Life and Literature Part 140

(This piece was written for Miss Mary Campbell, the poet's sister; it appeared first in the _Morning Chronicle_.

The tree, the subject of the lines still ornaments the grounds at Ardwell, in Scotland, the seat of James Murray McCulloch, Esq.)

1950

Like a tree, am I sheltering others by my life?

1951

The greater the difficulty the more glory in surmounting it. Skilful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests.

1952

TROUBLE.

When I waken in the morn I'm sad, I must confess, To think that ere I can go out I must get up and dress.

1953

_Deuteronomy xxii, 4._--"Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or a.s.s fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them; thou shalt surely help him lift them up again."

Mr. George Herbert, the poet, when walking to Salisbury, saw a poor man, with a poorer horse, fallen under his load. Mr. Herbert perceiving this, put off his canonical coat, and helped the poor man to unload, and after to load his horse. The poor man blessed him for it, and he blessed the poor man, and gave him money to refresh both himself and his horse; and told him, "If he loved himself, he should be merciful to his beast."

At his coming to his musical friends at Salisbury, they began to wonder that Mr. George Herbert, who used to be so clean, came in such a condition; but he told them the occasion; and when one of the company told him, "he had disparaged himself by so dirty an employment," his answer was, "That the thought of what he had done would prove music to him at midnight; and the omission of it would have upbraided and made discord in his conscience, whensoever he should pa.s.s by the place."

1954

I wrote down my troubles every day; And after a few short years, When I turned to the heart-aches pa.s.sed away, I read them with smiles,--not tears.

1955

To tell our troubles, is often the way to lighten them.

1956

PERFECT TRUST AND RESIGNATION.

During the Rabbi's absence from home, two of his sons died. Their mother hiding her grief, awaited the father's return, and then said to him. "My husband, some time since two jewels of inestimable value were placed with me for safe keeping. He who left them with me called for them to-day, and I delivered them into His hands." "That is right," said the Rabbi approvingly. "We must always return cheerfully and faithfully all that is placed in our care." Shortly after this, the Rabbi asked for his sons, and the mother, taking him by the hand, led him gently to the chamber of death. Meir gazed upon his sons, and realizing the truth, wept bitterly. "Weep not, beloved husband," said his n.o.ble wife; "didst thou not say to me we must return cheerfully, when called for, all that has been placed under our care? G.o.d gave us these jewels; He left them with us for a time, and we gloried in their possession; but now that He calls for His own, we should not repine."

1957

_In Boswell's Life of Johnson_, he says:--Next morning, while we were at breakfast, Johnson gave a very earnest recommendation of what he himself practised with the utmost conscientiousness: I mean a strict attention to truth, even in the most minute particulars. "Accustom your children,"

said he, "constantly to this: If a thing happened at one window, and they, when relating it, say that it happened at another, do not let it pa.s.s, but instantly check them; you do not know where deviation from truth will end."

1958

Dare to be true: Nothing can need a lie.

1959

TRUTH, CONTRASTED WITH FALSEHOOD.

I once asked a deaf and dumb boy, "What is truth?" He replied by thrusting his finger forward in a straight line. I then asked him "What is falsehood?" when he made a zigzag with his finger. Try to remember this; let whoever will, take a zigzag path,--go you on in your course as straight as an arrow to its mark, and shrink from falsehood, as you would from a viper.

--_Barnaby._

1960

Truth has such a face and such a mien, As to be loved needs only to be seen.

Vice is a monster of such hideous mien, As to be hated needs but to be seen.

--_Pope._

1961

The dignity of truth is lost With much protesting.

--_Ben Jonson._

1962

Not to believe the truth, is of all ills the worst.

1963

ILL-JUDGING.

A woman stopped a divine in the streets of the metropolis with this salutation: "There is no truth in the land, sir! There is no truth in the land." "Then you do not speak the truth, good woman," replied the clergyman. "Oh, yes, I do," returned she, hastily. "Then there is truth in the land," rejoined he, as quickly.

1964

I cannot tell how the truth may be; I say the tale as 'twas said to me.

--_Sir Walter Scott._