Life and Literature Part 12

158

A brother's sufferings claim a brother's pity.

--_Addison._

159

When thy brother has lost all that he ever had, and lies languishing, and even gasping under the utmost extremities of poverty and distress, dost thou think to lick him whole again only with thy tongue?

--_South._

160

_A Saying of Napoleon_--Once at St. Helena, when walking with a lady, some servants came along carrying a load. The lady, in an angry tone, ordered them out of the way, on which Napoleon interposed, saying, "Respect the burden, madam." Even the drudgery of the humblest laborer contributes towards the general well-being of society; and it was a wise saying of a Chinese Emperor that, "If there was a man who did not work, or a woman that was idle, somebody must suffer cold or hunger in the Empire."

--_Dr. H. D. Northrop._

161

No one knows the weight of another's burden.

--_German._

162

The more we help others to bear their burdens, the lighter our own will be.

163

WHAT WE OWE TO ROBERT BURNS.

Burns has been one of the world awakeners. His voice rang out of the stillness, like the clear sweet notes of a bugle horn, and his songs were sung with a nerve and strength of nature that stirred to its depths the popular heart.

Describing Robert Burns' conversational gifts, Mr. Carlyle wrote: "They were the theme of all that ever heard him. All kinds of gifts, from the gracefullest allusions of courtesy to the highest fire of pa.s.sionate speech, loud floods of mirth, soft wailings of affection, laconic emphasis, clear piercing insight, all were in him."

He awoke the poor and the despised to the dignity of man as man, irrespective of the accidents of poverty or wealth.

"The rank is but the guinea's stamp, The man's the man for a' that."

Thus helping to deliver men from the debasing worship of sordid gold, and of such rank as kings can confer on even the most worthless.

"The man of independent mind He looks and laughs at a' that."

He opened the eyes of the Scottish people, at home and abroad, to the glory of their nation's history, and glowing with the hope of a day--

"When man to man the world o'er Shall brithers be for a' that."

He also opened men's eyes to the hatefulness of all shams and hypocrisies; of meanness, selfishness and pride; of all narrowness and greed and cruelty thus--

"Man's inhumanity to man Makes countless thousands mourn."

And again: He opened men's eyes to the cruelty and injustice of harsh judgment, seen oftenest perhaps in people judging, or misjudging others, who have yielded to temptations, or sunk under debasing influences, to which they themselves have never been exposed. Where has Christian charity and kindly consideration for others been more n.o.bly taught than in these lines:

"Who made the heart, 'tis He alone Decidedly can try us; He knows each chord, its various tone, Each spring, its various bias.

Then, at the balance, let's be mute, We never can adjust it; What's done we partly may compute, But know not what's resisted."

He opened many eyes when he wrote the following:

"O, wad some Pow'r the giftie gie us To see oursels as ithers see us!

It wad frae monie a blunder free us, And foolish notion; What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us, And even Devotion!"

164

We all, according as our business prospers or fails, are elated or cast down.

165

I'll give money to any well deserving friend, but in the matter of business, I'll cavil on the ninth part of a hair.

--_Shakespeare._

166

Sentiment is not now recognized in business affairs.

167

To business that we love, we rise betime, And go to it with delight.

--_Shakespeare._

168

_Keep to Your Calling_--Bishop Grostest, of Lincoln, told his brother, who asked him to make him a great man: "Brother," said he, "if your plough is broken, I'll pay the mending of it; or if an ox is dead, I'll pay for another; but a ploughman I found you, and a ploughman I'll leave you."

169

BUSYBODIES.