THINGS THOUGHTFUL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 19 August 1933, Page 10

THINGS THOUGHTFUL

BELIEF, HOPE, LOVE All things are possible to him who believes; they are less difficult to him who hopes; they arc easy to him who loves; and simple to any who do all three * * * * LEARNING AS WE TEACH All our lives through we must learn by teaching; we must gain knowledge by distributing what we have. —F. D. Maurice. * * * * TRUE HAPPINESS Without strong affection, and humanity of heart, and gratitude to that Hung whose code is Mercy, and whose great attribute is Benevolence to all things that breathe, true happiness can never be attained.—Dickens. * * * * JUSTICE NOT NECESSARILY CRUEL

No obligation to justice does force a

man to be cruel, or to use the sharpest sent once. A just man does justice to every man and to every thing; and then, if he he also wise, he knows (here is a debt of mercy and compassion due to the infirmities of man’s naluie; and that is to be paid: and he that is cruel and ungentle to a sinning person, and does the worst to him, dies in his debt and is unjust. Pity and forbearance, and long-suffcr-ance and fair interpretation, and excusing 'our brother, and taking in the best sense, and passing the gentlest sentence, are as certainly our duty, and owing to every person that does oilend and can repent, as calling to account can be owing to the law, and are best to be paid; and he that does not so is an unjust person. —Jeremy Taylor. THE FAILURE TO EE Alt The only failure a man ought to fear is failing in cleaving to the purpose he sees to the best. —George Eliot. IRE E SOLUTION In matters of great concern, and which must lie done, there is no surer argument of a weak mind than irresolution; to he undetermined where the case is so plain and the necessity so urgent. To be always intending a lead a new life, but never to find time to set about it; this is as if a man should put oil' eating and drinking, and sleeping, from one day and night to another, till lie is starved and destroyed. * * * * THE EMPIRE OF SILENCE The great silent men! Looking round on the noisy inanity of the world, words .with little meaning, actions with little worth, one loves to reflect on the gieat empire of silence. The noble silent men, scattered here and there, each in his department; silently, thinking, silently working; whom no morning newspaper makes mention of! They are the salt of the earth. A country that has none or few of these is in a had way. . . . Woe for us if we had nothing hut what we can show, or speak. Silence, the great Empire of Silence: higher than the stars; deeper than the Kingdoms of Death! It alone is great; all else is small. —Carlyle. NEITHER MEMORY NOR TONGUE What’s that, which ere I spake, was gone! So jovful and intense a spark That/whilst o’erliead the wonder shone The day before, hut dull, grew dark? I do not know; but this I know, That, had the splendour lived a year, The truth that 1 some heavenly show - Did see. could not be now more dear. This know I too: might mortal breath Express the passion then inspired, Evil would die a. natural death, And nothing transient be desired: And error from the soul would pass, And lea ve the senes pure and strong As sunbeams. But the best, alas!

Has neither memory nor tongue —Coventry Patmore

THE HARVEST OF SWEETNESS It is in these acts called trivialities that the seeds of joy arc for ever wasted, until men and women look round with haggard faces at the devastation their own waste lias made, and sav .the earth bears no harvest ot sweetness —calling the denial knowledge.—George Eliot. ° * * * * LIFE We shape ourselves the joy or fear Of which the coining life is made, And fill our Future’s atmosphere With sunshine or with shade. The tissue of the Life to he . We leave with colours all our own, And in the field of Destiny We reap as we have shown. Still shall the soul around it call The shadows which it gathered here, And, painted on the eternal wall, The Past shall reappear. —J. G. Whittier. * * * *

THE MOST WHOLESOME SOCIETY Try to frequent the company of your betters: in books and life, that is the most wholsome society. Learn to admire right! v; the great pleasure of life is that. Note wluit the great men have admired; they admired great things. Narrow spirits admire basely, and worship meanly. —Thackery. * * * *

AN OLD RULE Give me a rule concise and true To teach the path I should pursue. “To each, to all, precisely do That which you’d have them do to you.” * * *

WHEN DESIRES ARE FEW They that desire but few things can be crossed but in a few.—Jeremy Tay-

DANCE WHILE YOU MAY Dance and sings. Time’s on the wing, Life never knows the return of spring, —John Gay. ****.

EMPTINESS OF GREATNESS I was born with greatness; I’ve honours, titles, powers, here within, All vain external greatness 1 contemn Am I the higher for supporting mountains ? The taller for a flatt’rer’s humble bowing? Have I more room for being throng d with flowers? The larger soul for having all my thoughts Fill’d with the lumber of the state affairs ? Honours and riches are all splendid vanities, They are of chiefest use to fools and knaves. —Brown. * * * * THE REWARD OF AMBITION He who ascends to mountain-tops shall find The loftiest peaks most wrap in clouds and snow He who surpasses or subdues mankind, Must look down on the hate of those below. Though high above the sun of glory glow, . And far beneath the earth and ocean spread. Round him are icy rocks, and loudly

blow Contending tempests on his naked head And thus rewarding the toil that to those summits led.—-Byron.