The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
BY
1914
The Bible text used in this book is taken from the American Standard Edition of the Revised Bible, copyright, 1901, by Thomas Nelson & Sons, and is used by permission.
To those who have helped
in gathering these leaves—and
to those who
may gather something from them.
The Macmillan Company, New York, N.Y.
Shailer Mathews, Jane Addams, Newell Dwight
Hillis,
Marion Crawford.
The Century Company, New York, N.Y.
S. Weir Mitchell, Theodore Roosevelt,
John Kendrick
Bangs, Richard Watson Gilder, Edith Thomas.
Oxford University Press, London, E.C.
Annie Matheson.
The Saalfield Publishing Company, Akron, Ohio.
Joseph Jefferson.
Mitchell Kennerley, New York.
Theodosia Garrison: My Litany.
Thomas Y. Crowell Company, New York, N.Y.
Charles W. Eliot: The Durable Satisfactions
of Life.
J.R. Miller.
The Pilgrim Press, Boston, Mass.
Henry Ward Beecher.
Harper & Brothers, New York, N.Y.
Will Carleton: Farm Legends.
Margaret E. Sangster: Easter Bells.
Elbert Hubbard, Roycroft Shop, East Aurora, N.Y.
Printed by special permission of the publishers.
W.B. Conkey, Hammond, Ind.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox, copyrighted 1912.
National W.C.T.U., Evanston, Ill.
Frances E. Willard.
American Baptist Publication Society, Philadelphia,
Pa.
W.E. Winks.
Rand, McNally & Company, Chicago, Ill.
Marie Bashkirtseff.
Tennesseean and American, Nashville, Tenn.
G. Rice.
Cosmopolitan Magazine, New York, N.Y.
O. Henry.
The H.M. Rowe Company, Baltimore, Md.
Edwin Leibfreed: Poems.
Permission from President Wilson for the excerpts from his speeches.
Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Mass.
Kate Douglas Wiggin, Richard Watson Gilder,
Josephine
Peabody, John Hay, Hugo Muensterberg,
Edith Thomas,
Lyman Abbott, John Burroughs, Elizabeth
Stuart Phelps,
Thomas Bailey Aldrich, Julia Ward Howe,
Harriet
Beecher Stowe, Joel Chandler Harris, Lucy
Larcom,
Bret Harte, Bayard Taylor, Alice Freeman
Palmer,
Thomas W. Higginson.
Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, N.Y.
Henry van Dyke: Music and Other Poems.
Maltbie D. Babcock: Thoughts for
Every Day Living.
Sidney Lanier: Poems of Sidney Lanier.
Robert Bridges: Robert Bridges’
Poems.
George Meredith: Last Poems.
James Anthony Froude: Short Studies
on Great Subjects.
Robert Louis Stevenson: Poems and
Works.
W.E. Henley: Poems.
Eugene Field: Western Verse.
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, New York and London.
Arthur Christopher Benson: Along
the Road, Silent Isle,
From a College Window, Joyous Gard, Lord
Vyet and Other Poems.
Little, Brown & Company, Boston, Mass.
Emily Dickinson, Laura E. Richards, Edward
Everett Hale.
George H. Doran Company, New York, N.Y.
Sir Oliver Lodge, Arnold Bennett, J. Stalker,
A.H. Begbie.
Fleming H. Revell Company, New York, N.Y.
Percy C. Ainsworth, E.H. Divall,
Margaret E. Sangster,
J.H. Jowett, George Matheson.
Longmans, Green & Company, New York and London.
William James.
Dodd, Mead & Company, New York, N.Y.
Maurice Maeterlinck, Hamilton Mabie, Ian
Maclaren,
Jerome K. Jerome, G.K. Chesterton,
Paul Laurence Dunbar.
Small, Maynard & Company, Boston, Mass.
Mrs. Charlotte Perkins Gilman, John B.
Tabb, Ernest Crosby.
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Company, Boston, Mass.
Paul Hamilton Hayne.
Doubleday, Page & Company, Garden City, New York
Charles Wagner, Edwin Markham, Helen Keller.
E.P. Dutton Company, New York.
George Macdonald.
Janus am I; oldest of potentates;
Forward I look,
and backward, and below
I count, as god of avenues
and gates,
The years that
through my portals come and go.
I block the roads, and drift
the fields with snow;
I chase the wild
fowl from the frozen fen;
My frosts congeal the rivers
in their flow,
My fires light
up the hearths and hearts of men.
—Henry W. Longfellow.
JANUARY FIRST
Bartolome Esteban Murillo, baptized 1618.
Paul Revere born 1735.
Betsy Ross born 1752.
Maria Edgeworth born 1767.
Arthur Hugh Clough born 1819.
Old things need not be therefore
true,
O brother men, nor yet the
new;
Ah! still awhile the old thought
retain,
And yet consider it again!
We! what do we see? each a
space
Of some few yards before his
face;
Does that the whole wide plan
explain?
Ah, yet consider it again!
Alas! the great world goes
its way,
And takes its truth from each
new day;
They do not quit, nor can
retain,
Far less consider it again.
—Arthur Hugh Clough.
There are two sorts of content;
one is connected with exertion, the
other habits of indolence.
The first is a virtue; the other a vice.
—Maria Edgeworth.
Oh send out thy light and
thy truth; let them lead me:
Let them bring me unto thy
holy hill,
And to thy tabernacles.
—Psalm 43. 3.
Almighty God, lead me in the search for life. Teach me what is important and what is unimportant; what is false, and what is true. Remove the hindrances that keep me from the worthiest deeds, and grant that I may have the peace that comes with surrender of self to thy will. Amen.
General James Wolfe born 1727.
Colonial flag first raised 1776.
Mary Carey Thomas born 1857.
To what profit we could use the time for our present task that we spend in impatient waiting and wondering over the future! So often the future is just one step up from the present, but some of us miss it by preferring to wait for an elevator.
—M. B. S.
Prepare to live by all means,
but for heaven’s sake do not forget to
live. You will never
have a better chance than you have at present.
You may think you will have,
but you are mistaken.
—Arnold Bennett.
He that riseth late must trot
all day, and shall scarce overtake his
business at night; while laziness
travels so slowly that poverty
soon overtakes him. He
that lives on hope will die fasting.
—Benjamin Franklin.
Whatsoever thy hand findeth
to do, do it with thy might, for there
is no work, nor device, nor
knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither
thou goest.
—Ecclesiastes 9. 10.
Gracious Father, my heart burns with shame when I think how much I claim, and how little I am. I pray that my body may not cast a shadow to-day, and cloud the light of my life to-morrow. Cleanse the windows of my soul that I may take in thy glory. Amen.
Marcus Tullius Cicero born B.C. 106.
Martin Luther excommunicated 1521.
Douglas Jerrold born 1803.
Charles Wagner (France) born 1852.
To be continually advancing
in the paths of knowledge is one of the
most pleasing satisfactions
of the human mind. These are pleasures
perfect consistent with every
degree of advanced years.
—Cicero.
Fidelity in small things is at the base of every great achievement. We too often forget this and yet no truth needs more to be kept in mind particularly in the troubled eras of history and in the crises of individual life. In shipwreck a splintered beam, an oar, any scrap of wreckage saves us. To despise the remnants is demoralization.
—Charles Wagner.
He that is faithful in a very
little is faithful also in much and he
that is unrighteous in a very
little is unrighteous also in much.
—Luke 16. 10
Almighty God, may I understand that thou art in everything and that I cannot hide from thee, for thou boldest me though I know it not. Give me the desire, and help me to learn of thy laws, that I may know that even in the least of things, I have the liberty to obtain happiness by obeying them. Amen.
Archbishop Usher born 1580.
Jacob L. Carl Grimm born 1785.
Elizabeth Peabody died 1894.
Years rush by us like the wind, we see not whence the eddy comes, nor whitherward it is tending, and we seem ourselves to witness their flight without a sense that we are changed: and yet time is beguiling man of his strength, as the winds rob the trees of their foliage.
—Sir Walter Scott.
The bell strikes one.
We take no note of Time
But from its loss. To
give it, then a tongue
Is wise in man; as if an angel
spoke
I feel the solemn sound.
If heard aright
It is the knell of my departed
hours:
Where are they?
—Edward Young.
Days should speak, And multitude
of years should teach wisdom. And
the breath of the Almighty
giveth them understanding. It is not the
great that are wise, Nor the
aged that understand justice.
—Job 32. 7, 9.
Lord God, help me to see my mistakes, and bring me to the realization of my life. Grant that I may no longer use the time that thou gavest me to learn in, heedlessly, but to give it my best thought and care. Amen.
Stephen Decatur born 1779.
Robert Morrison born 1782.
Thomas Pringle born 1789.
Let me go where’er I
will,
I hear a sky-born music still:
It sounds from all things
old,
It sounds from
all things young,
From all that’s fair,
from all that’s foul,
Peals out a cheerful
song.
It is not only in the rose,
It is not only
in the bird,
Not only where the rainbow
glows,
Nor in the song
of woman heard,
But in the darkest, meanest
things
There alway, alway something
sings.
’Tis not in the high
stars alone,
Nor in the cup
of budding flowers,
Nor in the redbreast’s
mellow tone,
Nor in the bow
that smiles in showers,
But in the mud and scum of
things
There alway, alway something
sings.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
The heavens declare the glory
of God; And the firmament showeth his
handiwork.
—Psalm 19. 1.
Almighty God, grant that my life may no longer be a noise, but be kept in tune with the sublimest melodies, that wherever I am, there may be no discords in the songs of my soul. Through thy loving-kindness may my songs resound. Amen.
Epiphany, or Twelfth-Day.
Joan d’Arc born 1412.
David Dale born 1739.
’Twas even so! and thou
the shepherd’s child,
Joanne, the lowly
dreamer of the wild!
Never before and never since
that hour
Hath woman, mantled
with victorious power,
Stood forth as thou beside
the shrine didst stand,
Holy amidst the
knighthood of the land.
—Mrs. Felicia Hemans.
Every one must recognize the splendid work which has been done by women in social and educational fields. And it will, I believe, come more and more to be recognized that in some respects women are specially fitted for government and for official-municipal life.
—Sir Oliver Lodge.
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill-country of Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
—Judges 4. 4, 5.
My Father, help me to be thoughtful and just. May I consider the great truths and broader visions that may not be seen from where I stand. May I be willing to accept a better view. Grant that I may realize that the battle of life is not a sham battle, but a struggle for the advancement of life. Amen.
General Putnam born 1718.
Robert Nicholl born 1814.
T. DeWitt Talmage born 1832.
Opportunities fly in a straight
line, touch us but once and never
return, but the wrongs we
do others fly in a circle; they come back
from the place they started.
—T. DeWitt Talmage.
Our share of night to bear,
Our share of morning,
Our blank is bliss to fill,
Our blank is scorning.
Here a star, and there a star,
Some lose their
way,
Here a mist, and there a mist,
Afterwards—day!
—Emily Dickinson.
Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your resting-place.
—Micah 2. 10.
Lord God, give me the desire to be persistent in service, while I have health and strength. May I experience the sweetness that comes in doing the thing that I ought to have done, as well as that in which I took the most pleasure. Help me to so live that my days may be useful, and be recalled with bright and happy recollections. Amen.
John Earl of Stair died 1707.
Sir William Draper died 1787.
Alfred Russel Wallace born 1823.
William Wilkie Collins born 1824.
Sir Laurence Alma-Tadema born 1836.
A
blue bird built his nest
Here
in my breast.
“O bird of Light!
Whence comest thou?”
Said
he, “From God above:
My
name is Love.”
A
mate he brought one day,
Of
plumage gray.
“O bird of Night!
Why comest thou?”
Said
she: “Seek no relief!
My
name is Grief.”
—Laurence Alma-Tadema.
It is not so much resolution
as renunciation, not so much courage as
resignation, that we need.
He that has once yielded thoroughly to
God will yield to nothing
but God.
—John Ruskin.
Behold, God will not cast
away a perfect man, Neither will he uphold
the evildoers. He will
yet fill thy mouth with laughter, And thy
lips with shouting.
—Job 8. 20, 21.
Almighty God, help me to understand that peace does not come in rebellion or grieving, but is obtained through the calm of the soul. Grant that if I may be perplexed or worried to-day, I may have the power to control myself and wait in thy strength. Amen.
Dr. Thomas Brown born 1778.
Elizabeth O. Benger died 1822.
Caroline Lucretia Herschel died 1848, aged ninety-seven.
Wondrous is the strength of
cheerfulness altogether past calculation
its powers of endurance.
Efforts to be permanently useful must be
uniformly joyous—a
spirit of all sunshine.
—Thomas Carlyle.
Honest good humor is the oil and wine of a merry meeting.
—Washington Irving.
A laugh is worth a hundred groans in any market.
—Charles Lamb.
A glad heart maketh a cheerful
countenance; But by sorrow of heart
the spirit is broken.
Better is a dinner of herbs,
where love is, Than a stalled ox and
hatred therewith.
—Proverbs 15. 13, 17.
Gracious Father, if I am sorrowing over disappointment and am forgetful, grant that I may see the things thou hast made, for which I should be thankful. Help me to so live that I may have a right to claim a cheerful heart. Amen.
Dr. George Birkbeck born 1776.
Michel or Marshal Ney born 1769.
Karl von Linne, Linnaeus, died 1778.
Ethan Allen born 1737.
Shall I hold on with both
hands to every paltry possession? All I
have teaches me to trust the
Creator for all I have not seen.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
The practical weakness of the vast mass of modern pity for the poor and the oppressed is precisely that it is merely pity; the pity is pitiful but not respectful. Men feel that the cruelty to the poor is a kind of cruelty to animals. They never feel that it is injustice to equals; nay, it is treachery to comrades.
—G.K. Chesterton.
Be ye all like-minded, compassionate,
loving as brethren,
tender-hearted, humble-minded:
not rendering evil for evil, or
reviling for reviling; but
contrariwise blessing.
—1 Peter 3. 8, 9.
God of justice, may I pause to remember that while I may do a mean act and keep it hidden from others, I cannot keep it hidden from myself, nor from thee. Help me to have a nobler sense of the quality of life, and less anxiety for the quantity, that I may avoid harshness and selfishness, and be given to tenderness and justice. Amen.
Alexander Hamilton born 1757.
Bayard Taylor born 1825.
William James born 1842.
Alice Caldwell Regan Rice born 1870.
The paternal relation to man
was the basis of that religion which
appealed directly to the heart;
so the fraternity of each man with
his fellow was its practical
application.
—Bayard Taylor.
It is indeed a remarkable fact that sufferings and hardships do not, as a rule, abate the love of life; they seem on the contrary, usually to give it a keener zest; and the sovereign source of melancholy is repletion. Need and struggle are what excite and inspire. Our hour of triumph is what brings the void.
—William James.
Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation; for when he hath been
approved, he shall receive
the crown of life, which the Lord
promised to them that love
him.
—James 1. 12.
Lord God, I come to thee for help that the small things may not force themselves into my life, and keep me from pursuing the larger things which are continually open to me. May I not be blind to what I may have and be, through inspiration and work. Grant that I may not be satisfied to remain in that in which I have triumphed, but climb to greater endeavors. Amen.
Edmund Burke born 1729.
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi born 1746.
Francois Coppee born 1842.
John S. Sargent born 1856.
Show the thing you contend for to be reason; show it to be common sense; show it to be the means of attaining some useful end. The question with me is not whether you have a right to render your people miserable, but whether it is your interest to make them happy.
—Edmund Burke.
Like the star
That shines afar,
Without haste
And without rest,
Let each man wheel with steady sway
Round the task that rules the day,
And do his best.
—Goethe.
Love suffereth long, and is kind;
love envieth not; love vaunteth
not itself, is not puffed up.
—1 Corinthians 13. 4.
Gracious Father, cause me to be critical of my life, that I may not be deceived in myself. Help me to look into my soul and see what thou dost find there; and with humility may I acknowledge what I am to thee, and seek thy wisdom and love. Amen.
George Fox, founder Society of Friends, died 1691.
Samuel Woodworth (Old Oaken Bucket) born 1785.
Order of King’s Daughters founded 1886.
Have thy soul feel the universal
breath
With which all nature’s
quick, and learn to be
Sharer in all that thou dost
touch or see;
Break from thy body’s
grasp thy spirit’s trance;
Give thy soul air, thy faculties
expanse;
Love, joy, even sorrow,—yield
thyself to all!
They make thy freedom, groveling,
not thy thrall.
Knock off the shackles which
thy spirit bind
To dust and sense, and set
at large the mind!
Then move in sympathy with
God’s great whole,
And be like man at first,
a Living Soul.
—Richard Henry Dana.
I was deeply impressed by what a gardener once said to me concerning his work. “I feel, sir,” he said, “when I am growing the flowers or rearing the vegetables, that I am having a share in creation.” I thought it a very noble way of regarding his work.
—J.H. Jowett.
For we are God’s fellow
workers: ye are God’s husbandry, God’s
building.
—1 Corinthians 3. 9.
Creator of all, help me to see what there is for me to do; and help me to know that I cannot be productive if I am hovering in the choice of my work. May I learn from thy great works of heaven and earth the ways of selection and steadfastness. Give me the desire to work and the confidence that is needed to carry on my work. Amen.
Madame de Sevigne died 1696.
Edmund Halley died 1742.
Pierre Loti born 1850.
Are you in earnest? Seize
this very minute
What you can do, or dream
you can; begin it;
Boldness has genius, power
magic in it.
Only engage, and then the
mind grows heated;
Begin and then the work will
be completed.
—Goethe.
Were half the power that fills
the world with terror,
Were half the wealth bestowed
on camps and courts,
Given to redeem the human
mind from error,
There were no
need of arsenals or forts.
—Henry W. Longfellow.
Choose you this day whom ye
will serve;... but as for me and my
house, we will serve Jehovah.
—Joshua 24. 15.
Almighty God, help me to appreciate the sacredness of work while I have it to do. Grant that I may be spared the wretchedness that comes from working with fragments from idleness. May I do my part, even if it be in obscurity and the night overtakes me before it is done. Amen.
Moliere born 1622.
Dr. Samuel Parr born 1747.
Edward Everett died 1865.
The sun withholds his generous
beam;
Athwart my soul the shadows
stream;
The weird winds boisterously
blow,
And drift the melancholy snow.
When I, in sorrow and despair,
Expect the storm, with tender
care
He rends the clouds and through
the blue
The glorious sun breaks forth
anew.
—M.B.S.
So with the wan waste grasses
on my spear,
I ride forever seeking after
God.
My hair grows whiter than
my thistle plume
And all my limbs are loose;
but in my eyes
The star of an unconquerable
praise;
For in my soul one hope forever
sings,
That at the next white corner
of the road
My eyes may look on Him.
—G.K. Chesterton.
He brought me forth also into
a large place;
He delivered me, because he
delighted in me.
—Psalm 18. 19.
Loving Father, if I may be discouraged to-day, strengthen
my faith.
May I not weary of waiting for thee, but trust in
thy promises. Amen.
Edmund Spenser died 1599.
Johann August Neander born 1789.
Edward Gibbon died 1794.
Sir John Moore died 1809.
But lovely concord, and most
sacred peace,
Doth nourish vertue,
and fast friendship breeds;
Weake she makes strong, and
strong thing does increase,
Till it the pitch
of highest praise exceeds.
—Edmund Spenser.
Perfect good-breeding is the result of nature and not of education; for it may be found in a cottage, and may be missed in a palace. ’Tis the genial regard for the feeling of others that springs from an absence of selfishness.
—Disraeli.
Can a fig tree, my brethren,
yield olives, or a vine figs? neither
can salt water yield sweet.
—James 3. 12.
Heavenly Father, help me to value my thoughts, words, and deeds. If at the close of the day, there may be one who has been wounded by my injustice, may I be willing to make quick atonement. May I avoid the ways and words that hurt; and not only wish rightly and work rightly, but speak to enrich others with tenderness. Amen.
John Ray died 1705.
Benjamin Franklin born 1706.
George Bancroft died 1891.
Employ thy time well if thou meanest to gain leisure; and since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour! Leisure is time for doing something useful; this leisure the diligent man will obtain, but the lazy man never; a life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things.
—Benjamin Franklin.
There is nothing to gain and everything to lose by despising the example of nature, and making arbitrary rules for oneself. Our liberty wisely understood is but a voluntary obedience to the universal laws of life.
—Amiel.
I will meditate on thy precepts,
And have respect unto thy
ways.
—Psalm 119. 15.
My Father, help me to understand the power of nature, that I may be willing to obey her laws. I pray that I may so live that my life will proclaim itself without need of boasting or deception. Forbid that I should spend my life in perfecting trifles, and have no leisure to enjoy thy great gifts. Amen.
Charles de Montesquieu born 1689.
John Gillies born 1747.
Daniel Webster born 1782.
We would leave for the consideration of those who shall occupy our places some proof that we hold the blessings transmitted from our fathers in just estimation; some proof of our attachment to the cause of good government and of civil and religious liberty; some proof of a sincere and ardent desire to promote every thing which may enlarge the understanding and improve the hearts of men.
—Daniel Webster.
Brother and friend, the world
is wide,
But I care not
whether there be
The soothing song of a summer
tide
Or the thrash
of a wintry sea,
If but through shimmer and
storm you bide,
Brother and friend,
with me.
—Percy C. Ainsworth.
Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the King.
—1 Peter 2. 17.
Almighty God, I thank thee for all the tender influences of life; for all the gentleness and strength that may be given and received through friendship. Help me to be careful of what I do, for my sake, and for the sake of those who may follow me. Amen.
Hans Sachs died 1576.
William Congreve died 1729.
James Watt born 1736.
Robert E. Lee born 1807.
Edgar Allan Poe born 1809.
I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand—
How few! Yet how they
creep
Through my fingers to the
deep,
While I weep—while
I weep!
O God, can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?
—Edgar Allan Poe.
Do not train up your children
in hostility to the government of the
United States. Remember
that we are one country now. Dismiss from
your mind all sectional feeling,
and bring them up to be Americans.
—Robert E. Lee.
Wait for Jehovah: Be
strong, and let thy heart take courage; Yea,
wait thou for Jehovah.
—Psalm 27. 14.
Lord God, I pray that if I have struggled for the wrong, and have worked with weak hands, thou wilt forgive me for my lost strength. Give me more light to shine upon my work, upon thy promises, and upon my duties; and with thy wisdom may I search for the truth that is behind every wrong, and for the purpose that is beyond all journeyings. Amen.
Eve of Saint Agnes.
David Garrick died 1779.
John Howard died 1790.
John Ruskin died 1900.
Nathaniel P. Willis born 1806.
How like a mounting devil
in the heart
Rules the unreigned ambition!
Let it once
But play the monarch, and
its haughty brow
Glows with a beauty that bewilders
thought
And unthrones peace forever.
Putting on
The very pomp of Lucifer,
it turns
The heart to ashes.
—Nathaniel P. Willis.
Temperance, in the nobler sense, does not mean a subdued and imperfect energy; it does not mean a stopping short in any good thing, as love or in faith; but it means the power which governs the most intense energy, and prevents its acting in any way but as it ought.
—John Ruskin.
And thy gentleness hath made me great.
—Psalm 18. 35.
Gracious Father, I pray that I may be willing to profit by the experience of great teachers, and appreciate the value of strong principles. May I too live for the higher ideals of life, and through a sympathetic response add power and virtue to other lives, while gaining strength for my own. Amen.
Miles Coverdale died 1568.
John Fitch born 1743.
John C. Fremont born 1813.
Thomas Erskine born 1750.
Thomas Jonathan (Stonewall) Jackson born 1824.
So long as we love we serve;
so long as we are loved by others I
would almost say that we are
indispensable; and no man is useless
while he has a friend.
—Robert L. Stevenson.
So to the calmly gathered
thought
The innermost of life is taught,
The mystery dimly understood,
That love of God is love of
good:
That to be saved is only this—
Salvation from our selfishness.
—John Greenleaf Whittier.
Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: love therefore is the fulfillment of the law. And this, knowing the season, that already it is time for you to awake out of sleep: for now is salvation nearer to us than when we first believed.
—Romans 13. 10, 11.
Tender Father, may I not attempt to serve life for my own gratification. May I not interpret love through vanity, but from reality. Make me worth while, that I may be relied upon for my pledges, and needed for my services. Amen.
Andrea del Sarto died 1531.
Francis Bacon born 1561.
Lord George Byron born 1788.
Queen Victoria died 1901.
Father of light! to thee I
call,
My soul is dark
within:
Thou who canst mark the sparrow’s
fall,
Avert the death
of sin,
Thou who canst guide the wandering
star,
Who calm’st the elemental
war,
Whose mantle is yon boundless
sky,
My thoughts, my
words, my crimes forgive;
And since I soon
must cease to live,
Instruct me how to die.
—Lord Byron.
Knowledge, whether it descend
from divine inspiration or spring from
human sense, would soon perish
and vanish to oblivion if it were not
preserved in books, traditions,
conferences, and places appointed.
—Francis Bacon.
Blessed is he that readeth,
and they that hear the words of the
prophecy, and keep the things
that are written therein.
—Revelation 1. 3.
Almighty God, I would have thy counsel as I read the words and follow the deeds of helpful lives, that I may be inspired to nobler activities. Give me the desire to know more of thy holy word, that I may have a better knowledge of life. Amen.
John Hancock born 1737.
William Pitt died 1806.
Charles Kingsley died 1875.
Paul Gustave Dore died 1883.
Never lose an opportunity of seeing
anything beautiful. Welcome it
in every fair face, every fair sky, every fair
flower, and thank Him
for it, who is the fountain of all loveliness.
—Charles Kingsley.
Nature never did betray
The heart that loved her; ’tis her privilege
Through all the years of this life, to lead,
From joy to joy; for she can so impress
With quietness and beauty, and so feed
With lofty thoughts, that neither evil tongues,
* * * * *
Nor all the dreary intercourse of daily life,
Shall e’er prevail against us or disturb
Our cheerful faith, that all which we behold
Is full of blessings.
—William Wordsworth.
Is not God in the height of heaven?
And behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
And thou sayest, What doth God know?
Can he judge through the thick darkness?
—Job 22. 12, 13.
Lord God, I pray that I may not overlook thy blessings of beauty while endeavoring to perform my duties. Guide me that I may not struggle to be where thou wouldst not have me go. Amen.
Charles Earl of Dorset born 1637.
Frederick the Great born 1712.
Charles James Fox born 1749.
The great Gods pass through
the great Time-hall,
Stately and high;
The little men climb the low
clay wall
To gape and spy;
“We wait for the Gods,”
the little men cry,
“But these
are our brothers passing by.”
The great Gods pass through
the great Time-hall;
Who can see?
The little men nod by the
low clay wall,
So tired they
be;
’"Tis weary waiting
for Gods,” they yawn,
“There’s
a world o’ men, but the Gods are gone.”
—A.H. Begbie.
But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
—Luke 24. 16.
My Father, may I be careful of getting weary and missing the best through the need of rest. Intensify my desire for the songs and glorious ways, that I may not settle into dullness and slumber, while others pass on in the light. I pray for a keener sense of the possessions made possible by the deeds and cares of noble men and women. Amen.
Robert Burns born 1759.
Lord Frederick Leighton died 1896.
Daniel Maclise born 1811.
When ranting round in pleasure’s
ring
Religion may be
blinded:
Or if she gie a random sting,
It may be little
minded:
But when on life we’re
Tempest-driv’n—
A conscience but
a canker,
A correspondence fixed wi’
Heav’n,
Is sure a noble
anchor.
—Robert Burns.
Be good, sweet maid, and let
who will be clever;
Do noble things,
not dream them, all day long:
And so make life, death, and
that vast forever
One grand sweet
song.
—Charles Kingsley.
O Lord, by these things men
live;
And wholly therein is the
life of my spirit:
Wherefore recover thou me,
and make me to live.
—Isaiah 38. 16.
Gracious Father, grant that I may not be willing to spend my life for trivial needs, for thou dost measure me for what I am, and boldest me for what I lose in waste. Be with me in my judgment of what is best, that I may make the most of my life. Amen.
Lord George Sackville born 1716.
Benjamin Robert Haydon born 1786.
Mary Mapes Dodge born 1838.
General Gordon (Chinese Gordon) killed 1885.
Ave Maria! blessed be the
hour,
That time, the
clime, the spot, where I so oft
Have felt that moment in its
fullest power
Sink o’er
the earth so beautiful and soft,
While swung the deep bell
in the distant tower
Or the faint dying
day-hymn stole aloft,
And not a breath crept through
the rosy air,
And yet the forest leaves
seemed stirred with
prayer.
—Lord Byron.
I am quite happy, thank God,
and like Lawrence, I have tried to do
my duty.
—General Gordon (just before death).
For in the day of trouble
he will keep me secretly
in his pavilion:
In the covert of his tabernacle
will he hide me;
He will lift me up upon a
rock.
—Psalm 27. 5.
Heavenly Father, teach me how to breathe in the sweetness of life. Reveal to me the life that will bring peace to the soul. May I not be dismayed, but find the “Peace that passeth all understanding,” the perfect peace that comes from thee. Amen.
Johannes Wolfgang Mozart born 1756.
A.W. von Schlegel born 1767.
David Friedrich Strauss born 1808.
To keep young, every day read a poem, hear a choice piece of music, view a fine painting, and, if possible, do a good action. Man’s highest merit always is, as much as possible, to rule external circumstances, and as little as possible to let himself be ruled by them.
—Goethe.
Let us not always
say,
“Spite of
this flesh to-day
I strove, made head, gained
ground upon the whole!”
As the bird wings
and sings,
Let us cry, “All
good things
Are ours, nor soul helps flesh
more now than flesh helps soul!”
—Robert Browning.
Surely goodness and loving-kindness
shall follow me all the days of
my life.
—Psalm 23. 6.
Loving Father, help me to foresee that it is what I care for to-day that determines how I will find old age. May I not bring my closing years to weariness and lonesomeness, but may I have the restfulness that comes with communing with thee. Amen.
Charlemagne died 814.
Sir Francis Drake died 1596.
Peter the Great died 1725.
Charles George Gordon (Chinese Gordon) born 1833.
He only is advancing in life whose heart is getting softer, whose blood warmer, whose brain quicker, and whose spirit is entering into living peace. And the men who have this life in them are the true lords and kings of the earth—they, and they only.
—John Ruskin.
Just where you stand in the
conflict,
There is your
place!
Just where you think you are
useless,
Hide not your
face!
God placed you there for a
purpose,
What e’er
it be;
Think you he has chosen you
for it:
Work loyally.
—Anonymous.
O the depth of the riches
both of the wisdom and the knowledge of
God! how unsearchable are
his judgments, and his ways past tracing
out!
—Romans 11. 33.
My Father, I thank thee that thou hast endowed me with a will; help me to use it aright. May I have the knowledge of what thou dost demand of my soul, that I may do my best with what thou hast given me. Help me that I may reach out for the highest ideals of life. Amen.
Emanuel Swedenborg born 1688.
Thomas Paine born 1737.
Adelaide Ristori born 1822.
William McKinley, Ohio, twenty-fourth President
United States, born 1843.
God will keep no nation in
supreme place that will not do supreme
duty.
—William McKinley.
Reputation is what men and
women think of us; character is what God
and the angels know of us.
—Thomas Paine.
The reward of one duty is the power to fulfill another.
—George Eliot.
Let thy hand be upon the man
of thy right hand,
Upon the son of man whom thou
madest strong for thyself.
So shall we not go back from
thee:
Quicken thou us, and we will
call upon thy name.
—Psalm 80. 17, 18.
My Father, I pray that I may be just and be given to kindness. May I be conscious of my virtues, and use them to overcome my faults. May I hear clearly thy call that I may be sure of the way as I lead others to duty and happiness. Amen.
Archbishop Butler born 1774.
Walter Savage Landor born 1775.
Henri Rochefort born 1830.
Why, why repine, my pensive
friend,
At pleasures slipped
away?
Some the stern fates will
never lend,
And all refuse
to stay.
I see the rainbow in the sky,
The dew upon the
grass;
I see them and I ask not why
They glimmer or
they pass.
With folded arms I linger
not
To call them back;
’twere vain;
In this, or in some other
spot,
I know they’ll
shine again.
—Walter Savage Landor.
When disappointment comes meet it, but do not carry it along with you; nor fetter your spirit by changeless haste. “Memory will always pursue some precious instance of itself,” which will bring either renewed confidence or resignation.
—M. B. S.
For thou shalt forget thy
misery;
Thou shalt remember it as
waters that are passed away.
—Job 11. 16.
Gracious Father, help me to “Lift mine eyes unto the hills” that glorify the discouraging ways. May I appreciate thy great love, and from my limitations find the possibilities that are limitless. Amen.
Cromwell dissolved Parliament 1655.
Charles Edward (Young Pretender) died 1788.
Franz Schubert born 1797.
James G. Elaine born 1830.
Nature demands that man be
ever at the top of his condition. He who
violates her laws must pay
the penalty, though he sit on a throne.
—James G. Elaine.
Dig channels for the streams
of love,
Where they may
broadly run;
And love has overflowing streams
To fill them every
one.
For we must share if we must
keep
The good things
from above;
Ceasing to give, we cease
to have—
Such is the law
of love.
—R. C. Trench.
And thy life shall be clearer
than the noonday;
Though there be darkness,
it shall be as the morning.
—Job 11. 17.
My Father, I would remember that it is mostly from my inspirations that I conceive life. Take away hatred and vanity that keep me in faults, and awake in me the thoughts that are responsible for visions that lead to high ideals. Amen.
Then came old
February, sitting
In an old wagon, for he could
not ride,
Drawn of two fishes
for the season fitting,
Which through the flood before
did softly slide
And swim away; yet he had
by his side
His plow and harness fit to
till the ground,
And tools to prune the trees,
before the pride
Of hasting prime did make
them bourgeon wide.
—Edmund Spenser.
FEBRUARY FIRST
Ben Jonson born 1574.
John Philip Kemble born 1757.
Arthur Henry Hallam born 1811.
George Cruikshank died 1878.
It is not growing like a tree
In bulk, doth make man better
be;
Or standing long an oak, three
hundred year,
To fall a log at last, dry,
bald, and sere:
A lily of a day
Is fairer far
in May,
Although it fall and die that
night—
It was the plant and flower
of Light.
In small proportions we just
beauties see;
And in short measure life
may perfect be.
—Ben Jonson.
There are four things which
are little upon the earth,
But they are exceeding wise:
The ants are a people not
strong,
Yet they provide their food
in the summer;
The conies are but a feeble
folk,
Yet make they their houses
in the rocks;
The locusts have no king,
Yet go they forth all of them
by bands;
The lizard taketh hold with
her hands,
Yet is she in king’s
palaces.
—Proverbs 30. 24-28.
Creator of all, lead me to see the light, and instruct me that I may be able to reason. Guard me against spectacular endeavors, that I may be genuine. Amen.
Candlemas Day.
Nell Gwynn born 1650.
Hannah More born 1745.
William Henry Burleigh born 1812.
’Twas doing nothing
was his curse—
Is there a vice can plague
us worse?
The wretch who digs the mine
for bread,
Or plows, that others may
be fed,
Feels less fatigue than that
decreed
To him who cannot think, or
read.
Not all the peril of temptations,
Not all the conflict of the
passions,
Can quench the spark of Glory’s
flame,
Or quite extinguish Virtue’s
name.
—Hannah More.
Sound, sound the clarion,
fill the fife!
To all the sensual
world proclaim,
One crowded hour of glorious
life
Is worth an age
without a name.
—Sir Walter Scott.
He went out, and found others
standing; and he saith unto them, Why
stand ye here all the day
idle? They say unto him, Because no man
hath hired us. He saith
unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard.
—Matthew 20. 6, 7.
Eternal God, who hath weighed the mountains and measured the seas, I pray that I may not be satisfied to wait in idleness, and let thy wisdom pass away from me as the days. Steady me in my weakness, and reveal to me my strength as I draw near and ask of thee. Amen.
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy born 1809.
Horace Greeley born 1811.
Frederick William Robertson born 1816.
Sidney Lanier born 1842.
My soul is sailing through
the sea,
But the past is heavy and
hindereth me.
The past hath crusted cumbrous
shells
That hold the flesh of cold
sea-mells
About my soul.
The huge waves wash, the high
waves roll,
Each barnacle clingeth and
worketh dole
And hindereth me from sailing.
—Sidney Lanier.
To stand with a smile upon your face, against a stake from which you cannot get away—that no doubt is heroic. True glory is resignation to the inevitable. But to stand unchained, with perfect liberty to go away held only by the higher chains of duty, and let the fire creep up to the heart—that is heroism.
—F.W. Robertson.
We are pressed on every side,
yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not
unto despair; pursued, yet
not forsaken; smitten down, yet not
destroyed.
—2 Corinthians 4. 8, 9.
Gracious Father, thou knowest what I am and the condition of my life. May I seek thy will for me. Grant that I may never struggle for consolation through indulgence and indolence, but in my sorrow and failure may I reach out for thy enduring comfort. Amen.
Mark Hopkins born 1802.
W. Harrison Ainsworth born 1805.
Jean Richepin born 1849.
Thomas Carlyle died 1881.
Life is not a May-game, but a battle and a march, a warfare with principalities and powers. No idle promenade through fragrant orange groves and green flowery spaces, waited on by coral muses, and the rosy hours; it is a stern pilgrimage through the rough, burning, sandy solitudes, through regions of thick-ribbed ice.
—Thomas Carlyle.
For all sweet and pleasant passages in the great story of life men may well thank God; for leisure and ease and health and friendship may God make us truly and humbly grateful; but our chief song of thanksgiving must be always for our kinship with him, with all that such divinity of greatness brings of peril, hardship, toil, and sacrifice.
—Hamilton Mabie.
Thy bars shall be iron and
brass;
And as thy days, so shall
thy strength be.
—Deuteronomy 33. 25.
My Father, help me to choose the road that leads to my work, and may I not fail to reach it, by wandering away from it. Keep me in touch with the human side of life, holding in mind that “Truth and honesty are the noblest works of God.” Amen.
Sir Robert Peel born 1788.
Ole Boreman Bull born 1810.
John Muir born 1810.
Dwight L. Moody born 1837.
When a great man dies, then
has the time come for putting us in mind
that he was alive!
—Thomas Carlyle.
If I practice one day, I can
see the result. If I practice two days,
my friends can see it.
If I practice three days, the great public
can see it.
—Ole Bull.
Those who say they will forgive
but can’t forget an injury simply
bury the hatchet while they
leave the handle out, ready for
immediate use.
—Dwight L. Moody.
But I hold not my life of
any account as dear unto myself, so that I
may accomplish my course.
—Acts 20. 24.
Almighty God, if I am uncertain, and tremble at the crossroads in doubt of the right way, may I wait and be led by thee, and follow on, even if the way be dark and rough. May I be faithful and have thy presence as thou promised at the end. Amen.
Queen Anne of England born 1665.
Aaron Burr born 1756.
Sir Henry Irving born 1838.
Nothing earthly will make
me give up my work in despair. I encourage
myself in the Lord my God
and go forward.
—David Livingstone.
To expect defeat is nine tenths of defeat itself.
—Marion Crawford.
I do not see how any man can
afford, for the sake of his nerves and
his nap, to spare any action
in which he can partake.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Art is a jealous mistress, she requires the whole man.
—Michael Angelo.
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
—1 Corinthians 16. 13.
Almighty God, help me to have true conceptions, that my life may not be secured to needless purposes. May my soul be influenced by high ideals, and my work be the production of truth and not of selfishness. Protect me from evil that I may be kept pure and strong for my work. Amen.
Millard Fillmore, New York, thirteenth President United States born 1800.
Sir Thomas More born 1478.
Charles Dickens born 1812.
Anne Radcliffe died 1823.
Sidney Cooper died 1902.
Let no man turn aside ever
so slightly, from the broad path of
honor, on the plausible pretense
that he is justified by the
goodness of his end.
All good ends can be worked out by good means.
—Charles Dickens.
If evils come not, then our
fears are vain;
And if they do, fear but augments
the pain.
—Sir Thomas More.
A human heart knows aught
of littleness,
Suspects no man,
compares with no one’s ways,
Hath in one hour
most glorious length of days,
A recompense, a joy, a loveliness;
Like eaglet keen, shoots into
azure far,
And always dwelling nigh is
the remotest star.
—William Ellery Channing.
Teach me thy way, O Jehovah;
I will walk in thy truth:
Unite my heart to fear thy
name.
—Psalm 86. 11.
Gracious Father, I pray that thou wilt control my impulses, and protect me from false interpretations. May I have wisdom, and search for the high and holy ways. Help me to be patient for thy purposes, and may my relations to life be triumphant in thy standards. Amen.
Samuel Butler born 1612.
John Ruskin born 1819.
General Sherman born 1820.
Jules Verne born 1828.
Richard Watson Gilder born 1844.
If you want knowledge, you must toil for it; and if pleasure, you must toil for it. Toil is the law. Pleasure comes through toil, and not by self-indulgence and indolence. When one gets to love work his life is a happy one.
—John Ruskin.
Whatever sceptic could inquire
for,
For every why he had a wherefore.
—Samuel Butler.
Through love to light!
O wonderful the way,
That leads from darkness to
the perfect day!
From darkness and from sorrow
of the night
To morning that
comes singing o’er the sea.
Through love to
light! through light O God to Thee!
Who art the love, the eternal
light of light!
—Richard Watson Gilder.
We must work the works of
him that sent me, while it is day: the
night cometh, when no man
can work.
—John 9. 4.
My Father, I pray that I may not weight my life with worthless efforts. May I be guided to the right work, and through the love of it find strength for my soul. Amen.
C.F. Volney born 1757.
William Henry Harrison, Virginia, ninth President United States, born 1773.
Anthony Hope (Hawkins) born 1863.
George Ade born 1866.
A man’s own observation, what he finds good of, and what he finds hurt of, is the best physic to preserve health. But it is a safer conclusion to say, “This agreeth not well with me, therefore I will not continue it”; than to say, “I find no offense of this, therefore I may use it.” For strength of nature in youth passeth over many excesses, which are owing a man till his age.
—Francis Bacon.
Though man a thinking being
is defined,
Few use the grand prerogative
of mind.
How few think justly of the
thinking few!
How many never think, who
think they do!
—Jane Taylor.
Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation; for when he hath been
approved, he shall receive
the crown of life.
—James 1. 12.
Almighty God, I would learn that while thou art a forgiving Lord, nature has no mercy on them that break her laws. Forgive me for all my neglect, and help me to see the way in which thou hast through mercy led me. Give me the power to endure and the strength to resist temptation. May I seek to understand thy laws, that I may not fail through ignorance. Amen.
