Leaves of Life, for Daily Inspiration. Margaret Bird Steinmetz
1819.Margaret E. Sangster born 1838. Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience. —George Washington. Life is a sheet of paper white Whereon each one of us may write His word or two, and then comes night. Greatly begin! though thou hast time But for a line, be that sublime. Not failure, but low aim is crime.—James Russell Lowell.God keep us through the common days, The level stretches white with dust, When thought is tired, and hands upraise Their burdens feebly since they must; In days of slowly fretting care Then most we need the strength of prayer.—Margaret E. Sangster.Make level the path of thy feet, And let all thy ways be established.—Proverbs 4. 26. Lord God, help me to realize the influence of the individual life. And as I would care for my own, may I seek to do for others; and may I not criticize, but help all who are trying to make the world better. Amen. FEBRUARY TWENTY-THIRDTable of Contents Samuel Pepys born 1633.George F. Handel born 1685.George Frederick Watts born 1817.John Keats died 1821.Margaret Deland born 1857.Labor is life! 'tis the still water faileth; Idleness ever despaireth, bewaileth: Keep the watch wound, or the dark rust assaileth; Flowers droop and die in the stillness of noon. Labor is glory! the flying cloud lightens; Only the waving wing changes and brightens, Idle hearts only the dark future frightens, Play the sweet keys, wouldst thou keep them in tune. —Frances S. Osgood. KEATS Palled death, with kisses ghostly, Wooed and won him while too young, And the world reveres him mostly, For the songs he might have sung. —Samuel A. Wood. Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not: lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. —Isaiah 54. 2. Almighty God, I pray for the will to do my finest work. Disclose to me if I am being detained by serving selfishness in myself or in others. Lead me to what is right for me to do; and may I diligently tarry in it. Amen. FEBRUARY TWENTY-FOURTHTable of Contents Samuel Lover born 1797.Robert Fulton died 1815.George William Curtis born 1824.'Tis not to enjoy that we exist, For that end only; something must be done; I must not walk in unreproved delight These narrow bounds, and think of nothing more, No duty that looks further and no care. —William Wordsworth. We weave our thoughts into heart-spun plans, And weave secure for a fitful day, But lose in the web of earthly things The pattern of sublimity. Shall days spring up as wild vines grow, Unheeding where they climb or cling? Consider, child, before you sow, And wait not until harvesting. —M. B. S. Jehovah is my strength and my shield; My heart hath trusted in him, and I am helped: Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; And with my song will I praise him. —Psalm 28. 7. Loving Father, command my judgment for the influences which I permit to come into my life. Grant that I may not delay my purposes for the lack of comforts which are so often made more than life. With thy strength may I be steadfast in what I would achieve. Amen. FEBRUARY TWENTY-FIFTHTable of Contents William Seely died 1521.Sir Christopher Wren died 1723.Jane Goodwin Austin born 1831.Camille Flammarion born 1842. In general, pride is at the bottom of all great mistakes. All other passions do occasionally good; but wherever pride puts in its word everything goes wrong. —John Ruskin. He that is proud eats up himself: pride is his own glass, his own trumpet, his own chronicle; and whatever praises itself but in the deed, devours the deed in the praise. —William Shakespeare. Save me alike from foolish pride Or impious discontent; At aught Thy wisdom hath denied, Or aught Thy wisdom lent.—Alexander Pope. A man's pride shall bring him low; But he that is of a lowly spirit shall obtain honor. —Proverbs 29. 23. Heavenly Father, I pray that I may not let pride keep me down when it may be mine to be carried to the heights. With tenderness take me out of myself, that I may see how pride deceives, and destroys an humble spirit. Help me to master both stubbornness and pride. Amen. FEBRUARY TWENTY-SIXTHTable of Contents Christopher Marlowe (baptized 1564).Victor Hugo born 1802.Lord Cromer born 1841.Thomas Moore died 1852. When I go down to the grave I can say, like so many others, I have finished my work; but I cannot say I have finished my life; my day's work will begin again the next morning. My tomb is not a blind alley; it is a thoroughfare. It closes in the twilight to open in the dawn. —Victor Hugo. There's nothing bright above, below, From flowers that bloom to stars that glow, But in the light my soul can see Some feature of the Deity.There's nothing dark below, above, But in its gloom I trace God's love, And meekly wait that moment when His truth shall turn all bright again.—Thomas Moore.Jehovah redeemeth the soul of his servants; And none of them that take refuge in him shall be condemned.—Psalm 34. 22. Lord God, may I not only feel the need of thee when I am burdened with sorrow and care, but may I have need of thee in my pleasures and joys. I thank thee for thy gracious kindness, thy mercy and thy protection. Amen. FEBRUARY TWENTY-SEVENTHTable of Contents Henry Wadsworth Longfellow born 1807.Ellen Terry born 1848.Mary F. Robinson born 1857.Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime, And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time— Footprints that perhaps another, Sailing o'er life's wintry main, A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, Seeing, shall take heart again. —Henry W. Longfellow. They are slaves who fear to speak For the fallen and the weak; They are slaves who will not choose Hatred, scoffing, and abuse, Rather than in silence shrink From the truth they needs must think; They are slaves who dare not be In the right with two or three. —James Russell Lowell. Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. —Matthew 5. 16. Merciful Father, help me to know that my shadow cannot fall without me, and that my footprints cannot be found where I have never trodden. I pray that thou wilt make me so familiar with the right path that it may be mine to have the privilege of leading others to the right places. Amen. FEBRUARY TWENTY-EIGHTHTable of Contents Montaigne born 1533.Mary Lyon born 1797.Sir John Tenniel born 1820.Soul, rule thyself; on passion, deed, desire, Lay thou the laws of thy deliberate will. Stand at thy chosen post, Faith's sentinel: Though Hell's lost legions ring thee round with fire, Learn to endure. —Arthur Symonds. The confidence in another man's virtue is no slight evidence of a man's own, and God willingly favors such a confidence. —Montaigne. Though a host should encamp against me, My heart shall not fear: Though war should rise against me, Even then will I be confident.—Psalm 27. 3. My Father, may I ever be kept in remembrance of my virtue, and may I be sensitive to its strength. As I go on my way, keep me within control of the impetuous desires of my nature, and in call of the duties and obligations of my daily life. Amen. FEBRUARY TWENTY-NINTHTable of Contents Anne Lee born 1736.G. A. Rossini born 1792.John Landseer died 1852.Happy is he and more than wise Who sees with wondrous eyes and clean This world through all the gray disguise Of sleep and custom in between. —G. K. Chesterton. In the morning, when thou findest thyself unwilling to rise, consider with thyself presently, if it is to go about a man's work that I am stirred up. Or was I made for this, to lay me down, and make much of myself in a warm bed. —Marcus Aurelius. Arise and be doing, and Jehovah be with thee. —1 Chronicles 22. 16. Gracious Father, help me to take of the wealth of my day, while it is in season, and accessible. May I not be ignorant of the abundance in which I live, and be found in overwhelming regret. Forgive me for all that I have missed in life, and make me more watchful of that which is to come. Amen. MARCHTable of Contents 01020304050607080910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031Spring still makes spring in the mind, When sixty years are told; Love makes anew this throbbing heart, And we are never old. Over the winter glaciers, I see the summer