

Consideration for others pays big dividends. It is a virtue that makes
for strong friendships and true affections. Those who possess it have a
hard time hi