Rev. Henry Hart Milman born 1791.
Charles Lamb born 1775.
Sir William Napier died 1860.
Never let the most well-intended
falsehood escape your lips; for
Heaven, which is entirely
Truth, will make the seed which you have
sown of untruth to yield miseries
a thousandfold.
—Charles Lamb.
We cannot command veracity at will; the power of seeing and reporting truly is a form of health that has to be distinctly guarded, and as an ancient rabbi has solemnly said, “The penalty of untruth is untruth.”
—George Eliot.
The bat hangs upside down and laughs at a topsy-turvy world.
—Unknown.
The lip of truth shall be
established for ever;
But a lying tongue is but
for a moment.
—Proverbs 12. 19.
Lord God, give me the will to hold to the truth and the strength to help keep the world true; and may I help others to look up and catch the truth from the purest light. Amen.
Mary, Queen of England, born 1516.
Daniel Boone born 1735.
Lydia M. Child born 1802.
Washington Gladden born 1836.
Thomas A. Edison born 1847.
Few, in the days of early
youth,
Trusted like me in love and
truth.
I’ve learned sad lessons
from the years;
But slowly and with many tears;
For God made me to kindly
view
The world that I was passing
through.
And all who tempt a trusting
heart
From faith and hope to drift
apart,
May they themselves be spared
the pain
Of losing power to trust again!
God help us all to kindly
view
The world that we are passing
through!
—Lydia M. Child.
For ye shall go out with joy,
and be led forth with peace: the
mountains and the hills shall
break forth before you into singing;
and all the trees of the field
shall clap their hands.
—Isaiah 55. 12.
Lord God, I pray that I may not rest my hope in self alone, but know that the greatest joy is in the hope of the world. Help me to have faith in mankind; and with a loyal heart and a brave spirit be as kind to the world as I can. Amen.
Dr. Cotton Mather born 1663.
Peter Cooper born 1791.
Abraham Lincoln, Kentucky, sixteenth President United States, born 1809.
Robert Charles Darwin born 1809.
George Meredith born 1828.
With malice towards none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds, ... to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.
—Abraham Lincoln.
The great moral combat between
human life and each human soul must
be single.... When a
soul arms for battle she goes forth alone.
—Owen Meredith.
According to the grace of
God which was given unto me, as a wise
master builder I laid a foundation;
and another buildeth thereon.
—1 Corinthians 3. 10.
Almighty God, I thank thee for the courage that comes with a great life. Help me to be brave, even if it is only that others may be blest. May I lay a careful foundation and plan to build the best that I can afford. Amen.
David Allan born 1744.
Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord born 1754.
Richard Wagner died 1883.
A man is not his hope, nor yet his despair, nor yet his past deed. We know not yet what we have done; still less what we are doing. Wait till evening, and other parts of our work will shine than we had thought at noon, and we shall discover the real purport of our toil.
—Henry D. Thoreau.
When you make a mistake don’t look back at it long. Take the reason of the thing into your mind, and look forward. Mistakes are lessons of wisdom.... The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.
—Hugh White.
He that goeth forth and weepeth,
bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again
with joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
—Psalm 126. 6.
My Father, help me to survey my life. Make me compassionate and considerate, that I may be qualified to promote that which is helpful. May I appreciate that what is worth keeping I can obtain from thee. Amen.
Saint Valentine’s Day.
Captain James Cook killed 1779.
Jean Ernest Reynaud born 1808.
Oh! little loveliest lady
mine,
What shall I send for your
valentine?
Summer and flowers are far
away;
Gloomy old Winter is king
to-day;
Buds will not blow, and sun
will not shine:
What shall I do for a valentine?
I’ve searched the gardens
all through and through
For a bud to tell of my love
so true;
But buds are asleep and blossoms
are dead,
And the snow beats down on
my poor little head:
So, little loveliest lady
mine,
Here is my heart for your
valentine.
—Laura E. Richards.
Oh rank is gold, and gold
is fair,
And high and low
mate ill;
But love has never known a
law
Beyond its own
sweet will!
—John G. Whittier.
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God.
—1 John 4. 7.
Loving Father, may I not fall to nodding in the balmy air of luxury and miss the messages of love. Arouse me, that I may give and take in the treasures of love as they come my way, and that they may not pass unnoticed. Amen.
Galileo Galilei born 1564.
Louis XV born 1710.
S. Weir Mitchell born 1829.
Sir Frederick Treves born 1853.
The night I know is nigh at
hand,
The mists lie
low on hill and bay,
The autumn sheaves are brown
and dry,
But I have had
the day.
Yes, I have had, dear Lord,
the day.
When at thy call
I have the night
Brief be the twilight as I
pass
From light to
dark, from dark to light.
—S. Weir Mitchell.
If thou faint in the day of
adversity, thy strength is small—too
small to be worth talking
about, for the day of adversity is its
first real opportunity.
—Maltbie Babcock.
Nay, in all these things we
are more than conquerors through him
that loved us.
—Romans 8. 37.
My Father, may my daily work not be the means of separating me from thee, but may I have thee for my companion through my work. Forbid that I should ever submit to despair from weakness of body, but that I may be blest and grow strong as my spirit lives in thee. Amen.
Philip Melanchthon born 1497.
Gasper de Coligny born 1517.
Thomas Robert Malthus born 1766.
Ernst Heinrich Haeckel born 1834.
Thy love shall chant its own
beatitudes
After its own life working.
A child’s kiss
Set on thy sighing lips shall
make thee glad.
A poor man served by thee
shall make thee rich;
A sick man helped by thee
shall make thee strong;
Thou shalt be served thyself
by every sense
Of service which thou renderest.
—Elizabeth B. Browning.
Ask nothing more of me, sweet;
All I can give
you I give.
Heart of my heart, were it
more,
More would be
laid at your feet:
Love that should help you
to live,
Song that should
help you to soar.
—Algernon Charles Swinburne.
All things therefore whatsoever
ye would that men should do unto
you, even so do ye also unto
them.
—Matthew 7. 12.
Lord God, I pray that I may not neglect the help and happiness that I may give with compassion and love. Make me strong in all the senses that answer to the call of humanity. Help me to guide and protect little children, and to care for the comforts of the old. Amen.
Kate Greenaway born 1846.
Michael Angelo Buonarroti died 1563.
Giordano Bruno burned at Rome 1600.
Moliere died 1673.
Rose Terry Cooke born 1827.
Frances E. Willard died 1898.
It is not much
To give a gentle word or kindly
touch
To one gone down
Beneath the world’s
cold frown,
And yet who knows
How great a thing from such
a little grows?
O, oftentimes,
Some brother upward climbs
And hope again
Uplifts its head, that in
the dust had lain,
Gives place to morning’s
light.
—E. H. Divall.
I will seek that which was
lost, and will bring back that which was
driven away, and will bind
up that which was broken, and will
strengthen that which was
sick.
—Ezekiel 34. 16.
My Father, may I not sorrow so that I fail to comfort the sorrowing, and may I not be so happy that I fail to see that others need to be glad. I thank thee for thy providences. May I serve thee in helping others to brighter lives. Amen.
Martin Luther died 1546.
George Peabody born 1795.
Wilson Barrett born 1846.
A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never
failing:
Our helper he amid the flood
Of mortal ills
prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great:
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
—Martin Luther.
Let us stand by our duty fearlessly
and effectively. I am not bound
to win, but I am bound to
be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I
am bound to live up to the
light that I have.
—Abraham Lincoln.
Jehovah is my rock, and my
fortress, and my deliverer;
My God, my rock, in whom I
will take refuge.
—Psalm 18. 2.
Lord God, help me to lay my life in the rocks of thy foundation, and not in moving sands which are tossed from shore to shore. May I cling to the rock that was cleft for me and trust for thy care. Amen.
Copernicus born 1473.
Leonard Bacon born 1802.
W.W. Story born 1819.
Adelina Patti born 1843.
So mine are these new fruitings
rich,
The simple to
the common brings;
I keep the youth of souls
who pitch
Their joy in this
old heart of things;
Full lasting is the song,
though he
The singer passes;
lasting too,
For souls not lent in usury,
The rapture of
the forward view.
—George Meredith.
All deep things are Song.
It seems, somehow, the very central
essence of us, Song; as if
all the rest were wrappages and hulls!
the primal element of us;
of us, and all things.
—Thomas Carlyle.
Ye shall have a song as in
the night when a holy feast is kept; and
gladness of heart, as when
one goeth with a pipe to come unto the
mountain of Jehovah.
—Isaiah 30. 29.
Lord God, help me to feel the power of praise. “As words without thoughts never to heaven go,” so the highest praises are never sung alone, but rendered with service and love. May I have the heart to sing thy praises far and near, and rejoice in him from whom all blessings flow. Amen.
J.H. Voss born 1828.
Joseph Jefferson born 1829.
Mihaly Munkacsy (Michael Lieb) born 1844.
Who serves his country well has no need of ancestors.
—Voltaire.
Lo, Spring comes forth with
all her warmth and
love,
She brings sweet justice from
the realms above;
She breaks the chrysalis,
she resurrects the dead;
Two butterflies ascend encircling
her head.
And so this emblem shall forever
be
A sign of immortality.
—Joseph Jefferson.
Thou wilt guide me with thy
counsel,
And afterward receive me to
glory.
—Psalm 73. 24.
Lord God, I pray that I may not neglect my soul in trying to fathom immortal life. If I may be hesitating between comfort and work, remind me of the greatness of the place which I started to reach. May I not grow weary of climbing and falter on the stair. Breathe upon me thy inspiration and love, that I may continue in faith all the way. Amen.
Edmund William Gosse born 1849.
Karl Czerny born 1791.
Cardinal John H. Newman born 1801.
Jean L.E. Meissonier born 1815.
Alice Freeman Palmer born 1855.
Prune thou thy words, the
thoughts control
That o’er
thee swell and throng;
They will condense within
thy soul,
And change to
purpose strong.
—John H. Newman.
Think truly, and thy thoughts
Shall the world’s
famine feed;
Speak truly, and each word
of thine
Shall be a fruitful
seed;
Live truly, and thy life shall
be
A great and noble
creed.
—Horatio Bonar.
We ought to love everybody
and make everybody love us. Then
everything else is easy.
—Alice Freeman Palmer.
Then shall thy light break
forth as the morning, and thy healing
shall spring forth speedily;
and thy righteousness shall go before
thee; the glory of Jehovah
shall be thy rearward.
—Isaiah 58. 8.
Almighty God, look upon me with pity; so often I have obeyed the thoughts that have been misleading and profitless. Make me more careful of what I think and say, and may I learn from my mistakes the forbidden paths. Help me to keep my mind in unity with thy will. Amen.
George Washington, Virginia, first President United
States, born 1732.
James Russell Lowell born 1819.
Margaret E. Sangster born 1838.
Labor to keep alive in your
breast that little spark of celestial
fire called conscience.
—George Washington.
Life is a sheet of paper white
Whereon each one of us may
write
His word or two, and then
comes night.
Greatly begin! though thou
hast time
But for a line, be that sublime.
Not failure, but low aim is
crime.
—James Russell Lowell.
God keep us through the common
days,
The level stretches
white with dust,
When thought is tired, and
hands upraise
Their burdens
feebly since they must;
In days of slowly fretting
care
Then most we need the strength
of prayer.
—Margaret E. Sangster.
Make level the path of thy
feet,
And let all thy ways be established.
—Proverbs 4. 26.
Lord God, help me to realize the influence of the individual life. And as I would care for my own, may I seek to do for others; and may I not criticize, but help all who are trying to make the world better. Amen.
Samuel Pepys born 1633.
George F. Handel born 1685.
George Frederick Watts born 1817.
John Keats died 1821.
Margaret Deland born 1857.
Labor is life! ’tis
the still water faileth;
Idleness ever despaireth,
bewaileth:
Keep the watch wound, or the
dark rust assaileth;
Flowers droop
and die in the stillness of noon.
Labor is glory! the flying
cloud lightens;
Only the waving wing changes
and brightens,
Idle hearts only the dark
future frightens,
Play the sweet
keys, wouldst thou keep them in tune.
—Frances S. Osgood.
Keats
Palled death, with kisses
ghostly,
Wooed and won
him while too young,
And the world reveres him
mostly,
For the songs
he might have sung.
—Samuel A. Wood.
Enlarge the place of thy tent,
and let them stretch forth the
curtains of thy habitations;
spare not: lengthen thy cords, and
strengthen thy stakes.
—Isaiah 54. 2.
Almighty God, I pray for the will to do my finest work. Disclose to me if I am being detained by serving selfishness in myself or in others. Lead me to what is right for me to do; and may I diligently tarry in it. Amen.
Samuel Lover born 1797.
Robert Fulton died 1815.
George William Curtis born 1824.
’Tis not to enjoy that
we exist,
For that end only; something
must be done;
I must not walk in unreproved
delight
These narrow bounds, and think
of nothing more,
No duty that looks further
and no care.
—William Wordsworth.
We weave our thoughts into
heart-spun plans,
And weave secure
for a fitful day,
But lose in the web of earthly
things
The pattern of
sublimity.
Shall days spring up as wild
vines grow,
Unheeding where
they climb or cling?
Consider, child, before you
sow,
And wait not until
harvesting.
—M.B.S.
Jehovah is my strength and
my shield;
My heart hath trusted in him,
and I am helped:
Therefore my heart greatly
rejoiceth;
And with my song will I praise
him.
—Psalm 28. 7.
Loving Father, command my judgment for the influences which I permit to come into my life. Grant that I may not delay my purposes for the lack of comforts which are so often made more than life. With thy strength may I be steadfast in what I would achieve. Amen.
William Seely died 1521.
Sir Christopher Wren died 1723.
Jane Goodwin Austin born 1831.
Camille Flammarion born 1842.
In general, pride is at the
bottom of all great mistakes. All other
passions do occasionally good;
but wherever pride puts in its word
everything goes wrong.
—John Ruskin.
He that is proud eats up himself:
pride is his own glass, his own
trumpet, his own chronicle;
and whatever praises itself but in the
deed, devours the deed in
the praise.
—William Shakespeare.
Save me alike from foolish
pride
Or impious discontent;
At aught Thy wisdom hath denied,
Or aught Thy wisdom
lent.
—Alexander Pope.
A man’s pride shall
bring him low; But he that is of a lowly spirit
shall obtain honor.
—Proverbs 29. 23.
Heavenly Father, I pray that I may not let pride keep me down when it may be mine to be carried to the heights. With tenderness take me out of myself, that I may see how pride deceives, and destroys an humble spirit. Help me to master both stubbornness and pride. Amen.
Christopher Marlowe (baptized 1564).
Victor Hugo born 1802.
Lord Cromer born 1841.
Thomas Moore died 1852.
When I go down to the grave I can say, like so many others, I have finished my work; but I cannot say I have finished my life; my day’s work will begin again the next morning. My tomb is not a blind alley; it is a thoroughfare. It closes in the twilight to open in the dawn.
—Victor Hugo.
There’s nothing bright
above, below,
From flowers that bloom to
stars that glow,
But in the light my soul can
see
Some feature of the Deity.
There’s nothing dark
below, above,
But in its gloom I trace God’s
love,
And meekly wait that moment
when
His truth shall turn all bright
again.
—Thomas Moore.
Jehovah redeemeth the soul
of his servants;
And none of them that take
refuge in him shall be
condemned.
—Psalm 34. 22.
Lord God, may I not only feel the need of thee when I am burdened with sorrow and care, but may I have need of thee in my pleasures and joys. I thank thee for thy gracious kindness, thy mercy and thy protection. Amen.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow born 1807.
Ellen Terry born 1848.
Mary F. Robinson born 1857.
Lives of great men all remind
us
We can make our
lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind
us
Footprints on
the sands of time—
Footprints that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er
life’s wintry main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked
brother,
Seeing, shall
take heart again.
—Henry W. Longfellow.
They are slaves who fear to
speak
For the fallen and the weak;
They are slaves who will not
choose
Hatred, scoffing, and abuse,
Rather than in silence shrink
From the truth they needs
must think;
They are slaves who dare not
be
In the right with two or three.
—James Russell Lowell.
Even so let your light shine
before men; that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father
who is in heaven.
—Matthew 5. 16.
Merciful Father, help me to know that my shadow cannot fall without me, and that my footprints cannot be found where I have never trodden. I pray that thou wilt make me so familiar with the right path that it may be mine to have the privilege of leading others to the right places. Amen.
Montaigne born 1533.
Mary Lyon born 1797.
Sir John Tenniel born 1820.
Soul, rule thyself; on passion,
deed, desire,
Lay thou the laws of thy deliberate
will.
Stand at thy chosen post,
Faith’s sentinel:
Though Hell’s lost legions
ring thee round with fire,
Learn to endure.
—Arthur Symonds.
The confidence in another
man’s virtue is no slight evidence of a
man’s own, and God willingly
favors such a confidence.
—Montaigne.
Though a host should encamp
against me,
My heart shall not fear:
Though war should rise against
me,
Even then will I be confident.
—Psalm 27. 3.
My Father, may I ever be kept in remembrance of my virtue, and may I be sensitive to its strength. As I go on my way, keep me within control of the impetuous desires of my nature, and in call of the duties and obligations of my daily life. Amen.
Anne Lee born 1736.
G.A. Rossini born 1792.
John Landseer died 1852.
Happy is he and more than
wise
Who sees with
wondrous eyes and clean
This world through all the
gray disguise
Of sleep and custom
in between.
—G.K. Chesterton.
In the morning, when thou findest thyself unwilling to rise, consider with thyself presently, if it is to go about a man’s work that I am stirred up. Or was I made for this, to lay me down, and make much of myself in a warm bed.
—Marcus Aurelius.
Arise and be doing, and Jehovah be with thee.
—1 Chronicles 22. 16.
Gracious Father, help me to take of the wealth of my day, while it is in season, and accessible. May I not be ignorant of the abundance in which I live, and be found in overwhelming regret. Forgive me for all that I have missed in life, and make me more watchful of that which is to come. Amen.
Spring still makes spring
in the mind,
When sixty years
are told;
Love makes anew this throbbing
heart,
And we are never
old.
Over the winter glaciers,
I see the summer
glow,
And through the wild-piled
snowdrift
The warm rosebuds
below.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
MARCH FIRST
Alexander Balfour born 1767.
Frederick Francois Chopin born 1809.
Augustus Saint-Gaudens born 1848.
William Dean Howells born 1837.
Thy soul shall enter on its
heritage
Of God’s unuttered wisdom.
Thou shalt sweep
With hand assured the ringing
lyre of life,
Till the fierce anguish of
its bitter strife,
Its pain, death, discord,
sorrow, and despair,
Break into rhythmic music.
Thou shalt share
The prophet-joy that kept
forever glad
God’s poet-souls when
all a world was sad.
Enter and live! Thou
hast not lived before.
—S. Weir Mitchell.
Return unto thy rest, O my
soul;
For Jehovah hath dealt bountifully
with thee.
For thou hast delivered my
soul from death,
Mine eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling.
—Psalm 116. 7, 8.
Almighty God, grant that I may never be so discouraged that I feel my life has been spent. Help me to so live, that I may not follow into hopeless days, but look for the bright and beautiful in to-morrow. Forgive me for all that I have asked for and accepted through willful judgment, and make me more careful in selecting my needs. Amen.
Juvenal born A.D. 40.
John Wesley died 1791.
Horace Walpole died 1797.
Nature never says one thing, Wisdom another.
—Juvenal.
By all means, use some times
to be alone;
Salute thyself—see
what thy soul doth wear;
Dare to look in thy chest,
for ’tis thine own,
And tumble up
and down what thou findest there.
—William Wordsworth.
Lonesomeness is part of the cost of power. The higher you climb, the less can you hope for companionship. The heavier and the more immediate the responsibility, the less can a man delegate his tasks or escape his own mistakes.
—Shailer Mathews.
But thou, when thou prayest,
enter into thine inner chamber, and
having shut thy door, pray
to thy Father who is in secret, and thy
Father who seeth in secret
shall recompense thee.
—Matthew 6. 6.
My Father, I pray that thou wilt take care of my thoughts when I am alone and tired, and keep them strong and clean. Grant that while I commune with thee I may yield to my needs and be restored with keener energy for worthier deeds. May I ask of thy wisdom every day. Amen.
Edmund Waller born 1605.
George Herbert died 1633.
Christine Nilsson born 1843.
Pitch thy behaviour low, thy
projects high,
So shalt thou
humble and magnanimous be;
Sink not in spirit: who
aimeth at the sky,
Shoots higher
than he that means a tree.
—George Herbert.
We and God have business with
each other; and in opening ourselves
to his influence our deepest
destiny is fulfilled.
—William James.
While we look not at the things
which are seen, but at the things
which are not seen; for the
things which are seen are temporal; but
the things which are not seen
are eternal.
—2 Corinthians 4. 18.
Almighty God, help me to remember that “the power of character is the highest point of success,” and that thou hast put within reach of all the choice ideals of life. May I have the desire to cultivate strong purposes, and strive for high endeavors, that I may not aim for the low. Amen.
Casimer Pulaski born 1748.
Sir Henry Raeburn born 1756.
E.W. Bull, originator Concord grape, born 1806.
Alexander Graham Bell born 1847.
It is perfectly obvious that
men do necessarily absorb, out of the
influences in which they grow
up, something which gives a complexion
to their whole after-character.
—Anthony Froude.
All common things, each day’s
events
That with the
hour begin and end,
Our pleasures and our discontents
Are rounds by
which we may ascend.
—Henry W. Longfellow.
Our doubts are traitors, and
make us lose the good we oft might win
by fearing to attempt.
I
—Shakespeare.
And David put his hand in
his bag, and took thence a stone, and
slang it, and smote the Philistine
in his forehead; and the stone
sank into his forehead, and
he fell upon his face to the earth.
—1 Samuel 17. 49.
My Father, I would remember that my life may decline from the neglect of small things; for as thou dost nourish the wheat from flakes of snow, and supply the springs from drops of rain, so thou wilt strengthen my soul from every little blessing. I pray that I may not forget to watch my habits, and keep track of the hours that culture and sustain my life. Amen.
Correggio died 1534.
Howard Pyle born 1853.
Arthur Foote born 1853.
When I have the time so many
things I’ll do,
To make life happier
and more fair
For those whose
lives are crowded now with care,
I’ll help
to lift them from their low despair
When
I have time.
When I have time the friend
I love so well
Shall know no
more the weary, toiling days;
I’ll lead
his feet in pleasant paths always,
And cheer his
heart with words of sweetest praise,
When
I have time.
Now is the time! Speed,
friend; no longer wait
To scatter loving
smiles and words of cheer
To those around
whose lives are drear;
They may not need
you in the far-off year:
Now
is the time.
—Unknown.
Behold now is the acceptable
time; behold, now is the day of
salvation.
—2 Corinthians 6. 2.
Lord God, teach me this day to know that the veriest trifle often keeps happiness alive, and that the smallest trifle often may kill it. I pray that now thou wilt put within my heart that touch of love, which brings consideration for others, and the care that brings the greatest happiness. Amen.
Michael Angelo Buonarroti born 1475.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning born 1806.
George du Maurier born 1831.
Beloved, let us
love so well
Our work shall still be better
for our love,
And still our love be sweeter
for our work:
And both commended for the
sake of each
By all true workers
and true lovers born.
—Elizabeth B. Browning.
Earth saddens, never shall
remove,
Affections purely
given;
And e’en that mortal
grief shall prove
The immortality
of love,
And heighten it with heaven.
—Elizabeth B. Browning.
And if I bestow all my goods
to feed the poor, and if I give my body
to be burned, but have not
love, it profiteth me nothing.
—1 Corinthians 13. 3.
Loving Father, I pray that I may not try to change the standard of love by grafting on my own selfishness and infirmities. May I remember that it is mostly for gratification that love is held to the base in life; may I follow it to the summits, where it is divine. Amen.
Sir Thomas Wilson died 1755.
Sir Edwin Landseer born 1802.
Luther Burbank born 1849.
Earth gets its price for what
it gives us;
The beggar is
taxed for a corner to die in,
The priest has his fee who
comes and shrives us,
We bargain for
the graves we lie in;
At the devil’s booth
are all things sold,
Each ounce of
dross costs its ounce of gold;
For a cap and bells our lives
we pay,
Bubbles we buy
with a whole soul’s tasking;
’Tis heaven alone that
is given away,
’Tis only God may be
had for the asking.
—James Russell Lowell.
We are our own fates.
Our own deeds
Are our doomsmen. Man’s
life was made
Not for men’s creeds,
But men’s actions.
—Owen Meredith.
The free gift of God is eternal life.
—Romans 6. 23.
Gracious Father, may the world speak to me of thy love, and of thy gifts of peace and power, which it freely offers. May I not pass by its great values, and prefer to purchase at a great cost my indolence and dissipation.
—Amen.
Dr. John Fothergill born 1712.
C.P. Cranch born 1813.
Anna Letitia Barbauld died 1825.
O boundless self-contentment
voiced
In flying air-born
bubbles!
O joy that mocks our sad unrest,
And frowns our
earth-born troubles!
The life that floods the happy
fields
With song and
light and color,
Will shape our lives to richer
states
And heap our measures
fuller.
—C.P. Cranch.
One may secure and preserve that repose in the turbulence of a great city—as Shakespeare surely found and preserved it in the London of the sixteenth century. For repose does not depend on external conditions; it depends on sound adjustment to tasks, opportunities, pleasures, and the general order of life.
—Hamilton Mabie.
That we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in godliness and gravity.
—1 Timothy 2.2.
Gracious Father, help me to understand that peace cannot abide in misery, nor can it stay with every mood. May I be able to overcome the depression that may keep me in sadness and isolation, and have delight in the gladness of friends, and live in the peace of strong resolutions. Amen.
Americus Vespucius born 1451.
Lewis Gonzaga born 1568.
Comte de Mirabeau born 1749.
William Cobbett born 1762.
Edwin Forrest born 1806.
Yet nerve thy spirit to the
Proof, and blanch not at thy chosen lot;
The timid good may stand aloof,
the sage may frown—yet faint thou not;
Nor heed the shaft too surely
cast, the foul and hissing bolt of scorn;
For with thy Side shall dwell,
at last, the victory of endurance born.
—William C. Bryant.
You cannot dream yourself
into a character; you must hammer and
forge yourself into one.
—James Anthony Froude.
Can thy heart endure, or can
thy hands be strong, in the days that I
shall deal with thee?
—Ezekiel 22.14.
Loving Father, search me, and if there be any evil ways in me, correct them, and lead me into the ways everlasting. I pray that I may not be deformed from selfishness, but with a lowly and expectant heart run with patience and triumph the race that is set before me. Amen.
Bishop Duppa born 1698.
Professor Playfair born 1748.
Charles Loyson (Pere Hyacinthe) born 1827.
So he died by his faith.
That is fine—
More than the
most of us do.
But stay. Can you add
to that line
That he lived
for it too?
It is easy to die. Men
have died
For a wish or
a whim—
From bravado or passion or
pride.
Was it hard for
him?
But to live: every day
to live out
All the truth
that he dreamt,
While his friends met his
conduct with doubt,
And the world
with contempt.
Was it thus that he plodded
ahead,
Never turning
aside?
Then we’ll talk of the
life that he led.
Never mind how
he died.
—Ernest Crosby.
For I have no pleasure in
the death of him that dieth, saith the
Lord Jehovah: wherefore
turn yourselves, and live.
—Ezekiel 18. 32.
Almighty God, help me to live an upright life. Give me courage to abandon useless customs, and seeming duties that keep me from perfecting my life. Amen.
Torquato Tasso born 1544.
Alexander Mackenzie died 1820.
Henry Drummond died 1897.
There is nothing that is puerile in nature; and he who becomes impassioned of a flower, a blade of grass, a butterfly’s wing, a nest, a shell, wraps around a small thing that always contains a great truth. To succeed in modifying the appearance of a flower is insignificant in itself, if you will; but reflect upon it for however short a while and it becomes gigantic.
—Maurice Maeterlinck.
O world, as God has made it!
All is beauty:
And knowing this, is love,
and love is duty:
What further may be sought
for or declared?
—Robert Browning.
Consider the lilies of the
field, how they grow; they toil not,
neither do they spin:
yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all
his glory was not arrayed
like one of these.
—Matthew 6. 28, 29.
Creator of all, I do know that if I may hold myself close enough, I can hear restful music through the breeze, and find secrets in the flowers and leaves. I rejoice that thou hast made the woods and rivers that thou dost love, so I too might possess them, and not be a tenant of them only. May I look and study deeper the things which bring me closer to thee. Amen.
Cesare Borgia killed 1507.
Bishop Buckley born 1684.
Simon Newcomb born 1835.
Among the happiest and proudest
possessions of a man is his
character. It is a wreath,
it is a bank in itself. What is the
essence and life of character?
Principle, integrity, independence.
—Bulwer Lytton.
No great genius was ever without
some mixture of madness, nor can
anything grand or superior
to the voice of common mortals be spoken
except by the agitated soul.
—Aristotle.
Handsome is that handsome does.
—Oliver Goldsmith.
Since thou hast been precious
in my sight, and honorable, and I have
loved thee; therefore will
I give men in thy stead, and peoples
instead of thy life.
—Isaiah 43. 4.
Lord God, forbid that I should try to supplant character with manners and worldly goods. May I remember that thou seest me, and knowest me, and I need no shield from thee. Help me that I may be found acceptable while thou dost search me to the depths of the soul. Amen.
Joseph Priestley born 1733.
Esther Johnson (Stella) born 1681.
Regina Maria Roche died 1845.
If stores of dry and learned
lore we gain
We keep them in the memory
of the brain;
Names, things, and facts—whate’er
we knowledge call,
There is the common ledger
for them all;
And images on this cold surface
traced
Make slight impressions and
are soon effaced.
But we’ve a page more
glowing and more bright
On which our friendship and
our love to write;
That these may never from
the soul depart,
We trust them to the memory
of the heart.
There is no dimming—no
effacement here;
Each pulsation keeps the record
clear;
Warm golden letters all the
tablet fill,
Nor lose their luster till
the heart stands still.
—Daniel Webster.
I often wonder why it is that
we are not all kinder than we are. How
much the world needs it!
How easily it is done! How instantaneously
it acts! How infallibly
it is remembered!
—Henry Drummond.
Cast thy bread upon the waters;
for thou shalt find it after many
days.
—Ecclesiastes 11. 1.
My Father, thou hast taught me through the gifts of life, that there is no labor or price too dear to pay for love. I pray to love thee more that I may have more love to bestow on others. Amen.
Thomas H. Benton born 1782.
Johann Strauss born 1804.
Victor Emmanuel born 1820.
Rivers to the ocean run,
Nor stay in all
their course;
Fire ascending seeks the sun;
Both speed them
to their source;
So a soul that’s born
of God,
Pants to view
his glorious face,
Upward tends to his abode,
To rest in his
embrace.
—Robert Seagrave.
As the bird trims her to the
gale
I trim myself
to the storm of time;
I man the rudder, reef the
sail,
Obey the voice
at eve obeyed at prime;
Lowly faithful, banish fear,
The port well worth the cruise
is near
And every wave
is charmed.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
As the hart panteth after
the water brooks,
So panteth my soul after thee,
O God.
—Psalm 42. 1.
My Father, I pray that if I meet with difficulty, I may not go backward, nor stand still, and fear to go forward. Unfold to me the depth and breadth of the ideal and beautiful, that I may not be content to succeed in the shallowness of life: but may I aspire to the height of the soul, even if I fail to acquire great things. Amen.
Julius Caesar killed B.C. 44.
Peasants War began 1512.
Andrew Jackson, North Carolina, seventh President
United States, born 1767.
John Davenport died 1670.
I will take the responsibility!
—Andrew Jackson.
What ought to be possible for everyone is to arrive at a sort of harmony of life, to have definite things that they want to do.... The people whom it is hard to fit into any scheme of benevolent creation are the vague, insignificant, drifting people, whose only rooted tendency is to do whatever is suggested to them.
—Arthur C. Benson.
Heard are the voices,
Heard are the
sages,
The worlds, and
the ages;
Choose well! your choice is
Brief and endless.
—Goethe.
Only be strong and very courageous,
to observe to do according to
all the law....
—Joshua 1. 7.
Gracious Father, I pray that thou wilt free me from evil thoughts before they become a habit. Create in me that freedom which makes me not ashamed to acknowledge the wrong, and which will enable me to stand for the right. Quicken my thoughts, that they may keep my heart inspired. Amen.
James Madison, Virginia, fourth President United
States, born 1751.
Caroline Lucretia Herschel born 1750.
Alexander Watts born 1797.
If we live truly we shall see truly. It is as easy for the strong man to be strong as it is for the weak to be weak. When we have new perception we shall gladly disburthen the memory of the hoarded treasures as old rubbish. When a man lives with God his voice shall be as sweet as the murmur of the brook and the rustle of the corn.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
The tissue of the life to
be,
We weave with
colors all our own,
And in the field of Destiny
We reap as we
have sown.
—Raphael.
Now when they beheld the boldness
of Peter and John, and had
perceived that they were unlearned
and ignorant men, they marveled;
and they took knowledge of
them, that they had been with Jesus.
—Acts 4. 13.
Lord God, quiet me if I am not calm, that my soul may be able to contemplate and have an opportunity to grow. Help me, that I may be able even in discouragements to have the true perception of life. Amen.
Saint Patrick’s Day.
Ebenezer Elliott born 1781.
Dr. Thomas Chalmers born 1780.
Moncure D. Conway born 1832.
Clara Morris born 1849.
What is really wanted is to light up the spirit that is within a child. In some sense and in some effectual degree there is in every child the material of good work in the world; and in every child, not only in those who are brilliant, not only in those who are quick, but in those who are stolid, and even in those who are dull.
—William Gladstone.
If you make children happy now, you will make them happy twenty years hence by the memory of it.
—Kate Douglas Wiggin.
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart; and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
—Deuteronomy 6. 6, 7.
Lord God, may I be diligent for the progress of little children. Show me how I may minister unto them; and grant that I may be able to see the necessity of giving, more than I do the pleasure of receiving. Amen.
William Byrd died 1674.
John C. Calhoun born 1782.
Grover Cleveland, New Jersey, twenty-second President
United States, born 1837.
My minde to me a kingdom is:
Such perfect joy
therein I finde
As far exceeds all earthly
blisse
That God or nature
hath assignede.
—William Byrd.
Teach your proud will to make
those nobler choices
Which bring to
soul and heart enduring health.
Deafen your ears to those
contending voices,
Look in your heart,
learn your own being’s wealth.
Its resources vast, its undiscovered
treasure
Waiting for these
same idle hands to mine.
Learn that the grandest of
Nature’s creations
May not be bounded
by man’s limitations.
—Rose E. Cleveland.
But he is in one mind, and
who can turn him?
And what his soul desireth,
even that he doeth.
—Job 23. 13.
Almighty God, grant that I may never succumb to the controlling influences of the body, and lose the power of my mind. May I guard the dictates of my heart and keep my mind in command to obey thy will. Amen.
David Livingstone born 1813.
Alice French (Octave Thanet) born 1850.
William Jennings Bryan born 1860.
Isn’t it interesting
to get blamed for everything? But I must be
thankful in feeling that I
would rather perish than blame another
for my misdeeds and deficiencies.
—David Livingstone.
Criticism is helpful. If a man makes a mistake, criticism enables him to correct it; if he is unjustly criticized, the criticism helps him. I have had my share of criticism since I have been in public life, but it has not prevented me from doing what I thought proper to do.
—William Jennings Bryan.
For himself hath said, I will
in no wise fail thee, neither will I
in any wise forsake thee.
So that with good courage we say, The Lord
is my helper; I will not fear.
—Hebrews 13. 5, 6.
Loving Father, I thank thee that thou art the same yesterday, to-day, and forever; and I am glad I cannot receive from thee the slights and wounds that I may give or receive from my friends. May I be considerate and more forgiving, and by my sincerity be worthy of the purpose which I pursue. Amen.
Publius Ovidius (Ovid) born B.C. 43.
Sir Isaac Newton died 1727.
Karl August Nicander born 1799.
Henrik Ibsen born 1828.
Whoever is not with me in
the essential things of life, him I no
longer know—I owe
him no consideration.
—Henrik Ibsen.
Only he who lives in truth finds it. The deepest truth is not born of conscious striving, but comes in the quiet hour when a noble nature gives itself into the keeping of life, to suffer, to feel, to think, and to act as it is moved by a wisdom not its own.
—Hamilton Mabie.
Forgetting the things which
are behind, and stretching forward to
the things which are before,
I press on toward the goal unto the
prize of the high calling
of God.
—Philippians 3. 13, 14.
Lord God, I thank thee for the silent ways of revelation which bring hopeful communion with thee. Help me to be composed, that my life may not create a noise and my soul miss the messages that come from the depths of truth and love. Amen.
Johann Sebastian Bach born 1685.
Archbishop Cranmer burnt at Oxford 1556.
Jean Paul Richter born 1763.
Henry Kirke White born 1785.
Go through life with soft
influences breathing around thee. Keep thy
heart high above the many-colored
mist of earth and above its storm
clouds.
—Jean Paul Richter.
Recollection is the only paradise
from which we cannot be turned
out.
—Jean Paul Richter.
Come, Disappointment, come!
Thou art not stern
to me;
Sad monitress! I own
thy sway,
A votary sad in every day,
I bend my knee
to thee,
From
sun to sun
My
race will run;
I only bow, and say, My God,
thy will be done!
—Henry Kirke White.
If I say, I will forget my
complaint,
I will put off my sad countenance,
and be of good cheer.
—Job 9. 27.
Gracious Father, help me to respond cheerfully when called upon to give. May I never repent of tenderness which others fail to appreciate, but may I be glad of all that I give and for all I receive. Amen.
Sir Anthony Vandyke born 1599.
Caroline Sheridan Norton born 1808.
Johann Goethe died 1832.
Dr. Farrar, Dean of Canterbury, died 1903.
Rosa Bonheur born 1822.
Red Love still rules the day,
white Faith enfolds the night,
And hope, green-mantled, leads
the way by the walls of the City of Light.
Therefore I walk as one who
sees the joy shine through
Of the other Life behind our
life, like the stars behind the blue.
—Dean Farrar.
There can be no greater delight
than is experienced by a man who, by
his own unaided resources,
frees himself from the consequences of
error: Heaven looks down
with satisfaction upon such a spectacle.
—Goethe.
Thine eyes shall see the king
in his beauty: they shall behold a
land that reacheth afar.
—Isaiah 33. 17.
Lord God, help me to remember that I may not only be forgiven for my transgression, but with thy help I may be led away from the wrong. May I be content to follow where thou dost lead. Amen.
Pierre Savant La Place born 1749.
Schuyler Colfax born 1823.
Richard A. Proctor born 1837.
Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves together; that at length they may emerge, full-formed and majestic, into the daylight of life.... Nay, in thy own mean perplexities, do thou thyself but hold thy tongue for one day; on the morrow how much clearer are thy purposes and duties!
—Thomas Carlyle.
Deliberate much before you
say and do anything; for it will not be
in your power to recall what
is said or done.
—Epictetus.
Set a watch, O Jehovah, before
my mouth;
Keep the door of my lips.
—Psalm 141. 3.
My Lord, make me a lover of the truth. Make me careful of my thoughts, and the words I would speak, that I may not think selfishly and speak cruelly, but keep myself holy unto thee. Amen.
Queen Elizabeth died 1603.
Fanny Crosby born 1820.
Henry W. Longfellow died 1882.
Sir Edwin Arnold died 1904.
Every quivering tongue of flame
Seems to murmur some great name,
Seems to say to me “Aspire!”
No endeavor is in vain;
Its reward is in the doing,
And the rapture of pursuing
Is the prize of vanquished gain.
—Henry W. Longfellow.
Never be sad or desponding
If thou hast faith
to believe;
Grace for the duties before
thee
Ask of thy God
and receive.
—Fanny Crosby.
I spread forth my hands unto
thee:
My soul thirsteth after thee,
as a weary land.
—Psalm 143. 6.
Almighty God, make me conscious of my weaknesses, and make me ashamed of my indulgences. Give me a victory over self; and may I consider more what I put in my life. May I be eager for that which will inspire me for greater aspirations. Amen.
Archbishop John Williams born 1582.
Joachim Murat born 1771.
Anna Seward died 1809.
How awful is the thought of
the wonders underground,
Of the mystic changes wrought
in the silent, dark profound!
How each thing upward tends
by necessity decreed,
And the world’s support
depends on the shooting of a seed!
The summer’s in her
ark, and this sunny-pinioned day
Is commissioned to remark
whether Winter holds her sway:
Go back, thou dove of peace,
with myrtle on thy wing,
Say that floods and tempests
cease, and the world is ripe for Spring.
—Horace Smith.
I should never have made my
success in life if I had not bestowed
upon the least thing I have
ever undertaken the same attention and
care that I have bestowed
upon the greatest.
—Charles Dickens.
Gather up the broken pieces which remain over, that nothing be lost.
—John 6. 12.
Loving Father, cause me to learn from nature that to have perfection I must be attentive at the beginning of growth. Help me to select with care the soil wherein I plant; and to weed and cultivate my life that it may grow to beauty and usefulness. Amen.
Konrad von Gesner born 1516.
W. E. H. Lecky born 1838.
Gustave Guillaumet born 1840.
Walt Whitman died 1892.
Every man takes care that his neighbor shall not cheat him, but a day comes when he begins to care that he do not cheat his neighbor. Then all goes well. He has changed his market-cart into a chariot of the sun.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
He that is unacquainted with
the nature of the world must be at a
loss to know where he is.
And he that cannot tell the ends he was
made for is ignorant both
of himself and the world too.
—Marcus Aurelius.
Give diligence to present
thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed,
handling aright the word of truth.
—2 Timothy 2. 15.
Almighty God, may I not only approve of justice and kindness, but practice it. Grant that I may be attentive to the call of work and steadfast in completing it. May I be sincere to those who are dear to me, and never falter in my support to those who are dependent upon me. Amen.
Alfred Vigny born 1799.
General A. W. Greely born 1847.
Sir Gilbert Scott died 1878.
It takes great strength to
bring your life up square
With your accepted thought
and hold it there:
Resisting the inertia that
drags it back
From new attempts, to the
old habit’s track.
It is so easy to drift back,
to sink.
So hard to live abreast of
what you think.
—Charlotte Perkins Stetson.
If a person had delivered up your body to anyone whom he met in his way, you would certainly be angry. And do you feel no shame in delivering up your own mind to be disconcerted and confounded by anyone who happens to give you ill language.
—Epictetus.
