—M.B.S.

Let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need.

—Ephesians 4. 28.

My Father, what I have left out of my life I know I cannot recover now. I pray that I may give the best to what is left. Make me deliberate, that I may prove my earnestness. Make me industrious, that I may use my best resources to develop my life and further thy kingdom. Amen.



SEPTEMBER THIRTEENTH

William Cecil born 1520.

Michael de Montaigne died 1592.

General Wolfe died 1759.

Charles James Fox died 1806.

And thou, O river of to-morrow, flowing Between thy narrow adamantine walls, But beautiful, and white with waterfalls And wreaths of mist, like hands the pathway showing; I hear the trumpets of the morning blowing.

It is the mystery of the unknown That fascinates us; we are children still, Wayward and wistful; with one hand we cling To the familiar things we call our own, And with the other, resolute of will, Grope in the dark for what the day will bring.

—Henry W. Longfellow.

Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth.

—Job 5. 17.

Almighty God, I pray that thou wilt help me to correct my life to-day that I may know a better way to-morrow; and may I be mindful and try to do right. Grant that I may be patient and kind if I may be sick or in need, and always keep uppermost the faith of deliverance and eternal care. Amen.



SEPTEMBER FOURTEENTH

Alighieri Dante died 1321.

Alexander Baron von Humboldt born 1769.

Julia Magruder born 1854.

Charles Dana Gibson born 1867.

Since it is Providence that determines the fates of men, their inner nature is thus brought into unison. There is such harmony, as in all things of nature, that one might explain the whole without referring to a higher Providence. But this only proves the more clearly and certainly this higher Providence, which has given existence to this harmony.

—Wilhelm von Humboldt.

The good mariner, when he draws near the port, furls his sails and enters it softly; so ought we to lower the sails of our worldly operations, and turn to God with all heart and understanding.

—Dante.

Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God; Thy judgments are a great deep: O Jehovah, thou preservest man and beast.

—Psalm 36. 6.

My Father in heaven, may I hear thy voice to-day! May I be quiet as I listen to thee. Above the clamor of the crowd may I hear thee calling me. May I hear thee in my joys and in my sorrows; in my work and in my leisure. May I listen to thee oftener, that I may be familiar with thy ways. Amen.



SEPTEMBER FIFTEENTH

James Fenimore Cooper born 1789.

Louis Joseph Martel born 1813.

Porfirio Diaz born 1830.

William Howard Taft, Ohio, twenty-sixth President United States, born 1857.

Friendship is one of the cheapest and most accessible of pleasures; it requires no outlay and no very serious expenditure of time or trouble. It is quite easy to make friends, if one wants to... There is surely no greater pleasure in the world than to feel one is needed, welcomed, missed, and loved.

—Arthur C. Benson.

"Friendship is love without his wings."

—William H. Taft (from Byron).

Without sympathy, in the highest sense of intellectual penetration, kindness may be a folly, and intended aid, oppression.

—John Ruskin.

He that maketh many friends doeth it to his own destruction; but there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

—Proverbs 18. 24.

My Father, may I know the delight of true friendship which is responsive and sincere. May I never feel so secure in myself that I will cease to want friends, or be so dependent on others that I will be continually seeking them. May I understand the value of having a stanch friend and of being one. Amen.



SEPTEMBER SIXTEENTH

Gabriel D. Fahrenheit died 1736.

W. Augustus Muhlenberg born 1796.

Francis Parkman born 1823.

Yes, to this thought I hold with firm persistence— The last result of wisdom stamps it true: He only earns his freedom and existence Who daily conquers them anew.

—Goethe.

For thee hath been dawning Another blue day; Look how thou let it Slip empty away.

—Goethe.

Happy the man, and happy he alone, Who can call to-day his own: He who, secure within, can say, "To-morrow, do thy worst, for I have lived to-day."

—John Dryden.

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of Jehovah is risen upon thee.

—Isaiah 60. 1.

Gracious Father, help me to be alert this morning and select the noblest that is in to-day. May I be diligent and not find in the evening that I have been unworthy of the day. Amen.



SEPTEMBER SEVENTEENTH

Samuel Prout born 1783.

Dr. John Kidd died 1851.

Walter Savage Landor died 1864.

In the hour of distress and misery the eye of every mortal turns to friendship; in the hour of gladness and conviviality, what is your want? It is friendship. When the heart overflows with gratitude or with other sweet and sacred sentiment, what is the word to which it would give utterance? A friend.

—Walter Savage Landor.

The hurried quest of some people to get hold of new friends is so perpetual that they never have time to get acquainted with anyone.

—M.B.S.

Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; And go not to thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off.

—Proverbs 27. 10.

My Lord and my Friend, I pray that my sympathy may be sincere and comforting, and with a glad heart I may bring rejoicing to my friends. May I learn from thee how I may be a permanent friend. Amen.



SEPTEMBER EIGHTEENTH

Trajan, Roman emperor, born 1584.

James Shirley born 1596.

Samuel Johnson born 1709.

Joseph Story born 1779.

There is no greater happiness than to be able to look on a life usefully and virtuously employed: to trace our own purposes in existence by such tokens that excite neither shame nor sorrow.

—Dr. Johnson.

The perfect poise that comes-from self-control, The poetry of action, rhythmic, sweet— The unvexed music of the body and soul That the Greeks dreamed of, made at last complete. Our stumbling lives attain not such a bliss; Too often, while the air we vainly beat, Love's perfect law of liberty we miss.

—Annie Matheson.

Brethren, I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day.

—Acts 23. 1.

Heavenly Father, may I not confuse my life with rebellion, but through thy guidance find peace. Help me through the perplexities that may keep me from the quietness of to-day. Keep me in sight of the great plan of life, that I may grow steadfastly toward thee. Amen.



SEPTEMBER NINETEENTH

Battle of Poitiers 1356.

Hartley Coleridge born 1796.

President Garfield died 1881.

Be not afraid to pray—to pray is right. Pray if thou canst, with hope; but ever pray Though hope be weak, or sick with long delay; Pray in the darkness, if there be no light. Far is the time, remote from human sight, When war and discord on earth shall cease: Yet every prayer for universal peace Avails the time to expedite.

—Hartley Coleridge.

More things are wrought by prayer Than the world dreams of. Wherefore let thy voice Rise like a fountain for me night and day. For what are men better than sheep or goats That nourish a blind life within the brain, If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer Both for themselves and those who call them friend? For so the whole world is every way Bound by gold chains about the feet of God.

—Alfred Tennyson.

Continue stedfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving.

—Colossians 4. 2.

O Lord, give me the desire to pray, and teach me to pray as thou wouldst have my needs. Sustain me, that I may overcome my weaknesses, and strengthen me, that I may have thine approval. May I be reverent and unselfish as I come to thee in prayer. Amen.



SEPTEMBER TWENTIETH

Battle of Salamis B. C. 480.

Alexander the Great born B. C. 356.

Robert Emmet died 1803.

David Ross Locke (Petroleum V. Nasby) born 1833.

'Tis weary watching wave by wave, And yet the tide heaves onward; We climb, like corals, grave by grave, That pave a pathway sunward. We're driven back, for our next fray A newer strength to borrow; And where the vanguard camps to-day, The rear shall rest to-morrow.

—Gerald Massey.

Be like the bird, that, pausing in her flight A while on boughs too slight, Feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, Knowing that she hath wings.

—Victor Hugo.

Trust in Jehovah, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on his faithfulness.

—Psalm 37. 3.

Eternal God, help me to realize that life is not only endless but, whether I live in love and obedience, or wait in neglect and indifference, that I can never separate myself from thee. May I be diligent in worthy endeavors to do my best for thee. Amen.



SEPTEMBER TWENTY-FIRST

Girolamo Savonarola born 1452.

Emperor Charles V died 1558.

Sir Walter Scott died 1832.

It is the secret sympathy, The silver link, the silken tie, Which heart to heart and mind to mind In body and in soul can bind.

—Sir Walter Scott.

No action, whether foul or fair, Is ever done, but it carves somewhere A record, written by fingers ghostly, As a blessing or a curse, and mostly In the greater weakness or greater strength Of the acts which follow it.

—Henry W. Longfellow.

And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.

—Judges 7. 17.

Loving Father, may I remember that from the beginning, all things were created beautiful and were given for love. I pray that I may be willing to be guided to the beautiful things of life and receive from them the delight of thy love. Amen.



SEPTEMBER TWENTY-SECOND

Peter Simon Pallas born 1741.

Michael Faraday born 1791.

Theodore Edward Hook born 1788.

Man learns to swim by being tossed into life's maelstrom and left to make his way ashore. No youth can learn to sail his life-craft in a lake sequestered and sheltered from all the storms, where other vessels never come. Skill comes through sailing one's craft amidst rocks and bars and opposing fleets, amidst storms and whirls and counter currents.

—Newell Dwight Hillis.

O, a trouble's a ton or a trouble's an ounce, Or a trouble is what you make it! And it isn't the fact that you're hurt that counts, But only—how did you take it?

—Edmund C. Vance.

And thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

—Hebrews 6. 15.

Tender Father, may I not encourage the disposition to enlarge and make much of the troubles and disappointments of life, and make light of the joys and privileges. I pray that I may keep a large place for happiness. Amen.



SEPTEMBER TWENTY-THIRD

Karl Theodore Koerner born 1791.

Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen born 1848.

Wilkie Collins died 1889.

M.F.H. De Haas died 1895.

When over the fair fame of friend or foe The shadow of disgrace shall fall; instead Of words to blame, or reproof of thus and so, Let something good be said.

Forget not that no fellow-being yet May fall so low but love may lift his head; Even the cheek of shame with tears is wet If something good be said.

—Author unknown.

