A Soft Answer

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

   "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."  Proverbs  15:1

     Two little girls were playing together.  The older one had a beautiful new doll in her arms, which she was tenderly caressing.  The younger one crept up softly behind her, and gave her a sharp slap on her cheek.  A visitor unobserved, was sitting in an adjoining room and saw it all.  She expected to hear another slap, a harder one, in retaliation.  But, no; the victim's face flushed and her eyes had a momentary flash of indignation.  She rubbed her hurt cheek with one hand, while she held the doll closer with the other.  Then, in a tone of gentle reproof, she said,  "Oh, Sallie, I didn't think you'd do that!"  Sallie looked ashamed, as well she  might, but made no reply.  "Here, Sallie,"  continued the elder girl,  "sit here in sister's chair.  I'll let you hold dolly awhile if you'll be very careful."  Sallie's face looked just then as if there were some "coals of fire" somewhere around, but she sat down with the doll on her lap, giving her sister a glance of real appreciation, mingled with shame.  The hidden onlooker was deeply touched by the scene.  It was unusual, she thought, to see a mere child show such calm dignity and forgiveness under persecution.  Presently she called the child and questioned her.  "How can you be so patient with Sallie, my dear?"  "Oh,"  was the laughing reply,  "I guess it is because I love Sallie so much.  You see, Sallie's a dear sister,"  she said excusingly,  "but she's got an awful temper, and - Sallie forgets herself sometimes.  Mamma said if Sallie should do any angry thing to me, and I should do angry things to her, we'd have a dreadful time, and I think we would.  Mamma said I should learn to give the 'soft answer,' and I'm trying to."  The lady took her in her arms and kissed her.  "My dear,"  she said firmly and earnestly,  "I think you have already learned the lesson."

     "He that is slow to anger is better than the  mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city  (Proverbs  16:32).

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