worldly height, compared to thy eternal glory, is vanity and folly. O my God, my Truth, and my Mercy, O Blessed Trinity, to thee alone be praise, honor, power, and glory forever and ever. LOVE OF SOLITUDE AND SILENCE (From the "Imitation of Christ ") EEK a convenient time to retire into thyself; SEEK and meditate often upon God's loving kindnesses. Meddle not with curiosities; but read such things as may rather yield compunction to thy heart than occupation to thy head. If thou withdraw thyself from speaking vainly and from gadding idly, as also from hearkening after novelties and rumors, thou shalt find leisure enough and suitable for meditation on good things. The greatest saints avoided the society of men when they could conveniently, and did rather choose to live to God in secret. One said: "As oft as I have been among men, I returned home less a man than I was before." And this we find true when we talk long together. It is easier not to speak a word at all than to speak more words than we should. He, therefore, that intends to attain to the more inward and spiritual things of religion must, with Jesus, depart from the multitude and press of people. No man doth safely appear abroad but he who gladly can abide at home, out of sight. No man speaks securely but he that holds his peace willingly. No man ruleth safely but he that is willingly ruled. No man securely doth command but he that hath learned readily to obey. No man rejoiceth securely unless he hath within him the testimony of a good conscience. CONCERNING THE INWARD LIFE THE (From the "Imitation of Christ ") HE Kingdom of God is within you," saith the Lord. Turn thee with thy whole heart unto the Lord, and forsake this wretched world, and thy soul shall find rest. Learn to despise outward things, and give thyself to things inward, and thou shalt perceive the Kingdom of God to come in thee. "For the Kingdom of God is peace and joy in the Holy Ghost," which is not given to the unholy. Christ will come unto thee, and show thee His consolations, if thou prepare for Him a worthy mansion within thee. All his glory and beauty is from within, and there He delighteth himself. The inward man He often visiteth, and hath with Him sweet discourses, pleasant solace, much peace, familiarity exceedingly wonderful. THE CONSIDERATION OF ONE'S SELF (From the "Imitation of Christ ") E cannot trust much to ourselves, because WE grace oftentimes is wanting to us, and under standing also. There is but little light in us, and that which we have we quickly lose by our negligence. Oftentimes, too, we do not perceive our own inward blindness. We often do evil, and excuse it worse. We are sometimes moved with passion, and we think it to be zeal. We reprehend small things in others, and pass over greater matters in ourselves. We quickly enough feel what we suffer at the hands of others; but we mind not what others suffer from us. He that doth well and rightly consider his own works, will find little cause to judge harshly of another. The inward Christian preferreth the care of himself before all other cares; and he that diligently attendeth unto himself doth seldom speak much of others. Thou wilt never be so inwardly religious unless thou pass over other men's matters with silence, and look especially unto thyself. If thou attend wholly unto God and thyself, thou wilt be but little moved with whatsoever thou seest abroad Where art thou when thou art not with thyself? and when thou hast run over all, what hast thou then profited if thou hast neglected thyself? If thou desireth peace of mind and true unity of purpose, thou must put all things behind thee and look only upon thyself. Thou shalt then make great progress if thou keep thyself free from all temporal care; thou shalt greatly decrease if thou esteem anything temporal as of value. Let nothing be great unto thee, nothing high, nothing pleasing, nothing acceptable, but only God himself, or that which is of God; esteem all comfort vain which thou receivest from any creature. A soul that loveth God despiseth all things that are inferior unto God. God alone is everlasting, and of infinite greatness, filling all creatures, the soul's solace and the true joy of the heart. CHARLES KINGSLEY CHARLES KINGSLEY, clergyman, poet, philanthropist, and novelist, was born at Holne, Devonshire, England, in 1819; died at Eversley, in 1875. He graduated from Oxford, in 1842, and took charge of a parish. His first work was a drama in verse, founded on the story of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. He had strong views on the need of bettering the condition of British work people, and his novel, Alton Locke, Tailor and Poet," brought about the establishment of a large number of coöperative associations. His two greatest novels are Hypatia," describing life in Alexandria, in the fifth century, and "Westward Ho !" This gives a vivid account of life on the high seas in the days of Elizabeth, when Raleigh, Drake and Hawkins were carrying St. George's Cross with fire and sword along the Spanish Main. As an historical novel dealing with American exploration it has no equal. In addition to the above, he wrote a large number of essays, sermons, poems and novels. T THE MERRY LARK 66 HE merry, merry lark was up and singing, And the hare was out and feeding on the lea. And the merry, merry bells below were ringing, When my child's laugh rang through me. Now the hare is snared and dead beside the snowyard, And the lark beside the dreary winter sea, And my baby in his cradle in the churchyard THE SANDS O' DEE MARY, go and call the cattle home, go and call the cat And call the cattle home, Across the sands o' Dee! The western wind was wild and dark wi' foam, The creeping tide came up along the sand, And round and round the sand, As far as eye could see; The blinding mist came down and hid the land, "O is it weed, or fish, or floating hair, O' drowned maiden's hair, Above the nets at sea? Was never salmon yet that shone so fair, They rowed her in across the rolling foam, The cruel, hungry foam, To her grave beside the sea: But still the boatmen hear her call the cattle home Across the sands o' Dee. MY A FAREWELL Y fairest child, I have no song to give you; No lark could pipe to skies so dull and gray: Yet, ere we part, one lesson I can leave you For every day: |