The right Christian mind will ... find its own image wherever it exists; it will seek for what it loves, and draw out of all dens and caves, and it will believe in its being, often when it cannot see it; and so it will lie lovingly over the faults and rough places of the human heart, as the snow from heaven does over the hard, and black, and broken mountain rocks.

—John Ruskin.

To him that is ready to faint kindness should be showed from his friend.

—Job 6. 14.

Lord God, grant that after years of climbing I may not find the mist in my soul has dulled the vision of thy glory. Keep me from the habit of looking for faults, and missing the virtues in others. Forbid that I should be so occupied in taking measure of other lives that I neglect to measure my own. Amen.



SEPTEMBER TWENTY-FOURTH

John Marshall born 1755.

Zachary Taylor, Virginia, twelfth President United States, born 1784.

S.R. Crockett born 1860.

Get the truth once uttered, and 'tis like A star newborn that drops into its place, And which, once circling in its placid round, Not all the tumult of the earth can shake.

—James Russell Lowell.

If you would be well spoken of, learn to speak well of others. And when you have learned to speak well of them, endeavor likewise to do well to them; and reap the fruit of being well spoken of by them.

—Epictetus.

He that slandereth not with his tongue, Nor doeth evil to his friend, Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor; He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

—Psalm 15. 3, 5.

Lord God, I bless thee for the lives of men and women who are willing to be led by the truth, and who are worthy to follow thee. I pray that thou wilt make me truthful, and keep me steadfast, that none may go astray by the uncertainty of my way. Amen.



SEPTEMBER TWENTY-FIFTH

William Romaine born 1714.

Felicia D. Hemans born 1793.

W.M. Rossetti born 1829.

Not as the conqueror comes, They, the true-hearted, came; Not with the roll of the stirring drums, And the trumpet songs of fame:

Amidst the storm they sang, And the stars heard and the sea; And the sounding aisles of the dim woods rang To the anthem of the free.

Ay, call it holy ground, The soil where first they trod; They have left unstained what there they found— Freedom to worship God.

—Felicia D. Hemans.

But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree; and none shall make them afraid.

—Micah 4. 4.

Eternal God, may I look to the Pilgrims and learn that to pray by faith with the heart is not to pray by faith of the imagination. Help me to pray, and have faith to struggle for that which I would rightfully have. Amen.



SEPTEMBER TWENTY-SIXTH

Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood born 1750.

Dr. Mary Walker born 1832.

Irving Bacheller born 1859.

Frederic William Faber died 1863.

God is never so far off as even to be near— He is within: Our spirit is the home he holds most dear. To think of him as by our side is almost as untrue As to remove his throne beyond the starry blue.

—F.W. Faber.

Nearer, my God, to thee, Nearer to thee! E'en though it be a cross That raiseth me; Still all my song shall be— Nearer, my God, to thee, Nearer to thee!

—Sarah F. Adams.

My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

—Job 27. 6.

My Father, may I consider the place in which I stand: and may I not be deceived in thinking I am near thee while I am living far away. Teach me the way to draw nearer to thee each day, until my spirit may continually dwell with thee. Amen.



SEPTEMBER TWENTY-SEVENTH

George Cruikshank born 1792.

Samuel Francis Dupont born 1803.

Aime Millet born 1819.

Henri Frederic Arniel born 1821.

The man who has no refuge in himself, who lives, so to speak, in his front rooms, in the outer whirlwind of things and opinions, is not properly a personality at all; ... he is one of a crowd.

—Amiel.

Happy the heart that keeps its twilight hour, And in the depths of heavenly peace reclined, Loves to commune with thoughts of tender power— Thoughts that ascend, like angels beautiful.

—Paul Hamilton Hayne.

The art of meditation may be exercised at all hours and in all places; and men of genius in their walks, at table, and amidst assemblies, turning the eye of the mind inward, can form an artificial solitude; retired amidst a crowd, calm amidst distractions, and wise amidst folly.

—Disraeli.

Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.

—Psalm 4. 4.

Heavenly Father, save me from being so poor in spirit, that I will have to be sustained by the bright spirits of others. May I be continually refreshed by the spirit of life that may be found at all times. Amen.



SEPTEMBER TWENTY-EIGHTH

Francis Turner Palgrave born 1824.

Frances E. Willard born 1839.

General John D. French born 1852.

Mary Anderson born 1859.

Unless there is a predominating and overmastering purpose to which all the accessories and incidents of life contribute, the character will be weak, irresolute, uncertain.

—Frances E. Willard.

Life is not an idle ore, But iron dug from central gloom, And heated hot with burning fears, And dipt in baths of hissing tears, And battered with the shocks of doom To shape and use.

—Alfred Tennyson.

He that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.... A double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

—James 1. 6, 8.

O God, help me to be positive. May I not want to be in so many places, and in so many things, that I can never be found in anything. Help me to know that a purpose secured is worth many attempts, and that to have a character I must build it. Amen.



SEPTEMBER TWENTY-NINTH

Pompey killed B.C. 48.

Robert Lord Clive born 1725.

Horatio Nelson born 1758.

O strange and wild is the world of men Which the eyes of the Lord must see— With continents, inlands, tribes, and tongues, With multitudes bond and free! All kings of the earth bow down to him, And yet—he can think of me.

For none can measure the mind of God Or the bounds of eternity, He knows each life that has come from him, To the tiniest bird and bee, For the love of his heart is so deep and wide That it takes in even me.

—Mary E. Allbright.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father: but the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

—Matthew 10. 29, 30.

Almighty God, cause me to look out this morning, and open wide my eyes, that I may see what great preparation thou hast made that I might live. May I be ashamed to start wrong and be unworthy of the glory of this day. Amen.



SEPTEMBER THIRTIETH

George Whitefield died 1770.

William Hutton born 1723.

John Dollond died 1761.

Up, up, my soul, the long-spent time redeeming; Sow thou the seeds of better deeds and thought; Light other lamps while yet thy lamp is beaming— The time is short.

Think of the good thou might'st have done when brightly The suns to thee life's choicest season brought; Hours lost to God in pleasure passing lightly— The time is short.

If thou hast friends, give them thy best endeavor, Thy warmest impulse, and thy purest thought, Keeping in mind and words and action ever— The time is short.

—Elizabeth Prentiss.

What is your life? For ye are a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

—James 4. 14.

Loving Father, help me to realize that I am not living in the right way nor the right place if I am discontented, or happy in trifles and untruth. Help me to find my place, and with thy help may I stand firm and confident. Amen.



OCTOBER

The morns are meeker than they were, The nuts are getting brown; The berry's cheek is plumper, The rose is out of town. The maple wears a gayer scarf, The field a scarlet gown; Lest I should be old-fashioned, I'll put a trinket on.

—Emily Dickinson.



OCTOBER FIRST

Saint John Viscount Bolingbroke born 1678.

Pierre Corneille died 1684.

Rufus Choate born 1799.

He speaks not well who doth his time deplore, Naming it new and a little obscure, Ignoble and unfit for lofty deeds. All times were modern in the time of them, And this no more than others. Do thy part Here in the living day, as did the great Who made old days immortal.

—Richard Watson Gilder.

He who is false to present duty breaks a thread in the loom, and will find the flaw when he may have forgotten the cause.

—Henry Ward Beecher.

For use almost can change the stamp of nature, And master the devil, or throw him out With wondrous potency.

—William Shakespeare.

And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem;) and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

—Daniel 6. 10.

Heavenly Father, help me to get away from doubt that leads to despair. Give me a vision of hope that is stayed on faith. May I be conscious and appreciative of my privileges while they come to me and make them immortal. Amen.



OCTOBER SECOND

Aristotle died B.C. 322.

Major John Andre hanged 1780.

William Ellery Channing died 1842.

I am not earth-born, though I here delay; Hope's child, I summon infiniter powers, And laugh to see the mild sunny day Smile on the shrunk and thin autumnal hours; I laugh, for hope hath a happy place for me— If my bark sinks, 'tis to another sea.

—William E. Channing.

The stars shall fade away, the sun himself Grow dim with age, and Nature sink in years; But thou shall flourish in immortal youth, Unhurt amidst the war of elements, The wreck of matter and the crush of worlds.

—Thomas Addison.

For with thee is the fountain of life: In thy light shall we see light.

—Psalm 36. 9.

My Father, I would pray that my sense of gloom may not be more than thy grace. May the glorious light of thy love break through my disheartened soul, and reveal the sincerity of thy promises, that I may be happy in thy care. Amen.



OCTOBER THIRD

Robert Barclay died 1690.

George Bancroft born 1800.

William Morris died 1896.

Come hither, lads, and harken, For a tale there is to tell Of the wonderful days a-coming, When all shall be better than well.

Come, then, let us cast off fooling, And put by ease and rest, For the cause alone is worthy Till the good days bring the best.

—William Morris.

Man's life is but a working day Whose tasks are set aright; A time to work, a time to pray, And then a quiet night. And then, please God, a quiet night Where palms are green and robes are white; A long-drawn breath, a balm for sorrow, And all things lovely on the morrow.

—Christina G. Rossetti.

And the ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads.

—Isaiah 61. 11.

Heavenly Father, help me to see that before the night thou hadst planned the morning, and that thou hast never sent the night without the hope of the morning. Before I rest in the night may I be ready for the morning. Amen.



OCTOBER FOURTH

Francis of Assisi died 1226.

Edmund Malone born 1741.

Francois Guizot born 1787.

Jean Francois Millet born 1814.

Rutherford B. Hayes, Ohio, nineteenth President United States, born 1822.

M.E. Braddon born 1837.

We ought to rise day by day with a certain zest, a clear intention, a design to make the most of every hour; not to let the busy hours shoulder each other or tread on each other's heels, but to force every action to give up its strength and sweetness. There is work to be done, and there are empty hours to be filled as well.... But, most of all, there must be something to quicken, enliven, practice the soul.

