Part 17
October 22
_The best thing to take people out of their own worries, is to go to work and find out how other folk's worries are getting on._
MRS. A. D. T. WHITNEY.
_Socrates thought that if all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap, whence every one must take an equal portion, most persons would be content to take their own and depart._
PLUTARCH.
Our Father in Heaven, the light of this new day is the light of Thy countenance, therefore we rejoice. In Thy sunshine our souls find strength for the burdens Thou dost give, and even through Thy shadows we reach the peace which passeth understanding. Yet Thou art comfort to us that we may comfort the troubled and the distressed with the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted. Set Thou our feet in the paths of service. Make us, we pray Thee, glad ministers of Thy mercy, and in binding up the wounds of others may we have balm for our own. By this day, may we grow in patience and power, and in the knowledge of Thy love. Amen.
LEON O. WILLIAMS.
October 23
_Life has a thousand pages--love and scorn, Hope and adventure, poverty and sin, Despair and glory, loneliness forlorn, Age, sorrow, exile, all are writ therein--; And on each page, however stern or sad, Are words which gleam upon the crabbed scroll, Revealing words, that make our spirits glad, And well are worth the study of the soul. We may not lightly shrink from any leaf, For on it may be writ the word we need. God turns the page--whatever joy or grief He opens for us, let us wisely read._
PRISCILLA LEONARD.
Fill our souls with Thy light, O God, that we may ever hope. Give us the poise of endless progress. Make our souls free and joyous as the bird's wing. Give us the courage of our convictions in all places, under all conditions. Make us brave. Take away all forms of fear, whether of man, of nature, or of Thee, and make us feel that each is our mighty friend, but Thou supreme over all, faithful each moment to our being, in ten thousand sweet, true, tender, life-giving, life-sustaining ministries. Teach us to look for Thee everywhere, and to see Thy order, and Thy beauty, facing all things Heavenward. May our ideals be perfect holiness, perfect strength, perfect love, perfect service. Make our faith great in the higher estate, where our faculties, only dawning here, shall rise in a glorious morning of the soul. Amen.
A. N. ALCOTT.
October 24
_Suppose a kindly word of mine Could lift the clouds and bring sunshine; Am I my brother's keeper?_
_Suppose the weary worker toils, For scanty pittance delves and moils; Am I my brother's keeper?_
_Suppose in penury and fear My neighbor see the wolf draw near; Am I my brother's keeper?_
* * * * *
_Perhaps--who knows?--perhaps I'm not! Self-centred soul! hast thou forgot The marvel of our common lot, The mystic tie that binds us all Who dwell on this terrestrial ball, Stupendous hope of time and song, The bourne for which the ages long? How hard our hearts must seem to Thee, Exhaustless Fount of Charity!_
HENRY NEHEMIAH DODGE.
We thank Thee, our Father, for the light of a new day and for its opportunities of service for Thee and Thy great Cause. We rejoice that Thou dost not only set duty clearly before us, but also dost grant power to perform it. May we realize not only that we are "our brother's keeper," and that our lives are helpful or harmful every day, but may we be increasingly grateful that we may every day by Thy grace be fellow-helpers and workers together with God. Amen.
WILLIAM FULL.
October 25
_It is of no use to dispute about the Indian Summer. I never found two people who could agree as to the time when it ought to be here, or upon a month and day when it should be decidedly too late to look for it. It keeps coming. For my part, I think we get it now and then, little by little, as "the Kingdom" comes. That every soft, warm, mellow, hazy, golden day, like each fair, fragrant life, is a part and out-crop of it; though weeks of gale and frost, or ages of cruel worldliness and miserable sin may lie between._
MRS. A. D. T. WHITNEY.
