Part 12

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.

AUGUST NINETEENTH

Augustus Cæsar 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.

AUGUST TWENTIETH

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.

AUGUST TWENTY-FIRST

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.

AUGUST TWENTY-SECOND

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.

AUGUST TWENTY-THIRD

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.

AUGUST TWENTY-FOURTH

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.

AUGUST TWENTY-FIFTH

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.

AUGUST TWENTY-SIXTH

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.

AUGUST TWENTY-SEVENTH

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.

AUGUST TWENTY-EIGHTH

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.

AUGUST TWENTY-NINTH

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.

AUGUST THIRTIETH

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.

AUGUST THIRTY-FIRST

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.

SEPTEMBER

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.

SEPTEMBER SECOND

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.

SEPTEMBER THIRD

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.

SEPTEMBER FOURTH

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.

SEPTEMBER FIFTH

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.

SEPTEMBER SIXTH

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.

SEPTEMBER SEVENTH

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.

SEPTEMBER EIGHTH

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.

SEPTEMBER NINTH

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.