—Arthur C. Benson.

Men's souls ought to be left to see clearly; not jaundiced, blinded, twisted all awry, by revenge, moral abhorrence, and the like.

—Thomas Carlyle.

But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

—Job 32. 8.

Spirit of life, I pray that thou wilt continually live within me. May my days be spent neither in waste nor idleness, but planned to use, with the best that is given me. Amen.



OCTOBER FIFTH

Jonathan Edwards born 1703.

Denis Diderot born 1713.

Horace Walpole born 1717.

Nancy Hanks died 1818.

Chester A. Arthur, Vermont, twenty-first President United States, born 1830.

H.R. Guy de Maupassant born 1850.

Earth gets its price for what earth gives us; The beggar is taxed for a corner to die in, The priest has his fee who comes and shrives us, We bargain for the graves we lie in; At the devil's booth are all things sold, Each ounce of dross costs its ounce of gold; For a cap and bells our lives we pay, Bubbles we buy with a whole soul's tasking; 'Tis heaven alone that is given away, 'Tis only God may be had for the asking.

—James Russell Lowell.

The free gift of God is eternal life.

—Romans 6. 23.

Gracious Father, may the world speak to me of thy gifts, and of the peace and power which it freely offers. May I not pass by thy great appeals, and prefer to purchase at a great cost my indolence and dissipation. Amen.



OCTOBER SIXTH

Jenny Lind Goldschmidt born 1820.

Harriet G. Hosmer born 1830.

Charles Stewart Parnell died 1891.

Alfred Tennyson died 1892.

The heart which boldly faces death Upon the battlefield, and dares Cannon and bayonet, faints beneath The needle-points of frets and cares. The stoutest spirits they dismay— The tiny stings of every day.

Ah! more than martyr's aureole And more than hero's heart of fire, We need the humble strength of soul Which daily toils and ills require. Sweet patience, grant us, if you may An added grace for every day.

—Adelaide A. Procter.

Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me! And may there be no moaning of the bar, When I put out to sea.

—Alfred Tennyson.

Fret not thyself.

—Proverbs 24. 19.

My Father, I pray that I may not be dismayed over life, and its trifles. Help me to master difficulties great and small, and give me patience through all until I reach the untroubled way. Amen.



OCTOBER SEVENTH

Sir Philip Sidney died 1586.

Edgar Allan Poe died 1849.

Oliver Wendell Holmes died 1894.

Mary J. Holmes died 1907.

Yet in opinions look not always back; Your wake is nothing, mind the coming track; Leave what you've done for what you have to do; Don't be "consistent," but be simply true.

—Oliver Wendell Holmes.

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has nothing to do.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.

—Exodus 14. 15.

Heavenly Father, I pray that I may not be so consistent in the small things of life that I will lose the great inspirations that come to the soul. Broaden my life, that I may have the freedom of heart and mind to pass over the failures and interruptions, and with vigorous energy continue in the progress of life. Amen.



OCTOBER EIGHTH

Caroline Howard Gilman born 1794.

Edmund Clarence Stedman born 1833.

John Hay born 1838.

He weren't no saint; them engineers Is pretty much alike— One wife in Natchez-under-the-Hill, Another one here in Pike; A keerless man in his talk was Jim, And an awkward hand in a row, But he never flunked, and he never lied— I reckon he never knowed how.

—John Hay.

He is brave whose tongue is silent Of the trophies of his word. He is great whose quiet bearing Marks his greatness well assured.

—Edwin Arnold.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as the rest of men.

—Luke 18. 11.

Lord God, thou knowest what I am and where I belong. Have mercy upon me and strengthen me, that I may not through weakness stay in the darkness. Lead me out into the light; and may I find my way and be contented with it. Amen.



OCTOBER NINTH

Michael Cervantes born 1547.

Jacques Auguste de Thuanus (De Thou) born 1553.

Charles Camilla Saint-Saens born 1835.

I will not doubt, though all my ships at sea Come drifting home with broken masts and sails; I shall believe the Hand which never fails From seeming evil worketh good for me; And though I weep because those sails are battered, Still will I cry, while my best hopes lie shattered, "I trust in Thee."

—Ella Wheeler Wilcox.[1]

Cease every joy to glimmer on my mind. But leave, O leave the light of hope behind.

—Thomas Campbell.

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick; But when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

—Proverbs 13. 12.

Loving Father, help me to pass by my discouragements of yesterday and look into the hope of to-day. Make me more careful of my strength, and less forgetful of thy promises and of my trust. Amen.

[Footnote 1: Special permission W.B. Conkey, Hammond, Indiana. Copyright 1912.]



OCTOBER TENTH

Henry Cavendish born 1731.

Benjamin West born 1738.

Hugh Miller born 1802.

Giuseppe Verdi born 1813.

Fridtjof Nansen born 1861.

We cannot make bargains for blisses, Nor catch them like fishes in nets; And sometimes the thing our life misses Helps more than the thing which it gets. For good lieth not in pursuing, Nor gaining of great nor small, But just in the doing and doing As we would be done by is all.

—Alice Gary.

True, it is most painful not to meet the kindness and affection you feel you have deserved, and have a right to expect from others; but it is a mistake to complain, for it is no use; you cannot extort friendship with a cocked pistol.

—Sydney Smith.

Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

—Matthew 22. 39.

Lord God, help me to understand that true affection is not that which as it gives feels it merits return. May I avoid being selfish and stubborn; and with my affections give peace and joy. Amen.



OCTOBER ELEVENTH

Sir Thomas Wyatt died 1542.

Dr. Samuel Clarke born 1675.

James Barry born 1741.

Ask God to give thee skill In comfort's art, That thou may'st consecrated be And set apart, Unto a life of sympathy; For heavy is the weight of ill In every heart; And comforters are needed much Of Christlike touch.

—Alexander Hamilton.

The man who melts With social sympathy though not allied, Is than a thousand kinsmen of more worth.

—Euripides.

Who comforteth us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

—2 Corinthians 1. 4.

Heavenly Father, thou hast made sympathy divine. May I never make it commonplace. Grant that as thou dost bless and comfort me I may be willing to comfort others, and do whatsoever thou wouldst have me do. Amen.



OCTOBER TWELFTH

Columbus discovered America 1492.

Lyman Beecher born 1775.

George W. Cable born 1844.

Helena Modjeska born 1844.

One poor day! Remember whose and how short it is! It is God's day, it is Columbus's. One day with life and heart is more than time enough to found a world.

—James Russell Lowell.

An illusion haunts us, that a long duration, as a year, a decade, a century, is valuable. But an old French sentence says, "God works in moments." We ask for long life, but 'tis deep life or grand moments that signify. Let the measure of Time be spiritual, not mechanical. Life is unnecessarily long. Moments of insight, of fine personal relation, a smile, a glance—what ample borrowers of eternity they are!

—Ralph Waldo Emerson.

One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

—2 Peter 3. 8.

My Father, I pray that when the "sun sets to-day my hope may not set with it." Be with me earlier than the dawn, that I may plan with thee a new day. I pray that thou wilt release me from anything that keeps me from reaching the highest. Amen.



OCTOBER THIRTEENTH

Theodore Beza died 1605.

Murat, King of Naples, shot 1815.

Elizabeth Fry died 1845.

What stronger breast-plate than a heart untainted! Thrice is he armed that hath his quarrel just, And he but naked, though locked up in steel, Whose conscience with injustice is corrupted.

—William Shakespeare.

A man's accusations of himself are always believed, his praises never.

—Montaigne.

Justice needs that two be heard.

—From Goethe's Autobiography.

That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live.

—Deuteronomy 16. 20.

Lord of justice, if I may be influenced this morning by doubt and am inclined to be resentful, wilt thou cause me to have a generous spirit and keep my faith. May I never descend to anything base or deceitful, but may I remember that if I lay down my life, I may have the power to take it up again. Amen.



OCTOBER FOURTEENTH

William Penn born 1644.

James Fenimore Cooper died 1851.

Duke of Wellington died 1852.

Do good with what thou hast, or it will do thee no good. If thou wouldst be happy, bring thy mind to thy condition, and have an indifferency for more than what is sufficient.

—William Penn.

The finest fruit earth holds up to its Maker is a finished man.

—Humboldt.

I considered Napoleon's presence in the field equal to forty men in the balance.

—Duke of Wellington.

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him but little lower than God, And crownest him with glory and honor.

—Psalm 8. 4, 5.

Eternal God, may I know the value of the gift of life. May I think seriously of it, and not through abuse or neglect cripple it, remembering that it is mine to sow, to grow, and to reap. I pray that I may care more for the food and raiment of my soul than I care for the food and raiment of my body. Amen.



OCTOBER FIFTEENTH

Virgil born B.C. 70.

Evangelista Torricelli born 1608.

Edward Fitzgerald born 1763.

Being not unacquainted with woe, I learned to help the unfortunate.

—Virgil.

There are some hearts like wells green-mossed and deep As ever summer saw, And cool their water is, yea, cool and sweet; But you must come to draw. They hoard not, yet they rest in calm content, And not unsought will give; They can be quiet with their wealth unspent, So self-contained they live.

—Author unknown.

For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be made sorry, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.

—2 Corinthians 2. 4.

Gracious Father, help me to understand that while I may be content to rest with what I have gathered, I cannot preserve the strength of my soul unless I share my possessions. Give me a passion for humanity that will advance gifts through love, and offer service without the need of an appeal. Amen.



OCTOBER SIXTEENTH

Bishop Hugh Latimer burned at Oxford 1555.

Albrecht von Haller born 1708.

Noah Webster born 1758.

Robert Stephenson born 1803.

