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.



JUNE NINETEENTH

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.



JUNE TWENTIETH

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.



JUNE TWENTY-FIRST

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.



JUNE TWENTY-SECOND

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.



JUNE TWENTY-THIRD

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.



JUNE TWENTY-FOURTH

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.



JUNE TWENTY-FIFTH

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.



JUNE TWENTY-SIXTH

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.



JUNE TWENTY-SEVENTH

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.



JUNE TWENTY-EIGHTH

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.



JUNE TWENTY-NINTH

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.



JUNE THIRTIETH

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.



JULY

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.



JULY SECOND

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.



JULY THIRD

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.]



JULY FOURTH

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.



JULY FIFTH

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.



JULY SIXTH

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.



JULY SEVENTH

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.



JULY EIGHTH

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.



JULY NINTH

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.



JULY TENTH

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.



JULY ELEVENTH

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.



JULY TWELFTH

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.



JULY THIRTEENTH

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.



JULY FOURTEENTH

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.



JULY FIFTEENTH

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.



JULY SIXTEENTH

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.



JULY SEVENTEENTH

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.



JULY EIGHTEENTH

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.



JULY NINETEENTH

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.



JULY TWENTIETH

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.



JULY TWENTY-FIRST

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.



JULY TWENTY-SECOND

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.



JULY TWENTY-THIRD

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.



JULY TWENTY-FOURTH

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.



JULY TWENTY-FIFTH

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.



JULY TWENTY-SIXTH

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.



JULY TWENTY-SEVENTH

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.



JULY TWENTY-EIGHTH

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.



JULY TWENTY-NINTH

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.



JULY THIRTIETH

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.



JULY THIRTY-FIRST

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.



AUGUST

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.



AUGUST SECOND

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.



AUGUST THIRD

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.



AUGUST FOURTH

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.



AUGUST FIFTH

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.



AUGUST SIXTH

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.



AUGUST SEVENTH

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.



AUGUST EIGHTH

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.



AUGUST NINTH

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.



AUGUST TENTH

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.



AUGUST ELEVENTH

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.



AUGUST TWELFTH

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.



AUGUST THIRTEENTH

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.



AUGUST FOURTEENTH

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.



AUGUST FIFTEENTH

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.



AUGUST SIXTEENTH

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.



AUGUST SEVENTEENTH

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.



AUGUST EIGHTEENTH

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.



AUGUST NINETEENTH

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.



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.

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.



SEPTEMBER TENTH

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.



SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH

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.



SEPTEMBER TWELFTH

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.