"Words, words; who can tell their power for good or ill? How they go like bullets of fire into wounded spirits, or like notes of music to happy souls.

Harsh words are the heart-hurters, the home-spoilers, the union-breakers. They make divorces, antagonisms, prodigals. They break in upon the quiet homes like burglars and carry away its peace.

Let a gust of wind come into a house through an open door and how the doors slam, the curtains rattle, the papers careen about the room, and general confusion is stirred up. So it is when a gusty, passionate and raised voice comes in at our open ears. It wakes up bedlam inside of us in a minute. It does not subdue us but arouses us. It does not govern but excites us. It does not help us to govern ourselves, but puts self-government into rebellion. Oh the voice, the voice, what an instrument of harmony or discord it is in the home! G.S. Weaver, 1882.