As ships meet at sea—a moment together, when words of greeting must be spoken, and then away upon the deep—so men meet in this world; and I think we should cross no man's path without hailing him, and if he needs, giving him supplies.

—Henry Ward Beecher.

Nothing is more unaccountable than the spell that often lurks in a spoken word. A thought may be present to the mind, and two minds conscious of the same thought, but as long as it remains unspoken their familiar talk flows quietly over the hidden idea.

—Nathaniel Hawthorne.

And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others?

—Matthew 5. 47.

Heavenly Father, I pray that thou wilt give me a generous heart. May I not lose sight of the truth, that thou hast made others to have the same needs and wants that I may have. May I not through pride or egoism fail to help, and neglecting to speak, miss an opportunity to assist. May I be self-forgetful in friendly service. Amen.



OCTOBER SEVENTEENTH

Andreas Osiander died 1552.

Frederic Chopin died 1849.

Good name, in man or woman, dear my Lord, Is the immediate jewel of their souls; Who steals my purse, steals trash; 'tis something, nothing; 'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands; But he that filches from me my good name Robs me of that which not enriches him, And makes me poor indeed.

—William Shakespeare.

Keep back your tears when a soul is untrue; "Sorrow is shallow"; and one can wade through The mud and the marshes, and still endure If he finds he has kept his spirit pure.

The rose near died when it fell to its lot To break its heart for forget-me-not; But after its heart was healed by the dew, Right by its side a sweet violet grew!

—M.B.S.

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, And loving favor rather than silver and gold.

—Proverbs 22. 1.

My Father, teach me the value of the possessions that can neither be handled nor seen; and may I not take them away from others. Help me to keep thy commandment "Thou shalt not steal," and interpret it in all its relations to life. Amen.



OCTOBER EIGHTEENTH

Matthew Henry born 1662.

Margaret (Peg) Woffington born 1720.

Helen Hunt Jackson born 1831.

Frederick Harrison born 1831.

Yet I argue not against heaven's hand or will, nor bate a jot of heart of hope;, but still bear up and steer right onward.

—John Milton.

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. No man has learned anything rightly until he knows that every day is doomsday.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson.

He mourns that day so soon has glided by: E'en like the passage of an angel's tear That falls through the clear ether silently.

—John Keats.

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will counsel thee with mine eye upon thee.

—Psalm 32. 8.

My Father, if I may be living in bad habits, help me to get out of them. If I may be neglectful of good deeds, help me to get at them. May I reach for the highest purposes as I search for the realities, and may I not delay, but start to-day. Amen.



OCTOBER NINETEENTH

Dean (Jonathan) Swift died 1745.

Leigh Hunt born 1784.

Henry Kirke White died 1806.

Don't look too hard except for something agreeable; we can find all the disagreeable things we want, between our own hats and boots.

—Leigh Hunt.

Instead of a gem or a flower, cast the gift of a lovely thought into the heart of a friend.

—George Macdonald.

For the want of common discretion the very end of good breeding is wholly perverted; and civility, intended to make us easy, is employed in laying chains and fetters upon us, in debarring our wishes, and in crossing our most reasonable desires and inclinations.

—Jonathan Swift.

If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men.

—Romans 12. 18.

My Lord, help me to adjust my life to what I ought to be, rather than be content in what I am. May I not spend my time in dreaming of obstacles, or searching for things that hurt, but may I be gentle and kind, and as I see the truth speak for it and follow it. Amen.



OCTOBER TWENTIETH

Sir Christopher Wren born 1632.

Thomas Hughes born 1823.

Charles Dudley Warner died 1900.

There has always seemed to me something impious in the neglect of health. I could not do half the good I do if it were not for the strength and activity some consider coarse and degrading.

—Charles Kingsley.

To keep well drink often, but water; Eat not that which makes life shorter; But first, with all your might and skill, Just chain your habits to your will.

—M.B.S.

I will be lord over myself. No one who cannot master himself is worthy to rule, and only he can rule.

—Goethe.

Know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God?

—1 Corinthians 6. 19.

Lord God, may I not wait until I am afflicted and cannot use them to thank thee for my blessings. Guard me against infirmities that are brought on through indulgences, and help me to control my life. May I never forget that regret will not retrieve the life that is spent, even if it brings forgiveness and hope for the days to come. Amen.



OCTOBER TWENTY-FIRST

Samuel Taylor Coleridge born 1772.

Alphonse Lamartine born 1790.

Samuel F. Smith born 1808.

Will Carleton born 1845.

He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small; For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.

—Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

We thank thee, O Father, for all that is bright— The gleam of the day and the stars of the night, The flowers of our youth and the fruits of our prime, And the blessings that march down the pathway of time.

—Will Carleton.

Thanklessness is a parching wind, drying up the fountain of pity, the dew of mercy, the streams of grace. For doth not that rightly seem to be lost which is given to one ungrateful?

—Saint Bernard.

O give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.

—Psalm 136. 1.

My Father, help me to understand that I cannot have self-development unless the spirit of truth drills my character. Cleanse my heart from all impurity, and strengthen me for all usefulness: help me to daily live this prayer. Amen.



OCTOBER TWENTY-SECOND

Charles Martel died 741.

Franz Liszt born 1811.

George Eliot born 1819.

Sarah Bernhardt born 1844.

O may I join the choir invisible Of those immortal dead who live again In minds made better by their presence: live In pulses stirred to generosity, In deeds of daring rectitude, in scorn For miserable aims that end with self, In thoughts sublime that pierce the night like stars, And with their mild persistence urge man's search To vaster issues.

This is life to come, Which martyred men have made more glorious For us to strive to follow. May I reach That purest heaven, be to other souls The cup of strength in some great agony, Enkindle generous ardor, feed pure love, Beget the smiles that have no cruelty, Be the sweet presence of a good diffused, And in diffusion ever more intense! So shall I join the choir invisible Whose music is the gladness of the world.

—George Eliot.

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish.

—John 10. 28.

My Father, I pray that I may be more generous with my smiles and gladness, and more saving with my tears and sadness. Amen.



OCTOBER TWENTY-THIRD

Anne Oldfield died 1730.

Robert Bridges born 1844.

Mollie Elliot Seawell born 1860.

O youth whose hope is high, Who doth to truth aspire, Whether thou live or die, O look not back nor tire.

Thou that art bold to fly Through tempest, flood and fire, Nor dost not shrink to try Thy heart in torments dire—

If thou canst Death defy, If thy faith is entire, Press onward, for thine eye Shall see thy heart's desire.

—Robert Bridges.

Doubt indulged becomes doubt realized. To determine to do anything is half the battle. Courage is victory, timidity is defeat.

—Nelson.

And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions.

—Ezekiel 2. 6.

Gracious Father, try me again by the courage I have to-day, if thou art judging me by the fear I held yesterday. Help me to see that wavering is misleading and temperament is deceptive. May I learn self-control. Amen.



OCTOBER TWENTY-FOURTH

Hugh Capet died 996.

Sir Moses Montefiore born 1784.

Daniel Webster died 1852.

Exceeding peace made Ben Adhem bold, And to the presence in the room he said, "What writest thou?" The vision raised its head, And, with a look made of all sweet accord, Answered, "The names of those who love the Lord." "And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so," Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low, But cheerily still; and said, "I pray thee, then, Write me as one that loves his fellow men."

The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night It came again, with a great awakening light, And showed the names whom love of God had blessed— And, lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest!

—Leigh Hunt.

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and will show thee great things.

—Jeremiah 33. 3.

Lord God, may I keep within my heart that secret sympathy that adds to the power of life. Help me to seek the things that are real, and not be deceived by the things which only appear to be. May all with whom I have to do feel the better for my companionship. Amen.



OCTOBER TWENTY-FIFTH

Geoffrey Chaucer died 1400.

William Hogarth died 1764.

George W. Faber born 1773.

Thomas B. Macaulay born 1800.

Wav'ring as winds the breath of fortune blows, No power can turn it, and no prayers compose. Deep in some hermit's solitary cell, Repose, and ease, and contemplation dwell. Let conscience guide thee in the days of need, Judge well thy own, and then thy neighbor's deed.

—Geoffrey Chaucer.

To every man upon this earth Death cometh soon or late; And how can man die better Than facing fearful odds, For the ashes of his fathers And the temples of his gods.

—Thomas B. Macaulay.

Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

—Matthew 20. 28.

Heavenly Father, help me to remember that I am to cover life's journey, even though I may go the way carelessly and aimlessly. May I make an estimate of what I am losing, by waiting so long at the resting places, "For the road winds up hill all the way to the end, and the journey takes the whole day long, from morn to night." Amen.



OCTOBER TWENTY-SIXTH

Dr. Philip Doddridge died 1751.

Count Von Moltke born 1800.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton died 1902.

One of the notable eddies of the present-day world currents is what has been loosely called the "Woman Movement." The sensitive and vicarious spirit of womanhood has been enlisted for service in behalf of those who have been denied a fair chance, or who are the victims of oppression, greed, and ignorance.

—William T. Ellis.

And whether consciously or not, you must be in many a heart enthroned: queens you must always be: queens to your lovers; queens to your husbands and sons; queens of higher mystery to the world beyond, which bows itself, and will forever bow, before the myrtle crown, and the stainless scepter of womanhood.

—John Ruskin.

O woman, great is thy faith: be it done unto thee even as thou wilt.

—Matthew 15. 28.

Lord and Master of all, I pray that thou wilt make me see through my prejudices and beyond my desires to the very "top of my condition." May I not wait for places or circumstances that are dimly in the distance or that are near at hand, but accomplish the work I should do to-day. Amen.



OCTOBER TWENTY-SEVENTH

James Cook born 1728.

Nicolo Paganini born 1782.

Theodore Roosevelt, New York, twenty-fifth President United States, born 1858.

