Many Thoughts of Many Minds Part 51

Pride requires very costly food--its keeper's happiness.--COLTON.

Pride, of all others the most dangerous fault, Proceeds from want of sense, or want of thought.

--ROSCOMMON.

If a man has a right to be proud of anything, it is of a good action done as it ought to be, without any base interest lurking at the bottom of it.--STERNE.

There is this paradox in pride,--it makes some men ridiculous, but prevents others from becoming so.--COLTON.

In reality, there is perhaps no one of our natural pa.s.sions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, stifle it, mortify it as much as you please, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself.--FRANKLIN.

Men say, "By pride the angels fell from heaven." By pride they reached a place from which they fell!--JOAQUIN MILLER.

Pride breakfasted with plenty, dined with poverty, and supped with infamy.--FRANKLIN.

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

--PROVERBS 16:18.

If he could only see how small a vacancy his death would leave, the proud man would think less of the place he occupies in his lifetime.

--LEGOUVe.

I think half the troubles for which men go slouching in prayer to G.o.d are caused by their intolerable pride. Many of our cares are but a morbid way of looking at our privileges. We let our blessings get mouldy, and then call them curses.--BEECHER.

When pride and presumption walk before, shame and loss follow very closely.--LOUIS XI.

How can there be pride in a contrite heart? Humility is the earliest fruit of religion.--HOSEA BALLOU.

In beginning the world, if you don't wish to get chafed at every turn, fold up your pride carefully, put it under lock and key, and only let it out to air upon grand occasions. Pride is a garment all stiff brocade outside, all grating sackcloth on the side next to the skin.

--LYTTON.

Pride is a vice, which pride itself inclines every man to find in others, and to overlook in himself.--DR. JOHNSON.

An avenging G.o.d closely follows the haughty.--SENECA.

Charity feeds the poor, so does pride; charity builds an hospital, so does pride. In this they differ: charity gives her glory to G.o.d; pride takes her glory from man.--QUARLES.

The proud man is forsaken of G.o.d.--PLATO.

PROCRASTINATION.--Faith in to-morrow, instead of Christ, is Satan's nurse for man's perdition.--REV. DR. CHEEVER.

To be always intending to live a new life, but never to find time to set about it; this is as if a man should put off eating and drinking and sleeping from one day and night to another, till he is starved and destroyed.--TILLOTSON.

By the streets of "By and By" one arrives at the house of "Never."

--CERVANTES.

By one delay after another they spin out their whole lives, till there's no more future left for them.--L'ESTRANGE.

Procrastination is the thief of time.--YOUNG.

For Yesterday was once To-morrow.--PERSIUS.

Never leave that till to-morrow which you can do to-day.--FRANKLIN.

Indulge in procrastination, and in time you will come to this, that because a thing ought to be done, therefore you can't do it.--CHARLES BUXTON.

PROGRESS.--He only is advancing in life whose heart is getting softer, whose blood warmer, whose brain quicker, whose spirit is entering into living peace.--RUSKIN.

"Can any good come out of Nazareth?" This is always the question of the wiseacres and the knowing ones. But the good, the new, comes from exactly that quarter whence it is not looked for, and is always something different from what is expected. Everything new is received with contempt, for it begins in obscurity. It becomes a power un.o.bserved.--FEUERBACH.

Look up and not down; look forward and not back; look out and not in; and lend a hand.--E.E. HALE.

I must do something to keep my thoughts fresh and growing. I dread nothing so much as falling into a rut and feeling myself becoming a fossil.--JAMES A. GARFIELD.

Humanity, in the aggregate, is progressing, and philanthropy looks forward hopefully.--HOSEA BALLOU.

Human improvement is from within outwards.--FROUDE.

An original sentence, a step forward, is worth more than all the centuries.--EMERSON.

Let us labor for that larger and larger comprehension of truth, that more and more thorough repudiation of error, which shall make the history of mankind a series of ascending developments.--HORACE MANN.

We can trace back our existence almost to a point. Former time presents us with trains of thoughts gradually diminishing to nothing.

But our ideas of futurity are perpetually expanding. Our desires and our hopes, even when modified by our fears, seem to grasp at immensity. This alone would be sufficient to prove the progressiveness of our nature, and that this little earth is but a point from which we start toward a perfection of being.--SIR HUMPHRY DAVY.

By the disposition of a stupendous wisdom, moulding together the great mysterious incorporation of the human race, the whole, at one time, is never old, or middle-aged, or young; but, in a condition of unchangeable constancy, moves on through the varied tenor of perpetual decay, fall, renovation, and progression.--BURKE.

We are either progressing or retrograding all the while; there is no such thing as remaining stationary in this life.--JAMES FREEMAN CLARKE.

It is wonderful how soon a piano gets into a log-hut on the frontier.

You would think they found it under a pine-stump. With it comes a Latin grammar, and one of those tow-head boys has written a hymn on Sunday. Now let colleges, now let senates take heed! for here is one who, opening these fine tastes on the basis of the pioneer's iron const.i.tution, will gather all their laurels in his strong hands.

--EMERSON.

A fresh mind keeps the body fresh. Take in the ideas of the day, drain off those of yesterday.--LYTTON.

The wisest man may be wiser to-day than he was yesterday, and to-morrow than he is to-day. Total freedom from change would imply total freedom from error; but this is the prerogative of Omniscience alone.--COLTON.

PROSPERITY.--Watch lest prosperity destroy generosity.--BEECHER.

Prosperity seems to be scarcely safe, unless it be mixed with a little adversity.--HOSEA BALLOU.

The increase of a great number of citizens in prosperity is a necessary element to the security, and even to the existence, of a civilized people.--BURET.

Prosperity is the touchstone of virtue; for it is less difficult to bear misfortunes than to remain uncorrupted by pleasure.--TACITUS.

Prosperity demands of us more prudence and moderation than adversity.

--CICERO.