Vouchsafe Thy blessing, O Heavenly Father, upon this morning service of thanksgiving and prayer. We thank Thee that each year Thou sendest seed-time and harvest, to us Thy children. For the beauty and bounty of the Autumn, for all Thy material gifts, for friends and home, and for our precious Christian faith, we are deeply grateful to Thee. Give us the attentive mind, the receptive heart, that we may see Thy providence and love in every event of life. Banish fear and doubt from our minds. Guard us from all temptations. May the Spirit of Christ abide in our hearts, and enable us to glorify Thee in all our works and lives. In its power and glory may Thy Kingdom come, and remain upon the earth forever. Amen.
ELBERT W. WHITNEY.
October 26
_Pleasant smiles, gentle tones, cheery greetings, tempers sweet under a headache or a business care or the children's noise; the ready bubbling over of thoughtfulness for one another, and the habits of smiling, greeting, forbearing, thinking in these ways; it is these above all else which makes one's home "a building of God; a house not made with hands," these that we hear in the song of "Home, Sweet Home."_
WILLIAM C. GANNETT.
Almighty Father, the light of another day breaks in upon our lives, to reveal to us unfinished tasks and unsought duties. The sorrows and joys of the coming day are hidden from our sight, enswathed in the folded hours of toil. But Thou knowest all our heedless ways and tempers that chafe from impatience; Thou seest the measure of our needs and dost consider our desires. Give unto us the consciousness of Thine everlasting arms about us. And then when the shadows lengthen and the twilight hushes the hum of toil, our spirits shall know no weariness and bear no stain. Give ear unto this our morning prayer, O Thou Light of Light. Amen.
FRANCIS TREADWAY CLAYTON.
October 27
_How can people help loving things, when they are full of life magnetism, that even a finger touch gets the thrill of?_
_It is not the sunshine, or any other tangible why, that accounts for the pleasantness of old house corners. It is the pureness and the pleasantness that have clustered there; the very walls have drunk these in._
MRS. A. D. T. WHITNEY.
Our Heavenly Father, wilt Thou keep our home life bright and sweet? Guard our lips from harsh words, our lives from shame. If quarrels arise, help us to be the first to forgive and forget. In the hour of temptation may we say no, because of a father's splendid honor, and a mother's pure face! In the time of trial or seeming defeat may we be brave and of good cheer! Teach us that home is made dear, not by its furnishings, but by the memories and inspirations of the hours we spent under its roof with those who loved us and were always tender and true! Bind us together in the bonds of love and peace, and keep us always united and a happy family. Amen.
HENRY R. ROSE.
October 28
_There are loyal hearts, there are spirits brave, There are souls that are pure and true; Then give to the world the best you have, And the best shall come back to you._
_Give love, and love to your heart will flow, A strength in your utmost need; Have faith, and a score of hearts will show Their faith in your word and deed._
_For life is the mirror of king and slave, 'Tis just what you are and do; Then give to the world the best you have, And the best will come back to you._
MADELINE S. BRIDGES.
Almighty Father, we come to Thee for a Father's blessing, that this day we may go about Thy work and enter into Thy business, alive in Thy spirit and strong in Thy strength. We ask this for ourselves, each of us, that we may be knit to each other as brothers with brothers, to bear each other's burdens. We ask it most of all for home, that in home-life there always may be joy and peace and love, each seeking another's good, brothers and sisters with sisters and brothers, fathers and mothers with their children, that home may be the place of Thy holy spirit and the home of joy. Today we would come and go as Thy messengers, in our own lives welcoming the Father, who is with us seeking Thy strength and asking for Thy good will. Bless us today with Thy blessing. Amen.
_Edward Everett Hale._
October 29
_We are never more discontented with others than when we are discontented with ourselves. The consciousness of wrongdoing makes us irritable, and our heart in its cunning quarrels with what is outside it, in order that it may deafen the clamor within._
_In the conduct of life, habits count for more than maxims, because habit is a living maxim, become flesh and instinct. To reform one's maxims is nothing; it is but to change the title of the book. To learn new habits is everything, for it is to reach the substance of life. Life is but a tissue of habits._
HENRI-FRÉDÉRIC AMIEL.