Wherefore, O King Agrippa,
I was not disobedient unto the heavenly
vision.
—Acts 26. 19.
My Father, my soul sinks with shame when I think of the great moments that I have given over to mean little things. Help me that I may reckon more on the value of time, and live not to tolerate life, but to have a great need for it, that day by day I may have a deeper consciousness of its appropriate use. Amen.
Santi d’Urbino Raphael born 1483.
Sir Thomas Smith born 1514.
Margaret (Peg) Woffington died 1760.
They may not need me,
Yet they might;
I’ll let my heart be
Just in sight—
A smile so small
As mine might
be
Precisely their
Necessity.
—Unknown.
You hear that boy laughing?—you
think he’s all fun;
But the angels laugh too at
the good he has done;
The children laugh loud as
they troop to his call,
And the poor man that knows
him laughs loudest of all.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes.
Let all bitterness, and wrath,
and anger, and clamor, and railing,
be put away from you, with
all malice: and be ye kind one to
another, tender-hearted, forgiving
each other.
—Ephesians 4. 31.
Lord God, I pray that I may be fair, and not pass judgment on those whom I like or those whom I dislike, and so bring unhappy regrets. May I remember that, though hasty judgment often may be temporary, the gain or loss of a friend may be permanent. Amen.
Dr. John Lightfoot born 1602.
John Tyler, Virginia, tenth President United States, born 1790.
Amelia Barr born 1831.
The year’s at the spring
And the day’s at the
morn;
The hillside’s dew-pearled;
The lark’s on the wing:
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in his heaven:
All’s well with the
world.
—Robert Browning.
Dear Lord and Father of mankinds
Forgive our feverish
ways;
Reclothe us in our rightful
mind;
In purer lives thy service
find,
In deeper reverence
praise.
—John G. Whittier.
In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.
—Isaiah 30. 15.
Lord God, I beseech thee to give me the strength which endures. Grant that I may have the ceaseless content which is secured by choosing and continuing in the right way. From the wealth of each day renew my hope, and quiet my soul with the calm of thy peace. Amen.
Sir Henry Wotton born 1568.
Archbishop Somner born 1606.
John Fiske born 1842.
John Constable died 1837.
I said, “Let us walk
in the field.”
He said, “Nay
walk in the town.”
I said, “There are no
flowers there.”
He said, “No
flowers but a crown.”
I said, “But the air
is thick,
And the fogs are
veiling the sun.”
He answered, “Yet souls
are sick
And souls in the
dark undone.”
I cast one look at the field,
Then set my face
to the town.
He said: “My child,
do you yield?
Will ye leave
the flowers for the crown?”
Then into his hand went mine
And into my heart
came He,
And I walked in a light divine
The path I had
feared to see.
—George Macdonald.
Now therefore amend your ways
and your doings, and obey the voice of
Jehovah your God.
—Jeremiah 26. 13.
Eternal God, teach me the way of a complete and unbroken trust. In my disappointments, and in my devotions, may my faith and hope be as immortal as my soul. May I listen for thy voice and answer thy call. Amen.
Ludwig von Beethoven died 1827.
Joseph Francis Haydn born 1732.
Andrew Lang born 1844.
Charlotte Bronte died 1855.
The Great Being unseen, but all-present, who in his beneficence desires only our welfare, watches the struggle between good and evil in our hearts, and waits to see whether we obey his voice, heard in the whispers of conscience, or lend an ear to the Spirit Evil, which seeks to lead us astray. Rough and steep is the path indicated by divine suggestion; mossy and declining the green way along which temptation strews flowers. Then conscience whispers, “Do what you feel is right, obey me, and I will plant for you firm footing.”
—Charlotte Bronte.
God help us do our duty, and
not shrink,
And trust in heaven humbly
for the rest.
—Owen Meredith.
I call heaven and earth to
witness against you this day, that I have
set before thee life and death,
the blessing and the curse:
therefore choose life.
—Deuteronomy 30. 19.
My Father, as I review my life I am impressed how accurately my deeds have copied my thoughts. And though I have failed the so often, yet I pray that thou wilt accept my yearnings, to think and work for the best in every day. Amen.
God’s April is coming up the hill, and the noisy winds are quieting down, subdued by the fragrance of the wild flowers on the way. Lest we miss the richness of life, while pursuing the world, God continues to pour out precious fragrance from his storehouse, and unconsciously, our souls are lulled to peace through the sweetness of April days.
—M.B.S.
APRIL FIRST
All Fools’ Day.
William Harvey born 1578.
Prince von Bismarck born 1815.
Edwin A. Abbey born 1852.
Agnes Repplier born 1858.
It is a peculiar quality of
a fool to perceive the faults of others,
and to forget his own.
—Cicero.
A man may be as much a fool
from the want of sensibility as the want
of sense.
—Mrs. Jameson.
He that knows not, and knows
not that he knows not, is a fool: shun
him.
—Arabian Maxim.
Seest thou a man wise in his
own conceit?
There is more hope of a fool
than of him.
—Proverbs 26. 12.
Almighty God, grant that I may be spared the allurements of deceptive happiness which leaves weary days. I ask for wisdom that I may not speak foolishly, think foolishly, or act foolishly; and may I not be detained by the foolishness of others, but pursue my work, whether it be far or near. Amen.
Charlemagne born 742.
Thomas Jefferson, Virginia, third President United
States, born 1743.
Hans Andersen born 1805.
Frederic A. Bartholdi born 1834.
Emile Zola born 1840.
When a man assumes a public
trust he should consider himself public
property.
—Thomas Jefferson.
We hold these truths to be self-evident—that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
—Declaration of Independence.
Breathes there the man with
soul so dead
Who never to himself hath
said,
This is my own,
my native land!
Whose heart hath ne’er
within him burned
As home his footsteps he hath
turned
From wandering
on a foreign strand?
—Sir Walter Scott.
Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.
—Matthew 22. 21.
My Lord, I thank thee for the wisdom and love that is spoken through the lives of strong men and women. Grant that I may be willing to learn of them, and gladly serve where I am needed, remembering that thou art Lord of all. Amen.
George Herbert born 1593.
Washington Irving born 1783.
Edward Everett Hale born 1822.
John Burroughs born 1837.
Sum up at night what thou
hast done by day
And in the morning what thou
hast to do:
Dress and undress thy soul:
mark the decay
And growth of it; if with
thy watch that too
Be dowl, then wind up both;
since we shall be
Most surely judged, make thy
accounts agree.
—George Herbert.
To look up and not down,
To look forward and not back,
To look out and not in, and
To lend a hand.
—Edward E. Hale.
There is a healthy hardiness
about real dignity that never dreads
contact and communion with
others, however humble.
—Washington Irving.
I put on righteousness, and
it clothed me:
My justice was as a robe and
a diadem.
—Job 29. 14.
My Lord, I pray that I may always be found clothed in love and kindness. Make me worthy to minister to those who may be dependent on me, and whether they be rich or poor, high or low, may I try to help them. Amen.
Oliver Goldsmith died 1774.
Dorothea Dix born 1802.
James Freeman Clarke born 1810.
“The greatest object
in the universe,” said a certain philosopher,
“is a good man struggling
with adversity”; yet there is still a
greater, which is the good
man who comes to relieve it.
—Oliver Goldsmith.
Yet I believe that somewhere,
soon or late,
A
peace will fall
Upon the angry reaches of
my mind;
A
peace initiate
In some heroic hour when I
behold
A friend’s long-quested
triumph, or unbind
The
tressed gold
From a child’s laughing
face. I still believe—
So
much believe.
—J. Drinkwater.
But whoso hath the world’s
goods, and beholdeth his brother in need,
and shutteth up his compassion
from him, how doth the love of God
abide in him?
—1 John 3. 17.
Almighty God, may I have a liberal heart. Grant that I may feel the needs of thy children in all lands; and may I be willing to give of thy blessings, as I am ready to receive them. May my tribute be not only of tender thoughts and kind words, but may I give of myself, and of what I have, as thou hast through love and wisdom done for me. Amen.
Elihu Yale born 1648.
Sir Henry Havelock born 1795.
Frank Stockton (Francis) born 1834.
Algernon Charles Swinburne born 1837.
As morning hears before it
run
The music of the mounting
sun,
And laughs to watch his trophies
won
From darkness, and her hosts
undone,
And all the night becomes
a breath,
Nor dreams that fear should
hear and flee
The summer menace of the sea,
So hear our hope what life
may be,
And know it not for death.
—Algernon Charles Swinburne.
I came from God, and I’m
going back to God, and I won’t have any
gaps of death in the middle
of my life.
—George MacDonald.
The hope of the righteous
shall be gladness;
But the expectation of the
wicked shall perish.
—Proverbs 10. 28.
Lord God, teach me the way and show me the light of the eternal day; and may the vision fill my soul as I take courage and follow it. May I not be fearful of what may be provided, but remember that before the creation of life thou didst have a purpose in death. May I be trustful. Amen.
Albert Duerer died 1528.
James Mill born 1773.
Jean Baptiste Rousseau born 1669.
Even if the sacrifices which
are made to duty and virtue are painful
to make, they are well repaid
by the sweet recollections which they
leave at the bottom of the
heart.
—Jean B. Rousseau.
I am the man of a thousand
loves,
A thousand loves
have I;
And all my loves are white-winged
doves,
That into my soul
would fly.
I am the man of a thousand
friends
Of tuneful memory;
And each of them spends the
delicate ends
Of a brilliant
day with me.
And all my gifts are magical
words
That sing sweet
songs to me;
And the sensitive words are
caroling birds
In the garden
of imagery.
—Edwin Leibfreed.
Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.
—Revelation 2. 10.
Loving Father, I bless thee for thy love and ministry. May I enter into a broader conception of sharing thy gifts. May I not seek thy blessings to keep, but to use for renewed inspiration. Amen.
Saint Francis Xavier born 1506.
William Wordsworth born 1770.
William Ellery Channing born 1780.
My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the
sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow
old,
Or let me die!
The child is Father of the
Man;
And I could wish my days to
be
Bound each to each by natural
piety.
—William Wordsworth.
A self-controlled mind is a free mind, and freedom is power. I call that mind free which jealously guards its intellectual rights and powers. I call that mind free which resists the bondage of habit, which does not live on its old virtues, but forgets what is behind, and rejoices to pour itself forth in fresh and higher exertions.
—William Ellery Channing.
That ye be renewed in the
spirit of your mind, and put on the new
man, that after God hath been
created in righteousness and holiness
of truth.
—Ephesians 4. 23, 24.
Lord God, give me the power to control my mind and heart, that I may not be a slave to habits that may keep me from eternal love and blessedness. May I have sympathy and compassion for others, and cherish thy tenderness and mercy as I hold it in my daily life. Amen.
Petrarch crowned 1341.
William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, born 1580.
David Rittenhouse born 1732.
If I can stop one heart from
breaking,
I shall not live
in vain;
If I can ease one life from
aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest
again,
I shall not live in vain.
—Emily Dickinson.
The most solid comfort one can fall back upon is the thought that the business of one’s life is to help in some small way to reduce the sum of ignorance, degradation, and misery on the face of this beautiful earth.
—George Eliot.
Make full my joy, that ye be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; doing nothing through faction or through vainglory, but in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself.
—Philippians 2. 2, 3.
My Father, take away the spirit, if I may be inclined to keep the best, and to be always seeking my portion. May I have the desire to share with those who have less, and to give to those who may have more, whether it be of bread or love. Amen.
Fisher Ames born 1758.
John Opie died 1807.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti died 1882.
Gather a shell from the strown
beach
And listen at
its lips; they sigh
The same desire
and mystery,
The echo of the whole sea’s
speech.
And all mankind
is this at heart—
Not anything but
what thou art:
And Earth, Sea, Man are all
in each.
—Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
And as, in sparkling majesty,
a star
Gilds the bright
summit of some glory cloud;
Brightening the half-veil’d
face of heaven afar;
So when dark thoughts
my boding spirit shroud,
Sweet Hope! celestial influence
round me shed,
Waving the silver pinions
o’er my head.
—John Keats.
Now the God of hope fill you
with all joy and peace in believing,
that ye may abound in hope,
in the power of the Holy Spirit.
—Romans 15. 13.
Almighty God, may I ever know the generous glow that comes with an overwhelming desire to cultivate the soul. With hope may I find the way through the darkness that leads to immortality, even if I may have to experience the weariness that may accompany it. Amen.
Hugo Grotius born 1583.
William Hazlitt born 1778.
General Lew Wallace born 1827.
General William Booth born 1829.
The essence of happy living is never to find life dull, never to feel the ugly weariness which comes of overstrain; to be fresh, cheerful, leisurely, sociable, unhurried, well-balanced. It seems to me impossible to be these things unless we have time to consider life a little, to deliberate, to select, to abstain.
—Arthur C. Benson.
Four things come not back—the
spoken word, the sped arrow, the past
life, the neglected opportunity.
—William Hazlitt.
Wherefore, brethren, give
the more diligence to make your calling
and election sure.
—2 Peter 1. 10.
My Father, may I not miss my work through indifference and feel it is thy neglect of me. May I be reminded that the enrichment of life comes through persistency and being consistent, and may not be found on the idle paths of extravagant ways. Help me to take up my work with a willing spirit and give my best to it. Amen.
George Canning born 1770.
Edward Everett born 1794.
Donald G. Mitchell (Ik Marvel) born 1822.
The safe path to excellence
and success in every calling, is that of
appropriate preliminary education,
diligent application to learn the
art of assiduity and practicing
it.
—Edward Everett.
That nothing walks with aimless
feet;
That not one life
shall be destroyed,
Or cast as rubbish
to the void,
When God hath made the pile
complete.
Behold, we know not anything:
I can but trust
that good shall fall
At last—far
off—at last, to all,
And every winter change to
spring.
—Alfred Tennyson.
And we desire that each one of you may show the same diligence unto the fullness of hope even to the end: that ye be not sluggish, but imitators of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
—Hebrews 6. 11, 12.
Lord God, help me in all my circumstances, and be with me in my daily work. Help me in my efforts, as I endeavor to attain, and may my will be hid in thine. Amen.
Edward Young died 1765.
Edward Bird born 1772.
Henry Clay born 1777.
I would rather be right than be President.
—Henry Clay.
Who does the best his circumstances
allow
Does well, acts nobly; angels
could no more.
—Edward Young.
Pedigree haz no more to do in making a man aktually grater than he iz than a pekok’s feather in his hat haz in making him aktually taller. When the world stands in need of an arestokrat, natur pitches one into it, and furnishes him papers without enny flaw in them.
—Josh Billings.
Cast not away therefore your
boldness, which hath great recompense
of reward. For ye have
need of patience, that, having done the will
of God, ye may receive the
promise.
—Hebrews 10. 35, 36.
Lord God, help me to select with care the site, the plans, and the foundation of my life. May I use the best material; and may it be worthy of a permanent home. Amen.
Madame Jeanne Guyon born 1648.
Dr. Thomas Beddoes born 1760.
James Harper born 1795.
If there were dreams to sell,
Merry and sad to tell,
And the crier rang the bell,
What would you
buy?
A cottage lone and still
With bowers nigh,
Shadowy, my woes to still,
Until I die.
Such pearl from Life’s
fresh crown
Fain would I shake me down,
Were dreams to have at will
This would best heal my ill,
This would I buy.
—Thomas Lovell Beddoes.
I pray you, bear me hence
From forth the noise and rumor of the
field Where I may think the
remnant of my thoughts In peace, and
part this body and my soul
With contemplation and devout desires.
—William Shakespeare.
Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile.
—Mark 6. 31.
Lord God, help me to bear in mind that to step aside and safeguard the mind in contemplation is a safe guard to the soul. Amen.
Dr. George Gregory born 1754.
George Frederic Handel died 1759.
Horace Bushnell born 1802.
Flower in the crannied wall,
I pluck you out of the crannies—
Hold you here, root and all,
in my hand,
Little flower—but
if I could understand
What you are, root and all,
and all in all,
I should know what God and
man is.
—Alfred Tennyson.
So much is history stranger
than fiction, and so true it is Nature
has caprices which Art dares
not imitate.
—Thomas Macaulay.
Nature is the face of God.
He appears to us through it, and we can
read his thoughts in it.
—Victor Hugo.
Many, O Jehovah my God, are
the wonderful works
which thou hast
done,
And thy thoughts which are
to us-ward.
—Psalm 40. 5.
Eternal God, I thank thee for the seasons which bring abundance and beauty. I thank thee for thy loving care, which is over all and forever. May I behold thy works and make thee a very present help for all my needs, and perceive the joy of thy love through the greatness of the earth. Amen.
Emile Souvestre born 1806.
John Lothrop Motley born 1814.
Henry James born 1843.
Abraham Lincoln died 1865.
Two thirds of human existence
are wasted in hesitation, and the last
third in repentance.
—Emile Souvestre.
And, having thus chosen our
course, let us renew our trust in God
and go forward without fear
and with manly hearts.
—Abraham Lincoln.
The barriers are not erected
which shall say to aspiring talent,
“Thus far and no further.”
—Beethoven.
Be strong and of good courage.
—Joshua 1. 6.
Almighty God, I pray that I may always be alive to my opportunities, but may I never leave others impoverished by taking advantage of them. May my prosperity be conducted with my eyes open, guarding what I give and receive, that my possessions may remain valuable through life. Amen.
Charles Montagu, Earl of Halifax, born 1661.
Charles W. Peale born 1741.
Sir John Franklin born 1786.
Weary of myself and sick of
asking
What I am, and
what I ought to be,
At the vessel’s prow
I stand, which bears me
Forward, forward,
o’er the starlit sea
O air-born voice! long since
severely clear,
A cry like thine in my own
heart I hear.
Resolve to be thyself:
and know that he
Who finds himself, loses his
misery.
—Matthew Arnold.
This above all to thine own
self be true,
And it must follow, as the
night the day,
Thou can’st not then
be false to any man.
—William Shakespeare.
Let thine eyes look right
on,
And let thine eyelids look
straight before thee.
Make level the path of thy
feet,
And let all thy ways be established.
—Proverbs 4. 25, 26.
My Father, give me a sense of nearness to thee when I may be faltering from weariness in well doing. May I hold to my determinations. Help me to know what is useless, that I may not give unnecessary energy, and to know what is worth while, that I may acquire strength through the power of truth. Amen.
Bishop Benjamin Hoadley died 1761.
Benjamin Franklin died 1790.
William G. Simms born 1806.
Shall I ask the brave soldier
who fights at my side,
In the cause
of mankind, if our creeds agree?
Shall I give up the friend
I have valued and tried,
If he kneel
not before the same altar as me?
—Thomas Moore.
I met a little Elf-man once,
Down where
the lilies blow.
I asked him why he was so
small
And why
he didn’t grow.
He slightly frowned, and with
his eye
He looked
me through and through.
“I’m quite as
big for me,” said he
“As
you are big for you.”
—John Kendrick Bangs.
Woe unto them that are wise
in their own eyes, and prudent in their
own sight!
—Isaiah 5. 21.
Loving Father, grant that I may not barter love with formalities, nor sacrifice love for customs. But, may I have a fellowship that is true and sincere, and that may be counted on, though all and for all. Amen.
Lord Jeffreys died 1689.
George Henry Lewes born 1817.
Sir Francis Baring born 1740.
Nor can I count him happiest
who has never
Been forced with his own hand
his chains to sever,
And for
himself find out the way divine;
He never knew the aspirer’s
glorious pains,
He never earned the struggler’s
priceless gains.
—James Russell Lowell.
There is not time for hate,
O wasteful friend.
Put hate away until the ages
end.
Have you an ancient wound?
Forget the wrong—
Out in my West a forest loud
with song
Towers high and green over
a field of snow,
Over a glacier buried far
below.
—Edwin Markham.
Fight the good fight of the
faith, lay hold on the life eternal,
whereunto thou wast called,
and didst confess the good confession in
the sight of many witnesses.
—1 Timothy 6. 12.
Lord God, help me to realize the power of my life. I feel ashamed and alarmed when I think of the grievous wrongs I may have done for greed. May I have delight in the struggles I have made for the ways of righteousness. Make me careful to avoid the things that debase life. May I aspire for the highest and best. Amen.
Roger Sherman born 1721.
Lord Byron died 1824.
Lord Beaconsfield (Disraeli) died 1881.
Charles Darwin died 1882.
The secret of success in life
is for a man to be ready for his
opportunity when it comes.
—Disraeli.
One sees, and the other does not see; one enjoys an unspeakable pleasure, and the other loses that pleasure which is as free to him as the air.... The whole outward world is the kingdom of the observant eye. He who enters into any part of that kingdom to possess it has a store of pure enjoyment in life which is literally inexhaustible and immeasurable. His eyes alone will give him a life worth living.
—Charles W. Eliot.
Having eyes, see ye not?
—Mark 8. 18.
My Father, help me to realize that I cannot feel the joy that breathes through the early morning unless I am with it. May I see distinctly the glory of to-day. Help me to be watchful and keep my spirit awake, that I may receive thy revelations. Amen.
Marcus Aurelius born 121.
Elizabeth Barton (Maid of Kent) executed 1534
Sir Francis T. Baring born 1796.
Alice Cary born 1820.
Do not act as if you had ten thousand
years to throw away. Death
stands at your elbow. Be good for something
while you live and it is
in your power.
—Marcus Aurelius.
And O, my heart, my heart,
Be careful to go strewing in and out
The way with good deeds, lest it come about
That when thou shalt depart,
No low lamenting tongue be found to say,
The world is poorer since thou went’st away
—Alice Cary.
A good man prolongs his life; to
be able to enjoy one’s past life is
to live twice.
—Martial.
The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.
—Psalm 112. 6.
Heavenly Father, thou hast made my life dear; forgive me if I have made dearer the things that I have put around it. Many days have been used for costly things that have faded and are laid aside. May I realize the meaning of days that have been lost. Make me more concerned for what I put in the days to come. Amen.
Peter F. Abelard died 1142.
Friedrich Froebel born 1782.
Reginald Heber born 1783.
James Martineau born 1805.
Charlotte Bronte born 1816.
Henry Shaw (Josh Billings) born 1818.
Education should lead and
guide man to clearness concerning himself
and in himself, to peace with
nature, and to unity with God.
—Friedrich Froebel.
When spring unlocks the flowers,
to paint the
laughing soil;
When summer’s balmy
showers refresh the mower’s
toil;
When winter binds in frosty
chains the fallow and
the flood,
In God the earth rejoiceth
still, and owns its maker
good.
—Reginald Heber.
A memory without a blot or
contamination must be an inexhaustible
source of pure refreshment.
—Charlotte Bronte.
For ye are all sons of light,
and sons of the day: we are not of the
night, nor of darkness.
—1 Thessalonians 5. 5.
Lord of light, thou art the light of my life. May I make thee the joy and light of my soul. Call me to where it is clear and high, that I may see above the mist. May I not weary in climbing to reach thee in the high places. Amen.
Henry Fielding born 1707.
Immanuel Kant born 1724.
Philip James Bailey born 1816.
We live in deeds, not years:
in thoughts, not breaths:
In feelings, not in figures
on a dial.
We should count time by heart-throbs.
He most lives
Who thinks most, feels the
noblest, acts the best.
—Philip James Bailey.
Men cease to interest us when
we find their limitations. The only
sin is limitation. As
soon as you once come up with a man’s
limitations it is all over
with him.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
But he that looketh into the
perfect law, the law of liberty, and so
continueth, being not a hearer
that forgeteth but a doer that
worketh, this man shall be
blessed in his doing.
—James 1. 25.
Lord God, help me to break away from habits that fasten me in the ruts of life. Draw me out to thy broad way, where there are no limits to thy wonderful works, that I may expand my life. Amen.
William Shakespeare born 1564, died 1616.
Cervantes died 1616.
J.M.W. Turner born 1775.
James Buchanan, Pennsylvania, fifteenth President
United States, born 1791.
James Anthony Froude born 1818.
Thomas Nelson Page born 1853.
Edwin Markham born 1852.
My crown is in my heart, not
on my head:
Not decked with diamonds and
Indian Stones,
Nor to be seen. My crown
is called content.
A crown it is that seldom
kings enjoy.
—William Shakespeare.
At the heart of the cyclone
tearing the sky
And flinging the clouds and
the towers by
Is a place of
central calm:
So here in the roar of mortal
things,
I have a place where my spirit
sings,
In the hollow
of God’s Palm.
—Edwin Markham.
Rest in Jehovah, and wait
patiently for him:
Fret not thyself because of
him who prospereth in his way.
—Psalm 37. 7.
Almighty God, my heart beats quicker and the desire for thy care grows stronger when I remember thy promises are given for all eternity. May I be grateful and contented with thy love and care. Amen.
Edmund Cartwright born 1743.
Anthony Trollope born 1815.
Arthur Christopher Benson born 1862.
By religion I mean the power, whatever it be, which makes a man choose what is hard rather than what is easy; what is lofty and noble rather than what is mean and selfish; that puts courage into timorous hearts and gladness into clouded spirits.
—Arthur C. Benson.
For all noble things the time is long and the way rude.... For every start and struggle of impatience there shall be so much attendant failure.... But the fire which Patience carries in her own hand is that truly stolen from heaven—unquenchable incense of life.
—John Ruskin.
But they that wait for Jehovah
shall renew their strength; they
shall mount up with wings
as eagles; they shall run and not be
weary; they shall walk, and
not faint.
—Isaiah 40. 31.
My Father, I pray that I may not be indifferent to the call of my soul. May I not seek to serve the disappearing and neglect to make life worthy. Acquaint me with the permanent values of life. Make clear the way of strength, that I may not be misled by ease and carried to weakness. May my life be ennobled by the power of my possessions. Amen.
Oliver Cromwell born 1599.
John Keble born 1792.
Alexander Duff born 1806.
Guglielmo Marconi born 1874.
Mrs. Burton Harrison (Constance Cary) born 1846.
Samuel Wesley died 1735.
Truly God follows us with encouragements: let him not lose his blessing upon us! They come in season, and with all the advantages of heartening, as if God should say, “Up and be doing, and I will stand by you and help you!” There is nothing to be feared but our own sin and sloth.
—Oliver Cromwell.
Sun of my soul, thou Saviour
dear,
It is not night if thou be
near;
O may no earthborn cloud arise
To hide thee from thy servants’
eyes.
—John Keble.
For Jehovah God is a sun and
a shield:
Jehovah will give grace and
glory;
No good thing will he withhold
from them that walk uprightly.
—Psalm 84. 11.
My Father, may I not err in choosing thy benefits, nor fail from the neglect to use them. Make me appreciative of all thy gifts, and, through thy wisdom and power, may I find the best use for them. Amen.
David Hume born 1711.
Daniel Defoe died 1791.
Charles F. Browne (Artemus Ward) born 1834.
How strange a chequer-work of Providence is the life of man! and by what secret different springs are the affections hurried about, as different circumstances present! To-day we love what to-morrow we hate; to-day we seek what to-morrow we shun; to-day we desire what to-morrow we fear; nay, even tremble at the apprehension of.
—Daniel Defoe.
Now don’t do nothin’
which isn’t your Fort, for ef you do you’ll
find yourself splashin’
round in the Kanawl, figgeratively speakin’.
—Artemus Ward.
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord. And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, who worketh all things in all.
—1 Corinthians 12. 4-6.
Lord forbid that I should fear to change for the better or be so pleased with myself and the things which surround me that I feel no need for a higher life. Make me dissatisfied if I am not trying to grow in truth and to live in noble deeds. Amen.
Samuel Morse born 1791.
Lajos Kossuth born 1802.
Herbert Spencer born 1820.
Ulysses S. Grant, Ohio, eighteenth President United
States, born 1822.
Ralph Waldo Emerson died 1882.
People who are dishonest,
or rash, or stupid will inevitably suffer
the penalties of dishonesty,
or rashness, or stupidity.
—Herbert Spencer.
Abide in the simple and noble regions of thy life; obey thy heart.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Well, then, we must cut our way out.
—General Grant.
Wherefore take up the whole
armor of God, that ye may be able to
withstand in the evil day,
and, having done all, to stand.
—Ephesians 6. 13.
Loving Father, help me to live a simple and noble life. Grant that I may have the blessedness that comes through peace, and escape the misery that comes from cruelty and untruth. Through my life may what I reap show that I have been careful in choosing and cultivating what I have sown. Amen.
Charles Cotton born 1630.
James Monroe, Virginia, fifth President United
States, born 1758.
Anthony Ashley, Earl of Shaftesbury, born 1801.
During a long life I have proved that not one kind word ever spoken, not one kind deed ever done, but sooner or later returns to bless the giver, and becomes a chain, binding men with golden bands to the throne of God.
—Earl of Shaftesbury.
There’s many a time
when the bitterest thing
Is said without
reason, and God knows
The courage it takes to suffer
the sting,
By hiding the
wounds that the heart shows.
There’s many a sob we
bravely keep down
For the sake of
old times revered so,
There’s many a head
with thorns for a crown
Where kisses would
soon make the heart glow.
—Edwin Leibfreed.
So shalt thou know wisdom
to be unto thy soul;
If thou hast found it, then
shall there be a reward,
And thy hope shall not be
cut off.
—Proverbs 24. 14.
My Father, if I am to-day without happiness, may I go in search of it. Help me to remember that the will thou hast given me to overcome evil with good I may use to overcome misery with happiness. Make me careful that I may not be trapped by selfishness as I look for joy. May I delight in the sweet sensations that are felt in having consideration for others, and may I make kindness a daily habit. Amen.
Michel Ruyter died 1676.
Abbe Charles de St. Pierre died 1743.
Matthew Vassar born 1792.
Edward Rowland Sill born 1841.
Never yet was a springtime,
Late though lingered
the snow,
That the sap stirred not at
the whisper
Of the south wind,
sweet and low;
Never yet was a springtime
When the buds
forgot to blow.
Ever the wings of the summer
Are folded under
the mold;
Life that has known no dying,
Is Love’s,
to have and to hold,
Till, sudden, the burgeoning
Easter!
The song! the
green and the gold![1]
—Margaret E. Sangster.
In tracing the shade, I shall find out the sun.
—Owen Meredith.
All chastening seemeth for
the present to be not joyous but
grievous; yet afterward it
yieldeth peaceable fruit unto them that
have been exercised thereby,
even the fruit of righteousness.
—Hebrews 12. 11.
Almighty God, grant that as the fulfillment of the green comes to the withered grass, so thy restoring may come to me with the glory of life that comes in the resurrection of the soul. I trust thee to bring me out of winter’s seal, that I may help make the spring. Amen.
[Footnote 1: From Easter Bells. Copyright, 1897, by Harper & Brothers.]
Chevalier de Bayard killed 1524.
Sir John Lubbock born 1834.
James Montgomery died 1854.
David Livingstone died 1873.
We scatter seeds with careless
hands,
And dream we ne’er shall
see them more;
But for a thousand
years
Their fruit appears
In weeds that mar the land.
—John Keble
And there came up a sweet
perfume
From the unseen
flowers below,
Like the savor of virtuous
deeds,
Of deeds done
long ago.
—Mrs. Southey.
Mary therefore took a pound
of ointment of pure nard, very precious,
and anointed the feet of Jesus,
and wiped his feet with her hair:
and the house was filled with
the odor of the ointment.
—John 12. 3.
My Father, I pray that it may be mine to have the recollection of happy deeds, and not the memory of unkept promises. Help me to remember that one act is worth a thousand intentions, and that memory is the storehouse that supplies old age. Make me careful of my memory, that it may not be burdened. Amen.
I cannot see what flowers
are at my feet,
Nor what soft
incense hangs upon the boughs,
But, in the embalmed darkness,
guess each sweet
Wherewith the
seasonable month endows
The grass, the thicket, and
the fruit tree wild;
White hawthorn,
and the pastoral eglantine;
Fast-fading violets covered
up in leaves;
And
mid-May’s wildest child,
The coming musk-rose,
full of dewy wine,
The murmurous haunt of flies
on summer eves.
—John Keats.
Such a starved bank of moss
Till that May
morn,
Blue ran the flash across:
Violets were born.
—Robert Browning.
MAY FIRST
Arbor Day.
Joseph Addison born 1672.
Arthur, Duke of Wellington, born 1769.
If you wish to succeed in
life, make perseverance your bosom friend,
experience your wise counselor,
caution your elder brother, and hope
your guardian genius.
—Joseph Addison.
He who plants a tree, he plants
love;
Tents of coolness spreading
out above
Wayfarers, he may not live
to see.
Gifts that grow
are best;
Hands that bless
are blest;
Plant-life does
the rest!
Heaven and earth help him
who plants a tree,
And his work his own reward
shall be.
—Lucy Larcom.
And he shall be like a tree
planted by the streams of water,
That bringeth forth its fruit
in its season,
Whose leaf also doth not wither;
And whatsoever he doeth shall
prosper.
—Psalm 1. 3.
My Creator, give me joyful eyes for joyful nature. May I be alive to the gentle influences of a May day which bring new experiences to all who may receive them: and may I serve thee by unfolding to others the love of truth, the love of good, and the love of beauty. Amen.
Leonardo da Vinci died 1519.
Robert Hall born 1764.
Jerome K. Jerome born 1859.
William Henry Hudson born 1862.
Without a false humility;
For this is love’s nobility,—
Not to scatter bread and gold,
Goods and raiment bought and
sold;
But to hold fast his simple
sense,
And speak the speech of innocence,
And with hand and body and
blood,
To make his bosom-counsel
good.
He that feeds man serveth
few;
He serves all who dares be
true.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Small service is true service
while it lasts:
Of humblest friends
scorn not one:
The daisy, by the shadow it
casts,
Protects the lingering
dewdrop from the sun.
—William Wordsworth.
Surely then shalt thou lift
up thy face without spot;
Yea, thou shalt be steadfast,
and shalt not fear.
—Job 11. 15.
Heavenly Father, I would be thankful for the blessings I am inclined to forget. Give me a heart of gratitude, and forbid that I should hold my friends for material gain or selfish ends. May I through the truthfulness of my lips, and the honor of my acts, be a necessary friend. Amen.
Niccolo Machiavelli born 1469.
Thomas Hood died 1845.
Jacob Riis born 1849.
The longing for ignoble things;
The strife for
triumph more than truth;
The hardening of the heart
that brings
Irreverence for
the dreams of youth;
All these must first be trampled
down
Beneath our feet,
if we would gain
In the bright fields of fair
renown
The right of eminent
domain.
—John Keble.
One lesson, and only one, history may be said to repeat with distinctness; that the world is built somehow on moral foundations; that in the long run, it is well with the good; in the long run it is ill with the wicked.
—James Anthony Froude.
No soldier on service entangleth himself in the affairs of this life; that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier. And if also a man contend in the games, he is not crowned, except he have contended lawfully.
—2 Timothy 2. 4, 5.
Gracious Father, may my heart be mindful of thee, that I may discover the truth and possess it. Steady me in my affections and save me from wandering impulses; and may I help to put wrong down and uplift humanity. Amen.
Frederick Edwin Church born 1826.
Isaac Barrow died 1677.
John James Audubon born 1780.
Horace Mann born 1796.
Thomas Henry Huxley born 1825.
The chess board is the world, the pieces are the phenomena of the universe, the rules of the game we call the laws of nature. My metaphor will remind some of you of the famous picture in which Retzsch has depicted Satan playing chess with man for his soul. Substitute for the mocking fiend in that picture a calm, strong angel, who is playing “for love,” as we say, and would rather lose than win, and I should accept it as an image of human life.
—Thomas Henry Huxley.
Riches and nobility fade together.
O, my God! be thou praised for
having made love for all time,
and immortal as thyself.
—George Sand.
He hath given food unto them
that fear him:
He will ever be mindful of
his covenant.
The works of his hands are
truth and justice;
All his precepts are sure.
—Psalm 111. 5, 7.
Father of life, I know I cannot hold youth. I may have prosperity or poverty. I thank thee that thou hast taught me that love may be kept changeless through all. Amen.
Napoleon Bonaparte died 1821.
Empress Eugenie born 1826.
Bret Harte died 1902.
As I stand by the cross, on
the lone mountain’s crest,
Looking over the
ultimate sea,
In the gloom of the mountain
a ship lies at rest,
And one sails
away from the lea;
One spreads its white wings
on the far-reaching track,
With pennant and
sheet flowing free;
One hides in the shadow with
sails laid aback—
The ship that
is waiting for me.
But lo! in the distance the
clouds break away,
The gate’s
glowing portals I see,
And I hear from the outgoing
ship in the bay
The song of the
sailors in glee.
So I think of the luminous
footprints that bore
The comfort o’er
dark Galilee,
And wait for the signal to
go to the shore
To the ship that
is waiting for me.
—Bret Harte.
Yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; for thou
art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff, they
comfort me.
—Psalm 23. 4.
Eternal God, I praise thee, that “thy love is broader than the measure of man’s mind,” and that through all my years I may hide myself in thee, trusting thee to the end. Amen.
Plato born B.C. 427.
Robespierre born 1758.
General Andrea Messena born 1758.
Hard ye may be in the tumult,
Red to your battle
hilts;
Blow give blow in the foray,
Cunningly ride
in the tilts.
But tenderly, unbeguiled—
Turn to a woman a woman’s
Heart, and a child’s
to a child.
Test of the man if his worth
be
In accord with
the ultimate plan
That he be not, to his marring,
Always and utterly
man.
That he may bring out of the
tumult,
Fetter and undefiled,
To woman the heart of a woman—
To children the heart of a
child.[1]
—O. Henry.
A man’s concern is only
whether in doing anything he is doing right
or wrong—acting
the part of a good man or a bad.
—Plato.
A faithful man shall abound with blessings.
—Proverbs 28. 20.
Almighty God, I pray that I may seek sincerely those whom I approach with sympathy, and by my honor may they feel the same sincerity for me. Amen.
[Footnote 1: Special permission Cosmopolitan Magazine, New York.]
Correggio born 1494.
Robert Browning born 1812.
Johannes Brahms born 1833.
Lord Rosebery (Archibald Primrose) born 1847.
So, take and use thy work:
amend what flaws may lurk,
What strain o’
the stuff, what warpings past the aim!
My times be in Thy hand! perfect
the cup as planned!
Let age approve of youth,
and death complete the same!
—Robert Browning.
No matter how often defeated,
you are born to victory. The reward of
a thing well done is to have
done it.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
When I hear a young man spoken
of as giving promise of high genius,
the first question I ask about
him is always—Does he work?
—John Ruskin.
Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
—Matthew 5. 48.
O God, I pray that thou wilt search me, and in the silent moments show me myself without obstruction. Breathe upon me thy awakening breath, that I may be revived to nobler activities. Amen.
Rev. William Jay born 1769.
Francois Mignet born 1796.
Louis Gottschalk born 1829.
John Stuart Mill died 1873.
A profound conviction raises a man above the feeling of ridicule.
—John Stuart Mill.
A garden is a lonesome thing,
God wot!
Rose
plot,
Fringed
pool,
Ferned
grot—
The
veriest school
Of
peace; and yet the fool
Contends that God is not—
Not God! in the gardens! when
the eve is cool?
Nay
but I have a sign;
’Tis
very sure God walks in mine.
—Thomas E. Brown.
Jehovah bless thee, and keep
thee:
Jehovah make his face to shine
upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
Jehovah lift up his countenance
upon thee, and give thee peace.
—Numbers 6. 24, 25, 26.
My Father, may this be a day of usefulness. Make me sure of myself, that I may not spend my days in questioning, but accept with gratefulness thy love and tender care. Make me worthy to be called thy child. Amen.
John Brown (Ossawattomie) born 1800.
Johann Schiller died 1805.
J.M. Barrie born 1860.
Have love! not love alone
for one,
But man as man
thy brother call:
And scatter like the circling
sun
Thy charities
on all.
—Johann Schiller.
He spoke, and words more soft
than rain
Brought the Age of Gold again:
His action won such reverence
sweet,
As hid all measure of the
feat.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
That their hearts might be
comforted, they being knit together in
love.
—Colossians 2. 2.
Gracious Lord, I pray that I may not only be known to those who are my own, but may I consider all mankind. May those who need me find me through my gentleness, and may they be assured by quiet confidence and faith. Amen.
Rouget de l’Isle born 1760.
Jared Sparks born 1789.
James Bryce born 1838.
Sir Henry Stanley died 1904.
For four months and four days I lived with David Livingstone in the same house, or in the same boat, or in the same tent, and I never found a fault in him. I am a man of quick temper, and often without sufficient cause, I dare say, have broken the ties of friendship; but with Livingstone I never had cause for resentment, but each day’s life with him added to my admiration for him.
—Sir Henry Stanley.
In speech right gentle, yet
so wise: princely of mien,
Yet softly mannered; modest,
deferent,
And tender-hearted, though
of a fearless blood.
—Edwin Arnold.
Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.
—Matthew 5. 14.
Almighty God, help me to aspire, that my life may tend toward the ideal. May I be persuaded that I cannot be that which I do not possess, nor can I live in that which I do not know. Help me to put the best in what I do, that I may not feel I have failed, even though it may not seem to be a success. Amen.
Baron Muenchhausen born 1720.
William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, died 1778.
Jean Leon Gerome born 1824.
And methought that beauty
and terror are only one, not two;
And the world has room for
love, and death, and thunder and dew;
And all the sinews of hell
slumber in the summer air;
And the face of God is a rock,
but the face of the rock is fair.
Beneficent streams of tears
flow at the finger of pain;
And out of the cloud that
smites, beneficent rivers of rain.
—Robert Louis Stevenson.
It is more shameful to be
distrustful of our friends than to be
deceived by them.
—La Rochefoucauld.
Thou shalt rejoice in all
the good which Jehovah thy God hath given
unto thee.
—Deuteronomy 26. 11.
Lord God, may I comprehend the sacredness of friendship. I thank thee for my friends, and for all the beautiful influences which they bring to my life. May I never hold friendship without the sincerity to return it. Correct my faults, and cause me to learn the secret of cheerful endurance, that I may be steadfast. Amen.
Robert Fielding died 1712.
James Sheridan Knowles born 1784.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti born 1828.
Jules Massenet born 1842.
Look in my face; my name is
Might-have-been;
I am also called
No-more, Too-late, Farewell;
Unto thine ear
I hold the dead sea-shell
Cast up thy Life’s foam-fretted
feet between;
Unto thine eyes the glass
where that is seen
Which had Life’s
form and Love’s, but by my spell
Is now a shaken
shadow intolerable,
Of ultimate things unuttered
the frail screen.
—Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
Let me not pass my work at
morn
And then at eve,
Find for what purpose I was
born—
Just as I leave.
—M.B.S.
We must work the works of
him that sent me, while it is day: the
night cometh, when no man
can work.
—John 9. 4.
