Think wilt thou let it Out of Eternity This new day is born; Into Eternity, At night, will return. Behold it aforetime No eye ever did; From all eyes is hid. Here hath been dawning A CHILD'S THOUGHT OF GOD. ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING. THEY say that God lives very high, And if you dig down in the mines, You never see him in the gold; Though from him all that glory shines. God is so good, he wears a fold Of heaven and earth across his face Like secrets kept, for love, untold. But still I feel that his embrace Slides down by thrills, through all things made, Through sight and sound of every place; As if my tender mother laid On my shut lids her tender pressure, Half-waking me at night, and said, "Who kissed you in the dark, dear guesser? THE HEAVENLY DOVE. FREDERIKA BREMER. TRANSLATION OF MARY HOWITT. THERE sitteth a dove, so white and fair, All on the lily spray, And she listeth how to Jesus Christ Lightly she spreads her friendly wings, And unto the Father in Heaven she bears And back she comes from Heaven's gate; From the Father in Heaven, who hears her speak, Then, children, lift up a pious prayer; It hears whatever you say That Heavenly Dove, so white and fair, HUMILITY. ROBERT HERRICK. HUMBLE we must be WINNING AND LOSING. DINAH MARIA MULOCH. "PEACE on earth and mercy mild," He that has a victory lost, FAULTS AND VIRTUES. JOHN RUSKIN. Do not think of your faults; still less of others' faults; in every person who comes near you, look for what is good and strong; honor that; rejoice in it; and, as you can, try to imitate it; and your faults will drop off like dead leaves, when their time comes. GOOD NAME. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. GOOD name in man and woman, dear my lord, Who steals my purse, steals trash; 'tis something, nothing; 'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands; But he that filches from me my good name, Robs me of that which not enriches him, THE MOON. ANONYMOUS. O MOON, said the children, O Moon, that shineth fair, Why do you stay so far away, so high above us there? O Moon, you must be very cold from shining on the sea; If you would come and play with us, how happy we should be! O children, said the Moon, I shine above your head, That I may light the ships at night, when the sun has gone to bed; That I may show the beggar-boy his way across the moor, And bring the busy farmer home to his own cottage door. O Moon, said the children, may we shine in your place? They say that I have sunny hair, and I a sparkling face. To light the ships and beggar-boys we greatly do desire ; And you might come and warm yourself before the nursery fire! O children, said the Moon, we have each allotted parts: "Tis yours to shine by love divine on happy human hearts; 'Tis mine to make the pathway bright of wanderers that roam; 'Tis yours to scatter endless light on those that stay at home! GOD THE FATHER. H. W. BEECHER. THE sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide world's joy. The lonely pine on the mountain-top waves its sombre boughs, and cries, "Thou art my sun!" And the little meadow-violet lifts its cup of blue, and whispers with its perfumed breath, "Thou art my sun!" And the grain in a thousand fields rustles in the wind, and makes answer, "Thou art my sun!" So God sits effulgent in Heaven, not for a favored |