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Be Kind


There is an old story about novelist Henry James. I am a bit surprised I haven't mentioned it in this blog or its precursor before now. 

The story is that Henry James was once speaking to his nephew, William James Jr., the philosopher's son. tete-a-tete, when "Billy" was a child, and told him there are three important rules in life. ...

Be kind, be kind, and be kind. 

---------------------- 

This story is an example of the old "rule of three" One says something three times to make it memorable. Four or more times and one has simply made one's self a bore.

What are the three most important considerations in real estate: location, location, and location!   

A priest, a rabbi, and a minister go camping together. [You can include "and an atheist" in that joke, but it generally will involve dropping out one of the other three, keeping the number of campers constant.)

The above story appears in Leon Edel's magisterial biography of Henry James, and Edel atributes it to an interview he did with the nephew.   

Fred Rogers, the television show host, included the quote in a published essay, saying that it was something the uncle said to his nephew when the nephew was about to go to school for the first time.  I'm afraid there was a little bit of emendation on Mr. Rogers' part here: the conversation appears to have taken place in 1902, around the time Billy turned 20. 

Forgivable fibbing in the neighborhood.  I'm being kind. 

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