Our Heavenly Father, we pray that our daily life may take on that dignity and calmness and tranquillity which are the possession of those who truly and inwardly trust and confide in the eternal Goodness, who believe that our days are ordered by a Higher Power, and that through all there runs a thread,--a chain of Infinite Love, binding us all to Thee and to one common universal good and blessedness. In this faith, keep us, O Holy Father, and, filled with love to Thee and to our neighbor, may we pursue our way and do our work, anxious only to have Thee in all our thoughts. In Thy name, Amen.
JOSHUA YOUNG.
October 30
_Thus pass away the generations of men!--thus perish the records of the glory of nations! Yet, when every emanation of the human mind has faded, when in the storms of time the monuments of man's creative art are scattered to the dust, an ever new life springs from the bosom of the earth. Unceasingly prolific Nature unfolds her germs, regardless though sinful man, ever at war with himself, tramples beneath his foot the ripening fruit!_
ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT.
Infinite Spirit, Thou buildest the monuments of Thy power in the rocks of the mountains, but Thou buildest the monuments of Thy love in the hearts of men. When the bodies and the works of men have perished the rocks will abide and the trees will bear their fruit. But when the rocks have crumbled the souls of men will abide. If that which is seen is temporal, we thank Thee O Lord, that the unseen is eternal. We are awed by the majesty of the seas and the mountains. But we are inspired by the immortality of the soul. Heavenly Father, may we live today as if made for eternity. So may our lives be dignified and glorified. Amen.
GEORGE L. PERIN.
October 31
_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.
O God, who didst give to Thy servant light in his blindness and music in the heart, grant that I may this day be swift to run on all errands of mercy and truth, or patient to wait Thy will, if so Thou commandest. Make me as unswerving as are the stars above me, as trustful as the birds who sing at dawn, and fear not what the day may bring. May I be strong to resist all evil, and cleave to that which is good. May I be conscious that in the loneliest hour Thou art near, and in the most solitary place there is the communion of saints. May Thy power flow through human weakness, and may all the trials and testings of life lead me constantly to the Rock that is higher than I. So may Thy will be done in my life as it is in heaven. Amen.
W. H. P. FAUNCE.
November 1
_I saw the long line of the vacant shore The sea-weed and the shells upon the sand, And the brown rocks left bare on every hand, As if the ebbing tide would flow no more, Then heard I, more distinctly than before, The ocean breathe and its great breast expand, And hurrying came on the defenceless land The insurgent waters with tumultuous roar. All thought and feeling and desire, I said, Love, laughter, and the exultant joy of song Have ebbed from me forever! Suddenly o'er me They swept again from their deep ocean bed And in a tumult of delight, and strong As youth, and beautiful as youth, upbore me._
HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.
We give Thee hearty thanks, most Holy Father that Thou hast not delivered up our souls to the emptiness and longing of despair. In Thy mercy and wisdom hast Thou ordained that we may taste ever afresh the deepest joys of life and ever anew feel the thrill of its loftiest inspirations. Like the sea is our life for its largeness; like the sea in its ebbs and flows. O Father of Life, flood our souls this day with a tide from the ocean of Thine own love lifting our lives to highest service and bliss. And Thine shall be all the honor and praise. Amen.
E. W. LUTTERMAN.
November 2
_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._
_So grant me, God, from every care, And stain of passion free, Aloft, through Virtue's purer air, To hold my course to Thee! No sin to cloud--no lure to stay My soul, as home she springs;-- Thy sunshine on her joyful way, Thy freedom in her wings!_
THOMAS MOORE.
O God, who art both life and truth, the Author of our being and the light which lighteneth all, the source of our soul's life, and the goal towards which we strive, as cleaves the lark at dawn the heavenly blue, so may our souls be freed from sense, whose music siren-like would seek to draw us from our flight to Thee. As that same bird rejoices in the morning light, and sounds its note of praise, so may our souls be tuned to heavenly symphonies, and may the sunshine of Thy love, resplendent in secure omnipotence, give glad assurance to our hearts, nor cease to guide our way, until we reach that central orb, our soul's true home, and find eternal rest in Thee. Amen.