Lord God, I do earnestly pray that thou wilt give me strength to break away, if I may be trying to free myself from habits that mar my character. May I not lose courage and fall back in the old ways, but by faith be led where I should go. Amen.
Carolus Linnaeus (Karl von Linne) born 1707.
Alphonse Daudet born 1840.
Sir Arthur Sullivan born 1842.
I heard a voice in the darkness
singing
(That was a valiant
soul I knew),
And the joy of his song was
a wild bird winging
Swift to his mate
through a sky of blue.
And his song was of love and
all its bringing
And of certain
day when the night was through;
I raised my eyes where the
hope was springing,
And I think in
his heaven God smiled too
(That was a valiant
soul I knew).
—J. Stalker.
The soul aids the body, and
at certain moments raises it. It is the
only bird which bears upward
its own cage.
—Victor Hugo.
But desire earnestly the greater gifts.
—1 Corinthians 12. 31.
Gracious Lord, I rejoice that thou dost know the depths of my soul, and that I may call upon thee to supply its needs. Make me worthy that I may not be kept from the springs of joy where my soul may be refreshed, and where I may gather hope and encouragement for the greater loves of life. Amen.
John Dutton born 1659.
Gabriel D. Fahrenheit born 1686.
Robert Owen born 1771.
Henry Grattan died 1820.
They that wander at will where
the
Works of the Lord
are revealed,
Little guess what joy can
be got
From a cowslip
out of the field.
—Alfred Tennyson.
Move onward serenely, cast
aside regret, cleanse and purify life,
only be undismayed and hopeful,
as you turn page after page of the
revelation of God.
—Arthur C. Benson.
Thou wilt show me the path
of life:
In thy presence is fullness
of joy;
In thy right hand there are
pleasures for evermore.
—Psalm 16. 11.
My Father, I thank thee that nature reveals thy power as she unfolds her beauty and wonder to the searching eye. Guide me that I may see in the little flower the smile of welcome, the look of kindness, and the beauty of hope which it renders to all; and may I learn from it thy protection in the smallest things of life. Amen.
Ephraim Chambers died 1740.
Florence Nightingale born 1820.
Michael W. Balfe born 1808.
Edmund Keane died 1833.
Daniel O’Connell died 1847.
Light human nature is too lightly lost
And ruffled without cause, complaining on,
Restless with rest, until being overthrown,
It learneth to lie quiet.
—Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Was
the trial sore?
Temptation sharp? Thank
God a second time!
Why comes temptation but for
a man to meet
And master and make crouch
beneath his foot,
And so be pedestaled in triumph?
Pray
“Lead us into no such
temptations, Lord!”
Yea, but, O thou whose servants
are the bold,
Lead such temptations by the
head and hair,
Reluctant dragons, up to who
dares fight
That so he may do battle and
have praise.
—Robert Browning.
Therefore we ought to give
the more earnest heed to the things that
were heard, lest haply we
drift away from them.
—Hebrews 2. 1.
Almighty God, if I am overwhelmed by the tides of temptation and discouragement, let me not drift away to sea, but anchor and take harbor in thee. May I not be afraid to trust in thy protection, but calmly wait and watch for thy deliverance. Amen.
Sir William Patty born 1623.
Honore de Balzac born 1799.
William H. Seward born 1801.
Felicia Hemans died 1835.
Favored of Heaven! O
Genius! are they thine,
When round thy brow the wreaths
of glory shine;
While rapture gazes on thy
radiant way,
’Midst the bright realms
of clear mental day?
No! sacred joys! ’tis
yours to dwell enshrined,
Most fondly cherished, in
the purest mind.
—Felicia Hemans.
Genius is intensity.
—Honore Balzac.
But what if I fail of my purpose
here?
It is but to keep the nerves
at strain,
To dry one’s
eyes and laugh at a fall,
And, baffled, get up and begin
again—
So the chase takes
up one’s life, that’s all.
—Robert Browning.
Be urgent in season, out of season.
—2 Timothy 4. 2.
My Lord, my life makes me conscious of weakness, and my memory brings regret; forgive me for the lost strength I neglected to develop. In thy compassion encourage me to be more watchful of my power, that I may usefully increase it, and not willfully deplete it. May I learn the need of constancy in well-doing. Amen.
Heloise died 1163.
Matthew Parker died 1575.
Edwin Jenner born 1749.
The weakest among us has a
gift, however seemingly trivial, which is
peculiar to him, and which
worthily used, will be a gift to his race
forever.
—John Ruskin.
Not in entire
forgetfulness,
And not in utter
nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory
do we come
From God who is
our home.
—William Wordsworth.
A weak mind sinks under prosperity
as well as under adversity. A
strong and deep mind has two
highest tides—when the moon is at
full, and when there is no
moon.
—Julius Hare.
Thou hast granted me life
and lovingkindness; And thy visitation
hath preserved my spirit.
—Job 10. 12.
Almighty God, I pray that I may have a true appreciation of the quality of life. Reveal to me my responsibilities and help me to make them my opportunities. Keep me in search of thoughts and deeds that will increase the delight of my soul. Amen.
Francis Mahony (Father Prout) died 1866.
Mrs. Johnson (Stella) born 1735.
John Wilson (Christopher North) born 1785.
Longing is God’s fresh
heavenward will,
With our poor
earthly striving;
We quench it, that we may
be still
Content with merely
living.
But would we learn that heart’s
full scope
Which we are hourly
wronging,
Our lives must climb from
hope to hope,
And realize our
longing.
—James Russell Lowell.
Pretexts are not wanted when one wishes a thing.
—Goldoni.
Friendship is for all aid and comfort through all the relations of life and death—for serene days and graceful gifts and country rambles; but also for rough roads, and hard fare, shipwreck, poverty, and persecution.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Strive to enter in by the narrow door.
—Luke 13. 24.
Eternal God, I pray that thou wilt graciously restore my spirits if I may have settled into despondency over my disappointments. May I have the will to rise above them, and patiently strive for renewed hope. Amen.
James Boswell died 1795.
Johann Gottlieb Fichte born 1762.
William E. Gladstone died 1898.
Tired! Well, what of
that?
Didst fancy life was spent
on beds of ease,
Fluttering the rose-leaves
scattered by the breeze?
Come! rouse thee, work while
it is called to-day!
Coward, arise—go
forth upon the way!
Lonely! And what of that?
Some one must be lonely; ’tis
not given to all
To feel a heart responsive
rise and fall,
To blend another life into
its own;
Work may be done in loneliness;
work on.
Dark! Well, what of that?
Didst fondly dream the sun
would never set?
Dost fear to lose thy way?
Take courage yet,
Learn thou to walk by faith
and not by sight,
Thy steps will be guided,
and guided right.
—Unknown.
And let us not be weary in
well-doing: for in due season we shall
reap, if we faint not.
—Galatians 6. 9.
My Father, if thou wert far off I could not reach thee in time, for I falter so much and need thee so often. I pray that thou wilt keep so near that I can feel thy love and strength breathing within me. Amen.
Elizabeth G. Fry born 1780.
John Stuart Mill born 1806.
Alfred Domett born 1811.
Rudolf H. Lotze born 1817.
Marquis de Lafayette died 1834.
Nature has written a letter of credit upon some men’s faces which is honored wherever presented. You cannot help trusting such men; their very presence gives confidence. There is a “promise to pay” in their faces which gives confidence, and you prefer it to another man’s indorsement. Character is credit.
—William M. Thackeray.
Henry Drummond has told us how in the heart of Africa he came across men and women who remembered the only white man they ever saw before—David Livingstone; and as you cross his footsteps in the dark continent men’s faces light up as they speak of the kind doctor who passed there years ago. They could not understand him; but they felt the love that beat in his heart.
Who is wise and understanding
among you? let him show by his good
life his works in meekness
of wisdom.
—James 3. 13.
My Lord, inspire me with kind words and thoughtful deeds, that I may share the yearnings and sympathy of others. May my life show that I am dependable, and may none be left lonely to-day because of my forgetfulness. Amen.
Albrecht Duerer born 1471.
Fernando de Soto died 1542.
Alexander Pope born 1688.
Self-love but serves the virtuous
mind to wake
As the small pebble stirs
the peaceful lake;
The center moved, a circle
straight succeeds,
Another still, and still another
spreads;
Friend, parent, neighbor,
first it will embrace,
Its country next, and next,
the human race.
—Alexander Pope.
A gentleman is one who understands
and shows every mark of deference
to the claim of self-love
in others, and exacts it in return from
them.
—William Hazlitt.
But he knoweth the way that
I take;
When he hath tried me, I shall
come forth as gold.
My foot hath held fast to
his steps;
His way have I kept, and turned
not aside.
—Job 23. 10.
Lord God, teach me how secret actions make or destroy my life. Show me the deep lines made by sorrow and discontent that cannot be effaced. May I look toward the corrections of life and not on my imperfections, that my life may be a helpful influence. Amen.
Newman Hall born 1816.
Wilhelm Richard Wagner born 1813.
Maria Edgeworth died 1849.
Victor Hugo died 1885.
Who cares for the burden,
the night, and the rain,
And the long,
steep, lonesome road,
When at last through the darkness
a light shines plain,
When a voice calls “Hail,”
and a friend draws rein,
With an arm for
the stubborn load?
For life is the chance of
a friend or two
This side of the
journey’s goal.
Though the world be a desert
the long night through,
Yet the gay flowers bloom
and the sky shows blue
When a soul salutes
a soul.
—Unknown.
In all misfortune the greatest consolation is a sympathizing friend.
—Cervantes.
They help every one his neighbor;
and every one saith to his
brother, Be of good courage.
—Isaiah 41. 6.
Loving Father, may I lay hold upon the highest standards of friendship and so be qualified to be a friend. May those who call and lean on me feel secure in my support. May none ever be ashamed to call me friend. Grant that those whom I love may keep faith with me. Amen.
Thomas Hood born 1798.
Margaret Fuller Ossoli born 1810.
Henrik Ibsen died 1896.
Dr. John Campbell died 1861.
Chance cannot touch me!
Time cannot hush me!
Fear, Hope, and longing, at
strife;
Sink as I rise, on, on, upward
forever,
Gathering strength, gaining
breath—
Naught can sever
Me from the Spirit of Life.
—Margaret Fuller.
But evil is wrought by want of thought, as well as want of heart.
—Thomas Hood.
For I reckon that the sufferings
of this present time are not worthy
to be compared with the glory
which shall be revealed to us-ward.
—Romans 8. 18.
Heavenly Father, cause the newness of life to continue to flow through my heart, that I may not be fatigued, as I struggle with discouragements. Release me from hopeless cares that I have made mine, thinking they were thine. May I trust in the boundless limit of thy mercy, and rejoice in the world of living light. Amen.
Jean Paul Marat born 1744.
Stephen Girard born 1750.
Sir Robert Adair born 1763.
Queen Victoria born 1819.
Caroline Fox born 1819.
I see my way as birds their
trackless way.
I shall arrive! what time,
what circuit first,
I ask not: but unless
God send his hail
Or blinding fireballs, sleet,
or stifling snow,
In some time, his good time,
I shall arrive:
He guides me and the bird.
—Robert Browning.
To live in the presence of
great truths and eternal laws—that is
what keeps a man patient when
the world ignores him, and calm and
unspoiled when the world praises
him.
—Honore Balzac.
But whoso putteth his trust in Jehovah shall be safe.
—Proverbs 29. 25.
Lord Jehovah, all goodness, tenderness, and forbearance that are in my life have come from thee. May I not lose them in self, but by them make possible happiness and endurance for others. Amen.
Ralph Waldo Emerson born 1803.
Edward Bulwer-Lytton (George) born 1803.
Dr. William Paley died 1805.
William Henry Channing born 1810.
Hast thou named all the birds
without a gun?
Loved the wild rose, and left
it on the stalk?
At rich men’s tables
eaten bread and pulse?
Unarmed faced danger with
a heart of trust?
And loved so well a high behavior,
In man or maid, that thou
from speech refrained,
Nobility more noble to repay?
O, be my friend and teach
me to be thine!
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
What the superior man seeks
is in himself;
What the small man seeks is
in others.
—Confucius.
Make no friendship with a
man that is given to anger;
And with a wrathful man thou
shalt not go.
—Proverbs 22. 24.
Lord God, may I live for the pure and upright, and have the blessedness of a rejoicing heart. May I yearn for the secrets of nature. Grant that my life may not seek destruction, but tenderly find and protect life. Amen.
The Venerable Bede died 735.
Count Nicolas Ludwig Zinzendorf born 1800.
Capel Lofft died 1821.
Let us disengage ourselves from care about the passing things of time; let us soar above our worldly possessions. The bee does not less need its wings when it has gathered an abundant store, for if it sink in the honey, it dies.
—Saint Augustine.
Perhaps if we could penetrate
nature’s secrets, we should find that
what we call needs are more
essential to the well-being of the world
than the most precious grain
or fruit.
—Nathaniel Hawthorne.
We trust the Lord in faith
serene,
A ladder he hath
given;
The lower rounds in earth
are seen,
The higher reach
to heaven.
—Thomas Brevior.
Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment?
—Matthew 6. 25.
Almighty God, I bless thee for the privilege of a great life. May I not be satisfied to rest with idle hands in youth and make age regretful because I have lived a useless life: but with a clear eye and an exalted mind may I choose the “durable satisfactions” that may be mine. Amen.
Alighieri Dante born 1265.
John Calvin died 1564.
Julia Ward Howe born 1819.
Noah Webster died 1843.
John Kendrick Bangs born 1862.
To your judgments give ye
not the reins
With too much eagerness, like
him who ere
The corn be ripe, is fain
to count the grains:
For I have seen the briar
through the winter snows
Look sharp and stiff—yet
on a future day
High on its summit bear the
tender rose:
And ship I’ve
seen, that through the storm hath passed,
Securely bounding o’er
the watery way,
At entrance of
the harbor wrecked at last.
—Dante, translated by Wright.
In the beauty of the lilies
Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in his bosom
that transfigures you and me:
As he died to make men holy,
let us die to make them free,
While God is marching
on.
—Julia Ward Howe.
Trust in Jehovah with all
thy heart,
And lean not upon thine own
understanding.
—Proverbs 3. 5.
Lord God, help me to know my ability, that I may not attempt with weakness that which requires strength to undertake; and make me stable that I may not relax vigilance even though victory seems assured. Amen.
William Pitt born 1759.
Thomas Moore born 1779.
Louis Agassiz born 1807.
The bird let loose in eastern
skies,
When hastening
fondly home,
Ne’er stoops to earth
her wing, nor flies
Where idle warblers
roam;
But high she shoots through
air and light,
Above all low
delay,
Where nothing earthly bounds
her flight,
Nor shadow dims
her way.
—Thomas Moore.
Remember, the essence of religion
is, a heart void of offense toward
God and man; not subtle speculative
opinions, but an active
principle of faith.
—William Pitt.
And hope putteth not to shame;
because the love of God hath been
shed abroad in our hearts.
—Romans 5. 5.
God of mercy, reveal to me the hallowed life. May I be reminded that, while I may save and keep the dust from things that perish, my life, though unkept and undeveloped, tells in itself the value and need of the most watchful care. Amen.
Patrick Henry born 1736.
Joseph Fouche born 1763.
Josephine died 1814.
Gerald Massey born 1829.
Is life so dear or peace so
sweet as to be purchased at the price of
chains and slavery? Forbid
it, Almighty God. I know not what course
others may take, but as for
me, give me liberty or give me death.
—Patrick Henry.
Though hearts brood o’er
the past, our eyes
With smiling features
glisten;
For lo! our day bursts up
the skies,
Lean out your
souls and listen!
The world is following freedom’s
way,
And ripening with
her sorrow;
Take heart! Who bears
the cross to-day
Shall wear the
crown to-morrow.
—Gerald Massey.
For God gave us not a spirit
of fearfulness; but of power and love
and discipline.
—2 Timothy 1. 7.
Lord God, may I never feel that I have a right to sell thy joys, nor the privilege of giving away my burdens. Grant that I may not forsake my principles, but may I keep the way clear that memory may find an unruffled rest. Amen.
Decoration Day.
Joan d’Arc burned at Rouen 1431.
Alexander Pope died 1744.
Voltaire died 1778.
Alfred Austin born 1835.
Here is the nation God has builded by our hands. What shall we do with it? Who stands ready to act again and always in the spirit of this day of reunion and hope and patriotic fervor? The day of our country’s life has but broadened into morning. Do not put uniforms by. Put the harness of the present on. Lift your eyes to the great tracts of life yet to be conquered in the interest of righteous peace, of that prosperity which lies in a people’s hearts and outlasts all wars and errors of men.
—Woodrow Wilson.
Cover them over with beautiful flowers:
Deck them with garlands these brothers of ours;
Lying so silent, by night and by day,
Sleeping the years of their manhood away;
* * * * *
Give them the laurels they lost with their life.
—Will Carleton.
Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for
his friends.
—John 15. 13.
My Father, as I pause this day to think of the brave men and women who have given their lives for the sake of others, may I be thankful for them. May I remember that noble deeds and kind words are never lost, but that self may block the way to justice. O Father, make war to cease! and lead us to victories that are won through peace. Amen.
Ludwig Tieck born 1773.
Joseph Haydn died 1809.
Walt Whitman born 1819.
Passage, immediate passage!
the blood burns in my veins!
Away, O soul! hoist instantly
the anchor!
Out the hawser—haul
out—shake out every sail!
Have we not stood here like
trees in the ground long enough?
Have we not groveled here
long enough eating and drinking like mere brutes?
Have we not darkened and dazed
ourselves with books long enough?
Sail forth—steer
for the deep waters only,
Reckless, O soul, exploring,
I with thee, and thou with me,
For we are bound where mariner
has not dared to go,
And we will risk the ship,
ourselves and all.
—Walt Whitman.
Be strong and of good courage,
fear not, nor be affrighted at them:
for Jehovah thy God, he it
is that doth go with thee; he will not
fail thee, nor forsake thee.
—Deuteronomy 31. 6.
My Father, give me joyful courage to squarely face my life. Help me to know that I cannot vanquish life by evading duties, nor encircling myself with indulgences. If I may be blind to my situation, restore my sight that I may make ready a worthy passage with thee. Amen.
There lives a glory in these
sweet June days
Such as I found
not in the days gone by,
A kindlier meaning
in the unclouded sky,
A tenderer whisper in the
woodland ways;
And I have understanding of
the lays,
The birds are
singing, forasmuch as I
Have learned how
love avails to satisfy
A man’s whole heart,
and fills his lips with praise.
—Percy C. Ainsworth
JUNE FIRST
Nicolas Poussin born 1594.
Sir Christopher Marlowe died 1593.
Sir David Wilkie died 1841.
Hugo Muensterberg born 1863.
In every act of ours, in every feeling and every volition and every thought, we are conscious of a self which expresses its aims and meanings. Every idea of ours points beyond itself, every volition binds us in decision, and every experience gets meaning by our attitudes. The most immediate task which life demands from us in the understanding of ourselves and of others is, therefore, to interpret our ideas, to draw the consequences of our will, to appreciate the attitudes, to measure them by higher standards.
—Hugo Muensterberg.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
—Genesis 1. 26.
My Creator, I pray that I may not only have the desire to know life, but the assurance to live it. Help me to understand that my earthly possessions are not the measure of my life, nor my body the boundary of my living. May I reach for the high standards that are free, without limit, to all. Amen.
Ethelbert baptized 597.
John Randolph born 1773.
Thomas Hardy born 1840.
In battle or business, whatever
the game,
In law or in love, it is ever
the same:
In the struggle for power,
or scramble for pelf,
Let this be your motto:
“Rely on yourself.”
—John G. Saxe.
Labor is necessary to excellence.
This is an eternal truth, although
vanity cannot be taught to
believe or indolence to heed it.
—John Randolph.
But let each man prove his
own work, and then shall he have his
glorying in regard of himself
alone, and not of his neighbor.
—Galatians 6. 4.
Almighty God, I regret the hours of indiscretion and waste; through thy forgiveness may I have thy help over past wrongs. May I have a deeper conception of a profitable life, that I may hereafter live by it. Amen.
Sydney Smith born 1771.
Dr. John Gregory born 1724.
Richard Cobden born 1804.
Jefferson Davis born 1808.
Norman Macleod born 1812.
Certainly, let the board be spread and let the bed be dressed for the traveler; but let not the emphasis of hospitality lie in these things. Honor to the house where they are simple to the verge of hardship, so that there the intellect is awake and reads the law of the universe, the soul worships truth and love, honor and courtesy flow into all deeds.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Kind actions, and good wishes,
and pure thoughts
No mystery is here: Here
is no boon
For high—yet not
for low: The smoke ascends
To heaven as lightly from
the cottage hearth
As from the haughtiest palace.
—William Wordsworth.
Given to hospitality.
—Romans 12. 13.
Gracious Father, I beseech thee to give me wisdom for kind thoughts and deeds. Teach me true hospitality, that I may be gracious in my own home and appreciative in the home of others. May I not temper my hospitality for certain reasons, but have a genuine welcome for all. Amen.
George III born 1738.
Lord Edward Fitzgerald died 1798.
General Garnet Wolseley born 1833.
This is the gospel of labor—ring
it,
Ye bells of the
kirk—
The Lord of Love came down
from above
To live with the
men who work.
This is the rose he planted,
here
In the thorn-cursed
soil;
Heaven is blest with perfect
rest, but
The blessing of
earth is toil.
—Henry van Dyke
No man is born into the world
whose work
Is not born with him.
There is always work
And tools to work withal,
for those who will;
And blessed are the horny
hands of toil.
—James Russell Lowell.
Six days thou shalt do thy
work, and on the seventh day thou shalt
rest.
—Exodus 23. 12.
My Father, I pray for the love of work, and the desire to cultivate life. Stir me, that I may be ambitious. May I not stare at life in an everyday way and forget that others are watching for the surprises. Help me to be considerate and kind in all that I do. Amen.
Socrates born B.C. 469.
Dr. Adam Smith born 1723.
Karl Maria von Weber died 1826.
O. Henry died 1910.
You think that upon the score of foreknowledge and divining I am infinitely inferior to the swans. When they perceive approaching death they sing more merrily than before, because of the joy they have in going to the God they serve.
—Socrates.
O yet we trust that somehow
good
Will be the final
goal of ill,
To pangs of nature,
sins of will,
Defects of doubt, and taints
of blood;
That nothing walks with aimless
feet;
That not one life
shall be destroyed,
Or cast as rubbish
to the void,
When God hath made the pile
complete.
—Alfred Tennyson.
How precious is thy lovingkindness,
O God! And the children of men
take refuge under the shadow
of thy wings.
—Psalm 36. 7.
Eternal God, forbid that I should try to set up thy judgment-seat in so small a place as self, and attempt to render decisions for thee. My soul lives anew as I think of thy love, and that there is no place where thy mercy can be withheld from me. Amen.
Diego R. Velasquez born 1599.
Pierre Corneille born 1606.
Nathan Hale born 1755.
Sir John Stainer born 1840.
These stones that make the
meadow brooklet murmur
Are the keys on
which it plays.
O’er every shelving
rock its touch grows firmer,
Resounding notes
to raise.
If every path o’er which
footsteps wander,
Were smooth as
ocean strand,
There were no theme for gratitude
and wonder
At God’s
delivering hand.
—W. E. Winks.
We also rejoice in our tribulations:
knowing that tribulation
worketh steadfastness; and
steadfastness, approvedness; and
approvedness, hope.
—Romans 5. 3, 4.
My Father, if rain may come to-day, may I realize its help, with the power of the sun, to increase life; and may its influence be sweet and wholesome to me, as I learn that sadness is temporary and will disappear with the coming of gladness. May I go search for the joy that may be mine to-day. Amen.
Robert Bruce died 1329.
George Bryan (Beau Brummel) born 1778.
Rev. W.D. Conybeare born 1787.
When the lamp is shattered
The light in the
dust lies dead—
When the cloud is scattered
The rainbow’s
glory is shed.
When the lute is broken
Sweet tones are
remembered not;
When the lips have spoken
Loved accents
are soon forgot.
—Percy Bysshe Shelley.
A slip of the rose may take
root, and bring forth a bloom to give
peace to the soul. A
slip of the tongue may take root, and bring
forth a thorn that will torture
the soul.
—M.B.S.
Abide in me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of
itself, except it abide in
the vine; so neither can ye, except ye
abide in me.
—John 15. 4.
Many of us, O Father, overlook the fragrance of the rose while we are being pierced by its thorn. Increase my faith in life and in thee, that I may not be dismayed over mysteries, but sincerely wait for deliverance. Amen.
Mohammed died 632.
Thomas Rickman born 1776.
Charles Reade born 1814.
John Everett Millais born 1829.
If one touch of nature makes
the whole world kin, methinks that
sweet and wonderful thing
sympathy is not less powerful. What golden
barriers, what ice of centuries,
it can melt in a moment!
—Charles Reade.
If I had two loaves of bread,
I would sell one to buy white
hyacinths to feed my soul.
—Mohammed.
What do you live for if it
is not to make life less difficult for
each other?
—George Eliot.
Pure religion and undefiled
before our God and Father is this, to
visit the fatherless and widows
in their affliction, and to keep
oneself unspotted from the
world.
—James 1. 27.
My Father, help me to understand that kind hearts and willing hands are made possible by the depth and greatness of thy love. May I possess the spirit of forgiveness and consideration, that I may not hold prejudice and revenge, but help with sympathy and tenderness. Amen.
George Stephenson born 1781.
John Howard Payne born 1791.
Richard D. Blackmore born 1825.
Charles Dickens died 1870.
Reflect upon your present
blessings of which every man has many; not
upon your past misfortunes,
of which all have some.
—Charles Dickens.
’Mid pleasures and palaces
though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble, there’s
no place like home!
A charm from the skies seems
to hallow us there,
Which, sought through the
world, is ne’er met with elsewhere.
Home! home! sweet,
sweet home!
There’s
no place like home!
—John Howard Payne.
For thou shalt forget thy
misery;
Thou shalt remember it as
waters that are passed away.
—Job 11. 16.
Lord God, my soul fills with gratitude for the blessings which I have received and enjoyed. Help me to conform to thy will concerning my duties. May I not try to resist thy providence. I pray that thou wilt bless my daily life, and make my home a place to dispense kindness and cheerfulness. Amen.
Sir Edwin Arnold born 1832.
Henry M. Stanley born 1840.
Edward Everett Hale died 1809.
Robert Schumann born 1810.
What have you done with your
soul, my friend?
Where is the ray you were
wont to send,
Glancing bright through the
outer night,
Touching with
hope what was dark before,
Glimmering on
to the further shore?
—Arthur C. Benson.
God suffers the light to know
eclipse,
Dashes the cup from the eager
lips;
You perchance would have drunk
too deep.
—Arthur C. Benson.
Lift where you stand.
—Edward Everett Hale.
A friend is the first person
who comes in when the whole world has
gone out.
—Unknown.
Who comforteth us in all our
affliction, that we may be able to
comfort them that are in any
affliction, through the comfort
wherewith we ourselves are
comforted of God.
—2 Corinthians 1.4.
Almighty God, help me to correct my mistakes, and to be more careful of what I take in my life. May I always stretch out a hand of love to inspire others with confidence to care more for themselves and more for thee. Amen.
Roger Bacon died 1292.
George Wither born 1588.
John Constable born 1776.
Exceeding gifts from God are
not blessings, they are duties. They do
not always increase a man’s
happiness; they always increase his
responsibilities.
—Charles Kingsley.
Make a rule and pray for help
to keep it. Once a day spare room for
a thought that will pursue
a strong purpose. Help in some way the
progress of a weary soul who
cannot repay you.
—M. B. S.
There is no true potency,
remember, but that of help; nor true
ambition, but ambition to
save.
—John Ruskin.
And if thou draw out thy soul
to the hungry, and satisfy the
afflicted soul: then
shall thy light rise in darkness, and thine
obscurity be as the noon day.
—Isaiah 58. 10.
Heavenly Father, when I think of how little I have given away my heart burns with shame, as I recall what thou hast given to me. May I from this day be more thoughtful of thy tender compassion by being less selfish with what I have. Amen.
Harriet Martineau born 1802.
Charles Kingsley born 1819.
Dr. Thomas Arnold (Arnold of Rugby) died 1842.
Sir Oliver Lodge born 1851.
Do to-day’s duty, fight
to-day’s temptation, and do not weaken and
distract yourself by looking-forward
to things which you cannot see,
and could not understand if
you saw them.
—Charles Kingsley.
Genuine religion has its roots deep down in the heart of humanity.... The actions of the Deity make no appeal to any special sense. We are deaf and blind, therefore, to the imminent grandeur around us unless we have insight enough to appreciate the whole and to recognize the woven fabric of existence flowing steadily from the loom of an infinite progress toward perfection.
—Sir Oliver Lodge.
Every good gift and every
perfect gift is from above, coming down
from the Father of lights,
with whom can be no variation, neither
shadow that is cast by turning.
—James 1. 17.
Gracious Father, forbid that I should make thee regret thy gifts to me; and if I have failed to appreciate them, look upon me with pity, for I have cheated myself more than I have thee. Give me a deeper appreciation, that I may be strengthened day by day in the veriest duties of life. Amen.
Dr. Thomas Young born 1773.
General Winfield Scott born 1786.
Dr. Thomas Arnold (Arnold of Rugby) born 1795.
William Butler Yeats born 1865.
Beyond all wealth, honor,
or even health, is the attachment we form
to noble souls, because to
become one with the good, generous, and
true is to become, in a measure,
good, generous, and true ourselves.
—Thomas Arnold.
Open thy bosom, set thy wishes
wide, and let in manhood—let in
happiness; admit the boundless
theater of thought from nothing up to
God ... which makes a man.
—Thomas Young.
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and hath not another to lift him up.
—Ecclesiastes 4. 9, 10.
Heavenly Father, I thank thee for good friends, and for the delight that dwells in fellowship. Give me the power to apprehend love, and guard me against the ways to lose it. May I look to my friends to help me to be pure, and to help me live my truest life. Amen.
Carlo Guidi born 1650.
Harriet Beecher Stowe born 1812.
Mary Carpenter died 1877.
When you get into a tight
place, and everything goes against you
till it seems as if you couldn’t
hold on a minute longer, never give
up then, for that’s
just the time and place that the tide will turn.
—Harriet Beecher Stowe.
I cannot do it alone,
The waves run
fast and high,
And the fogs close chill around,
And the light
goes out in the sky;
But I know that we two
Shall win in the end—
God and I.
—Unknown.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not.
—Hebrews 10. 23.
Almighty God, I pray that thou wilt sustain me when I may be enduring for a purpose, and to accomplish it seems beyond my strength. Renew me with courage, and give me unceasing hope, and faith that is able to hold out to the end. Amen.
Thomas Randolph born 1605.
Edward Grieg born 1843.
Thomas Campbell died 1844.
What is rightly done stays
with us, to support another right beyond,
or higher up; whatever is
wrongly done vanishes; and by the blank,
betrays what we would have
built above.
—John Ruskin.
The seed ye sow another reaps,
The wealth ye find another
keeps,
The robe ye weave another
wears,
The arms ye forge another
bears.
—Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Thou drewest near in the day
that I called upon
thee; thou saidst,
Fear not.
O Lord, thou hast pleaded
the causes of my soul;
thou hast redeemed
my life.
—Lamentations 3. 57, 58.
Lord God, reveal to me my selfishness if I am receiving much and giving little to satisfy life. May I be grateful and considerate of all those who labor to give me comfort and happiness. Amen.
Hugh Capet succeeds to throne of father 956.
Sir Richard Fanshawe died 1666.
Sir John Cheke born 1514.
When to the sessions of sweet,
solemn thought
I summon up remembrance
of things past,
I sigh the lack of many a
thing I sought.
But if the while
I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses are
restored and sorrows end.
—William Shakespeare.
Seldom can the heart be lonely
If it seek a lonelier
still—
Self-forgetting, seeking only
Emptier cups of
love to fill.
—F. R. Havergal.
The Lord Jehovah hath given
me the tongue of them that are taught,
that I may know how to sustain
with words him that is weary.
—Isaiah 50. 4.
Gracious Father, keep within me that cheer and courage which never has a place for weary murmurings; and with peace make the hours of solitude profitable as they pass. Help me to seek those who are in need of sympathy and encouragement, that I may help them to have a tranquil life. Amen.
Joseph Addison died 1719.
Charles Francois Gounod born 1818.
Sir E. C. Burne-Jones died 1898.
He who plants
a tree
Plants a hope.
Rootlets up through fibers
blindly grope,
Leaves unfold
unto horizons free.
So man’s
life must climb
From the clods
of time
Unto heavens sublime.
Canst thou prophesy, thou
little tree,
What the glory of the boughs
shall be?
—Lucy Larcom.
Very early, I perceived that the object of life is to grow.
—Margaret Fuller.
Many a genius has been slow
of growth. Oaks that flourish for a
thousand years do not spring
up into beauty like a reed.
—George Henry Lewes.
And Jesus advanced in wisdom
and stature, and in favor with God and
men.
—Luke 2. 52.
Almighty God, thy power is so great I cannot express it; help me to comprehend the meaning of it, that I may feel more profoundly thy expectations of my life. May I remember that to forget that life is eternal may make me to lose all it has grown. Amen.
Robert Stewart born 1769.
Battle of Waterloo 1815.
William Cobbett died 1835.
Not he the threatening texts
who deals
Is highest ’mong
the preachers,
But he who feels the woes
and weals
Of all God’s
wandering creatures.
He doth good work whose heart
can find
The spirit ’neath
the letter;
Who makes his kind of happier
mind,
Leaves wiser men
and better.
Dear Bard and Brother! let
who may
Against thy faults
be railing,
(Though far, I pray, from
us be they
That never had
a failing!)
—James Russell Lowell.
Avenge not yourselves, beloved,
but give place unto the wrath of
God: for it is written,
Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will
recompense, saith the Lord.
—Romans 12. 19.
Heavenly Father, I pray that I may not be so occupied in expressing my judgment of others, that I will forget to live in thy judgment myself. May I have the compassion for others that I hope to receive from thee. Amen.
Magna Charta signed, Runnymede, 1215.
Blaise Pascal born 1623.
Charles H. Spurgeon born 1834.
Find your niche and fill it.
If it is ever so little, if it is only
a hewer of wood or a drawer
of water, do something in the great
battle for God and truth.
—Charles Spurgeon.
If I do what I may in earnest, I need not mourn if I work no great work on earth. To help the growth of a thought that struggles toward the light; to brush with gentle hand the stain from the white of one snowdrop—such be my ambition.
—George Macdonald.
Jehovah thy God will bless
thee in all thy work, and in all that
thou puttest thy hand unto.
—Deuteronomy 15. 10.
Lord God, I pray that I may not through conceit be betrayed into slacking my work, or through visions of greatness lose it. Teach me how to obtain the secret wealth in the smallest thing; and may I recognize thy treasures, and fill my life with the finest that may be given me. Amen.
John of Lancaster born 1389.
Dr. Adam Ferguson born 1723.
Anna Letitia Aiken (Mrs. Barbauld) born 1743.
If the soft hand of winning
Pleasure leads
By living waters, and through
flowery meads,
Where all is smiling, tranquil,
and serene,
Oh! teach me to elude each
latent snare,
And whisper to my sliding
heart, “Beware!”
With caution let me hear the
Syren’s voice,
And doubtful, with a trembling
heart rejoice.
If friendless in a vale of
tears I stray,
Where briars wound, and thorns
perplex my way,
Still let my steady soul thy
goodness see,
And, with a strong confidence,
lay hold on Thee.
—Anna Letitia Barbauld.
For thou, O God, hast proved
us:
Thou hast tried us, as silver
is tried.
—Psalm 66. 10.
O Lord, teach me to select my pleasures with care, that I may not plunge into joyful moments that are irretrievable. May I indulge in the pleasures that bring happiness and not weariness. Grant that I may have the honor to protect others from harm and loss, as I engage in my pleasures and in my work. Amen.
Captain John Smith died 1631.
Anthony Collins born 1676.
Jacques Offenbach born 1819.
In our eagerness to solve life we start out to trace its mysteries and trample God’s truths as we search. As we return we discover the shattered treasures, and gladly stoop to gather up the fragments, and with them translate the revelations of the soul.
—M.B.S.
I stretch my hands out in
the empty air;
I strain my eyes
into the heavy night;
Blackness of darkness!—Father,
hear my prayer;
Grant me to see
the light!
—George Arnold.
But when he came to himself
he said, How many hired servants of my
father’s have bread
enough and to spare, and I perish here with
hunger! I will arise
and go to my father.
—Luke 15. 17, 18.
Heavenly Father, I pray that as I search for the truth I will not be so eager to seek thy mysteries as I am to extend thy ministries. Grant that by thy love I will be guided in comprehending and exalting thy kingdom. May my service bring me wisdom as I obey thy laws. Amen.
Matthew Henry died 1714.
Karl Wilhelm von Humboldt born 1767.
H. Rider Haggard born 1856.
The safe and general antidote
against sorrow is employment. Sorrow
is a kind of rust in the soul,
which every new idea contributes in
its passage to scour away.
—Dr. Johnson.
We may be sure that one principle will hold throughout the whole pursuit of thoughtful happiness—the principle that the best way to secure future happiness is to be as happy as is rightfully possible to-day. To secure any desirable capacity for the future, near or remote, cultivate it to-day. What would be the use of immortality for a person who cannot use well half an hour? asks Emerson.
—Charles W. Eliot.
Strengthen ye the weak hands,
and confirm the feeble knees. Say to
them that are of a fearful
heart, Be strong, fear not.
—Isaiah 35. 3, 4.
Loving Father, help me that I may realize the depth of thy love. If I may be discouraged over my failures, speak to me hopefully and lead me out where I may find the right way to succeed. May I not be kept in sorrow, but find each day the happiness that brings a thankful heart. Amen.
Mark Akenside died 1770.
John Fill born 1625.
Josephine born 1763
Could
we by a wish
Have what we will and get
the future now,
Would we wish aught done undone
in the past?
So, let him wait God’s
instant men call years;
Meantime hold hard by truth
and his great soul,
Do out the duty! Through
such souls alone
God stooping shows sufficient
of his light
For us i’ the dark to
rise by. And I rise.
—Robert Browning.
Press not thy purpose on thy
Lord,
Urge not thy erring
will,
Nor dictate to the Eternal
mind
Nor doubt thy
Maker’s skill.
—Lydia H. Sigourney.
Cause me to hear thy loving-kindness
in the morning;
For in thee do I trust:
Cause me to know the way wherein
I should walk;
For I lift up my soul unto
thee.
—Psalm 143. 8.
My Father, help me to see that in my portion of work thou hast entrusted me to help further thy kingdom. Correct me if I am wrong in interpreting thy way. May I concentrate my mind and make my heart and hands do the work which thou hast given for me to do. Amen.
Jean Baptiste Massillon born 1663.
Alexandre Dumas born 1803.
Henry Ward Beecher born 1813.
General Lord Kitchener born 1850.
All the world cries, “Where is the man who will save us?” Don’t look so far for this man, you have him at hand. This man—it is you, it is I, it is each one of us! How to constitute oneself a man? Nothing harder if one knows not how to will it; nothing easier if one wills it.
—Alexandre Dumas.
Many of our troubles are God
dragging us, and they would end if we
would stand upon our feet
and go whither he would have us.
—Henry Ward Beecher.
Ye shall therefore keep my
statutes, and mine ordinances; which if a
man do, he shall live in them.
—Leviticus 18. 5.
Gracious Lord, I pray that I may have reverence for that which is pure and holy, and that my soul may delight in the presence of the good. Help me to so live that I may have the memory of precious deeds, and that I may not have to depend on the service of others to supply contentment for my closing days. Amen.
William Smellie died 1795.
Antoine Jean Gros died 1835.
Lucy Webb Hayes died 1889.
In every feast remember there
are two guests to be entertained—the
body and the soul; and what
you give the body you presently lose,
but what you give the soul
remains forever.
—Epictetus.
We take pains and weary to faultlessly clothe the body. We persevere, and often struggle, to adorn the mind. As we pass through the rays of truth, sometimes we find, after all we have put on, we have left bare the soul.
—M.B.S.
For what shall a man be profited,
if he shall gain the whole world,
and forfeit his life?
—Matthew 16. 26.
Lord God, help me to understand that thou hast made the principle of truth so that I cannot add to it, nor take from it, lest in altering it I might destroy it. May I never try to make my purpose cover the truth, but without fear, face the light where truth shines the brightest. Amen.
Archbishop Robert Leighton died 1684.
Dr. Philip Doddridge born 1702.
George Morland born 1763.
Why are we so glad to talk
and take our turns to prattle, when so
rarely we get back to the
stronghold of our silence with an
unwounded conscience?
—Thomas a Kempis.
I have read that those who
listened to Lord Chatham felt that there
was something finer in the
man than anything which he said.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Speech is like the cloth of
Arras opened and put abroad, whereby the
imagery doth appear in figure;
whereas in thoughts they lie but as
in packs.
—Plutarch.
Keep thy tongue from evil,
And thy lips from speaking
guile.
—Psalm 34. 13.
Tender Father, make me more watchful of the time that I give to useless thoughts and words, and save me from cutting words, which make deeper impressions than can be cut with sharp tools. Forgive me for the hours that have not been profitable; I would I had them back, for my heart and mind have need of them. Amen.
Paul Laurence Dunbar born 1872.
Lafcadio Hearne born 1850.
Helen Keller born 1880.
Of course, it was not easy at first to fly. The speech wings were weak and broken; nothing was left save the impulse to fly, but that was something. One can never consent to creep when one has an impulse to soar. There are so many difficulties in the way, so many discouragements; but I kept on trying, knowing that perseverance and patience win in the end.
—Helen Keller.
De da’kest hour, dey
allus say,
Is des’
befo’ de dawn,
But it’s moughty ha’d
a-waitin’
Were de night
goes frownin’ on;
An’ it’s moughty
ha’d a-hopin’
When de clouds
is big and black,
An’ all de t’ings
you’s waited fu’
Has failed, er
gone to wrack—
But des’ keep on a joggin’
ind a little bit o song.
De moon is allus brightah
w’en de night’s been long.
—Paul Laurence Dunbar.
Weeping may tarry for the
night,
But joy cometh in the morning.
—Psalm 30. 5.
My Father, I thank thee for life and its faculties. May I not be deceived by gratification and miss the permanent satisfactions. Make me brave that I may be courageous in affliction, and not be dismayed over humiliations and disappointments. May I be kept in harmony with thy will. Amen.
Henry VIII born 1491.
Jean Jacques Rousseau born 1712.
John Wesley born 1703.
Frederick William Faber born 1814.