The vice of envy is not only a dangerous, but a mean vice; for it is always a confession of inferiority. It may promote conduct which will be fruitful of wrong to others, and it must cause misery to the man who feels it.

—Theodore Roosevelt.

Of all the passions, jealousy is that which exacts the hardest service, and pays the bitterest wages. Its service is to watch the success of one's enemy; its wages to be sure of it.

—C.C. Colton.

Dear to me is the friend, yet I can also make use of an enemy. The friend shows me what I can do, the foe teaches me what I should.

—Schiller.

Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another.

—Galatians 5. 26.

Almighty God, I would ask thee that my days be filled with aspiration, and that my heart may know no envy. Help me to love humanity. May I be so glad of the success of others that I may never know what it is to be envious. Amen.



OCTOBER TWENTY-EIGHTH

Desiderius Erasmus born 1465.

John Locke died 1704.

Georges Jacques Danton born 1759.

Not so in haste, my heart! Have faith in God and wait; Although he linger long, He never comes too late.

Until he cometh, rest, Nor grudge the hours that roll; The feet that wait for God Are soonest at the goal;

Are soonest at the goal That is not gained by speed; Then hold thee still, my heart, For I shall wait his lead.

—Bayard Taylor.

It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah.

—Lamentations 3. 26.

Lord of life, may I pause to remember that rest may not be obtained with wretched thoughts, nor can it be enjoyed in discontent. In my moments of rest wilt thou show me how to relax, and with tranquillity may I gather hope for renewed ambition. Amen.



OCTOBER TWENTY-NINTH

Sir Walter Raleigh beheaded 1618.

James Boswell born 1740.

John Keats born 1795.

Thomas Bayard born 1828.

Thomas Edward Brown died 1897.

Rise, O my soul, with thy desires to heaven, And with divinest contemplation use Thy time where time's eternity is given, And let vain thoughts no more thy thoughts abuse; But down in darkness let them lie: So live thy better, let thy worse thoughts die!

—Sir Walter Raleigh.

The great elements we know of are no mean comforters; the open sky sits upon our senses like a sapphire crown—the air is our robe of state, the Earth is our throne, and the Sea a mighty minstrel playing before it.

—John Keats.

Ah Lord Jehovah! behold, thou hast made the heavens and the earth by thy great power and by thine outstretched arm; there is nothing too hard for thee.

—Jeremiah 32. 17.

Almighty God, I thank thee for the power that gives me the breath of life. May I be willing to be controlled by its guiding care. Amen.



OCTOBER THIRTIETH

Rev. John Whitaker died 1808.

John Adams, Massachusetts, second President United States, born 1735.

Adelaide Anne Procter born 1825.

And yet thou canst know, And yet thou canst not see; Wisdom and sight are slow In poor humanity. If thou couldst trust, poor soul, In Him who rules the whole, Thou wouldst find peace and rest; Wisdom and right are well, but trust is best.

—Adelaide Anne Procter.

The heart to speak in vain essayed, Nor could his purpose reach— His will nor voice nor tongue obeyed, His silence was his speech.

—John Quincy Adams.

But still believe that story wrong Which ought not to be true.

—Richard Brinsley Sheridan.

Blessed is the man that maketh Jehovah his trust.

—Psalm 40. 4.

My Father, may I not be given to unkindly speech. Deliver me from a critical spirit; and may I not encourage mistrust, but cultivate the kindly considerations in which life abounds. Amen.



OCTOBER THIRTY-FIRST

All Hallow's Eve.

John Evelyn born 1620.

Christopher Anstey born 1724.

Ere, in the northern gale The summer tresses of the trees are gone, The woods of autumn, all around our vale, Have put their glory on.

The mountains that unfold, In their wide sweep, the colored landscape round, Seem groups of giant kings, in purple and gold, That guard the enchanted ground.

Ah! 'twere a lot too blessed Forever in thy colored shades to stray; Amid the kisses of the soft southwest To rove and dream for aye;

And leave the vain low strife That makes men mad; the tug for wealth and power, The passions and the cares that wither life, And waste its little hour.

—William Cullen Bryant.

Let the field exult, and all that is therein; Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy.

—Psalm 96. 12.

My Father, may I have an appreciation of the wonderful creations of the earth. Give me a discriminating eye, that I may know the precious things that thou art growing; and throughout my life may I love the beautiful, and choose that which will make my life worthy of growth. Amen.



NOVEMBER

Who said November's face was grim? Who said her voice was harsh and sad? I heard her sing in wood paths dim, I met her on the shore so glad, So smiling, I could kiss her feet! There never was a month so sweet.

—Lucy Larcom.



NOVEMBER FIRST

Sir Matthew Hale born 1609.

William M. Chase born 1849.

Sir Robert Grant died 1892.

O worship the King, all glorious above, O gratefully sing his power and his love; Our Shield and Defender, the ancient of days, Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite? It breathes in the air, it shines in the light; It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain, And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

—Robert Grant.

Ye shall walk in all the way which Jehovah your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.

—Deuteronomy 5. 33.

Almighty God, help me to make my life refulgent while I have the abundance of summer, that I may not find the November of life bleak and barren. Help me to live in the realities of life, that I may gain energy and repose, to use for the lonesome and anxious hours. May I be watchful for the conditions that thwart life, and with patience wait for the awakening of truth. Amen.



NOVEMBER SECOND

Marie Antoinette born 1755.

Field-Marshal Radetzky born 1766.

James Knox Polk, North Carolina, eleventh President United States, born 1795.

Overmastering pain—the most deadly and tragical element in life—alas! pain has its own way with all of us; it breaks in, a rude visitant, upon the fairy garden where the child wanders in a dream, no less surely than it rules upon the field of battle, or sends the immortal war-god whimpering to his father; and innocence, no more than philosophy, can protect us from this sting.

—Robert Louis Stevenson.

My hopes retire; my wishes as before Struggle to find their resting place in vain; The ebbing sea thus beats against the shore; The shore repels it; it returns again.

—W.S. Landor.

Yet Jehovah will command his loving-kindness in the day-time, And in the night his song shall be with me.

—Psalm 42. 8.

Loving Father, I bless thee for thy goodness and tender mercy which is over all. May I trust thy provision and love through all circumstances, and as I trust myself to thee may I have faith to believe that thou wilt give me strength for what I may have to endure, and believe that thou wilt care for me, as thou dost care for all. Amen.



NOVEMBER THIRD

Lucan born A.D. 39.

William Cullen Bryant born 1794.

Francis D. Millet born 1846.

John Watson (Ian Maclaren) born 1850.

Pearl Mary Teresa Craigie (John Oliver Hobbes) born 1867.

Whither, midst falling dew, While glow the heavens with the last steps of day, Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue Thy solitary way!

Vainly the fowler's eye Might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong, As, darkly painted on the crimson sky, Thy figure floats along.

He who, from zone to zone, Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight, In the long way that I must tread alone, Will lead my steps aright.

—William Cullen Bryant.

For Jehovah your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over.

—Joshua 4. 23.

Almighty God, help me to guard against gratification that leads to disappointment, that I may not miss the true way. I pray that thou wilt lift me in my weakness, and carry me over the rough and discouraging places, that I may be made strong in thy loving care, and be able to continue alone. Amen.



NOVEMBER FOURTH

Guido Reni born 1575.

James Montgomery born 1771.

Edmund Keane born 1787.

Ernest Howard Crosby born 1856.

Eugene Field died 1895.

Keep me, I pray, in wisdom's way, That I may truths eternal seek; I need protecting care to-day— My purse is light, my flesh is weak.

—Eugene Field.

No one could tell me where my Soul might be, I searched for God, but God eluded me. I sought my brother out, and found all three.

—Ernest H. Crosby.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he will direct thy paths.

—Proverbs 3. 6.

My Father, may I not face the going down of the sun to-day, looking at life, in a mirror that reflects my own privileges and prejudices, but may I see it as it is, known to those who are living to make it better. May the days to come prove my sincerity in wanting the truth that I might live by it, and help to do good with it. Amen.



NOVEMBER FIFTH

Hans Sachs born 1494.

Dr. John Brown born 1715.

Benjamin Butler born 1818.

The thing that goes the farthest Toward making life worth while, That costs the least, and does the most, Is just a pleasant smile. That smile that bubbles from a heart That loves its fellow men Will drive away the cloud of gloom And coax the sun again.

—Anonymous.

One whom I knew intimately, and whose memory I revere, once in my hearing remarked that, "Unless we love people we cannot understand them." This was a new light to me.

—Christina G. Rossetti.

Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; So doth the sweetness of a man's friend that cometh of hearty counsel.

—Proverbs 27. 9.

Lord God, I pray that I may be worthy of my friends. May I not fear to go where I am called, and may I go cheerfully, even though the way be dark and lonesome. Amen.



NOVEMBER SIXTH

James Gregory born 1638.

John Bright born 1811.

Sir George Williams died 1905.

Look full into thy spirit's self, The world of mystery scan; What if thy way to faith in God Should lie through faith in man?

—John Bright.

Blessed are they who have the gift of making friends, for it is one of God's best gifts. It involves many things, but above all, the power of going out of oneself and seeing and appreciating whatever is noble and loving in another.

—Thomas Hughes.

Be perfected; be comforted; be of the same mind; live in peace: and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

—2 Corinthians 13. 11.

Lord God, I earnestly entreat thee to show me if I may be cramping the happiness in another's life by forcing in my selfishness and demands. May I understand that perfect gifts are those that come through loving sacrifice. Make me ashamed to ask for what I refuse or prefer not to give. Amen.



NOVEMBER SEVENTH

Sir Martin Frobisher died 1594.

William Stukeley born 1687.

Friedrich Leopold, Count von Stolberg, born 1750.

Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide, In the strife of Truth with Falsehood, for the good or evil side; Some great cause, God's new Messiah offering each the bloom or blight, Parts the goats upon the left hand, and the sheep upon the right; And the choice goes by forever 'twixt that darkness and that light.

—James Russell Lowell.

We cannot command veracity at will; the power of seeing and reporting truly is a form of health that has to be delicately guarded, and as an ancient rabbi has solemnly said, "The penalty of untruth is untruth."

—George Eliot.

Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

—Ecclesiastes 7. 29.

My Father, help me to speak the truth and guard the truth, that righteousness may be an abiding influence in my life. Amen.



NOVEMBER EIGHTH

Edmund Halley born 1656.

John Milton died 1674.

Owen Meredith (Bulwer Edward Lytton) born 1831.

The morning drum-call on my eager ear Thrills unforgotten yet! the morning dew Lies yet undried along my field of noon. But now I pause a while in what I do, And count the bell, and tremble lest I hear (My work untrimmed) the sunset gun too soon.

—Robert Louis Stevenson.

I fear Life's many changes, not Death's changelessness. So perfect is this moment's passing cheer, I needs must tremble lest it pass to less. Thus in fickle love of life I live, Lest fickle life me of my love deprive.

—Owen Meredith.

And Jehovah said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore art thou thus fallen upon thy face?

Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow.

—Joshua 7. 10, 13.

Almighty God, help me in these fleeting days that I may not use my time to consider and hesitate, but be positive in my desires and pursue them. Grant that I may have the strength to hold each day precious, and live it more than consistently. Amen.



NOVEMBER NINTH

Mark Akenside born 1721.

William Sotheby born 1757.

Charles F. Thwing born 1853.

The victor's road is the easy way. Straight it stretches and climbs to where Fame is waiting with garlands gay To wreathe the fighter who clambers there. There's applause in plenty and gold's red gleam For the man who plays on the winning team.

The loser travels a longer lane; Level it leads to a lonely land. There's little glory for him to gain The voices mock him on either hand; But the man who wins in the greater game Is the man who, beaten, fights on the same.

—G. Rice.

The hero is not fed on sweets, Daily his own heart he eats; Chambers of the great are jails, And head-winds right for royal sails.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson.

He thanked God, and took courage.

—Acts 28. 15.

O Lord, I pray that whether I may be successful in the sight of the world, or whether I may be successful in my own sacrifices, I may have the freedom of courage, and be master of my life. Amen.



NOVEMBER TENTH

Martin Luther born 1483.

William Hogarth born 1697.

Oliver Goldsmith born 1728.

Johann von Schiller born 1759.

Joaquin Miller born 1841.

Henry van Dyke born 1852.

As faith, so is God.

—Martin Luther.

Learn the luxury of doing good.

—Oliver Goldsmith.

Love is the ladder by which we climb up to the likeness of God.

—Johann von Schiller.

And who will walk a mile with me Along life's weary way? A friend whose heart has eyes to see The stars shine out o'er the darkening lea, And the quiet rest at the end of the day— A friend who knows and dares to say, The brave sweet words that cheer the way Where he walks a mile with me.

—Henry van Dyke.

And whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two.

—Matthew 5. 41.

My Father, may I not dwell in the appearances of life, where I may grow selfish; but live in the realities of simplicity. May I not only seek those who may return me pleasure, but may I find delight in brightening the walk of a weary friend. Amen.



NOVEMBER ELEVENTH

Alfred de Musset born 1810.

Thomas Bailey Aldrich born 1836.

Rev. Joshua Brookes died 1821.

I'll not confer with Sorrow Till to-morrow, But joy shall have her way This very day.

—Thomas Bailey Aldrich.

Shall we have ears on the stretch for the footfalls of sorrow that never come, but be deaf to the whirr of the wings of happiness that fill all space?

—Maurice Maeterlinck.

This day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, punishment will overtake, us; now therefore come, let us go and tell the king's household.

—2 Kings 7. 9.

Loving Father, I pray that thou wilt help me to overcome unhappiness. May I not let depression overpower me, but claim the promises of joy that are open to every life. May I be blest by my own cheerfulness and encourage others to possess it. Amen.



NOVEMBER TWELFTH

Saint Augustine died A. D. 354.

Richard Baxter born 1615.

Amelia Opie born 1769.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton born 1815.

Thomas Lord Fairfax died 1671.

In life it is difficult to say who do you the most mischief—enemies with the worst intentions or friends with the best.

—Edward Bulwer.

The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, Grapple them to thy soul with hooks of steel.

—William Shakespeare.

Where persons who ought to esteem and love each other are kept asunder, as often happens, by some cause which three words of frank explanation would remove, they are fortunate if they possess an indiscreet friend who blurts out the whole truth.

—Thomas B. Macaulay.

Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, Who did eat of my bread, Hath lifted up his heel against me.

—Psalm 41. 9.

Lord God, help me to consider more carefully what I offer to my friends; and may I not be critical of what I receive from my friends. May I not be a hindrance instead of a help to those who would have my companionship. Amen.



NOVEMBER THIRTEENTH

Sir John Moore born 1761.

Robert Louis Stevenson born 1850.

Sir John Forbes died 1861.

Little do we know our own blessedness; for to travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the True Success is to labor.

—Robert Louis Stevenson.

Whether thy work be fine or coarse, planting corn or writing epics, so only it be honest work, done to thine own approbation, it shall earn a reward to sense as well as to the thought.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Nature gives to labor; and to labor alone. In a very garden of Eden a man would starve but for human exertion.

—Henry George.

But let each man prove his own work, and then shall he have his glorying in regard of himself alone, and not of his neighbor.

—Galatians 6. 4.

My Father, make pure living clear to me, that I may not be deceived in my work; and may I not use my working hours searching for more suitable work, but may I be sure in what I am that I may feel secure in what I undertake to do. Amen.



NOVEMBER FOURTEENTH

Bishop Hoadley born 1676.

Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel born 1805.

Robert Smythe Hichens born 1864.

Give us, O give us, the man who sings at his work! Be his occupation what it may, he is better than any of those who follow the same pursuit in silent sullenness.

—Thomas Carlyle.

What doctor possesses such curative resources as those latent in a single ray of hope? The mainspring of life is in the heart. Joy is the vital air of the soul, and grief is a kind of asthma complicated by atony.

—Amiel.

I will sing unto Jehovah as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.

—Psalm 104. 33.

Loving Father, restore the spirit of gentleness and meekness if it may be withered within me, that I may be contented. May I make it a habit to be happy over my work and cheerful about my duties. May I never lose the view of the glory of thy kingdom. Amen.



NOVEMBER FIFTEENTH

William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, born 1708.

William Cowper born 1731.

Sir William Herschel born 1738.

Johann Lavater born 1741.

Richard Henry Dana born 1787.

Ida Tarbell born 1857.

The parting sun sends out a glow Across the placid bay, Touching with glory all the show— A breeze! Up helm! Away!

Careening to the wind, they reach, With laugh and call, the shore. They've left their footprints on the beach, But them I hear no more.

—Richard Henry Dana.

Art little? Do thy little well: And for thy comfort know The great can do their greatest work No better than just so.

—Goethe.

But be thou an ensample to them that believe, in word, in manner of life, in love, in faith, in purity.

—1 Timothy 4. 12.

Lord God, grant that if I may be complaining of what Providence has not sent me, I may not be neglecting what Providence has given me. May I not pause too long over what I have done, or over what I might have done, but may I be appreciative of what thou dost expect of me and endeavor to accomplish it. Amen.



NOVEMBER SIXTEENTH

Tiberius born B.C. 42.

Gustavus Adolphus killed 1632.

Francis Danby born 1793.

Judge not the workings of his brain And of his heart thou canst not see; What looks to thy dim eyes a stain In God's pure light may only be A scar, brought from some well-won field, Where thou would'st only faint and yield.

And judge none lost; but wait and see, With hopeful pity, not disdain; The depth of the abyss may be The measure of the height of pain And love and glory that may raise The soul to God in after days!

—Adelaide A. Procter.

I am more afraid of deserving criticism, than of receiving it.

—William Gladstone.

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

—Matthew 7.1.

Lord Jehovah, judge of all mankind, forbid that I should set myself as a judge of another's life, and neglect to live for the higher judgment of my own. May I not be absorbed in that which thrives in darkness, but live in the light of honesty and gentleness. Amen.



NOVEMBER SEVENTEENTH

Queen Mary of England died 1558.

Joost van den Vondel born 1587.

George Grote born 1794.

There are evergreen men and women in the world, praise be to God!—not many of them, but a few. They are not the showy folk. (Nature is an old-fashioned shopkeeper; she never puts her best goods in the window.) They are only the quiet, strong folk; they are stronger than Fate. The storms of life sweep over them, and the biting frosts creep round them; but the winds and the frosts pass away, and they are still standing, green and straight.

—Jerome K. Jerome.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water, That bringeth forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also doth not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

—Psalm 1.3.

Gracious Lord, may I not spend most in equipment and forget the tides, which may desert me on the sands, or the rocks in the channels, which may crush the finest vessel. May I be prepared for the hard knocks if they come, but may I know how to keep clear of them. Amen.



NOVEMBER EIGHTEENTH

Sir David Wilkie born 1785.

Louis J. M. Daguerre born 1789.

Cyrus Field born 1819.

William S. Gilbert born 1836.

If e'er when man had fallen asleep, I heard a voice, "Believe no more," A warmth within the breast would melt The freezing reason's colder part, And like a man in wrath, the heart Stood up and answered, "I have felt."

—Alfred Tennyson.

Faith is the deep want of the soul. We have faculties for the spiritual, as truly as for the outward world. God, the foundation of all existence, may become to the mind the most real of all beings. The believer feels himself resting on an everlasting foundation.

—William Henry Channing.

