general methylation method is familiar to those skilled in the art a chemical softening composition according to one form of the present invention includes from 1 00 percent to 20 00 percent by weight of amide substituted imidazolinium methosulfate salt more preferably the chemical softening composition includes from 3 00 percent to 15 00 percent by weight of the amide substituted imidazolinium methosulfate salt most preferably the chemical softening composition includes from 5 00 percent to 10 00 percent by weight of the amide substituted imidazolinium methosulfate salt it has been found that addition of a chemical softening composition having greater than 20 00 percent by weight of the amide substituted imidazolinium methosulfate salt during the papermaking process negatively impacts the strength of the paper web during processing as well as the resulting paper product the nonionic surfactant of the present invention includes ester adducts of ethylene oxide polyethylene glycol polypropylene glycol and fatty materials such as fatty acids alcohols and esters generally the fatty moiety of the nonionic surfactant can include from about twelve 12 to about eighteen 18 carbon atoms the ethylene oxide moiety of the nonionic surfactants can include from two 2 to twelve 12 moles of ethylene oxide examples of nonionic surfactants that can be used are polyethylene glycol dioleate polyethylene glycol dilaurate polypropylene glycol dioleate polypropylene glycol dilaurate polyethylene glycol monooleate polyethylene glycol monolaurate polypropylene glycol monooleate and polypropylene glycol monolaurate the present invention contemplates the use of any known nonionic surfactant in its compositions and processes the nonionic surfactant can also include blends of ester adducts of polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol particularly preferred are blends of polyethylene glycol dioleate and polyethylene glycol dilaurate for example the nonionic surfactant.