Workman of God! O lose
not heart,
But learn what
God is like;
And in the darkest battlefield
Thou shalt know
where to strike.
For right is right, since
God is God;
And right the
day must win;
To doubt would be disloyalty,
To falter would
be sin.
—F. W. Faber.
Leisure and I have parted
company.
I look upon the world as my
parish.
The best of all is, God is
with us.
To overdo is to undo.
—John Wesley.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.
—James 1. 22.
Lord God, I pray for a desire to work. May I not be deceived in my convictions, and work for that of which I may afterward be ashamed. Lead me into a clear conception of right and wrong. Help me to see as thou dost see, that I may walk with confidence in thy steps. Amen.
Paul Rubens born 1577.
Baron John De Kalb born 1721.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning died 1861.
Do ye hear the children weeping,
O my brothers,
Ere the sorrow
comes with years?
They are leaning their young
heads against their mothers,
And they cannot
stop their tears.
The young lambs are bleating
in the meadows;
The young birds
are chirping in the nests;
The young fawns are playing
with the shadows;
The young flowers
are blowing toward the west:
But the young, young children,
O my brothers!
They are weeping
bitterly.
They are weeping in the playtime
of the others,
In the country
of the free.
—Elizabeth B. Browning.
Moreover thou hast taken thy
sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast
borne unto me, and these hast
thou sacrificed unto them to be
devoured.
—Ezekiel 16. 20.
Father of all, I pray that I may always love children. May I never forget that I wanted things and needed things when I was a child, and that the help and neglect which I received then told in my life. Make me interested in the purposes that will help the progress of the child to-day, and may I realize that the child does not need my casual charity as much as it needs my permanent justice. Amen.
Alexander Brome died 1666.
Archibald Campbell beheaded 1685.
Sir Thomas Pope Blount died 1697.
Be useful where thou livest,
that they may
Both want and
wish thy pleasing presence still;
Kindness, good parts, great
places are the way
To compass this.
Find out men’s wants and will,
And meet them there.
All worldly joys go less
To the one joy of doing kindnesses.
—George Herbert.
Thrice happy he, who by some
shady grove,
Far from the clamorous
world, doth live his own;
Though solitary,
who is not alone,
But doth converse with that
eternal love
—William Drummond.
Seek, and ye shall find.
—Matthew 7. 7.
My Father, help me to draw from the wisdom of life, that my soul may grow in knowledge and power. May I have the quiet confidence that comes in trusting thee. May I help others to think on the uplifting things of life. Amen.
Then came hot July, boiling
like to fire,
That all his garments
he had cast away;
Upon a lion raging yet with
ire
He boldly rode,
and made him to obey.
—Edmund Spenser.
A pleasing land of drowsyhead
it was,
Of dreams that
wave before the half-shut eye;
And of gay castles in the
clouds that pass,
For ever flushing
round a summer sky.
—James Thomson.
JULY FIRST
Comte de Rochambeau born 1725.
Gideon Welles born 1802.
George Frederick Watts died 1904.
There is no unbelief!
Whoever plants a seed beneath a sod,
And waits to see it push away the clod,
He trusts in God.
There is no unbelief!
And day by day, and night, unconsciously,
The heart lives by that faith the lips deny—
God knoweth why.
—Bulwer Lytton.
More and more I see that nothing is so necessary for the religious condition of the mind as absolute simplicity. We know what we have got to do, and the only thing is to ask ourselves whether we are doing it as well as we can.
—George Frederick Watts.
Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God.
—Romans 5. 1.
My Creator, I praise thee for the knowledge of life, and the hope of immortality. Help me to express my belief, and to give my utmost for the divinest, that I may be worthy of life eternal. Amen.
Archbishop Cranmer born 1489.
Christopher W. Gluck born 1714.
Richard Henry Stoddard born 1825.
Sir Robert Peel died 1850.
One step more, and the race
is ended;
One word more, and the lesson’s
done;
One toil more, and a long
rest follows
At
set of sun.
Who would fail, for one step
withholden?
Who would fail, for one word
unsaid?
Who would fail, for a pause
too early?
Sound
sleep the dead.
—Christina G. Rossetti.
One who never turned his back,
but marched breast forward,
Never doubted
clouds would break,
Never dreamed, though right
were worsted, wrong would triumph,
Held we fall to rise, are
baffled to fight better, Sleep to wake.
—Robert Browning.
He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.
—Matthew 10. 22.
My Father, thou hast proven the strength of thy promises by thy tender love and mercy through the darkest hours. Help me always to cling to the hope that thou hast provided for my soul. May I be trustful, and be thankful to “see so much as one side of a celestial idea, one side of the rainbow, and the sunset sky.” Amen.
John S. Copley born 1737.
Henry Grattan born 1746.
Eugene Sue died 1857.
Not from the dangers that beset
our path
From storm or sudden death, or pain or wrath,
We pray deliverance;
But from the envious eye, the narrowed mind
Of those that are the vultures of mankind
Thy aid advance.
Not at the strong man’s righteous
rage or hate,
But at the ambushed malice laid in wait
Thy strength arise;
At those who ever seek to spot the fair
White garments of a neighbor’s character
With mud of lies.
—Theodosia P. Garrison.[1]
Putting away therefore all wickedness,
and all guile, and
hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings.
—1 Peter 2. 1.
My Lord, may I remember that to protect the character of others is to add virtue to my own. Grant that I may see the good and not be looking for the evil. Cause me to know that peace will not abide in deceit or revenge, but may be found in a happy and charitable spirit. Help me to earn thy peace. Amen.
[Footnote 1: Special permission by Mitchell Kennerly, New York.]
Independence Day.
Colonel William Byrd died 1704.
Nathaniel Hawthorne born 1804.
Thomas Jefferson died 1826.
By the rude bridge that arched
the flood,
Their flag to
April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers
stood,
And fired the
shot heard round the world.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Then conquer we must, when
our cause it is just,
And this be our
motto, “In God is our trust”;
And the star-spangled banner
in triumph shall wave
O’er the
land of the free and the home of the brave!
—Francis Scott Key.
Seek not to keep your soul
perpetually in the unwholesome region of
remorse. It was needful
to pass through that dark valley, but it is
infinitely dangerous to linger
there too long.
—Nathaniel Hawthorne.
And this city shall be to
me for a name of joy, for a praise and for
a glory, before all the nations
of the earth, which shall hear all
the good that I do unto them.
—Jeremiah 33. 9.
Lord of justice and peace, may I not pause at the marked stones of the brave to learn of liberty, but may I look for the opportunities that I may measure up to because of them, and do my part to keep the peace and spread the blessings of our land. Amen.
Mrs. Sarah Siddons born 1755.
David G. Farragut born 1801.
George Sand born 1804.
Cecil Rhodes born 1853.
Nature alone can speak to
our intelligence an imperishable language,
never changing, because it
remains within the bounds of eternal
truth and of what is absolutely
noble and beautiful.
—George Sand.
Say, dost thou understand
the whispered token,
The promise breathed
from every leaf and flower?
And dost thou hear the word
ere it be spoken,
And apprehend
love’s presence by its power?
—Unknown.
But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; And the birds of the heavens, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this?
—Job 12. 7-9.
Lord God, direct me away from self, that I may learn of thy wisdom, and help further thy kingdom. Give me patience to search for thy truths, that I may obtain the noblest to use for thy service. Amen.
John Huss burned at Constance, Baden, 1369.
Baron Wilhelm Leibnitz born 1646.
John Paul Jones born 1747.
John Flaxman born 1755.
No man likes to acknowledge that he has made a mistake in the choice of his profession, and every man worthy of the name will row long against wind and tide before he allows himself to cry out, “I’m baffled!” and submit to be floated passively back to land.
—Charlotte Bronte.
There is nothing so small
but that we honor God by asking his
guidance of it, or insult
him by taking it into our hands.
—John Ruskin.
If I take the wings of the
morning,
And dwell in the uttermost
parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand
lead me,
And thy right hand shall hold
me.
—Psalm 139. 9, 10.
My Father, I pray that I may have wise judgment and use discretion in the choice of my work. May I remember that only that is genuine which is received and used for thee. Amen.
Alexis, son of Peter the Great, died in prison 1718.
Thomas Blacklock died 1791.
Richard Brinsley Sheridan died 1816.
The surest way not to fail is to determine to succeed.
—Richard B. Sheridan.
I felt my hot blood a-tingling
flow;
With thrill of the fight my
soul did glow;
And when, braced
and pure,
I emerged secure
From the strife that had tried
my courage so,
I said, “Let
heaven send me sun or rain,
I’ll never
know flinching fear again.”
—Thomas Crawford.
For the Lord Jehovah will
help me; therefore have I not been
confounded: therefore
have I set my face like a flint, and I know
that I shall not be put to
shame.
—Isaiah 50. 7.
Lord Jehovah, help me to learn how to be strong and brave, that I may not remain in fear and weakness. Help me to conquer unworthiness, and to overcome discouragements, that I may be spared the needless battles that are brought on through impatience and selfishness. Keep my soul in repose, that I may add to my conquering strength. Amen.
Jean de La Fontaine born 1621.
Dr. Samuel D. Gross born 1805.
Joseph Chamberlain born 1836.
Neither gold nor grandeur can render us happy.
—La Fontaine.
Spirit of God! descend upon
my heart;
Wean it from earth;
through all its pulses move;
Stoop to my weakness, mighty
as thou art,
And make me love
thee as I ought to love.
I ask no dream, no prophet
ecstasies,
No sudden rending
of the veil of clay:
No angel visitant, no opening
skies—
But take the dimness of my
soul away.
—George Croly.
For a man’s life consisteth
not in the abundance of the things which
he possesseth.
—Luke 12. 15.
Eternal God, help me to honor my life; and may I realize, whether I select good or bad, much or little, the harvesting is for eternity. Grant that I may not make my life accumulate gold and grandeur, and laden it with much spending; but may I strive and love what thou dost love, and make my life worthy of my labor. Amen.
Henry Hallam born 1777.
Edmund Burke died 1797.
Elias Howe born 1819.
Discretion of speech is more
than eloquence; and to speak agreeably
to him with whom we deal is
more than to speak in good words or in
good order.
—Francis Bacon.
When anyone provokes you, be assured it is your opinion which provokes you. Try therefore, in the first place, not to be hurried away with appearance. For if you once gain time and respite, you will more easily command yourself.
—Epictetus.
Let your speech be always
with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye
may know how ye ought to answer
each one.
—Colossians 4. 6.
My Father, help me to learn through kindness and tenderness the value of self-control. Help me in the moods of jealousy and impatience, that I may not cause others unhappiness by words or deeds. Teach me how to overcome the ways that keep me discontented, that I may have a brighter speech. Amen.
John Calvin born 1509.
Sir William Blackstone born 1723.
Frederick Marryat born 1792.
The quality of mercy is not strained;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed;
It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes.
’Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
* * * * *
It is enthroned in the hearts of
kings;
It is an attribute to God himself.
—William Shakespeare.
His gain is loss; for he that wrongs his friend
Wrongs himself more, and ever has about
A silent court and jury, and himself
The prisoner at the bar, ever condemned.
—Alfred Tennyson.
Brethren, even if a man be
overtaken in any trespass, ye who are
spiritual, restore such a
one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to
thyself, lest thou also be
tempted.
—Galatians 6. 1.
My Father, help me to avoid the critical spirit that leans toward injustice. Grant that none may be made despondent waiting for my mercy; but through forgiveness may I inspire confidence in those who have made mistakes, and influence them to a better life. Amen.
Robert de Bruce born 1274.
Jean Marmontel born 1723.
John Quincy Adams, Massachusetts, sixth President
United States, born 1767.
Susan Warner (E. Wetherell) born 1819.
A friend to chide me when
I’m wrong,
My inmost soul
to see:
And that my friendship prove
as strong
For him as his
for me.
—John Quincy Adams.
Our chief want in life is
somebody who shall make us do what we can:
this is the service of a friend.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
It is better to hear the rebuke
of the wise, than for a man to hear
the song of fools. For
as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is
the laughter of the fool.
—Ecclesiastes 7. 5, 6.
My Father and Friend, who calleth me to check the progress of the wrong, make me submissive and eager for what is right, that I may learn and uphold to others thy purposes and desires. Amen.
Caius Julius Caesar born B.C. 100.
Josiah Wedgwood born 1730.
Alexander Hamilton killed 1804.
Henry David Thoreau born 1817.
Clara Louise Kellogg born 1842.
Each reaching and aspiration is an instinct with which all nature consists and cooperates, and therefore it is not in vain. If a man believes and expects great things of himself it makes no odds where you put him, he will be surrounded by grandeur.
—Henry David Thoreau.
If you have built castles
in the air, your work need not be
lost—that is where
they should be: now put foundations under them.
—Henry David Thoreau.
He is like a man building a house, who digged and went deep, and laid a foundation upon the rock: and when a flood arose, the stream brake against that house, and could not shake it: because it had been well builded.
—Luke 6. 48.
Lord of strength, I pray that while I may lay a strong foundation for my life, I may remember that I should not delay the building by neglecting to complete the plans. May I look to-day and see if I am making my words stronger than my life. With thy wisdom help me to realize that the test of life is made with the soul. Amen.
Richard Cromwell died 1712.
Elijah Fenton died 1730.
Jean Paul Marat killed by Charlotte Corday 1793.
Let each day take thought
for what concerns it, liquidate its own
affairs, and respect the day
which is to follow, and then it shall
be ready.
—Amiel.
What does your anxiety do? It does not empty to-morrow, brother, of its sorrow; but ah! it empties to-day of its strength. It does not make you escape the evil; it makes you unfit to cope with it if it comes.
—Ian Maclaren.
Be not anxious for your life,
what ye shall eat, or what ye shall
drink; nor yet for your body,
what ye shall put on.
—Matthew 6. 25.
My Father, save me from the habit of borrowing. So often I borrow trouble and cannot use it, when the peace that I possess is all that I need. Help me, that I may not miss the glory of to-day, by anticipating the uncertainty of to-morrow; but may I discern my place and have delight in every day. Amen.
Bastille destroyed 1789.
Jane Baillie Welch Carlyle born 1801.
Owen Wister born 1860.
Sail fast, sail fast,
Ark of my hopes, Ark of my dreams;
Sweep lordly o’er the drowned Past,
Fly glittering through the sun’s strange
beams;
Sail fast, sail fast.
Breath of new buds from off some drying lea,
With news about the Future scent the sea;
My brain is beating like the heart of Haste.
I’ll loose me a bird upon this Present waste;
Go, trembling song,
And stay not long; O, stay not long;
Thou art only a gray and sober dove,
But thine eye is faith and thy wing is love.
—Sidney Lanier.
God speed thee, pretty bird; may
thy small nest,
With little ones all in good time be blest.
I love thee much;
For well thou managest that life of thine,
Well I!—O ask not what I do with mine!
Would I were such!
—Jane Welch Carlyle.
Behold the birds of the heaven,
that they sow not, neither do they
reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly
Father feedeth them.
Are not ye of much more value than they?
—Matthew 6. 26.
My Father, may I start this day with more faith in myself and greater love for thy world. May my soul be awakened to the highest and be ready for the joys of to-day. Amen.
Inigo Jones born 1573.
Rembrandt born 1607.
Henry Edward Manning born 1808.
William Winter born 1836.
His was the heart that overmuch
In human goodness
puts its trust,
And his the keen, satiric
touch
That shrivels
falsehood into dust.
Fierce for the right, he bore
his part
In strife with
many a valiant foe;
But laughter winged his polished
dart,
And kindness tempered
every blow.
—William Winter.
A wise man will so act that
whatever he does may rather seem
voluntary and of his own free
will than done by compulsion, however
much he may be compelled by
necessity.
—Machiavelli.
Wherefore I saw that there
is nothing better, than that a man should
rejoice in his works; for
that is his portion: for who shall bring
him back to see what shall
be after him?
—Ecclesiastes 3. 22.
Lord God, may I not forget that it is in the light, and not the darkness, that my work is revealed. I beseech thee to pour in thy light as I plan my life, and open my heart and mind for the reception of thy truth. Amen.
Andrea del Sarto born 1486.
Sir Joshua Reynolds born 1723.
Margaret Fuller Ossoli perished at sea 1850.
Reverence the highest, have patience with the lowest. Let this day’s performance of the meanest duty be thy religion. Are the stars too distant? Pick up the pebble that lies at thy feet and from it learn all.
—Margaret Fuller.
The situation that has not its Duty, its Ideal, was never yet occupied by man. Yet, here is this miserable, despicable Actual, wherein thou standest—here or nowhere is thy Ideal! Work it out therefrom!
—Thomas Carlyle.
And whosoever shall give to
drink unto one of these little ones a
cup of cold water only, in
the name of a disciple, verily I say unto
you he shall in no wise lose
his reward.
—Matthew 10. 42.
Great God, may I begin this day bearing in mind that the things which I think and do are my life. I pray that thou wilt keep me from making great efforts for that which is valueless, and thus waste my life. May I watch my pride and indolence that they may not cause me to lose the best. Amen.
Dr. Isaac Watts born 1674.
Charlotte Corday guillotined 1793.
Paul Delaroche born 1797.
J.A. McNeil Whistler died 1903.
So frail is the youth and
beauty of men,
Though they bloom
and look gay like the rose;
But all our fond cares to
preserve them is vain,
Time kills them
as fast as he goes.
Then I’ll not be proud
of my youth nor my beauty,
Since both of
them wither and fade;
But gain a good name by well
doing my duty;
For this will
scent like the rose when I’m dead.
—Isaac Watts.
Onward, onward may we press
Through the path
of duty;
Virtue is true happiness,
Excellence true
beauty;
Minds are of supernal birth,
Let us make a heaven of earth.
—James Montgomery.
All things therefore whatsoever
ye would that men should do unto
you, even so do ye also unto
them.
—Matthew 7. 12.
My Lord and my strength, I pray that I may possess that expectancy which comes in joyous hope and have the endurance that is controlled by courage and energy. Grant in the future that I may be less concerned about my living and more anxious for what I make of my life. Amen.
William Makepeace Thackeray born 1811.
Jane Austen died 1817.
Jean Antoine Watteau died 1721.
Learn to admire rightly:
the great pleasure of life is that. Note
what great men admired; they
admired great things; narrow spirits
admire basely and worship
meanly.
—W.M. Thackeray.
Our thoughts are often more than we are, just as they are often better than we are. And God sees us as we are altogether, and not in separate feelings or actions, as our fellow men see us. We are always doing each other injustice, and thinking better or worse of each other than we deserve, because we only hear separate feelings or actions. We don’t see each other’s whole nature.
—George Eliot.
The wilderness and the dry
land shall be glad; and the desert shall
rejoice, and blossom as the
rose.
—Isaiah 35. 1.
Eternal God, may I become more like thee. Give me the desire to associate myself with people and places where the divine spirit is supreme. May my soul breathe in the influence of all that is good and true; and may I use my life for thy honor and praise. Amen.
John Martin born 1789.
Samuel Colt born 1814.
Charles Victor Cherbuliez born 1829.
In love, if love be love,
if love be ours,
Faith and unfaith can ne’er
be equal powers:
Unfaith in aught is want of
faith in all.
It is the little rift within
the lute
That by and by will make the
music mute,
And ever widening slowly silence
all.
The little rift within the
lover’s lute,
Or little pitted speck in
garner’d fruit,
That rotting inward slowly
molders all.
It is not worth the keeping:
let it go:
But shall it? Answer,
darling, answer no.
And trust me not at all or
all in all.
—Alfred Tennyson.
Take us the foxes, the little
foxes,
That spoil the vineyards;
For our vineyards are in blossom.
—Song of Solomon 2. 15.
Loving Father, help me to put away the distractions and cares that make me discontented. Grant that I may not set myself in “gilded pride” and keep out the precious things of life. Help me to abandon doubt and suspicion, and keep the faith that is happy to believe and willing to forgive. Amen.
Petrarch born 1304.
Thomas Lovell Beddoes born 1803.
John Sterling born 1806.
Jean Ingelow died 1897.
Let thy day be
to the night
A letter of good tidings!
Let thy praise
Go up as birds go up—that
when they awake,
Shake off the
dew and soar.
—Jean Ingelow.
I, and the bird,
And the wind together,
Sang a supplication
In the winter
weather.
The bird sang for sunshine,
And the trees
for winter fruit,
And for love in the spring
time
When the thickets
shoot.
And I sang for patience
When the teardrops
start;
Clean hands and clear eyes,
And a faithful
heart.
—Arthur C. Benson.
Unto thee, O Jehovah, do I lift up my soul.
—Psalm 25. 1.
Lord God, if I am discouraged this morning, may I pause for thine encouragement. Grant that the fear of the night may make no decline in my morn, but that “into the future I may fuse the past,” and use what is clearest for to-day. Amen.
Matthew Pryor born 1664.
William Lord Russell beheaded 1683.
Robert Burns died 1796.
Our heaven must be within
ourselves,
Our home and heaven the work
of faith
And thro’ this race
of life which shelves
Downward to death.
While over all a dome must
spread,
And love shall be that dome
above;
And deep foundations must
be laid,
And these are
love.
—Christina Rossetti.
If happiness has not her seat
And center in
the breast,
We may be wise or rich or
great,
But never can
be blest.
—Robert Burns.
Keep thy heart with all diligence;
For out of it are the issues of
life.
—Proverbs 4.
My Father, if I choose to be unhappy and miserable, may I not be to myself and friends as “a harp with one string.” Help me to free myself from thinking and anticipating things that keep me from the pleasure that I might receive and give. May I have more trust in my friends and in thee. Amen.
Sir John Graham killed 1298.
Pilgrims started for America 1620.
Earl of Shaftesbury (Anthony Ashley Cooper) born 1621.
How comes it to pass, then,
that we appear such cowards in
reasoning, and are so afraid
to stand the test of ridicule?
—Earl of Shaftesbury.
He that of such a height hath
built his mind,
And reared the dwelling of
his thoughts so strong,
As neither fear nor hope can
shake the frame
Of his resolved powers; nor
all the wind
Of vanity or malice pierce
to wrong
His settled peace, or to disturb
the same:
What a fair seat hath he,
from whence he may
The boundless wastes and wilds
of man survey?
—Samuel Daniel.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect
peace, whose mind is stayed on thee;
because he trusteth in thee.
—Isaiah 26. 3.
O Lord, it is not that I am ashamed to ask thee for the truth that I do not more diligently seek it, but it is because I fear the sacrifice that may follow in obtaining it. I would that I could understand that thy strength is given in the sacrifice. Make me braver as I seek to live in the truth. Amen.
Richard Gibson died 1690.
Charlotte Cushman born 1816.
Coventry Patmore born 1823.
I do not ask, O Lord, that
life may be
A pleasant road;
I do not ask that thou would’st
take from me
Aught of its load.
For one thing only, Lord,
dear Lord, I plead:
Lead me aright—
Though strength should falter,
and though heart should bleed—
Through peace
to light.
—Adelaide A. Procter.
O, why and whither?—God
knows all,
I only know that
he is good,
And that whatever may befall
Or here or there,
must be the best that could.
—John G. Whittier.
Lead me, O Jehovah, in thy
righteousness because of mine enemies;
Make thy way straight before
my face.
—Psalm 5. 8.
Loving Father, may I never fail to ask for thy guidance, for thou hast promised to lead me to the cool springs while I pass through the desert places. Help me to put myself in thy keeping and say, “Thy will be done.” Amen.
Rev. John Newton born 1725.
John P. Curran born 1750.
J.G. Holland born 1819.
As the winged arrow flies
Speedily the mark
to find;
As the lightning from the
skies
Darts and leaves
no trace behind;
Swiftly thus our fleeting
days
Bear us down life’s
rapid stream;
Upward, Lord, our spirits
raise;
All below is but
a dream.
—John Newton.
O gentlemen! the time is short;
To spend that shortness basely
were too long,
If life did ride upon a dial’s
point,
Still ending at the arrival
of an hour.
—William Shakespeare.
Jehovah, make me to know mine
end,
And the measure of my days,
what it is;
Let me know how frail I am.
—Psalm 39. 4.
Lord, forbid that I should overcast my life with intentions, and neglect to put in the deeds. May I not be satisfied to spend my days in being merely occupied, but live to learn and work. May I not be dismayed over what I might have been, but with all my might do what I can now. Amen.
Thomas a Kempis died 1471.
Simon Bolivar born 1783.
Arthur James Balfour born 1848.
Blessed indeed are those ears
which listen not after the voice which
is sounding without, but after
the truth teaching within.
—Thomas a Kempis.
How joyed my heart in the
rich melodies
That overhead and round me
did arise!
The moving leaves—the
water’s gentle flow—
Delicious music hung on every
bough.
Then said I in my heart, “If
that the Lord
Such lively music on the earth
accord;
If to weak, sinful man such
sounds are given,
O! what must be the melody
of heaven!”
—Izaak Walton.
But thou, O Jehovah, knowest
me; thou seest me, and triest my heart
toward thee.
—Jeremiah 12. 3.
Loving Father, thou hast made it needful for me to know that the songs which are sung by divine love are rarely heard by cruel hearts. Grant that my soul may chord with the sweetest music that vibrates in the beauty and harmony of life. Amen.
Charles Emmanuel died 1630.
John Wilmot died 1680.
George Clinton born 1739.
Quiet minds cannot be perplexed
or frightened, but go on in fortune
or misfortune at their own
private pace, like a clock during a
thunderstorm.
—Robert L. Stevenson.
I have learned, as days have
passed me,
Fretting never
lifts the load;
And worry, much or little,
Never smooths
an irksome road;
For do you know that somehow,
always,
Doors are opened,
ways are made;
When we work and live in patience
Under all the
cross that’s laid.
—Unknown.
But whoso hearkeneth unto
me shall dwell securely, And shall be
quiet without fear of evil.
—Proverbs 1. 33.
Merciful and just God, I pray that I may regulate my life by thy standards and conform my life to thy laws, that thy goodness and mercy may not be wasted on me. Help me to bear in mind, that willingness is the power that starts the hands to work. May I have thy presence while I wait in quietness, that I may be helped through the anxious moments. Amen.
Thomas Campbell born 1777.
Alexandre Dumas-fils born 1824.
Dr. John Dalton died 1844.
What’s hallowed ground?
’Tis what gives birth
To sacred thoughts
in souls of worth!—
Peace! Independence!
Truth! go forth
Earth’s
compass round;
And your high-priesthood shall
make earth
All hallowed ground.
—Thomas Campbell.
Remember the week day to keep it holy.
—Elbert Hubbard.
The meaning of life comes
to us mostly in great revealing flashes
and intense emotions.
—Dean Farrar.
To the pure all things are pure.
—Titus 1. 15.
Gracious Father, may I not feel that it is necessary to wait for certain days and ceremonies to prepare to worship thee, while at every moment thy love is pleading for me. May I through the busiest hours and the most perplexing moments serve thee in reverence and obedience, and ever give praise to thy holy name. Amen.
John Sebastian Bach died 1750.
Robespierre executed 1794.
Jean Baptiste Corot born 1796.
O Light that followest all
my way,
I yield my flickering
torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed
ray,
That in thy sunshine’s
blaze its day
May brighter,
fairer be.
—George Matheson.
Follow your Star that lights
a desert pathway, yours or mine,
Forward, till you learn the
highest Human Nature is divine.
Follow Light and do the Right—for
man can half control his doom—
Till you see the deathless
Angel seated in the vacant Tomb.
—Alfred Tennyson.
My soul waiteth for the Lord,
More than watchmen wait for
the morning;
Yea, more than watchmen for
the morning.
—Psalm 130. 6.
Almighty God, help me to kindle my life by the shining light of thy power and love, that I may be an ambassador for thee. Amen.
Andrew Marvell died 1678.
William Wilberforce died 1833.
Dr. Thomas Dick died 1857.
I wrestle not with rage
While fury’s
flame doth burn;
It is vain to stop the stream
Until the tide
doth turn.
But when the flame is out
And ebbing wrath
doth end
I turn a late enraged foe
Into a quiet friend.
—Robert Southwell.
If I can lend
A strong hand to the fallen,
or defend
The right against a single
envious strain,
My life though
bare
Perhaps of much that seemeth
dear and fair
To us on earth, will not have
been in vain.
—Unknown.
A friend loveth at all times;
And a brother is born for
adversity.
—Proverbs 17. 17.
Gracious Father of us all, if I may have cause to be provoked to-day, help me to rise above my angry passions, and not from weakness plunge into that for which I may be sorry. Make me self-forgetful, that I may be willing to make peace with those whom I may have displeased. Amen.
Samuel Rogers born 1763.
Thomas Gray died 1771.
W.T. Adams (Oliver Optic) born 1822.
Prince Bismarck died 1898.
Sit down, sad soul, and count
The moments flying;
Come, tell the sweet amount
That’s lost
by sighing!
How many smiles?—a
score?
Then laugh, and count no more;
For day is dying.
Lie down sad soul, and sleep,
And no more measure
The flight of time, nor weep
The loss of leisure;
But here by this lone stream,
Lie down with us, and dream
Of starry treasure.
Bryan Waller Procter.
The only thing grief has taught
me is to know how shallow it is.
Grief will not carry you one
step into real nature; grief can teach
me nothing.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Leave off, ye simple ones,
and live;
And walk in the way of understanding.
—Proverbs 9. 6.
God of love, may I come quickly to thee, when I am in need of protection and sympathy. Guard me against sorrow that is drawn from the imagination. May I not allow grief to drag me into misery, but with strength and courage may I find happiness in thy daily will. Amen.
John Conybeare died 1775.
John Ericsson born 1803.
Paul B. Du Chaillu born 1835.
Phoebe Cary died 1871.
Be wise to-day; ’tis
madness to defer;
Next day the fatal precedent
will plead;
Thus on, till wisdom is pushed
out of life.
Procrastination is the thief
of time;
Year after year it steals,
till all are fled,
And to the mercies of a moment
leaves
The vast concerns of an eternal
scene.
—Dr. Edward Young.
O, my friend, rise up and
follow
Where the hand
of God shall lead;
He has brought thee through
affliction,
But to fit thee
for his need.
—Mary Howitt.
For he is our God,
And we are the people of his
pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
To-day, O that ye would hear
his voice!
Harden not your heart.
—Psalm 95. 7, 8.
Lord God, I come to thee for help, that I may make more of my life. Steady me, that I may know its value without wavering, and the loss it sustains from wasted days. I pray that I may live more in thy commandments, and with my work accept the joy of thy love. Amen.
Flame-like, the
long midday,
With not so much of sweet
air as hath stirred
The down upon
the spray,
Where nests the
panting bird,
Dozing away the hot and tedious
noon,
With fitful twitter, sadly
out of tune.
Pleasantly comest
thou,
Dew of the evening, to the
crisped-up grass;
And the curled
corn-blades bow,
As the light breezes
pass,
That their parched lips may
feel thee, and expand,
Thou sweet reviver of the
fevered land.
So, to the thirsting
soul,
Cometh the dew of the Almighty’s
love;
And the scathed
heart, made whole,
Turneth in joy
above,
To where the spirit freely
may expand,
And rove, untrammeled, in
that “better land.”
—William D. Gallagher.
AUGUST FIRST
Andrew Melville born 1545.
Richard Henry Dana, Jr., born 1815.
Maria Mitchell born 1818.
Am I wrong to be always so
happy? This world is full of grief;
Yet there is laughter of sunshine,
to see the crisp green on the leaf,
Daylight is ringing with song-birds,
and brooklets are crooning at night;
And why should I make a shadow
when God makes all so bright?
Earth may be wicked and weary,
yet cannot I help being glad!
There is sunshine without
and within me, and how should I mope or be sad?
God would not flood me with
blessings, meaning me only to pine
Amid all the bounties and
beauties he pours upon me and mine;
Therefore I will be grateful,
and therefore will I rejoice;
My heart is singing within
me; sing on, O heart and voice.
—Walter C. Smith.
Rejoice always.
—1 Thessalonians 5. 16.
Gracious Father, my soul floods with joy for the blessings of life. May it be my privilege to be happy in them. Help me not to ask thee for anything which will cause loss to another; may I not delight in a lonely view, but as I see thy glory bring others to the vision also. Amen.
Thomas Gainsborough died 1788.
Elisha Gray born 1835.
Marion Crawford born 1854.
William Watson born 1859.
The Holy Supper is kept, indeed,
In whatso we share with another’s
need;
Not what we give, but what
we share,
For the gift without the giver
is bare;
Who gives himself with his
alms feeds three,
Himself, his hungering neighbor,
and me.
—James Russell Lowell.
And when o’er storm
and jar I climb,
Beyond life’s
atmosphere,
I shall behold the lord of
time
And space—of
world and year.
O vain, far quest! not thus
my heart
Shall ever find
its goal!
I turn me home—and
there thou art,
My Father, in
my soul.
—George Macdonald.
That they should seek God,
if haply they might feel after him and
find him, though he is not
far from each one of us; for in him we
live, and move, and have our
being.
—Acts 17. 27, 28.
O Lord, my gracious Father, may I not be so eager for more, that I feel I have nothing to spare. Help me to realize that if I may be on the mountain-top, or at the level of the sea, thy spirit may dwell in my soul. May I rejoice that I can always receive and share thy grace and love. Amen.
John Henley born 1692.
Henry Cuyler Bunner born 1855.
Eugene Sue died 1857.
Set out in the very morning of your lives with a frank and manly determination to look simply for what is right and true in all things.... This is the only way to know God’s will and do it. You may not find it at once, but you have set your face in the true direction to find it.
—Jeremy Taylor.
The important thing in life
is to have a great aim, and to possess
the aptitude and perseverance
to attain it.
—Goethe.
Blessed are they that keep
his testimonies,
That seek him with the whole
heart.
—Psalm 119. 2.
Lord God, forbid that I should lose the opportunities of making my life by waiting for sudden developments. Cause me to notice that the tree that bears fruit must first grow the blossom before it may be perfected by the sun: whether thou hast made me greater or less, may I be ashamed to live in untruth and wait in idleness. Amen.
Percy Bysshe Shelley born 1792.
Edward Irving born 1792.
Walter H. Pater born 1839.
We look before
and after,
And
pine for what is not;
Our sincerest
laughter
With
some pain is fraught;
Our sweetest songs are those
that tell of saddest thought.
Yet if we could
scorn
Hate
and pride and fear,
If we were things
born
Not
to shed a tear,
I know not how thy joy we
ever could come near.
—Percy Bysshe Shelley.
It becomes no man to nurse
despair,
But in the teeth of clenched
antagonisms
To follow up the worthiest
till he die.
—Alfred Tennyson.
He suffered no man to do them
wrong;
Yea, he reproved kings for
their sakes.
—1 Chronicles 16. 21.
My Father, I bless thee for thy patience and forbearance. I pray that thou wilt forgive me for all the sorrow that I have made from rebellion and despair, and with thy forgiveness may I receive patience and cheerful courage. Amen.
John Eliot born 1604.
John, Lord Wrottesley, born 1798.
Richard Lord Howe died 1799.
To live within a cave—it
is most good;
But if God made
a day,
And some one come,
and say,
“Lo! I have gathered
faggots in the wood!”
E’en let
him stay,
And light a fire, and fan
a temporal mood!
So sit till morning! when
the light is grown
That he the path
can read,
Then bid the man
Godspeed!
His morning is not thine:
yet must thou own
Those ashes on
the stone.
They have a cheerful
warmth.
—Thomas Edward Brown.
It is given to us sometimes,
even in our everyday life, to witness
the saving influence of a
noble nature, the divine efficacy of
rescue that may lie in a self-subduing
act of fellowship.
—George Eliot.
And the King shall answer
and say unto them, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye did it unto
one of these my brethren, even these
least, ye did it unto me.
—Matthew 25. 40.
Father of mankind, may I not be a barrier to the discouraged, but help them in the ways of encouragement. May I not allow pride and prejudice to keep me from acts of love and deeds of kindness, but may I be worthy of thy trust. Amen.
Ben Jonson died 1637.
Francois Fenelon born 1651.
Daniel O’Connell born 1775.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, born 1809.
O well for him whose will
is strong!
He suffers, but
he will not suffer long;
He suffers, but he cannot
suffer wrong;
For him nor moves
the loud world’s random mock,
Not all Calamity’s hugest
waves confound,
Who seems a promontory
rock,
That compassed round with
turbulent sound,
In middle ocean
meets the surging shock,
Tempest-buffeted, citadel-crowned.
—Alfred Tennyson.
Grandeur of character lies
in force of soul—that is, in the force
of thought, moral principle,
and love; and this may be found in the
humblest condition of life.
—William Ellery Channing.
So then, brethren, stand fast.
—2 Thessalonians 2. 15.
Eternal God, help me that I may not be deceived by my surroundings as I seek to have life abundantly. Instruct me that it is by the way of character that I must attain the laws of growth, and learn reverence for the spirit of divine life. Amen.
Battle of Thermopylae B.C. 480.
Frederick William (Dean) Farrar born 1831.
Alexander M. Bell died 1905.
Although a friend may remain
faithful in misfortune, yet none but
the very best and loftiest
will remain faithful to us after our
errors and our sins.
—Dean Farrar.
Friendship is like a debt of honor: the moment it is talked of it loses its real name, and assumes the more ungrateful form of obligation. From hence we find that those who regularly undertake to cultivate friendship find ingratitude generally repays their endeavors.
—Oliver Goldsmith.
For even in their wickedness shall my prayer continue.
—Psalm 141. 5.
Lord God, may I ever continue to be thankful for the times thou hast helped me, when I have asked for thy compassion; may I recall the joy in which I received it, when it may be mine to have compassion and extend a helping hand to others. I pray that I may place my life where it will be stronger than adversity and controlled by sincerity and love. Amen.
Charles A. Dana born 1819.
Laurence Hutton born 1843.
Cecile Chaminade born 1861.
Lo! all the glory
gone!
God’s masterpiece
undone!
The last created and the first
to fall;
The noblest, frailest, godliest
of all.
Child of the humble
sod,
Wed with the breath
of God,
Descend! for with the lowest
thou must lie—
Arise! thou hast inherited
the sky.
—John B. Tabb.
Far away there in the sunshine
are my highest aspirations; I cannot
reach them, but I can look
up and see their beauty, believe in them,
and try to follow where they
lead.
—Louisa M. Alcott.
I will lift up mine eyes unto
the mountains:
From whence shall my help
come?
—Psalm 121. 1.
Heavenly Father, may I see as I raise my eyes to the mountains that without the deep shadows there would be no vision of the high-light, and still higher may I see that without the sun there would be no color to encircle the rainbow. And beyond, O Father, may I believe that without the shadow of the cross we could not have the glory of the resurrection. May I keep the vision clear. Amen.
Izaak Walton born 1593.
John Dryden born 1631.
Francis Scott Key born 1780.
Joseph Jacques Tissot died 1902.
All habits gather, by unseen
degrees,
Brooks make rivers, rivers
run to seas.
—John Dryden.
Now it catches the gleam of
the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now
shines on the stream;
’Tis the star-spangled
banner; O yet may it wave
O’er the land of the
free and the home of the brave!
—Francis Scott Key.
Do not be troubled because you have not great virtues. God made a million spears of grass where he made one tree.... Only have enough of little virtues and common fidelities, and you need not mourn because you are neither a hero nor a saint.
—Henry Ward Beecher.
The reward of humility and
the fear of Jehovah
Is riches, and honor, and
life.
—Proverbs 22. 4.
Lord God, who keepest truth to generations, and who through love and wisdom hath gathered us into nations, forgive me for what I have done that is wrong, and for what I have neglected that was right. May I give greater loyalty to my country and to thee. Amen.
Founding of Greenwich Observatory 1675.
Sir Charles Napier born 1782.
George Park Fisher born 1827.
No one can ask honestly or
hopefully to be delivered from temptation
unless he has himself honestly
and firmly determined to do the best
he can to keep out of it.
—John Ruskin.
Men at some time are masters
of their fates:
The fault, dear Brutus, is
not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we
are underlings.
—William Shakespeare.
The greatest punishment one
can have is to discover, not how hard,
but how low he has fallen.
—M.B.S.
O Timothy, guard that which
is committed unto thee, turning away
from the profane babblings
and oppositions of the knowledge which is
falsely so-called.
—1 Timothy 6. 20.
Almighty God, through thy mercies may I recognize my faults, and correct any evil that is in me. Make me strong, that I may not yield to temptation. May I have regard for thy will and be prepared to take thy messages as they are flashed to the soul. Amen.
Jean Victor Moreau born 1761.
Octave Feuillet born 1821.
Signer Crispi died 1901.
Heaven overreaches you and
me,
And all earth’s gardens
and her graves.
Look up with me, until we
see
The day break and the shadows
flee.
What though to-night wrecks
you and me
If so to-morrow saves?
—Christina G. Rossetti.
The essence of joy lies in the doing rather than in the result of the doing. There is a lifelong and solid satisfaction in any productive labor, manual or mental, which is not pushed beyond the limit of strength.
—Charles W. Eliot.
Show me thy ways, O Jehovah;
Teach me thy paths.
Guide me in thy truths, and
teach me.
—Psalm 25. 4, 5.
My Father, keep me where my eyes may look expectantly toward the dawn, through the darkness. Take away everything that comes between me and the brightness of the morning. Amen.
Robert Southey born 1774.
Francis Horner born 1778.
Edith Thomas born 1854.
Katherine Lee Bates born 1859.
Our restlessness in this world seems to indicate that we are intended for a better. We have all of us a longing after happiness; and surely the Creator will gratify all the natural desires he has implanted in us.
—Robert Southey.
Whenso my quick, light-sandaled
feet
Bring me where Joys and Pleasures
meet,
I mingle with their throng
at will;
They know me not an alien
still,
Since neither words nor ways
unsweet
Of stored bitterness I spill;
Youth shuns me not nor gladness
fears,
For I go softly all my years.
—Edith Thomas.
He hath swallowed up death
forever; and the Lord Jehovah will wipe
away tears from off all faces.
—Isaiah 25. 8.
Loving Father, help me to guard my inclinations. May I be able to appreciate that though I may be restless from ambition, I also may be restless through discontent. Correct my life, that my desires may meet the true demands of my soul. Strengthen me with the power of calmness, that “I may go softly all my years,” even though I walk through the bitterness of sorrow. Amen.
Jeremy Taylor died 1667.
Dr. William Wotton born 1669.
Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward born 1844.
Elizabeth Prentiss died 1878.
Sir John Millais died 1896.
Feeling the way—and
all the way up hill;
But on the open summit, calm
and still,
The feet of Christ are planted;
and they stand
In view of all the quiet land.
