Leaves of Life Part 57

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 G.o.d, 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d, may I become more like thee. Give me the desire to a.s.sociate 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.