And they said one to another, Was not our heart burning within us, while he spake to us in the way, while he opened to us the scriptures?

—Luke 24. 32.

Lord God, save me from a hard and doubting heart. May I be trustful and come to thee in faith. All the days of my life may my lips sing thy praise as I unfold thy love and purposes. Amen.



NOVEMBER NINETEENTH

Nicolas Poussin died 1665.

Albert Thorwaldsen born 1770.

James A. Garfield, Ohio, twentieth President United States, born 1831.

Mary Hallock Foote born 1847.

Count Lyoff (Leo) Tolstoy died 1910.

And son I live, you see, Go through the world, try, prove, reject, Prefer, still struggling to effect My warfare; happy that I can Be crossed and thwarted as a man, Not left in God's contempt apart, With ghastly smooth life, dead at heart, Tame in earth's paddock, as her prize.

—Robert Browning.

Be good at the depths of you, and you will discover that those who surround you will be good even to the same depths. Therein lies a force that has no name; a spiritual rivalry that has no resistance.

—Maurice Maeterlinck.

First of all, I must make myself a man; if I do not succeed in that, I can succeed in nothing.

—James A. Garfield.

That we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error.

—Ephesians 4. 14.

Eternal God, I thank thee for all the sterling elements that greaten the individual life. I pray that I may not desire to be kept a small creature, but seek to grow in wisdom and love, and qualify for mighty purposes and achievements. Amen.



NOVEMBER TWENTIETH

Paul Potter born 1625.

Thomas Chatterton born 1752.

William Ellery Channing born 1818.

Sir Wilfred Laurier born 1841.

Then why, my soul, dost thou complain? Why drooping seek the dark recess? Shake off the melancholy chain, For God created all to bless.

The gloomy mantle of the night, Which on my sinking spirits steals, Will vanish at the morning light, Which God, my East, my Sun, reveals.

—Thomas Chatterton.

Lady, there is a hope that all men have— Some mercy for their faults, a grassy place To rest in, and a flower-strewn, gentle grave: Another hope which purifies our race, That when that fearful bourne forever past, They may find rest—and rest so long to last.

I seek it not, I ask no rest forever, My path is onward to the farthest shores.

—William Ellery Channing.

He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay; And he set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he put a new song in my mouth.

—Psalm 40. 2, 3.

My Father, I pray that I may have patience to live through the difficulties of life. May I correct my faults, that they may not destroy my peace and take from me my strength; help me to center my life in brightness and hope. Amen.



NOVEMBER TWENTY-FIRST

Claude Lorraine died 1682.

Bryan Waller Procter (Barry Cornwall) born 1787.

Mary Johnston born 1870.

There is not a creature from England's king To the peasant that delves the soil, Who knows half the pleasures the seasons bring If he had not his share of toil.

—Barry Cornwall.

It may be proved, with much certainty, that God intends no man to live in this world without working; but it seems to me no less evident that he intends every man to be happy in his work. Now, in order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: they must be fit for it; and they must not do too much of it; and they must have a sense of success in it.

—John Ruskin.

Let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need.

—Ephesians 4. 28.

My Father, if my work seems hard to-day, may I not cease working if I grow weary, but may my strength be renewed to continue my work. May the aim of my work be to please thee, and to help in the progress of humanity. Amen.



NOVEMBER TWENTY-SECOND

Saint Cecilia martyred A.D. 230.

Sir Henry Havelock died 1857.

Justin M'Carthy born 1830.

Sometimes the sun, unkindly hot, My garden makes a desert spot, Sometimes a blight upon the tree Takes all my fruit away from me; And then with throes of bitter pain Rebellious passions rise and swell; And so I sing and all is well.

—Paul Laurence Dunbar.

Such songs have power to quiet The restless pulse of care, And come like benediction That follows after prayer.

—Henry W. Longfellow.

Songs consecrate to truth and liberty.

—Percy Bysshe Shelley.

David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

—1 Samuel 16. 23.

Almighty God, I thank thee that thou wilt come to me as my heart cries for need. I bless thee that thou dost come to me as my lips sing thy praise. I pray that I may be saved from a cruel and cheerless heart, and be a sharer of the songs that are sung to the soul. Amen.



NOVEMBER TWENTY-THIRD

Thomas Tallis died 1585.

Franklin Pierce, New Hampshire, fourteenth President United States, born 1804.

Marie Bashkirtseff born 1860.

Asleep, awake, by night or day, The friends I seek are seeking me; No word can drive my bark astray, Nor change the tide of destiny.

The stars come nightly to the sky, The tidal wave unto the sea; Nor time, nor space, nor deep, nor high, Can keep my own away from me.

—John Burroughs.

If a man could make a single rose we would give him an empire; yet flowers no less beautiful are scattered in profusion over the world, and no one regards them.

—Martin Luther.

Let patience have its perfect work.

—James 1. 4.

My Creator, may I remember that after thou didst create the earth thou didst say it was good. May I love the fragrance and beauty of the flowers which were made to nourish the soul, and the fruits and herbs which were made to nourish the body. May my song of thanksgiving be new every morning, as I awake in the abundance of what thou hast prepared. Amen.



NOVEMBER TWENTY-FOURTH

John Knox died 1572.

Baron Spinoza born 1632.

Grace Darling born 1815.

Frances Hodgson Burnett born 1849.

I waited long until the sky Should give me of its blue To weave and wear, and share, and weave The very stars into. The days they went, the years they went, And left my hands instead Another thing for wonderment, The mending and the bread.

Ah me, and one must set a hand To burnish up the task, And hush and hush the old demand A wakeful heart will ask. But with a star's clear eye on me, O, I can hear it said, "What souls there be that only see The mending and the bread!"

—Josephine P. Peabody.

The riches of a commonwealth Are free, strong minds and hearts of health. And more to her than gold or grain, The cunning hand and cultured brain.

—John G. Whittier.

For the life is more than the food, and the body than the raiment.

—Luke 12. 23.

My Father, I pray that thou wilt help me, that I may not consume my life in preparing clothes and food for my body. Amen.



NOVEMBER TWENTY-FIFTH

Charles Kemble born 1775.

John Bigelow born 1817.

Paul Haupt born 1858.

John Kitto died 1854.

I will not kill or hurt any living creature needlessly, nor destroy any beautiful thing, but will strive to save and comfort all gentle life and guard and perfect all natural beauty on earth. I will strive to raise my own body and soul daily into all the higher powers of duty and-happiness, not in rivalship or contention with others, but for help, delight, and honor of others and for the joy and peace of my own life.

—John Ruskin.

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.

—Isaiah 11. 9.

Lord God, I rejoice in the blessedness of peace. May I not try to force peace where cruelty has entered, but keep a watch for what may come into my life. I pray that if I may be in turbulence to-day, thou wilt quiet me with thy peace which knows no fear or wrong. Amen.



NOVEMBER TWENTY-SIXTH

Sir William Ware born 1594.

John Elwes died 1789.

John Loudoun Macadam died 1836.

I'd like a way To change the clouds that bring us sorrow, And build to-day a bright to-morrow; To banish cares that tarry long, And have the days like the blue-bird's song— I'd like a way.

I'll find a way— I'll set sail when the breeze is high, And calmly drift when pleasure's nigh; I'll steer a course afar from tears, And take in joy the coming years— I'll find a way.

I've lost the way! Out through the gloom a beam of light Looks like a purpose looming bright! Up with the sail! I'll out to sea And bring that purpose back with me, Or go its way.

—M.B.S.

Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: He is gracious, and merciful, and righteous.

—Psalm 112. 4.

My Father, I pray that I may not through indifference wander without a purpose, or through discouragement stumble through the darkness. May I be drawn to the light by the vision of hopeful and useful days. Amen.



NOVEMBER TWENTY-SEVENTH

Horace died B.C. 8.

Marquise d'Aubigne Maintenon born 16324.

General Artemus Ward born 1727.

Fanny Kemble born 1809.

Alexandra Dumas died 1895.

Be this thy brazen bulwark of defense, to preserve a conscience void of offense, and never turn pale with guilt.

—Horace.

Is life a noxious weed which whirlwinds sow? A useless flint o'er which the waters flow? Not so! A life well spent has not its weight in gold; It is the clearest crystal earth doth hold, A gem beside which suns seem dull and cold.

—Robert Louis Stevenson.

That they may lay hold on the life which is life indeed.

—1 Timothy 6. 19.

Lord God, I pray that my life may not be impoverished by neglect, nor burdened with indulgences, but that it may be kept in condition for high endeavors. Grant that I may never be content to rest in satisfaction and ease when I could struggle and accomplish a good work. Amen.



NOVEMBER TWENTY-EIGHTH

William Blake born 1757.

Anton G. Rubinstein born 1829

Washington Irving died 1859.

The sorrow for the dead is the only sorrow from which we refuse to be divorced. Every other wound we seek to heal, every other affliction to forget. Take warning by the bitterness of this thy contrite affliction over the dead, and henceforth be more faithful and affectionate in the discharge of thy duties to the living.

—Washington Irving.

Joy and woe are woven fine, A clothing for the soul divine; Every grief and pine Runs a joy with a silken twine.

—William Blake.

Ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

—John 16. 20.

Heavenly Father, grant that I may not lose the kindness that I may give and receive to-day. I thank thee for the memories of yesterday, the hope of to-morrow, and the wisdom of to-day. May I have a vision of immortality that will keep me through the closest sorrow. Amen.



NOVEMBER TWENTY-NINTH

Sir Philip Sidney born 1554.

A. Bronson Alcott born 1799.

Wendell Phillips born 1811.

Louisa M. Alcott born 1832.

Truth is sensitive and jealous of the least encroachment of its sacredness.

—A. Bronson Alcott.