Feeling the way—and
if the way is cold,
What matter? since upon the
fields of gold
His breath is melting; and
the warm winds sing
While rocking summer days
for him.
—Elizabeth S. Phelps.
All the performances of human
art, at which we look with praise and
wonder, are instances of the
resistless force of perseverance.
—Samuel Johnson.
But abide thou in the things
which thou hast learned and hast been
assured of, knowing of whom
thou hast learned them.
—–2 Timothy 3. 14.
My Lord, I would remember to ask thee this morning for that of which I seem to have most need. May I have the will to keep my patience and realize the untold power of my words and actions. Give me thy peace, not only to rest in, but that I may have it to give to others. Amen.
Dr. Meric Casaubon born 1599.
Dr. Charles Button born 1737.
Walter Besant born 1836.
Ernest Thompson Seton born 1860.
Florence Nightingale died 1910.
I count this thing to be grandly
true,
That a noble deed
is a step toward God;
Lifting the soul
from the common clod
To a purer air and a broader
view.
We rise by the things that
are under our feet,
By what we have
mastered of good or gain,
By the pride deposed
and the passion slain,
And the vanquished ills that
we hourly meet.
—Richard Watson Gilder.
No Apostle of Liberty much
to my heart ever found I;
License each for himself,
this was at bottom their want.
Liberator of many! first dare
to be Servant of many;
What a business is that, would’st
thou know it, go try!
—Goethe.
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
—1 Thessalonians 5. 21.
Gracious Father, if I may be beginning this day with an unclean purpose in my heart, help me to clear it away; if I may be trying to avoid some urgent duty, make me ashamed to resist it. Keep away the desires that harm my life, and that withhold the enjoyment of my common work. Amen.
Jeremy Taylor baptized 1613.
Napoleon Bonaparte born 1769.
Sir Walter Scott born 1771.
Thomas de Quincey born 1785.
And do our loves all perish
with our frames?
Do those that took their root
and put forth buds,
And their soft leaves unfolded
in the warmth
Of mutual hearts, grow up
and live in beauty,
Then fade and fall, like fair,
unconscious flowers?
O, listen, man!
A voice within us speaks the
startling word,
“Man, thou shalt never
die!”
—Richard Henry Dana.
I am drawing near to the close of my career; I am fast shuffling off the stage. I have been perhaps the most voluminous author of the day; and it is a comfort to me to think I have tried to unsettle no man’s faith, to corrupt no man’s principle, and that I have written nothing which on my deathbed I should wish blotted.
—Sir Walter Scott.
But concerning love of the
brethren ye have no need that one write
unto you: for ye yourselves
are taught of God to love one another.
—1 Thessalonians 4. 9.
Almighty God, may I have that faith in eternal life which will make me careful of what I choose for my own and more careful of what I put in the lives of others. Amen.
Ralph Thoresby born 1658.
Dr. Thomas Fuller died 1661.
Dr. Matthew Tindal died 1733.
The secret of goodness and
greatness is in choosing whom you will
approach and live with, in
memory or imagination, through the
crowding obvious people who
seem to live with you.
—Robert Browning.
Fair Nature’s book together
read,
The old wood-paths that knew
our tread,
The maple shadows overhead—
Where’er I look, where’er
I stray,
Thy thought goes with me on
my way,
And hence the prayer I breathe
to-day.
—John Greenleaf Whittier.
Shall two walk together, except they have agreed?
—Amos 3. 3.
Lord God, I thank thee for the delight of congenial companions and the memory of friendship. May I not be quick to lose my friends through misunderstanding and selfishness. May I be considerate and constant and be able to climb to the highest steeps of friendship. Amen.
Dr. William Carey born 1761.
David Crockett born 1786.
Mary Abigail Dodge (Gail Hamilton) died 1896.
The destiny of nations lies far more in the hands of women—the mothers—than in the hands of those who possess power. We must cultivate women, who are educators of the human race, else a new generation cannot accomplish its task.
—Froebel.
In an old continental town they will show you a prison in a tower, and on all the stones of that prison within reach one word is carved—it is, “Resist!” Years ago a godly woman was for forty years immured in that dungeon, and she spent her time in cutting with a piece of iron on every stone that one word, for the strengthening of her own heart and for the benefit of all who might come after her, “Resist!” “Resist!” “Resist!”
—J.G. Mantle.
Then Mordecai bade them return answer unto Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews ... and who knoweth whether thou art not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
—Esther 4. 13, 14.
Lord God, give me wisdom to help relieve the ignorant and suffering. May I strive in every way to free thy people, that they may be uplifted in the progress of life. Amen.
Virginia Dare, first English child born in America, 1587.
Dr. Henry Hammond born 1605.
Robert Williams Buchanan born 1841.
John Russell born 1792.
Pour out thy love like the
rush of a river,
Wasting its waters for ever
and ever,
Through the burnt sands that
reward not the giver;
Silent or songful
thou nearest the sea.
Scatter thy life as the summer
showers pouring.
What if no bird through the
pearl rain is soaring?
What if no blossom looks upward
adoring?
Look to the life
that was lavished for thee.
—Unknown.
Who is the happiest person?
He whose nature asks for nothing that
the world does not wish and
use.
—Goethe.
Freely ye received, freely give.
—Matthew 10. 8.
My Father, I pray that I may have the sympathy that responds with consideration and devotion. May it be a joy for me to give comfort and render service where I may help. Grant that I may not linger too long in happiness and miss thy blessings, but remember that to “travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive.” Amen.
Augustus Caesar died A.D. 14.
James Watt died 1819.
Robert Bloomfield died 1823.
Honore Balzac died 1850.
It is written not, “Blessed is he that feedeth the poor,” but “Blessed is he that considereth the poor.” And you know a little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money.
—John Ruskin.
So pity never leaves the gentle
breast
Where love has been received
a welcome guest;
As wandering saints poor huts
have sacred made,
He hallows every heart he
once has swayed,
And, when his presence we
no longer share,
Still leaves compassion as
a relic there.
—Thomas Sheridan.
If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit?
—James 2. 16.
Tender Father, help me to consider those who receive the crust of bread at my door; for if it be needed it is asked for by sad and desperate lives. Make me conscious of thy mercy and help, that I may be considerate for the one with the outstretched hand. Amen.
Saint Bernard died 1153.
Robert Herrick born 1591.
John and Cornelius De Witt killed 1672.
Francis Asbury born 1745.
Henry P. Liddon born 1829.
Benjamin Harrison, Ohio, twenty-third President
United States, born 1833.
The busy world shoves angrily
aside
The man who stands with arms
akimbo set
Until occasion tells him what
to do;
And he who waits to have his
task marked out
Shall die and leave his errand
unfulfilled.
—James Russell Lowell.
Awake, arise! the hour is
late!
Angels are knocking
at thy door!
They are in haste and cannot
wait,
And once departed
come no more.
—Henry W. Longfellow.
Boast not thyself of to-morrow;
For thou knowest not what
a day may bring forth.
—Proverbs 27. 1.
Gracious Father, grant that I may not tarry so long, that when I arrive I will hear, “Too late, too late, ye cannot enter now”; but may I be so persistent with every day that when I arrive I may be ready as well as on time. Amen.
Lady Mary Montagu died 1762.
Jules Michelet born 1798.
John Tyndall born 1820.
Let us never be afraid of innocent joy; God is good and what he does is well done; resign yourself to everything, even happiness; ask for the spirit of sacrifice, of detachment, of renunciation, and above all, for the spirit of joy and gratitude.
—Amiel.
That’s
the wise thrush;
He sings each song twice over,
Lest you should think he never
could recapture
The first fine careless rapture!
—Robert Browning.
And these things we write, that our joy may be made full.
—1 John 1. 4.
Lord God, help me to keep the things under my feet that are inclined to destroy happiness. Show me clearly the line which divides right and wrong, that I may not fear the censure of the world. Help me to act with good judgment and be calm in obeying thy laws. Amen.
John B. Gough born 1817.
Warren Hastings died 1818.
G. W. De Long born 1844.
I never saw a moor,
I never saw the
sea;
Yet know I how a heather looks
And what a wave
must be.
I never spoke with God,
Nor visited in
heaven;
Yet certain am I of the spot
As if the chart
were given.
—Emily Dickinson.
I don’t want to possess
a faith; I want a faith which will possess
me.
—Charles Kingsley.
Not by might, nor by power,
but by my Spirit, saith Jehovah of
hosts.
—Zechariah 4. 6.
My Father, may there be no room in my soul for doubt. Help me to be cautious and careful that my own neglect and carelessness may not cause the loss of my faith. May I be trustful as I look for the great light that guides me over the uncertain way. Amen.
Rowland Hill born 1744.
Louis XVI born 1754.
William E. Henley born 1849.
Out of the night that covers
me,
Black as the Pit
from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may
be
For my unconquerable
soul.
It matters not how strait
the gate,
How charged with
punishments the scroll,
I am master of my fate,
I am the captain
of my soul.
—W. E. Henley.
A man who has borne himself
honorably through a whole life makes an
action honorable which might
appear ambiguous in others.
—Goethe.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable.
—1 Corinthians 15. 58.
Father of mercy, I beseech thee to protect me in my endeavors as I try to live my ideals. May I not choose unnecessary burdens, and when I most need to be strong find that I have lived in that which has weakened my life. I ask for a clear mind and a strong heart that I may be “Captain of my soul.” Amen.
William Wilberforce born 1759.
William Thomas Moncrieff born 1794.
Theodore Parker born 1810.
Give me, Lord, eyes to behold
the truth;
A seeing sense
that knows the eternal right;
A heart with pity filled,
and gentlest ruth;
A manly faith
that makes all darkness light:
Give me the power to labor
for mankind;
Make me the mouth
of such as cannot speak;
Eyes let me be to groping
men and blind.
—Theodore Parker.
Love’s hearts are faithful,
but not fond,
Bound for the just, but not
beyond;
Not glad, as the low-loving
herd,
Of self in other still preferred,
But they have heartily designed
The benefit of broad mankind.
And they serve men austerely,
After their own genius, clearly,
Without a false humility.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Herein I also exercise myself
to have a conscience void of offense
toward God and men always.
—Acts 24. 16.
Heavenly Father, help me to-day to look into my heart and see the truth of my life, and show me thy heart that I may see the truth of life. Amen.
Thomas Chatterton died 1770.
Sir William Herschel died 1822.
Francis Bret Harte died 1902.
O teach me in the trying hour,
When anguish swells
the dewy tear,
To still my sorrows, own thy
power,
Thy goodness love,
thy justice fear.
Then why, my soul, dost thou
complain?
Why drooping seek
the dark recess?
Shake off the melancholy chain,
For God created
all to bless.
—Thomas Chatterton.
Each substance of a grief
hath twenty shadows
which show
like grief itself, but are not so:
For sorrow’s eye, glazed
with blinding tears,
Divides one thing entire to
many shadows.
—William Shakespeare.
Why art thou cast down, O
my soul?
And why art thou disquieted
within me?
Hope thou in God.
—Psalm 42. 5.
Loving Father, forbid that I should be lonesome, and forget thou art my friend: and may I not pass over thy mercies while waiting for thy compassion. Help me to find contentment in the inheritances of the earth, where I may always draw from thee. Amen.
Sir Robert Walpole born 1676.
Adam Clarke died 1832.
Henry Fawcett born 1833.
Lord, for to-morrow and its
needs
I
do not pray;
Keep me, my God, from stain
of sin
Just
for to-day.
Help me to labor earnestly,
And
duly pray;
Let me be kind in word and
deed,
Father,
to-day.
Let me no wrong or idle word
Unthinking
say;
Set thou a seal upon my lips
Through
all to-day.
Let me in season, Lord, be
grave,
In
season gay;
Let me be faithful to thy
grace,
Dear
Lord, to-day.
—Ernest Wilberforce.
And which of you by being
anxious can add one cubit unto the measure
of his life?
—Matthew 6. 27.
My Lord, I pray that thou wilt control my life, and bless the going out of my work, be it ever so great or small. Help me to realize the necessity of earnestness, that I may “work while it is to-day,” and I have the light, and not wait for the night, when it is too dark for work to be done. May I be faithful in my work until it is completed. Amen.
William Woollett born 1735.
James Thomson died 1748.
George W. F. Hegel born 1770.
Who are thy playmates, boy?
“My favorite is joy,
Who brings with him his sister
Peace, to stay
The livelong day.
I love them both; but he
Is most to me!”
And where are thy playmates
now,
O man of sober brow?
“Alas! dear joy, the
merriest is dead,
But I have wed
Peace; and our babe, a boy
Newborn, is joy.”
—John B. Tabb.
Depart from evil, and do good;
Seek peace, and pursue it.
—Psalm 34. 14.
Lord God, may I realize more my dependence on thee for the joys of life. I pray that as I accept thy gifts I will not neglect to take the peace and happiness which thou dost give with them. Grant that I may have the bright hope and cheerful courage that is the experience of power and truth. Amen.
Johann W. von Goethe born 1749.
Ormsby MacKnight Mitchel born 1809.
Jones Very born 1813.
Count Lyoff (Leo) Tolstoy born 1828.
Sir Edward Burne-Jones born 1833.
Leigh Hunt died 1859.
All truly wise thoughts have
been already thought a thousand times;
but to make them truly ours
we must think them over again honestly,
till they take firm root in
our personal experience.
—Goethe.
The light that fills thy house
at morn
Thou canst not
for thyself retain;
But all who with thee here
are born
It bids to share
an equal gain.
The wave, the blue encircling
wave,
No chain can bind,
no fetter hold;
Its thunders tell of Him who
gave
What none can
ever buy for gold.
—Jones Very.
And the glory which thou hast given me I have given unto them
—John 17. 22.
Father of love, I thank thee for thy daily love and for thy daily bread. May I feel that thy gifts are for all, and not mine to keep and store from those who are in need. Help me as I say, “Thy will be done to me,” to so will it to others. Amen.
John Locke born 1632.
John Fawcett born 1768.
Frederick D. Maurice born 1805.
Oliver Wendell Holmes born 1809.
Maurice Maeterlinck born 1862.
Build thee more stately mansions,
O my soul,
As
the swift seasons roll!
Leave
thy low-vaulted past!
Let each new temple, nobler
than the last,
Shut thee from heaven with
a dome more vast,
Till
thou at length art free,
Leaving thine outgrown shell
by life’s unresting sea!
—Oliver Wendell Holmes.
We all live in the sublime. Where else can we live? That is the only place of life. Though you have but a little room, do you fancy that God is not there, too, and it is impossible to live therein a life that shall be somewhat lofty? Do you imagine that you can possibly be alone, that love can be a thing one knows, a thing one sees; that events can be weighed like the gold and silver of ransom?
—Maurice Maeterlinck.
My soul waiteth in silence
for God only:
From him cometh my salvation.
—Psalm 62. 1.
Loving Father, help me to live, that my spirit may always dwell in thy protecting love. Amen.
Cleopatra died B. C. 30.
William Paley born 1743.
Julian A. Weir born 1852.
Thyself
and thy belongings
Are not thine own so proper
as to waste
Thyself upon thy virtues,
they on thee.
Heaven doth with us as we
with torches do,
Not light them for themselves;
for if our virtues
Did not go forth of us, ’twere
all alike
As if we had them not.
Spirits are not finely touched
But to fine issues, nor Nature
never lends
The smallest scruple of her
excellence,
But, like a thrifty goddess,
she determines
Herself the glory of a creditor,
Both thanks and use.
—William Shakespeare.
Brethren, be ye imitators
together of me, and mark them that so walk
even as ye have us for an
ensample.
—Philippians 3. 17.
My Father, I pray that I may not let my life become commonplace through habit. May I not be content to rest in my virtues and let the days pass neglected. Awaken my dull satisfactions to a desire to live for the greatest, that I may have the greatest to live for. Amen.
John Bunyan died 1686.
Charles James Lever born 1806.
Theophile Gautier born 1811.
Queen Wilhelmina of Holland born 1880.
Let us be patient, and endure
a while; the time may come that God
may give us a happy release;
but let us not be our own murderers.
—John Bunyan.
He that is down need fear
no fall;
He that is low
no pride;
He that is humble ever shall
Have God to be
his guide.
—John Bunyan.
Time delivers fools from grief and reason wise men.
—Epictetus.
For our light affliction,
which is for the moment, worketh for us
more and more exceedingly
an eternal weight of glory.
—2 Corinthians 4. 17.
My Lord, if I may be walking through fields that are rough with grief and care, may I have the courage to continue on to the smooth pastures, where I may walk with comfort and peace. May I not let the weariness and sorrow that may come to my heart to-day dwarf my hope and enjoyment of the future. Amen.
Go
forth at eventide,
The eventide of summer, when
the trees
Yield their frail honors to
the passing breeze,
And woodland paths with autumn
tints are dyed;
When the mild sun his paling
luster shrouds
In gorgeous draperies of golden
clouds,
Then wander forth, mid beauty
and decay,
To meditate alone—alone
to watch and pray.
—Emma C. Embury.
SEPTEMBER FIRST
Edward Alleyn born 1566.
Lydia Sigourney born 1791.
James Gordon Bennett, Sr., born 1795.
William Stanley Jevons born 1835.
O
ye, who proudly boast,
In your veins, the blood of
sires like these,
Look to their lineaments.
Dread lest ye lose
Their likeness in your sons.
Should mammon cling
Too close around your heart,
or wealth beget
That bloated luxury which
eats the core
From manly virtue, or the
tempting world
Make faint the Christian purpose
in your soul,
Turn ye to Plymouth Rock,
and where they knelt
Kneel, and renew the vow they
breathed to God.
—Lydia Sigourney.
Educate children without religion,
and you make a race of clever
devils.
—Duke of Wellington.
Remember his covenant for
ever,
The word which he commanded
to a thousand generations.
—1 Chronicles 16. 15.
O Lord of wisdom, kindle me with a love for true knowledge, that I may strive, in the moments I have now, to culture my life. Not by might, not by power, but by thy spirit, O Lord, may I learn and teach thy children. Amen.
John Howard born 1726.
Henry George born 1839.
George R. Sims born 1842.
Eugene Field born 1850.
Newell Dwight Hillis born 1858.
And thus we sat in darkness,
Each one busy
in his prayer;
“We are lost!”
the captain shouted,
As he staggered
down the stair.
But the little daughter whispered,
As she took his
icy hand,
“Isn’t God upon
the ocean,
Just the same
as on the land?”
—Eugene Field.
Happiness is through helpfulness.
Every morning let us build a booth
to shelter some one from life’s
fierce heat. Every noon let us dig
some life-spring for thirsty
lips.
—Newell Dwight Hillis.
Jehovah is nigh unto all them
that call upon him,
To all that call upon, him
in truth.
—Psalm 145. 18.
Heavenly Father, may I live that my spirit may never feel lost from thee; and when I am in great need of thee, even unto death, may I know that thou art very near. Amen.
Oliver Cromwell died 1658.
George Lillo died 1739.
Bishop James Harrington born 1847.
Sarah Orne Jewett born 1849.
Love thyself last: cherish
those hearts that hate thee:
Corruption wins not more than
honesty.
Still in thy right hand carry
peace,
To silence envious tongues.
Be just and fear not:
Let all the ends thou aim’st
at be thy country’s,
Thy God’s and truth’s;
then if thou fallest, O Cromwell,
Thou fallest a blessed martyr.
—William Shakespeare.
Surely, the only true knowledge of our fellow man is that which enables us to feel with him, which gives us a fine ear for the heart-pulses that are beating under the mere clothes of circumstance and opinion.
—George Eliot.
With all lowliness and meekness,
with long-suffering, forbearing one
another in love.
—Ephesians 4. 2.
Lord, give thy people consistency of judgment, one heart, and mutual love; and go on to deliver them, and with the work of the reformation; and make the name of Christ glorious in the world. Teach those who look too much on thy instruments to depend more upon thyself. Pardon the folly of this short prayer: Even for Christ’s sake. And give us a good night, if it be thy pleasure. Amen.
—Prayer by Oliver Cromwell, just before death.
Pindar, poet, born B. C. 522.
William E. Dodge born 1805.
Phoebe Cary born 1824.
Sir Wilfred Lawson born 1829.
I ask not wealth, but power
to take
And use the things
I have, aright;
Not years, but wisdom that
shall make
My life a profit
and delight.
—Phcebe Gary.
Another day may bring another
mind,
A mind to learn
when there is none to teach;
To follow when no leader we
can find;
To enjoy when
good is now beyond our reach.
A better mind, but not a better
time,
A mind to will,
but not a time to do
What had been done, if we
in life’s bright prime,
When God was ready,
had been ready too.
—Thomas T. Lynch.
Give diligence to present
thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed.
—2 Timothy 2. 15.
My Father, help me to have lofty thoughts, and may I not be content until they are carried into purpose. Help me to conquer that which will keep me from an act of happiness, and grant that by thinking of that which is pure, and doing that which is good, I may be made helpful and true. Amen.
Catherine Parr died 1548.
Cardinal Richelieu born 1585.
Robert Fergusson born 1750.
Giacomo Meyerbeer born 1791.
Richard C. Trench born 1807.
Be patient! O, be patient!
Put your ear against the earth;
Listen there how noiselessly
the germ o’ the seed has birth—
How noiselessly and gently
it upheaves its little way,
Till it parts the scarcely
broken ground, and the blade stands up in day.
Be patient! O, be patient!—though
yet our hopes are green,
The harvest fields of freedom
shall be crowned with sunny sheen.
Be ripening! be ripening—mature
your silent way,
Till the whole broad land
is tongued with fire on freedom’s harvest day.
—Richard C. Trench.
And let patience have its
perfect work, that ye may be perfect and
entire, lacking in nothing.
—James 1. 4.
Gracious Father, help me to see the truth as thou hast made it, and may I not be indifferent to the beauty and patience of the earth’s revelations. May I not mistake indolence for patient ambition, which I would have for anxious hours, and which I need for my heart’s desires. Amen.
Moses Mendelssohn born 1729.
Marquis de Lafayette born 1757.
Jane Addams born 1860.
God will not seek thy race,
Nor will he ask
thy birth;
Alone he will demand of thee,
What hast thou
done on earth?
—Persian.
One dreams of the time when
the interest and capacity of each person
shall be studied with reference
to the industry about to be
undertaken.
—Jane Addams.
Honor is purchased by deeds
we do, honor is not won, until some
honorable deed is done.
—Sir Christopher Marlowe.
In diligence not slothful; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.
—Romans 12. 11.
Gracious Father, wilt thou bring to my mind and heart the important things which are needed in preparing life. Help me to use the strength that is given to me for to-day, that I may not have to give to-morrow to learning what I should have known. Amen.
Queen Elizabeth born 1533.
Comte de Buffon born 1707.
Victorien Sardou born 1831.
Hannah More died 1833.
John G. Whittier died 1892.
Side
by side
In the low sunshine by the
turban stone
They knelt; each made his
brother’s woe his own,
Forgetting, in the agony and
stress
Of pitying love, his claim
of selfishness;
Peace, for his friend besought,
his own became;
His prayers were answered
in another’s name;
And when at last they rose
up to embrace,
Each saw God’s pardon
in his brother’s face.
—John G. Whittier.
My care is like my shadow
in the sun,
Follows me flying, flies when
I pursue it;
Stands and lies by me, does
what I have done,
This too familiar care does
make me rue it.
No means I find
to rid him from my breast,
Till by the end
of things it be suppressed.
—Queen Elizabeth.
Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
—Galatians 6. 2.
Lord God, help me to look for those who are in need of help. Forgive me for my failures, and may I gather up my broken promises and try to redeem them. I ask for thy forgiveness, as I ask that thou wilt help me to forgive them who may have trespassed against me. Amen.
Richard Coeur de Lion born 1157.
A.W. Schlegel born 1767.
Antonin Dvorak born 1841.
All service ranks the same
with God,—
With God, whose puppets, best
and worst,
Are we: there is no last
nor first.
—Robert Browning.
Thou needest not man’s
little life of years,
Save that he gather
wisdom from them all;
That in thy fear he lose all
other fears,
And in thy calling
heed no other call.
Then shall he be thy child
to know thy care,
And in thy Self the eternal
Sabbath share.
—Jones Very.
He that keepeth the commandment
keepeth his soul;
But he that is careless of
his ways shall die.
—Proverbs 191.
6.
My Lord, forbid that I should want to live to be known only for power and pride. Help me to strive for that which is helpful and lovely. May I never be restrained from thee, but delight to follow in thy way. Help me to be obedient to thy laws, that I may learn thy truths. Amen.
Battle of Flodden.
James the Fourth of Scotland killed 1513.
Luigi Galvani born 1737.
Then welcome each rebuff
That turns earth’s smoothness
rough,
Each sting that
bids nor sit, nor stand but go!
Be our joys three-parts pain!
Strive and hold cheap the
strain;
Learn, nor account
the pang; dare, never grudge the throe.
—Robert Browning.
Life without industry is guilt;
and industry without art is
brutality.
—John Ruskin.
Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation; for when he hath been
approved, he shall receive
the crown of life.
—James 1. 12.
Almighty God, help me as I start this day to remember how easy it is to drive the peace from it. May I do my best to keep it, and defy any indolence or disposition, that may make me spoil it. May I lay me down at night in peace and sleep because of the contentment that has filled the hours. Amen.
William the Conqueror died 1087.
Dr. Thomas Sheridan died 1788.
Mungo Park born 1771.
Mrs. Godwin (Mary Wollstonecraft) died 1797.
Let the wind blow east, west,
north, or south, the immortal soul
will take its flight to the
destined point.
—Thomas Sheridan.
He is void of true taste who strives to have his house admired by decorating it with showish outside; but to adorn our character by gentleness of a communicative temper is a proof of good taste and good nature
—Epictetus.
Let fortune empty her whole
quiver on me.
I have a soul that, like an
empty shield,
Can take it all, and verge
enough for more.
—Thomas Dryden.
The Lord will deliver me from
every evil work, and will save me unto
his heavenly kingdom.
—2 Timothy 4. 18.
Almighty God, I bless thee that it is thou who brought me to live on earth; and I rejoice that it is thou who wilt judge my life when thou takest me away. May I be saving thy rich gifts that I may not be found poor; and may I be worthy to receive thine inheritance and hear thee say, “Well done.” Amen.
Battle of Marathon B. C. 490.
William Lowth born 1661.
James Thomson born 1700.
But what is virtue but repose
of mind,
A pure ethereal
calm, that knows no storm;
Above the reach of wild ambitious
wind,
Above the passions
that this world deform.
—James Thomson.
And if I pray, the only prayer
That moves my
lips for me
Is, “Leave the heart
that now I bear,
And give me liberty!”
Yes, as my swift days near
their goal,
’Tis all
that I implore;
In life and death, a chainless
soul
With courage to
endure.
—Emily Bronte.
Cast not away therefore your
boldness, which hath great recompense
of reward.
—Hebrews 10. 35.
Tender Father, may I pause this morning to look at that which I keep uppermost in my life; and if it may not be worthy of thy esteem, may I be bold enough to revise my ideals. With thy compassion may I free my heart and mind of all unworthiness, and be given endurance to restore the empty places. Amen.
Jean-Philippe Rameau born 1693.
Griffith Jones died 1786.
Charles Dudley Warner born 1829.
Our duty is to be useful,
not according to our desires, but
according to our powers.
—Amiel.
How good is man’s life,
the mere living! how fit to employ
All the heart and the soul
and the senses for ever in joy!
—Robert Browning.
Do something! No man
is born with a mortgage on his soul; but every
man is born a debtor to Time.
Meet this obligation before you find
too late that your life is
impoverished and you cannot redeem it.
—M.B.S.
Let him labor, working with
his hands the thing that is good, that
he may have whereof to give
to him that hath need.
—Ephesians 4. 28.
My Father, what I have left out of my life I know I cannot recover now. I pray that I may give the best to what is left. Make me deliberate, that I may prove my earnestness. Make me industrious, that I may use my best resources to develop my life and further thy kingdom. Amen.
William Cecil born 1520.
Michael de Montaigne died 1592.
General Wolfe died 1759.
Charles James Fox died 1806.
And thou, O river of to-morrow,
flowing
Between thy narrow
adamantine walls,
But beautiful,
and white with waterfalls
And wreaths of mist, like
hands the pathway showing;
I hear the trumpets of the
morning blowing.
It is the mystery of the unknown
That fascinates
us; we are children still,
Wayward and wistful; with
one hand we cling
To the familiar things we
call our own,
And with the other,
resolute of will,
Grope in the dark for what
the day will bring.
—Henry W. Longfellow.
Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth.
—Job 5. 17.
Almighty God, I pray that thou wilt help me to correct my life to-day that I may know a better way to-morrow; and may I be mindful and try to do right. Grant that I may be patient and kind if I may be sick or in need, and always keep uppermost the faith of deliverance and eternal care. Amen.
Alighieri Dante died 1321.
Alexander Baron von Humboldt born 1769.
Julia Magruder born 1854.
Charles Dana Gibson born 1867.
Since it is Providence that determines the fates of men, their inner nature is thus brought into unison. There is such harmony, as in all things of nature, that one might explain the whole without referring to a higher Providence. But this only proves the more clearly and certainly this higher Providence, which has given existence to this harmony.
—Wilhelm von Humboldt.
The good mariner, when he
draws near the port, furls his sails and
enters it softly; so ought
we to lower the sails of our worldly
operations, and turn to God
with all heart and understanding.
—Dante.
Thy righteousness is like
the mountains of God;
Thy judgments are a great
deep:
O Jehovah, thou preservest
man and beast.
—Psalm 36. 6.
My Father in heaven, may I hear thy voice to-day! May I be quiet as I listen to thee. Above the clamor of the crowd may I hear thee calling me. May I hear thee in my joys and in my sorrows; in my work and in my leisure. May I listen to thee oftener, that I may be familiar with thy ways. Amen.
James Fenimore Cooper born 1789.
Louis Joseph Martel born 1813.
Porfirio Diaz born 1830.
William Howard Taft, Ohio, twenty-sixth President United States, born 1857.
Friendship is one of the cheapest and most accessible of pleasures; it requires no outlay and no very serious expenditure of time or trouble. It is quite easy to make friends, if one wants to... There is surely no greater pleasure in the world than to feel one is needed, welcomed, missed, and loved.
—Arthur C. Benson.
“Friendship is love without his wings.”
—William H. Taft (from Byron).
Without sympathy, in the highest
sense of intellectual penetration,
kindness may be a folly, and
intended aid, oppression.
—John Ruskin.
He that maketh many friends
doeth it to his own destruction; but
there is a friend that sticketh
closer than a brother.
—Proverbs 18. 24.
My Father, may I know the delight of true friendship which is responsive and sincere. May I never feel so secure in myself that I will cease to want friends, or be so dependent on others that I will be continually seeking them. May I understand the value of having a stanch friend and of being one. Amen.
Gabriel D. Fahrenheit died 1736.
W. Augustus Muhlenberg born 1796.
Francis Parkman born 1823.
Yes, to this thought I hold
with firm persistence—
The last result
of wisdom stamps it true:
He only earns his freedom
and existence
Who daily conquers
them anew.
—Goethe.
For thee hath been dawning
Another blue day;
Look how thou let it
Slip empty away.
—Goethe.
Happy the man, and happy he
alone,
Who can call to-day his own:
He who, secure within, can
say,
“To-morrow, do thy worst,
for I have lived to-day.”
—John Dryden.
Arise, shine; for thy light
is come, and the glory of Jehovah is
risen upon thee.
—Isaiah 60. 1.
Gracious Father, help me to be alert this morning and select the noblest that is in to-day. May I be diligent and not find in the evening that I have been unworthy of the day. Amen.
Samuel Prout born 1783.
Dr. John Kidd died 1851.
Walter Savage Landor died 1864.
In the hour of distress and misery the eye of every mortal turns to friendship; in the hour of gladness and conviviality, what is your want? It is friendship. When the heart overflows with gratitude or with other sweet and sacred sentiment, what is the word to which it would give utterance? A friend.
—Walter Savage Landor.
The hurried quest of some
people to get hold of new friends is so
perpetual that they never
have time to get acquainted with anyone.
—M.B.S.
Thine own friend, and thy
father’s friend, forsake not;
And go not to thy brother’s
house in the day of thy calamity:
Better is a neighbor that
is near than a brother far off.
—Proverbs 27. 10.
My Lord and my Friend, I pray that my sympathy may be sincere and comforting, and with a glad heart I may bring rejoicing to my friends. May I learn from thee how I may be a permanent friend. Amen.
Trajan, Roman emperor, born 1584.
James Shirley born 1596.
Samuel Johnson born 1709.
Joseph Story born 1779.
There is no greater happiness
than to be able to look on a life
usefully and virtuously employed:
to trace our own purposes in
existence by such tokens that
excite neither shame nor sorrow.
—Dr. Johnson.
The perfect poise that comes-from
self-control,
The poetry of
action, rhythmic, sweet—
The unvexed music of the body
and soul
That the Greeks
dreamed of, made at last complete.
Our stumbling lives attain
not such a bliss;
Too often, while
the air we vainly beat,
Love’s perfect law of
liberty we miss.
—Annie Matheson.
Brethren, I have lived before
God in all good conscience until this
day.
—Acts 23. 1.
Heavenly Father, may I not confuse my life with rebellion, but through thy guidance find peace. Help me through the perplexities that may keep me from the quietness of to-day. Keep me in sight of the great plan of life, that I may grow steadfastly toward thee. Amen.
Battle of Poitiers 1356.
Hartley Coleridge born 1796.
President Garfield died 1881.
Be not afraid to pray—to
pray is right.
Pray if thou canst,
with hope; but ever pray
Though hope be
weak, or sick with long delay;
Pray in the darkness, if there
be no light.
Far is the time, remote from
human sight,
When war and discord
on earth shall cease:
Yet every prayer
for universal peace
Avails the time to expedite.
—Hartley Coleridge.
More things are wrought by
prayer
Than the world dreams of.
Wherefore let thy voice
Rise like a fountain for me
night and day.
For what are men better than
sheep or goats
That nourish a blind life
within the brain,
If, knowing God, they lift
not hands of prayer
Both for themselves and those
who call them friend?
For so the whole world is
every way
Bound by gold chains about
the feet of God.
—Alfred Tennyson.
Continue stedfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving.
—Colossians 4. 2.
O Lord, give me the desire to pray, and teach me to pray as thou wouldst have my needs. Sustain me, that I may overcome my weaknesses, and strengthen me, that I may have thine approval. May I be reverent and unselfish as I come to thee in prayer. Amen.
Battle of Salamis B. C. 480.
Alexander the Great born B. C. 356.
Robert Emmet died 1803.
David Ross Locke (Petroleum V. Nasby) born 1833.
’Tis weary watching
wave by wave,
And yet the tide
heaves onward;
We climb, like corals, grave
by grave,
That pave a pathway
sunward.
We’re driven back, for
our next fray
A newer strength
to borrow;
And where the vanguard camps
to-day,
The rear shall
rest to-morrow.
—Gerald Massey.
Be like the bird, that, pausing
in her flight
A while on boughs too slight,
Feels them give way beneath
her, and yet sings,
Knowing that she hath wings.
—Victor Hugo.
Trust in Jehovah, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed
on his faithfulness.
—Psalm 37. 3.
Eternal God, help me to realize that life is not only endless but, whether I live in love and obedience, or wait in neglect and indifference, that I can never separate myself from thee. May I be diligent in worthy endeavors to do my best for thee. Amen.
Girolamo Savonarola born 1452.
Emperor Charles V died 1558.
Sir Walter Scott died 1832.
It is the secret sympathy,
The silver link, the silken
tie,
Which heart to heart and mind
to mind
In body and in soul can bind.
—Sir Walter Scott.
No action, whether foul or
fair,
Is ever done, but it carves
somewhere
A record, written by fingers
ghostly,
As a blessing or a curse,
and mostly
In the greater weakness or
greater strength
Of the acts which follow it.
—Henry W. Longfellow.
And he said unto them, Look
on me, and do likewise: and, behold,
when I come to the outermost
part of the camp, it shall be that, as
I do, so shall ye do.
—Judges 7. 17.
Loving Father, may I remember that from the beginning, all things were created beautiful and were given for love. I pray that I may be willing to be guided to the beautiful things of life and receive from them the delight of thy love. Amen.
Peter Simon Pallas born 1741.
Michael Faraday born 1791.
Theodore Edward Hook born 1788.
Man learns to swim by being tossed into life’s maelstrom and left to make his way ashore. No youth can learn to sail his life-craft in a lake sequestered and sheltered from all the storms, where other vessels never come. Skill comes through sailing one’s craft amidst rocks and bars and opposing fleets, amidst storms and whirls and counter currents.
—Newell Dwight Hillis.
O, a trouble’s a ton
or a trouble’s an ounce,
Or a trouble is
what you make it!
And it isn’t the fact
that you’re hurt that counts,
But only—how
did you take it?
—Edmund C. Vance.
And thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
—Hebrews 6. 15.
Tender Father, may I not encourage the disposition to enlarge and make much of the troubles and disappointments of life, and make light of the joys and privileges. I pray that I may keep a large place for happiness. Amen.
Karl Theodore Koerner born 1791.
Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen born 1848.
Wilkie Collins died 1889.
M.F.H. De Haas died 1895.
When over the fair fame of
friend or foe
The shadow of
disgrace shall fall; instead
Of words to blame, or reproof
of thus and so,
Let something
good be said.
Forget not that no fellow-being
yet
May fall so low
but love may lift his head;
Even the cheek of shame with
tears is wet
If something good
be said.
—Author unknown.
The right Christian mind will ... find its own image wherever it exists; it will seek for what it loves, and draw out of all dens and caves, and it will believe in its being, often when it cannot see it; and so it will lie lovingly over the faults and rough places of the human heart, as the snow from heaven does over the hard, and black, and broken mountain rocks.
—John Ruskin.
To him that is ready to faint
kindness should be showed from his
friend.
—Job 6. 14.
Lord God, grant that after years of climbing I may not find the mist in my soul has dulled the vision of thy glory. Keep me from the habit of looking for faults, and missing the virtues in others. Forbid that I should be so occupied in taking measure of other lives that I neglect to measure my own. Amen.
John Marshall born 1755.
Zachary Taylor, Virginia, twelfth President United
States, born 1784.
S.R. Crockett born 1860.
Get the truth once uttered,
and ’tis like
A star newborn that drops
into its place,
And which, once circling in
its placid round,
Not all the tumult of the
earth can shake.
—James Russell Lowell.
If you would be well spoken
of, learn to speak well of others. And
when you have learned to speak
well of them, endeavor likewise to do
well to them; and reap the
fruit of being well spoken of by them.
—Epictetus.
He that slandereth not with
his tongue,
Nor doeth evil to his friend,
Nor taketh up a reproach against
his neighbor;
He that doeth these things
shall never be moved.
—Psalm 15. 3, 5.
Lord God, I bless thee for the lives of men and women who are willing to be led by the truth, and who are worthy to follow thee. I pray that thou wilt make me truthful, and keep me steadfast, that none may go astray by the uncertainty of my way. Amen.
William Romaine born 1714.
Felicia D. Hemans born 1793.
W.M. Rossetti born 1829.
Not as the conqueror comes,
They, the true-hearted,
came;
Not with the roll of the stirring
drums,
And the trumpet
songs of fame:
Amidst the storm they sang,
And the stars
heard and the sea;
And the sounding aisles of
the dim woods rang
To the anthem
of the free.
Ay, call it holy ground,
The soil where
first they trod;
They have left unstained what
there they found—
Freedom to worship
God.
—Felicia D. Hemans.
But they shall sit every man
under his vine and under his fig-tree;
and none shall make them afraid.
—Micah 4. 4.
Eternal God, may I look to the Pilgrims and learn that to pray by faith with the heart is not to pray by faith of the imagination. Help me to pray, and have faith to struggle for that which I would rightfully have. Amen.
Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood born 1750.
Dr. Mary Walker born 1832.
Irving Bacheller born 1859.
Frederic William Faber died 1863.
God is never so far off as
even to be near—
He is within: Our spirit
is the home he holds most dear.
To think of him as by our
side is almost as untrue
As to remove his throne beyond
the starry blue.
—F.W. Faber.
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee!
E’en though it be a
cross
That raiseth me;
Still all my song shall be—
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee!
—Sarah F. Adams.
My righteousness I hold fast,
and will not let it go: My heart shall
not reproach me so long as
I live.
—Job 27. 6.
My Father, may I consider the place in which I stand: and may I not be deceived in thinking I am near thee while I am living far away. Teach me the way to draw nearer to thee each day, until my spirit may continually dwell with thee. Amen.
George Cruikshank born 1792.
Samuel Francis Dupont born 1803.
Aime Millet born 1819.
Henri Frederic Arniel born 1821.
The man who has no refuge
in himself, who lives, so to speak, in his
front rooms, in the outer
whirlwind of things and opinions, is not
properly a personality at
all; ... he is one of a crowd.
—Amiel.
Happy the heart that keeps
its twilight hour,
And in the depths of heavenly
peace reclined,
Loves to commune with thoughts
of tender power—
Thoughts that ascend, like
angels beautiful.
—Paul Hamilton Hayne.
The art of meditation may be exercised at all hours and in all places; and men of genius in their walks, at table, and amidst assemblies, turning the eye of the mind inward, can form an artificial solitude; retired amidst a crowd, calm amidst distractions, and wise amidst folly.
—Disraeli.
Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.
—Psalm 4. 4.
Heavenly Father, save me from being so poor in spirit, that I will have to be sustained by the bright spirits of others. May I be continually refreshed by the spirit of life that may be found at all times. Amen.
Francis Turner Palgrave born 1824.
Frances E. Willard born 1839.
General John D. French born 1852.
Mary Anderson born 1859.
Unless there is a predominating
and overmastering purpose to which
all the accessories and incidents
of life contribute, the character
will be weak, irresolute,
uncertain.
—Frances E. Willard.
Life is not an idle ore,
But iron dug from central
gloom,
And heated hot
with burning fears,
And dipt in baths
of hissing tears,
And battered with the shocks
of doom
To shape and use.
—Alfred Tennyson.
He that doubteth is like the
surge of the sea driven by the wind and
tossed.... A double-minded
man, unstable in all his ways.
—James 1. 6, 8.
O God, help me to be positive. May I not want to be in so many places, and in so many things, that I can never be found in anything. Help me to know that a purpose secured is worth many attempts, and that to have a character I must build it. Amen.
Pompey killed B.C. 48.
Robert Lord Clive born 1725.
Horatio Nelson born 1758.
O strange and wild is the
world of men
Which the eyes
of the Lord must see—
With continents, inlands,
tribes, and tongues,
With multitudes
bond and free!
All kings of the earth bow
down to him,
And yet—he
can think of me.
