it; yet It is like thorns
in the pillow.

"Blow, blow, thou winter wind;
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude."

Parents suffer unspeakably when the children for whom they have lived,
suffered, and sacrificed, prove ungrateful. The ungrateful child does
not know what bitter sorrow he causes the mother who bore him and
nursed him, and the father who loves him more than his own life; how
their hearts bleed; how they weep in secret over his unkindness. We do
not know how we hurt our friends when we treat them ungratefully,
forgetting all they have done for us, and repaying their favors with
coldness.

There is yet more of this lesson. Gratitude, to fulfil its gentle
ministry, must find some fitting expression. It is not enough that it
be cherished in the heart. There are many good people who fail at this
point. They are really thankful for the good others do to them. They
feel kindly enough in their hearts toward their benefactors. Perhaps
they speak to other friends of the kindnesses they have received. They
may even put it into their prayers, telling God how they have been
helped by others of his children, and asking him to reward and bless
those who have been good to them. But meanwhile they do not in any way
express their grateful feelings to the persons who have done them the
favors or rendered them the offices of friendship.

How does your friend know that you are grateful, if you do not in some
way tell him that you are? Verily here is a sore fault of love, this
keeping sealed up in the heart the generous feeling, the tender
gratitude, which we ought to speak, and which would give so much
comfort if it were spoken in the ear that ought to hear it. No pure,
true, loving human heart ever gets beyond being strengthened and warmed
to nobler service by words of honest and sincere appreciation.
Flattery is contemptible; only vain spirits are elated by it.
Insincerity is a sickening mockery; the sensitive soul turns away from
it in revulsion. But words of true gratitude are always to human
hearts like cups of water to thirsty lips. We need not fear turning
people's heads by genuine expressions of thankfulness; on the other
hand, nothing inspires such humility, such reverent praise to God, as
the knowledge which such gratitude brings,--that one has been used of
God to help, or bless, or comfort another life.

Silence is said to be golden, and ofttimes, indeed, it is better than
speech. "