Faith that withstood the shocks of toil and time, Hope that defied despair, Patience that conquered care, And loyalty whose courage was sublime;

Teaching us how to seek the highest goal, To earn the true success; To live to love, to bless, And make death proud to take a royal soul.

—Louisa M. Alcott.

Nor is it Wiser to weep a true occasion lost, But trim our sails, and let old bygones be.

—Alfred Tennyson.

In hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before times eternal.

—Titus 1. 2.

Heavenly Father, I pray that I may live in truth; and without fear of life or death live content in the faith of eternal life. Amen.



NOVEMBER THIRTIETH

Peregrine White born New England 1620.

Jonathan Swift born 1687.

Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) born 1835.

Winston Churchill born 1874.

He gave it for his opinion that whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together.

—Jonathan Swift.

That man may last, but never lives, Who much receives, but nothing gives; Whom none can love, whom none can thank,— Creation's blot, creation's blank.

—Thomas Gibbons.

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall they give into your bosom. For with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again.

—Luke 6. 38.

My Father, preserve my soul from all selfishness. May I delight in thy teaching as I trust in thy word. I pray that I may not only speak truthfully, but that I may leave the door of my spirit open, that truth may always enter and abide continually. Amen.



DECEMBER

He comes—he comes—the Frost Spirit comes: You may trace his footsteps now On the naked woods and the blasted fields, And the brown hill's withered brow. He has smitten the leaves of the gray old trees, Where their green came forth, And the winds, which follow wherever he goes, Have shaken them down to earth.

He comes—he comes—the Frost Spirit comes! Let us meet him as we may, And turn with the light of the parlor fire His evil power away; And gather closer the circle round, Where the firelight dances high, And laugh at the shriek of the baffled fiend, As his sounding wing goes by.

—John G. Whittier.



DECEMBER FIRST

Dr. George Birkbeck died 1841.

Queen Alexandra born 1844.

R.W. Dale born 1829.

Ebenezer Elliott died 1849.

We would fill the hours with the sweetest things, If we had but a day: We should drink alone at the purest springs, In our upward way: We should guide our wayward or wearied will, By the clearest light: We should keep our eyes on the heavenly hills, If they lay in sight: We should be from our clamorous selves set free, To work and pray: And be what the Father would have us to be, If we had but a day.

—Margaret E. Sangster.

Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

—Philippians 4. 8.

Gracious Father, help me to understand that my life grows out of what I put into my days. Forgive me for the unspoken words and the kind deeds which I kept for rare days, and had so few occasions to use. May I be as useful in kindness as I am in work, remembering that to thee every day is a golden day. Amen.



DECEMBER SECOND

David Masson born 1822.

John Brown hanged, Charlestown, West Virginia 1859.

Hugh Miller died 1856.

The solitude of life is known to us all; for the most part we are alone, and the voices of friends come only faint and broken across the impassable gulfs which surround every human soul.

—Hamilton Mabie.

To have an ideal or to have none, to have this ideal or that—this is what digs gulfs between men, even between those who live in the same family circle, under the same roof, or in the same room. You must love with the same love, think with the same thoughts as some one else if you are to escape solitude.

—Amiel.

The plans of the heart belong to man; But the answer of the tongue is from Jehovah.

—Proverbs 16. 1.

Lord God, help me to take in the glory of life, that my spirit may never be lonely, even though I may have to be much alone. I pray that thou wilt spare me the loneliness and the solitude that may be brought on by selfishness. Make me considerate of others. May I soar above the disappointments and losses that may come to me, and stay where I may have thy companionship. Amen.



DECEMBER THIRD

Samuel Crompton born 1753.

Sir Frederick Leighton born 1830.

Robert Louis Stevenson died 1894.

To know what you prefer, instead of humbly saying "Amen" to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive.

—Robert Louis Stevenson.

There is precious instruction to be got by finding we were wrong. Let a man try faithfully, manfully to be right. He will grow daily more and more right.

—Thomas Carlyle.

The hero is the man who is immovably centered.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Let us draw near with a true heart in fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience: and having our body washed with pure water.

—Hebrews 10. 22.

Gracious Father, grant that I may not be content to follow through ignorance and indolence and be led to the lowly paths of life. Make my Hie positive; and from my surroundings may I look out and struggle to mount to the highest ideals, that I may be qualified to select the best in life. Amen.



DECEMBER FOURTH

Cardinal Richelieu died 1642.

William Drummond died 1649.

Madame Recamier born 1777.

Thomas Carlyle born 1795.

John Kitto born 1804.

It is with a man's soul as it is with nature: the beginning of Creation is—Light. Till the eye have visions the whole members are in bonds. Divine moment, when over the tempest-tost Soul, as once over the wild-weltering Chaos, it is spoken: Let there be Light!

—Thomas Carlyle.

What in me is dark Illumine, what is low raise and support; That to the light of this great argument I may assert eternal Providence And justify the ways of God to men.

—John Milton.

For thou art my lamp, O Jehovah; And Jehovah will lighten my darkness.

—2 Samuel 22. 29.

My Lord, forgive me if I have allowed bitterness and misery to darken my life, for my soul yearns continually for the light. In thy compassion lead me to the "sunny side of the road where the beautiful flowers grow," that my path may be made bright and cheerful all the rest of the way. Amen.



DECEMBER FIFTH

Martin Van Buren, New York, eighth President United States, born 1782.

Christina G. Rossetti born 1830.

Alice Brown born 1857.

A cold wind stirs the blackthorn To burgeon and to blow, Besprinkling half-green hedges With flakes and sprays of snow.

Through coldness and through keenness, Dear hearts take comfort so: Somewhere or other doubtless These make the blackthorn blow.

—Christina G. Rossetti.

There are some men and women in whose company we are always at our best. All the best stops in our nature are drawn out by their intercourse, and we find a music in our souls never there before.

—Henry Drummond.

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works.

—Hebrews 10. 24.

My Father, I thank thee for life. Make me sensitive to the unseen influences that bring thy messages. May I be led where great riches may be found through small kindnesses, and where I may learn from the meek the beauty of earth. Amen.



DECEMBER SIXTH

General George Monk born 1608.

Warren Hastings born 1732.

Dr. Richard Barham born 1786.

That low man seeks a little thing to do, Sees it and does it: This high man, with a great thing to pursue, Dies ere he knows it. That low man goes on adding one to one, His hundred's soon hit: This high man, aiming at a million, Misses an unit. That, has the world here—should he need the next, Let the world mind him! This, throws himself on God, and unperplexed Seeking shall find him.

—Robert Browning.

Hitch your wagon to a star.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson.

When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Jehovah, will I seek.

—Psalm 27. 8.

Almighty God, show me what thou hast given for me to do, that I may not leave undone that which is mine. Forgive me for useless planning and blind asking for the things which cannot be mine. I pray that my work may be honest work, well done, and acceptable for thy service. Amen.



DECEMBER SEVENTH

Cicero assassinated B.C. 43.

John Dalton born 1766.

Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, born 1542.

It is virtue—yes, let me repeat it again—it is virtue alone that can give birth, strength, and permanency to friendship. For virtue is a uniform and steady principle ever acting consistently with itself.

—Cicero.

A common friendship—who talks of a common friendship? There is no such thing in the world. On earth no word is more sublime.

—Henry Drummond.

But thou shalt surely open thy hand unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need.

—Deuteronomy 15. 8.

Lord God, wilt thou reveal to me my weakness if I may be insincere; and give me the strength that I lack to keep me true. May I not take advantage of the ignorant, or thoughtlessly lead the innocent into temptation. Grant that I may be a trustful and kind friend. Amen.



DECEMBER EIGHTH

John Pym died 1643.

Richard Baxter died 1691.

Thomas De Quincey died 1859.

Elihu Burritt born 1810.

Robert Collyer born 1823.

Into the dusk of the East, Gray with the coming of night, This may we know at least— After the night comes light! Over the mariners' graves, Grim in the depths below, Buoyantly breasting the waves, Into the East we go.

On to a distant strand, Wonderful, far, unseen, On to a stranger land, Skimming the seas between; On through the days and nights, Hope in each sailor's breast, On till the harbor lights Flash on the shores of rest!

J.H. Jowett.

So he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

—Psalm 107. 30.

Lord God, I pray that thou wilt provide me with thy indwelling peace. May it keep me reconciled to the decline of years, and enable me to bear the earthly separation from those whom I love. May I always have hope and trust in thee. Amen.



DECEMBER NINTH

John Milton born 1608.

Sir Anthony Van Dyck died 1641.

Joel Chandler Harris born 1848.

Doth God exact day labor, light denied? I fondly ask: but Patience, to prevent That murmur, soon replies, "God doth not need Either man's work, or his own gifts; who best Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best; his state Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed, And post o'er land and ocean without rest; They also serve who only stand and wait."

—John Milton.

"'Tain't on'y chilluns w'at got de consate er doin' eve'ything dey see yuther folks do. Hit's grown folks w'at oughter know better," said Uncle Remus.

—Joel Chandler Harris.

Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God with reverence and awe.

—Hebrews 12. 28.

My Father, teach me to select my work from that which is noble and true. May I not mold my life in affectation or feel that I must imitate the lives of others, but grant that I may perfect my life through experiences which are worthy of increasing endeavors. Amen.



DECEMBER TENTH

Thomas Holcroft born 1745.

Dr. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet born 1787.

Eugene Sue born 1804.

Be of good cheer. Do not think of to-day's failures, but of success that may come to-morrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will have a joy in overcoming obstacles—a delight in climbing rugged paths which you would perhaps never know if you did not sometimes slip backward, if the road were always smooth and pleasant. Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost.

—Helen Keller.

We rise by things that are beneath our feet, By what we have mastered by good and gain, By the pride deposed and passion slain, And the vanquished ills that we hourly meet.