For none can measure the mind
of God
Or the bounds
of eternity,
He knows each life that has
come from him,
To the tiniest
bird and bee,
For the love of his heart
is so deep and wide
That it takes
in even me.
—Mary E. Allbright.
Are not two sparrows sold
for a penny? and not one of them shall
fall on the ground without
your Father: but the very hairs of your
head are all numbered.
—Matthew 10. 29, 30.
Almighty God, cause me to look out this morning, and open wide my eyes, that I may see what great preparation thou hast made that I might live. May I be ashamed to start wrong and be unworthy of the glory of this day. Amen.
George Whitefield died 1770.
William Hutton born 1723.
John Dollond died 1761.
Up, up, my soul, the long-spent
time redeeming;
Sow thou the seeds
of better deeds and thought;
Light other lamps while yet
thy lamp is beaming—
The time is short.
Think of the good thou might’st
have done when brightly
The suns to thee
life’s choicest season brought;
Hours lost to God in pleasure
passing lightly—
The time is short.
If thou hast friends, give
them thy best endeavor,
Thy warmest impulse,
and thy purest thought,
Keeping in mind and words
and action ever—
The time is short.
—Elizabeth Prentiss.
What is your life? For
ye are a vapor that appeareth for a little
time, and then vanisheth away.
—James 4. 14.
Loving Father, help me to realize that I am not living in the right way nor the right place if I am discontented, or happy in trifles and untruth. Help me to find my place, and with thy help may I stand firm and confident. Amen.
The morns are meeker than
they were,
The nuts are getting
brown;
The berry’s cheek is
plumper,
The rose is out
of town.
The maple wears a gayer scarf,
The field a scarlet
gown;
Lest I should be old-fashioned,
I’ll put
a trinket on.
—Emily Dickinson.
OCTOBER FIRST
Saint John Viscount Bolingbroke born 1678.
Pierre Corneille died 1684.
Rufus Choate born 1799.
He speaks not well who doth
his time deplore,
Naming it new and a little
obscure,
Ignoble and unfit for lofty
deeds.
All times were modern in the
time of them,
And this no more than others.
Do thy part
Here in the living day, as
did the great
Who made old days immortal.
—Richard Watson Gilder.
He who is false to present
duty breaks a thread in the loom, and
will find the flaw when he
may have forgotten the cause.
—Henry Ward Beecher.
For use almost can change
the stamp of nature,
And master the devil, or throw
him out
With wondrous potency.
—William Shakespeare.
And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem;) and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
—Daniel 6. 10.
Heavenly Father, help me to get away from doubt that leads to despair. Give me a vision of hope that is stayed on faith. May I be conscious and appreciative of my privileges while they come to me and make them immortal. Amen.
Aristotle died B.C. 322.
Major John Andre hanged 1780.
William Ellery Channing died 1842.
I am not earth-born, though
I here delay;
Hope’s child,
I summon infiniter powers,
And laugh to see the mild
sunny day
Smile on the shrunk
and thin autumnal hours;
I laugh, for hope hath a happy
place for me—
If my bark sinks, ’tis
to another sea.
—William E. Channing.
The stars shall fade away,
the sun himself
Grow dim with age, and Nature
sink in years;
But thou shall flourish in
immortal youth,
Unhurt amidst the war of elements,
The wreck of matter and the
crush of worlds.
—Thomas Addison.
For with thee is the fountain
of life:
In thy light shall we see
light.
—Psalm 36. 9.
My Father, I would pray that my sense of gloom may not be more than thy grace. May the glorious light of thy love break through my disheartened soul, and reveal the sincerity of thy promises, that I may be happy in thy care. Amen.
Robert Barclay died 1690.
George Bancroft born 1800.
William Morris died 1896.
Come hither, lads, and harken,
For a tale there
is to tell
Of the wonderful days a-coming,
When all shall
be better than well.
Come, then, let us cast off
fooling,
And put by ease
and rest,
For the cause alone is worthy
Till the good
days bring the best.
—William Morris.
Man’s life is but a
working day
Whose tasks are
set aright;
A time to work, a time to
pray,
And then a quiet
night.
And then, please God, a quiet
night
Where palms are green and
robes are white;
A long-drawn breath, a balm
for sorrow,
And all things lovely on the
morrow.
—Christina G. Rossetti.
And the ransomed of Jehovah
shall return, and come with singing unto
Zion; and everlasting joy
shall be upon their heads.
—Isaiah 61. 11.
Heavenly Father, help me to see that before the night thou hadst planned the morning, and that thou hast never sent the night without the hope of the morning. Before I rest in the night may I be ready for the morning. Amen.
Francis of Assisi died 1226.
Edmund Malone born 1741.
Francois Guizot born 1787.
Jean Francois Millet born 1814.
Rutherford B. Hayes, Ohio, nineteenth President
United States, born 1822.
M.E. Braddon born 1837.
We ought to rise day by day with a certain zest, a clear intention, a design to make the most of every hour; not to let the busy hours shoulder each other or tread on each other’s heels, but to force every action to give up its strength and sweetness. There is work to be done, and there are empty hours to be filled as well.... But, most of all, there must be something to quicken, enliven, practice the soul.
—Arthur C. Benson.
Men’s souls ought to
be left to see clearly; not jaundiced, blinded,
twisted all awry, by revenge,
moral abhorrence, and the like.
—Thomas Carlyle.
But there is a spirit in man,
And the breath of the Almighty
giveth them understanding.
—Job 32. 8.
Spirit of life, I pray that thou wilt continually live within me. May my days be spent neither in waste nor idleness, but planned to use, with the best that is given me. Amen.
Jonathan Edwards born 1703.
Denis Diderot born 1713.
Horace Walpole born 1717.
Nancy Hanks died 1818.
Chester A. Arthur, Vermont, twenty-first President
United States, born 1830.
H.R. Guy de Maupassant born 1850.
Earth gets its price for what
earth gives us;
The beggar is
taxed for a corner to die in,
The priest has his fee who
comes and shrives us,
We bargain for
the graves we lie in;
At the devil’s booth
are all things sold,
Each ounce of dross costs
its ounce of gold;
For a cap and bells our lives
we pay,
Bubbles we buy
with a whole soul’s tasking;
’Tis heaven alone that
is given away,
’Tis only
God may be had for the asking.
—James Russell Lowell.
The free gift of God is eternal life.
—Romans 6. 23.
Gracious Father, may the world speak to me of thy gifts, and of the peace and power which it freely offers. May I not pass by thy great appeals, and prefer to purchase at a great cost my indolence and dissipation. Amen.
Jenny Lind Goldschmidt born 1820.
Harriet G. Hosmer born 1830.
Charles Stewart Parnell died 1891.
Alfred Tennyson died 1892.
The heart which boldly faces
death
Upon the battlefield,
and dares
Cannon and bayonet, faints
beneath
The needle-points
of frets and cares.
The stoutest spirits they
dismay—
The tiny stings of every day.
Ah! more than martyr’s
aureole
And more than
hero’s heart of fire,
We need the humble strength
of soul
Which daily toils
and ills require.
Sweet patience, grant us,
if you may
An added grace for every day.
—Adelaide A. Procter.
Sunset and evening star,
And one clear
call for me!
And may there be no moaning
of the bar,
When I put out
to sea.
—Alfred Tennyson.
Fret not thyself.
—Proverbs 24. 19.
My Father, I pray that I may not be dismayed over life, and its trifles. Help me to master difficulties great and small, and give me patience through all until I reach the untroubled way. Amen.
Sir Philip Sidney died 1586.
Edgar Allan Poe died 1849.
Oliver Wendell Holmes died 1894.
Mary J. Holmes died 1907.
Yet in opinions look not always
back;
Your wake is nothing,
mind the coming track;
Leave what you’ve done
for what you have to do;
Don’t be
“consistent,” but be simply true.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes.
A foolish consistency is the
hobgoblin of little minds, adored by
little statesmen and philosophers
and divines. With consistency a
great soul has nothing to
do.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.
—Exodus 14. 15.
Heavenly Father, I pray that I may not be so consistent in the small things of life that I will lose the great inspirations that come to the soul. Broaden my life, that I may have the freedom of heart and mind to pass over the failures and interruptions, and with vigorous energy continue in the progress of life. Amen.
Caroline Howard Gilman born 1794.
Edmund Clarence Stedman born 1833.
John Hay born 1838.
He weren’t no saint;
them engineers
Is pretty much
alike—
One wife in Natchez-under-the-Hill,
Another one here
in Pike;
A keerless man in his talk
was Jim,
And an awkward
hand in a row,
But he never flunked, and
he never lied—
I reckon he never
knowed how.
—John Hay.
He is brave whose tongue is
silent
Of the trophies
of his word.
He is great whose quiet bearing
Marks his greatness
well assured.
—Edwin Arnold.
The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself, God, I thank thee,
that I am not as the rest
of men.
—Luke 18. 11.
Lord God, thou knowest what I am and where I belong. Have mercy upon me and strengthen me, that I may not through weakness stay in the darkness. Lead me out into the light; and may I find my way and be contented with it. Amen.
Michael Cervantes born 1547.
Jacques Auguste de Thuanus (De Thou) born 1553.
Charles Camilla Saint-Saens born 1835.
I will not doubt, though all
my ships at sea
Come drifting
home with broken masts and sails;
I shall believe
the Hand which never fails
From seeming evil worketh
good for me;
And though I weep because
those sails are battered,
Still will I cry, while my
best hopes lie shattered,
“I trust
in Thee.”
—Ella Wheeler Wilcox.[1]
Cease every joy to glimmer
on my mind.
But leave, O leave the light
of hope behind.
—Thomas Campbell.
Hope deferred maketh the heart
sick; But when the desire cometh, it
is a tree of life.
—Proverbs 13. 12.
Loving Father, help me to pass by my discouragements of yesterday and look into the hope of to-day. Make me more careful of my strength, and less forgetful of thy promises and of my trust. Amen.
[Footnote 1: Special permission W.B. Conkey, Hammond, Indiana. Copyright 1912.]
Henry Cavendish born 1731.
Benjamin West born 1738.
Hugh Miller born 1802.
Giuseppe Verdi born 1813.
Fridtjof Nansen born 1861.
We cannot make bargains for
blisses,
Nor catch them
like fishes in nets;
And sometimes the thing our
life misses
Helps more than
the thing which it gets.
For good lieth not in pursuing,
Nor gaining of
great nor small,
But just in the doing and
doing
As we would be
done by is all.
—Alice Gary.
True, it is most painful not to meet the kindness and affection you feel you have deserved, and have a right to expect from others; but it is a mistake to complain, for it is no use; you cannot extort friendship with a cocked pistol.
—Sydney Smith.
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
—Matthew 22. 39.
Lord God, help me to understand that true affection is not that which as it gives feels it merits return. May I avoid being selfish and stubborn; and with my affections give peace and joy. Amen.
Sir Thomas Wyatt died 1542.
Dr. Samuel Clarke born 1675.
James Barry born 1741.
Ask God to give thee skill
In comfort’s
art,
That thou may’st consecrated
be
And set apart,
Unto a life of sympathy;
For heavy is the weight of
ill
In every heart;
And comforters are needed
much
Of Christlike
touch.
—Alexander Hamilton.
The man who melts
With social sympathy though
not allied,
Is than a thousand kinsmen
of more worth.
—Euripides.
Who comforteth us in all our
affliction, that we may be able to
comfort them that are in any
affliction, through the comfort
wherewith we ourselves are
comforted of God.
—2 Corinthians 1. 4.
Heavenly Father, thou hast made sympathy divine. May I never make it commonplace. Grant that as thou dost bless and comfort me I may be willing to comfort others, and do whatsoever thou wouldst have me do. Amen.
Columbus discovered America 1492.
Lyman Beecher born 1775.
George W. Cable born 1844.
Helena Modjeska born 1844.
One poor day!
Remember whose and how short
it is!
It is God’s day, it
is Columbus’s.
One day with life and heart
is more than time enough to found a world.
—James Russell Lowell.
An illusion haunts us, that a long duration, as a year, a decade, a century, is valuable. But an old French sentence says, “God works in moments.” We ask for long life, but ’tis deep life or grand moments that signify. Let the measure of Time be spiritual, not mechanical. Life is unnecessarily long. Moments of insight, of fine personal relation, a smile, a glance—what ample borrowers of eternity they are!
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
One day is with the Lord as
a thousand years, and a thousand years
as one day.
—2 Peter 3. 8.
My Father, I pray that when the “sun sets to-day my hope may not set with it.” Be with me earlier than the dawn, that I may plan with thee a new day. I pray that thou wilt release me from anything that keeps me from reaching the highest. Amen.
Theodore Beza died 1605.
Murat, King of Naples, shot 1815.
Elizabeth Fry died 1845.
What stronger breast-plate
than a heart untainted! Thrice is he
armed that hath his quarrel
just, And he but naked, though locked up
in steel, Whose conscience
with injustice is corrupted.
—William Shakespeare.
A man’s accusations
of himself are always believed, his praises
never.
—Montaigne.
Justice needs that two be heard.
—From Goethe’s Autobiography.
That which is altogether just
shalt thou follow, that thou mayest
live.
—Deuteronomy 16. 20.
Lord of justice, if I may be influenced this morning by doubt and am inclined to be resentful, wilt thou cause me to have a generous spirit and keep my faith. May I never descend to anything base or deceitful, but may I remember that if I lay down my life, I may have the power to take it up again. Amen.
William Penn born 1644.
James Fenimore Cooper died 1851.
Duke of Wellington died 1852.
Do good with what thou hast,
or it will do thee no good. If thou
wouldst be happy, bring thy
mind to thy condition, and have an
indifferency for more than
what is sufficient.
—William Penn.
The finest fruit earth holds up to its Maker is a finished man.
—Humboldt.
I considered Napoleon’s
presence in the field equal to forty men in
the balance.
—Duke of Wellington.
What is man, that thou art
mindful of him? And the son of man, that
thou visitest him? For
thou hast made him but little lower than God,
And crownest him with glory
and honor.
—Psalm 8. 4, 5.
Eternal God, may I know the value of the gift of life. May I think seriously of it, and not through abuse or neglect cripple it, remembering that it is mine to sow, to grow, and to reap. I pray that I may care more for the food and raiment of my soul than I care for the food and raiment of my body. Amen.
Virgil born B.C. 70.
Evangelista Torricelli born 1608.
Edward Fitzgerald born 1763.
Being not unacquainted with woe, I learned to help the unfortunate.
—Virgil.
There are some hearts like
wells green-mossed and deep
As ever summer
saw,
And cool their water is, yea,
cool and sweet;
But you must come
to draw.
They hoard not, yet they rest
in calm content,
And not unsought
will give;
They can be quiet with their
wealth unspent,
So self-contained
they live.
—Author unknown.
For out of much affliction
and anguish of heart I wrote unto you
with many tears; not that
ye should be made sorry, but that ye might
know the love which I have
more abundantly unto you.
—2 Corinthians 2. 4.
Gracious Father, help me to understand that while I may be content to rest with what I have gathered, I cannot preserve the strength of my soul unless I share my possessions. Give me a passion for humanity that will advance gifts through love, and offer service without the need of an appeal. Amen.
Bishop Hugh Latimer burned at Oxford 1555.
Albrecht von Haller born 1708.
Noah Webster born 1758.
Robert Stephenson born 1803.
As ships meet at sea—a moment together, when words of greeting must be spoken, and then away upon the deep—so men meet in this world; and I think we should cross no man’s path without hailing him, and if he needs, giving him supplies.
—Henry Ward Beecher.
Nothing is more unaccountable than the spell that often lurks in a spoken word. A thought may be present to the mind, and two minds conscious of the same thought, but as long as it remains unspoken their familiar talk flows quietly over the hidden idea.
—Nathaniel Hawthorne.
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others?
—Matthew 5. 47.
Heavenly Father, I pray that thou wilt give me a generous heart. May I not lose sight of the truth, that thou hast made others to have the same needs and wants that I may have. May I not through pride or egoism fail to help, and neglecting to speak, miss an opportunity to assist. May I be self-forgetful in friendly service. Amen.
Andreas Osiander died 1552.
Frederic Chopin died 1849.
Good name, in man or woman, dear my Lord, Is the immediate jewel of their souls; Who steals my purse, steals trash; ’tis something, nothing; ’Twas mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands; But he that filches from me my good name Robs me of that which not enriches him, And makes me poor indeed.
—William Shakespeare.
Keep back your tears when
a soul is untrue;
“Sorrow is shallow”;
and one can wade through
The mud and the marshes, and
still endure
If he finds he has kept his
spirit pure.
The rose near died when it
fell to its lot
To break its heart for forget-me-not;
But after its heart was healed
by the dew,
Right by its side a sweet
violet grew!
—M.B.S.
A good name is rather to be
chosen than great riches, And loving
favor rather than silver and
gold.
—Proverbs 22. 1.
My Father, teach me the value of the possessions that can neither be handled nor seen; and may I not take them away from others. Help me to keep thy commandment “Thou shalt not steal,” and interpret it in all its relations to life. Amen.
Matthew Henry born 1662.
Margaret (Peg) Woffington born 1720.
Helen Hunt Jackson born 1831.
Frederick Harrison born 1831.
Yet I argue not against heaven’s
hand or will, nor bate a jot of
heart of hope;, but still
bear up and steer right onward.
—John Milton.
Write it on your heart that
every day is the best day in the year.
No man has learned anything
rightly until he knows that every day is
doomsday.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
He mourns that day so soon
has glided by:
E’en like the passage
of an angel’s tear
That falls through the clear
ether silently.
—John Keats.
I will instruct thee and teach
thee in the way which thou shalt go:
I will counsel thee with mine
eye upon thee.
—Psalm 32. 8.
My Father, if I may be living in bad habits, help me to get out of them. If I may be neglectful of good deeds, help me to get at them. May I reach for the highest purposes as I search for the realities, and may I not delay, but start to-day. Amen.
Dean (Jonathan) Swift died 1745.
Leigh Hunt born 1784.
Henry Kirke White died 1806.
Don’t look too hard
except for something agreeable; we can find all
the disagreeable things we
want, between our own hats and boots.
—Leigh Hunt.
Instead of a gem or a flower,
cast the gift of a lovely thought into
the heart of a friend.
—George Macdonald.
For the want of common discretion the very end of good breeding is wholly perverted; and civility, intended to make us easy, is employed in laying chains and fetters upon us, in debarring our wishes, and in crossing our most reasonable desires and inclinations.
—Jonathan Swift.
If it be possible, as much
as in you lieth, be at peace with all
men.
—Romans 12. 18.
My Lord, help me to adjust my life to what I ought to be, rather than be content in what I am. May I not spend my time in dreaming of obstacles, or searching for things that hurt, but may I be gentle and kind, and as I see the truth speak for it and follow it. Amen.
Sir Christopher Wren born 1632.
Thomas Hughes born 1823.
Charles Dudley Warner died 1900.
There has always seemed to
me something impious in the neglect of
health. I could not do
half the good I do if it were not for the
strength and activity some
consider coarse and degrading.
—Charles Kingsley.
To keep well drink often,
but water;
Eat not that which makes life
shorter;
But first, with all your might
and skill,
Just chain your habits to
your will.
—M.B.S.
I will be lord over myself.
No one who cannot master himself is
worthy to rule, and only he
can rule.
—Goethe.
Know ye not that your body
is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is
in you, which ye have from
God?
—1 Corinthians 6. 19.
Lord God, may I not wait until I am afflicted and cannot use them to thank thee for my blessings. Guard me against infirmities that are brought on through indulgences, and help me to control my life. May I never forget that regret will not retrieve the life that is spent, even if it brings forgiveness and hope for the days to come. Amen.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge born 1772.
Alphonse Lamartine born 1790.
Samuel F. Smith born 1808.
Will Carleton born 1845.
He prayeth best who loveth
best
All things both
great and small;
For the dear God who loveth
us,
He made and loveth
all.
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
We thank thee, O Father, for
all that is bright—
The gleam of the day and the
stars of the night,
The flowers of our youth and
the fruits of our prime,
And the blessings that march
down the pathway of time.
—Will Carleton.
Thanklessness is a parching
wind, drying up the fountain of pity,
the dew of mercy, the streams
of grace. For doth not that rightly
seem to be lost which is given
to one ungrateful?
—Saint Bernard.
O give thanks unto Jehovah;
for he is good; For his lovingkindness
endureth for ever.
—Psalm 136. 1.
My Father, help me to understand that I cannot have self-development unless the spirit of truth drills my character. Cleanse my heart from all impurity, and strengthen me for all usefulness: help me to daily live this prayer. Amen.
Charles Martel died 741.
Franz Liszt born 1811.
George Eliot born 1819.
Sarah Bernhardt born 1844.
O may I join the choir invisible
Of those immortal dead who live again
In minds made better by their presence: live
In pulses stirred to generosity,
In deeds of daring rectitude, in scorn
For miserable aims that end with self,
In thoughts sublime that pierce the night like stars,
And with their mild persistence urge man’s search
To vaster issues.
This
is life to come,
Which martyred men have made
more glorious
For us to strive to follow.
May I reach
That purest heaven, be to
other souls
The cup of strength in some
great agony,
Enkindle generous ardor, feed
pure love,
Beget the smiles that have
no cruelty,
Be the sweet presence of a
good diffused,
And in diffusion ever more
intense!
So shall I join the choir
invisible
Whose music is the gladness
of the world.
—George Eliot.
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish.
—John 10. 28.
My Father, I pray that I may be more generous with my smiles and gladness, and more saving with my tears and sadness. Amen.
Anne Oldfield died 1730.
Robert Bridges born 1844.
Mollie Elliot Seawell born 1860.
O youth whose hope is high,
Who doth to truth
aspire,
Whether thou live or die,
O look not back
nor tire.
Thou that art bold to fly
Through tempest,
flood and fire,
Nor dost not shrink to try
Thy heart in torments
dire—
If thou canst Death defy,
If thy faith is
entire,
Press onward, for thine eye
Shall see thy
heart’s desire.
—Robert Bridges.
Doubt indulged becomes doubt
realized. To determine to do anything
is half the battle. Courage
is victory, timidity is defeat.
—Nelson.
And thou, son of man, be not
afraid of them, neither be afraid of
their words, though briers
and thorns are with thee, and thou dost
dwell among scorpions.
—Ezekiel 2. 6.
Gracious Father, try me again by the courage I have to-day, if thou art judging me by the fear I held yesterday. Help me to see that wavering is misleading and temperament is deceptive. May I learn self-control. Amen.
Hugh Capet died 996.
Sir Moses Montefiore born 1784.
Daniel Webster died 1852.
Exceeding peace made Ben Adhem
bold,
And to the presence in the
room he said,
“What writest thou?”
The vision raised its head,
And, with a look made of all
sweet accord,
Answered, “The names
of those who love the Lord.”
“And is mine one?”
said Abou. “Nay, not so,”
Replied the angel. Abou
spoke more low,
But cheerily still; and said,
“I pray thee, then,
Write me as one that loves
his fellow men.”
The angel wrote, and vanished.
The next night
It came again, with a great
awakening light,
And showed the names whom
love of God had blessed—
And, lo! Ben Adhem’s
name led all the rest!
—Leigh Hunt.
Call unto me, and I will answer
thee, and will show thee great
things.
—Jeremiah 33. 3.
Lord God, may I keep within my heart that secret sympathy that adds to the power of life. Help me to seek the things that are real, and not be deceived by the things which only appear to be. May all with whom I have to do feel the better for my companionship. Amen.
Geoffrey Chaucer died 1400.
William Hogarth died 1764.
George W. Faber born 1773.
Thomas B. Macaulay born 1800.
Wav’ring as winds the
breath of fortune blows,
No power can turn it, and
no prayers compose.
Deep in some hermit’s
solitary cell,
Repose, and ease, and contemplation
dwell.
Let conscience guide thee
in the days of need,
Judge well thy own, and then
thy neighbor’s deed.
—Geoffrey Chaucer.
To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late;
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful
odds,
For the ashes of his fathers
And the temples
of his gods.
—Thomas B. Macaulay.
Even as the Son of man came
not to be ministered unto, but to
minister, and to give his
life a ransom for many.
—Matthew 20. 28.
Heavenly Father, help me to remember that I am to cover life’s journey, even though I may go the way carelessly and aimlessly. May I make an estimate of what I am losing, by waiting so long at the resting places, “For the road winds up hill all the way to the end, and the journey takes the whole day long, from morn to night.” Amen.
Dr. Philip Doddridge died 1751.
Count Von Moltke born 1800.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton died 1902.
One of the notable eddies of the present-day world currents is what has been loosely called the “Woman Movement.” The sensitive and vicarious spirit of womanhood has been enlisted for service in behalf of those who have been denied a fair chance, or who are the victims of oppression, greed, and ignorance.
—William T. Ellis.
And whether consciously or not, you must be in many a heart enthroned: queens you must always be: queens to your lovers; queens to your husbands and sons; queens of higher mystery to the world beyond, which bows itself, and will forever bow, before the myrtle crown, and the stainless scepter of womanhood.
—John Ruskin.
O woman, great is thy faith: be it done unto thee even as thou wilt.
—Matthew 15. 28.
Lord and Master of all, I pray that thou wilt make me see through my prejudices and beyond my desires to the very “top of my condition.” May I not wait for places or circumstances that are dimly in the distance or that are near at hand, but accomplish the work I should do to-day. Amen.
James Cook born 1728.
Nicolo Paganini born 1782.
Theodore Roosevelt, New York, twenty-fifth President
United States, born 1858.
The vice of envy is not only a dangerous, but a mean vice; for it is always a confession of inferiority. It may promote conduct which will be fruitful of wrong to others, and it must cause misery to the man who feels it.
—Theodore Roosevelt.
Of all the passions, jealousy
is that which exacts the hardest
service, and pays the bitterest
wages. Its service is to watch the
success of one’s enemy;
its wages to be sure of it.
—C.C. Colton.
Dear to me is the friend,
yet I can also make use of an enemy. The
friend shows me what I can
do, the foe teaches me what I should.
—Schiller.
Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another.
—Galatians 5. 26.
Almighty God, I would ask thee that my days be filled with aspiration, and that my heart may know no envy. Help me to love humanity. May I be so glad of the success of others that I may never know what it is to be envious. Amen.
Desiderius Erasmus born 1465.
John Locke died 1704.
Georges Jacques Danton born 1759.
Not so in haste, my heart!
Have faith in
God and wait;
Although he linger long,
He never comes
too late.
Until he cometh, rest,
Nor grudge the
hours that roll;
The feet that wait for God
Are soonest at
the goal;
Are soonest at the goal
That is not gained
by speed;
Then hold thee still, my heart,
For I shall wait
his lead.
—Bayard Taylor.
It is good that a man should
hope and quietly wait for the salvation
of Jehovah.
—Lamentations 3. 26.
Lord of life, may I pause to remember that rest may not be obtained with wretched thoughts, nor can it be enjoyed in discontent. In my moments of rest wilt thou show me how to relax, and with tranquillity may I gather hope for renewed ambition. Amen.
Sir Walter Raleigh beheaded 1618.
James Boswell born 1740.
John Keats born 1795.
Thomas Bayard born 1828.
Thomas Edward Brown died 1897.
Rise, O my soul, with thy
desires to heaven,
And with divinest
contemplation use
Thy time where time’s
eternity is given,
And let vain thoughts
no more thy thoughts abuse;
But down in darkness let them
lie:
So live thy better, let thy
worse thoughts die!
—Sir Walter Raleigh.
The great elements we know of are no mean comforters; the open sky sits upon our senses like a sapphire crown—the air is our robe of state, the Earth is our throne, and the Sea a mighty minstrel playing before it.
—John Keats.
Ah Lord Jehovah! behold, thou
hast made the heavens and the earth by
thy great power and by thine
outstretched arm; there is nothing too
hard for thee.
—Jeremiah 32. 17.
Almighty God, I thank thee for the power that gives me the breath of life. May I be willing to be controlled by its guiding care. Amen.
Rev. John Whitaker died 1808.
John Adams, Massachusetts, second President
United States, born 1735.
Adelaide Anne Procter born 1825.
And
yet thou canst know,
And
yet thou canst not see;
Wisdom
and sight are slow
In
poor humanity.
If
thou couldst trust, poor soul,
In
Him who rules the whole,
Thou
wouldst find peace and rest;
Wisdom and right are well,
but trust is best.
—Adelaide Anne Procter.
The heart to speak in vain
essayed,
Nor could his
purpose reach—
His will nor voice nor tongue
obeyed,
His silence was
his speech.
—John Quincy Adams.
But still believe that story
wrong
Which ought not to be true.
—Richard Brinsley Sheridan.
Blessed is the man that maketh Jehovah his trust.
—Psalm 40. 4.
My Father, may I not be given to unkindly speech. Deliver me from a critical spirit; and may I not encourage mistrust, but cultivate the kindly considerations in which life abounds. Amen.
All Hallow’s Eve.
John Evelyn born 1620.
Christopher Anstey born 1724.
Ere, in the northern gale
The summer tresses
of the trees are gone,
The woods of autumn, all around
our vale,
Have put their
glory on.
The mountains that unfold,
In their wide
sweep, the colored landscape round,
Seem groups of giant kings,
in purple and gold,
That guard the
enchanted ground.
Ah! ’twere a lot too
blessed
Forever in thy
colored shades to stray;
Amid the kisses of the soft
southwest
To rove and dream
for aye;
And leave the vain low strife
That makes men
mad; the tug for wealth and power,
The passions and the cares
that wither life,
And waste its
little hour.
—William Cullen Bryant.
Let the field exult, and all
that is therein; Then shall all the
trees of the wood sing for
joy.
—Psalm 96. 12.
My Father, may I have an appreciation of the wonderful creations of the earth. Give me a discriminating eye, that I may know the precious things that thou art growing; and throughout my life may I love the beautiful, and choose that which will make my life worthy of growth. Amen.
Who said November’s
face was grim?
Who said her voice
was harsh and sad?
I heard her sing in wood paths
dim,
I met her on the
shore so glad,
So smiling, I could kiss her
feet!
There never was a month so
sweet.
—Lucy Larcom.
NOVEMBER FIRST
Sir Matthew Hale born 1609.
William M. Chase born 1849.
Sir Robert Grant died 1892.
O worship the King, all glorious
above,
O gratefully sing his power
and his love;
Our Shield and Defender, the
ancient of days,
Pavilioned in splendor, and
girded with praise.
Thy bountiful care what tongue
can recite?
It breathes in the air, it
shines in the light;
It streams from the hills,
it descends to the plain,
And sweetly distills in the
dew and the rain.
—Robert Grant.
Ye shall walk in all the way
which Jehovah your God hath commanded
you, that ye may live, and
that it may be well with you, and that ye
may prolong your days in the
land which ye shall possess.
—Deuteronomy 5. 33.
Almighty God, help me to make my life refulgent while I have the abundance of summer, that I may not find the November of life bleak and barren. Help me to live in the realities of life, that I may gain energy and repose, to use for the lonesome and anxious hours. May I be watchful for the conditions that thwart life, and with patience wait for the awakening of truth. Amen.
Marie Antoinette born 1755.
Field-Marshal Radetzky born 1766.
James Knox Polk, North Carolina, eleventh President
United States, born 1795.
Overmastering pain—the most deadly and tragical element in life—alas! pain has its own way with all of us; it breaks in, a rude visitant, upon the fairy garden where the child wanders in a dream, no less surely than it rules upon the field of battle, or sends the immortal war-god whimpering to his father; and innocence, no more than philosophy, can protect us from this sting.
—Robert Louis Stevenson.
My hopes retire; my wishes
as before
Struggle to find
their resting place in vain;
The ebbing sea thus beats
against the shore;
The shore repels
it; it returns again.
—W.S. Landor.
Yet Jehovah will command his
loving-kindness in the day-time, And in
the night his song shall be
with me.
—Psalm 42. 8.
Loving Father, I bless thee for thy goodness and tender mercy which is over all. May I trust thy provision and love through all circumstances, and as I trust myself to thee may I have faith to believe that thou wilt give me strength for what I may have to endure, and believe that thou wilt care for me, as thou dost care for all. Amen.
Lucan born A.D. 39.
William Cullen Bryant born 1794.
Francis D. Millet born 1846.
John Watson (Ian Maclaren) born 1850.
Pearl Mary Teresa Craigie (John Oliver Hobbes)
born 1867.
Whither, midst falling dew,
While glow the
heavens with the last steps of day,
Far, through their rosy depths,
dost thou pursue
Thy solitary way!
Vainly the fowler’s
eye
Might mark thy
distant flight to do thee wrong,
As, darkly painted on the
crimson sky,
Thy figure floats
along.
He who, from zone to zone,
Guides through
the boundless sky thy certain flight,
In the long way that I must
tread alone,
Will lead my steps
aright.
—William Cullen Bryant.
For Jehovah your God dried
up the waters of the Jordan from before
you, until ye were passed
over.
—Joshua 4. 23.
Almighty God, help me to guard against gratification that leads to disappointment, that I may not miss the true way. I pray that thou wilt lift me in my weakness, and carry me over the rough and discouraging places, that I may be made strong in thy loving care, and be able to continue alone. Amen.
Guido Reni born 1575.
James Montgomery born 1771.
Edmund Keane born 1787.
Ernest Howard Crosby born 1856.
Eugene Field died 1895.
Keep me, I pray, in wisdom’s
way,
That I may truths
eternal seek;
I need protecting care to-day—
My purse is light,
my flesh is weak.
—Eugene Field.
No one could tell me where
my Soul might be,
I searched for God, but God
eluded me.
I sought my brother out, and
found all three.
—Ernest H. Crosby.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he will direct thy paths.
—Proverbs 3. 6.
My Father, may I not face the going down of the sun to-day, looking at life, in a mirror that reflects my own privileges and prejudices, but may I see it as it is, known to those who are living to make it better. May the days to come prove my sincerity in wanting the truth that I might live by it, and help to do good with it. Amen.
Hans Sachs born 1494.
Dr. John Brown born 1715.
Benjamin Butler born 1818.
The thing that goes the farthest
Toward making
life worth while,
That costs the least, and
does the most,
Is just a pleasant
smile.
That smile that bubbles from
a heart
That loves its
fellow men
Will drive away the cloud
of gloom
And coax the sun
again.
—Anonymous.
One whom I knew intimately,
and whose memory I revere, once in my
hearing remarked that, “Unless
we love people we cannot understand
them.” This was
a new light to me.
—Christina G. Rossetti.
Oil and perfume rejoice the
heart; So doth the sweetness of a man’s
friend that cometh of hearty
counsel.
—Proverbs 27. 9.
Lord God, I pray that I may be worthy of my friends. May I not fear to go where I am called, and may I go cheerfully, even though the way be dark and lonesome. Amen.
James Gregory born 1638.
John Bright born 1811.
Sir George Williams died 1905.
Look full into thy spirit’s
self,
The world of mystery
scan;
What if thy way to faith in
God
Should lie through
faith in man?
—John Bright.
Blessed are they who have the gift of making friends, for it is one of God’s best gifts. It involves many things, but above all, the power of going out of oneself and seeing and appreciating whatever is noble and loving in another.
—Thomas Hughes.
Be perfected; be comforted;
be of the same mind; live in peace: and
the God of love and peace
shall be with you.
—2 Corinthians 13. 11.
Lord God, I earnestly entreat thee to show me if I may be cramping the happiness in another’s life by forcing in my selfishness and demands. May I understand that perfect gifts are those that come through loving sacrifice. Make me ashamed to ask for what I refuse or prefer not to give. Amen.
Sir Martin Frobisher died 1594.
William Stukeley born 1687.
Friedrich Leopold, Count von Stolberg, born 1750.
Once to every man and nation
comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of Truth with
Falsehood, for the good or evil side;
Some great cause, God’s
new Messiah offering each the bloom or blight,
Parts the goats upon the left
hand, and the sheep upon the right;
And the choice goes by forever
’twixt that darkness and that light.
—James Russell Lowell.
We cannot command veracity at will; the power of seeing and reporting truly is a form of health that has to be delicately guarded, and as an ancient rabbi has solemnly said, “The penalty of untruth is untruth.”
—George Eliot.
Behold, this only have I found:
that God made man upright; but they
have sought out many inventions.
—Ecclesiastes 7. 29.
My Father, help me to speak the truth and guard the truth, that righteousness may be an abiding influence in my life. Amen.
Edmund Halley born 1656.
John Milton died 1674.
Owen Meredith (Bulwer Edward Lytton) born 1831.
The morning drum-call on my
eager ear
Thrills unforgotten yet! the
morning dew
Lies yet undried along my
field of noon.
But now I pause a while in
what I do,
And count the bell, and tremble
lest I hear
(My work untrimmed) the sunset
gun too soon.
—Robert Louis Stevenson.
I fear
Life’s many changes,
not Death’s changelessness.
So perfect is this moment’s
passing cheer,
I needs must tremble lest
it pass to less.
Thus in fickle love of life
I live,
Lest fickle life me of my
love deprive.
—Owen Meredith.
And Jehovah said unto Joshua,
Get thee up; wherefore art thou thus
fallen upon thy face?
Up, sanctify the people, and
say, Sanctify yourselves against
to-morrow.
—Joshua 7. 10, 13.
Almighty God, help me in these fleeting days that I may not use my time to consider and hesitate, but be positive in my desires and pursue them. Grant that I may have the strength to hold each day precious, and live it more than consistently. Amen.
Mark Akenside born 1721.
William Sotheby born 1757.
Charles F. Thwing born 1853.
The victor’s road is
the easy way.
Straight it stretches
and climbs to where
Fame is waiting with garlands
gay
To wreathe the
fighter who clambers there.
There’s applause in
plenty and gold’s red gleam
For the man who plays on the
winning team.
The loser travels a longer
lane;
Level it leads
to a lonely land.
There’s little glory
for him to gain
The voices mock
him on either hand;
But the man who wins in the
greater game
Is the man who, beaten, fights
on the same.
—G. Rice.
The hero is not fed on sweets,
Daily his own heart he eats;
Chambers of the great are
jails,
And head-winds right for royal
sails.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
He thanked God, and took courage.
—Acts 28. 15.
O Lord, I pray that whether I may be successful in the sight of the world, or whether I may be successful in my own sacrifices, I may have the freedom of courage, and be master of my life. Amen.
Martin Luther born 1483.
William Hogarth born 1697.
Oliver Goldsmith born 1728.
Johann von Schiller born 1759.
Joaquin Miller born 1841.
Henry van Dyke born 1852.
As faith, so is God.
—Martin Luther.
Learn the luxury of doing good.
—Oliver Goldsmith.
Love is the ladder by which we climb up to the likeness of God.
—Johann von Schiller.
And who will walk a mile with
me
Along life’s
weary way?
A friend whose heart has eyes
to see
The stars shine out o’er
the darkening lea,
And the quiet
rest at the end of the day—
A friend who knows
and dares to say,
The brave sweet
words that cheer the way
Where he walks a mile with
me.
—Henry van Dyke.
And whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two.
—Matthew 5. 41.
My Father, may I not dwell in the appearances of life, where I may grow selfish; but live in the realities of simplicity. May I not only seek those who may return me pleasure, but may I find delight in brightening the walk of a weary friend. Amen.
Alfred de Musset born 1810.
Thomas Bailey Aldrich born 1836.
Rev. Joshua Brookes died 1821.
I’ll not confer with
Sorrow
Till to-morrow,
But joy shall have her way
This very day.
—Thomas Bailey Aldrich.
Shall we have ears on the
stretch for the footfalls of sorrow that
never come, but be deaf to
the whirr of the wings of happiness that
fill all space?
—Maurice Maeterlinck.
This day is a day of good
tidings, and we hold our peace: if we
tarry till the morning light,
punishment will overtake, us; now
therefore come, let us go
and tell the king’s household.
—2 Kings 7. 9.
Loving Father, I pray that thou wilt help me to overcome unhappiness. May I not let depression overpower me, but claim the promises of joy that are open to every life. May I be blest by my own cheerfulness and encourage others to possess it. Amen.
Saint Augustine died A. D. 354.
Richard Baxter born 1615.
Amelia Opie born 1769.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton born 1815.
Thomas Lord Fairfax died 1671.
In life it is difficult to
say who do you the most mischief—enemies
with the worst intentions
or friends with the best.
—Edward Bulwer.
The friends thou hast, and
their adoption tried, Grapple them to thy
soul with hooks of steel.
—William Shakespeare.
Where persons who ought to esteem and love each other are kept asunder, as often happens, by some cause which three words of frank explanation would remove, they are fortunate if they possess an indiscreet friend who blurts out the whole truth.
—Thomas B. Macaulay.
Yea, mine own familiar friend,
in whom I trusted,
Who did eat of my bread,
Hath lifted up his heel against
me.
—Psalm 41. 9.
Lord God, help me to consider more carefully what I offer to my friends; and may I not be critical of what I receive from my friends. May I not be a hindrance instead of a help to those who would have my companionship. Amen.
Sir John Moore born 1761.
Robert Louis Stevenson born 1850.
Sir John Forbes died 1861.
Little do we know our own
blessedness; for to travel hopefully is a
better thing than to arrive,
and the True Success is to labor.
—Robert Louis Stevenson.
Whether thy work be fine or
coarse, planting corn or writing epics,
so only it be honest work,
done to thine own approbation, it shall
earn a reward to sense as
well as to the thought.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Nature gives to labor; and
to labor alone. In a very garden of Eden
a man would starve but for
human exertion.
—Henry George.
But let each man prove his
own work, and then shall he have his
glorying in regard of himself
alone, and not of his neighbor.
—Galatians 6. 4.
My Father, make pure living clear to me, that I may not be deceived in my work; and may I not use my working hours searching for more suitable work, but may I be sure in what I am that I may feel secure in what I undertake to do. Amen.
Bishop Hoadley born 1676.
Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel born 1805.
Robert Smythe Hichens born 1864.
Give us, O give us, the man
who sings at his work! Be his occupation
what it may, he is better
than any of those who follow the same
pursuit in silent sullenness.
—Thomas Carlyle.
What doctor possesses such curative resources as those latent in a single ray of hope? The mainspring of life is in the heart. Joy is the vital air of the soul, and grief is a kind of asthma complicated by atony.
—Amiel.
I will sing unto Jehovah as
long as I live:
I will sing praise to my God
while I have any being.
—Psalm 104. 33.
Loving Father, restore the spirit of gentleness and meekness if it may be withered within me, that I may be contented. May I make it a habit to be happy over my work and cheerful about my duties. May I never lose the view of the glory of thy kingdom. Amen.
William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, born 1708.
William Cowper born 1731.
Sir William Herschel born 1738.
Johann Lavater born 1741.
