THINGS THOUGHTFUL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 20 June 1931, Page 10

THINGS THOUGHTFUL

UNLAWFUL PLEASURES People should lie guarded against temptation to unlawful pleasures by furnishing them the means of innocent ones. In every community there must be pleasures, relaxations, and means of agreeable excitement; and it innocent are not furnished, resort will be had to criminal. Alan was made to enjoy as well sis labour, and the state of society should he adapted to this principle of human nature. —Dr. Cliauuiiig.

CON V.EBSATIOX PLEASURABLE, WHEN TRUTHFUL This liberty in conversation (fiction and exaggeration) defeats its own end. Much of the. pleasure and all the benefit of conversation depends upon our opinion of the speaker's veracity.— Pa ley.

DEGREES OF PLEASURE One reason why God hath scattered up and down several degrees of pleasure and pain in all the tilings that environ and a fleet us, and blended them together in almost all that nur thoughts and senses have to do with is. that we, finding imperfect ion, dissal isfaction, and warn of complete'happiness in all tiie enjoyments which the creatures can afford us. might be led to seek it in the enjoyment, of Him with whom “there is fulness of joy, and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore.” — Locke.

THE PRINTED WORD But words are things, a'nd a small drop of ink .Falling, like dew, upon a thought, produces That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think. ’Tis strange, the shortest letter which men use, instead of speech, may form a lasting link Of ages.—Byron. *** * * BE CONTENT I know that the soul is aided Sometimes by the heart’s unrest, And to grow’ means often to suffer — But whatever is—is best. —Ella Wheeler Wilcox. * * * • THE BUSINESS OF LIFE - The business of life is to go forwards. —Dr. Johnson. * » « • HUMAN NATURE Human nature is not a machine to be built after a model and set to do exactly the work proscribed for it, but a tree, which requires to grow and develop itself on all sides, according to the tendency of the inward forces which make it a living tiling.—Mill. * * V * i LOVE Love should be able to do everything, to bridge distance and swallow up time. It should make waiting a glad service and sacrifice no sacrifice at ’all. —Winifred James. * * # # KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD What is called knowledge of the world is tlie art of steering amongst the rocks of convention.—H. Meilliac.

NARROWNESS OF MIND

Narrowness of mind is often the cause of obstinacy; we do not easily believe beyond what we see. —Rouchefoucauld. * * # *

TOILING UPWARD The heights by great men reached and kept Were hot attained by sudden flight: But they, while their companions slept. Were toiling upward in the -night. —Longfellow. * * * * MAN [ know my soul hath power to know all tilings, Yet she is blind and ignorant in all; I know I’m one of Nature’s little kings, Yet to the least and vilest things am thrall. I know my life’s a pain and but a span; I know my sense is mock’d in everything; And, to conclude, I know myself a Man—

Which is a proud and yet a wretched thing.—Sir John Davies. # * * *

HONESTY Honesty is the best policy, blit lie who acts on that principle is not an honest man.—Whatley. * • * *# * ACTIONS—THEIR TRUE MOTIVE Men are not made truly religious by performing certain actions which are externally good; but men must have righteous principles in the first place, and then they will not fail to perform virtuous actions. —Luther. * * * * THE EVIL OF WAR War, even in the host state of an army, with all the alleviations of courtesy and honour, with all the cori rectives of morality and religion, is nevertheless so great an evil,-that to engage in it without a clear necessity is a crime of the blackest dye. When the necessity is clear, it then becomes a crime to shrink from it. —Southey. PRACTICAL WISDOM The actions of each day are, for the most part, links which follow each other in the chain of custom. Hence the great effort of practical wisdom is to imbue the mind with right tastes, affections, and habits; the elements of character and masters of actions. — Robert Hall. * * * # RICHES AND THE REVERSE Riches, honours, and pleasures are the sNveets which destroy the mind’s appetite for its heavcnlv food; poverty, disgrace, and pain are the bitters which restore it.—Bishop Horne.

DON’T BE THE SLAVE OF CIRCUM STANCES

It is a painful fact, but there is no denying it, the mass are the tools of circumstances; thistle-down on the breeze, straw on the river, their course is shaped for them by the currents and eddies of the stream of life. Rut only in proportion as they are things, not men and women. Man was meant to be not the slave, but the master, of circumstances; and in proportion as he recovers his humanity, in every sense of that great obsolete word, —in proportion us he gets hack the spirit of manliness, which is selfsaeriliee, affection, loyalty to an idea beyond himself, a Cod above himself, so far will be rise above circumstances, and wield them at bis will.— Kingsley.

.GREAT WORKS Croat, works are performed, not by strength, but by perserveranee. —Johnson. * * * * ROOM IN THE HEART When there is room in the heart there is always room in the house. —Moore.