The sunshine went out of his soul with a thrill, Life The flesh 'neath his armor did shrink and Lessons crawl, And midway its leap his heart stood still Like a frozen waterfall; For this man, so foul and bent of stature, The leper raised not the gold from the dust: "Better to me the poor man's crust, Better the blessing of the poor, Though I turn me empty from his door; Who gives from a sense of duty; But he who gives a slender mite, And gives to that which is out of sight, That thread of the all-sustaining Beauty Which runs through all and doth all unite,— The hand cannot clasp the whole of his alms, The heart outstretches its eager palms, For a god goes with it and makes it store To the soul that was starving in darkness be fore." JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL. From "The Vision of Sir Launfal." Life Lessons Opportunity This I beheld, or dreamed it in a dream:- Wavered, then staggered backward, hemmed by A craven hung along the battle's edge, And thought," Had I a sword of keener steelThat blue blade that the king's son bears, but this Blunt thing!" he snapt and flung it from his And lowering crept away and left the field. And saved a great cause that heroic day. EDWARD ROWLAND SILL. Abou Ben Adhem and the Angel Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!) And with a look made of all sweet accord 66 Answered, The names of those who love the "And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so," The Angel wrote and vanished. The next night And, lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest. LEIGH HUnt. Life Lessons Life Lessons Be True Thou must be true thyself, If thou the truth wouldst teach; To give the lips full speech. Think truly, and thy thoughts Shall the world's famine feed; Speak truly, and each word of thine Shall be a fruitful seed; Live truly, and thy life shall be A great and noble creed. HORATIO Bonar. The Shepherd Boy Sings in the Valley of He that is down needs fear no fall, He that is low, no pride; I am content with what I have, And, Lord, contentment still I crave, Fullness to such a burden is That go on pilgrimage: Here little, and hereafter bliss, Is best from age to age. JOHN BUNYAN. A Turkish Legend A certain pasha, dead five thousand years, And had this sentence on the city's gate So these four words above the city's noise And evermore from the high barbican, Lost is that city's glory. Every gust Lifts, with crisp leaves, the unknown pasha's dust, And all is ruin, save one wrinkled gate Whereon is written, "Only God is great.” THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH. Life Lessons |