Richard Henry Dana born 1787.
Ida Tarbell born 1857.
The parting sun sends out
a glow
Across the placid
bay,
Touching with glory all the
show—
A breeze!
Up helm! Away!
Careening to the wind, they
reach,
With laugh and
call, the shore.
They’ve left their footprints
on the beach,
But them I hear
no more.
—Richard Henry Dana.
Art little? Do thy little
well:
And for thy comfort
know
The great can do their greatest
work
No better than
just so.
—Goethe.
But be thou an ensample to
them that believe, in word, in manner of
life, in love, in faith, in
purity.
—1 Timothy 4. 12.
Lord God, grant that if I may be complaining of what Providence has not sent me, I may not be neglecting what Providence has given me. May I not pause too long over what I have done, or over what I might have done, but may I be appreciative of what thou dost expect of me and endeavor to accomplish it. Amen.
Tiberius born B.C. 42.
Gustavus Adolphus killed 1632.
Francis Danby born 1793.
Judge not the workings of
his brain
And of his heart
thou canst not see;
What looks to thy dim eyes
a stain
In God’s
pure light may only be
A scar, brought from some
well-won field,
Where thou would’st
only faint and yield.
And judge none lost; but wait
and see,
With hopeful pity,
not disdain;
The depth of the abyss may
be
The measure of
the height of pain
And love and glory that may
raise
The soul to God in after
days!
—Adelaide A. Procter.
I am more afraid of deserving criticism, than of receiving it.
—William Gladstone.
Judge not, that ye be not judged.
—Matthew 7.1.
Lord Jehovah, judge of all mankind, forbid that I should set myself as a judge of another’s life, and neglect to live for the higher judgment of my own. May I not be absorbed in that which thrives in darkness, but live in the light of honesty and gentleness. Amen.
Queen Mary of England died 1558.
Joost van den Vondel born 1587.
George Grote born 1794.
There are evergreen men and women in the world, praise be to God!—not many of them, but a few. They are not the showy folk. (Nature is an old-fashioned shopkeeper; she never puts her best goods in the window.) They are only the quiet, strong folk; they are stronger than Fate. The storms of life sweep over them, and the biting frosts creep round them; but the winds and the frosts pass away, and they are still standing, green and straight.
—Jerome K. Jerome.
And he shall be like a tree
planted by the streams of water,
That bringeth forth its fruit
in its season,
Whose leaf also doth not wither;
And whatsoever he doeth shall
prosper.
—Psalm 1.3.
Gracious Lord, may I not spend most in equipment and forget the tides, which may desert me on the sands, or the rocks in the channels, which may crush the finest vessel. May I be prepared for the hard knocks if they come, but may I know how to keep clear of them. Amen.
Sir David Wilkie born 1785.
Louis J. M. Daguerre born 1789.
Cyrus Field born 1819.
William S. Gilbert born 1836.
If e’er when man had
fallen asleep,
I heard a voice, “Believe
no more,”
A warmth within the breast
would melt
The freezing reason’s
colder part,
And like a man
in wrath, the heart
Stood up and answered, “I
have felt.”
—Alfred Tennyson.
Faith is the deep want of the soul. We have faculties for the spiritual, as truly as for the outward world. God, the foundation of all existence, may become to the mind the most real of all beings. The believer feels himself resting on an everlasting foundation.
—William Henry Channing.
And they said one to another,
Was not our heart burning within us,
while he spake to us in the
way, while he opened to us the
scriptures?
—Luke 24. 32.
Lord God, save me from a hard and doubting heart. May I be trustful and come to thee in faith. All the days of my life may my lips sing thy praise as I unfold thy love and purposes. Amen.
Nicolas Poussin died 1665.
Albert Thorwaldsen born 1770.
James A. Garfield, Ohio, twentieth President United
States, born 1831.
Mary Hallock Foote born 1847.
Count Lyoff (Leo) Tolstoy died 1910.
And son I live,
you see,
Go through the world, try,
prove, reject,
Prefer, still struggling to
effect
My warfare; happy that I can
Be crossed and thwarted as
a man,
Not left in God’s contempt
apart,
With ghastly smooth life,
dead at heart,
Tame in earth’s paddock,
as her prize.
—Robert Browning.
Be good at the depths of you,
and you will discover that those who
surround you will be good
even to the same depths. Therein lies a
force that has no name; a
spiritual rivalry that has no resistance.
—Maurice Maeterlinck.
First of all, I must make
myself a man; if I do not succeed in that,
I can succeed in nothing.
—James A. Garfield.
That we may be no longer children,
tossed to and fro and carried
about with every wind of doctrine,
by the sleight of men, in
craftiness, after the wiles
of error.
—Ephesians 4. 14.
Eternal God, I thank thee for all the sterling elements that greaten the individual life. I pray that I may not desire to be kept a small creature, but seek to grow in wisdom and love, and qualify for mighty purposes and achievements. Amen.
Paul Potter born 1625.
Thomas Chatterton born 1752.
William Ellery Channing born 1818.
Sir Wilfred Laurier born 1841.
Then why, my soul, dost thou
complain?
Why drooping
seek the dark recess?
Shake off the melancholy chain,
For God
created all to bless.
The gloomy mantle of the night,
Which on
my sinking spirits steals,
Will vanish at the morning
light,
Which God,
my East, my Sun, reveals.
—Thomas Chatterton.
Lady, there is a hope that
all men have—
Some mercy for their faults,
a grassy place
To rest in, and a flower-strewn,
gentle grave:
Another hope which purifies
our race,
That when that fearful bourne
forever past,
They may find rest—and
rest so long to last.
I seek it not, I ask no rest
forever,
My path is onward to the farthest
shores.
—William Ellery Channing.
He brought me up also out
of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay;
And he set my feet upon a
rock, and established my goings.
And he put a new song in my
mouth.
—Psalm 40. 2, 3.
My Father, I pray that I may have patience to live through the difficulties of life. May I correct my faults, that they may not destroy my peace and take from me my strength; help me to center my life in brightness and hope. Amen.
Claude Lorraine died 1682.
Bryan Waller Procter (Barry Cornwall) born 1787.
Mary Johnston born 1870.
There is not a creature from
England’s king
To the peasant
that delves the soil,
Who knows half the pleasures
the seasons bring
If he had not
his share of toil.
—Barry Cornwall.
It may be proved, with much certainty, that God intends no man to live in this world without working; but it seems to me no less evident that he intends every man to be happy in his work. Now, in order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: they must be fit for it; and they must not do too much of it; and they must have a sense of success in it.
—John Ruskin.
Let him labor, working with
his hands the thing that is good, that
he may have whereof to give
to him that hath need.
—Ephesians 4. 28.
My Father, if my work seems hard to-day, may I not cease working if I grow weary, but may my strength be renewed to continue my work. May the aim of my work be to please thee, and to help in the progress of humanity. Amen.
Saint Cecilia martyred A.D. 230.
Sir Henry Havelock died 1857.
Justin M’Carthy born 1830.
Sometimes the sun, unkindly
hot,
My garden makes a desert spot,
Sometimes a blight upon the
tree
Takes all my fruit away from
me;
And then with throes of bitter
pain
Rebellious passions rise and
swell;
And so I sing and all is well.
—Paul Laurence Dunbar.
Such songs have power to quiet
The restless pulse
of care,
And come like benediction
That follows after
prayer.
—Henry W. Longfellow.
Songs consecrate to truth and liberty.
—Percy Bysshe Shelley.
David took the harp, and played
with his hand: so Saul was
refreshed, and was well, and
the evil spirit departed from him.
—1 Samuel 16. 23.
Almighty God, I thank thee that thou wilt come to me as my heart cries for need. I bless thee that thou dost come to me as my lips sing thy praise. I pray that I may be saved from a cruel and cheerless heart, and be a sharer of the songs that are sung to the soul. Amen.
Thomas Tallis died 1585.
Franklin Pierce, New Hampshire, fourteenth President
United States, born 1804.
Marie Bashkirtseff born 1860.
Asleep, awake, by night or
day,
The friends I
seek are seeking me;
No word can drive my bark
astray,
Nor change the
tide of destiny.
The stars come nightly to
the sky,
The tidal wave
unto the sea;
Nor time, nor space, nor deep,
nor high,
Can keep my own
away from me.
—John Burroughs.
If a man could make a single
rose we would give him an empire; yet
flowers no less beautiful
are scattered in profusion over the world,
and no one regards them.
—Martin Luther.
Let patience have its perfect work.
—James 1. 4.
My Creator, may I remember that after thou didst create the earth thou didst say it was good. May I love the fragrance and beauty of the flowers which were made to nourish the soul, and the fruits and herbs which were made to nourish the body. May my song of thanksgiving be new every morning, as I awake in the abundance of what thou hast prepared. Amen.
John Knox died 1572.
Baron Spinoza born 1632.
Grace Darling born 1815.
Frances Hodgson Burnett born 1849.
I waited long until the sky
Should give me
of its blue
To weave and wear, and share,
and weave
The very stars
into.
The days they went, the years
they went,
And left my hands
instead
Another thing for wonderment,
The mending and
the bread.
Ah me, and one must set a
hand
To burnish up
the task,
And hush and hush the old
demand
A wakeful heart
will ask.
But with a star’s clear
eye on me,
O, I can hear
it said,
“What souls there be
that only see
The mending and
the bread!”
—Josephine P. Peabody.
The riches of a commonwealth
Are free, strong minds and
hearts of health.
And more to her than gold
or grain,
The cunning hand and cultured
brain.
—John G. Whittier.
For the life is more than the food, and the body than the raiment.
—Luke 12. 23.
My Father, I pray that thou wilt help me, that I may not consume my life in preparing clothes and food for my body. Amen.
Charles Kemble born 1775.
John Bigelow born 1817.
Paul Haupt born 1858.
John Kitto died 1854.
I will not kill or hurt any living creature needlessly, nor destroy any beautiful thing, but will strive to save and comfort all gentle life and guard and perfect all natural beauty on earth. I will strive to raise my own body and soul daily into all the higher powers of duty and-happiness, not in rivalship or contention with others, but for help, delight, and honor of others and for the joy and peace of my own life.
—John Ruskin.
They shall not hurt nor destroy
in all my holy mountain; for the
earth shall be full of the
knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover
the sea.
—Isaiah 11. 9.
Lord God, I rejoice in the blessedness of peace. May I not try to force peace where cruelty has entered, but keep a watch for what may come into my life. I pray that if I may be in turbulence to-day, thou wilt quiet me with thy peace which knows no fear or wrong. Amen.
Sir William Ware born 1594.
John Elwes died 1789.
John Loudoun Macadam died 1836.
I’d like
a way
To change the clouds that
bring us sorrow,
And build to-day a bright
to-morrow;
To banish cares that tarry
long,
And have the days like the
blue-bird’s song—
I’d like
a way.
I’ll find
a way—
I’ll set sail when the
breeze is high,
And calmly drift when pleasure’s
nigh;
I’ll steer a course
afar from tears,
And take in joy the coming
years—
I’ll find
a way.
I’ve lost
the way!
Out through the gloom a beam
of light
Looks like a purpose looming
bright!
Up with the sail! I’ll
out to sea
And bring that purpose back
with me,
Or go its way.
—M.B.S.
Unto the upright there ariseth
light in the darkness: He is
gracious, and merciful, and
righteous.
—Psalm 112. 4.
My Father, I pray that I may not through indifference wander without a purpose, or through discouragement stumble through the darkness. May I be drawn to the light by the vision of hopeful and useful days. Amen.
Horace died B.C. 8.
Marquise d’Aubigne Maintenon born 16324.
General Artemus Ward born 1727.
Fanny Kemble born 1809.
Alexandra Dumas died 1895.
Be this thy brazen bulwark
of defense, to preserve a conscience void
of offense, and never turn
pale with guilt.
—Horace.
Is life a noxious weed which
whirlwinds sow?
A useless flint o’er
which the waters flow?
Not so!
A life well spent has not
its weight in gold;
It is the clearest crystal
earth doth hold,
A gem beside which suns seem
dull and cold.
—Robert Louis Stevenson.
That they may lay hold on the life which is life indeed.
—1 Timothy 6. 19.
Lord God, I pray that my life may not be impoverished by neglect, nor burdened with indulgences, but that it may be kept in condition for high endeavors. Grant that I may never be content to rest in satisfaction and ease when I could struggle and accomplish a good work. Amen.
William Blake born 1757.
Anton G. Rubinstein born 1829
Washington Irving died 1859.
The sorrow for the dead is the only sorrow from which we refuse to be divorced. Every other wound we seek to heal, every other affliction to forget. Take warning by the bitterness of this thy contrite affliction over the dead, and henceforth be more faithful and affectionate in the discharge of thy duties to the living.
—Washington Irving.
Joy and woe are woven fine,
A clothing for the soul divine;
Every grief and pine
Runs a joy with a silken twine.
—William Blake.
Ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
—John 16. 20.
Heavenly Father, grant that I may not lose the kindness that I may give and receive to-day. I thank thee for the memories of yesterday, the hope of to-morrow, and the wisdom of to-day. May I have a vision of immortality that will keep me through the closest sorrow. Amen.
Sir Philip Sidney born 1554.
A. Bronson Alcott born 1799.
Wendell Phillips born 1811.
Louisa M. Alcott born 1832.
Truth is sensitive and jealous
of the least encroachment of its
sacredness.
—A. Bronson Alcott.
Faith that withstood the shocks
of toil and time,
Hope that defied
despair,
Patience that
conquered care,
And loyalty whose courage
was sublime;
Teaching us how to seek the
highest goal,
To earn the true
success;
To live to love,
to bless,
And make death proud to take
a royal soul.
—Louisa M. Alcott.
Nor is it
Wiser to weep a true occasion
lost,
But trim our sails, and let
old bygones be.
—Alfred Tennyson.
In hope of eternal life, which
God, who cannot lie, promised before
times eternal.
—Titus 1. 2.
Heavenly Father, I pray that I may live in truth; and without fear of life or death live content in the faith of eternal life. Amen.
Peregrine White born New England 1620.
Jonathan Swift born 1687.
Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) born 1835.
Winston Churchill born 1874.
He gave it for his opinion that whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together.
—Jonathan Swift.
That man may last, but never
lives,
Who much receives, but nothing
gives;
Whom none can love, whom none
can thank,—
Creation’s blot, creation’s
blank.
—Thomas Gibbons.
Give, and it shall be given
unto you; good measure, pressed down,
shaken together, running over,
shall they give into your bosom. For
with what measure ye mete
it shall be measured to you again.
—Luke 6. 38.
My Father, preserve my soul from all selfishness. May I delight in thy teaching as I trust in thy word. I pray that I may not only speak truthfully, but that I may leave the door of my spirit open, that truth may always enter and abide continually. Amen.
He comes—he comes—the
Frost Spirit comes:
You may trace
his footsteps now
On the naked woods and the
blasted fields,
And the brown
hill’s withered brow.
He has smitten the leaves
of the gray old trees,
Where their green
came forth,
And the winds, which follow
wherever he goes,
Have shaken them
down to earth.
He comes—he comes—the
Frost Spirit comes!
Let us meet him
as we may,
And turn with the light of
the parlor fire
His evil power
away;
And gather closer the circle
round,
Where the firelight
dances high,
And laugh at the shriek of
the baffled fiend,
As his sounding
wing goes by.
—John G. Whittier.
DECEMBER FIRST
Dr. George Birkbeck died 1841.
Queen Alexandra born 1844.
R.W. Dale born 1829.
Ebenezer Elliott died 1849.
We would fill the hours with
the sweetest things,
If we had but
a day:
We should drink alone at the
purest springs,
In our upward
way:
We should guide our wayward
or wearied will,
By the clearest
light:
We should keep our eyes on
the heavenly hills,
If they lay in
sight:
We should be from our clamorous
selves set free,
To work and pray:
And be what the Father would
have us to be,
If we had but
a day.
—Margaret E. Sangster.
Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
—Philippians 4. 8.
Gracious Father, help me to understand that my life grows out of what I put into my days. Forgive me for the unspoken words and the kind deeds which I kept for rare days, and had so few occasions to use. May I be as useful in kindness as I am in work, remembering that to thee every day is a golden day. Amen.
David Masson born 1822.
John Brown hanged, Charlestown, West Virginia 1859.
Hugh Miller died 1856.
The solitude of life is known
to us all; for the most part we are
alone, and the voices of friends
come only faint and broken across
the impassable gulfs which
surround every human soul.
—Hamilton Mabie.
To have an ideal or to have none, to have this ideal or that—this is what digs gulfs between men, even between those who live in the same family circle, under the same roof, or in the same room. You must love with the same love, think with the same thoughts as some one else if you are to escape solitude.
—Amiel.
The plans of the heart belong
to man;
But the answer of the tongue
is from Jehovah.
—Proverbs 16. 1.
Lord God, help me to take in the glory of life, that my spirit may never be lonely, even though I may have to be much alone. I pray that thou wilt spare me the loneliness and the solitude that may be brought on by selfishness. Make me considerate of others. May I soar above the disappointments and losses that may come to me, and stay where I may have thy companionship. Amen.
Samuel Crompton born 1753.
Sir Frederick Leighton born 1830.
Robert Louis Stevenson died 1894.
To know what you prefer, instead
of humbly saying “Amen” to what the
world tells you you ought
to prefer, is to have kept your soul
alive.
—Robert Louis Stevenson.
There is precious instruction
to be got by finding we were wrong.
Let a man try faithfully,
manfully to be right. He will grow daily
more and more right.
—Thomas Carlyle.
The hero is the man who is immovably centered.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Let us draw near with a true
heart in fulness of faith, having our
hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience: and having our body washed
with pure water.
—Hebrews 10. 22.
Gracious Father, grant that I may not be content to follow through ignorance and indolence and be led to the lowly paths of life. Make my Hie positive; and from my surroundings may I look out and struggle to mount to the highest ideals, that I may be qualified to select the best in life. Amen.
Cardinal Richelieu died 1642.
William Drummond died 1649.
Madame Recamier born 1777.
Thomas Carlyle born 1795.
John Kitto born 1804.
It is with a man’s soul as it is with nature: the beginning of Creation is—Light. Till the eye have visions the whole members are in bonds. Divine moment, when over the tempest-tost Soul, as once over the wild-weltering Chaos, it is spoken: Let there be Light!
—Thomas Carlyle.
What in me is
dark
Illumine, what is low raise
and support;
That to the light of this
great argument
I may assert eternal Providence
And justify the ways of God
to men.
—John Milton.
For thou art my lamp, O Jehovah;
And Jehovah will lighten my
darkness.
—2 Samuel 22. 29.
My Lord, forgive me if I have allowed bitterness and misery to darken my life, for my soul yearns continually for the light. In thy compassion lead me to the “sunny side of the road where the beautiful flowers grow,” that my path may be made bright and cheerful all the rest of the way. Amen.
Martin Van Buren, New York, eighth President
United States, born 1782.
Christina G. Rossetti born 1830.
Alice Brown born 1857.
A cold wind stirs the blackthorn
To burgeon and
to blow,
Besprinkling half-green hedges
With flakes and
sprays of snow.
Through coldness and through
keenness,
Dear hearts take
comfort so:
Somewhere or other doubtless
These make the
blackthorn blow.
—Christina G. Rossetti.
There are some men and women
in whose company we are always at our
best. All the best stops
in our nature are drawn out by their
intercourse, and we find a
music in our souls never there before.
—Henry Drummond.
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works.
—Hebrews 10. 24.
My Father, I thank thee for life. Make me sensitive to the unseen influences that bring thy messages. May I be led where great riches may be found through small kindnesses, and where I may learn from the meek the beauty of earth. Amen.
General George Monk born 1608.
Warren Hastings born 1732.
Dr. Richard Barham born 1786.
That low man seeks a little
thing to do,
Sees it and does
it:
This high man, with a great
thing to pursue,
Dies ere he knows
it.
That low man goes on adding
one to one,
His hundred’s
soon hit:
This high man, aiming at a
million,
Misses an unit.
That, has the world here—should
he need the next,
Let the world
mind him!
This, throws himself on God,
and unperplexed
Seeking shall
find him.
—Robert Browning.
Hitch your wagon to a star.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
When thou saidst, Seek ye
my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy
face, Jehovah, will I seek.
—Psalm 27. 8.
Almighty God, show me what thou hast given for me to do, that I may not leave undone that which is mine. Forgive me for useless planning and blind asking for the things which cannot be mine. I pray that my work may be honest work, well done, and acceptable for thy service. Amen.
Cicero assassinated B.C. 43.
John Dalton born 1766.
Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, born 1542.
It is virtue—yes, let me repeat it again—it is virtue alone that can give birth, strength, and permanency to friendship. For virtue is a uniform and steady principle ever acting consistently with itself.
—Cicero.
A common friendship—who
talks of a common friendship? There is no
such thing in the world.
On earth no word is more sublime.
—Henry Drummond.
But thou shalt surely open
thy hand unto him, and shalt surely lend
him sufficient for his need.
—Deuteronomy 15. 8.
Lord God, wilt thou reveal to me my weakness if I may be insincere; and give me the strength that I lack to keep me true. May I not take advantage of the ignorant, or thoughtlessly lead the innocent into temptation. Grant that I may be a trustful and kind friend. Amen.
John Pym died 1643.
Richard Baxter died 1691.
Thomas De Quincey died 1859.
Elihu Burritt born 1810.
Robert Collyer born 1823.
Into the dusk of the East,
Gray with the
coming of night,
This may we know at least—
After the night
comes light!
Over the mariners’ graves,
Grim in the depths
below,
Buoyantly breasting the waves,
Into the East
we go.
On to a distant strand,
Wonderful, far,
unseen,
On to a stranger land,
Skimming the seas
between;
On through the days and nights,
Hope in each sailor’s
breast,
On till the harbor lights
Flash on the shores
of rest!
J.H. Jowett.
So he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
—Psalm 107. 30.
Lord God, I pray that thou wilt provide me with thy indwelling peace. May it keep me reconciled to the decline of years, and enable me to bear the earthly separation from those whom I love. May I always have hope and trust in thee. Amen.
John Milton born 1608.
Sir Anthony Van Dyck died 1641.
Joel Chandler Harris born 1848.
Doth God exact day labor,
light denied?
I fondly ask: but Patience,
to prevent
That murmur, soon replies,
“God doth not need
Either man’s work, or
his own gifts; who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve
him best; his state
Is kingly; thousands at his
bidding speed,
And post o’er land and
ocean without rest;
They also serve who only stand
and wait.”
—John Milton.
“‘Tain’t
on’y chilluns w’at got de consate er doin’
eve’ything dey
see yuther folks do.
Hit’s grown folks w’at oughter know better,”
said Uncle Remus.
—Joel Chandler Harris.
Wherefore, receiving a kingdom
that cannot be shaken, let us have
grace, whereby we may offer
service well-pleasing to God with
reverence and awe.
—Hebrews 12. 28.
My Father, teach me to select my work from that which is noble and true. May I not mold my life in affectation or feel that I must imitate the lives of others, but grant that I may perfect my life through experiences which are worthy of increasing endeavors. Amen.
Thomas Holcroft born 1745.
Dr. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet born 1787.
Eugene Sue born 1804.
Be of good cheer. Do not think of to-day’s failures, but of success that may come to-morrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will have a joy in overcoming obstacles—a delight in climbing rugged paths which you would perhaps never know if you did not sometimes slip backward, if the road were always smooth and pleasant. Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost.
—Helen Keller.
We rise by things that are
beneath our feet,
By what we have
mastered by good and gain,
By the pride deposed
and passion slain,
And the vanquished ills that
we hourly meet.
—J.G. Holland.
He that overcometh, I will
give to him to sit down with, me in my
throne, as I also overcame,
and sat down with my Father in his
throne.
—Revelation 3. 21.
My Father, I pray that I may not be given to contradicting and doubting, nor take for granted that which needs to be considered. Grant that I may have the faith and strength of heart to fulfill the longings of my soul. Amen.
Sir Roger L’Estrange died 1704.
Dr. William Cullen born 1712.
Colley Cibber died 1757.
Lord, subdue our selfish will;
Each to each our
tempers suit,
By thy modulating skill,
Heart to heart,
as lute to lute.
—Charles Wesley.
One of the last, slowly murmured sayings of Whittier, was this: “Give—my—love—to—the—world.” And this is the world’s supreme need to-day; more than our eloquence, or our knowledge, or our wealth, or all else besides, it needs our love. True, even love may sometimes err; but the cure for love’s mistakes is just more love; we often blunder because we do not love enough. God help us all that, like Whittier, we may live and die, giving our love to the world.
—George Jackson.
Love never faileth.
—1 Corinthians 13. 8.
Lord God, help me to see the beauty of the world, and through my duty may I find the love in the world. May I not spend my life in discontent, but may I remember that thou hast said, “The meek shall inherit the earth.” Fill my heart with compassion, that I may love my fellow man as I love myself. Amen.
Chief Justice John Jay born 1745.
Gustav Flaubert born 1821.
Robert Browning died 1889.
A people is but the attempt
of many
To rise to the completer life
of one.
And those who live for models
for the mass
Are singly of more value than
they all.
—Robert Browning.
Give me the power to labor
for mankind;
Make me the mouth
of such as cannot speak;
Eyes let me be to groping
men and blind;
A conscience to
the base; and to the weak
Let me be hands and feet,
and to the foolish, mind;
And lead still
further on such as thy kingdom seek.
—Theodore Parker.
I was eyes to the blind,
And feet was I to the lame.
—Job 29. 15.
Almighty God, wilt thou guide me in the direction where I may choose a useful life; open wide my heart as well as my eyes, that I may early see my work and be diligent in its prosecution. Reveal to me, when I may have failed, that I may do better to-morrow. Amen.
William Drummond born 1585.
Dr. Samuel Johnson died 1784.
Joseph Noel Paton born 1821.
Phillips Brooks born 1835.
Hamilton Mabie born 1846.
When the clouds of sorrow gather over us, we see nothing beyond them, nor can imagine how they can be dispelled; yet a new day succeeded to the night, and sorrow is never long without a dawn of ease.
—Dr. Samuel Johnson.
The fountains of joy and sorrow are for the most part locked up in ourselves.... There come to great, solitary, and sorely smitten souls moments of clear insight, of assurance of victory, of unspeakable fellowship with truth and life and God, which outweigh years of sorrow and bitterness.
—Hamilton Mabie.
And ye therefore now have
sorrow: but I will see you again, and your
heart shall rejoice, and your
joy no one taketh away from you.
—John 16. 22.
My Father, may I remember that the days of my life that I give over to grief can never be reclaimed. Help me that I may not want to keep sorrow in my life, but with faith may I believe that “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Amen.
Daniel Neal born 1678.
Rev. Charles Wolfe born 1791.
George Washington died 1799.
Frances Ridley Havergal born 1836.
Seldom can the heart be lonely,
If it seek a lonelier
still;
Self-forgetting, seeking only
Emptier cups of
love to fill.
—Frances R. Havergal.
When to the sessions of sweet silent
thought
I summon up remembrance of things past,
I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought.
And with old woes new wail my dear time’s
waste
* * * * *
But if the while I think on thee,
dear friend,
All losses are restored, and sorrows end.
—William Shakespeare.
The Lord Jehovah hath given me
the tongue of them that are taught,
that I may know how to sustain with words him
that is weary.
—Isaiah 50. 4.
Gracious Father, keep me cheerful and courageous, that I may not be given to weary murmurings. May my hours of solitude be spent profitably as they pass. Grant that I may be a help to those who are in need of sympathy and encouragement, and through the peace that is given to me help them to a tranquil life. Amen.
Catherine of Aragon born 1485.
George Romney born 1734.
Franklin B. Sanborn born 1831.
Yet frequent visitors shall
kiss the shrine,
And ever keep
its vestal lamp alight;
All noble thoughts, all dreams
divinely bright,
That waken or
delight this soul of mine.
—F.B. Sanborn.
One small cloud can hide the
sunlight;
Loose one string, the pearls
are scattered;
Think one thought, a soul
may perish;
Say one word, a heart may
break.
—A.A. Procter.
Self-scrutiny is often the most unpleasant, and always the most difficult, of moral actions. But it is also the most important and salutary; for, as the wisest of the Greeks said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.”
—J. Strachan.
Try your own selves, whether
ye are in the faith; prove your own
selves.
—2 Corinthians 13. 5.
Gracious Father, help me that I may not be thoughtless and unkind. May I be gentle and sympathetic. Forgive me for any unhappiness which I may have made, and may it be mine to know the rejoicing that comes hi lifting a discouraged life in time. Amen.
John Selden born 1584.
Francois La Rochefoucauld born 1610.
George Whitefield born 1714.
Jane Austen born 1775.
So live that when thy summons
comes to join
The innumerable caravan that
moves
To that mysterious realm where
each shall take
His chamber in the silent
halls of death,
Thou go not, like the quarry
slave at night,
Scourged to his dungeon, but,
sustained and soothed
By an unfaltering trust, approach
thy grave
Like one who wraps the drapery
of his couch
About him and lies down to
pleasant dreams.
—William Cullen Bryant.
As the wind extinguishes a
taper but kindles the fire, so absence is
the death of an ordinary passion,
but lends strength to the greater.
—La Rochefoucauld.
If a man die, shall he live again?
—Job 14. 14.
Heavenly Father, with thy help may I enter into the hope that overcomes the fear of death. May my days be full of aspiration, and through faith may my life move toward the eternal and the sublime. Amen.
Sir Roger L’Estrange born 1616.
Ludwig van Beethoven born 1770.
Sir Humphry Davy born 1779.
John Greenleaf Whittier born 1807.
The night is mother of the
day,
The winter of
the spring;
And ever upon old decay
The greenest mosses
cling.
Behind the cloud the starlight
lurks,
Through showers
the sunbeams fall;
For God, who loveth all his
works,
Has left his hope
with all.
—John Greenleaf Whittier.
The sun set; but not his hope:
Stars rose; his faith was
earlier up.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
What I am I have made myself.
—Sir Humphry Davy.
Therefore my heart is glad,
and my glory rejoiceth:
My flesh also shall dwell
in safety.
—Psalm 16. 9.
My Father, may I never be content to pass by thy beautiful offerings and keep on in wretched despair. Save me if I may ’be inclining toward misery. Give me the spirit of repose, and help me to confide in thee as I daily seek the strength of thy love. Amen.
Charles Wesley born 1708.
Lyman Abbott born 1835.
Samuel Rogers died 1855.
Sir Joseph John Thomson born 1845.
And let this feeble body fail,
And let it faint
or die;
My soul shall quit this mournful
vale,
And soar to worlds
on high.
—Charles Wesley.
It were better to live an immortal life and be robbed of immortality hereafter by some supernal power, than to live the mortal, fleshly animal life, and live it endlessly. Who would not rather have a right to immortality than to be immortal without a right to be?
—Lyman Abbott.
So when a great man dies,
For years beyond
our ken,
The light he leaves behind
him lies
Upon the paths
of men.
—Henry W. Longfellow.
But he that soweth unto the
Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal
life.
—Galatians 6. 8.
My Father, I pray that I may be spared the deprivations that may come from years spent in selfishness. Help me to realize before it is too late how little self can hold and how much remorse may accumulate. Help me to aspire to ideals that compel me to live an immortal life. Amen.
Gustavus Adolphus born 1594.
Horatio Bonar born 1808.
F. Delsarte born 1811.
Mary A. Livermore born 1820.
J.M.W. Turner died 1851.
If a man is to be a pillar in the temple of his God by and by, he must be some kind of a prop in God’s house to-day. We are here to support, not to be supported. No one can be a living stone on the foundations of the Spiritual House which is God’s habitation without being a foundation to the stones above him.
—Maltbie Babcock.
Since trifles make the sum
of human things,
And half our misery from our
foibles springs;
Since life’s best joys
consist in peace and ease,
O let th’ ungentle spirit
learn from hence,
A small unkindness is a great
offense.
—Hannah More.
He that overcometh I will
make a pillar in the temple of my God, and
he shall go out thence no
more.
—Revelation 3. 12.
My Father, grant that I may not deceive myself and expect big results from little efforts; nor be willing to receive assistance and refuse my support. May I not only be anxious to give others all that I can, and share their burdens, but may I be glad to help make fewer burdens for others to bear. Amen.
Louis the Dauphin died 1765.
John Wilson Croker born 1780.
Cyrus Townsend Brady born 1861.
Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration
finds,
Or bends with
the remover to remove.
O no! it is an ever-fixed
mark
That looks on
tempests and is never shaken.
It is the star to every wandering
bark,
Whose worth’s
unknown, although his height be taken.
—William Shakespeare.
I will not doubt the love
untold
Which not my worth
nor want hath bought,
Which wooed me young and wooes
me old,
And to this evening
hath me brought.
—Henry David Thoreau.
Yea, I have loved thee with
an everlasting love: therefore with
lovingkindness have I drawn
thee.
—Jeremiah 81. 3.
Loving Father, teach me the secret of constancy, that none may ever be disappointed in me. May I not reckon what I give on recompense, but have the spirit of giving which has no measure for what it may receive in return. May I not be forgetful of thy love which will hold me to deeper reverence and devotion. Amen.
Jean Baptiste Racine born 1639.
Robert Moffat born 1795.
Laura Bridgman born 1829.
To think and to feel constitute
the two grand divisions of men and
genius—the men
of reasoning and the men of imagination.
—Disraeli.
Grow old along with me! the
best is yet to be,
The last of life,
for which the first was made:
Our times are in his hand
who saith, a whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust
God: see all, nor be afraid!
—Robert Browning.
But the path of the righteous
is as the dawning light, That shineth
more and more unto the perfect
day.
—Proverbs 4. 18.
Almighty God, I pray that I may have the grace to penetrate the deep things of life and test their truth and greatness. May I have faith in thy power and train for the best which thou hast made possible for me to live. Help me to think and feel aright, that I may be thine to-day, and in the days of to-morrow may I still be thine, ever keeping bright memories of past days. Amen.
Franz Abt born 1819.
Thomas W. Higginson born 1823.
George Eliot died 1880.
Love and Pain
Make their own measure of
all things that be.
No clock’s slow ticking
marks their deathless strain;
The life they own is not the
life we see;
Love’s single moment
is eternity.
—Thomas W. Higginson.
Life is made stronger
Giving, receiving;
Love is made longer
Hoping, believing.
Life is made sweeter,
Truly worth living;
Love is completer,
Trusting, forgiving.
—M.B.S.
In love of the brethren be
tenderly affectioned one to another; in
honor preferring one another.
—Romans 12. 10.
Loving Father, I thank thee that every morn breaks in a new day without the sadness of yesterday or the gladness of to-morrow. I pray that I may not lose the love and joy that it brings to-day. Amen.
Michael Drayton died 1631.
Robert Barclay born 1648.
James Sargent Storer died 1854.
When heaven endows you with
all gifts, you are an incomplete being
if you stay still in your
corner instead of taking advantage of your
real value.
—Marie Bashkirtseff.
Life, which ought to be a thing complete in itself, and ought to be spent partly in gathering materials, and partly in drawing inferences, is apt to be a hurried accumulation lasting to the edge of the tomb. We are put into the world, I cannot help feeling, to be rather than do.
—Arthur C. Benson.
Jehovah is the strength of my life.
—Psalm 27. 1.
Heavenly Father, I pray that thou wilt reverse my standards of life if I may be striving only for selfish gain. May I care for all that I could be, and may I care for where I should be found, but, most of all, may I care for what I really am. Help me to keep my mind on thee that I may find delight in doing thy will. Amen.
George Crabbe born 1754.
Kit Carson born 1809.
Matthew Arnold born 1822.
John Morley born 1838.
William Makepeace Thackeray died 1863.
Ah, friend, let us be true
To one another!
For the world, which seems
To lie before
us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful,
so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor
love, nor light,
Nor certitude,
nor peace, nor help for pain,
And we are here
as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms
of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash
by night.
—Matthew Arnold.
We take care of our health,
we lay up money, we make our roof tight
and our clothing sufficient,
but who provides wisely that we shall
not be wanting in the best
property of all—friends?
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend.
—Proverbs 27. 6.
Gracious Lord, fill my life with the spirit of love and sacrifice. I bless thee for the deep fellowships and tender intimacies; and on the eve of this Christmas ask thy blessing for all, as my heart rings with joy for those whom I love. Amen.
Christmas Day.
Sir Isaac Newton born 1642.
William Collins born 1721.
Father Taylor born 1794.
This is the month, and this
is the happy morn,
Wherein the Son
of heaven’s eternal King,
Of wedded maid, and virgin
mother born,
Our great redemption
from above did bring.
—John Milton.
Christmas is here;
Winds whistle shrill,
Icy and chill,
Little care we;
Little we fear
Weather without,
Shelter’d about
The Mahogany tree.
—William M. Thackeray.
And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all the people: for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.
—Luke 2. 10, 11.
Almighty God, I give honor and praise to express my joy for thy great love in the gift of thy Son, Jesus Christ. With a glad heart I wish all mankind “A merry Christmas,” and may I ever remember, where the angels sang, “Peace on earth, good will toward men.” Amen.
Thomas Gray born 1716.
Mrs. Southworth born 1818.
Stephen Girard died 1831.
Let not ambition mock their
useful toil,
Their homely joys,
and destiny obscure;
Nor grandeur hear with a disdainful
smile
The short and
simple annals of the poor.
Nor you, ye proud, impute
to those the fault,
If memory o’er
their tomb no trophies raise,
Where, through the long-drawn
aisle and fretted vault,
The pealing anthem
swells the note of praise.
Full many a gem of purest
ray serene
The dark, unfathomed
caves of ocean bear;
Full many a flower is born
to blush unseen,
And waste its
sweetness on the desert air.
—Thomas Gray.
Jehovah, my heart is not haughty,
nor mine eyes lofty;
Neither do I exercise myself
in great matters,
Or in things too wonderful
for me.
—Psalm 131. 1.
Gracious Father, give me the courage to live my life, and the endurance to overcome the disappointments that may come to me. May I not be neglectful of the great opportunities of which I am privileged to take advantage. May I not be pretentious of what I have not done, or boastful of what I am, but with my best ability live in truth. Amen.
Jacques Bernoulli born 1654.
Johann Kepler born 1571.
Charles Lamb died 1834.
There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better or worse, as his portion; that, though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given him to till.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Knowing ourselves, our world,
our task so great,
Our time so brief, ’tis
clear if we refuse
The means so limited, the
tools so rude
To execute our purpose, life
will fleet,
And we shall fade, and leave
our task undone.
—Robert Browning.
Study to be quiet, and to
do your own business, and to work with
your hands.
—1 Thessalonians 4. 11.
Lord God of life, give me the desire to learn, and the wisdom to live in my best. May I not fail to culture my mind and heart and make life productive and worthy. Help me to see the mistakes that I have made in the past, and in the year that is approaching not only try to avoid them, but try to make amends for them. Amen.
Catherine M. Sedgwick born 1789.
Woodrow Wilson, Virginia, twenty-seventh President
United States, born 1856.
Thomas B. Macaulay died 1859.
The government might be serviceable for many things. It might assist in a hundred ways to safeguard the lives and the health and promote the comfort and happiness of the people; but it can do these things only if they respond to public opinion, only if those who lead government see the country as a whole, feel a deep thrill of intimate sympathy with every class and every interest in it.
—Woodrow Wilson.
The hearts of men are their
books; events are their tutors; great
actions are their eloquence.
—Thomas B. Macaulay.
Be of good courage, and let
us play the man for our people, and for
the cities of our God:
and Jehovah do that which seemeth him good.
—2 Samuel 10. 12.
Lord God, I pray that my estimate of life may not be as I take it, but as thou hast given it for peace and prosperity. Teach me my duty to my country, and make me useful in uplifting and serving humanity. Amen.
Thomas a Becket died 1170.
Andrew Johnson, Tennessee, seventeenth President
United States, born 1808.
William E. Gladstone born 1809.
Margaret Bottome born 1827.
Pauline O. Louise, Queen of Roumania (Carmen
Sylva), born 1843.
Christina G. Rossetti died 1894.
One example is worth a thousand arguments.
—William E. Gladstone.
One day at a time! That’s
all it can be
No faster than
that is the hardest of fate,
And days have their limit,
however we
Begin them too
early or stretch them late.
—J.R. Miller.
He lives happy and master
of himself
Who can say, as each day passes
on,
I have lived! no matter whether
to-morrow
The great Father shall give
us a clouded sky or a clear day.
—Horace.
Give us this day our daily bread.
—Matthew 6. 11.
Eternal God, guard me against the love of praise, that I may not lose the sense of duty. Start me for the right places and give me strength with my days, that I may press toward their possession. Deliver me from drifting when it is mine to pull against the tide, that I may not be carried out of my course. Shield me from the storms that may gather about me, and bring us all to the desired haven safe in thy keeping. Amen.
Titus born A.D. 40.
William R. Alger born 1822.
Rudyard Kipling born 1865.
God of our fathers, known
of old,
Lord of our far-flung
battle line,
Beneath whose awful hand we
hold
Dominion over
palm and pine:
Lord God of Hosts, be with
us yet,
Lest we forget—lest
we forget!
For heathen heart that puts
her trust
In reeking tube
and iron shard;
All valiant dust that builds
on dust,
And guarding calls
not thee to guard:
For frantic boast and foolish
word,
Thy mercy on thy people, Lord!
Amen.
—Rudyard Kipling.
But thou shalt remember Jehovah
thy God, for it is he that giveth
thee power to get wealth.
—Deuteronomy 8. 18.
Almighty God, as I come to thee wilt thou forgive me for the errors I have made, and for the promises that I have broken. Help me to be as true as the holly that keeps itself red through the snow. Remind me of my opportunities as I breathe in thy blessings, “Lest I forget!” Amen.
New Year’s Eve.
John Wycliffe died 1384.
Battle of Wakefield 1460.
Charles Marquis Cornwallis born 1738.
Ring out, wild bells, to the
wild sky,
The flying cloud,
the frosty light:
The year is dying
in the night;
Ring
out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out old shapes
of foul disease,
Ring
out the narrow lust of gold:
Ring out the thousand
wars of old,
Ring
in the thousand years of peace.
—Alfred Tennyson.
Let every dawn of morning
be to you as the beginning of life, and
every setting sun be to you
as its close.
—John Ruskin.
The night is far spent, and
the day is at hand: let us therefore
cast off the works of darkness,
and let us put on the armor of
light.
—Romans 13. 12.
My Father, as I look to the past days, I feel much of my happiness and much of my misery has come from my own choice. May I be more watchful of my standards and less wasteful of my time, and keep a poise in life that will leave a memory of well-spent days. For the year that has passed and for its blessings I thank thee. Amen.