Life and Literature Part 108

--_A. Smith._

1491

PARTING FROM FRIENDS.

When forc'd to part from those we love, Though sure to meet to-morrow; We yet a kind of anguish prove, And feel a touch of sorrow.

But oh! what words can paint the fears When from those friends we sever, Perhaps to part for months--for years-- Perhaps to part for ever.

1492

Control your pa.s.sion or it will control you.

--_Horace._

1493

Nothing overcomes pa.s.sion sooner than silence.

--_French._

1494

Remember, three things come not back; The arrow sent upon its track-- It will not swerve, it will not stay Its speed; it flies to wound or slay; The spoken word, so soon forgot By thee, but it has perished not; In other hearts 'tis living still, And doing work for good or ill; And the lost opportunity That cometh back no more to thee.

In vain thou weep'st, in vain dost yearn, These three will never more return.

1495

Let by-gones be by-gones; let the past be forgotten.

--_Dr. Webster._

1496

Every one utters the word "past" with more emotion than "future."

--_Richter._

1497

The beaten path is the safe one.

--_From the Latin._

1498

A pearl is often hidden in an ugly sh.e.l.l.

--_Chinese._

1499

The pen is the tongue of the mind.

--_Cervantes._

1500

HOW TO WAKE THE PEOPLE.

An old peasant in a German village had to leave his children alone in the house for the day. "If a thief comes," he said to them, "do not cry 'Thief!' For everybody will be afraid and will say to himself: 'After all, it's not my property that's being taken.' No, my children; shout 'Fire!' The whole village will run to help you, for everybody will be afraid the fire will spread."

--_Sat.u.r.day Evening Post._

1501

Perfection none must hope to find In all this world--in man or woman-kind.

1502

As the sun's shadow shifts, so there is no permanence on earth.

--_Chinese._

1503

By persevering, mountains will often become only mole hills.

1504

SCOTTISH PERSEVERANCE.

Scottish perseverance has itself become proverbial; we remember to have met with a story which is said to be connected with the foundation of an opulent mercantile house which has flourished for some generations.

Saunders, the traveler, entered a shop in London and enquired for the head of the house; one of the clerks asked what he wanted; the answer of Saunders was, as usual, a question, "Want ye aught in my line, sir?"

"No," was the prompt reply, accompanied by a look of contempt at the itinerant Scotch merchant. "Will ye no tak' a look o' the gudes, sir?"

was Saunders' next query. "No, not at all; I have not time. Take them away--take them away!" "Ye'll aiblins (perhaps) find them worth your while, and I doubt na but ye'll buy," said Saunders; and he proceeded to untie and unstrap his burden. "Go away--go away!" was reiterated more than once by the clerk, but the persevering Scot still persisted. The master of the establishment overheard all that had taken place, and now he stepped forward, and, moved by some compunction for the treatment the traveler had received, and some admiration, too, for the patience and perseverance of the man, he consented to look over the contents of the pack, found them to be exactly the goods he was in want of, purchased them all, and gave a very large order; and thus, says Chambers, who tells the story, a.s.sisted in the foundation of a large mercantile house.