ALBERT B. SHIELDS.
November 3
_There is ever a song somewhere, my dear; There is ever a something sings alway: There's the song of the lark when the skies are clear And the song of the thrush when the skies are gray, The sunshine showers across the grain, And the bluebird trills in the orchard tree; And in and out, when the eaves drip rain, The swallows art twittering ceaselessly._
_There is ever a song somewhere, my dear, Be the skies above or dark or fair, There is ever a song that our hearts may hear-- There is ever a song somewhere, my dear-- There is ever a song somewhere!_
JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY.
O God, the Giver of all harmony and joy, before whom the morning stars sang together, by Whom the voice of the sparrow is heard, we thank Thee that we may serve Thee with gladness and come before Thy presence with singing. Put Thy new song into our mouths and help us to render the acceptable praises of the upright and pure in heart. Help us to love all Thy creatures and to delight in the songs Thou hast taught them. Especially enable us to bless our brother men, to hush their sighing and swell their singing, to strengthen the chorus of joy and praise with which Thou hast ordained the world shall be filled. We ask with confidence because we know Thy love. Amen.
J. FRANCIS COOPER.
November 4
_The snow has capped yon distant hill, At morn the running brook was still, From driven herds the clouds that rise Are like the smoke of sacrifice; Ere long the frozen sod shall mark The ploughshare, changed to stubborn rock. The brawling stream shall soon be done-- Sing, little bird! the frosts have come._
OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES.
Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, Thou art the giver of all good gifts, and all that comes from Thy hand is good. May we accept Thy providences. In the dreary days of winter as in the pleasant summer season, Thy mercies are new every morning and fresh every evening. Even when our hearts are chilled with grief and disappointment and failure, we would still put our trust in the eternal goodness. Help us, O God, to be truly grateful for everything that comes to us. In the winter of the soul may we learn the lessons of patience and resignation. Thus, with faith triumphant and with hearts full of gladness may we sing our songs of praise to Thy holy name forever and forever. Amen.
ARTHUR W. GROSE.
November 5
_It is will alone that matters! Will alone that mars or makes, Will, that no distraction scatters, And that no resistance breaks._
HENRIK IBSEN.
_No man can choose what coming hours may bring To him of need, of joy, of suffering; But what his soul shall bring unto each hour To meet its challenge--this is in his power._
PRISCILLA LEONARD.
Infinite God, Who perceivest the destinies of worlds and of men; Who bringest to pass all that we enjoy, and Who permittest all that we suffer; may I this day be enabled to recognize Thy Fatherly goodness, in the morning mists, even as in the noonday brightness! Should sorrow becloud my pathway, should disappointment make its keen thrusts, should temptation lay its attractive coils, may my soul be made aware of Thy consoling presence, enjoy the compensations of Thy grace, assert the potency of the wisdom from above! And mayest Thou reveal Thyself! So may be fanned to a flame the divine spark in my heart, whereby all are made partakers of the victory with and through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
ERNEST W. BURCH.
November 6
_"Yes," she answered, lifting her eyes to his face; "I, too, have felt it, Hermas, this burden, this need, this unsatisfied longing. I think I know what it means. It is gratitude;--the language of the heart, the music of happiness. There is no perfect joy without gratitude. But we have never learned it, and the want of it troubles us. It is like being dumb with a heart full of love. We must find the word for it, and say it together. Then we shall be perfectly joined in perfect joy."_
HENRY VAN DYKE.
Almighty God, forbid that we shall ever be satisfied with the rich gifts of Thy land, or until the gifts have brought us, appreciative, humble, grateful, to Thee, the giver of them all. Help us to see that this is their high office, disregarding which the noblest of them becomes a stumbling block, accepting which the humblest of them becomes a means of grace and of surpassing gladness. Move us, then, to such acceptance of Thy favors as shall bring us to Thee rejoicing, that we may need less the experiences which shall bring us to Thee weeping. And hallow all our human loves by lifting us to a common sense and acknowledgment of Thy transcendent love, as shown especially in Jesus Christ. Amen.
