[Gutenberg 26683] • The Girl Wanted: A Book of Friendly Thoughts

Excerpt: ...in Though sorrow must come, where is the advantage of rushing to meet it? It will be time enough to grieve when it comes; meanwhile, hope for better things.--Seneca . our surroundings to make us morose or gloomy or dispirited or indifferent regarding the influence we are exerting upon those around us. There is no obvious reason why we should not be joyous and happy at the prospect before us. We should have not only grace enough for our own personal needs, but plenty of it to spare for those not so gladly born as ourselves. And rich beyond computation is the one who has joyousness to spare. Better All my old opinions were only stages on the way to the one I now hold, as itself is only a stage on the way to something else.--R. L. Stevenson . than gold, better than food and raiment and all material things, betimes, is a ray of sunshine from the heart, an uplift of saving humor from a merry tongue. "I have often felt, myself," says Benson, "that the time has come to raise another figure to the hierarchy of Christian graces. Faith, Hope and Charity were sufficient in a more elementary and barbarous age, but, now that the world has 89 Hasten slowly, and, without losing heart, put your work twenty times upon the anvil.--Boileau. broadened somewhat, I think an addition to the trio is demanded. A man may be faithful, hopeful, and charitable, and yet leave much to be desired. He may be useful, no doubt, with that equipment, but he may also be both tiresome and even absurd. The fourth quality that I should like to see raised to the highest rank among the Christian graces is the Grace of Humor." Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control--these three alone lead life to sovereign power.--Tennyson. Splendidly blest is that household that is so fortunate as to possess at least one member gifted with the grace of good humor. One such person in a home is enough if there cannot be more. Just when all the others are seriously It is curious to...