CHARLES R. TENNEY.
November 7
_"What is the real good?" I asked, in musing mood. "Order," said the court; "Knowledge," said the school, "Truth," said the wise man, "Pleasure," said the fool, "Love," said the maiden, "Beauty," said the page, "Freedom," said the dreamer, "Home," said the sage; "Fame," said the soldier, "Equity," said the seer. Spake my heart full sadly-- "The answer is not here." Then within my bosom Softly this I heard: "Each heart holds the secret; Kindness is the word."_
JOHN BOYLE O'REILLY.
Oh, Father, we are in a world of wonder and of bountiful promise. We scarcely know which to choose. Of all life's quests we would seek the highest and best. Thou art a Lord gracious and kind. Grace is but another name for kindness. It is this which is pronounced as a benediction Sabbath after Sabbath, and for which we lift up our faces morning after morning, to receive. Crown us with Thy loving kindness and tender mercies. But not for ourselves alone! As we meet the weary and heavy burdened in life, inspire us to show them the kindness of our God. As freely as we have received, so freely may we impart. Amen.
W. G. RICHARDSON.
November 8
_What a blessed thing it is that we can forget! Today's troubles look large, but a week hence they will be forgotten and buried out of sight. Says one writer, "If you should keep a book and daily put down the things that worry you, and see what becomes of them, it would be a benefit to you." The art of forgetting is a blessed art, but the art of overlooking is quite as important._
AUGHEY.
Lord, we know not the path our feet must walk today; yet we are not anxious. "Thy word will be a lamp to our feet," and what we need to know Thou wilt reveal just when we need to know it. Help us not to forget that we are under our Father's care; that He knoweth our frame, that He will not unduly burden us; that He will not "suffer us to be tempted beyond that which we are able to bear;" that He will make "all things work together for good to them that love Him." So may this day be one of peace to us, and through us may some troubled heart find rest. Amen.
GEORGE SKENE
November 9
_Learn to laugh. A good laugh is better than medicine. Learn to tell a story. A well told story is as welcome as a sunbeam in a sick room. Learn to keep your own troubles to yourself. The world is too busy to care for your ills and sorrows. Learn to do something for others. Even if you are a bedridden invalid there is always something that you can do to make others happier, and that is the surest way to attain happiness for yourself._
THE BEACON.
Father of all mankind, may the spirit of cheer mark this new day. May the smile of Thy benediction rest upon us, and give courage to meet the duty and bear the burden. Help us each moment to know something of the highest joy of serving Thee. May that joy never be absent from our pain. May it consecrate every pleasure. May it lift us nearer the stature of the Christ, that the light of our life may shed its beams on the pathway of other lives,--a light in their darkness, an assurance of sympathy in affliction, an inspiration to do and endure. So may all gladly go to their appointed duty, one with Thee, even as Christ, whose followers we aim to be. Amen.
CHARLES T. BILLINGS.
November 10
_Take whatever is good in man, and argue that God is not only that, but infinitely better than that. In fashioning your conception of God, make it as resplendent in justice, as august in truth, as noble and pure in love, as radiant and wondrous in pity, as enduring as you please. Never be afraid that you will overdraw the divine character. God is never better in your thought or imagination than He is in Himself._
HENRY WARD BEECHER.
Almighty God, we thank Thee for the great thoughts and high hopes which lie deep in human hearts. We thank Thee for the visions of the perfect life which lead us ever toward the light. We long to follow those who lead the way to Thee. By faith and love may we be bound to them. As voices of Thy spirit may they be to us. Bless us this day with hunger for righteousness. Feed us with the bread of life. Endow us with high hopes and determined wills, that we may be faithful. Amen.
FREDERICK W. BETTS.
November 11
_There was a man who smiled Because the day was bright; Because he slept at night; Because God gave him sight To gaze upon his child! Because his little one Could leap and laugh and run; Because the distant sun Smiled on the earth, he smiled._